Mac OSX 64bit Cocoa Version
NDLR Library
Here is the Windows version of the Library Program
Here is the Linux version of the Library Program
Here is a new version. Mostly a bug fix update, but you can now use CTRL as you drag from one editbox to another to copy the element instead of dragging without CTRL where it just swaps the elements.
If you are here, I guess, you either have one or at least know about this Midi music generative device.
This software not only allows you to take all your setups and programming of the NDLR and save it to disk for
backup, but also to cut and paste elements to build new arrangements or patches or whatever you want to call it. The guys
at Conductive Labs, the inventors, call it a 'Session'.
Although it is a Midi device the communication and data retrieval is NOT by Midi's System exclusive,
but by high speed serial data, but you don't need to get a driver. The Mac provides one for you.
The whole of the user data in the NDLR is called a "Session" and is made up of Presets, Patterns, Rhythms and Sequences.
There are two Session spaces in the program. The main one is called the NDLR Session and is used to fetch and send the data to the NDLR and save to and load from computer files. This session can be edited.
The other session is called the Resource Session and is used as a source for drag and drop operations to build or rearrange elements in the NDLR Session. The Resource Session CAN'T be edited.
The 'Backup' Page
This the starting page and you use this area to fetch the data from the NDLR and save it to a file.
Of course once you have the Session file on disk, you can send it back to the NDLR and store it in the non-volatile memory (Flash memory).
The Serial Port data is in addition to, and interdependent of, the four Midi Ports on the USB cable.
Before you can use the program you have to turn on the Serial data coming from the NDLR, which is simple enough. (see Manual pdf in download)
The Editing Pages
Go to the Settings Page to see the Mouse+Key combinations.
There are a few to learn so this is a quick reference.
On the same Help page there is a button to load the manual into your pdf reader.
On each of the following edit pages you can 'drag and drop' from one session file into another.
Although you can name and add a note to each element, seeing the data jogs the memory on what that element was used for. Making it easy to pick the right element to drag across.
The NDLR has a great, if somewhat small, graphic interface that is easy and quick to use, but for me, seeing all the data at once makes it simple to do the final tweaks before you save or send the session.
One of the exciting things about the NDLR is being able to use its encoders and buttons to change parameters and therefore the generated music, in real time. It is improvising at the top level, calling out chord changes, tempo
and other arranging stuff for your four (or more) piece band.
Because of the clever way the NDLR code is implemented, this is also true with much of what is in this Library program.
You can send a lot of values, a whole Pitch Pattern or Rhythm, to the buffer and the NDLR continues playing these new values without loosing a beat.
This has removed the limit on the number of available Patterns and Rhythms etc.
The 'Preset' Page
This is the main element (global data). There are eight Presets.
Not all the data is displayed, but enough for me to see what the Preset was used for. This makes it easy to select the correct Preset when building a new session.
The 'Pattern' Page
The Patterns and the Rhythms are used for the two 'Motifs' (two of four Midi generators).
There are 20 User 'Pitch' Patterns that can be written to flash.
You can click in the Resource listbox see what is in the Resource file, BUT you can't edit it and so the edit tools are hidden or disabled.
In the picture below has none of the extra Motif Pattern editing features visible.
It keeps the display less cluttered and may be all you want.
Selecting a Pattern puts it into 'Edit Mode' and in the picture below the Randomisation and all of the extra Motif Pattern editing features are visible.
If you are interested in the extra editing tools, but can't see them, you can turn them on in the Settings page.
Clicking on the 'Chord' or 'Scale' or 'Chromatic' label will change the Pattern to that form while keeping the contour the same.
You can Randomise within a value range or Invert (turn the Pattern shape upside down) or Reverse (play it backwards). Roll moves the whole pattern one step to the left or right.
Inc and Dec acts the same as NDLR's Pattern Position control. If you use it with the SHIFT key down, it compresses or expands the contour.
The Left click (increase) or Right button click (decrease) works as well. Putting the cursor over a Step bar and rolling the mouse will change its value. If you do it with the CTRL key pressed it will jump values.
Moving the mouse, with the SHIFT key, up and down the bar drags the value to where the cursor is. You can use this feature to quickly 'paint' a contour by SHIFT + moving the mouse across the bars.
The 'Rhythm' Page
A lot of the editing that you can do with the Patterns, you can also do with the Rhythms (see above).
The Gate varies the note length and is a special thing for the Rhythm page.
By placing a beat (Midi velocity value) then a lot of rests before the next non-zero velocity beat you can make a pseudo Gate function.
Sliding this bar left or right changes the tie to rest ratio, changing the beat from legato to staccato. I have included a Session file you can load into the Resource area to test this out.
The 'Sequencer' Page
The Sequencer is very straight forward and quick to edit on the NDLR, but, being as thick as I am, it helps see all the steps at once.
There are two 'heads up' tricks.
The first, if the 'length' (number of 1/4 notes) is 0 then the sequencer won't play this line and so I don't display any of the line in the table.
To make a blank line visible just change the '1/4 Notes' value.
The second is, if you want to see the sequence on the NDLR, you have to have that sequence (number 1 to 5, not 0) selected on the Chord Sequencer edit page on the NDLE.
A Special Extra Page
The 'Chord Builder' Page
While I was working out some stuff for the program I built a chord and scale table.
After finishing it I thought it might be useful for others, so here it is.
If there is space left in the NDLR, the guys from Conductive Labs said they would think about implimenting user defined scales (which would be great).
I made the intervals editable while I was working, but I have hidden the mechanism to make a complicated table readable.
If User scales become a thing, I will add it back.
To download this copyright software you must agree not sell it or to distribute it in any way.
You must agree not to reverse engineer it in any way.
That being said, you may link here, www.bwalk.com.au, quite freely.
To Install the program:
Open up a Finder window and set it at the Applications folder.
The file is a 'dmg' compressed file.
Open it up and drag the NDLR_Lib.app over to the Applications folder.
(You can then drag it over to the Dock if you want to )
Open the Finder window at the Documents folder.
Drag the WHOLE of the NDLR_Files folder to the Documents window.
(This creates a 'Sessions' folder and puts the files where they need to be.)
For the program to run, the Config.xml needs to be in the home/Documents/NDLR_Files folder.
And the Session files need to be in a sub-folder of the NDLR_Files folder called 'Sessions' off the program directory.
To remove the program simply delete the NDLR_Files folder and delete the NDLR_Lib.app in the Applications directory.
Download compressed files here
- NDLR Library 1.0.3.dmg
- NDLR_Lib_Mac_1_0_3.zip
Developed on "El Capitain" with Lazarus - contains application, config and session files and a PDF Manual
This is the Mac OSX x86 64bit Cocoa version of the NDLR Library program.
Name: NDLR Library 1.0.3.dmg
Size: 25020928 bytes (23 MiB)
SHA1: 2502E12557EAF2FC2CAC65A105023085AB9C87D5
Name: NDLR_Lib_Mac_1_0_3.zip
Size: 6330374 bytes (6182 KiB)
SHA1: 639398B0E1E3370493CE737B10108EC21931B16F
Right-click the link above and choose "Save Link As..." to save the zip file to your computer.
- NDLR_Lib_Mac_1_0_3b.dmg
Developed on iMac running OSX "Mojave" 10.14.6 with Lazarus - contains application, config and session files and a PDF Manual
This is the Mac OSX x86 64bit Cocoa version of the NDLR Library program.
Name: NDLR Library 1.0.3b.dmg
Size: 8,986,536 bytes (9 MB on disk)
SHA1: fcfc080934d2f2f4110c717127298f06657b2d8c
Right-click the link above and choose "Save Link As..." to save the zip file to your computer.
Click here to chat at Conductive Labs forum
I have used the program for a while now, but that doesn't mean there won't be a bug in it somewhere.
Let me know if you have any problems.
Feel free to suggest any improvements you think might be usefull.