In my MicroKorg for example, I was able to extend the range to four octaves.Įxtended ranges often result in very beautiful, sweeping arpeggios that easily give depth to a track so give them a try!Įxtended ranges often result in very beautiful, sweeping arpeggios that easily give depth to a track so give them a try! 5. To extend the range you’ll have to find the range settings in your arpeggiator’s parameters. When you hold down the notes of a chord on your synth’s keys it’s arpeggiator will start sequencing the held notes.īut in many arpeggiators, it’s possible to transpose the held notes up or down several octaves to create a sequence and up and down the range of your keyboard. Play around with the rhythms your arpeggiator uses and you’ll find something that nicely suits your track. If your arpeggiator can use a custom sequence, play with it and find a note pattern that sits perfectly in your track.Īrpeggiators become really interesting once you start sequencing chord patterns with more complicated rhythms than your standard straight eight-note sequence.Īdding elements of syncopation to your arpeggiator makes it possible to add triplet rhythms and complex eighth notes variations.įor example, cutting a note or two from a sequence of eighth-notes will produce interesting syncopated qualities.Ĭutting a note or two from a sequence of eighth-notes will produce interesting syncopated qualities. Most synths come with four specific arpeggiator patterns– ascending, descending, ascending and descending, and random.īut many synths feature additional pattern sequences and even allow you to program your own custom pattern into the sequence. When thinking about pattern sequencing ask yourself how you want to hear the chord you’re sequencing through the arpeggiator.ĭo you want the chord played in ascending order? Descending order? Pattern sequencingĪrpeggiator patterns are the heart and soul of why arpeggiators are so intriguing. The Prophet 08’ is just playing a held chord from the sequence.īut the Bass Station and Matrix-1000 are playing arpeggiations of the eight-note sequence sent by the Keystep. This video from Autoland Audio shows an Arturia Keystep sequencing a held chord to three synths– a Prophet 08’, Bass Station, and Matrix-1000. So if you’re triggering your synth’s arpeggiator with MIDI you will need a MIDI keyboard or sequencer that’s polyphonic.įor example, the Arturia Keystep is eight-note polyphonic, meaning it can sequence any synthesizer (monophonic or not) with up to eight different notes in a chord. In this case, the maximum number of notes in the arpeggio is determined by the polyphony of the incoming sequence. Your arpeggiator cycles through each note in the chord individually at a rate determined by its clock speed and note division. That means you don’t need a polyphonic synthesizer to use an arpeggiator.īut many synths have onboard arpeggiators that can be triggered by an external sequencer. The first thing you need to understand about arpeggiators is how your synth will sequence a chord.īy definition, an arpeggiated pattern is monophonic. Here’s 7 creative ways to use arpeggiators in your tracks. Let’s dive into the many ways you can use them in your studio. There’s three main parameters you’ll want to play with first when using an arpeggiator– rhythm, patterns, and chords.
In fact, there’s three main parameters you’ll want to play with first when using an arpeggiator– rhythm, patterns, and chords. You can easily use an arpeggiator to trigger through any chord you want! Today’s arpeggiators can play a lot more than just triads. Early versions of the arpeggiator most commonly used sequences that followed the triad chord structure of an arpeggio. Arpeggiators earned their name from the arpeggio–a phenomenon in music theory where notes of a chord are played one after another in sequence.
In this article, we’ll unpack everything you need to know about arpeggiators.īy the end, you’ll know how arpeggiators work, how you can use them in your music, and which arpeggiator VST is best for you.Īn arpeggiator is a synthesis tool that uses MIDI or control voltages to cycle through a series of notes according to a clock rate and note division. It makes sense, they have an interesting sound and they’re incredibly useful for adding melodies and rhythms to a track.Īnyone can hold down the keys of synth and trigger an arpeggiator, but what do you need to learn arpeggiation and explore them creatively?