Ben’s tutorials

edited April 2020 in How to's


I’ll be working on more of these. I’d be happy to take requests as well! I am also trying to find a good way to create a video index, as these are by no means short and I know most don’t want to sit through a lecture on Drambo.

Comments

  • Never had the chance to say: These are so awesome (and) helpful and kept me waiting in pain until release 😁

  • 👍 thanks mr. blaschke. I’ve enjoyed making these, and now you can see why we all had a hard time keeping quiet!

  • These vids are a great resource, not just for the technical aspects but also the overall philosophy of how to approach drambo. Thank you!

  • Awesome vids 🙏🏿,would be cool to see more sample flipping tuts and beat making 😂

  • edited April 2020

    Thank you Ben! You created some great informative and relaxed-watching videos. As you mentioned, if they could be a bit shorter and categorized in mono thematic smaller ones (e.g. Sampler, Midi, Fx, Synth, Sequence, Beats etc.) it will be fantastic!

    There is also Daveypoo with his Drambobites, but I find them a bit too short and introductory:

    Cheers and keep them coming! 🙏🏻

  • Many thanks for your tutos 🤘

  • Thanks all!

  • Thanks for making all the great Drambo tutorials!

    My Request.


    I would like to better understand how to use Math modules to modulate the parameters of other Modules.

    Some specific questions:

    Please,

    • Explain how Control Voltage and Gate signal works in Drambo / explain how CV and Gate signal is represented numerically in Drambo?

    ( I wish Drambo had a "CV Monitor Module" that could be used to see what the CV values are at various locations between Module connections ).

    • Explain some of the Math Modules, and provide some explanation about input and output values for some of the math modules.

    • Explain the "types of connections" and "range of numerical values" that Parameters which can be modulated, will respond to. Are the parameters that can be modulated "auto-calibrating" to whatever signal levels are being routed into them, or do they operate on some kind of a fixed value scale?

    • Please demonstrate how to configure "keytracking" for the Filter Resonance and/or Cutoff parameters so the filter can be set up to respond differently to notes according to their note pitch.

    Thanks :)

  • edited April 2020

    I could explain everything in detail but really, connect a Misc => Oscilloscope to these signals and see what happens. That already explains a lot and it's useful for debugging too. Leave threshold at minimum, it doesn't really work for me.

    Signals usually range between -1 to 1 (bipolar) or 0 to 1 (unipolar) with floating point fractions possible in-between.

    Which math module do you need help with?

    With most signals, you don't have to worry about "type of connection". There are pitch, gate and velocity signals for example but they are all "analog" signals that can be treated in the same way. Just like in a hardware modular system.

    Key tracking: Double-tap the cutoff knob of a filter with a modulatable cutoff (little triangle next to the knob), add pitch from the MIDI to CV module (the port with the musical note) and set the modulation depth to positive maximum. Pull up the filter resonance with a filter steeper than 6dB and see how nicely the resonance follows keyboard pitch :)

    PS: How's your Jupiter babe developing? ;)

  • @Horsetrainer agh, math :) I will need to get a better handle on these first. Key tracking, simply connect filter/resonance to pitch cv output and turn the amount all the way up for one-to-one pitch tracking. Or did you want non-linear response for key tracking? If so, then use graphic shaper between pitch and the destination to draw a curve.

  • And to piggy back off rs2000, graphic shaper is another very useful utility here to see what a signal is doing. It’s kind of like a value scope.

  • edited April 2020

    These questions are all related to the Jupiter build.

    I'm attempting to understand ways to use the math modules, and parameter modulations, to emulate certain aspects of the Jupiter.

    How can I use math to create non-linear voltage curves

    Using the Key tracking as an example. Instead of the CV voltage to the cutoff knob ramping up linearly with pitch increase. I'd like to construct a voltage curve that starts out gradual, but then starts to ramp up more and more with each increment of CV increase.

    I don't know what such a curve is called. But I'd like to be able to make them so the curve begins with the highest voltage level when CV is lowest, then decrease non-linearly as the CV increases. I'd also like to accomplish the opposite as stated above.

    I wish Drambo had a "voltage curve module" where I could simply draw in the curve I want, and any given input voltage would output the voltage level determined by the hight of the "curve line" directly above the graph position of the input voltage.

  • edited April 2020

    PS: Sorry for the bad formatting, I simply don't know how to use this forum text editor 😅


    These questions are all related to the Jupiter build.

    Cool!


    I'm attempting to understand ways to use the math modules, and parameter modulations, to emulate certain aspects of the Jupiter.

    How can I use math to create non-linear voltage curves


    Try 1/x, Exp, Log, Sqrt, multiplication, division.

    Tipp: To better see what they are doing, load an oscillator with SAW UP, place the math module behind, followed by an oscilloscope (or better two, one for the source signal and one for the output).

    The best math module however, well, you might have guessed, is the Graphic Shaper 😁

    But yes, it's not the most precise so if you can achieve something with a math function then that's better.


    ---


    Using the Key tracking as an example. Instead of the CV voltage to the cutoff knob ramping up linearly with pitch increase. I'd like to construct a voltage curve that starts out gradual, but then starts to ramp up more and more with each increment of CV increase.


    Sounds like an exponential function.


    ---


    I don't know what such a curve is called. But I'd like to be able to make them so the curve begins with the highest voltage level when CV is lowest, then decrease non-linearly and the CV increases. I'd also like to accomplish the opposite as stated above.


    Try 1/x, combined with log/exp etc depending on what shape you want.


    ---


    I wish Drambo had a "voltage curve module" where I could simply draw in the curve I want, and any given input voltage would output the voltage level determined by the hight of the "curve line" directly above the graph position of the input voltage.

    It's called Graphic Shaper, you can find it under "Processors".

  • Thanks, rs2000 & bcrichards.

    Somehow I missed that Graphic Shaper Module.

    I'm experimenting with your recommendations now.

    Another question though...

    How do "modulation capable parameters" respond to voltage level?

    It seems the little knob that appears after a connection is made to a parameter, defaults to a "do-nothing" position.

    Rotating the little knob "counter-clockwise" seems to set the "main knob" to virtually turn more "clockwise" relative to increasing input voltage.

    Rotating the little knob "clockwise" seems to set the "main knob" to virtually turn more "counter-clockwise" relative to increasing input voltage.

    Do I have this right?

    I'm asking because it seems a bit counter intuitive.


    Thanks again for your help!

  • hmm I think you have this backwards....try it just with an envelope on filter cutoff.

  • edited April 2020

    @bcrichards Thanks again for all the awesome tutorials. Was able to apply a couple of your techniques to this quick little lunch time jam:


    Uses the Scene Morph and Sample Start Stop technique you covered.

    Many thanks!

    -echo opera

  • Ok... I understand now... I figured it out by sending the Number Module directly to the filter cutoff.

    Thank you! :)

  • these videos have been an absolute help and source of inspiration man, really appreciate ya taking the time to do them.

    if i had any requests other than what youll create naturally, it would be some videos piecing together synths that we can follow along with maybe to understand how drambo works a bit better and for those like me that have played synths for years but never on a modular level or built a synth. drambo has a unique work flow and just watching people build synths is a great way to learn, i don’t retain much when i read lol

  • @echoopera i really enjoy watching these jams! It’s cool you get to watch the process in action


    @reasOne thanks for the idea

Sign In or Register to comment.