Questions & Answers

Arranger Functionality in Studio One.

–1 vote
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asked Mar 19, 2023 in MIDI Editing by williamandrew1 (640 points)

Now comes the big suggestion . . . the one I think would take Studio One to a level far beyond Cubase or other sequencers. And that is the ability to have it generate automatic accompaniment! Think about this: Many musicians cannot afford an Arranger keyboard because they are so prohibitively expensive. So – why not build in the ability to, using perhaps Yamaha PSR series Style files – or even MIDI files! – create the rudiments of a song and have Studio One compose – say, a unique-sounding wedding march; or a rock song, or a ballad. Or at least the skeletal framework of one. The composer still has to do their job, of course (they have to give it chords and a melody), but all the same, the rest of the arrangement – different every time thanks to A.I. and Machine Learning – is done for them. Bear In mind that it is purely skeletal; it’s merely the machine’s suggestions . . . but you can go with them if you like. You could even take this further: Generate a guitar riff generator that strums or shreds along to the Chord Track we all know and love so much. Have it intelligent enough to perhaps finish out a chord progression for th3e frustrated composer, or handily suggest a right-hand melody (with again, counterpoint included, and perhaps based on variations of MIDI files like those that come in the Unison MIDI pack), AND best of all: Expose all the core controls of the Arrangement Manager to the composer, so they can tweak and experiment to their hearts’ content. And best of all, integrate it with the Score Manager and MIDI editor, and the Console, so the user can even control the mix of the (generated) framework for a song! Or—better yet—a complete song in itself! Or maybe just the chorus, or a verse, or a bridge. And here’s a thought: Add a feature to it that even most Arranger keyboards don’t have: The ability to generate, off the cuff, or inspired by the user’s input, guitar solos; flute solos; sax solos; every type of solo imaginable, based off of a library of mixable and matchable MIDI files!

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