Ok!

I've got the basics of a Chord Sequencer done.
It's pretty bare bones and probably needs some more work.
But as I don't even HAVE an arranger keyboard, if you want
it developed further, you'll need to try it out and let me
know what it needs.

http://PianoCheetah.com
download
run the install
that'll throw you into MidiConfiger.
Put your arranger keyboard's midi in connection at the
top of the midi in list.
Name the midi out for it the SAME thing as the midi in name.

You'll get thrown into PianoCheetah, so exit.
Start => Programs => PianoCheetah => ReChord

pick the channel.
space bar / button click to "arm".
If your channel is right, you should see the chord notes you play.

Try it out and ask me questions ya come across either here
or on stephen.hazel@gmail.com

Also some skimpy release notes are here:
http://PianoCheetah.com/news/


...Steve

Hmmm, I was told people were interested in a chord sequencer...

anyone? anyone? Bueller?

Sadly, until proved working well, I'm not buying a PC laptop or tablet to find out (I'm all Mac at the moment). But interested in anyone's review...

As I said in emails Steve, I don't have the arranger to test it...sorry

Oooooky doke. Gotcha. That's cool.

So Diki - what kind of features would you want outside of the vanilla?

I think I read in SOME message that you needed it to transpose or something. Can you explain that a little, please? (Or whatever other feature ya need).

OK... I don't think any arranger sends a MIDI message indicating you have transposed, so some way of doing this easily at the CS program is going to be needed. For many standards, it is a common trick to raise the key a half step or whole for the last verse or verse and chorus, and you don't really want to have to re-record the sequence...

I think that a way to 'save' the CS and call it up easily is a good idea.

If you want to get fancy, I have always thought that being able to record and play back multiple Chord Sequences would be cool, so you could have one for the basic head, one for maybe a vamp, one for an altered chord head, things like that.

But the bottom line is, being a LIVE tool, access to these sorts of things HAS to rest on being easy to do from the computer. If you are playing, you really don't want to be having to do modifier keys (control, alt etc.) while you are trying to play, and that all the key commands be not on adjacent keys so there is little risk of activating the wrong command. Ideally, it might be great if the user themselves can define the keys for each function, to make it the way THEY prefer.

i can add a little transpose amount thing that's auto-set to 0 on record and editable during playback.

and some save load things. save seq 1..12 and load seq 1..12.
(And you can rename em or whatever from win explorer.

PianoCheetah uses the highest note as a "shifting" command key.
While you hold that note, the other notes run commands.
I'm not sure you'ld want to give up the highest note playing live.
Maybe the lowest note?

Or should we just stick with the pc keys?

As there's probably no way to mute just the modifier key note on the keyboard itself, I'd suggest that it be from the computer keyboard exclusively.

Personally, I'd say using the space bar to start recording the loop, then a second hit of it to start the loop playing is going to be the easiest. Then all you need is one other key to 'Stop' the loop. A second tap on the 'Stop' button to 'play' the loop again (as a tap to the spacebar is going to put the loop into record again) and you are good to go.

But user definable Record/Play and Stop/Play will allow anyone to configure it the way they need...

Oh yeah, true (I'm too used to PianoCheetah where all the smarts are in the pc and the keyboard just plays whatever it's told)

No piano key commands then.

Right now I have it cycling between Off=>Arm=>Record=>Play=>Off=>...

Arm put it in recording mode, but the 1st notedown sets loopstarttime and starts recording. If it stays in arm, manually changing mode goes back to off. Else it sets loopendtime and starts playing.

But your way is more flexible. I'll start on the fixup.

I'd say the '+' and '-' keys as a way to transpose a half step would be all you need. Might be good to have those activate at bar end rather than immediately (but nice to have an option for immediate or 'wait until the one'), too. Two taps for a whole tone, one tap for a half.

Simple, practical...