A few notes on softsynths I've been digging up:
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I had the buyer send it back to me and took responsibility for getting it fixed. That meant sending it back to Arturia in France, and then sending it back again when the repair broke something else.
When it was finally fixed, it sounded pretty good and I sort of regretted selling it.
I do wonder how many of the units that landed in the hands of synth YouTubers were broken in the same way.Anyway, I thought I remembered it having eight holes in the back that were gate inputs but of course they weren't. I'm looking at photos of its ass now and those holes were individual drum outputs.
Anyway, I've only got one drum machine left and it's the Volca Drum, which probably won't be a lot of fun to control from the BeatStep Pro. So… time to learn Reaper, I guess.
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Anyway, I thought I remembered it having eight holes in the back that were gate inputs but of course they weren't. I'm looking at photos of its ass now and those holes were individual drum outputs.
Anyway, I've only got one drum machine left and it's the Volca Drum, which probably won't be a lot of fun to control from the BeatStep Pro. So… time to learn Reaper, I guess.
So… do I chose the 3 1/2 hour tutorial or the 13-minute basic one that is read by an AI voice? Choices, choices.
(The answer is neither, I found one that is the first in a series of shorter tutorials).
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J jwcph@helvede.net shared this topic
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So… do I chose the 3 1/2 hour tutorial or the 13-minute basic one that is read by an AI voice? Choices, choices.
(The answer is neither, I found one that is the first in a series of shorter tutorials).
So this from Adam Steel got me started pretty well: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JwDcTPn2dvc
Though I do run into some problems. This six-year-old series references an older version of Reaper and is for Windows rather than Mac. Normally, this wouldn't be a big issue but:
1. It's actually pretty different between versions and OSes, and
2. I can't see shit! I haven't figured out any way to set a minimum font size or how to get out of low-contrast dark mode. -
So this from Adam Steel got me started pretty well: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JwDcTPn2dvc
Though I do run into some problems. This six-year-old series references an older version of Reaper and is for Windows rather than Mac. Normally, this wouldn't be a big issue but:
1. It's actually pretty different between versions and OSes, and
2. I can't see shit! I haven't figured out any way to set a minimum font size or how to get out of low-contrast dark mode.It's not as bad as LMMS in this area, but still pretty bad. So if for example something isn't outputting audio when it was working fine before, I have to pretty much guess at the cause and click areas of the screen that might be the button I need. It's frustrating.
But hey, multiple MIDI channels and MIDI controls! When I do get comfortable with it, I can use the Beatstep Pro to its full potential without mucking around with hardware synths too much.
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It's not as bad as LMMS in this area, but still pretty bad. So if for example something isn't outputting audio when it was working fine before, I have to pretty much guess at the cause and click areas of the screen that might be the button I need. It's frustrating.
But hey, multiple MIDI channels and MIDI controls! When I do get comfortable with it, I can use the Beatstep Pro to its full potential without mucking around with hardware synths too much.
Though it has to be said, once again the trusty old MicroFreak is a winner here. So easy to add into this setup. For a small and cheap synthesizer, this thing just keeps giving.
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Though it has to be said, once again the trusty old MicroFreak is a winner here. So easy to add into this setup. For a small and cheap synthesizer, this thing just keeps giving.
@reinderdijkhuis I'm not very experienced with this stuff but I've been using Reaper for a few months, after Garageband & then Ardour, and I gotta say, it's pretty dang user-friendly
I recommend you check out Kenny Gioia's videos, they're hands down the best, super-easy to follow, extremely comprehensive 
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Though it has to be said, once again the trusty old MicroFreak is a winner here. So easy to add into this setup. For a small and cheap synthesizer, this thing just keeps giving.
The hardware end of my next synth setup is starting to take shape: I dug out Spouse's #MicroBrute in the hope of making usable bass sounds with it, and on the suggestion of a kind user here, dug out the Alesis SR-16 along with the Zoom R16. Testing them individually before digging out the MIDI hub (Icon, barely ever used before) and adding the BeatStep Pro to the session, which is currently still hooked to the desktop computer.
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The hardware end of my next synth setup is starting to take shape: I dug out Spouse's #MicroBrute in the hope of making usable bass sounds with it, and on the suggestion of a kind user here, dug out the Alesis SR-16 along with the Zoom R16. Testing them individually before digging out the MIDI hub (Icon, barely ever used before) and adding the BeatStep Pro to the session, which is currently still hooked to the desktop computer.
The SR-16 was as I left it, with one output channel broken. That was the reason I didn't initially consider it for this project, but y'know, that still leaves three channels: one for the kick drum and two (left/right) for everything else.
The MicroBrute was all gunged up so I'll have to wash the knobs before doing any more work. No one wants a sticky knob. -
The SR-16 was as I left it, with one output channel broken. That was the reason I didn't initially consider it for this project, but y'know, that still leaves three channels: one for the kick drum and two (left/right) for everything else.
The MicroBrute was all gunged up so I'll have to wash the knobs before doing any more work. No one wants a sticky knob.Dunno why that happened, it was in a bag all the time.
The MicroBrute was also bought second hand and has some bits not working, including the highest key on the keyboard. And the built-in sequencer doesn't appear to work (or we're doing something wrong) but since I'm going to bypass that entirely, it doesn't matter.
The MIDI hub is the one I bought years ago to solve a problem with a previous setup; it took a while to arrive and I ended up not using it for that purpose.
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Dunno why that happened, it was in a bag all the time.
The MicroBrute was also bought second hand and has some bits not working, including the highest key on the keyboard. And the built-in sequencer doesn't appear to work (or we're doing something wrong) but since I'm going to bypass that entirely, it doesn't matter.
The MIDI hub is the one I bought years ago to solve a problem with a previous setup; it took a while to arrive and I ended up not using it for that purpose.
So it would be nice if that finally became useful.
It's been a while since I've used the Zoom R16 as anything other than an interface, but it works well on its own. It's in good shape, and I know what to do with it.
That leaves me with what to choose as the third synth, for pads and arps. My first choice is the MicroFreak, but I have MicroKorg sitting around that I've barely used and I"m tempted to give that a try.
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So it would be nice if that finally became useful.
It's been a while since I've used the Zoom R16 as anything other than an interface, but it works well on its own. It's in good shape, and I know what to do with it.
That leaves me with what to choose as the third synth, for pads and arps. My first choice is the MicroFreak, but I have MicroKorg sitting around that I've barely used and I"m tempted to give that a try.
On the software end, it's gonna be Reaper and I should be ready to use it with the same ease as I use GarageBand now by February. The timeline is basically: October: test the setup and make decisions; November, December: Learn to use Reaper and the BeatStep Pro with this setup; January; record some instrumental DAWless jams: February: FAWM, electronic edition.
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On the software end, it's gonna be Reaper and I should be ready to use it with the same ease as I use GarageBand now by February. The timeline is basically: October: test the setup and make decisions; November, December: Learn to use Reaper and the BeatStep Pro with this setup; January; record some instrumental DAWless jams: February: FAWM, electronic edition.
So far the only money I've spent is on a license for Reaper. It'd be nice if that was it and everything else is covered by equipment Spouse and I already own.
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So far the only money I've spent is on a license for Reaper. It'd be nice if that was it and everything else is covered by equipment Spouse and I already own.
People don't like watching videos to help solve a problem they're having right now (too slow, too unpredictable) but this five-minute video on YouTube told me exactly the things I needed to know to make the Beatstep Pro and the SR16 talk to one another, even though the note chart is a little off: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eeYGHKVICKY
Basically, the notes on the drum section of the BeatStep Pro aren't organized like on the two other sequencer sections.
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People don't like watching videos to help solve a problem they're having right now (too slow, too unpredictable) but this five-minute video on YouTube told me exactly the things I needed to know to make the Beatstep Pro and the SR16 talk to one another, even though the note chart is a little off: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eeYGHKVICKY
Basically, the notes on the drum section of the BeatStep Pro aren't organized like on the two other sequencer sections.
When I went to take the midi hub box of its box, for the first time in years, I finally remembered that it was intended for use with a computer and DAW. Which is fine, that was the use case that I bought it for. But it means that with this device, the hardware-based version of the setup won't be DAWless. Which is fine! Except it's not because it means more desk space, more sockets in use and more complexity.
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When I went to take the midi hub box of its box, for the first time in years, I finally remembered that it was intended for use with a computer and DAW. Which is fine, that was the use case that I bought it for. But it means that with this device, the hardware-based version of the setup won't be DAWless. Which is fine! Except it's not because it means more desk space, more sockets in use and more complexity.
I'll still do it, because I got this far already and it's a learning experience. Also, I want to see how far I can get with the stuff I already have and without spending any money. But the all-virtual variant is looking more attractive now. Though I will need to look into drum plugins again, because until now I've been relying on whatever came with GarageBand, and I won't be using GarageBand in this project.
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I'll still do it, because I got this far already and it's a learning experience. Also, I want to see how far I can get with the stuff I already have and without spending any money. But the all-virtual variant is looking more attractive now. Though I will need to look into drum plugins again, because until now I've been relying on whatever came with GarageBand, and I won't be using GarageBand in this project.
I guess I could just admit that hybrid is the way to go: one or two hardware synths at a time, as many as fit on the upstairs desk, and virtual otherwise. Or I could completely clear out the upstairs desk and try to fit everything in. Which, meh, if it doesn't fit on the dining table, it's not gonna fit on the upstairs desk.
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I guess I could just admit that hybrid is the way to go: one or two hardware synths at a time, as many as fit on the upstairs desk, and virtual otherwise. Or I could completely clear out the upstairs desk and try to fit everything in. Which, meh, if it doesn't fit on the dining table, it's not gonna fit on the upstairs desk.
Progress today: tried using the MIDI out.through of the SR16 to control the MicroBrute and after fixing the channel in Midi Control Center, that worked. Made a usable bass patch on the MicroBrute and recorded some garbage to prove that it was working.
Meanwhile, upstairs, I tried out the Cube MI5 MIDI interface within Reaper, and played the MicroFreak through the virtual keyboard in Reaper. Nice.Tomorrow I may put all the things together. Or leave the house for a bit, IDK.
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Progress today: tried using the MIDI out.through of the SR16 to control the MicroBrute and after fixing the channel in Midi Control Center, that worked. Made a usable bass patch on the MicroBrute and recorded some garbage to prove that it was working.
Meanwhile, upstairs, I tried out the Cube MI5 MIDI interface within Reaper, and played the MicroFreak through the virtual keyboard in Reaper. Nice.Tomorrow I may put all the things together. Or leave the house for a bit, IDK.
Oh! I also found a USB hub so I will have enough ports on my laptop to hook up the audio interface, MIDI interface and controller, and cleared up desk space upstairs. In a pinch, I can get everything on there as long as I don't use anything larger than the MicroFreak/Brute.
And there was one more thing, but I forgot what it was again.
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Oh! I also found a USB hub so I will have enough ports on my laptop to hook up the audio interface, MIDI interface and controller, and cleared up desk space upstairs. In a pinch, I can get everything on there as long as I don't use anything larger than the MicroFreak/Brute.
And there was one more thing, but I forgot what it was again.
In case you were wondering why I'm writing up all these tiny steps in a public place: it's for days like today when putting it all together fails miserably. I tried to do, with three devices at the time, what I did successfully with one device on a different computer, from memory. So that was a much bigger step and after an hour and a half of scratching my head, I have nothing to show for it.
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In case you were wondering why I'm writing up all these tiny steps in a public place: it's for days like today when putting it all together fails miserably. I tried to do, with three devices at the time, what I did successfully with one device on a different computer, from memory. So that was a much bigger step and after an hour and a half of scratching my head, I have nothing to show for it.
Yesterday: set up a MIDI track in Reaper with the virtual keyboard as its input, routed it to a MIDI output on the Icon M15, sent that MIDI signal to the MicroFreak, got successfully played the MicroFreak that way.
Today: set up two MIDI tracks in Reaper with the BeatStep Pro as their inputs, routed to two MIDI outputs on the Icon M15, sent those signals to the drum machine and the MicroBrute, got zip. Didn't even get around to hooping up the 'Freak.
