Native Instruments TRK-01 Drum & Bass machine

[elassi]

This thing defo unveils the idea/concept of making "music production" easy for the masses (remember the CEO statement lately when they announced their new investor?).

In fact, anything this product does can be done with the tools everyone of us already has in his/her arsenal. It may simplify the process, sure, but as soon as you want to be unique the limit is there.

There simply is no shortcut to fame. It needs hard work and diligence.

[Dougo2]

I am using Trk 01 with logic x. I have gone through the manual many times and completely understand how to use the plug in within Reaktor. My problem is: how do I get it out of the plugin into my arrangement in logic? When I open an instance of it and press the space bar - it triggers trk 01 which is fine when working on it - however space bar also triggers my start/stop on the arrangement. I don't know how to take the work I have done in trk 01 and move it to the arrangement - and even if I figured out how to do that and pressed the space bar to trigger the arrangement - the bloody plugin would keep playing at the same time. I can't figure this out for the life of me - as it is now - it is completely useless unless I am triggering it live on its own. Native Instruments have been useless in responding and the website simply cycles you around from sign in page to support page back to sign in - never taking you to a forum, blog or e mail contact.

Any help would be greatly appreciated - I must be missing something.

[db3]

My problem is: how do I get it out of the plugin into my arrangement in logic?.

You don't as such. For each preset you can create multiple kick and bass sequences. You then record midi notes in your DAW to trigger the patterns (or to change the kick or bass sound). TRK-01 will start to play with the DAW, so probably best to leave first kick and bass pattern empty so you can bring sequences in and out as you see fit.

5.1 Switching Sound Variations and Patterns via MIDI
You can use MIDI keyboards and sequencers to switch both sound variations saved in the KICK’s and BASS’s SOUNDS Selectors, as well as Patterns of the KICK and BASS Sequenc- ers.
The sound variations and Patterns are switched by sending specific MIDI note messages to TRK-01. When a MIDI note message is received, the switching occurs instantaneously.
The following MIDI note messages are used to switch sound variations and Patterns:
To switch between sound variations saved in the eight slots of the KICK’s SOUNDS Selec- tor, play MIDI notes # 36 (C1) to # 43 (G1)
To switch between sound variations saved in the eight slots of the BASS’s SOUNDS Selec- tor, play MIDI notes # 60 (C3) to # 67 (G3)
To switch between the eight Patterns of the KICK Sequencer, play MIDI notes # 48 (C2) to # 55 (G2)
To switch between the eight Patterns of the KICK Sequencer, play MIDI notes # 72 (C4) to # 79 (G4)

[BONES]

It's a drumsynth and a (bass) synth. I've got plenty of them and some much more sophisticated.
What's the fuss about?

Of the "plenty" you have, how many sound better than this? It sounds amazing and while you may have others you feel are more "sophisticated", I doubt any of them are more versatile. The synth side of it alone is incredibly flexible with no fewer than five different types of synthesis in it's oscillator section. And how many of your other synths have a sequencer with parameter locks? Or a ducking envelope? There is plenty here to justify the purchase.

In fact, anything this product does can be done with the tools everyone of us already has in his/her arsenal.

If you have one good quality softsynth, then that is true of every other instrument on the market. But we all use more than one synth because different instruments have different strengths, which allows us to get what we need/want more easily.

It may simplify the process, sure, but as soon as you want to be unique the limit is there.

You clearly haven't looked at it. The workflow can be simple but if you want/need more, there is a lot of depth to it as well. A lot of depth. Download the demo and listen to the presets. The range of timbres on show is nothing short of amazing for something that seems so simple.

[elassi]

It may simplify the process, sure, but as soon as you want to be unique the limit is there.

You clearly haven't looked at it. The workflow can be simple but if you want/need more, there is a lot of depth to it as well. A lot of depth. Download the demo and listen to the presets.

You're right with your suspicion. Only checked NI's description plus this thread. It seemed to be enough information for me to make a statement.

[Stefken]

I am very much enjoying this tool.
Like the sound! Nice beat and bass box for specific genres like D&B, techno, acid, garage.

[SLiC]

To be honest having 'just' a bass drum and a base line together in one reactor instrument just doesn't work for me on any level (although I agree it does sound good), I spent a few hours with the demo, but having just got the step sequencer in S1 4 I find it much easier to just take a bass drum and bass sound from any of the great VSTs I already have (Diva, Repo, Legend) and step sequence it in S1 4, just as fast, no more CPU use and vastly more flexible.

For the same money you can get Tremor (almost always on sale somewhere, often half price) which I think is superior in most ways (but now I have a similar electron style step sequencer directly in the DAW I suspect I will use this less)

[Klinke1]

tabs, tabs and tabs .. it should not have a tab for env amount

Edit: Extra tiny tabs..thx.

[Klinke1]

To be honest having 'just' a bass drum and a base line together in one reactor instrument just doesn't work for me on any level (although I agree it does sound good), I spent a few hours with the demo, but having just got the step sequencer in S1 4 I find it much easier to just take a bass drum and bass sound from any of the great VSTs I already have (Diva, Repo, Legend) and step sequence it in S1 4, just as fast, no more CPU use and vastly more flexible.

For the same money you can get Tremor (almost always on sale somewhere, often half price) which I think is superior in most ways (but now I have a similar electron style step sequencer directly in the DAW I suspect I will use this less)

S1 = System1 ?
If not..wtf S1? S1 4?
WTF!?

edit:

"...now I have a similar electron style step sequencer directly in the DAW"

...insert word.. (No you don't)

[db3]

Studio One 4 at a guess.

[Klinke1]

Is so hard to write additional 5 letters?

[SLiC]

To be honest having 'just' a bass drum and a base line together in one reactor instrument just doesn't work for me on any level (although I agree it does sound good), I spent a few hours with the demo, but having just got the step sequencer in S1 4 I find it much easier to just take a bass drum and bass sound from any of the great VSTs I already have (Diva, Repo, Legend) and step sequence it in S1 4, just as fast, no more CPU use and vastly more flexible.

For the same money you can get Tremor (almost always on sale somewhere, often half price) which I think is superior in most ways (but now I have a similar electron style step sequencer directly in the DAW I suspect I will use this less)

S1 = System1 ?
If not..wtf S1? S1 4?
WTF!?

edit:

"...now I have a similar electron style step sequencer directly in the DAW"

...insert word.. (No you don't)

Here you go - 'Studio One Version Four'

I have the elektron dark trinity, I am familiar with the sequncers capabilities, StudioOne is a hell of a lot closer than TRK-01 (which people on this thread have been compairing with Elektron style sequencing) there is proabablity, different step lengths per instrument per step modulation (P locks) and more. There is still a lot of stuff missing, but given the responce on the StudioOne forums I expect this to be added onm the next point update.

https://youtu.be/iGtf6_eWav4

[SLiC]

Is so hard to write additional 5 letters?

Its an additional seven letters and I am far to busy

[BONES]

To be honest having 'just' a bass drum and a base line together in one reactor instrument just doesn't work for me on any level (although I agree it does sound good)

There is no reason you have to use both. An hour ago I'd have said I'd be turning the drum side of it off. Now, though, after playing with the drums for a bit, I could also see myself using it, although likely not as often as the synth. So I mostly envisage using them separately, as adding extra instances of Reaktor only increases the CPU usage by a few percent per instance. Then there will be times when using them together will make perfect sense. There are a few presets that show this - where you can't really tell which side of the machine is making which part of the sound.

I spent a few hours with the demo, but having just got the step sequencer in S1 4 I find it much easier to just take a bass drum and bass sound from any of the great VSTs I already have (Diva, Repo, Legend) and step sequence it in S1 4, just as fast, no more CPU use and vastly more flexible.

How is it "vastly more flexible" when you can have TRK-01 PLUS everything you just described? Logically, it can only be less flexible.

For the same money you can get Tremor (almost always on sale somewhere, often half price) which I think is superior in most ways

But Tremor is only a drum synth, albeit a pretty powerful one. This is a drum synth PLUS (see how I did that again for even greater emphasis) a really good monosynth. So it's more like having Tremor and Diva. Well, maybe not Diva but certainly something more versatile than Repo or Legend, like a monophonic Massive, maybe? Actually, the Kick synth reminds me a lot of my old Korg S3 drum machine so the best fit is probably a Korg S3 and a mono Massive. Plus effects, of course.

tabs, tabs and tabs .. it should not have a tab for env amount
Edit: Extra tiny tabs..thx.

So you think it should have 8 extra knobs instead? Get a grip! I love the way they've implemented modulation routing. Using the display that way is a stroke of genius. In any event, you don't need to see the knobs because you can see their effect on the parameters they are modulating. e.g. If I see the little green indicator on the Cutoff knob slowly moving up and back, I know that it has the LFO applied. If I see it jump at the start of every note, I can see it has envelope modulation applied. You need to be less rigid in your thinking and look at these things objectively so that you can get the best out of them. This thing is next level instrument design.

[Stefken]

So I mostly envisage using them separately, as adding extra instances of Reaktor only increases the CPU usage by a few percent per instance. Then there will be times when using them together will make perfect sense. There are a few presets that show this - where you can't really tell which side of the machine is making which part of the sound.

I didn't dive into the specifics yet, nor did I read the manual but I can imagine if you want it to duck the bass correctly (sidechained on kickdrum), that you need both running in the same instance.

The ad said that one of its strengths is the way they mix the bass and kickdrum without you having to worry about it. Don't know yet how they do it; I just know it sounds pretty good OOTB.