MD kick sounds vary

Marginal · 2014-03-19T13:14:00.000Z

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Why do you try to switch that off? I think it’s a nice feature.

It can be nice in some regards. But for the music I make (very ambient techno), where the kick at times may be the only constant thing, it’s sometimes important that every hit cuts through clearly, so the sense of structure isn’t totally lost. But yeah, for some tracks it works pretty well…

slicetwo · 2016-07-29T15:25:49.316Z

I made this beat using a TRX B2 sound. No LFO or parameter locks. However, if you listen to just the kick drum, you can hear that it changes its tone/sound/whatever on almost every hit. Any insight into why this is happening? It doesn’t really make any sense. Thanks!

https://www.elektronauts.com:https://eu5.dh-cdn.net/uploads/db8181/original/2X/4/422e04bf140dee0e351cb63922616208f20d581d.wav

PeterHanes · 2016-07-29T14:29:32.452Z

An LFO from another track?

slicetwo · 2016-07-29T14:36:43.704Z

Nope. I checked. No LFOs anywhere. That’s why it’s so weird.

CompNutation · 2016-07-29T14:46:04.677Z

I have an A4 so not sure if this is a feature on the Rytm but could it be that theres a velocity mod destination set on the kick?
Took me ages to realise this was the source of my mysterious delays!!!

coreyappleby · 2016-07-30T08:03:15.721Z

Somewhere on the old yahoo group there was a lengthy discussion about this very problem. It’s just something about how the synthesis for trx-bd2 works. The only workaround is layering it with another sound.

ipassenger · 2016-07-30T11:34:59.329Z

The kicks in the md do not retrigger the osc phase on trigger, hence the variation.

slicetwo · 2016-07-31T15:13:17.821Z

Gotcha. Good to know for the future. I guess my other option would to be record one hit into a ROM machine and then program with that.

ipassenger · 2016-07-31T18:39:28.753Z

Yeah that’s best bet if you need exactly the same every time.

One thing I have always found odd about the drums on the MD is if they trigger shortly after each other on the same machine the second trigger is louder… As said above the best bet is to put sub/quieter kicks on another machine.

h4ndcrafted · 2016-08-01T12:48:30.908Z

I’ve noticed this, kind of strange there isn’t an option to reset the phase of the Osc on each trig.
Certain genres require the kick to poke its transient through pretty uniformly.

I somewhat combat his b filtering the kick down and using Rez to hold the transient in place.
This is nothing new though as you often have this with analogue machines. Get your transient right and it becomes less of an issue.

satan · 2016-08-14T00:15:48.925Z

The exact thing is happening to me but that variation occurs when I layer another kick on a different track. Deleted the track, started one kit from fresh and same situation with B2.

apmbpm · 2016-09-02T21:59:31.500Z

Hi,
I bought myself a fabulous Machinedrum a few months ago and find it to be an amazing machine. However, I’m finding something strange with my kick drums.

When running my audio into Ableton through my Focusrite Saffire 6 usb the kick is not sounding the same each time it is being triggered.

This is most noticeable on the TRX BD2 machine but happens sometimes with other kick machines.

I don’t have and LFO routed to the machine to manipulate any of the parameters so I’m not sure where the difference is coming from. It typically affects the beginning of the sample making a different tone in the beginning of the transient.

How can I track the cause down or even confirm that the sounds are actually different from one another?

Many thanks for any help.

Adam

InTheAM · 2016-09-02T21:19:22.923Z

I’m pretty sure that is just the nature of the TRX BD machine. Its supposed to emulate the old X0X analog drum machines.

hcxcy · 2016-09-05T12:09:17.973Z

Either that or it’s the dynamics effect. I thought I had a faulty unit when every time I unmuted certain tracks, some other tracks would sound lower or way different. Dunno, just a thought.

InTheAM · 2016-09-05T16:41:51.125Z

great point as well

jeffe · 2016-09-05T17:02:50.105Z

Fairly certain this is intended.
Double check that it’s not just the BD2 machine - I thought that was part of the charm of that machine.

You could get around it by sampling the kick.

Here’s an old thread about this same thing http://www.elektron-users.com/index.php?option=com_fireboard&Itemid=28&func=view&catid=9&id=89509

nuggs · 2016-09-07T00:59:42.454Z

Hello all,

Question about the TRX machine. Is the analog emulation the cause of a huge volume decrease on the BD, as soon as I add any other drum to the sequence? It’s loud and punchy, and as soon as I kick in a HH or SN, the volume drops on the BD. Did a quick search but didn’t find anything. Thanks for any help/suggestions.

Merlin · 2016-09-07T00:32:10.734Z

Hi,

I suggest you check the settings of the master compressor. Make sure you understand what compression is about (if you don’ t already) and how it affects the sound. The compressor may suppress or squeeze the sound of the bd.

I can’ t guarantee that that is it, but wrongly configured compression can seriously ruin a mix.

M.

SolitaryScience · 2016-09-07T00:56:51.614Z

Sounds like might be compression. However in one of the MachineDrum tips /tricks compilation pdf’s, subtle “phasing” is mentioned esp when using two BD’s . Has to do with simultaneous triggering of sounds. Also check for a possible LFO that might be on running underneath on the BD track or other track but assigned to that BD track.

nuggs · 2016-09-07T01:53:02.377Z

Thanks guys,

It was definitely compression. I appreciate the help, still learning how to use this beast.