# Hexachords - Orb Producer - AI Composer Tool



## will_m (Apr 20, 2020)

Here's my video review of Orb Producer, which sees Hexachords move some of their AI tech directly into a DAW based plug-in.


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## KarlHeinz (Apr 20, 2020)

To be honest, something like "my first 15 minutes with Orb Producer" would have been a more fitting title then "review".

I think the most important parts of Orb producer, which for example makes the difference to the - on first look - very similiar product Captain plugins from Mixed in key, are missing.

If you only hit the "randomn all" button like described in your video of course you wont get good results usually.

The strenght lies really in playing around with the different setting in the four different plugins.

And: whats - in my mind - the most important part are the different randomn levels you have on each instrument (and thats one of the main differences to the Captain plugins where you - apart from the melody which has one of the best AI melody composers out there actually - mostly use something preset-based).

If you found the right settings for the parameters/modifiers for what you have in mind for each plugin you can then randomize this on three levels all only working on the actual plugin:

- the big knob in the middle on the modifiers/parameters menue in the colour of the plugin randomizes ALL for the plugin, parameters and modifiers, so dont use this if you already have it set to your liking already cause it will overwright evrything

- if you click on the two blue semicircles with "on" you can turn them off from being randomized and this way for example only randomize the parameters OR the modifiers

- if you turn both OFF you can just tryout randomn results for the setting you have chosen till you got something that at least fits in general the idea you have in mind, if this wont work just change the settings and go on

Conclusion: with this option of only partly randomize parameters/modifiers to the settings you think that might fit the idea you have in your head or looking for is really strong to get a starting for a song idea.

Or compared to Captain plugins (which I love and use too, especially the melody generator) this is just not so preset depended cause you have this mix of parameters/modifiers setting AND then the flexible partly randomization options.

Two more important things I forget:

- with adding a new theme in the top menue bar in the chords you can just get a copy from your first theme and then slightly modify so that you can get a raw song structure with ease cause all plugins are following this structure
- for example only with changing length, chord progression, density and complexity you easyly get something raw for intro/verse/chorus

- another very interesting thing is the bar length in the parameters, the name might be a little irritating but what it does that it set the length of the generated phrase in comparision to the whole part. So for example this way you can set if you want 2 repeating melody parts for a 4 bar part or one melody going over the whole 4 bars or whatever

What - ending conclusion -  as sadly mostly with Orb Composer: a good manual would have really helped with this a lot, the "getting started" really leaves a lot of room to figure thinks out for yourself.


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## Lokystar (Dec 21, 2021)

Stay away from this company , the products are bad customer service is bad, I bought from them a few years ago the "orb composer" and that was a big mistake,
It would have been better to buy metropolis ark with this money.
They are not even worth a penny.
Sorry for the honest But it is better that you invest in a company that also invests in you.


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## szczaw (Dec 21, 2021)

I bought Orb Composer for %50 off and I find it very useful to add context to melodies. It adds accompaniment and allows trying different instruments very quickly. In fact, it's what I'm doing at the moment 

I can't comment on the tech support, I've never had the need to contact them.


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## szczaw (Dec 21, 2021)

Case in point, a bunch of Orb midi files played one after another, simple note on and off, no CCs massaging, about 60 min of hitting randomize while watching ARK 5 awesomely lit hangar walkthrough:

View attachment Orbness.mp3


You can rout midi out to any instrument, it doesn't have to be an orchestra.


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## Lokystar (Dec 21, 2021)

you are lucky, because my experience from the program it's non stop crushes, and the funny thing that in a time my friend buy it to at the 50% sale, and he used cubase an I studio one and we both had a same issues, I even dont wanna talk about the support experience, its the only company that I have so bad experience in overall, i tried a few time talk to them and it disapoin me every time, to be corect I find my self give them a cheans every year in dec month, yes a few days ago.
so nothing cheanged.


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## szczaw (Dec 21, 2021)

Lokystar said:


> you are lucky, because my experience from the program it's non stop crushes, and the funny thing that in a time my friend buy it to at the 50% sale, and he used cubase an I studio one and we both had a same issues, I even dont wanna talk about the support experience, its the only company that I have so bad experience in overall, i tried a few time talk to them and it disapoin me every time, to be corect I find my self give them a cheans every year in dec month, yes a few days ago.
> so nothing cheanged.


I had problems with stability when using Orb's vst host and small audio buffer. With midi out to Renoise, it's all very stable.


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## Lokystar (Dec 21, 2021)

I saw several videos of "41 Fingers"
And the system he assembled 10 times better, and cheaper and more stable


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