How to use ReTank

[Reverend Rhythm]

I thought I'd compile a series of quotes with tips on how to use the ReTank loops/slices. I hope this helps, but it will probably take some additional help. I'm just getting things started.

I got these from the ReTank GB thread
http://www.kvraudio.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=233729

With ReTank you always have one loop on B1 and then the slices of that loop chromatically upward starting at C2. There are no "menu maps" as we like to call them of multiple loops across the keyboard. So, a construction kit when used as a ReTank library would you would actually still have the elements of a song (drums, bass, keys, guitars, vocals, synths or whatever is in that song construction set) but in order to get them to play together you would layer them as different parts. You can do up to 16 different parts in one instance of ST. The good thing is in this case you can process each loop of the construction kit individually which makes more sense (you wouldn't want to always put the same effects on the drum loop as the bass line anyway right?). So this way they all layer up when you press B1 (as long as you set the individual loops of the construction kit on different parts but set to the same midi channel). Also when you play back the midi files on individual midi channels (setting each part then to its OWN midi channel different from the other) you have a sort of multi-track way of working that has major flexibity.

So, it is a few more steps than just loading up a menu map but it is more pro and flexible.

Here's some other tips on what you can do. Okay, so you first have the full loop on the B below C2. For THAT you can mess around in the synth section with the different engines and manipulate it, stretch it, change the grain in PSTS mode, change the harmonics in real time or just filter the whole loop, put effects on it, sync it up with any of the engines by clicking "LOOP SYNC" (and it will sync to the host tempo and stretch to it).

THEN you have the individual "slices" of that loop mapped chromatically starting at C2. What you can do, first of all, is just PLAY the slices as if they were an instrument. This is a lot of fun. You can go into "Velocity" in the parameters and add Vel to Amp to give them dynamics so you can play them almost like a random drum kit/percussion or if it is an instrument you can experiment with changing the order of the notes, hit "Zone" and change the pitch of individual keys and save it back as a "child preset" by saving the patch on the right side of ST's GUI.

You can also drag the corresponding midi file from the loop (that is right next to it where the sounds are) and play the loop from your sequencer with that midi file. It will chromatically play the slices according to how it was played originally (timing-wise). But, you can easily QUANTIZE the midi if you want it to be perfect or if you want to add swing or a groove template all depending on what your sequencer can do with midi! You can even find a tool that can randomize it like the chaos designer of Stylus RMX probably. Maybe even other fancy things because you have total flexibility accessing the midi separately from the groove. Each person can discover their own tricks with that and their own way of manipulating the material ESPECIALLY with the power and speed of the SampleTank engine. I've always felt it was a great engine for loops and hadn't been really tapped for that until NOW.

[Reverend Rhythm]

There are some better explinations in the thread, but I'll give the "quick."

Drop the MIDI file into your host.
Assign that track to SampleTank.
Play loop in tempo with the host.

Let me try a step by step. Try it. Once you see how to do it, it'll seem easy.
1. Open SampleTank in your Host. In your host, set the tempo you want to use.

2. Within SampleTank, find the loop you want to use. Use the B1 note to audition the loops. Remember that the "B1" loop is not going to be synced to your host.

3. Open up the folder that contains your ReTank loops. Each sub-folder contains SampleTank files and MIDI files. Find the MIDI file that corresponds to the loop you have chosen. Now, click and drag that MIDI file over to you host. Drop it onto a track, and it should show up. You may need to play with this to see how to do it in your host.

4. Now you need to assign that track to SampleTank. Each Host does that differently.

5. When you get the MIDI track assigned to SampleTank, you should hear the loop played in tempo.

6. In my host, I will need to copy and paste the MIDI file over and over to get the length I want. Your Host may do this differently.

7. If you just want to play along, you can use the markers of your host, set 'em on start and end of the midi and then press the Loop-button of your host (I think most hosts have one).

8. If you use cubase, try ctrl+k for multiple paste of a selected part.

[Reverend Rhythm]

Although I'm sure there is more, that is all I could find. Will you help us with ideas on using the ReTank loops/slices?

[blueman]

I'm still getting my head around everything, trying to work it out. I will use ReTank mostly for textures and backgrounds on songs I write. I prefer Drumcore for drum loops so I'm most interested in the orchestral and pad sounds as well as some of the other instrument loops. So far the piano sounds have really impressed me!

I suspect that as I learn more about what is possible with ReTank I'll expand the way I use it. I still haven't found the midi bits and presets yet but I've played with a few of the combis only to get "instrument not found" message on half or more of them Aside from that small annoyance I've been fairly impressed

Thanks for starting this thread

Rich

[blortblort]

not conventional and way tedious:
load up a re-tank midi file and
load up the corresponding ST2 ReTank instrument and
commence to mutilating the pitch/resampling/stretch settings for each slice in the ReTank instrument.

It doesn't take too long to get a grasp of the concept:
it seems that you have to have your sequencer stopped,
using your midi keyboard controller, you select the note you want to adjust
you adjust that note
you play the next note on the midi keyboard to select that one and repeat until you've treated all of them (or at least the ones you wish to change)
It takes a while to come up with good intelligent stuff (but it IS worth giving it a shot. 'tis some fun if you like that sort of thing )

I should probably be saving the mutilations as retank instruments, but I have just been resampling the phrase that is created from the playback of the retank files against the abused retank instruments
After a while, ya have a good many new weirded out loops (that you can FURTHER abuse from there!)

(and blueman, from what I understand- the missing combis were the ones that were contained for the ST2 XL package (not the version in the GB)...maybe I understood wrong, but the missing combis have not been a problem here: I quite enjoy slapping different instruments together in ST2 meself!)

[DarkStar]

Here are some ideas about using MIDI with ReTank to get you started. Please note that this is not intended to be especially musical but to illustrate what you can do.

First of all, using your browser:
-- unZIP the downloaded ReTank sounds
-- insert them into your ST2 Instruments Library
-- I have arranged my IKMM Libraries as follows:

• N:\IK Multimedia
• N:\IK Multimedia\Miroslav Philharmonik
• N:\IK Multimedia\SampleMoog
• N:\IK Multimedia\SampleTank 2
• N:\IK Multimedia\SampleTank 2\~Bonus Sounds
• N:\IK Multimedia\SampleTank 2\Grooves
• N:\IK Multimedia\SampleTank 2\Grooves\ReTank GB
• N:\IK Multimedia\SampleTank 2\Instruments
• N:\IK Multimedia\SampleTron
• N:\IK Multimedia\Sonik Synth 2

Let's have a look at one of the ReTank sounds.
In your host:
-- load SampleTank2 onto a track,
-- open it and click [Relist] to make sure that your ReTank Library is listed,

In ST2, find a groove you want to use:
-- select one of the 16 Parts on the left hand-side,
-- click the white triangles in the Browser to expand / collapse the Instrument folders,
-- double-click the sound to load it into a Part,
-- if you want, click the Zone [On] button to show where the sound is mapped to the keyboard,
-- click on B1 to audition the loop and C2 upwards to audition each sliced part of the loop,

Back in your host:
-- set the tempo to that of the loop (80 bpm in this case),
-- every ReTank Instrument has an accompanying MIDI file, in the same folder as the ST2 Instrument,
-- browse to the MIDI file for this Instrument, following the same path through the folders,
-- load the MIDI file into a track (here it appears as a MIDI Clip, but your host may use a different term),
-- route that track to SampleTank 2,
-- by default, the 16 Parts in ST2 receive MIDI from channel numbers 1-16,
-- if needed, set the MIDI channel number for your track in the host to correspond with that in ST2.


OK, now we have the ReTank Instrument loaded in ST2 and the MIDI file on a track in your host.
Here is a complete ReTank loop:

Big pic:
http://img150.imageshack.us/img150/5492/b1loopcn5.png
-- it is played by pressing the B1 key on your ST2 keyboard or by sending a B1 note from your host to ST2.
-- there are several hits in the loop and each hit is known as a "slice", but is not a separate physical object
-- each slice is assigned to a separate key in ST2.

And here I have put alternate slices onto different tracks so you can see them more easily

Big pic:
http://img508.imageshack.us/img508/8664/slicestu6.png

This screenshot shows the complete loop and the MIDI clip:

Big pic:
http://img387.imageshack.us/img387/4927/midiclipgx4.png
-- there are 19 MIDI notes, starting from C1 and rising chromatically (using every note pitch),
-- each note triggers one slice, C1 triggers the first slice, C1# the second slice and so on,
-- the start position and length of each note corresponds to the slice in the loop,
-- you can see how they line up,
-- clicking on the piano roll keyboard in ST2 or in your host to audition each slice,
-- Note that I have named the notes as a reminder to me (these names are not part of the loop or MIDI file).

Now, what can you do with this?
-- if you play the MIDI Clip as it stands, the sounds of the original loop will be played, each slice will be play once when ST2 receives the trigger note for it,

Perhaps you want to try out different sounds at some positions, you can just move some of the MIDI notes up or down in your host,

Big pic:
http://img387.imageshack.us/img387/7585 ... vesoc7.png

Or you want to emphasise some of the sounds, you can reduce all the note velocities then raise a few of them

Big pic:
http://img387.imageshack.us/img387/606/ ... iesaa6.png
-- you can also change the volume of each slice in ST2, but that's for another time

Or you want to keep the groove pattern but use it in a different way,
-- here I have moved all the notes to the pitches that trigger the various hats in the loop
-- this maintains the rhythm of the original but uses only the hats
-- you'll probably want to remove some of the hits too, to make it less busy,

Big pic:
http://img255.imageshack.us/img255/3074/midihatsye7.png

Or you could use the MIDI loop to drive a completely different instrument

Big pic:
http://img255.imageshack.us/img255/1963/midibassti2.png
-- here I have made a copy of the MIDI clip,
-- I changed the MIDI channel (to channel 5), and loaded a Bass instrument into Part 5 in ST2,
-- I have used some of the trigger notes, deleted the others, changed some velocities and lengthened some of the notes until I got a groove I liked,

So now my Hats MIDI Clip triggers hats in the original rhythm and my Bass MIDI Clip underlies the rhythm.
-- just for completeness, here I have combined the 2 clips so you can see the alignment

Big pic:
http://img255.imageshack.us/img255/5352 ... atswa4.png

HTH
... to be continued

[blueman]

This is VERY helpful guys! Thanks so much

[blueman]

OT: I'm having trouble finding a MIDI keyboard that would be a good starter for me. Don't really dig the 25-key so, probably 37 to 49 keys is a good range and semi-weighted. A few knobs and sliders are useful but not neccessary. Also, I want something with a good build quality. I don't prefer to buy junk I'm gonna throw it eventually. So...any suggestions from the MIDI buffs in here? Price range is up to but not over $200

Thx,
Rich

[Reverend Rhythm]

I can't help you a lot with your keyboard choice, except to say, "Choose carefully." Even if you have to spend more, get a good keyboard. You can check with the forum that supports your host. Ask lots of questions, and try it if you can get to a store.

[blueman]

Wasn't Squids going to do a few videos on ReTank or was that just a passing thought?

[Reverend Rhythm]

I think it is in his plans, but these group buys and recording projects with famous people keep getting in the way!

[DarkStar]

Mixing sounds from different grooves
Let's say you want to use some of the sounds from 2 different ReTank grooves.

In ST2:
- load the two Instrument grooves into 2 Parts (say into Parts 1 and 3).

In your host:
- load the MDI file for the groove rhythm you want to use into a track,

- edit the MIDI Clip,
- select the notes that you want to trigger sounds in the other groove,
- change their MIDI channel number (to channel 3 in this case),
- move each of those notes up or down the piano roll so that they trigger the sound you want.

Here are some screenshots:
a) the original MIDI notes for the first groove,

Big pic:
http://img166.imageshack.us/img166/5853/groove00pc3.png

b) the modified MIDI notes (4 notes removed) for the first groove,

Big pic:
http://img166.imageshack.us/img166/9690/groove01na8.png

c) those 4 notes, now for the second groove,
-- on MIDI channel 3,
-- repitched to trigger the desired sounds

Big pic:
http://img504.imageshack.us/img504/6476/groove02li3.png

d) all the notes in the same Piano roll view,
-- so you can see that the original rhythm is retained,
-- the note colours are different for each MIDI channel,

Big pic:
http://img201.imageshack.us/img201/3687/groove03eu4.png

[blueman]

This is really cool stuff!! Any chance we can hear some audio clips of this in action? I can't imagine needing this much control and variation but it's nice that it's available and certainly lends itself to some creative applications.

Anyway...I'm having trouble figuring out how to map separate midi tracks to the 16 separate inputs within ST 2.5. I'm using Reaper but not that familiar with its MIDI setup yet. So, say I've got 2 or 3 separate tracks...how would I (using only ONE instance of Sample Tank) route the MIDI through tracks 1,2 and 3 inside ST? Does this make sense? It looks like you are using Reaper in these examples so I figured you might be able to help.

One more question: How did you create .wav clips from these ReTank loops? Is there a trick to this or did you just render the midi as a new audio track set to .wav format?

Thanks again. You do a REALLY good job explaining this stuff

Rich

[DarkStar]

I did not post any audio samples as:
a) these particular ones are not meant to be musical just to show the techniques,
b) when you try it you'll be suprised and delighted by what you find (but some experiments will not work) and it'll trigger your creativity.

For MIDI tracks, have a look through this post:
http://forum.cockos.com/showthread.php?t=27868

To create a wav file from the loop, I just create a MIDI Clip with a 1-bar (or 2-bar) MIDI note on B1 in my host and render the clip (in Reaper you can also use Apply FX as a new take. then arrange the takes in order). No trickery

HTH

[blueman]

Wow! It's very kind of you to post all of these detailed instructions. It's helped a LOT. Thanks much Do you have some music you've created posted somewhere? I'd love to hear it...

Rich