Machinedrum tips and tricks

I always forget about the ctr machines for fx, need to dig deeper on that.

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Hey my man @Augenadler - im afraid im going to need that tm-1 for transfering the samples.
Is it hard to find second hand online ?

Seems impossible right now.

Any midi interface will do right?

Has to be faaaast (tm-1 is 10x faster, for transfering samples)

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Damn son, now I need 1 too…

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What I do is…i load the Autechre sysex, press play, and pretend that I’m good.

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We all do that

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Get in the queue :joy:

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I use my Motu Ultralite to transfer samples. It’s not super quick, but it works fine.

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Another tip/trick if you want push the MD, is to look into getting a Ruin & Wesen Mini Command, or even better, a Mega Command (manual)

I also have an old MK7 Lemur template from the old EU forum called Machinedrum Morphor. (DL) which is a performance scene manipulator for the Machinedrum and is a lot of fun, though can overload the MD with midi data if abused.

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I also used a midi processor (Event Processor Plus) to push the MD, matching midi notes to pitch CCs, or machines changes with sysex…
I can detail if interested, basically I matched midi notes to EFM pitch, or used CCs to change machines.
In MD manual you can check midi possibilities, it can go pretty far with sysex.

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I actually have a MiniCommand lying around here. Never tried it. Any advice, what it can be used for (not strong on MIDI, so keep the terminologies simple)? I put it up fo sale yesterday, but maybe I should keep it.

Information on this abandonware is spare, to say the least. It has firmware installed- but as it didn’t work with my monomachine, and finding new firmwares was not easy, I haven’t used it yet.

I think most of the stuff is still available on GitHub here
If you drill down into "mini-command sketches then “published firmware” you can find a bunch of different things to load. As far as manuals, instructions, firmware etc, yeh a bit vapourware to find these days. Not sure where to dig for that stuff.

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My favorite things with MD

  • CTRL-all + reload. I just love this combo
  • using it with Strymon Deco or the Heat. Although the internal compressor can be nasty
  • using exp LFO as an envelope on the filter : I really like the sound of the filter, especially on EFM sounds and when doing chords (using 3 tracks)
  • using only sine sounds and doing some additive synthesis
  • using systematically all the LFOs
  • separate outs
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When buying an uwMD A4mk1 for the first time are there ways of restoring the units back to factory settings or is this not really relevant or advisable?
Also I was wondering if anyone had any advise on how deep the MD’s song mode is standalone and whether combined with the A4 producing/performing entire tracks is doable?
Look forward to hearing your thoughts
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Oh the things you can do with that bad boy!

I have one of my md’s permanently attached to an aux/send of my mixer so i can sample whatever. This one also has two of the Outs dedicated to sidechaining a couple of 3630’s.

Very frequently i use the md as a super midi controller - if your synth has a lot of assignable cc’s then you can do a semi modular kind of thing and really go far with your synth. Like one of my favorite tricks is to bring a 3rd osc level in/up for emphasis, normally on the low end.

I guess its about how you apply the feature set to your needs/wants

If you really want go crazy go find a bitstream 3x lol

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yes, hold func while booting, advised this for first time exploration

deep, bpm per step, dependent on what “entire track” means to you; totally doable

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Thanks, a nice insight into what the MD is capable of. Pleased to learn the restore is very straightforward too.
By comparison, does the sequencer/song mode of the MD stand up to the OT? The aim is to pair my MD with the A4 to provide synth and melodic sampling into the MD’s sequencer. But I can’t stop thinking about the almost limitless nature of the OT. Please could somebody shed some light on their experiences and preferences. :thought_balloon:

I have the ultimate tip, sell me yours :stuck_out_tongue_winking_eye: