Programming a MAM MB 33

Elektron Gear Octatrack
#1

What is your opinion on programming a 303 clone like the MAM MB 33 with the Octatrack vs programming on a clone with sequencer, like the roland or behringer clones?

I was using the ABL3 plugin on computer, which was so easy and fun to program. But now my computer crashed, and as I only used it as audio mixer and for the ABL3, I now plan on buying a hardware 303 clone in stead of another computer…

because of size, I would much prefer to buy the MB 33 and sequence it from the Octatrack, But my question is how easy it is to get those very typical acid lines? I mostly like to get some oldschool acid lines up quick and easy while jamming, and don’t want to spend too much time with the programming…

so if a tb-303 or td3 will get me there much faster and easier, I will sacrifice the space and go for that…

And I could try to program the ABL3 with the OT, but the computer crash won’t allow me to try for myself :frowning:

#2

I would imagine it’s much faster to program on a TD-3 and add some spice to it with the OT. It’s not huge mind you, I believe it’s about the size of two MB33s. Not massive :slight_smile:.

I have ABL3, too, but really didn’t feel like going thru the hassle of using the OT to control that. For the price the TD-3 is a steal.

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#3

I have a MB33 (now in the closet). It’s sound is not convincing imo.

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#4

…i do exactly that…triggering the mb 33 with the ot’s midi sequencer…

only downer comes from the mb…sustained notes don’t sustain forever that much…
and it does not talk cc at all…
but well, original acid lines were not famous for long sustained notes, right…?
and appart from accents there were not much cc like intrests going on in the original sequencer anyways…

…and accent activates via all triggers over 120 velocity…works great…and to my ears, it’s the most convincing 303 clone sound i’ve heard so far…if u tweak it manually…the right way…
all ears are different…but hey, it does acid and beyond and is mocking the original pretty close…
i don’t miss out on anything here…

getting the sequencing trix right with the ot is no big deal…u can go beyond easily…
swallowing steps, jumping stepwise forward, backwards…well u name it…
doubling notes do intresting results also…so for now, i use three lanes all adressing the mam box…which opens up to great progressing sequences within one pattern…
ot’s fx do nice make up on it…
and for that price tag, it’s a no brainer anyways…

be aware of the fact it’s reacting to channel 16, not to channel 1…out of the box…if u follow their dips on the back, it suggests exactly the other way around…

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#5

thanks for the replies. I guess I will spend some time on youtube an let my guts decide :slight_smile:

#6

ive got tb303, tt303, mam mb33 retro (little white box), TD3 x 2 - i have had most acid boxes in my life

mam and OT are a treat, very fast to get nice patterns - it is acid without doubt and has nice little adjusters than you can use to make it your own taste, of course it will play hard too

saying that , the td3 is a steal at 120 quid

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#7

an easy mistake people can make with the mam retro is they turn it to 100%, the extreme settings are beyond typical 303, the accent and the amp hit a lot harder for example

i recommend it, i also say the tt and the tD3 are very good too, they are all their own, slight differences in timbre, td3 being closest but it is nice to have different flavours plus the different ways to sequence them.

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#8

don’t know how you haven’t noticed this but you can hold a note for two bars on OT with mam @ about 127 so that will get longer with faster tempo

that is plenty long for even the slowest downtempo acid like old plastikman

several ways to get slides on mam too if using OT

@klonk 4 x mb33 in size is closer

td3 is a bit smaller than my mk1 OT

#9

You’re right about the size! Sh*t, well, I still think doing slides and accents on a TD-3 might be much more intuitive than using the OT to figure that out with the 33. Maybe I’m just lazy :slight_smile:.

#10

i don’t think it is lazy, do you have 33?

i have had tb since forever, td3 since new, tt, re, xox , fb383 and mb33 etc and i can honestly say to activate slides on a tb/td etc is not intuitive, well it is when you know it but in comparison to using OT on mb33 i say not -

to activate slides on an OT you just add a 2nd note in page 1 of midi as mb33 is mono and has autoslide, so a 2nd note is the slide, that or you tell it to play legato in page 2 which also activates slide

we can also decide depth of slide by pitch difference in chosen notes, slide up or down in pitch, legato etc - really very good how OT does it

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#11

I decided on the MB33 and happy I did so :slight_smile:
these kind of tips for programming the MB33 are very welcome!! tank you :slight_smile:

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#12

enjoy :slight_smile:

any questions @ all just ask

the trimmers on the back, if you adjust them do it in small pieces and take note of the settings in case you don’t like where you end up

oh one more thing - set the standard note/step length in midi to 1/32 or 4 - - 1/16 would make logical sense but the 33 is just so much snappier @ a bit shorter gate, i usually have a mix of note lengths which adds lots of variation

oh, and 54-57 swing will reeeeeeallly bring out the movement in your patterns trust me

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