Arpeggio and Bass Pattern Editor
The Arpeggio/Bass Editor lets you create patterns using chord tones instead of specific notes. Define a pattern like "root, fifth, octave, fifth" and it automatically follows whatever chord is playing. When the chord changes from Cm to F, the pattern adapts — no manual editing needed.
When to Use It
- Writing bass lines that need to follow a chord progression
- Creating arpeggiated patterns (chords played one note at a time)
- You want a bass or arp part that never clashes with the harmony
Layout
A step grid similar to the drum editor:
- Rows — chord degrees from bottom to top: Root (R), 3rd, 5th, 7th, Octave (8va)
- Columns — steps (8 or 16 per bar, selectable)
- Preview strip — below the grid, shows the actual resolved notes for the current chord
Editing Steps
| Action | How |
|---|---|
| Place a chord tone | Click a cell (one tone per step — monophonic) |
| Remove a tone | Click an active cell to toggle it off |
| Adjust velocity | Drag up/down on an active cell |
| Set octave offset | Shift+Click to cycle through -1, 0, +1 octave |
| Clear all steps | Click Clear in toolbar |
Only one row can be active per column (each step plays one note). Clicking a new row in the same column moves the tone there.
Pattern Length
Select 4, 8, or 16 steps from the toolbar dropdown. The pattern loops within each chord's duration:
- A 4-step pattern over a 2-bar chord plays the pattern 8 times
- A 16-step pattern over a 1-bar chord plays once
Genre Presets
Built-in patterns for common styles:
| Preset | Pattern | Style |
|---|---|---|
| Root-Fifth | R . 5 . R . 5 . | Rock, pop — simple and solid |
| Walking Bass | R 3 5 3 R 5 7 5 | Jazz — chromatic movement between chord tones |
| Alberti Bass | R 5 3 5 R 5 3 5 | Classical — the most common piano accompaniment pattern |
| Octave Pump | R . R(8va) . R . R(8va) . | Dance, electronic — driving energy |
| Arpeggio Up | R 3 5 7 R(8va) 7 5 3 | Ballads, ambient — flowing upward then back |
| Boom-Chick | R . 5+3 . R . 5+3 . | Country, folk — alternating bass and chord |
How Resolution Works
The pattern stores chord degrees, not absolute pitches. At playback time, each step is resolved against the current chord:
- The sequencer reads the chord progression from the chord track
- For each step, it looks up which chord is active at that time position
- The chord degree (e.g., "5th") is resolved to an actual pitch using the chord's notes
- The resolved note is sent to the instrument
Example with a "R, 5, 3, 5" pattern:
- Over Cm: C, G, Eb, G
- Over F: F, C, A, C
- Over G7: G, D, B, D
Octave Offsets
Each step can have an octave offset (-1, 0, or +1 relative to the base octave). This adds range and movement:
- Root at octave 0, fifth at octave +1 creates a wide, dramatic arpeggio
- All at octave 0 keeps things tight and contained
The base octave is set per-track in the track settings.
Preview Strip
The preview strip at the bottom of the editor shows the resolved notes as they would sound for the currently active chord. As playback moves through the chord progression, the preview updates to show what the pattern becomes under each chord.
Keyboard Shortcuts
| Shortcut | Action |
|---|---|
| Click | Place/remove chord tone |
| Drag up/down | Adjust velocity |
| Shift+Click | Cycle octave offset |
| Ctrl+Z | Undo |
| Ctrl+Y | Redo |
| Ctrl+Click | Lock step (for Lock & Reroll) |
| Ctrl+R | Reroll unlocked steps |
| 4/8/6 | Set pattern length (4/8/16 steps) |