Playbeat 4 by Audiomodern is out -whaddaya think

[hotmitts]

I tried it in Reason, when you drag out the 'complete' MIDI it splits into seperate lanes and I'm not quite sure what's happenin man

[kraster]

The export all midi mirrors what you have set in the midi output in the midi settings. (the little plug icon).

In this mode things like pitch won't be replicated since it's acting like a traditional trigger/gate.

Everything else should be done internally using the remix (pattern) slots.

I think that Playbeat 4 is worth the price because it has the best rhythm generation I've ever come across in a plugin.

It's fantastic. You can start off with broad strokes and then refine it with the remix randomisation. You can build up a pretty comprehensive bank of patterns really quickly using this method.

Personally I've found it works best using it to drive another plugin like battery or any other drum synth/sampler that doesn't have a sequencer

[oobesan]

MIDI Export is (still) broken in version 4.0.3. At least for Logic Pro users. Frustrating.

The reason they included all the expansion from PB3 into PB4 as factory library, was because they needed a larger sample size from which the AI engine could utilize for the genre styles. If the library was too small, there would be no point in an AI engine.

[dbennettashland]

Personally I've found it works best using it to drive another plugin like battery or any other drum synth/sampler that doesn't have a sequencer

I auditioned it, hoping to use it this way to drive a drum pad, and couldn't make it work in Ableton. It's in the manual like it's no big deal, just the normal way of doing this, and at the same time, I could make other sequencers (SugarBytes DrumComputer and Speedrum 2) drive that same drum pad. It wasn't the mapping, the track wasn't receiving the MIDI at all. Left me puzzled, but oh well.

[telecharge]

Personally I've found it works best using it to drive another plugin like battery or any other drum synth/sampler that doesn't have a sequencer

I auditioned it, hoping to use it this way to drive a drum pad, and couldn't make it work in Ableton. It's in the manual like it's no big deal, just the normal way of doing this, and at the same time, I could make other sequencers (SugarBytes DrumComputer and Speedrum 2) drive that same drum pad. It wasn't the mapping, the track wasn't receiving the MIDI at all. Left me puzzled, but oh well.

Did you try v4.0.2 or later? Plugin MIDI is broken in the v4.0.0 release (at least on Windows).

[pekbro]

You also have to turn the note output on and set the channel output per track.

[dbennettashland]

You also have to turn the note output on and set the channel output per track.

Turn the note ouput on means this, right?

Screenshot 2025-03-11 220146.png

And by set the channel output, do you mean this? It only gives me outs to hardware, and setting anything there doesn't seem to help.

Screenshot 2025-03-11 220359.png

I do think I must be missing something, but I can't figure it out. I had uninstalled the demo, actually, but I saw kraster's reference to it above, which re-piqued my curiosity, so I reinstalled it to check myself. Not a big deal, but I am always open to new drum sequencers.

[pekbro]

You also have to turn the note output on and set the channel output per track.

Turn the note ouput on means this, right?
Screenshot 2025-03-11 220146.png
And by set the channel output, do you mean this? It only gives me outs to hardware, and setting anything there doesn't seem to help.
Screenshot 2025-03-11 220359.png

I do think I must be missing something, but I can't figure it out. I had uninstalled the demo, actually, but I saw kraster's reference to it above, which re-piqued my curiosity, so I reinstalled it to check myself. Not a big deal, but I am always open to new drum sequencers.

Hmm, it works fine in Live 12 for me (also Bitwig). You do have to set all the channels to the same thing if you're just using the drum rack, since Live can only send one channel internally. I believe you can set it up to do it with multiple tracks however for something that can accept multiple midi channels.

[kmonkey]

Reading this thread gives the impression of a bunch of monkeys trying to operate Tesla. At the same time, they mostly complained about the lack of features that turned out to be there even in the earlier version. So casual.

[dbennettashland]

Hmm, it works fine in Live 12 for me (also Bitwig). You do have to set all the channels to the same thing if you're just using the drum rack, since Live can only send one channel internally. I believe you can set it up to do it with multiple tracks however for something that can accept multiple midi channels.

Right, the channels do need to be set the same. Anyway, I can't make the thing send MIDI anywhere, and when I go to that MIDI Outputs panel and set the tracks to whatever, and then leave that panel and immediately come back to it, it has reset to the default "-", it doesn't stay set. Which also seems weird. Anyway, I don't mean to sound like I'm trying to get answers from you, I'm just chatting, and honestly this sort of thing happens to me all the time. It's definitely me, and I'm used to it. Very neighborly of you to offer suggestions and I appreciate it.

[pekbro]

Hmm, it works fine in Live 12 for me (also Bitwig). You do have to set all the channels to the same thing if you're just using the drum rack, since Live can only send one channel internally. I believe you can set it up to do it with multiple tracks however for something that can accept multiple midi channels.

Right, the channels do need to be set the same. Anyway, I can't make the thing send MIDI anywhere, and when I go to that MIDI Outputs panel and set the tracks to whatever, and then leave that panel and immediately come back to it, it has reset to the default "-", it doesn't stay set. Which also seems weird. Anyway, I don't mean to sound like I'm trying to get answers from you, I'm just chatting, and honestly this sort of thing happens to me all the time. It's definitely me, and I'm used to it. Very neighborly of you to offer suggestions and I appreciate it.

Yeah, I dunno... I am using the latest version and here are some pics of the settings, I did nothing
else beyond unloading the samples.

Screenshot 2025-03-11 200115.png

Screenshot 2025-03-11 200143.png

Screenshot 2025-03-11 200209.png

[m-ac]

I'm confused - so it midi export broken, or is it user error?

[pdxindy]

I'm confused - so it midi export broken, or is it user error?

Midi Export is working here... except if you make different speeds for a specific lane. For example, make 7 lanes run at 1/16th speed and 1 lane run at 1/8th, you should get a midi clip that is twice as long and the 1/16th lanes are repeated twice.

The actual result is a clip twice as long due to the 1/8th lane, but the 1/16th lanes only are repeating once.

[pdxindy]

I think that Playbeat 4 is worth the price because it has the best rhythm generation I've ever come across in a plugin.

It's fantastic. You can start off with broad strokes and then refine it with the remix randomisation. You can build up a pretty comprehensive bank of patterns really quickly using this method.

Personally I've found it works best using it to drive another plugin like battery or any other drum synth/sampler that doesn't have a sequencer

I haven't found a way to lock the pitch. Any use of the random button, also randomizes pitch which means it is no longer correctly driving an external plugin.

Unless I am missing something, it is 100% useless for external instruments.

[pekbro]

Not being able to lock or disable the density, pitch and pan parameters during generation
is unfortunate indeed imo. Clearing them manually is a pain.

It’s still pretty cool with the right drum plugins.
Like Random Metal from Beatsurfing for instance.

Honestly tho, I haven’t looked at the manual at all.