Twisted Electrons Blastbeats

The Lounge Other Gear
#504

So this machine fell out of my setup for a bit but now its back because I love it so much.

This pattern 4 issue is still there and now on the latest pattern I am working on, if I place any trick automation trigs on the sequencer they will also cause it to stop completely, sometimes immediately or sometimes after about 10-15 seconds.

So I have emailed Twisted Electrons to ask if I am going crazy :crazy_face: or if there’s any issues being looked at around MIDI sync.
I do not think it is a hardware issue as I can play around with the unit independently without any issues. It just seems to have these problems when receiving MIDI clock from anything (I’ve tried Ableton, MD and Octatrack). It’s a real shame because the trick automation can be the real sauce for making patterns on this thing really sound great.

Has no one else had issues receiving MIDI clock with this machine? Either way, I will see what TE say and update here if needed :slightly_smiling_face:

3 Likes
#505

Haven’t used it in sync yet, but wanted to try it anyway (polymeter stuff in team with other units running different time signatures). I need some time to get into the machine‘s logic each time because it’s so different. But it sounds so much greater than my other FM synths (except DX100). Worth every spent time molecule (rewarded with happiness).

2 Likes
#506

I would like the opposite - like free tuning. I think there are limitations in the chip bit detune on synth 4 works for that IIRC :wink:

#507

I know it’s not the same thing, but vibrato - using any of the available waveforms - can be perverted to move out of regular pitches as well
(You could use a very slow square waveform and use vibrato intensity as a micro-tuning parameter, maybe?)

#508

I still want onnne

2 Likes
#509

Will try that. Thanks :slight_smile: Hope Behringer will finally make a copy of the Arp sequencer. Sliders are so much easier to grasp and one can see ratios more intuitively than with rotary knobs. But that’s nothing to do with BB, just general desire for proper EBM stuff :wink:

#510

Anyone know what the OCT16 firmware update contains? Is there a change log somewhere?

#511

Just found out about that the great chiptune tracker furnace:

It has built in emulations for a lot of chips, including OPL3 and it can export VGM!! :star_struck::star_struck::partying_face: The sound of emulation is jaw droppingly good! :star_struck::partying_face::blush: And the tracker songmode works like JCH tracker - combine different patterns for each track - so much less copy and paste.

My project for this week is to make a short OPL3 track with furnace, export it as VGM and play it with the Blast Beats. Will see how tracker arpeggio, slide and tables in instruments will turn out. :sunglasses::nerd_face:

I’m posting this here to trick myself and make it happen :stuck_out_tongue_winking_eye:

3 Likes
#512

Thanks for the info.

#513

If there was anyone having the issues that I’ve described above - odd sequencer behaviour when receiving midi clock - those problems have been resolved by the new 3.0 firmware that was released this morning.
Alex was responsive and helpful when I reached out over email and got the issue fixed pretty quick. Which means I can now get back to enjoying this fantastic machine.

#514

any other goodies beside this bug fix ?

#515

I believe for this firmware in addition to the bug fix there is only this:

Added a checkbox to the tool allowing to ignore incoming MIDI notes (should you only want to sync to MIDI clock)

I already have everything set correctly between Live and the Octatrack (my two go to MIDI master devices) but even so this new tickbox does fit my use case so I will probably enable it at some point to avoid any potential confusion for me down the line with other setups.

Not sure what the future plans could be, it’s a pretty formidable groove box at this point though with its sequencer features and automation and routing possibilities. I also just had the MEGAfm arrive which I’m really looking forward to diving into.

1 Like
#516

Have you tried blast beats with external sequencer? I have an oxi one and would love to give it a try, although I love self contained machines… I’m going to try it

#517

Great news with 3.0 and bugfix when midi symc. I read the log. Seems like 3.0 just comes after 2.9. The last greater feature introduced was vgm. Assume it still plays only OPL3 in 3.0. (Most downloadable vgms are OPL2 though; in theory it should be possible to play them when the OPL3 is set to OPL2 compatible mode). Anyway. I am all into furnace tracker now. Hope it will play the exported OPL3 vgms. Because chiptune arpeggio, slide to note, microtuning and macros is so great.

1 Like
#518

Sorry for the repost
The BlastBeats was the centerpiece for this liveset, together with the Razzmatazz

4 Likes
#519

Wow ! Very nice, about ten minutes the beat is awesome :slight_smile:
The mix between the very precise Razzmatazz drums and the lo fi tones of the Blastbeats work very well !

1 Like
#520

Unbox Blast beats these days to make a mini EP only with it. Its awesome but you need to be sure you like that sound. This crazy song is 100% pure Blast beats

12 Likes
#521

Another ultracrazy demo made only with Blast beats and a little delay and reverb. 100% blast beats sound!!

4 Likes
#522

Finished the project :smiley:

Proof of concept

  • vgm in furnace tracker, OPL3 mode, export to BlastBeats and play it there: works!!

Final project vgm file

quick and dirty Gabber track, against the clock
(feel free to download and check BlastBeats’ Gabber mode) :wink:
Elekktrikk - 2023-10-29 - GabberBlastBeats vgm Test 1.vgm (641.2 KB)

BlastBeats direct out - no further editing

  • copied the vgm file (above) to BlastBeats
  • recorded directly into audacity
  • normalisation to -1db (almost no effect)
  • export mp3 192 kBps

For comparison and reference - direct output from the furnace tracker:

  • export as audio (wav)
  • convert to mp3 192 kBbs in audacity

The chip emulation in furnace tracker is amazingly good :flushed::smiley:

6 Likes
#523

That kick sounds amazing

1 Like