So far on my explorations (trying to figure out where subtracks fit in the overall scheme of options) seems like subtracks are the best choice for
8 part drum kit or interesting hits (the most obvious) [but if you want to go to the laboratory, buy a digitakt II]
8 slots for ‘longer samples’ eg vocals (verses, chorus), long pads, Chord progression chords per slot, bass variations, lead variations
Both of the above with an interesting range of p-lock controls within the subtrack level.
There is also the ‘round robin’ discovery posted elsewhere on the forum which sounds very interesting for realistic drum human-ness perhaps or random timbre variation…
Not so optimal use of subtracks
3. Individual subtracks could be pitch p-locked to be melodic instruments but not the best SRC machine for this? (I don’t think/know if sending different midi notes automatically re-pitches the subtrack sample?)
4. A loop could be sliced to 8 pieces and assigned to each subtrack - again not very elegant but could work
Other maybes
5. Assign fully mixed tracks to each subtrack, TV as a DJ mixer … not sure how you would fade them in/beat sync …
Interested in any other ideas on ‘subtracks philosophy’! Are they just hit machines or have they got arranger-level variation use possiblilities …
Midi subtracks, with a CC plockable automation page, would be interesting for example: have phrases in the subtrack slots that drive an external machine…
Currently I like using them to do 2 things. Primary use case is to do a whole song on the machine, no external gear.
1 is to break a drum kit down for processing with sends and buses. My working experiment is kicks on 1, snare/clap on 2, hats on 3, percs on 4. This allows processing each differently with sends and busses, but it also allows things like layering a snare with a clap and with the ability to change those sounds. I could collapse this down into 3 maybe, kicks 1, snare & hats on 2 and percs on 3.
And then as I’ve mentioned elsewhere, I use it as a sample “chopper.” Load the same longer sample/song in multiple times, then find different start points manually. Each “slice” has individual control over filter and amp, and play direction I think. Then a global effect or two to glue it all together.
to me, besides the drum/hit kit thing, seems the most natural use of a track of subtracks - 1 long interesting sample and each subtrack is a locked start point
Some smart relationship between velocity layer multi samples and subtracks would be interesting
Each subtrack 1-8 is a different multi sample velocity layer for example. [0-15] track 1 [16-32] track 2 [33-48] track 3 velocity … etc
Each individual subtrack can then play 127 different midi note samples within its velovity layer, p-lockable, being as many unique samples, or chromatic same instrument variations as contained within the multisample file…
So you have one mega multisample file with all your material in it, and just use subtracks to slice out velocity layers of 127 different samples … if midi note is addressable to individual samples on the subtrack (not just round robin cycling)
True, but I can see some situations where it could be fun to misuse. For example slicing an audio file of an arbitrary length that has no transients but evolving timbres to take advantage of the clicks from non-zero crossings could get you into Raster and/or Noton territory.
That’s a great idea. A bit of care with what pitches you’re using in relation to the other melodic aspects of a song and it’s a nice way to get musically meaningful generative melodies.
yes, there is room for an OT-like random trigs here, that some button combo re-maps sample [start] for each of the 8 trigs and you can re-adjust or keep hitting re-assign to hear how it works. Even better if it had a transient detect option
maybe, after randomise, click on the subtrack buttons you are happy with to remove them from further randomisation, and then each subsequent [random] just selects new starts for those unselected …
I don’t have a TV but drum racks on the Move are a similar concept to the TV’s subtracks and I use them a lot as kits of related sounds. So maybe you want to add a noisey drone texture, or a flutey synth sound, you load up a kit that has those kind of sounds in it and try them all out in the context of the rest of the track to see which one works. Maybe you only use one or two but it’s not a big deal because you have so many tracks available.
It’s a really quick and easy way to browse through different sounds without having to scroll endless presets. Basically reducing your list of sounds by a factor of 8 by grouping them together.
In my travels, I’ve amassed a bunch of chord samples in my sample library. A7, Bbm, C#m and so on, by instrument patch.
TV unlocked those nicely! I just lay 8 of them out on sub tracks and peck away to make a chord progression. Beyond just using as is, there are a surprising set of shaping features including tuning the chords, filtering and base width.
Save the whole mess as a preset and it’s easy to write a bunch of related/evolving sounding tracks later.
