Drum sequencer

[funky lime]

+1 for HY-RPE2. The Euclidean part is really fun if you're into that, and with its modulation options you can create and perform entire generative compositions in it. But I mostly use the step sequencer part. I love that you can mix in some triplets/quintuplets/septuplets into parts of your sequences, and stagger your sequences (or randomly re-sequence the rhythmic "chunks") to get rhythms that evolve over several bars, or which never quite repeat exactly the same. It can handle a fair bit of polymetric stuff too, with the chainer section. I never had any problems using it for live sets either. Most things can be mapped to MIDI, although the internal modulation only works for the euclidean half. The interface is a bit arcane though, especially if you aren't used to the HY-aesthetic.

[swilow11]

Greetings,

Interested in finding a basic step sequencer for drums. Currently use Battery but of course it lacks a sequencer, and I just find drawing midi somewhat frustrating. I used to use Redrum for basic patterns and found it limited but useful.

I've got Reaktor and I know there are sequencers somewhere in there, so happy if anyone can suggest a Reaktor tool. I've even playing around with Audio Modern Playbeat which is great and I'll probably end up using that too, but I'm hoping to keep using Battery and Playbeat has many features I probably don't need. DAW is Cubase 12. Any suggestions welcome.

So you have Cubase yet ask for a drum sequencer ?

Dude, seriously, There are all kinds of sequencers build into Cubase, from step sequencer and beat designer to the drum editor. All of them far surpass anything that you can get as a plugin.

I highly recommend watching a few vids on the subject (Dom Sigalas has quite a few) and learning what you already have available. Because you're now just wasting your time and money searching for something that will never be as good as what you already have.

It seems really hard for you to accept that a stranger online wants to use a sequencer with cubase. To which I will just say, get a life, my friend.

[pekbro]

I like to use Hornet's Hatefish RhyGenerator as a drum sequencer quite a lot of the time.

[swilow11]

I took the plunge and purchased HY-RPE. Very pleased at how easily its integrated with Battery, and threw it on a glitchy serum patch with a lot of randomisation and sounded great. Thanks for all the suggestions, KVR folks

[VitaminD]

I personally have a love/hate relationship (mostly hate) with my Maschine mk3, but it's a much more advanced sequencer than you'll find in many dedicated plugins.

Personally speaking, what are the love and hate things?

[VitaminD]

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.

No it’s not. I’ve been using cubase 10 years. Love it. Horses for courses.

Have you tried putting individual sample hits on audio tracks?

That's great that you are happy with it. But he is not. Hence this thread where he is looking for other options.

I am looking for other options beyond the cubase sequencer too. I've been using it for 10 years as well. I've been inserting individual samples on audio tracks for 10 years. But it is also tedious and not a fast workflow. It's also a bit limited when you get into intricate hihat work. Hence my own exploration for something better.

Beat Designer is ok but it is also very limited and a bit klugey in it's own ways.

I really miss FXpansion Geist. It's too bad that isn't still developed as it ticked all the boxes for me. It's also too bad that no one bought from ROLI. Never trust a UK software company! They'll create amazing software then leave you high and dry

[cryophonik]

I personally have a love/hate relationship (mostly hate) with my Maschine mk3, but it's a much more advanced sequencer than you'll find in many dedicated plugins.

Personally speaking, what are the love and hate things?

How much time do you have?

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?

Anyway, I’m sure you’re sorry you asked now, but there’s my rant.

[VitaminD]

I personally have a love/hate relationship (mostly hate) with my Maschine mk3, but it's a much more advanced sequencer than you'll find in many dedicated plugins.

Personally speaking, what are the love and hate things?

How much time do you have?

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?

Anyway, I’m sure you’re sorry you asked now, but there’s my rant.

No that's exactly the information I was after. Thank you for taking the time to express it.

I've been all around town, starting with the thought "maybe I'll get a Maschine", and have circled back to "maybe i'll get a Maschine." I've looked at just about every single drum machine product out there both hardware and software.

Much of the drum machines are pretty intensive and menu deep diving which doesn't look fun or fast to get work done. More frustratingly tedious chore. A lot of these devices seem overpriced and/or beyond the scope of what I'm looking to do. Namely just sequence drum patterns and chain them together with a specific set of features (flam, shuffle, etc). I have Cubase for everything else.

I think I understand what you mean about feature creep in the software trying to do too much. But Maschine does seem to tick a lot of boxes still. Hrmmm. I wish the software had a trial as I'd hate to buy this and discover it isn't really what I thought it would be. I've watched a lot of videos but there's something different between watching someone else interact with something and you interacting with the same something.

[Septic Underground]

This...

https://www.adsrsounds.com/drum-machine/

Yes

[cptgone]

Things I look for in a drum sequencer:
- variable track length (polymetric rhythms)
- step probability
- probability logic (e.g. if note x is played, don't play note y in this iteration of the pattern)
- other per step settings/effects (pitch, MIDI cc...)
- in the case of sample based drum/perc instruments: reverse sample playback
- Euclidian rhythms
- note divisions, dotted notes...
- probabilistic pattern chaining
- sound layering
- grid offset (the ability to have a note trigger a little early or late)
- pattern randomizer

Many people mentioned Atlas: fun if you want to use samples, but as a sequencer it lacks features like step probability.

Sugarbytes Drumcomputer has a very powerful sequencer (doesn't have real step probability though, the "Prob" per step is just a way to have a note play every x times a pattern is repeated) for use with any drum/perc plugin.
It's also a powerful drum synth - but I find it hard to get good kick sounds from it (YMMV).

[VitaminD]

This...

https://www.adsrsounds.com/drum-machine/

Yes

This looks really nice. Pretty close to ideal for me. I wish the order in the sequencer could be reversed so channel 1 (kick) is on bottom though like it was in Geist. That made more sense to start with your kickdrum as the foundation and build upwards.

And I'm not sure how to chain patterns together internally. I did notice you can trigger them with C-2 octave though inside your DAW.

It was also kind of annoying to have to create an account just to trial it. Moments later I got a sale promotion for a sample library in my inbox. I kind of wonder how long they are going to support this since it looks like a tool for them to sell you sample libraries..

[Robmobius]

It's also a powerful drum synth - but I find it hard to get good kick sounds from it (YMMV).

I'd agree.

[ramseysounds]

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.

No it’s not. I’ve been using cubase 10 years. Love it. Horses for courses.

Have you tried putting individual sample hits on audio tracks?

That's great that you are happy with it. But he is not. Hence this thread where he is looking for other options.

…which is why I said ‘horses for courses’. Understand? Jeez

[VitaminD]

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.

No it’s not. I’ve been using cubase 10 years. Love it. Horses for courses.

Have you tried putting individual sample hits on audio tracks?

That's great that you are happy with it. But he is not. Hence this thread where he is looking for other options.

…which is why I said ‘horses for courses’. Understand? Jeez

The point you didn't get is your entire defense of Cubase didn't need to happen. Because the thread wasn't about Cubase, but was about different means of drum sequencing beyond Cubase.

[ramseysounds]

I forgot, you make the rules round here. I bow to you, oh mighty one. A thousand apologies. Dick.