Drum sequencer

[VitaminD]

edit: Oh I just found v2.8 on their community support thing. So a lot newer. It really got less accessible and intuitive from the version 1 software.

The Maschine 1 installation is failing for me, I guess because I already have Maschine 2 installed. Too bad, I was hoping to be able to run them side-by-side.

Are you a Macker or a Winder? I'm a Winder but made sure to installed them in different folders and it worked. The only major issue with Maschine 1 is the GUI is pretty small, even on it's largest option.

At this point they be better offering a stripped down version of the current software streamlined for drum sequencing only. Maybe that is what Battery 5 could become if they wanted to keep developing that? Just add on the Maschine Sequencer section and the ability to chain or select patterns on low octave midi keys. Done.

[VitaminD]

Wave Alchemy Triaz (the native version) looks to be a contender, once it's been released. Should be this year. Although it's gotten awfully quiet on that front.

I can vouch the samples in it are top notch. The sequencer is straight-forward, easy to use. Breaking it free from Kontakt will be even nicer, hopefully that native version will come along soon.

My curiosity got the best of me, so I e-mailed Wave Alchemy. They told me the plugin version is ready and it's only finishing touches now (adjusting presets, marketing stuff, etc.). The release might slip to January though. Anyway, I'm glad it's getting close. I'm certain the plugin version of Triaz will be worth the wait.

Oh thanks! I don't see a forum for them and their website and social media seem pretty spartan for news so I was wondering. I will be interested in trialing this one too.

[VitaminD]

FXPansion Geist... someone had to say it... and f**k em for flushing it down in the toilet. Best piece of software ever... I would pay serious money for an ARM version

Yeah it was a thing of beauty, wasn't it?

If I win the lottery jackpot one day, I'd love to buy this out and develop it more. Sadly I don't think any company is going to pick it back up. It's a shame ROLI doesn't at least fund it for bug fixes and system updates.

I didn't realize that ROLI had died a couple years back and reformed as Luminary. On their website:

What has happened to FXpansion?

Unfortunately, as part of the ROLI Ltd. restructuring process, FXpansion will no longer be trading as a commercial entity. All sales and support of FXpansion products will transition to Luminary ROLI Ltd. through roli.com.

Cypher2, Strobe2 and associated soundpacks will now be available to purchase solely via roli.com. Unfortunately, it has not been possible to transition Geist2 to roli.com, but existing Geist2 customers will continue to be supported by our team roli.com/support.

It would be interesting to know the details of why Geist wasn't possible to transition? It seems Angus was hired by Image Line and Skot works for InMusic.. bleh.

Of those, I don't think Image Line sells VSTs anymore and InMusic.. well.. say no more. Besides I think their Akai lineup somewhat competes with what Geist does so they wouldn't want to pick it up. So it is left orphaned.

[cryophonik]

To sum it up, I think the hardware is great, pads are very nice, very tactile, and nice screens, especially in mk3. I really loved the original concept, where it was primarily a drum machine. But, NI has totally jumped the shark with it by trying to force into this convoluted, unergonomic, unintuitive, and inelegant disaster that tries to be more of a DAW and audio interface than a drum machine, so it fails at being both. A common complaint is that NI has promised all kinds of improvements and fixes that never happen and, instead, they just keep trying to cram more expansions down our throat to milk their cash cow. Personally, I wish they’d simplify it and refocus it as more of a rhythm machine and less of a half-assed DAW. But, where’s the profit,… I mean fun…, in that?

Was the Maschine 1 software better in those regards? I don't remember it, it's been so long. I found the downloads available on NI's forum:

https://community.native-instruments.co ... 1-software

I haven't used mk1 since mk2 was released, but going from memory I'd probably say yes, strictly in terms of using it as a drum machine. Maschine 2 brought along plugin hosting and a long period of development that focused more on it being a self-contained DAW, which is when the bloat started IMO. I'm sure they added some nice refinements and improvements to the drum pattern sequencing along the way, but I don't recall which features were added when. I don't think mk1 is even supported by my current OS, so I couldn't roll back even if I wanted to.

[cptgone]

Wave Alchemy Triaz (the native version) looks to be a contender, once it's been released. Should be this year. Although it's gotten awfully quiet on that front.

I've been considering buying Triaz for years, but:
- Drumcomputer has me mostly sorted for drum sequencing
- Triaz doesn't have Algonaut Atlas and XLN Audio XO's sample management feature

So I got Atlas instead (for sample based drums/perc; most of the time I will be using Drumcomputer to sequence it with).

BTW I use all kinds of plugins for drums/perc, some of which have internal sequencers (FXpansion Tremor used to be my fave, I still use it regularly).

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I'd love a drum/perc plugin that allows to add FX per step - not just internal FX, but any plugin.

[nanostream]

I'd love a drum/perc plugin that allows to add FX per step - not just internal FX, but any plugin.

There’s a standalone device in Opal that let’s you do just that. m4l only, of course.

[swilow11]

Riffer by Audio Modern seems great too. I couldn't decide so got HY-RPE and Riffer with Freezer for free. I haven't taken much of a dive in, I am guessing both sequencers can be triggered by midi? I want to create patterns and have them play via the VST and avoid completely pasting/editing in the piano roll.

I'm also kinda interested in controlling Roland TR6S via either sequencer. Wonder if this will result in latency issues. Also may be excessively complicated but fun nonetheless.

[kraster]

I'd love a drum/perc plugin that allows to add FX per step - not just internal FX, but any plugin.

New Sonic Art's drum slicing plugin, Vice has a great feature that I'm surprised isn't in other plugins.

It allows you to have a send to an external audio bus on each slice.

So you can receive the audio from the bus on a separate track in your daw and put effects on it.

There are two buses you can use and have different send levels per slice. Very useful.

[kraster]

Delete

[cryophonik]

Wave Alchemy Triaz (the native version) looks to be a contender, once it's been released. Should be this year. Although it's gotten awfully quiet on that front.

I can vouch the samples in it are top notch. The sequencer is straight-forward, easy to use. Breaking it free from Kontakt will be even nicer, hopefully that native version will come along soon.

My curiosity got the best of me, so I e-mailed Wave Alchemy. They told me the plugin version is ready and it's only finishing touches now (adjusting presets, marketing stuff, etc.). The release might slip to January though. Anyway, I'm glad it's getting close. I'm certain the plugin version of Triaz will be worth the wait.

Ooh, that's good to hear! I've been a long-time fan of Wave Alchemy and they are my go-to for drum samples. I really do like Triaz, but I'm not a fan of Kontakt-based (or Reaktor-based) instruments in general, so I'm looking forward to the native version.

[cptgone]

ITT I listed the features I look for in a drum sequencer - but today I found out about Modalics Beat Scholar, which has a another essential feature: like many other drum sequencers, it can subdivide steps. However, it allows to pick any of those (e.g. 1st and 3rd note of a triplet).

Which leaves me frustrated, as now there is no drum sequencer I know of that has all the features I want.
(Ironically, I used to do that in Cubase's Drum Editor )

BTW Modalics Beat Scholar has another unique feature: the way the GUI uses segmented circles to represent subdivisions.
Seems like a good idea.
Other drum sequencers handle this in different ways, I prefer Tremor's (better still, Cubase's Drum Editor's) over Drumcomputer's (painting vs a per step slider).

[jlgrimes11]

How about the step sequencer in your daw?

The Cubase sequencer is terrible. I believe it's been updated but I'm using Cubase 12.

So far, I'm probably going to keep using Playbeat. Haven't figured out how to drive Battery but honestly Battery annoys me in many ways so if I have to retire it, no great issue.

Curious if anyone who uses TAL Drum, does this have outputs similar to Battery?

Wow!

I always heard of Cubase having the best piano Roll with Drum Maps and everything. I'm talking about ancient history though.

Most Step Sequencers slow me down. I would think something like FL Studio would be good.

I use Ableton's piano roll. Not the best at some things but I find it fairly fast for writing most drum patterns.

[cptgone]

I always heard of Cubase having the best piano Roll with Drum Maps and everything. I'm talking about ancient history though.

Cubase has a fine Key Editor / Drum Editor but Steinberg never added any of the features we'd expect from a pattern based drum machine. It's perfectly fine though if you want to work in a linear paradigm, and don't care about probabilistic stuff. That's the way it has always been.

IMHO Steinberg has always been rather unimaginative and short sighted when it comes to designing solutions (let alone take advantage of the fact that software can do things in new, improved ways).

[swilow11]

I always heard of Cubase having the best piano Roll with Drum Maps and everything. I'm talking about ancient history though.

Cubase has a fine Key Editor / Drum Editor but Steinberg never added any of the features we'd expect from a pattern based drum machine. It's perfectly fine though if you want to work in a linear paradigm, and don't care about probabilistic stuff. That's the way it has always been.

IMHO Steinberg has always been rather unimaginative and short sighted when it comes to designing solutions (let alone take advantage of the fact that software can do things in new, improved ways).

Precisely this.

Have been really enjoying Riffer, and HY-RPE, either basically serve my purposes...

[macmuse]

Triaz native is out now:

https://www.wavealchemy.co.uk/product/triaz/

No more need to run it in Kontakt.