Add a 'step' mode for the Start slice in Flexi sampler.

So here's the thing: Let's say i load a loop and slice it to 8 slices. I Just want to play the whole loop linearly, one slice after another. I have to place eight triggers in the sequencer using midi keyboard, and choose Note in Start slice menu. That works. But what if i've created 16, or 32, or 64 slices? It means i'd have to MANUALLY enter 64 different notes into sequencer, not practical at all...

But even if i did set all the right triggers in the sequence, what if i decide to put Start slice into Random mode? Every slice will play different pitch then, while choosing random slice. So if i want to switch between two, i have to or make another sequence, or disconnect the pitch input of the sampler...


If there was another mode for Start slice, called Step, which would ADVANCE the slice on every trigger, it would allow people to set up the track quickly playing the original loop, and then start mangling with it, just like it's done on Octatrack. For example if i would want some particular step to play some particular slice, i would just use parameter lock to change Start slice to Note, and change the note in the sequencer itself. If i want a random slice to play instead of next slice, again, i'd just parameter lock this particular sequencer step into Random.


Hope this makes some sense. If there are existing, better ways to make quick sequences from the sliced loops let me know guys!

Comments

  • edited August 2020

    One way to do it is with a CV Sequencer. Set the number of steps to the number of slices. Then in the Flexi sampler set the Mode to 1-Slice, and Start Slice to Offset. Link the offset knob to the output of the CV Sequencer. Set the Clock for the CV Sequencer and the Flexi to the trigger from the MIDI to CV. If you like, add a Trigger Button and connect that to Reset on the CV Sequencer.

    Whenever you play a note it will trigger the next slice.


    I hope that makes sense. Also that it's a valid way of doing it. I haven't tried anything like this before. It seems to work though.

    [edit] actually, the CV Sequencer seems to need to be adjusted for longer slices. There's probably a better way. Hopefully one of the experts will chime in.

  • Definitely! I find that especially useful in screenshots when you want to show something quickly without uploading anything. I'd love Drambo handle that for me when hitting a "show cables" button but when I suggested that months ago, responses were very negative so apparently very few people agree.

  • The solution itself is somewhat odd though. I expected each semitones step in the sequencer to trigger one slice. But one of the slices was about twice as long as the others, and it triggered on two steps. I feel like there should be a better way of doing this but I’m too new at this stuff to know the best way.

    btw, the arrows were done with the iOS annotations editor that comes up when you take a screenshot.

  • edited August 2020

    Again, there are many ways to accomplish this behavior.

    If all you want is to trigger one slice after another, I would do it this way:

    • Slice your audio into equally sized slices or by transients
    • In case of transient-sliced markers, insert an additional slice wherever there's a longer slice length so you have rhythmically equal-spaced slices (even with triggered step advance, you would need this anyway if you don't want to enter all sequencer steps manually)
    • Use an LFO with rising sawtooth as pitch (note) signal and a clock generator to trigger the slices independently from the track's sequencer.
  • Hi @rs2000 - Can you help me understand why using an LFO is better than using a CV Sequencer? Playin' catch-up trying to learn Drambo here...

    Use an LFO with rising sawtooth as pitch (note) signal and a clock generator to trigger the slices independently from the track's sequencer.


  • edited August 2020

    For the sole reason that the CV seq will only give you up to 16 steps.

    Nothing against using four chained CV sequencers tho, I'd do it like this:

    Time signal goes to G.Shaper 1, to Offset and to Offset 2. Chain as many CV.seq as you like, subtracting another 1 from each consecutive offset.

    This would give you full slice selection control for each step.

    You might rather choose the simple LFO approach if you plan to randomize slice selection anyway, by adding an adjustable amount of random CV, maybe triggered only at off-beat positions by letting a respective CV sequencer control the randomness.

  • edited August 2020

    Ahh thanks for the great explanation. Very helpful. I hadn't thought about handling more than 16 slices.

    None of these solutions are great to solve the OP for live use and for widely varying samples. I agree that a a step advance slice by slice would be a nice feature to have.

  • edited September 2020

    Would be nice to hear Developers' opinion on this(@giku )...Drambo definitely missing a simple way to place the triggers onto the sequencer grid right now, piano keyboard and doing it manually is so...non-modular non-groovebox'y...if Drambo aims to be an equivalent to octatrack it should have its basic functionality at least...i mean, i know, this is totally different piece of equipment, but still, why do you have that step sequencer and all that other cool stuff when u cant use then together properly and have to literary PROGRAM simple stuff like playing all slices one after another with the help of other sequencers and LFO's...On octatrack, this takes lik eone press of a button, and all the slices are placed to the sequencer slice by slice in form of step triggers, and then u can start to mess up with the sequence...

  • Actually after playing with all the different way i've realized that none will really do what a simple one to one slice to step placement does: i just want to have my loop sliced, distributed to the step sequencer of the track, so then i can mute the slices/steps i don't want, or double/repeat some of them, or add some processing only on some of the steps...basically, i just want some octatrack functionality, hehe) it just doesn't make sense to use Drambo as a phrase sampler otherwise in my opinion. I hope this functionality will be added, kind of disappointing that it doesn't do it already.

  • edited September 2020

    i mean having a loop sliced to 16 parts and then pressing a button to have a 16 triggers placed on the step sequencer grid automatically each corresponding to a midi note associated to a slice...that's what octatrack does, brilliant way to to get your loop ready for further manipulations while keeping the initial structure...in Drambo i need to figure out which note it is that plays the first slice, press it, then place a trigger to a step sequencer grid, then next, and so on...it feels like it was designed with keyboard player in mind rather than designed for electronic/beat-based music production, but i know it's not true, just this aspect of sample/loop manipulation is not developed enough yet...

  • slices already assigned to midi notes, that's done, but there's no way to quickly or automatically place the triggers which will play those notes on the sequencer grid...

  • no idea why u r talking about midi input export, i don't want to have ANYTHING to do with midi files, notation, anything like that, lol. Octatrack users don't think in terms of midi notes or whatever, they think samples, loops, steps, triggers, parameter locks. Midi or not, couldn't care less...

  • edited September 2020

    There should just be one button in the slice editor "Create Pattern" which assigns the correct "midi" note to each trigger, each slice already has the note information so cant be that hard to automatically create those triggers ;)

  • edited September 2020

    I like cables also but I guess it goes against the Drambo philosophy and probably eat CPU. It takes some time to get used to the color coding and still it can be hard to figure out whats connected to what especially when something is connected to a different track !! Maybe we need a back view like Reason which show the cable connections but perhaps its totally overkill.

  • edited September 2020

    -1 for cables. Yuck. šŸ˜¬

  • +1

    but I’d settle just for each note chromatically up the scale playing a slice. I’d be happy enough just to play them into the sequencer myself.

  • @stellaremodular, @number37

    I didn't suggest adding cables. Please read again. The connection concept is one strength of Drambo and needs no change.

    What I've suggested is something like a Button you can hit so the actual connections would temporarily be shown clearly, following the same monitoring concept that @giku suggested earlier, showing CPU load per module and CV values on each port.

  • edited September 2020

    In Flexi Sampler? How (other than the "sort of" way I got it to work with the CV Sequencer, as noted above and in subsequent posts)?

    What I'm talking about is the ability to slice, then play/sequence each individuall slice from the first to the last with notes on the keyboard.

    Or, is are you talking it being working in a beta?

  • edited September 2020

    My post was in reference to @stellaremodular 's not yours. Also, I was referring to the idea of cables cluttering the existing UI more than if they were in some sort of separate overview, which I agree could be useful, whether with cables or some other representation.

  • This is already working since the first Drambo release. If you add a slice its directly mapped to a midi note and you can play it on the keyboard. You have to set Start slice to "Note".

  • I guess we are on the same page, I was suggesting a back mode of the modules like reason which could show the cable connections. I dont have anything against the way Drambo works with the color coding, it just takes some time to get used to. The only point where it does not work in my opinion is when you make module connections outside the track, its hard to make the connection and hard to recognise the connection afterwards ;) And yes I prefer cables as its visually just very clear whats connected to what and there is no need to press a button to visualise it but I am not suggesting Drambo needs this.

  • edited September 2020

    No. Not the way I've suggested to implement it.

    Relying on colors mostly works well enough unless...

    • you don't have too many modules in your track and
    • you ignore colorblind people because they "only" make about 8% of men worldwide
  • edited September 2020

    You’re right. I must be losing my mind. šŸ™„

    I had been playing from AUM's keyboard, on which a C2 is actually C1 in Drambo. So, only the first slice was triggering within that octave. I had forgotten about the octave mismatch.

  • Was something like this implemented in the end or are we still in the age of 'midi samplers'? I've stopped using Drambo some time ago, would love to go back to it but it's too frustrating for loop/phrase-based production workflow...

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