I really enjoy using Drambo as “single synthesizer” as part of a hardware setup. I have an older iPad Pro (with the headphone jack) and use the camera connector kit’s USB to connect to the MIDI coming out of my hardware sequencer (via midi host). The headphone jack makes it lower effort to connect into a setup if you can get MIDI in.
For my synth track in Drambo, I use the Layers Switcher module to hold the “presets” I have programmed for various tracks in a set/album, with each on a different layer. The module is great because you can set it so only the open layer runs on the CPU, and switching is instant. This can even be mapped to MIDI to control the changes via your main sequencer or whatever. This whole setup works well if you are only controlling a synth or two (and no sequence data).
Anyways, I am happy with this workflow as it makes it easy to load up some AUv3s or build some patches and tie an iPad in with other gear with minimal fuss. If you have an old iPad around it can probably still run one voice in Drambo and be useful. Even if you aren’t a big Drambo patch builder, just for loading AUv3s alone its a very clean way of doing things.
So, getting back into the ipad ecosystem with Drambo. Trying to save money so as to try and stop GASSING over all the cool gear.
Got my 10th gen ipad hooked up controlling a couple modules in my modular case, along with my Digitone and using Koala for drums and samples. Have a launchpad and keystep as controllers. So easy and quick and surprisingly powerful. Was going to buy another Oxi one or Hermod + or any number of sequencers…nope, going to stick with Drambo for 3 months and see how far I can take it.
Hi!
I am getting into Drambo and I would like to plan a full live set, using Drambo as the center piece. I would like to have multiple songs, and change between them. Is there a way, where I can switch between projects resp. sequences?
An other option would be using AUM as a host, but then I can use no AUv3 in Drambo.
Has anyone tipps and experience to make a live set like this?
Use an audio interface with built-in loopback, and then you can run Drambo & Loopy Pro at the same time. You run Drambo into Loopy Pro via Loopback. I’ve done this before and it generally works well but its a lot to manage with a set imo.
Similar to above, you can give up on dance-y transitions and just run another app with more ambient sounds for transitions.
Use an external looper like the octratrack or the EHX 1440. These can MIDI sync.
Build your whole set into one project. This has become more feasible with the Layers Switch module that allows you to not use CPU for inactive layers (so you can have a lot of AUv3s/patches open in a project but only “run” one). Even so, this is going to really impact your workflow and is going to be kinda fiddly.
Running in Drambo inside Loopy Pro or AUM doesn’t completely stop you from using AUv3s. You could load a few AUv3s in your host and have the preset loading be midi controlled from Drambo.
None of these options are amazing, and its something I’ve never felt works great. The Drambo dev has agreed this could be better, but I wouldn’t expect it anytime soon if ever, he has so many other features he’s trying to tackle.
I’ve spent years trying this in various ways, none were satisfactory for me
AUM does work best as a host (also allows the easiest program changes to change patches on AUv3s), but then I had to host AUM in Audiobus to allow my OT to be clock master. so ended up nesting Drambo and other AUv3s in AUM in Audiobus…not ideal
one expensive and still fiddly way to do this would be to have two ipads, both running dedicated Drambo projects that you can mix between and then load a new project in the dormant one while the other plays.
you could also aim for a very simple, minimal live set in just Drambo…using native modules and few very stable, low CPU AUv3s. this isn’t really my thing though
i’ve resolved that for me, at the moment, engineering these solutions ends up being very time-consuming for an ultimately non-optimal solution
I’ve done track transitions with success on a KP3.
The good part - no MIDI sync required, nor do you have to press Rec in time or anything.
Because, if the BPMs match, you can press Rec anytime, the loop closes after a set number of bars, so doesn’t even need to align perfectly.
There are some drawbacks of course. I don’t particularly like running my whole mix through the whole time, works better if you can avoid it. Might not matter to everyone though… minimal difference really.
MIDI sync to and from Ipads (or any computer for that matter) can be sketchy.
I guess, I thought about using Loopy Pro on a second Ipad to achive this. There is no way, that i can run Drambo and Loopy Pro on the same machine in Parallel (such that i can add AUv3 into Drambo), right?
now i have an other question: how are you doing multitrack recording without aum? i would like to bring a jam into my ableton on my windows pc for further editing.
