Analog Drum ‘n Bass
Yesssss.
Although I doubt the genre would have ever been kick-started had it required a room full of modulars instead of just a sampler (or MOD tracker) and a handful of samples.
I must also note that it’s refreshing to see a large modular system put to use in making a tune rather than the usual exploratory squirblies (fun as they are).
facelesscope asked:
I was actually thinking of buying one off of a guy that I know. Do you like it?
Yes, yes I do!
Here, have some quick pros and cons.
+ Under-rated and cheap.
+ Built like a tank.
- Bit of a learning curve. Some concepts presented confusingly.
+ Lots available to learn, deep device. Even has some undocumented functionality.
+ Can be used really fast with practice. Commonly used features are immediately available, the rest within a few button presses.
+ Knobs can be re-mapped and assigned to specific tracks if you don’t want the default behaviour of it representing the currently selected one.
+ Lots to explore and manipulate in realtime.
+ Multiple sequencing methods: grid, step, realtime (overdub and replace), event list, edit jobs.
- Grid sequencing mode (i.e. 808 16th note triggers) only presents a single bar and mutes the other tracks, making it pretty useless for anything other than rough sketches. I tend to stick to realtime and step modes (multiple bars, easy control over note durations), before making fine detail tweaks via the event list and edit jobs.
- Have to stop/start the sequencer when changing recording mode. (Everyone really should have a footswitch controlling their master sequencer’s transport regardless.)
+ Extensive range of sequence editing commands: quantising (with swing), pattern splitting/extracting/appending, chord sorting and separation, gate time/velocity scale/override, clock offsets, thinning out of controller data, crescendo/decrescendo, generation of linear or curved controller data ramps, etc.
+ Undo/redo for destructive editing commands!
+ Easily editable grid groove per track. Lay down some basic 16ths then enter the groove grid screen (accessed during normal non-record playback, no need to restart the sequencer for this) and tweak pitch, velocity, clock and gate offsets in an immediate manner similar to an analogue sequencer.
+ Strong integration with other MIDI gear: tracks can be disconnected from the internal tone generator, and have their input/output channels remapped.
+ MIDI note delay per track with repeat, velocity and pitch options. Perfect for Kraftwerk-esque glissandos.
+ Pretty much everything is exposed to external MIDI control. Great when partnered with an external knob box.
+ Each track has it’s own pattern length, time signature (extensive selection), and transposition. Poly-rhythms!
? I think song arranging and pattern chaining are supposed to be decent but I don’t personally know: I stick to realtime pattern muting/triggering, tweaking and manipulating.
- Arpeggiator is basic. (I’m spoilt by my Emax II.)
+ Memory isn’t lost when powered down.
- Single stereo output.
+ Large selection of flexible synth, drum and sample raw materials including a variety of classical, band, “ethnic”, and acoustic percussion sounds.
- Limited sound synthesis capabilities, just basic tone generator controls: envelope, filter, LFO, portamento.
- Not a sampler, merely a tone generator with a (wide) choice of wavetables.
+ Digital filter is respectable. Low-pass only.
+ Broad +- 2 octave range on the pitch bend. Great for exploring gritty low frequency percussion.
+ Punchy sound. Extra beef possible with low frequency EQ boost.
+ 64 voice polyphony. Some patches use 2 voices, though, and the octaver/harmoniser/unison playback effects obviously increase that consumption.
- No indication when polyphony is exhausted; have to listen for note stealing.
+ Preset patterns and sounds are horrible, out-dated, plastic cheese. Avoid!
+ Effects are generally of respectable quality. Lower the low pass filter on the reverbs to reduce their slightly tinny digital shimmer.
+ Floppy disk drive storage. Vintage 1999 street cred.
- What’s a floppy disk, grand dad?
Most of those negatives are easily shrugged off given how cheaply the RM1x can be found second-hand. There’s a lot of boom for the buck in these boxes.
And if you fix those problems, you get the Yamaha RS7000 which is impressively powerful for a decade old groove box: EQ per channel & high-pass filters, sampling, multiple outputs support, etc. But RS7000s never appear second hand as their owners seem to like them too much.
As always one size never fits all, particularly when it comes to the variety of intimate creative partnerships between a human and their tools so - if possible - I would recommend borrowing the machine for a week and put some quality time into getting to know each other.
RM1x overview at Vintage Synth.
Sound On Sound’s RM1x review (February 1999).
Let’s Upgrade a Yamaha RM1x Sequence Remixer!
Masses of RM1x videos on YouTube. Quality varies, of course.
Some of the stuff I’ve recorded live using just the RM1x (occasionally partnered with a Kenton Spin Doctor knob controller).
Questions?
Do You know about how much $ the chip costs?Anonymous
To what chip are you referring?
Edit: Oh, is it the Yamaha RM1x upgrade chip you mean? If so, they charged me about £70 but then refunded that amount upon receiving the replaced chip so it ultimately just cost me the price of an envelope and some stamps.
Tour of the Experimental Television Center
More on the ETC and their history can be found at their website.
Slightly late, here’s my riff on August’s monthly acid pattern.
Recorded live at Low Brow Eye Labs, 7th August 2011. It’s the first and only take, hence the sloppiness in places and imbalanced arrangement. (Shhh — don’t tell anyone, but apart from the cables and headphones it’s all digital. I didn’t dare risk exploding any more of the real analogues.)
Kudos to:
⚫ d-Rektional for the cool acid pattern
⚫ Yamaha RM1x: drums, synths, effects, sequencing, live pattern switching and muting
⚫ Kenton Control Freak: control of the RM1x’s filter cutoffs, channel volumes and clap pitch
⚫ STEIM’s junXion software: mapping of the Control Freak’s sliders to the RM1x’s parameters (far easier than reprogramming the Control Freak)
⚫ Ableton Live 8: recording the jam, constructing the intro, adding a big glitch at 5:18
⚫ ExperimentalHomeLab for providing the intro samples
⚫ Grado SR80i headphones: vital aural feedback
⚫ White Sambuca: composition and performance fuel.
Klaus Schulze, 1981.
Synths will get you through times of no furniture better than furniture will get you through times of no synths.
Making big sounds is easy when you have a small robot with a big mouth!
Tengu-chan likes Oli “@GrooveCriminals” Bell’s DX7 Mk2d samples.
Arboria Auralist - Sunset Beneath The Cosmic Ocean
Whereas Axial Rotations was drum machine driven, this wee dabble on the other side of the studio was completely freeform.
Oh, and I shouldn’t forget to give a shout-out to the refillable cigarette lighter for generating the conclusive rattles.
I expect v2.12 by then.
