Zenbeats Version 3

Samu

@MatthewAtZenbeats said:

@manaftermidnight said:
I also noticed that plug-ins that are deactivated are activated again when reopening a project. Is anyone else having this issue?

This issue will be fixed in our upcoming 3.1.4 update. I'll post here once it is released 👍

Looking forward to the update!

One 'thing' that has been bugging me a while is this...
...is there any way to 'render/bake-in' the midi-data generated by a midi plug-in in to an existing clip or new clip?

ex. I have a midi-clip with 'chords or other notes' and wish to turn it into an arpeggiated pattern without having to re-record it?
(Ie. bounce the midi-clip thru the midi plug-ins and remove/disable the midi plug-ins).

Hopefully the 3.1.4 will also fix the somewhat 'laggy' behavior of the mixer-sliders (it feels like they are 'swimming in syrup').

Still getting used to the ZenBeats work-flow, but I have to say that the piano-roll editor has improved a LOT compared to where it was just a few months ago

Cheers!

manaftermidnight

@MatthewAtZenbeats said:

@manaftermidnight said:
I also noticed that plug-ins that are deactivated are activated again when reopening a project. Is anyone else having this issue?

This issue will be fixed in our upcoming 3.1.4 update. I'll post here once it is released 👍

Great, thanks!

Seems like metronome settings are not remembered? When reopening a project the metronome is reactivated when recording, but it was disabled when the project was saved.

JohnnyGoodyear

Just getting back into ZB and good to see there's chatter and action going on

Korakios

Has anyone tried drawing CCs on (empty) track instrument to drive external synths ? Couldn't find a way , only found the classic vol/pan/mod/pitch etc...

And a feature request (rather strange) : I'd really love an "export as Ableton Live project" . I know Live is a competitive DAW but I just want to export a ZB3 project to Akai Force (which can import als projects)

tahiche

@Korakios said:
Has anyone tried drawing CCs on (empty) track instrument to drive external synths ? Couldn't find a way , only found the classic vol/pan/mod/pitch etc...

And a feature request (rather strange) : I'd really love an "export as Ableton Live project" . I know Live is a competitive DAW but I just want to export a ZB3 project to Akai Force (which can import als projects)

I don’t think you can draw CC’s, this has been a long time request of mine. I had to setup a very quirky Mozaic script to translate notes on an empty track to PC changes to change patterns on the Digitakt. Can’t even remember if it worked. The thing with “geek workarounds “ like using Mozaic scripts is that it’s impossible (for me) to remember, also happens with Drambo intricate chains. What I think is a great idea today I’ll look at tomorrow and think “wtf was this for?.”
I guess Zenbeats was built to work with internal instruments, where there’s no need for specific CC’s. Same goes for the (excellent) drum sequencer, it’s great for internal drums but if you want to play other auv3 or external gear you can’t midi map the kit pieces. Yes, I also made a Mozaic script for this, must be either “zb mapper v3”, or “drum note mapper” or “my mapper OK” 😂

MatthewAtZenbeats

@ipadbeatmaking said:

@MatthewAtZenbeats said:
Hi Evveryone,

Just getting back to work from an extended weekend... of more work lol. Some notes inline, below.

@ipadbeatmaking said:

@CapnWillie said:

@DMfan said:

@CapnWillie said:

Hey @MatthewAtZenbeats , any chance you guys can write a script for Arturia’s new MiniLab 3?

Currently they offer Ableton, Logic and Bitwig. It would be really great to have Zenbeats among them. Especially for iPad as it is already a great companion to Roland MV1 and J-6.

The Oled screen and clickable selection knob lets you cycle tracks, instruments and presets within a DAW. The pads allow clip launching and transport. The top four knobs map to key sound design parameters on built in instruments, the bottom 4 map to effect (delay, dev, chorus, etc) parameters on built in instruments. The faders control the mixer (vol, pan, send, etc). Shift + keys/pads control arp, chord, midi channel, program changes.

👍

If you never ask, you’re always going to get a no…. although my I feel it is Arturia’s ball, not Roland’s since Roland is also selling their own controllers.

Arturia seems to have more or less left the iOS scene sorry to say.

/DMfan🇸🇪

Could be. Although Apple (Logic) and Bitwig apparently added their scripts after it launched. Also, if Zenbeats wants to catch up or at least be mentioned in the same sentence as the big guys they may want to throw their hat in. As you said, a try beats a blank.🤷🏽‍♂️

I couldn’t find any decent portable Roland midi controllers (besides the J-6 which i adore). I’d def be interested in any that are mapped to control Z3.

First off, beautiful view!

I agree, scripts are essential and what essentially separate the adults from the kids with DAWs. And with Zenbeats being a desktop DAW, its peers are Logic, Bitwig, Ableton, etc. What I think Roland (Zenbeats) really needs to do is open up a scripting api like Ableton, Fl Studio, Bitwig, etc that would allow enthusiasts to build their own scripts for personal use, sharing, or selling and let us actually maximize our controllers with it.

And while we're on the subject I'll rant: I lost my Roli blocks compatibility to the zenbeats update and I guess there's no intention to bring it back. I also requested the knob for the piano roll editor to have midi learn fixed, instead its been removed entirely. Really?

MIDI Hardware Support:
I too would love to see more compatible hardware support in Zenbeats and much discussion has been had by my team on this topic. Currently we are focused on improving other key areas in the app. We'll get to improving MIDI hardware mapping in the future.

Sounds good! An API and formal support for custom/user scripts would be great also, when y’all get a chance.

Sometimes when we find issues that cannot be easily fixed, we may opt to remove them until they can be addressed. The MIDI mapping of the knobs in the MIDI inspector will be revisited when we address some of the other MIDI mapping tasks.

Looking forward to it.

With Roli Blocks devices being discontinued, I don't believe the unofficial integration that worked in early versions of Zenbeats will be able to be updated/fixed. I'd recommend creating your own maps with their custom software. I know that's not ideal, but it is the only thing that can be done now.

So it isn’t possible to just re-insert the same script that was removed? I wouldn’t want/expect official support, just would like what we lost back into the app. It was a really nice feature to have. The blocks are still useful with the ZenBeats script, even discontinued.

We haven't removed any script from Zenbeats. The one we currently have just does not work after many platform upgrades. If it were as simple as including a script, it would have been done. Sorry for the inconvenience.

@Korakios said:

@MonkeyDrummer said:
And the inspector only seems to work on individual notes. Setting length is only avail when a note/hit is selected…

Let's forget that , I mentioned it as an extra feature many people forget it exists and make worflow easier , but it doesn't have anything to do for the length , sorry for the confusion

@MonkeyDrummer said:
Unless it works differently in the unlocked version…which I don’t want if I can’t have offset pattern lengths…

It's the same , you can start a one month free subscription on Roland site that includes Zenbeats if you want to demo ZB3

@MonkeyDrummer said:
In piano roll mode, moving the right “fence” just causes hits to the right to not play. It doesn’t seem to effect the actual loop length.

You are correct , it's supposed to work like that , but I meant something else , look at the photo :

unfortunately you found a bug , in the meantime make suse you set 2 bars and long press on the region and select "Set Region End"

@MatthewAtZenbeats , the region feature doesn't show if the Pattern Size is one bar , it shows on 2 and above
Also even if snap is disabled , the start/end is locked to one bar length
A suggestion : there shouldn't be extra region snap option IMO , the region should follow the snap (if enabled) of the grid

Also while messing with the time signature , if I choose eg 12/4 , notes on drum mode (not pianoroll) get messed . It's like the secong half of one measure shows on the same page but on drum slot below (maybe I should record a video , difficult to explain)

Drum Track MIDI Editor:
We'll take a look at the odd time signature issues. We know there is plenty of room for improvement here.

p.s.
also found an issue with atom piano roll where if the note is on the first "step" of the piano roll and the clip is armed it's played constantly even if zenbeats is not playing. however I don't really need to use atom within zenbeats and I think it can be mitigated by using automation on atom launch parameters

I found the same issue with Atom and I would like to see it fixed in the next Zenbeats update hopefully. Atom is essential to my work flow and this bug is the main reason I haven't used it too much lately. Thanks

Regarding ATOM
We've taken a look at Atom and can confirm an issue when having a note start on the first step. The plugin is essentially spamming midi data. I've reached out to the developer numerous times but have not received a reply. We'll be happy to work on this when we can get in touch with them.

So what’s interesting is that this last (ZenBeats) update specifically broke it within ZenBeats. Up until then it was working great. Is there a way to patch it internally? I ask because Atom’s dev isn’t easy to reach (for many) so It’d be a shame if that is what a fix relied on, especially since it worked before.

Unfortunately, I don't think it's that simple and could risk breaking some of fixes implemented for other plugins. Again, I encourage you to reach out to the developer.

Also, Side request, could we get copy/paste from clipboard support and drag n drop (from files) support for audio and midi? Thanks

Would love that too and it is in our backlog for the future.

MatthewAtZenbeats

@tahiche said:

@Korakios said:
Has anyone tried drawing CCs on (empty) track instrument to drive external synths ? Couldn't find a way , only found the classic vol/pan/mod/pitch etc...

And a feature request (rather strange) : I'd really love an "export as Ableton Live project" . I know Live is a competitive DAW but I just want to export a ZB3 project to Akai Force (which can import als projects)

I don’t think you can draw CC’s, this has been a long time request of mine. I had to setup a very quirky Mozaic script to translate notes on an empty track to PC changes to change patterns on the Digitakt. Can’t even remember if it worked. The thing with “geek workarounds “ like using Mozaic scripts is that it’s impossible (for me) to remember, also happens with Drambo intricate chains. What I think is a great idea today I’ll look at tomorrow and think “wtf was this for?.”
I guess Zenbeats was built to work with internal instruments, where there’s no need for specific CC’s. Same goes for the (excellent) drum sequencer, it’s great for internal drums but if you want to play other auv3 or external gear you can’t midi map the kit pieces. Yes, I also made a Mozaic script for this, must be either “zb mapper v3”, or “drum note mapper” or “my mapper OK” 😂

I hear you on this. Having CC automation would be nice when working with external hardware.
One thing to note. Our Step Sequencer now has the ability to remap MIDI notes to specific slots. This should allow you to map the track output to another instrument track too.

MatthewAtZenbeats

@manaftermidnight said:

@MatthewAtZenbeats said:

@manaftermidnight said:
I also noticed that plug-ins that are deactivated are activated again when reopening a project. Is anyone else having this issue?

This issue will be fixed in our upcoming 3.1.4 update. I'll post here once it is released 👍

Great, thanks!

Seems like metronome settings are not remembered? When reopening a project the metronome is reactivated when recording, but it was disabled when the project was saved.

Metronome settings are global and not linked to song project data. If you turn it on or off, the setting should be recalled on your next startup regardless of what song file you open. If that is not the case, I can say it is for our next patch (due to be released soon).

MatthewAtZenbeats

@Samu said:

@MatthewAtZenbeats said:

@manaftermidnight said:
I also noticed that plug-ins that are deactivated are activated again when reopening a project. Is anyone else having this issue?

This issue will be fixed in our upcoming 3.1.4 update. I'll post here once it is released 👍

Looking forward to the update!

One 'thing' that has been bugging me a while is this...
...is there any way to 'render/bake-in' the midi-data generated by a midi plug-in in to an existing clip or new clip?

ex. I have a midi-clip with 'chords or other notes' and wish to turn it into an arpeggiated pattern without having to re-record it?
(Ie. bounce the midi-clip thru the midi plug-ins and remove/disable the midi plug-ins).

Offline render, no, but you can record the output of the MIDI plugin to a clip.
Just enable the "Print MIDI Effect" option before you record.

You can drag and drop a MIDI clip to an audio track to render it as a loop.

Hopefully the 3.1.4 will also fix the somewhat 'laggy' behavior of the mixer-sliders (it feels like they are 'swimming in syrup').

No mixer changes in 3.1.4 but I will post a full changelog of what's new/improved when we release it.

Still getting used to the ZenBeats work-flow, but I have to say that the piano-roll editor has improved a LOT compared to where it was just a few months ago

Cheers!

Thanks for the feedback as always!

Samu

@MatthewAtZenbeats said:

Offline render, no, but you can record the output of the MIDI plugin to a clip.
Just enable the "Print MIDI Effect" option before you record.

I know that one
The idea was to process an existing midi-clip by rendering it thru the midi-effects thus creating a new midi-clip.
(No current iOS DAW does this seamlessly so it could be an iOS First)

You can drag and drop a MIDI clip to an audio track to render it as a loop.

Yepp, that's a pretty handy way to create 'samples' from recorded midi clips, really like that feature.

I use a similar feature in Logic to create 'sampler instruments' where it's just a matter of dragging any audio or midi-event to the inspector area and selecting which of the samplers to use for the rendered audio.

This creates a new instrument track with the audio loaded into the selected sampler type with optional transient detection for instant slices ready to be played and mangled and re-sequenced with almost zero effort

Hopefully the 3.1.4 will also fix the somewhat 'laggy' behavior of the mixer-sliders (it feels like they are 'swimming in syrup').

No mixer changes in 3.1.4 but I will post a full changelog of what's new/improved when we release it.

Goodie!
I really like the way ZenBeats is evolving over time.

If there's anything that can be done to reduce the 'crackle' when loading / un-loading pug-ins it would be much appreciated.
This could be done by applying micro-fade out (0.5s) before unloading a plug-in and a micro fade-in when loading a plug-in (<0.5s). This would make the app feel more 'polished' when it comes to plug-in handling.

Looking forward to the next update.
Cheers!

manaftermidnight

Another small thing I have noticed is that the area that display the usage of system resources changes when opening the plug-in edit window. Tried to illustrate this is in the screenshots below, in the red squares in the top right corner.

MatthewAtZenbeats

@manaftermidnight said:
Another small thing I have noticed is that the area that display the usage of system resources changes when opening the plug-in edit window. Tried to illustrate this is in the screenshots below, in the red squares in the top right corner.

That's by design if you have " Use Plugin Windows" disabled as we think seeing the time/beat values are more valuable than the system performance indicators.

manaftermidnight

@MatthewAtZenbeats said:

@manaftermidnight said:
Another small thing I have noticed is that the area that display the usage of system resources changes when opening the plug-in edit window. Tried to illustrate this is in the screenshots below, in the red squares in the top right corner.

That's by design if you have " Use Plugin Windows" disabled as we think seeing the time/beat values are more valuable than the system performance indicators.

Thanks! That makes sense. I was not aware of that setting. Using plugins windows is a lot better 👍

Optahealth

Anyone else getting blank plug in screen with Tera Pro in ZB?

Samu

@Optahealth said:

Anyone else getting blank plug in screen with Tera Pro in ZB?

Nope, it's working ok here on my 11" M1 iPadPro running iPadOS16.3.1

MAtrixplan

@Samu said:

@Optahealth said:

Anyone else getting blank plug in screen with Tera Pro in ZB?

Nope, it's working ok here on my 11" M1 iPadPro running iPadOS16.3.1

That is why during reporting issues - we have to be as much specific as we can (ipad version, system, ZB version etc.)

DMfan

@Optahealth said:
Anyone else getting blank plug in screen with Tera Pro in ZB?

Works here. What was going on when Tera Pro didn’t show? Did you you restart Zenbeats from the settings menu and tried again? A restart of the iPad? What iPad and iPadOS version are you on? Latest Zenbeats version aka 3.1.3?

3.1.4 is coming, maybe you should just hang in there to see if it works after the update?

/DMfan🇸🇪

Optahealth

@DMfan said:

@Optahealth said:
Anyone else getting blank plug in screen with Tera Pro in ZB?

Works here. What was going on when Tera Pro didn’t show? Did you you restart Zenbeats from the settings menu and tried again? A restart of the iPad? What iPad and iPadOS version are you on? Latest Zenbeats version aka 3.1.3?

3.1.4 is coming, maybe you should just hang in there to see if it works after the update?

/DMfan🇸🇪

9th Gen iPad iOS 15.1, latest version of ZB

Has done this on multiple occasions. Sometimes it does work for a bit…. Until I add more tracks.
But this time right out the gate no-go

Uses lots of system resources maybe??

Randydaytona

Hi guys. I posted this on the Zenbeats forum on Roland but it seems quiet there . I tried to go through this thread as much as I can so apologies if I mentioned things that already have been talked about.

First of all the app itself is exciting and has a lot of potential. Might just be my new DAW of choice soon . Having a DAW that has audio tracks and freezable tracks is amazing!

I’ve noticed that third party plugins are virtually unusable , especially on the iPad. The UIs are very all over the place . Some plugins make the app itself turn completely black and you can’t navigate anything.

Am I missing a CPU/DSP meter ?

The option to zoom on the timeline, on audio editing in the samplers and in patterns with two fingers would be great

The timeline above the audio / midi channels is quite chunky , would be cool to be able to resize it

Is there an option to paste entire sample packs into a user folder ?

If I’m looking at a sample in Files I can’t seem to find an option to open the audio via zen beats

It would be great if you could preview/audition audio before selecting to import, similar to koala sampler

Loading a sample eg a kick from from the Roland sample library into sampleverse doesn’t seem possible

A start and end point for audio for sampleverse would be great

I’ve noticed the start end points in ZR1 seem to jump at times unpredictably

Mono voice option in sampleverse would be great

I can’t seem to group tracks into a buss correctly

Undo on certain things like fade on an audio clip doesn’t seem to work

DMfan

@Optahealth said:

@DMfan said:

@Optahealth said:
Anyone else getting blank plug in screen with Tera Pro in ZB?

Works here. What was going on when Tera Pro didn’t show? Did you you restart Zenbeats from the settings menu and tried again? A restart of the iPad? What iPad and iPadOS version are you on? Latest Zenbeats version aka 3.1.3?

3.1.4 is coming, maybe you should just hang in there to see if it works after the update?

/DMfan🇸🇪

9th Gen iPad iOS 15.1, latest version of ZB

Has done this on multiple occasions. Sometimes it does work for a bit…. Until I add more tracks.
But this time right out the gate no-go

Uses lots of system resources maybe??

It is likely a resource issue. It has happened to me on my iPad Air 4 when using a lot of resource hungry AUv3s in a project, exactly as in your case. I guess you have no issues when just using one instance of TP, right? Try using lighter apps on “bread @ butter sounds”, freeze or bounce tracks or sample a sound playing it as an audio clip. Audio clips take virtually no resources compared to some AUv3s.

Any special reason for staying on iPadOS 15.1? I know the developer pushes for use of latest OS when using Zenbeats.

DMfan🇸🇪

DMfan

Check the App Store. 3.1.4 is out😉.

/DMfan🇸🇪

soundsgoodbro

@DMfan said:
Check the App Store. 3.1.4 is out😉.

/DMfan🇸🇪

I can’t find the full change log list. Where I can find them?

DMfan

Details coming soon I’m sure but believe me, this is good. Let’s just say Eventide, Nembrini, Imaginando and Moog are teasers😁.

/DMfan🇸🇪

GLacey

@soundsgoodbro said:

@DMfan said:
Check the App Store. 3.1.4 is out😉.

/DMfan🇸🇪

I can’t find the full change log list. Where I can find them?

Start Zenbeats, click on whatever item (e.g. ZC1 Synthesizer), hamburger menu, help, learning center, scroll down to ‘Additional resources’, tap ‘What’s new’/ open.
Unfortunately it seems they haven’t updated it yet, so you’ll find the 3.1.3 change log only.

soundsgoodbro

@GLacey said:

@soundsgoodbro said:

@DMfan said:
Check the App Store. 3.1.4 is out😉.

/DMfan🇸🇪

I can’t find the full change log list. Where I can find them?

Start Zenbeats, click on whatever item (e.g. ZC1 Synthesizer), hamburger menu, help, learning center, scroll down to ‘Additional resources’, tap ‘What’s new’/ open.
Unfortunately it seems they haven’t updated it yet, so you’ll find the 3.1.3 change log only.

Yes, I see only 3.1.3 links

DMfan

@GLacey said:

@soundsgoodbro said:

@DMfan said:
Check the App Store. 3.1.4 is out😉.

/DMfan🇸🇪

I can’t find the full change log list. Where I can find them?

Start Zenbeats, click on whatever item (e.g. ZC1 Synthesizer), hamburger menu, help, learning center, scroll down to ‘Additional resources’, tap ‘What’s new’/ open.
Unfortunately it seems they haven’t updated it yet, so you’ll find the 3.1.3 change log only.

You can also use this shortcut from the Home menu and it will take you directly to the Learning Center:

/DMfan🇸🇪

ipadbeatmaking

@CapnWillie said:

@soundsgoodbro said:

@DMfan said:
Check the App Store. 3.1.4 is out😉.

/DMfan🇸🇪

I can’t find the full change log list. Where I can find them?

Nothing to do with y’all @CapnWillie or @DMfan, I only tagged y’all because of the topic; but this is pretty annoying way of doing things to be honest, in my humble opinion. Updating ZenBeats has had costly consequences previously and there’s never a promise that what breaks will be restored lol. I’d really like a update log without actually updating to get it.

[Deleted User]

The user and all related content has been deleted.

DMfan

@ipadbeatmaking said:
Nothing to do with y’all @CapnWillie or @DMfan, I only tagged y’all because of the topic; but this is pretty >annoying way of doing things to be honest, in my humble opinion. Updating ZenBeats has had costly >consequences previously and there’s never a promise that what breaks will be restored lol. I’d really like a update >log without actually updating to get it.

There is no need to update without knowing the changes my friend, you can visit https://www.rolandcloud.com/news anytime to see the changelog for yourself when it is posted and then decide what action to take. You can also go the shortcut for the Learning Center shown above in your current version and check on What’s New since this is just a link to the Roland website.

No official changelog has been posted yet.

/DMfan🇸🇪

ipadbeatmaking

@DMfan said:

@ipadbeatmaking said:
Nothing to do with y’all @CapnWillie or @DMfan, I only tagged y’all because of the topic; but this is pretty >annoying way of doing things to be honest, in my humble opinion. Updating ZenBeats has had costly >consequences previously and there’s never a promise that what breaks will be restored lol. I’d really like a update >log without actually updating to get it.

There is no need to update without knowing the changes my friend, you can visit https://www.rolandcloud.com/news anytime to see the changelog for yourself when it is posted and then decide what action to take. You can also go the shortcut for the Learning Center shown above in your current version and check on What’s New since this is just a link to the Roland website.

No official changelog has been posted yet.

/DMfan🇸🇪

Ok I checked the website earlier and didn't see anything. So I assumed based on the update notes, that I had to update and then get the details after the update. Good to see the notes just aren’t live yet. Maybe in the future they’ll consider giving us just a lil bit more info in the App Store dialogue.