ForumsSoftware ← Feature request: random button

Hi guys!

I think it would be pretty fun to have a random button, that creates a new patch totally randomly. When you're creatively dry or simply wanna mess around with Aalto, a random button is always fun and often inspiring! What do you think?

Thanks Randy for this monster synth!!! :)

agreed, might be pretty damn cool

good idea

waiting for this, i know at least 2 host who can do the job (except the patcher of course ), Cantabile lite and Sensomusic Usine.. ?

hm, +1 )

Yes, randomization is tons of fun, especially if you can fine tune it, like in Bidule.
But, as it appears in another post asking for the patches (cables) parameters to be indentifiable as vst parameters, you can't randomize the cable patching.
No big deal since there's already so much to explore with existing patches and routings.
If i remember well you can use the demo of Bidule to make a big randomization session, you won't be able to save the randomization's fine tuning but you will of course be able to save the Aalto patches.

I was just thinking about this - you could set up the patch template you want then randomise the parameter values set in the text-based patches perhaps? Then just paste the patch back in?

Thanks for contributing-- I'm listening to all these ideas and scheming!

I'll probably do something really simple for 1.3. Longer term I think a more general scriptability will be the best way to address people's diverse desires.

Very nice to see other Aalto users are interested by this random feature as well!

And nice to read 1.3 will probably has this feature Randy! Thanks for listening, much appreciated.

-1 for random patching here.

Random waveforms for the sequencer would be cool, but not beyond that.

Applying randomized signals to a destination in a patch is one thing. Randomizing the entire patch is lame IMO and not even useful: there will always be some modules you are going to want to exclude from randomization, which would then create the need for a little padlock button/icon, or whatever, on each module, to lock the settings, and then we are heading towards bloat and sort of cluttering/ruining what is a damn simple and clean interface.

I'm all for the addition of features that provide more control, e.g. random seq waveforms, tempo-synced LFO and more LFO waveforms etc. But at some point I would rather see new Madrona gear coming out than seeing Aalto changed or added to. Keep it moving forward. Just my 2c

randomisation rarely makes anything useful, and mostly just sounds like random noise, something that's very easy to do with Aalto anyway. it can be cool for happy accidents, but there are more elegant ways of coming up with new sounds easily. one possible cool alternative is preset breeding, where you choose 2 presets ('mum & dad') and have a morph slider between the 2, similar to Reaktor or the vintage Greenoak Crystal vst.

quote" "...and mostly just sounds like random noise"

I dont agree at all, what you say may be true for blind and stupid randomization of all parameters, but if you specify, as you can with bidule, what parameters to randomize and in what range, this is a completely different story.

quote: "randomisation rarely makes anything useful..."

Of course it's not winner everytime, but if you insist you can really get some jems you would never had come up with otherwise.
Even with a rate of "one good for 49 bad" (i usually get better rates) it's worth it and actually the problem quickly becomes that you get frustrated because you hace TOO MANY awesome patches that won't all fit in a music piece. So unless you create patches just for the purpose of listening to them and/or make some personal background soundscapes for your daily life, one quickly gets lost in GREED for new patches instead of doing music. This can be the real problem, hahaha :-)

In practice, i have may patches i love that were randomly generated in a way i woudn't have thought myself, or wouldn't have had time to spend on, but then "manually" touched up.
This is a great hybrid approache random+manual for fine tuning.

just my 5 hZ

For those who don't like a random fonction and think it is useless, you don't HAVE to use it! It'll be ok to leave it there alone and not touch it ;-)

I hear you my friend. I was partly making the case that it would be a potential drag on the GUI, i.e. cluttering.

But the other thing is, that I imagine this sweatshop, where dozens of kids crammed in a room full of surplus laptops, are paid a tiny wage to hit the "Random" button all day, and when they come to a potentially interesting sound they Save it and send it to the next department who tweaks it and sends it down the line, etc, until eventually this company sells these finished Sound Sets to all the synth musicians with more money than time.... damn, this is starting to sound like a nice little business plan!! :)

Joking aside, it's just a pride thing - I think Aalto is too special to have something like that - it's all about making your own sounds. A button that spits out a new patch is more "Automatic" than it is "Random" IMO. So many DAWs and hosts already have this anyway, or other ways to go about it. (also i think/hope that given Randy's mention of possible future user scripting, that if added it wouldn't be as a simple button on the GUI in any case - I could be wrong though)

Anyway I know you're saying it's partly just for fun. That's what it's all about. Which is why I wouldn't mind so much if Random (or whatever else) were added. Just don't take anything away :0

i fully agree with lotus. if you don't want to use it, no worries. as for a cluttered GUI: i seriously doubt one little 'randomize' button is going to suddenly make Aalto's GUI cluttered. lol

Maybe it's already been said (poor knowledge of English), but really it would be useful to be able to randomize each module separately (Switching and its values​​ \ Sequencer \ Generators). Well, and a general random ofcourse.
Then, I think even the staunchest opponents of randomization find meaning in it. :)

This post has given me the inspiration to create a new wiki page for Usine, a tutorial for applying selective randomization on VSTi like Aalto, maybe you can find it useful.

Now, i can really create more precise and creative presets, thanks for that !

check here

Great work !
A chance to try Usine and compare it to Bidule.
I can already see that i like the g.u.i. better.
It should work with Usine free n'est-il pas ?
Thanks et bien le bonjour ^ ^

Thanks, yes, you can try the free version but you'll be quickly limited.
Not really the good place (sorry Randy) but you can also use our actual spring promo for the stage version.
et bonjour à vous ;-)

You should have labeled the random buttons "randy"

hé hé yes ! good idea, i will change this for sure !