Steinberg Backbone - Drum Re-synthesizer

[Echoes in the Attic]

If anyone uses Bitwig, I'm curious if bouncing a clip and dragging it in to Backbone works.

Also - do you guys think this thing would be an easy way to add a little life to samples to avoid machine gun effect? For example the difference between an 808 hi-hat sample and an actual 808 playing a fast pattern is very obvious. Or a 909 snare roll as another classic example. If you took a sample of those and put it in here, is there an easy way to set very small, barely noticeable modulation that would make it seem more like an analog drum hit than a sample? OR does that happen naturally in the resynthesis where playback avoids machine gun effect?

And are there lots of options for velocity modulation? Or just some preset parameters that can be velocity modulated?

Really too bad there is no demo.

[BeeDog]

I'm probably dumb, but does this actually have any synthesis on its own or is the starting point always (a) sample(s)? Was thinking if this can be a one-stop-shop for kicks/drums/etc. from scratch. Without watching the YT clips on the product page, I don't find it to be too clear.

[Smapti]

It doesn't do synthesis from scratch, but you certainly can think of the resynthesis engine as its own synthesizer, especially since you can extract the tonal part of any sample, adjust the loop points and formants to taste, and then even play the sample across your keyboard if you want (& the formant control has optional pitch tracking).

As for velocity modulation -- some parameters have it but most don't. If I have one complaint about Backbone, it's that there aren't many modulation options. This isn't a huge deal in Ableton (& I assume you can also do this in Bitwig) since you can create whatever modulation you want in the DAW, but it would be nice to have more modulation options in Backbone itself.

[Echoes in the Attic]

Are there any envelopes that can be applied to things like formant and other interesting sound altering parameters? I can do modulation in Bitwig as long as the parameters are automatable. Is everything automatable? I assume so since Halion and other Steinberg products are good about that.

[Smapti]

Are there any envelopes that can be applied to things like formant and other interesting sound altering parameters? I can do modulation in Bitwig as long as the parameters are automatable. Is everything automatable? I assume so since Halion and other Steinberg products are good about that.

The only envelopes in Backbone are the filter, pitch, and volume envelopes, and they can't be routed to anything else. However, as you note, almost everything in Backbone is automatable, so you can easily set up envelopes in your DAW to control whatever you want (including all resynthesis parameters, which includes the formant shift). There's even an automation tab in Backbone where you can send multiple parameters to a single DAW automation source if you want.

[Echoes in the Attic]

Cool, sounds good. I'd imagine there's a pretty nice factory library that comes with it too. Could be a great single drum module for things like Ableton or Bitwig Drum Racks, Maschine etc.

[Smapti]

Yes, exactly. I've been using multiple instances of Backbone inside one Ableton drum rack and it works very well.

[BeeDog]

It doesn't do synthesis from scratch, but you certainly can think of the resynthesis engine as its own synthesizer, especially since you can extract the tonal part of any sample, adjust the loop points and formants to taste, and then even play the sample across your keyboard if you want (& the formant control has optional pitch tracking).

As for velocity modulation -- some parameters have it but most don't. If I have one complaint about Backbone, it's that there aren't many modulation options. This isn't a huge deal in Ableton (& I assume you can also do this in Bitwig) since you can create whatever modulation you want in the DAW, but it would be nice to have more modulation options in Backbone itself.

Excellent, many thanks for a great reply.

[AcrossTheSky]

...haha...if only bb had modulation options just like in ShaperBox 2 or 10 more.....
joking aside....

Groove Agent allows you to play 32 samples at the same time regardless of their velocity.
check page 97 in the manual.

having all the options available in bb is great of course...but serious integration with GA would be highly recommended.
I believe it'll be just a matter of time..

[danfi]

I already see how Steinberg is going to add Backbone LE to Cubase 11. Then, charge Cubase users 50 euros for the full version and the ability to import own samples into the plugin.

Would that be so bad? The full version costs 149 €.

Bundling a 600 euro DAW with bunch of useless demo versions of their plugins is kinda lame. Same thing they did with Padshop. Who want's a grannular synth which you can't use your own samples with?

[chk071]

So you expect a 600 € DAW to come with several 99 - 149 € worth plugins?

Anyway, first and foremost it's their business decision. There's nothing to argue about, rather something to decide about, and that's whether you buy or not.

[simmo75]

Has anyone bought this?
I’m intrigued but not overly impressed with the demo vids Steinberg put out.
I’d love to know how versatile it is, whether you can create a completely new sounds, how is it with making other sounds, pads for example?
It seems like 8xPadshop Pro spectral layers

[telecode]

I already see how Steinberg is going to add Backbone LE to Cubase 11. Then, charge Cubase users 50 euros for the full version and the ability to import own samples into the plugin.

Would that be so bad? The full version costs 149 €.

Bundling a 600 euro DAW with bunch of useless demo versions of their plugins is kinda lame. Same thing they did with Padshop. Who want's a grannular synth which you can't use your own samples with?

you can load your own files in PadShop2

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eSPRQc7674g

[zvenx]

Has anyone bought this?
I’m intrigued but not overly impressed with the demo vids Steinberg put out.
I’d love to know how versatile it is, whether you can create a completely new sounds, how is it with making other sounds, pads for example?
It seems like 8xPadshop Pro spectral layers

Its monophonic firstly....And I am not sure you can stack it according to pitch or key range.
rsp

[Echoes in the Attic]

So you can't have some layers respond to one note and others responding to another? I could imagine that being useful for closed/open hi-hats for example.