Using 'Jeskola Live' machine

[blacbeard]

New buzzer,

I'm toying around with the jeskola live machine. Can't figure it out. Is it working properly in the most recent builds?
Can anyone give me some clues on how to use it .

So far I know this much...
1.Headed blocks indicate machine columns in the main sequencer.
2. 'Scene' blocks are in the left most column, but will only be displayed if there are 2 or more 'live' tracks in the main sequencer (? is this a bug ?)
3. New scenes are introduced by creating new patterns for live module (again, only displayed in 'scene' column if 2 or more live tracks in main seq)

The two big mysteries for me are
1. What does the 'bar' number column do? I can kind of guess that it's for jumping to positions in the sequencer time line but it doesn't seem to work out that way.
2. How do you assign clips to the scene selected?

Looking forward to any light that can be shed on this.

Regards

[blacbeard]

Eureka!
Think I've cracked it.

First column blocks: Selects/cues all blocks on that row to play next. I guess this would be considered a scene control.
Live Column: 2 parameters controlled using these blocks
+++1. Pattern length determines when the next cued blocks will play. i.e. if length is set to 64 steps and all 'slave' patterns are 16 steps long they will not play until the 64 steps are finished. But this depends on the next point.
+++2. 'bar' setting determines snap setting for cueing. Useful for setting one shot effects that don't necessarily need to be in time or keeping everything rigid on the beat/bar.

example; Live block is set to 32 steps, with cue cue snap of 16 steps (hex 10) , another pattern can begin playing at the beginning or half way.
example 2: Live block set 32 steps, cue snap 32 steps (hex 20), other patterns can only begin at the beginning of the Live block.

[bomgaroto]

Hi,

I tried giving it a shot sometime ago but was kind to hard to figure out. I know there are some hints in the changelog (just CTRL+F and search for "Live"):

http://jeskola.net/buzz/beta/files/changelog.txt

I know it can control patterns that share a common name across different instruments (e.g. all 00 patterns, all 01 patterns, &c)

It would be nice if someone could write a little help for the dumber (me!)

Cheers!

[blacbeard]

From the looks of it, the post I wrote that precedes your own is the most detail info there is about it's operation anywhere on the net. I guess that makes me the most knowledgeable about it's operation other than Oskari.

Anyway: Here are some more thoughts

The linear sequencer used for standard song composition ceases to be important. I thought that the 'bar' parameter was used for setting scenes based on the number of location on the sequencer timeline and the pattern combination that occured during a selected interval. This turned out to be a goose chase and the actual use was far more practical.

Basically all that is needed from the sequencer is to press play, providing a synchronising beat for all the patterns that will be triggered.

Tips:
Use Ctrl+up to move 'Live' to the top of the sequencer hierarchy. This will place it as the second column in the Live machine interface for convenience.
As I already explained the live patterns are used as a tool to organize synchronization and snapping when triggering clips (patterns).

If a Live machine pattern is 64 steps long and the bar setting is set to 64 (40 hex), you have a maximum time limit of 64 steps (4 bars) to cue your next scene combination.
If that is all a bit slow for you, you can make another pattern of 64 steps, but bars set to 16 (10 hex). Under this setting, you will have a 4 bar visual cue because of the slow moving progress strip but you can drop/change patterns ever bar and stay on the beat.

One shots: Set bars to 01. This basically turns snapping off. You can now trigger any pattern or event uncoupled from rigid snapping. However, the pattern will loop, so either de-press the pattern so that it only runs once or have a special pattern with a note off command on the first line for each machine to use as a mute if you want to silence the pattern part way through playback. It's not easily able to be used as a drum pad machine (MPC style).

Essentially, using the live machine involves juggling snap and cue settings to vary playback of the patterns you have decided to use as loops or as one shot events. This is quite different and way more laborious than Ableton live for example, but the price points are a bit different if you know what I mean.

Not quite sure what the development status of Buzz is at the moment, but I hope with future updates there will be the ability to map midi controllers such as Novation launchpad to the Live machine.

Also, would be nice if you could set if a pattern were to be one shot (play through or only when held on) or a loop. This would make using it more fluid.

[szaszhareen]

excellent write up!

i agree that it would be great to see midi implemented for this machine, not sure if there's a workaround for it. iirc oskari mentioned that he made it just to show that it could be done, i'm not sure if it will be updated anytime soon.

[blacbeard]

If he did it as proof of concept, he certainly succeeded. If it were relatively easy to get this far, it would be a shame not to take it further imo.

Seems to me that abletons unchallenged reign needs more opposition and the live module certainly presents a very viable option. Considering that music takes a performer and a listener to create an audience, I have always been profoundly shocked by the lack of range in the live arrangement sequencers. It took nearly a decade for bitwig to come out!

Then, humbly waiting on the bench, was Buzz with a very promising future as a live sequencer for the masses to try and perform with.

[oskari]

The code is here: http://svn.jeskola.net/buzzgui/Live/

It's pretty simple so it should be quite easy to build a better machine based on it.

[esp81]

If he did it as proof of concept, he certainly succeeded. If it were relatively easy to get this far, it would be a shame not to take it further imo.

The same could be said for Buzz itself. It's full of really great ideas and potential, but everything seems only half finished. (piano roll, wavetable, new pattern editor, etc.) After 10+ years I still prefer its workflow over anything else, but it's a shame there isn't more consistent development.

[blacbeard]

I'm a winemaker by trade so I'll happily make you a bottle of wine, but programming buzz machines isn't an arrow is my quiver. I hope one of the many talented buzz machine coders might step in at this point to pick up the gauntlet of coding an awesome Live machine from Oskari's source code.

@esp81. Understand what you are saying. But I think that it is entirely understandable considering it is offered as donationware. If an appeal were put together on a crowd funding platform to collectively pony up some dough to develop an updated or polished feature set, I would definately think about chipping in. If a feature set could be agreed on by buzz users and Oskari, and if Oskari were to name a price; it might work. You'd certainly see how dedicated users and devs were to the program by patronage. Obviously, if it didn't reach it's target, new features wouldn't be implemented and it would show users didn't have belief in Buzz as a useful production program going forward. Oskari can save his time and we can all move along with our lives. I hope that wouldn't be the case as I see great potential in Buzz despite being one of the grand daddies of the computer music production suites.

[bomgaroto]

Definitely a project that should go on. I would love to take it, but I have just installed Visual Studio to start thinking about learning how to program a Buzz machine. It is probably going to take some time till I can do anything useful.

Thanks anyway for taking the time to gather all the information on how to use this great machine.

Cheers!