there might be an easy answer to this question, but i’m not too familiar with midi… but is there a way to add an arpeggiator to my prodigy? i have the later model 336A with the additional inputs… don’t know if that helps. does anyone know a way to do this? i’d really like to add an arpeggiator to my sound, without having to buy yet another keyboard.
thanks!
for example, would something like this do what i’m looking for?
i’m not sure but i don’t think you’d be able to do it using the inbuilt keyboard
cause it won’t register more than one note, but I’m sure you could do it via something else
i also want to know what options are out the arp wise, i would like to pick one up when i get my LP.
are there any analog seq/arp machines that don’t cost very much out there
you should be able to use this with your prodigy but you wouldn’t be able to use it like normal inbuilt arps, where you hold a chord down and it bounces up and down the notes.
but you would be able create arpeggio patterns on it,
you could plug the output of this into the mixer on your 251 along with the cv out from your prodigy and then plug the output of the mixer into the cv in of the prodigy
that way you would have a sequence that you can transpose by playing different notes on the keyboard.
not the normal arp you’d expect but you could still do some awsome stuff, and some stuff that you can’t do with normal arps
the random setting looks really cool as well
just make sure it has the right type of gate
i see. i guess that makes sense… i just thought while “arpeggiating” it would still only be playing one note at a time… but like i said, i don’t know much about what goes on underneath the knobs and switches.
i’m looking for an arp quadra, and then getting the arp sequencer to match it… but i can’t say that would be cheap.
there’s also a jupiter 6 for sale near me for $1000… i’ve been thinking about that too. seems like a lot just so i can have an arpeggiator though.
doesn’t seem possible for me to tell without playing it.
damn ebay.
yeah, it would still only play one note at a time it’s just that normally you hold down a chord to select which notes you want to arpeggiate
my sh101 has an arp, but it’s still mono, you just hold down a chord and select if you want it to play the notes of the chord from lowest to highest, highest to lowest or up and down. but if it is a monosynth, unless it had a midi in then there really isn’t anyway you can do this externally.
but arps do sound a lot better on polysynths, because you have a whole stream of notes flowing up and down in harmony, you can also create insane mean horrid lumps of chaos if the different voices are out of tune, the Jupiter 4 can do some really cool arp effects and it’s usually cheaper than the JP6
but an analog seq would work really well with the prodigy and do more than arp stuff
you could also use it to control filter, one of the inputs on your ring mod etc
i think
analog seq = better for monos
arp = better for polys
I have been using the arpeggiator in ableton Live with my Korg MS-10. Using the right midi to cv converter, you could arpeggiate any mono synth you wanted to. I use the kenton pro-2000 which will work with any mono synth out except eml. Check it out.
that sounds awesome except the kenton pro-2000 alone runs around $400… on top of the cost of what ever i use for an arpeggiator. hopefully i can find a way that doesn’t cost that much, otherwise i might as well buy another synth.
If you just want a repeating one-note arpeggio, it seems like you could probably accomplish this with your CP251. Have you tried sending the Square LFO wave to the Trigger input of the Prodigy? It may require a special cable, possibly one with Voltage to S-trig circuitry (these can be bought assembled from Synthesizers.com), but this should create an auto-trigger/ one note arpeggio. This method works on my MS20 (which uses S-trig) for auto-triggering…
Also, for variations on this effect, you could try feeding the 251’s Sample +Hold “In” the Square LFO wave and then send that output to the Prodigy’s S-trig input. Also, try mixing different waves together in the mixer and then feeding the output to the Sample+Hold or directly to the Prodigy.
You’re gonna need that Voltage to S-trig cable anyway if you’re thinking of buying other Synths or Sequencer hardware (unless you can find one with Moog S-trig output).
You can buy a Kenton Pro Solo MIDI/CV box new for $200, used sometimes as low as $100;
Then use a program to generate MIDI arpeggios or sequences. I would think there must be a number of simple sequencing programs that can be downloaded for free.
This would be the cheapest way to accomplish arpeggios on your Prodigy. Of course, it means you’ll have to be attached to a computer…
There are several MIDI/CV analog-style sequencers made by a bunch of little companies like Frostwave, for instance. They seem to usually be in the $400 range (like the Frostwave Analog Sequencer), but most any of them should make simple arrpeggio patterns.
And then there are tons of synths with Arpeggiators. The SH101 has a good one, Korg MonoPoly (also has S-trig out), Sequential Pro-1, Moog Source (?), etc.
Keep in mind, most any polysynth (Jupiters, Junos, Prophets, OBs, etc.) you buy won’t have CV/Gate outputs, so you won’t be able to export the arpeggio to your Prodigy. Even with a CV/Midi box, most don’t send their arpeggios over MIDI (if they even have MIDI).
I would love to see in a module form, something similiar to arturia’s mini moog Apeg.. Any ideas?
eric,
thanks for the useful info. i did a quick search for the kenton 2000 and all i saw was $460 new… i guess i should look a little deeper. $200 is much more reasonable for the kenton, though, being connected to a computer is not an option, i’m gonna need to reproduce the sounds live and i don’t have a laptop.
i look into frostwave.
thanks that’s exactly the info i was looking for.
okay, one last question,
i found this sequencer by future retro. it’s listed as having the cv/midi converter built in. so just to clarify, that means i can hook this up directly to my prodigy CV-input and that’s all i’d need to get an arpeggiator right?
if so that would be rad. i can get it with wood panels too!
i meant that, unless it has a built in arp, you can’t get the auto arp functionality thta something like an sh101 has where you hold down a chord (on the actual monosynth) and then it turns it inot an arp, of course you could use another keyboard, in fact you could use an sh101 (but you’d need something to convert the gate type)
using an analog seq you have to program the arp manually, but you can program other things as well that are more interesting than arp effects
This looks like a pretty good bet for you. It even has S-trig outputs for your Prodigy. You’ll still need a cable to convert the 1/4" output to the Prodigy’s Cinch-Jones input. Not a voltage convertor, just a conversion for the different type connectors. You can actually make this cable very easily though with parts from Radio Shack for less than $5 probably. Just buy a 1/4" cable, cut off one end, and then attach the Cinch Jones connector.
I don’t know if this will let you “play” the arpeggios in real time though. You may only be able to program them in and then let the Mobius “play” the Prodigy, know what I mean? You may have to press the buttons on the Mobius to dial in your notes, and then it will play them back. Unless you have a MIDI keyboard to control the whole operation from… so there’s still the keyboard problem.
If this is a problem, you may be better off with an SH101 for $400. Come to think of it, maybe you should just get rid of the Prodigy and get an analog synth with an arpeggiator.
But, you can also use this Mobius thing to sync your arpeggios to a drum box, which is extremely fun. It looks like this Mobius will sync up to just about anykind of drum machine too. That’s pretty cool.
The only other thing lacking really is Voltage Controlled knobs for analog sequencing. But it doesn’t sound like that’s what you’re after anyway(maybe not yet…)
right,
i’ve already got the cinch-jones converter cable.
and not having to play it might have it’s advantages… it would leave both hands open for playing the opus. and if i can get it to sync up to my mpc that would be a huge bonus.
i’ll call the shop that has it and ask some questions.
thanks again.
I didn’t know you already had an MPC.
You know, your MPC will send 1-note arpeggios over MIDI by just holding note repeat. Depending on what MPC you have, it may do flat out multi-note arpeggios. In any event, they can definitely be programmed in.
If I were you, I would just get a cheap CV/MIDI box. The MPC probably does everything that Mobius does, short of sending CV. It may be more time consuming to program arpeggio patterns on the MPC, whereas the Mobius has them built in, but you might not even like the the arps on the Mobius.
I had a Waldorf Pulse once, which in some ways is a good synth, and one of the reasons I got it was for it’s arpeggio paterns. But I found out too late that I didn’t really care for it’s arp patterns. You would think that arpeggios would all be the same, and there would be simple up/down standard ones like the ones on the SH101, Juno 60, or Korg Monoploly. But the ones on the Waldorf I found to be very wonky and un-natuaral, like they were trying too hard to program “unusual” patterns.
i just called future-retro and talked with jered, an incredibly nice guy who took the time to answer all of my novice questions.
i’ll be able to link this right up to my prodigy via the s-trig input… and program arpeggiator parts with it. i won’t be able to “play” it like an actual arpeggiator, but in a lot of ways i see that as an advantage since that will leave both hands free for knob turning and lead playing… and i’ll be getting the arpeggiator effect i’m looking for.
so i ordered it directly from him. should be here next week!
thanks for all the help!
i have the mpc1000.
yeah, i know i could sample my prodigy with the mpc, and just have it looped and such, which would give me the same effect, but are you saying my mpc can trigger my prodigy to play individual notes? crazy, i didn’t read that in the manual.
either way, i like how i’m able to control alot of the effects on the mobius like glide and pitch in real time.
and from what i got out of talking to jered, it sounds like it doesn’t come with arp patterns, basically i would program it all from scratch.
You can do all this from the MPC. It’s a MIDI sequencer (a very powerful one, actually) as well as a Drum Machine/Sampler. You wouldn’t be sampling the Prodigy, you’d control it. All you need is a MIDI to CV convertor, to allow it to interact with your Prodigy.
Then, I’m afraid, it sounds like you’re just buying something that you already have.
I don’t know, maybe it will be more user friendly.. it looks like a cool product.