How are you guys (and gals) using your Machinedrums?

- ask away
eggnchips
mnml mmbr
mnml mmbr
Posts: 416
Joined: Wed May 27, 2009 3:22 pm

How are you guys (and gals) using your Machinedrums?

Post by eggnchips »

Had some computer problems as of late so I am using the computer free time to get to know my Machinedrum better, and I must say that I am really enjoying it.
I am trying to get the best out of it as a stand alone piece of kit and am constructing full songs. I am still trying to work the bass a bit and see that it isn't a piece of cake.
Also getting melodies out of it can be a challenge.
It would be interesting to here how you lot are using yours and if there are any tips out there you feel like sharing.
I know there is a forum for it but feel here you can get better info.

Cheers.
AK
mnml maxi
mnml maxi
Posts: 1973
Joined: Fri Apr 11, 2008 8:01 pm
Location: Worcestershire

Re: How are you guys (and gals) using your Machinedrums?

Post by AK »

I don't have any specific things to be honest. What I will say, is that I don't tend to use it as my main form of drums. That seems ironic considering it's a synthetic drum machine but I enjoy using it as a supporting rhythm efx and texture box if that makes sense?

I'll source kicks elsewhere and synthesize certain percussive elements for a basic beat. Obviously that beat is then pretty basic and is just a kick and possibly a shaker pattern or something, once I have a musical idea I start doing things on the MD like evolving rhythmic sections that warp in and out of the groove to add texture and interest, either tuned if need be or just twisting rhythmic non tonal elements. But it could be anything from percussion to way out odd noises.

Most of my patterns on there at the minute don't make sense by themselves, that is if I were to demo my MD to someone without adding the track some of the patterns are working in, it would sound really odd. :lol:
kdgh
mnml mmbr
mnml mmbr
Posts: 222
Joined: Fri Jun 11, 2010 9:51 pm

Re: How are you guys (and gals) using your Machinedrums?

Post by kdgh »

try to score a 8-track or 12-track mixer with some aux's on it.
Get a delay and reverb and try to use all the different outputs of the machinedrum.

you can also eq different tracks in this way. Something you can't really do in the MD itself

way more fun then 'in the box' as in... in the MD only.
AK
mnml maxi
mnml maxi
Posts: 1973
Joined: Fri Apr 11, 2008 8:01 pm
Location: Worcestershire

Re: How are you guys (and gals) using your Machinedrums?

Post by AK »

Might be interesting to use the thread in terms of sound design maybe? I dunno, I know I don't tend to have an urge to create anything realistic from it. That is, apart from say a hat, a clap or whatever, other sounds could be purely random and totally synthetic to add textural interest to whatever I'm doing and to fill in rhythmic gaps with evolving or changing percussive sounds.

Apart from sines and tom-like sounds, I haven't really done much bass sounds on it. I might be interesting to see what happens with a bass timbre and to use parameter locks on pitch with slides to bend into notes. Melodic stuff can be time consuming as there's no pitch reference and it's pointless trying to write down settings as these settings related to pitch would only be relevant with a sound at its most basic, once you start altering stuff, chances are the pitching will alter to so your reference goes out the window.
User avatar
hydrogen
mnml maxi
mnml maxi
Posts: 2689
Joined: Tue Oct 17, 2006 2:41 am

Re: How are you guys (and gals) using your Machinedrums?

Post by hydrogen »

After spending some time just messing with it... i find that i only use it for the highhats and some snares. and maybe a couple toms... i'm really thinking about moving to a vermona drm1.

i've used it for bass stuff but when i start mixing those with the analogues it gets cloudy so i stopped doing that. I think if i were making strictly minimal i'd rethink how i was leveraging the lowend because you can make some extremely bouncy stuff with it.
------------------------------------------------------
http://soundcloud.com/kirkwoodwest
eggnchips
mnml mmbr
mnml mmbr
Posts: 416
Joined: Wed May 27, 2009 3:22 pm

Re: How are you guys (and gals) using your Machinedrums?

Post by eggnchips »

Making tonal, evolving stuff is great fun,
I do this by creating a nice complete drum pattern, and then messing it up completely by using a ctrl machine.
This can take the pattern to another place but unfortunately leaves me wishing I had my computer again so I could record and add some drums within my DAW.
ekwipt
mnml mmbr
mnml mmbr
Posts: 124
Joined: Sat Mar 10, 2007 6:25 am

Re: How are you guys (and gals) using your Machinedrums?

Post by ekwipt »

P Locks is your friend with the machinedrum and it's what sets it apart from all the other old xox drum machines (Tempest has it as well), for mnml/techno, you probably don't need anything else.

Sample a synth sound and use the P-lock to make your groove or use the internal BD sound and Pitch it around and filter for cool shuffling rhythms

Love Love Love it, sometimes bait digitally souding but pair it with a sampling unit and it'll tale care of analog sounds (or buy the real thing of course)
eggnchips
mnml mmbr
mnml mmbr
Posts: 416
Joined: Wed May 27, 2009 3:22 pm

Re: How are you guys (and gals) using your Machinedrums?

Post by eggnchips »

ekwipt wrote:
Sample a synth sound and use the P-lock to make your groove or use the internal BD sound and Pitch it around and filter for cool shuffling rhythms
Yeah nice tips.
Post Reply