Help with failed plugin load - Bluearp

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#1

Looking for an arpeggiator only plugin, no synth. The arpeggiator takes MIDI in, arpeggiates the input, then send MIDI out to a synth plugin. Can you suggest a better plugin for this? It does not need to be free, it needs to work and be reliable.

BlueArp works fine when first adding. Saving song file, exit, restart, Bluearp fails to load. Here is the log for VST3, also fails with VST2:

00006985 0 [04072:2]: Loading VST-MA module C:\Vstplugins64\BlueARP\BlueARP.vst3
00006987 2 [04072:2]: Calling InitDll
00006987 0 [04072:2]: Creating factory
00006987 0 [04072:2]: Module loaded 0000000049F817B0 - 00007FFF62700000
00006989 2 [04072:2]: VST3- BlueARP (#3) - Audio bus counts: 0 in 1 out
00007006 17 ! [04072:0]: Failed to load plugin ‘BlueARP 2’
System.InvalidOperationException: Failed to load data because it was in the incorrect format (error 13002)
at #=z4oU0TGlpJ_$hOPBTaOTJ1h60IcXf.#=zKdrbP36Khrdi(Int32 #=zIZ7NecY=, Byte[] #=zJ0eCDOM=)
at #=zRgEWQSPUJtsiVm4YXIgKhUP3h__g.#=zJuQzesRVK2Q_(Byte[] #=zJ0eCDOM=)
at #=zZqFzxrjGkfnztfHpZEgadv7qT15y.#=zjnyYJGMErAQ2()

#2

BlueARP_Win_VST2_Legacy_v2.3.8 loads all the preset slots, where VST2 and VST3 do not. And it saves and loads modified presets without error.

#3

I can confirm that Blue Arp VST3 is not working in Cantabile v3 latest build nor v4 latest build. Doing plugin load, save song, close C4, reopen project, attempt to reopen BlueArp causes failure. It works fine in two other live hosts as well as latest Reaper.

HOWEVER… Then I loaded both the legacy and the current VST2 together, made changes in both, save song, close C4, reopen and BOTH work fine. Then I deleted the legacy did the same, and it worked fine. Then I closed C4 again and did a new song and added the new VST2 and it still works fine.

So apparently C4 is caching something somewhere and doing the steps above “unconfuses” it.

The Blue Arp readme has this comment about the “legacy build” that maybe helps Brad if he sees this and decides to track it down:

“Since 2.3.8 I changed plugin ID for vst2 version, to keep it in line with VST3 and MIDI-FX.
Old plugin id is ‘7dWx’, new is ‘BArp’. If the new vst2 version doesn’t work with your existing projects,
use ‘vst2_legacy’ version along with the new one. It is recommended to use new vst2 version for
new projects, cause ‘vst2_legacy’ version will be supported only for a few next releases.”

EDIT: no joy with the VST3, cannot get it to work…whatever the problem is, one of the symptoms is that Cantabile doesn’t see the plugin’s preset list with any of the models.

#4

Thank you very much for your reply. It is fortunate BlueArp legacy is working.

Other things I am looking for in VST are expanding single notes (FCB-1010 only sends single notes) into diatonic triads or something.

Guitar amp looper is super useful in our three piece, I am looking forward to getting a MIDI looper VST online, but have not found one yet for pay or otherwise. Something that does not have a built in synth like BlueArp, because MIDI routing in Cantabile makes that redundant.

#5

Maybe check out Stochas from the Surge Synth Team.

#6

Have no idea how well it does or doesn’t work, saw it while looking at something else and remembered your comment…but it appears similar to an audio looper, but for midi.

It’s old and apparently no longer developed, but the guy has a pile of midi plugins and the archive of his entire library of stuff is here. The second item down is the (apparently) final archive for WIN x64 builds and his midi looper is in the zip file.

#7

Thank you sekim. I was able to download midiLooper from the wayback machine, snapshot around 2017 of the 64 bit Windows VST that was compiled in 2012.

What is amazing here is that a VST DLL exposes its parameters, and that Cantabile provides easy access to them. Using Cantabile bindings feature, I was able to quickly assign a control change from the foot controller FCB-1010 to master record and master play of midiLooper. Then midiLooper will automatically record and clear or play from a footpress. It is interesting. midiLooper takes the clock from Cantabile, so I am getting closer to creating a phrase without metronome clicking.

This has the same trouble as Reaper did for me, where the first notes are lost. The looper needs to quantize / anticipate that first notes might be needed on the downbeat.

For freeform, midiLooper works and is worth giving a try.

#8

Circlys from Raxntrax is a great MIDI looper.
The only real downside for me is that it’s locked to the host’s beat (though it does have a free run mode). You cannot freely tell it when to start the loop, it’ll always start on the host’s beat.
Piz’s MDI looper is an unfinished masterpiece. I think I joking suggested to Brad that he pick up and finish the project.
All my christmas’s would come at once if Piz came out of retirement.

Mulab 9 plugin is looking good as a MIDI looper. I feel it needs some workflow improvements. It could be that I simply haven’t explored it enough. It’s tantailsingly close to being released but there is a public beta.

#9

I have thought about buying a hardware looper for bass, something like the TC Ditto. It would be fun to do it with a VST instead. Which of the above would be most like a footpedal looper?

#10

Neil points out “locked to the host’s beat” is important. I can set Cantabile’s clock from a tempo tap. Cantabile makes it possible to start/stop a looper by making all the VST’s parameters accessible for binding. So we’re good there on the FCB-1010 running things.

What we need is a visible indicator of the clock. The Line6 HD Pro has an LED next to the tempo tap button which I guess would be close to Cantabile, they are set from the same foot switch. You would need to see a clock to know when to start the MIDI loop. I am using Cantabile as a sound module, no display, so now have to figure a way to make clock visible.

#11

The Line6 HD Pro looper works very well with CC’s available for start/dub/play, I have used that live with great results from the FCB-1010. With some tap dancing, the Roland GR-55 also has a good looper, with easy access to the synth sounds, I’ll need to try that again to verify. I suppose any outboard audio looper would work, but there is an elegance to looping the original MIDI. MIDI would solve separate audio paths for guitar and synth.

#12

Check out Melda’s Super Looper. Once you figure out how to dumb it down for a guitar/bass scenario its very good. I really like its predictive punches so you don’t have to be dead on with the punch to make it sound tight. Always punch a little early on your pedal and it will do the actual punch right on the mark. Great for people like me who struggle to walk and chew gum at the same time, lol.

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