Can MDrummer be simpler?

[lmv]

I've been trying MDrummer for the past two days. I've read the entire manual and watched a few videos, and there is the one thing that really matters to me that I can't find out:

Can it be dumber? Can I make it stop trying to "think" and improv for me? Can I use it as a nice, dumb, old fashioned drum machine/sequencer that will just play what I tell it to and absolutely nothing else?

I have turned sequencer mode off, jamming mode off, random loops off, automatic breaks off, then I try to put a song together on the Song tab and the application still plays my clips randomly.

I open the Rhythm Editor tab, clear the whole thing, choose the first key on the BEAT loop box, no Intro, Break or anything, just BEAT. I build a quick and simple loop, then I select another key and make a second loop.

Then I go to the Song tab and try to add parts. Of course, I can only select Beats, because I didn't create any Intro or Breaks. So I add a Beats part, it's green, OK, I double-click it and... that's when the trouble begins. It ALWAYS jumps straight to the second loop the Rhythm Editor tab. As hard as I try, all parts I ever add to the song become another instance of the same second loop. It just WON'T let me have the first loop play before the second loop, in a sensible sequence.

So I add a third loop and now the song sequencer gets stuck in the third loop. I've discovered that selecting a part and setting Index at 0% will make the part play the first loop. Anything above that, and the part becomes the last (i.e. the third) loop. I can't find a way to tell the application to be nice and please play the first, then the second, then the third loop. I want to pull my hair out.

I think this app has tons of interesting features, but the artificial intelligence is not one of them for me. I don't want a drum skin beating HAL9000 taking decisions for me. I want all the features except the AI. Can I make MDrummer dumber so it will NOT try to think, improv and upstage me? Preferably, without linking it to any DAW. I just want to develop my beats inside MDrummer, then maybe export them as WAV at the end of it.

TIA

[goldglob]

Are you adjusting 'level' for each 'part' in song? 'Level' chooses loopbox. The relationship is a bit mysterious and depends on how many loopboxes are active, but all you have to do is raise the level sufficiently such that you can hear that it is triggering the loopbox you want (and indeed see it in Rhythm Editor after double clicking the part).
And if you cleared the whole thing in Rhythm Editor tab then just created a loop in one loopbox and another loop in another loopbox, the index setting is not relevant because it only serves to choose from a number of loops within one loopbox (which can be set up in the panel to the right of the keyboard).
Hope this helps?

[lmv]

Yes, I have tweaked level and it's like you said, "mysterious." It's very hard to find the exact spot where it will play the loop it's supposed to. Very time consuming.

[MeldaProduction]

Hmmm, considering what you are trying to do - wouldn't it be easier to just use channel 10 and use it as any other virtual instrument? (hence sending notes to it directly)
If you want to use the rhythm system and something doesn't seem "correct", just send me a project to info@meldaproduction.com with description of what doesn't make sense to you and I'll check it out.

[lmv]

By your suggestion, I would have to couple MDrummer with an external sequencer. I was hoping to use its own sequencer so as to keep everything in one single application.

[goldglob]

You probably already know this, but if you click on each of the loopboxes in the keyboard you'll see a level associated with each. So when setting level for a part in Song you can just dial in approx the level associated with the loopbox you want...it doesn't have to be exact.

[lmv]

You probably already know this, but if you click on each of the loopboxes in the keyboard you'll see a level associated with each. So when setting level for a part in Song you can just dial in approx the level associated with the loopbox you want...it doesn't have to be exact.

Yes, I have tweaked level and it's like you said, "mysterious." It's very hard to find the exact spot where it will play the loop it's supposed to. Very time consuming.

But thanks anyway.

[tacman7]

I was having trouble getting it to play the same thing every time.

I created my song in song mode then drug the midi to the track and turned off the song mode.

Then I could choose which breaks beats etc. and have it repeat.

I did turn off random that you get to clicking the advanced button.

I'm having trouble using the speed setting, something seem like they would be good at 50% but it doesn't match the song structure, probably just doubles everything.

[Grizzellda]

Say, Vojtech...are you going to be developing MDrummer any further, in terms of features? Or just tweaking what is there already? Or are you working on some kind of new dedicated sampler...there was some talk about this awhile back, wasn't there?

Tell us all about it!!!

[MeldaProduction]

tacman7: I'd really the actual project.

Grizzellda: Hard to say, it's already deeper than most people can comprehend . I'd probably focus on MYYY instead (which will contain the sampler ).