Can A.R do decent Basslines?

Elektron Gear Analog Rytm
#21

Right…Ok, can you as Tempest owner (do you even own one?) say that it impedes your ability to make nice beats?

It’s a drum synth which allows you to shape your sounds-whether they are analog or digital and allows you to sequence and edit the events over 8 bars-then arrange those sequences with 2 playlists. It has analog distortion and compression on the master output. It has a nice roll function, slider controls, awesome filters, 4 oscillators per voice plus a sub-oscillator.

Right there ^ is enough to make crazy beats and there are many more features too.

Like most hardware of today, it’s a fine hybrid of analog and digital technology.

I love Elektron’s stuff and use it frequently, but I know they aren’t the only tools to get the job done.

One of my buddies dropped by yesterday and I watched his jaw drop when he heard me fuck around on the P12, because it does sound amazing.

DSI makes really good shit-period.

Unfortunately though, the Tempest does lack one feature that I know a lot of you wish it had…but it just doesn’t have that ‘Please Make My Music Hot’ button-sorry guys.

How about this?

-Stop bitchin and master your craft.

Not having full MIDI implementation doesn’t stop me or anyone else from making serious music on it.

That’s just an excuse.[/quote]
Here’s some more excuses: Glide on digital oscs not working, beat roll is unusable due to sync issues, screens don’t run along nicely with the things you are doing, there is a nasty hiss on many of the digital waveforms, can’t do basic stuff like shifting sequences/copy notes to different page, editing values in the event window is very frustrating. On top of that, horrible communication, no plans, no ETAs, empty promises, fix one bug, introduce 2 others, wait 5 months for a bug to get fixed. But still keeping mine :slight_smile:

#22

just a suggestion, can we withhold the insults and stay on topic, I came here to play nice but now i must withdraw, and go hone my craft, as someone has kindly suggested.

1 Like
#23

it’s a drum machine… it can’t do basslines.
it can do additional kicks… layered kicks… deep subs and weird ass subby sounds that sound like bass.

it can also play bass samples… but it’s not a bassline synth.

no machine can do everything.
and I think the machinedrum can probably do a lot more than the AR can : 16 tracks.

#24

Ummmm…ehm…I think it can do basslines…

1 Like
#25

OP: I think you will not like the AR. Please don’t sue Elektron. Good day sir.

#26

Pretty sure it can do bass lines to a certain extent depending on what you are going for. That is pretty obvious.

#27

Best demo yet. It sounds like 1987 in a box :)[/quote]
Yep, this is really cool! :slight_smile:

#28

Best demo yet. It sounds like 1987 in a box :)[/quote]
Yep, this is really cool! :-)[/quote]
That Guitar Center girl is super annoying.

1 Like
#29

Best demo yet. It sounds like 1987 in a box :)[/quote]
Yep, this is really cool! :-)[/quote]
That Guitar Center girl is super annoying.[/quote]
You and I have a very different definition of annoying. Id call her “perky”.

#30

From what I gather, the AR has the potential to generate sub - bass sounds, in a chromatic manner.

I’m not sure what else you need to know about it, I’d say that’s enough to do basslines.

Regarding the Tempest, I’ve owned one since the beginning. It sounds great, the chromatic pad mode is incredibly inspiring, everything else is from the 1980’s. Having to stop the sequence to save a sound ? Haha, please.

However, I am using it regularly, as a sound module. It gets sequenced by the OT, and I don’t save sounds, just jam them in my comp.
It is a great sound module, with poor MIDI implementation, crippled sequencer, etc. There is a point at which one has to move on, accept a machine’s limitations and make music.

I could go on about the idiosyncracies of the OT or A4, but instead, I focus on getting stuff done, and when I need a dose of humbling, I listen to my friends’ old tapes, all written with an acoustic guitar and a 4 - track, and realize that making beautiful, moving, forward - thinking, captivating, intriguing music, does not require any amount of gear whatsoever, but only one’s creative brain, and a lot of dedication and passion for our craft. Arguing on forums about kit is a lame, tired excuse for not getting stuff done.

Cheers !

1 Like
#31

Best demo yet. It sounds like 1987 in a box :)[/quote]
Yep, this is really cool! :-)[/quote]
That Guitar Center girl is super annoying.[/quote]
You and I have a very different definition of annoying. Id call her “perky”. [/quote]
to this i would also present my opinion: the grrl is a dreamgirl.
listening and genuinely complimenting with that lovely smile?
awesomeness for the win.

related to this in general, i feel there is a new sense of excitement in the world, about the opportunities for creativity in electronic music composition and performance.

vaguely returning to topic, the Machinedrum is able to do basslines, using different tricks to take out the modulated noise element from different drum types… this does work although there is often much less control than from something like a Moog Minitaur which is something i am jonesing for along with a nice new AK. those two units together with CV modulation extra options from the AK to the minitaur … well, things could be amazing.

the reason i mention this is that for a bass synth, the Machinedrum makes a great drum machine!!! haha :smiley: i mean, yes it does work brilliantly sometimes for certain types of ‘bassline’, but it is unpredictable how and where. i wouldn’t use the MD as the sole bass synth… and likewise, i wouldn’t expect the Analog Rytm to be comping all bass synth duties, unless those bass duties mainly revolved around one-shot samples, in which case AR would be perfect.

#32

+1

I find the MD to be a very focused machine, which I like. Sure I do get some subby bass line-ish kicks out of it and such but it’s not really built to do basslines. I have a MnM too, and it is the same way with percussion. It can do it, but it’s limited in that way. I find the carefully designed specialization (also known as limitations) of the Elektron boxes to be very interesting and inspiring. That is a stark contrast to the Tempest, which is more of a generalized synth that can do basslines and other synth duties.

@secret music - Agreed. If you don’t like gear XYZ, then sell it and get something else that works better for you. The only helpful conversations of that nature are the ones where there is some bug being discovered, or maybe an inconsistent feature.

Anyway, regarding the AR, I expect it to be a bit like the MD : It can sort of do bass-ish things, but a real ‘synth box’ like A4 or MnM will be able cover that more fully.

#33

it does the chromatic thing…

I imagine that sick basslines might actually be one of its biggest strengths!

2 Likes
#34

This is a surprisingly entertaining thread!

I watched Cenk make a bass line from the AR in less then 15 seconds. It wasn’t a line I would use, but the point was made. (the other elektron guy thought it was pretty hot though, must be a Swedish thing!)

Anyway, the possibility is def. there. He used a single sample, placed trigs, and p-locked pitch.

#35

My phone mic doesn’t do the sound justice but the dynaudio woofers were moving an inch in each direction during this demo. I doubt they will ever be the same! The AR has some serious low end.

1 Like
#36

Every video I’ve seen has some kind of melodic Bassy pattern… Plus you can load any sample and play it. So Im gonna put my neck on the (bass) line and say no it can’t do bass lines. :slight_smile:

#37

The AR has a huge amount of storage space (something like 64MB per project). So you could theoretically upload samples of single note hits to play chromatically on the pads, to create a bass line on the fly (you could do the same with chord hits, etc). Add some of the AR’s analogue filter/compressor and it’s going to sound sick. Sure, this technique isn’t using the AR’s pure analogue magic, but if you’re trying to look at the AR more as a jam box, and not strictly as a drum machine, then this approach might work just fine.

As others have mentioned, the MD can do simple bass pattern work, but it isn’t spontaneous enough to make bass line creation very much fun on the MD. I think making bass lines with the AR will be sort of like that, (unless you’re using samples that can be mapped out and played with simultaneously).

Once the AR comes out, you’ll be able to find some super good deals on used MDUW+ machines. Sell your Tempest, pick up a used MD and buy something else (Analog Four maybe?) with the rest of the money!

Everyone else go take a few laps around the block and take some deep breaths. :+1:

#38

The one thing I disliked about the MD was the inability to play sounds (machines) chromatically. The ability to do so on the AF will make a huge difference I think. It’ll be a lot easier to program a melody.

#39

Really well said, I’m on the same page. Tempest is a great at having a fun jam on, knocking out a quirky 4-8 bars, Lots of unexpected results, which many rave about. but technically thats totally undesirable if you actually wish to compose music, editing is a game of chase the sequencer Even having muscle memory of all the counter intuitive shift funtions, it is still extremely awkward.
on the other hand editing an individual sound is so smooth and straight forward.
So , for jamming out a groove with “big full sound” its the best thing around, but if you wish to actually take it further and compose a track beyond 4 -8 bars only with tempest. its a headache, I have dozens unfinished track ideas because of this.

Last night I tried out an akai s20 prase sampler, a really basic sampler, with looping , very basic functions, and the akai mpc sound.

I made a track that i was immensely more satisfiing, sampling a loop of the tempest kick, layering with a sample loop from Gill Scot’s “Guns”, a few one shot chord hits. I recorded my track to a $5 Teac double cassette deck, sampled it again, added an layer , and sampled it back from tape. and so on.
sounded great and was more fun than writing on tempest, i liked it more than most grooves just from tempest, had a classic MPC /tape sound (which i love for the money!)

So basically, I hear You, I think i will keep Tempest to use as sound module for keys/bass, for the pads practice my parradiddles and to quickly create an original analog drum sound!
and put it next to an mpc for the COMPLETED sequencer with a inner-clock systems sync-lock. That sound really good!

I would love to try an electron box , but at the mo, price and the unfinished OS on AR is putting me off.
a bit suprised that elektron is releasing a machine without a completed OS.

One does not do a show without rehearsal ,or open a restaurant for dinner without having made appropriate preparation. I view releasing a product without finishing it first as unacceptable.
But i get the impression that AR doesn’t even know what it will be as yet!

That Elektron is waiting for feedback to develop the OS. I don’t understand this.

Surely, to conceive one’s creation in full before it manifests is essential to
quality design.
As a Tempest beta tester having paid over 2000 for the privilege.
i am somewhat traumatized and do not see any merit in releasing an unfinished product.

I’m sure Elektron will do a much better job but;

Couldn’t there be an forum for discussing user feedback and sequencer design to actually conceive of a fully finished sequencer design, and then fully coding it out to the last bug, Before selling it.


This is unprofessional IMHO

#40

^ lol the rtym isn’t out yet.

re: machinedrum, you can do wicked basslines with pitched down toms (try using an LFO on the filter) or whatever they are. does anyone actually use them for toms fills? just like on old 70s analog drum machines the toms are often best modded into kicks and rubbery basses. :slight_smile: