Step Poly Arp vs Modstep

[Deleted User]

I've watched the SPA vids, and the feature that strikes me as the most desirable is the ability to change key in a pattern/arp with one of the 'key' keyboard notes along the bottom (e.g. C3, D3 etc.). This would allow tracks to be created where you transpose a sequence and change key simply by playing one of the notes on the built-in keyboard.

Just been checking Modstep on my iPad though, and it seems to do something similar, where you can change a scale or key of a particular sequence (there's also a 'global' option but this doesn't seem to work for me).

Can anyone tell me the difference between these features on the two apps? I like the other features of Step Poly Arp, but it's really this option to quickly change key that attracts me, but if I'm simply duplicating something I can do in Modstep then I might as well save my pennies.

Also another quick query: there's a basic 'song' mode in Step Poly Arp where you can sequence arp parts - can you duplicate, and then assign a different key to the new section? Again, this would be a quick way of creating a simple track which plays several arps in different keys, but without having to use the built-in keyboard to change key.

Thanks, hope this all makes sense!

Artefact2001

@MonzoPro I can't answer the query about similarity to modstep arp functionality (the modstep UI baffled me). But if you want to feed different notes per pattern in SPA song mode this is best done by feeding notes from an external source, for example fugue machine. Now very simple to set-up with AB3.

raindro

Both of these apps are awesome but their feature sets are totally different. StepPolyArp is an amazing arpeggiator. Modstep is an awesome clip based sequencer.

[Deleted User]

@Artefact2001 said:
@MonzoPro I can't answer the query about similarity to modstep arp functionality (the modstep UI baffled me). But if you want to feed different notes per pattern in SPA song mode this is best done by feeding notes from an external source, for example fugue machine. Now very simple to set-up with AB3.

Ah yeah that appeals - could this be done with AB2 or AUM?

@raindro said:
Both of these apps are awesome but their feature sets are totally different. StepPolyArp is an amazing arpeggiator. Modstep is an awesome clip based sequencer.

Thanks, yeah just wondering about the crossover though - SPA has a sort of 'song' mode, and MS the scale feature.

gonekrazy3000

to be honest modstep + steppolyarp is a match made in heaven. don't understand this VS business. i feed chords from modstep into it all the time. the results being fed into gadget. with link it means you have perfect arps recorded into gadget.

Will

I didn't know about the scale feature in mS. Looking forward to checking it out, thanks! If that's the main thing you're after, you might check out MidiSteps instead of SPA. Has transpose * 4 tracks (which can be transposed together or separately or in pairs or...).

[Deleted User]

I read that SPA with so realtime apps as you play the chords on the keyboard can Midisteps do this?

Will

@MusicMan4Christ said:
I read that SPA with so realtime apps as you play the chords on the keyboard can Midisteps do this?

Lost me.

[Deleted User]

@MusicMan4Christ said:
I read that SPA with so realtime apps as you play the chords on the keyboard can Midisteps do this?

Not on a keyboard like SPA, but there's an option on one of the ModStep edit pattern pages to change key....doesn't always seem to work though...

[Deleted User]

@syrupcore said:
I didn't know about the scale feature in mS. Looking forward to checking it out, thanks! If that's the main thing you're after, you might check out MidiSteps instead of SPA. Has transpose * 4 tracks (which can be transposed together or separately or in pairs or...).

Yeah that's the main thing really, thanks I'll have a look at that one too...

[Deleted User]

@gonekrazy3000 said:
to be honest modstep + steppolyarp is a match made in heaven. don't understand this VS business. i feed chords from modstep into it all the time. the results being fed into gadget. with link it means you have perfect arps recorded into gadget.

Ah right...interesting. Wish there were more vids available...

gonekrazy3000

@MonzoPro said:

@gonekrazy3000 said:
to be honest modstep + steppolyarp is a match made in heaven. don't understand this VS business. i feed chords from modstep into it all the time. the results being fed into gadget. with link it means you have perfect arps recorded into gadget.

Ah right...interesting. Wish there were more vids available...

i'll try and make one when i have time just been super busy lately.

Processaurus

@MonzoPro said:

Also another quick query: there's a basic 'song' mode in Step Poly Arp where you can sequence arp parts - can you duplicate, and then assign a different key to the new section?

Kind of. You can duplicate patterns. There is not a pattern encompassing transpose button. You can either change the note you are playing into SPA (it is just a special arpeggiator , after all), to the root note of the chord you want to change to (easy), or manually scoot the intervals up or down (like a third, or a fifth, or octave, etc). The second approach isn't ideal, better to do your chord changes with the note or chord you are feeding into the arp.

Again, this would be a quick way of creating a simple track which plays several arps in different keys, but without having to use the built-in keyboard to change key.

I would use a seperate thing to send midi notes to do the transposing in SPA, like Xynthesizr, or Midisteps, running a really slow sequence, like one step per measure, or Modstep. You can automate pattern changes either wih the song mode in SPA, or, SPA accepts midi program change messages.

raindro

@gonekrazy3000 said:

Yo dogg help us out. I've been trying to set that up recently without total success.

[Deleted User]

@Processaurus said:

@MonzoPro said:

Also another quick query: there's a basic 'song' mode in Step Poly Arp where you can sequence arp parts - can you duplicate, and then assign a different key to the new section?

Kind of. You can duplicate patterns. There is not a pattern encompassing transpose button. You can either change the note you are playing into SPA (it is just a special arpeggiator , after all), to the root note of the chord you want to change to (easy), or manually scoot the intervals up or down (like a third, or a fifth, or octave, etc). The second approach isn't ideal, better to do your chord changes with the note or chord you are feeding into the arp.

Again, this would be a quick way of creating a simple track which plays several arps in different keys, but without having to use the built-in keyboard to change key.

I would use a seperate thing to send midi notes to do the transposing in SPA, like Xynthesizr, or Midisteps, running a really slow sequence, like one step per measure, or Modstep. You can automate pattern changes either wih the song mode in SPA, or, SPA accepts midi program change messages.

Useful info, thanks