Newcomer company Midicake is working on ARP, a new compact 4-channel MIDI arpeggiator with advanced features.
Hardware arpeggiators have evolved a lot in recent years. Away from classic up, down.. to sequencer-like arpeggiators with very complex AI-powered features. A good example is Roland’s I-Arpeggio found in the Jupiter-X.
The evolution can also be found in new standalone hardware MIDI arpeggiators which have little to do with the classic boxes. The young company Midicake is currently working on the ARP, a new hardware arpeggiator that looks very exciting.
Midicake ARP
The full feature set is not yet known. Just a small preview of the direction things are headed in. The device looks very attractive. With a sleek design, lots of interface controls, and big MIDI sockets. According to Midicake, ARP is a generator, sequencer, and controller for creative music composition. It will play with whether hardware or software instruments, samplers, or synthesizers.
ARP features 4 polyphonic channels of arpeggiation allowing the creation of complex and almost limitless musical patterns All with real-time controllability, tons of manipulation options, and in sync with your sequencers. The sequences will intelligently change as your performance evolve. More precisely, they promise: “no such thing as random”. So one can assume that ARP has built-in AI-based algorithms that shape your melodies in new directions.
The concept is interesting as it responds to chords. This includes chords from your sequencer or set of chords programmed into the ARP hardware itself via the little keyboard interface. You can set here the chord root and the type of chord. Certainly different from the way a classic sequencer works.
Then, you have a wide range of “shaping parameters” including direction of notes, timing, octaves, steps, velocity, delay, repeat, and more. With these, you can personalize your arpeggios and chords a lot.
Backside
The back is kept very simple. There is classic MIDI on big jacks, thanks for those as well as a USB MIDI connection. From the back, you can see how flat and slim the device will be. I find it beautiful
There is not much information at the moment. But there are many videos showing the development stages of the device, but also the first in-depth tutorials. So far I really like what I can see. It seems to be a very hands-on device with which you can quickly build chords and arpeggios.
Especially the many buttons make changing chords very fast and smooth. I’m looking forward to the finished device.
Midicake ARP is available soon. Price and Availability TBA.
More information here: Midicake
Midicake ARP is very inspiring product.