How would you build the ultimate kit for rytm?

How would you construct the ultimate kit for rytm? What samples would you put on the different tracks? Pads? One shots ? Long short samples?
Please inspire me and the rest of us who are new to the rytmthinking. Bend our boundaries.
Whats your best tips on constructing custom kits?

I am quite new to the rytm philosophy and the more i use it i realize its depth. Therefore i would love som inspiration from you who are a bit more expirienced.
Cheers!

There’s no ultimate kit, it totally depends what you’re trying to make with it.

That said, here’s how I’ve been using my AR to make full tracks. I’m working on an EP that’s roughly East Coast hip-hop (RZA, DJ Premier, Pete Rock) meets something dancier (footwork, disco, whatever).

BD and BT = kick drum(s) and/or bass. Occasionally I’ll use two kicks, but usually I establish one then use the other track for bass if necessary. I really like the BT as a kick.

Snare = snare, usually a layered snare + sample

RS = snap from a sample (I use that much more than a rimshot sound). Sometimes a HH sound instead

Clap = clap. I use a lot of claps, at least as much as snare. Most of the time I use synth + sample. Sometimes to mix it up I use clap synth + snare sample. I like setting the LFO to subtly and slowly modulate noise decay or sample/synth volume to give it some depth.

LT = sometimes use it as a bass synth. I don’t consistently use this track yet.

MT = my main sample for a track. I load a sample that I chop in my DAW here, and “slice” it (p-lock start point) to create the main harmonic content for my track. A lot of my work is on this pad.

HT = sometimes an alternate to the MT, but I don’t consistently use this track.

CH = hi-hat. I don’t totally love the synth engine on this one, but sometimes I layer it with a sample and modulate some element of it to give variation.

OH = same as previous, but open

CY = Generally this is my main melodic track. I’ve been loading up short vocal phrases with this one, and frequently p-locking the filter, delay, etc. Sometimes I’ll also load a synth waveform or sample and use it as a lead.

CB = lead. I either use the synth engine as a lead or drop a synth sample in here

1 Like

Wow jamrod, what an inspiring explanation of how you use the pads, makes me get great ideas of how to build my own kits.
So much thanks for taking the time to share your setup!

I like to approach the AR more like a groovebox of sorts, ie. instead of drumkits, each kit is a bunch of sounds used for a specific song/idea/theme. So there’s no one single approach.

A certain idea might call for 4 monophonic synth voices (via samples as wavetables or phrases), a few fx sounds and some drums, another idea might need just a few donks to accompany the drums + sub, and so on…

There is a lot of ways to abuse the machines/samples, many that I’ve not even realized yet. Using plocks to emulate round-robin samples (changing a tracks sample per step), using oneshot lfos to create bitcrushing envelopes, using glides with plocks… Man, there’s so much options! Really hard to stick to just drums really :wink:

The FM engines are some of my faves for creating sounds, like weird hihats (FM sd). I’d love it if we could some more generic synthesis engines in the future tho <3

Tsutek that sounds great. Feels like a good point to more use it as a groovebox than a traditional drum machine since it so capable. Are you using it with single cycle waveforms? Is it possible to throw some in there and loop them . I have no experience with SCW yet but as i understand it they can be used with rytm?

Yes, just load them into a sample slot, set sample start to 0 / sample end to 128 and loop… Works great!

The factory project has basic waveforms already included so you can try it easily.