Hello All,
It’s been a long time.
For those I have not met, I used to play live sets using the Elektron Machinedrum circa 2010. More recently I made some 808/909 inspired drum packs for the Machinedrum and RYTM.
In 2012 and 2013 I worked on a large firmware for the R&W Minicommand (midi controller), called Minicommand Live. MCL was designed to allow you to Mix and Match MachineDrum patterns on the fly. Think of Ableton Live, but using MD tracks instead of clips.
After a long absence I blew the dust from my Machinedrum and Minicommand and started to code Minicommand Live again.
I’ve discovered a reliable/repeatable exploit that allows the Machinedrum to send Midi Note messages when a trigger is pressed, but not trigger the internal sounds/sequencer. In addition the activated notes have a different channel to the notes transmitted by the running sequence. This might not seem amazing on the surface, but it means that finger presses of the 16 trigger buttons on the MD can be detected and used as control input for Minicommand Live.
Curious if there are still Minicommand users out there?
It’s been a while since Ive touched mine, and I’m inspired to make music with the MD again. I have a large back catalog of unreleased sound design and music that is hidden away in snapshots and kits. The goal is to flesh some of it out with the help of the new firmware.
Cheers,
- Justin