Any Machinedrum users here

gil videla · Post by **gil videla** » Mon Apr 11, 2011 7:36 pm

I've been sequencing the EMX with my MD it's tons of fun. anyone else???

chad9477 · Post by **chad9477** » Tue Apr 12, 2011 1:37 pm

I don't post much here anymore, as I've pretty much dedicated myself to the MD these days. But the EMX was my main electronic instrument for years and I'd be really interested to hear what you're getting out of the two together. Maybe you'll inspire me to pull my Electribes out again

gil videla · Post by **gil videla** » Thu Apr 14, 2011 7:40 pm

chad9477 wrote:I don't post much here anymore, as I've pretty much dedicated myself to the MD these days. But the EMX was my main electronic instrument for years and I'd be really interested to hear what you're getting out of the two together. Maybe you'll inspire me to pull my Electribes out again

This isn't Chad (dubathonic) is it?

you would think the EMX and MD both having 16step sequencers you wouldn't need to sequence from the MD. AND... we can control the motion sequence of the EMX per step in the step edit menu, but as an MD user, you knwo it's just SOOOOO much easier using the MD, and if you simply record the pattern (along with the Plocks) to the EMX whamo! no need to jump into the Step EdIt

the only thing the I dislike when comparing Plocks to Motion Sequences is that the Plocks (from my understanding) only link to the trig you can't "motion" sequence across more than the 16th step like you can on the Electribes, you can move knobs on long sustaining notes, whereas I've not figured that out yet on the MD.

see you on the elektron users forum soon. (dubgil)

P-E · Post by **P-E** » Thu Apr 14, 2011 11:46 pm

I had the EMX for one year and a half, and I have the MD since December. That thing is a BEAST.
Now I use the EMX for synth sounds and the MD does the drums. Very powerful setup.
I advise everyone here not to go on Elekron-Users forum. Everytime I go there, I spend hours looking for cryptic words such as"dark energy", "mopho", "octactrack", "xoxbox", "tempest" on youtube, then checking the online prices, then checking my bank account... Too much temptation out there!

gil videla · Post by **gil videla** » Fri Apr 15, 2011 3:40 pm

P-E wrote:I had the EMX for one year and a half, and I have the MD since December. That thing is a BEAST.
Now I use the EMX for synth sounds and the MD does the drums. Very powerful setup.
I advise everyone here not to go on Elekron-Users forum. Everytime I go there, I spend hours looking for cryptic words such as"dark energy", "mopho", "octactrack", "xoxbox", "tempest" on youtube, then checking the online prices, then checking my bank account... Too much temptation out there!

he he he I'm check in there at least once a day briefly. I totally understand what your saying. Right now I'm just using the EMX and MD, I really never cared much for EMX drum sounds, but run the EMX thru the Audio inputs of the MD (as I don't have a mixer); only a 2 input soundcard _ NI AK1. I am just in love with the dirty sound of some of EMX's hi hats now...

sadist%vince · Post by **sadist%vince** » Sun Apr 17, 2011 1:27 pm

I have had a MnM and MD for over a year now and I have went back and forth between using my EMX to sequence or the Elektrons and right now I am back to using the EMX to do it and think that is how it will remain.First off I just do not like the 4 bar limitation when working with the Elektrons plus the Electribes are a lot more user friendly as some of the way you do things on the Elektrons is just strange. I hate how I must save extra patters on them just so I can mess around and tweak my old ones and real time recording mode just does not seem as good as on the Electribes. I know I can string parts together and make 8 but it just disrupts my flow when programing music and I like to play the music while I am writing it and the Electribes excel at that and were not made to just be programed like the Elektrons feel to me. Anyway that's just my 2 cents on the matter.

gil videla · Post by **gil videla** » Mon Apr 18, 2011 5:57 pm

sadist%vince wrote:I have had a MnM and MD for over a year now and I have went back and forth between using my EMX to sequence or the Elektrons and right now I am back to using the EMX to do it and think that is how it will remain.First off I just do not like the 4 bar limitation when working with the Elektrons plus the Electribes are a lot more user friendly as some of the way you do things on the Elektrons is just strange. I hate how I must save extra patters on them just so I can mess around and tweak my old ones and real time recording mode just does not seem as good as on the Electribes. I know I can string parts together and make 8 but it just disrupts my flow when programing music and I like to play the music while I am writing it and the Electribes excel at that and were not made to just be programed like the Elektrons feel to me. Anyway that's just my 2 cents on the matter.

I agree with you there, Electribes are better for the 16-step functionality, 8-bars, etc. The motion sequence is MUCH better imho than P-locks from my opinion that it's recording a "motion" rather than a simple paramter on a particular step (which the Electribe can ALSO do and do well). However, as you know the Elektron doesn't have the limited # of motion sequences.

I haven't gotten a chance to mess with the Ctrl Machines yet, but my understanding is they are used for "automation" similar to motion sequence. Maybe you have some input on this?

Lastly, I won't replace the EMX's sequencing with that of the Elektron. It's just another tool, but the EMX sequencer is for itself. Like you, I play while I'm writing; basically I jam away until something sounds good; old skool, nothing is prepped. Electribe was made for that!

chad9477 · Post by **chad9477** » Fri Apr 22, 2011 3:00 pm

gil videla wrote:This isn't Chad (dubathonic) is it? ... see you on the elektron users forum soon. (dubgil)

Yep, 'tis I

The EU forum is indeed addictive in terms of opening you up to other gear...thankfully I've got a planned-purchase list that's pretty rock solid, and it keeps me centered. My cash flow and time for jamming are both restricted enough as it is, and if I indulged my gear lust too often I'd never get any actual music done.

There are things I miss about the EMX, especially its ability to effect other instruments like guitar. Sequencer issues aside, I've gotten some performance-quality tones out of my guitars by running them through the EMX's internal effects, and haven't come close to accomplishing that with the MD. (But I suspect most people don't use either device for that primarily.)

I'm the sort of aspergic wonk who throws himself into a piece of hardware and explores it to the exclusion of everything else in the studio until I feel I both understand its range and also have it under control. I also want to keep my live gear list to a minimum, so producing complete tracks on one sequencer is a goal I pursue more than most, it seems.

The EMX was a great solution for me for a long while, but I hit a wall with it last year cos I just had too many problems finding effects combinations that would make the entire pattern's drums and synths sound good across the board -- i.e., improving one tone would almost invariably mean something else would degenerate in sound quality. So I spent the farm on a MD, and after being buried in it for nine months it still feels bottomless to me. Comparing why would probably take most of my morning so I won't subject anyone to that

but suffice it to say the MD does live up to its reputation.

But what you guys are hinting at about the EMX -- certain drum sounds and synth tones, its ease of use for live jamming -- means I'll very likely pull it out again in the future. For example, it's a pain to produce a good reverse crash cymbal with the MD's internals (as cliche'd as that sound might be in some contexts). It's also going to take a lot more effort on my part to get the MD to produce the synth lines & tones I want, even with my R&W MiniCommand to ease the process. Next on my purchase list is a dedicated synth, but as I'm still saving up, maybe I'll end up whipping out my EMX in the meantime and running it into the MD's audio ins.

Dubgil, have you done this? I've heard it makes other gear sound a bit flat, but if I dedicate the EMX and its efx to synth duties alone, maybe it'll work out better.

h4ndcrafted · Post by **h4ndcrafted** » Tue Jul 12, 2011 11:13 am

Well i'm still pondering on getting an ESX, I have had 2 EMX's one from day of release..got it new for £300 from belguim yes £300 lol.

Thing is I am wondering wheter to sell some gear and go for the Octatrack.

Been reading through the manual and doesn't seem to offer that much for its £1000 asking price.

I'm not interested in the realtime timestretching as I hate to timestretch to be honest, even in ableton, I hate degrading the sound unless I really have too, unless im using it as an effect on vocals etc.

What do you think about the Octatrack compared to the SX, obviously it has a very decent and more advanced Seq and can also stream gbites of wave files but £1000 seems like a lot.

The DSP wants to be pretty proffesional at that price too.

gil videla · Post by **gil videla** » Thu Jul 14, 2011 6:29 am

h4ndcrafted wrote:Well i'm still pondering on getting an ESX, I have had 2 EMX's one from day of release..got it new for £300 from belguim yes £300 lol.

Thing is I am wondering wheter to sell some gear and go for the Octatrack.

Been reading through the manual and doesn't seem to offer that much for its £1000 asking price.

I'm not interested in the realtime timestretching as I hate to timestretch to be honest, even in ableton, I hate degrading the sound unless I really have too, unless im using it as an effect on vocals etc.

What do you think about the Octatrack compared to the SX, obviously it has a very decent and more advanced Seq and can also stream gbites of wave files but £1000 seems like a lot.

The DSP wants to be pretty proffesional at that price too.

I must be the laziest sob electriber cuz I had the original ES-1, then the ES-1mkII, (cuz I liked the look) and finally the ESX, why I went through each one is beyond me because I never put the time into it, the card issue bugged me I guess. OT is essentially the same process as far as using cards, but the size so huge, not on issue any more. If I had the new ESX maybe I'd think different because of the larger capacity.

BUT THE OT is in another league of its own. I'm not a big sample person, I like the challenge of making my own sounds. But with the MD-UW I'm already starting to love using samples. Imagine what an OT can do? holy cow, ESX different ball park.

I can't say good or bad, just think it's different. I'd say do what many many man have done, start out with electribe and if you "hit a wall" like Chad (dubathonic) said, move on to the OT

Handcrafted · Post by **Handcrafted** » Thu Jul 14, 2011 7:35 pm

Thanks for the info! think I may of hit that wall already. I have had most of Rolands sp range my fav being the sp808ex not for seq though lol.
That think let you get very creative with sample if onnly due to the superb fx section.

I have had a few electribes but only the es1 as a sampling machine which is way to limited but i use it as a simple x0x machine for drums.

I thinkk I will get too frusdtrated with the ESX tbh but at the same time the Elektron seems too expensive for what it would give me.

Dammed if I do and dammed if I dont I guess.

Back to Ableton and my apc40 then

gil videla · Post by **gil videla** » Fri Jul 15, 2011 3:59 pm

Handcrafted wrote:
Back to Ableton and my apc40 then

Live is the s**t, I have live along with Launchpad and Nocturn. I felt I'd go laptop only but I just couldn't let go of my electribes. And then I fell in love with the MDUW, so for now I don't use Live for much other than capturing loops I make with the MD UW and EMX. THen for fun just fire off some clips DJ style.

Certainly not using Live to its potential. but then in my world i am limited on time to dedicate to live. Yeah it's supposed to be a "jam/live" performance tool, but you do you have to "prep" these grooveboxes you power up and good to go....