Elektron-Users

I've got a MachineDrum coming soon and I was just perusing the manual to familiarize myself with the different machines. One of the things about this machine that's surprised me is that in spite of it essentially being a synthesizer with a sequencer, there's no machine for just straight drum synthesis. Like if you look at the Korg ER-1, yeah it sounds like thin digital crap, but you've got to admit the idea is a good one! You can use it to synthesize traditional percussion sounds, or you can use its oddball modulation system to create unusual tones and textures from scratch. It wouldn't be hard to implement a synth machine on the MachineDrum, either: start with a switchable sine/triangle/saw/square wave for parameter one, parameter two would be the pitch, parameter three a modulation waveform selector, parameter four a modulation depth control, parameter five the decay, and then that would still leave three more parameters for them to get creative with and add their own spin like a noise leve, filter controlsl or PWM control for the square wave. I just think that a synthesis module would have been a logical choice not only for those of us who like to create our own percussion from scratch, but for people looking for completely new sounds in their rhythm section. The coding should be super simple (much less math than what went into the PI modules!) and I think it would extend the life of the MachineDrum in the same way that Access's effect additions keep the Virus line from becoming stale between revisions.

Derp! wrote:
I've got a MachineDrum coming soon and I was just perusing the manual to familiarize myself with the different machines. One of the things about this machine that's surprised me is that in spite of it essentially being a synthesizer with a sequencer, there's no machine for just straight drum synthesis. Like if you look at the Korg ER-1, yeah it sounds like thin digital crap, but you've got to admit the idea is a good one! You can use it to synthesize traditional percussion sounds, or you can use its oddball modulation system to create unusual tones and textures from scratch. It wouldn't be hard to implement a synth machine on the MachineDrum, either: start with a switchable sine/triangle/saw/square wave for parameter one, parameter two would be the pitch, parameter three a modulation waveform selector, parameter four a modulation depth control, parameter five the decay, and then that would still leave three more parameters for them to get creative with and add their own spin like a noise leve, filter controlsl or PWM control for the square wave. I just think that a synthesis module would have been a logical choice not only for those of us who like to create our own percussion from scratch, but for people looking for completely new sounds in their rhythm section. The coding should be super simple (much less math than what went into the PI modules!) and I think it would extend the life of the MachineDrum in the same way that Access's effect additions keep the Virus line from becoming stale between revisions.

i agree with you 1000%. all they need to do is put a single machine in that is just like an instance of Stomper. or much like an er1 drum. my god that would be so useful.

honestly stomper sounds way better than any 'synthesis' machine on the MD imo.

on MD theres no machine for straight drum synthesis ? really ?? oO


well, i must say theres no synthesizer i know, that delivers more individual drumsounds than MD, already the single machines can do a lot, and if you start layering, omg... guys, you need to
(a b) u s e this machine!

for new and interesting sounds i dont know any more powerful synthesizers than MD or MM

hehehe i'm pretty well versed in (ab)using the md. it doesn't mean we can't be objective about it's shortcomings.

vasculator wrote:
hehehe i'm pretty well versed in (ab)using the md. it doesn't mean we can't be objective about it's shortcomings.

vasc -- please report to the clinic immediately. it's clear that you've gone off the kool-aid again.

papertiger wrote:
vasculator wrote:
hehehe i'm pretty well versed in (ab)using the md. it doesn't mean we can't be objective about it's shortcomings.

vasc -- please report to the clinic immediately. it's clear that you've gone off the kool-aid again.

. i report to the md clinic every night. i just have withdrawal symptoms at work and they need to keep refining the medicine.

vasculator wrote:
. i report to the md clinic every night. i just have withdrawal symptoms at work and they need to keep refining the medicine.

shouldn't be fraternizing with MD haters at work! oh wait. . .

Smoof wrote:
on MD theres no machine for straight drum synthesis ? really ?? oO


well, i must say theres no synthesizer i know, that delivers more individual drumsounds than MD, already the single machines can do a lot, and if you start layering, omg... guys, you need to
(a b) u s e this machine!

for new and interesting sounds i dont know any more powerful synthesizers than MD or MM

Well, look at all of the individual machines: They're all derivative in one way or another. They've already got their modulation routings pre-set, so rather than building from scratch, you're stuck playing with modulation amounts. It's nice of them to cover things like claves, triangles, toms, congas, etc, but if you want to build a laser sound, or an upward modulating bell, or a metallic siren? You're stuck with machines that are derivative of other 'traditional' sounds. There's no facility to create sounds not possible on other drum machines and quite frankly, that bothers me considering the MachineDrum's predecessors.

If you believe there's no other synth that can do this many drum sounds, you REALLY need to sit down with a synthesizer and stop using presets some time.

Derp! wrote:
Smoof wrote:
Well, look at all of the individual machines: They're all derivative in one way or another. They've already got their modulation routings pre-set, so rather than building from scratch, you're stuck playing with modulation amounts. It's nice of them to cover things like claves, triangles, toms, congas, etc, but if you want to build a laser sound, or an upward modulating bell, or a metallic siren? You're stuck with machines that are derivative of other 'traditional' sounds. There's no facility to create sounds not possible on other drum machines and quite frankly, that bothers me considering the MachineDrum's predecessors.

If you believe there's no other synth that can do this many drum sounds, you REALLY need to sit down with a synthesizer and stop using presets some time.

you hit the nail right on the head. if we can have a gnd-sin machine why not a gnd-saw and gnd-square with some basic fm? probably because elektron thinks it would detract from the mnm's value i'm afraid.