Riffler version 2.09 - November 28th 2022
Design, Coding, DSP & GUI: Jon Bell
Any problems, comments or suggestions please get in touch.
email: info@riffler.app
Visit www.riffler.app for lots more info.
News
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Quick Start
Standalone
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AUv3
Top bar
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Bottom bar
Presets
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Dials
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Techniques
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Runs
Tones
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Drums & MIDI
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Settings
Time signature & length
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Scales, keys & progressions
Note editor
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Tuning
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Locks
Specifications & limitations
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News:
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2.06 update. Added dark mode, improved riffs, fixed MIDI and audio export issues along with various small bug fixes.
2.05 update. It's adds audio export, improved riffs, improved audio and various bug fixes and updates.
Quick Start:
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Welcome to Riffler, the instant riff app!
The easiest way to get started is to use the built in presets Make sure that the preset view is the selected in the side bar. It's the top icon just below the Riffler die logo.
Select the style of preset using the "Preset Category" buttons. Select the actual preset you want using the "Selected Preset" buttons.
A brand new riff will be instantly created from the preset you selected. Just tap the "Create" button to create more riffs in the same style. If you are running Riffler as a standalone app just tap play to hear the riff you have created. If you are using Riffler as a plugin in a DAW just press play on your DAW to hear the riff being played.
Standalone:
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Load the app normally from your device's homescreen to run Riffler in standalone mode.
AUv3:
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To run Riffler as a AUv3 (audio unit) plugin first load a host app. Example AUv3 host apps are: GarageBand, AUM, Beatmaker 3, Cubasis, Loopy Pro, Nanostudio, Drambo, Audiobus 3, n-Track and apeMatrix. Add a new track in the host then load Riffler from the list of Auv3 plugins. Coming very soon there will be specific instructions for various AUv3 hosts in the video section at the top of the page.
Some hosts like AUM, Loopy Pro and Cubasis 3 will allow for audio and MIDI data to be sent from the AUv3. Some other plugins like GarageBand will only allow audio to play without MIDI output.
Top Bar Buttons:
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Undo: Go back to a previous riff or control position.
Redo: Go forward to the most recent riff or control position.
Zoom in: Zoom in the tablature view.
Zoom out: Zoom in the tablature view.
Tempo: Change the tempo. In plugin mode the tempo can be locked to the tempo of the host DAW
or it can be set independently. The lowest possible tempo is 40bpm. The fastest tempo is 240bpm.
If you have a riff outside of these tempos Riffler will only output silence.
Bottom Bar Buttons:
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Create: Create a brand new riff based on the settings selected.
Random: Creates a new riffs but all the settings are randomized each time.
Play: Standalone mode only.
Plays the audio of the riff.
Stop: Standalone mode only.
Plays the audio of the riff.
Load: Load a previously saved riff.
The riff and all the settings will be loaded.
Save: Save a riff along with all the control settings.
Presets:
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Selecting a preset will set the controls ready to create a certain style of music.
Choose the overall category of the preset with the "Preset Category" buttons
and the then the exact presets with the "Selected Preset" buttons.
Dials:
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Melody: Higher settings add more melody notes.
Range: Changes the distance between the lowest and highest pitch.
Rhythm: Changes the rhythmic complexity.
Gap: Changes the frequency of pauses.
Motif: Changes the level of rhythmic and melodic repetition.
Feel: Choose the rhythmic feel.
Remove duplicate notes: Removes consecutive duplicate notes.
Techniques:
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Bends: Changes the occurrence of string bends.
Vibrato: Adds vibrato based on note length. Higher settings will add vibrato to shorter notes.
Chords: Adds powerchords based on note length. Higher settings will add powerchords to shorter notes.
Muting: Choose the lowest note for palm muting.
Tremolo picking: Adds rapidly repeated notes for a tremolo picking effect.
Sustain: When turned on notes will sustain over the gaps from rests.
Runs:
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Bar 2 end: Adds a melodic ending of a specified length to the bars 2 and 6.
Bar 4 end: Adds a melodic ending of a specified length to bars 4 and 8.
Runs: Changes the occurrence of fast scale runs.
Run range: Higher settings allow for higher pitched notes in the run.
Run type:
Changes the type of run. Normal runs are close scale notes, bluesy runs use bluesy notes and phrasing whilst wide runs use
notes with big gaps between them.
Sextuplets: Turn off or on sixteenth note triplets (sextuplets) in runs.
Tones:
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Tone:
Choose the category of guitar tone at the top then select the exact sound you want below.
Humanize:Introduces slight timing errors to give the riff a more human sound.
Delay: Adds an echo effect.
Reverb: Adds an reverb effect.
Volume: Change the volume of the riff.
Stereo: Choose between mono single tracking, stereo double tracking or add a second stereo harmony guitar.
Drums & MIDI Settings:
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MIDI 8ve: Changes the octave of notes for the MIDI output.
MIDI Chan: Changes the channel of the MIDI output.
MIDI Vel: Changes the MIDI velocity of normal notes.
P-Mute Vel: Changes the MIDI velocity of palm muted notes.
Voice 2: Changes the MIDI velocity of the higher voice in powerchords. Turn it to 0 to remove all powerchords.
Percussion type: Select the instrument used for the percussion.
Force 4/4 percussion: Use 4/4 percussion even when the time signature isn't 4/4.
Drum volume: Change the volume of the drum track.
Settings:
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Endless mode:
When enabled a new riff will be automatically generated when it reaches the end.
Update riff on parameter change:
When enabled riffs will be automatically updated when parameters are changed without needing to press the "Create" button.
Rewind audio on changes:
Standalone mode only. When enabled the audio will rewind whenever a new riff is created.
Export Audio:
Export your riff as a wav audio file.
Export with tail:
Export your riff as a wav audio file and include an additional 2 seconds for the reverb and delay tail.
Export MIDI:
Export your riff as a MIDI file.
Import Riffbook:
Import a .riffbook file from version 1 of Riffler.
Lock parameters:
Select which parameters to lock. Locked parameters won't change when a preset is loaded or the random button is pressed.
Time signature & length:
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Tap on the time signature to edit the time signature (number of beats in each bar) and the length of a riff.
Setting the time signature to "advanced" will enable you to edit the time signature for each bar individually.
Scales, keys & progressions:
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Open the progression editor by tapping the button in the top left of the tab.
The button may say "Scale", "Rock", "Blues", "Metal", "Punk" or "Manual" depending on which option is selected.
When the "Scale" progression is selected the riff will be created using the key selected and the selected scale.
When "Rock", "Blues", "Metal" or "Punk" are selected a progression will be created automatically in the selected key.
If "Manual" is selected you can set the key and scale individually for each eighth note in each bar by tapping on
the buttons above each bar in the tablature.
Note editor:
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Tap on any note in the tablature to open the note editor.
You can edit the pitch of a note and the techniques used. Some notes have limited ranges.
For example powerchords cannot be used on very low notes.
Tuning:
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Tap on the tuning in the tablature to open the tuning editor. Here you can select from different guitar tunings
and also limit the riff to a specific octave.
Locks:
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You can lock certain sections of your riff using the lock buttons. Locked sections won't change when pressing create
or changing settings. Lock or unlock all bars using the padlocks at the beginning of the tab.
Lock individual sections using the small lock icons in each bar.
Specifications & limitations:
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Supported sample rates: 44100Hz, 48000Hz.
Note range: F#0 - E3.
Tempo range: 40bpm - 240bpm.
Maximum riff length: 8 bars x 4 beats per bar.
Synth tone limitations: No bends, vibrato, powerchords or stereo.
MIDI output limitations: No bends or vibrato. MIDI export doesn't include chords.