A4 for drums?

gigerbone · 2014-08-23T15:28:21.000Z

The A4 is THE analogue drum machine for the creative sound designer who wants to stamp their own personality on its sound …a toss up between that and the Tempest but, for me, choosing the A4 is a no-brainer, though some may choose the Tempest to have more outputs.
Unless you need more than four sounds hitting simultaneously the track count isn’t a problem thanks to sound locks and parameter locks.

ratsnake · 2014-08-23T22:30:00.000Z

i’ve been using A4 including drum sounds for some tracks - it works really well. The CV trick sent me on a pretty great trip to discovering how to get a very close 808 kick drum sound - quite possible by using a second lfo to double the wave form frequency of the first lfo for a short time. I’ve even gone as far as using an oscilloscope and a tr808 and tr-8 to experiment and get great results. Of course it sounds different in some situations but its possible to get there. For one track I even used the second cv for a pulse click and then eq’d it - but thats truly “bonkers”.

There is another cool way - the feedback mode for the oscillator - but then of course you end up losing one of the tracks.

Hihats and snares are also possible and some of the presets are a great place to start.

Yeah - i love it. It is a big challenge and in some ways a bit crazy since its easier to use a sample…but its so satisfying in the end.

clunky · 2014-08-24T04:21:39.000Z

""bandersong"":

Agree.
People need to realize that the difference between a snare and a hat is often just the filter and the envelope.

bit more to it than that, (cr8000 schems) and something worth studying
if your chasing drums sounds from synths

snare1.jpg900×837 71.6 KB

hihat1.jpg897×363 47.2 KB

Orwell · 2014-08-24T09:57:26.000Z

interesting sounds to be had here
akin to the cue feedback on the md UW
thanks all for the great tips!!!

bandersong · 2014-08-25T20:55:16.000Z

[quote=““clunky””]

bandersong:

Agree.
People need to realize that the difference between a snare and a hat is often just the filter and the envelope.

bit more to it than that, (cr8000 schems) and something worth studying
if your chasing drums sounds from synths

snare1.jpg900×837 71.6 KB

hihat1.jpg897×363 47.2 KB

[/quote]
I meant a little more abstract to that, but you can get HiHat-ish sounds out of snare presets pretty well just using an filter… Maybe not drum machine level, but for “Creative” drums

KOTARE · 2015-10-24T09:10:12.000Z

I really enjoy the AK for sharp, computery, sync modulated hats.

vos · 2015-10-24T10:52:13.000Z

I get from totally electronic to bloody realistic drums out-there. To my big surprize ! Clearer and snappyer than any sample !!! Using an A4 + AK gives me less issues for tracks - but I’m thinking to add an RYTM.

RoyShade · 2015-10-24T17:01:35.000Z

I just logged in to thumbs up what Jasl says. The a4 is its own beast - you’ll get its version of the sound you want. But I think it’s a fantastic drum machine and the motions, plocks, Lfos and patch locks give you loads and loads of room to work.

I’ve got a few other drum machines to play with including the OT, so I usually pair it with one of them - usually the volca sample or - get this - an electribe er1, for more snappy hats and snares.

I notice that with the kicks, the results can be unpredictable if you put them close together or change patches on the same track, which is too bad. The rytm does it too, so it must be architectural. But they have lots of meat and lots of tonal variation.

noxical · 2015-10-24T18:33:54.000Z

I also prefer to drum sounds of the A4 over the AR, especially in love with the shakers/noise engine.

Maybe a little of topic, but would it be possible to use the CV out as signal for my compressor side chain input? Or will I damage my compressor this way? I just want to put a simple signal to create some pumping over the A4.

I could also route my kick separately out and then send to the compressor instead, but I don’t want too.

Anybody has any idea if this is possible? I know the CV is just a voltage signal. However, I am little bit reluctant to just try it before I fry my compressor.

RoyShade · 2015-10-24T19:33:08.000Z

This is exactly what I do. Exactly. I figured if folks use the cv as a perc or route it in as audio it’s probably fine. So far so good. I dialed the voltage back to a minimum to be on the safe side.

DeniseK · 2015-10-26T13:15:53.000Z

I like it to use my TR-8 especially for HH, SD and BD and using the A4 for additional drum effects (plick, plock, blubb … - lol) - u know what i mean.

For just playing around I use the A4 as drum machine as well. So I only need an-all-in-one-machine to do drums, melody and pads. Very usefull. And a big benefit when I go to hospital next week for one month. I hope my A4 gets me in other spheres while being in healing process … hihi.

darenager · 2015-10-26T23:59:21.000Z

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alfred · 2015-10-27T00:17:59.000Z

""darenager"":

Shameless self promo https://sellfy.com/p/HYhN/

this sound set is pretty awesome. together with a pad controller and multi mapping it turns the A4 into a killer drum machine. in fact i like the percussive sounds much more then anything else out of the A4.

hinnerk · 2015-11-02T23:47:03.000Z

""darenager"":

Shameless self promo https://sellfy.com/p/HYhN/

Successfully promoted.

Thinking of getting an AK to free up some tracks on the A4. Or the AR. Hm…

dokan · 2017-10-22T14:47:56.007Z

(Sorry guys for my not so good englisch)

As being quite new to the world of Elektron gear i was recently quite perplexed when i thought about the a4 compared to the rytm.

I started with the a4 and than thought about getting a rytm to have a cool combo together with
my other non elektron synths…

Before i got the rytm i allready bought some A4 drum presets… and i like them very much.

Basically i expected to have with the Rytm even more and cooler presets… but it is not the case… i love the quality of the a4 drums and the amount of very speicial, rare drum sounds… much more than the ~few rytm presets…

so, i reconsidered and sent the rytm back for getting a octatrack (mk2)

… so i think i can make much more stuff (wich i personally like) with this combo than with A4 and Rytm.

I will sample the A4 drums into the octatrack and use the octatrack as midi sequencer as well.

Of course if money would not be a topic, a additional rytm would be cool… but with limited money i can’t see the reason why a rytm would be essential.

So basically i wrote this to share my disappointment that the rytm does not have this ~huge or cool preset library of drum sounds like the A4!

NUoldNu · 2017-10-22T18:18:52.738Z

That’s the problem with presets - they’re only as good as the person that made them.

Did you not create any original patches? That’s where these machines shine in my eyes.

dokan · 2017-10-22T19:17:34.622Z

I totally love to create own “presets” … and to learn more about synthesis evry day.

I just have the feeling, based on these very many creative A4 drum sounds… that the rytm is just not cable of doing these kind of sounds. That the rytm is more limited somehow.

But maybe I’m wrong? maybe you can do any of these cool A4 sounds as well with the rytm without samples?!

Edit:
for most of experienced elektron users it all nothing new or special, but being a elektron-newbie… i was just suprised that the most crazy-special drum sounds are not comming from the “drum machine” in the elektron line. Hope u get my point.

NUoldNu · 2017-10-22T19:42:55.713Z

Yeah I completely get your point. The analog 4, as you rightly say, does excel in this area. But then it is 4 x mono synths in one box, which means it’s open to being used as it’s needed. Need something for leads and pads? A4. Need swirling Arps? A4. Need weird percussion and drums? A4.

How did you get on with the sampling capability of the AR? Did that not help in that department?

The AR is very capable of this stuff, but maybe more accessible when done via the analog 4.

Have you considered the DT to pair with the AR? The OT is a very complex beast (I’m told-I’ve not used one before!), but the DT is super intuitive and lightning and fast. If you’re just starting out, maybe that would work better for now, and move up to the OT later?

You’ll know what right for you

dokan · 2017-10-23T14:43:27.216Z

Yeah, the fact that the rytm can playback samples and the rytm mk2 even can directly sample… makes it still very attraktive to me… but i need a midi sequencer … and i can sample with the Octatrack as well (some nice drums of the A4) …

I´m not really scared about the depth or learing curve of the OT because i became easily quite familiar with the A4 and the Rytm …

Fun fact: i have a Digitakt and it is very cool… but because it has no song mode i want to “trade” it to the OT… so A4 and OT really feel like the essential part… if i have some extra money i would add a rytm.

Edit: what i expected from the rytm was kind of a A4 with pads

NUoldNu · 2017-10-23T16:05:17.501Z

Ah cool got you. Good point about the midi sequencer.

And yes the AR as a drum machine version of the A4 was many peoples initial assumption.

Good luck with it anyway. I’m sure you’ll be I’m h avenue with whatever you go with