hardware sequencers

  On 5/3/2011 at 6:41 PM, marf said:

machinedrum sounds papery to me. No thump!!

I never fell in love with mine, ether.

  On 4/28/2011 at 9:11 AM, slightlydrybeans said:

Time to set up a MPC fund me thinks. Off-shore so the girlfriend can't see it :D

i'm a little late to the party here but have you thought about Maschine? it's in the same style as an MPC, but it's attached to your computer and it's easy to work with inside a DAW (and you might not even need to turn your computer monitor on while you're building a track!)

  On 5/3/2011 at 11:57 PM, acidphakist said:

  On 5/3/2011 at 6:41 PM, marf said:

machinedrum sounds papery to me. No thump!!

 

I never fell in love with mine, ether.

that said considering the thread is about a sequencer... then onboard synthesis shouldn't matter much?

  On 5/4/2011 at 3:37 AM, cloudbreaker said:

  On 5/3/2011 at 11:57 PM, acidphakist said:

  On 5/3/2011 at 6:41 PM, marf said:

machinedrum sounds papery to me. No thump!!

 

I never fell in love with mine, ether.

 

that said considering the thread is about a sequencer... then onboard synthesis shouldn't matter much?

I think it would be foolish to buy one just for the sequencer if you don't like the sound.

just stick to the computer . it does everything a piece of hardware can do and way way way way way more. you have to go through the thing anyways . youre probably going to end up having to chop samples and files up on there b4 putting onto the USB or card !

the whole idea is to get off the damn computer. I have a desktop and it SUCKS to sit here all day working and then in the evening "ok music time!" just to sit in the same chair. Not to mention my thinly veiled hatred of the way NI builds interfaces. But that belongs in another thread (that already exists :D )

Also I really doubt I'd end up using a 'puter to chop samples. I'm really not that into samples anyway, and when I am I like em dirty and rough. like I like my bitches ya know?

That's uber lame that the machine drum was so meh in the sound dpt. Surprising really. I would have thought it would be amazing... :(

  On 5/4/2011 at 8:49 PM, slightlydrybeans said:

the whole idea is to get off the damn computer. I have a desktop and it SUCKS to sit here all day working and then in the evening "ok music time!" just to sit in the same chair. Not to mention my thinly veiled hatred of the way NI builds interfaces. But that belongs in another thread (that already exists :D )

 

Also I really doubt I'd end up using a 'puter to chop samples. I'm really not that into samples anyway, and when I am I like em dirty and rough. like I like my bitches ya know?

 

That's uber lame that the machine drum was so meh in the sound dpt. Surprising really. I would have thought it would be amazing... :(

I like sound of MD and think the strength would be on the fly tweaking and copy paste sequences whereas MPC may require a bit more prep in some ways. I have an MPC 1k and not a Machinedrum and I love the MPC (particularly for the initial creative phase) but I still work on the computer as well (and arrange certain types of pgms with MPC maid)...i dunno yin and yang i guess still worth considering that sometimes mk-1s go on used ebay for about the same price as a used mpc1k.

mpc doesnt really feel like a computer but it kind of depends how youre going to use it. all things considered i would say MPC if you want more of an all around workstation and MD if you want more of an instrument though there are people who will disagree with me on this...as i said it really depends how you plan to integrate either into your setup.

if you really hate computers though buy a guitar or something

  On 5/4/2011 at 8:49 PM, slightlydrybeans said:

That's uber lame that the machine drum was so meh in the sound dpt. Surprising really. I would have thought it would be amazing... :(

I wouldn't call it 'meh', but to someone who wants 606 808 909, this isn't the box to get. I was very impressed with it overall and if I was growing money on trees I'd own one again.

  On 5/4/2011 at 9:01 PM, acidphakist said:

  On 5/4/2011 at 8:49 PM, slightlydrybeans said:

That's uber lame that the machine drum was so meh in the sound dpt. Surprising really. I would have thought it would be amazing... :(

 

I wouldn't call it 'meh', but to someone who wants 606 808 909, this isn't the box to get. I was very impressed with it overall and if I was growing money on trees I'd own one again.

well yah its more like a generative max patch or something where you can tweak amp/filter envelopes and timbre and whatnot...but it goes far beyond being a beatbox (606/808) in my opinion

And the 808 samples I have sound pretty good on the Machinedrum.

  On 5/4/2011 at 9:29 PM, psn said:

And the 808 samples I have sound pretty good on the Machinedrum.

Hey, whatever floats your boat.

I had 808 samples in mine, as well. I swear the 12-bit sampling is audibly different, and in this case different is not good.

i dont see the big draw on those outdated machines anyway (at the current cost). if you know the scheme behind it you can create your own 808/606 sounds that will probably end up sounding at least somewhat less recycled or just pull from any of the thousands of samples floating around the net (some with tape saturation!). it may not be as inspiring or have the history element but in terms of sound design im sure youd learn a lot more...but ya as soon as youre talking bits you've left the scope of the 808 mystique (travelled into MPC land)

  On 5/4/2011 at 10:41 PM, Scrambled Ears said:

i dont see the big draw on those outdated machines anyway (at the current cost).

If you don't get it, I can't explain...

It's an obsession that I admit imposes many limitations.

i'm getting into some very intricate on the fly overdubs over several tracks using the retrigger on the mpc that i would never discover dragging a mouse around. I think i've finally got the workflow sussed especially the track mutes

just need to get the tenori involved now , edit the best bits and try not to sound like uwe schmidt

Thinkin bout getting a knob CV sequencer for my MS-10 to make loops & such. Probably needs to be at least 16step. Anyone have any experience with http://www.synthrotek.com/2011/04/01/16-step-deluxe-analog-sequencer-complete-console/ ? Price seems decent enough. Not sure if there's something equally good cheaper/better for a bit more, though.

  On 4/26/2011 at 1:38 AM, Food said:

Machinedrum swings 50-80% and you can choose the steps that swing per pattern if you are into wonking things up.

that's true, but nothing beats being able to record an unquantized pattern in real-time into a drum machine, which as far as i know no Elektron piece of gear can do. If one wanted to take it off the grid you have to manually adjust it after the fact

im using the mpc1000 for note sequencing the elektrons then using the elektrons on board pattern sequencer only for p/locks and kit changes

you get the best of both worlds and can mix and match many variations

but you still don't get the world on the MPc where you can play in live an unquantized pattern and have it stay in the sequence exactly as you played it,.. unless im missing something. Can one just insert midi data onto the elektron from another sequencer and expand its sequencing resolution?

it's a ghetto setup, but until I can afford a tr-808, and a proper midi converter, I use the 808 kit on my roland jv-1010 triggered thru a kong padkontrol, and a korg wavedrum. Also the korg kaossilator pro has some cool drum sequencing options punching in on the x/y pad. also use lots of real percussions(drumset, dejimbe, congas, tablas). I wish I still had my little yamaha 4-pad drum machine I got when I was a kid. When I got older I would run it through guitar pedals to my guitar amp and it made some raw sounds. If you turned the bpm all the way up and spun through the different loops while playing the pads it made some sweet 90's drillnbass.

  On 12/27/2011 at 12:58 AM, Awepittance said:

but you still don't get the world on the MPc where you can play in live an unquantized pattern and have it stay in the sequence exactly as you played it,.. unless im missing something. Can one just insert midi data onto the elektron from another sequencer and expand its sequencing resolution?

JJOS2XL?

soundwave: he was referring to the elektrons limitations, not the MPCs.

but yeah - it's nice that with the MPC you have the option to both be strictly on the grid or completely off. just a matter of turning off the time correct.

that would be all about the ticks per note resolution.

I always stick to grid resolution, don't want things to sound too human or sloppy like regular played instrument music.

I wish there would be a more serious sequencing apps on the iPad plus better interfaces with more than one MIDI out. The Genome looks good but underdeveloped and the iTenori is bug ridden and doesn't work well with external MIDI (yet).