Free Mobius Loop AU

[yowza]

This a free stand alone app as well as a just recently released AU plug in which is found inside the app folder. I'm still trying to figure out the software myself and the best way to set it up and use it inside N2 but I thought you folks might want to check it out if you haven't already.

It can be found here at http://zonemobius.com/

It is beta but it's supposed to be very stable and I think Jeff Larson the developer updates it all the time.

Ed

[Per Boysen]

I think you're right. Mobius is indeed a very powerful application! The AU beta hasn't yet separate track outputs, but IMHO that's not a biggie - you get a long well with a summed stereo output of all eight (or more) loop tracks.

Another thing with the recent AU version is the the plug-in doesn't declare its parameters to the host. There is a "workaround" in binding midi notes to the looper function commands (done inside the plug-in's "MIDI Control" window. Right-click on the plug-in GUI to get at it's pref's menus). I put workaround between quotation marks because I personally regard this as the best way to use Mobius within Numrology because it opens up for running the Looper commands from Num's sequencers. Just think about how cool to have sequencers modulate rate shift (vari-speed) of a loop while the loop is overdubbing layers of live audio input.

There's a lot of fun you can have with Mobius/Numerology that crosses over usual techniques in sequencing, recording and live-looping.

[Per Boysen]

On Fri, Apr 3, 2009 at 9:25 AM, Per Boysen <> wrote:

> There's a lot of fun you can have with Mobius/Numerology that crosses over usual techniques in sequencing, recording and live-looping.


Wow - it just dawned on me that you can use it as the kind of step
sequencer driven live sampler I was dreaming up here:
http://www.perboysen.com/archives/161 ('http://www.perboysen.com/archives/161')

Gotta try out that! :-)

[yowza]

Wow, Per if you ever figure out how to make that happen and don't mind sharing the setup please send it in, I'd love to try it. I haven't been able to figure out how to get Mobius and Numerology to work together yet but I haven't had much time to play around with it either.

[Per Boysen]

Wow, Per if you ever figure out how to make that happen and don't mind sharing the setup please send it in, I'd love to try it. I haven't been able to figure out how to get Mobius and Numerology to work together yet but I haven't had much time to play around with it either.

No need for "figuring out", I can tell you right now: Build on the technique of assigning MIDI notes to the looper's functions. Then set up sequencing modules sending those notes.

As for the Steppophonic Looperformer idea you simply use the looper as a real-time sampler and feed it Numerology sequences of MIDI note on events that change the Rate (vari-speed) for the sample you've snatched from a live audio input. For this you may also use Expert Sleeper's nice plug-in Augustus Loop, which is more tape delay styled in its sound.

To set up a MIDI Note controlled rate-shifting in Mobius you can use one two techniques. The one I've been using so far is to write a script for each note in the scale. In the script I specify how many semitones to pitch up/down the sample and then I simply assign the external control notes to those scripts. The other, maybe better, method is to use a quite new Mobius function called Rate Shift. Quoting the Mobius manual:

This allows you to use a keyboard controller to instantly access a large range of rates spread over several octaves. You normally bind a MIDI note event to the Rate Shift function, this becomes the rate center note. When you press the rate center note, the rate returns to normal. Where it gets interesting is that the notes above and below the center note are automatically assigned to semitone rate shifts relative to the center note. Notes below the center note lower the rate, notes above raise the rate. This allows you to "play" the loop chromatically, similar to using a sampler.

Note that Mobius will attempt to bind rate shift functions in a 4 octave range on either side of the center note. For best results, it is recommended that the center note use a MIDI channel that is not being used for any other functions. If a rate shift note is already assigned to another Mobius function, the previous function will have priority. To avoid these conflicts use a different channel.

When the rate is shifted, the playback of the loop will be affected by the setting of the Rate Shift Retrigger preset parameter. If this parameter is checked, then the loop will be retriggered whenever the rate is shifted. This makes it behave like a sampler. If the parameter is not checked, the rate is simply shifted without retriggering.