I think building is part of the learning experience for new users, and sadly, probably easier than teaching them how to download and install tutorial patches from Patchstorage.
I like the idea of tutorial patches, but if it's already built you miss out on learning how to make connections and set all the parameters yourself.
I really think the LEGO analogy works well here.
Give these kids instructions to build some basic workhorse patches, and then let them loose on the full arsenal of bricks modules.
I'm currently working on designing an example recipe to test the idea (it'll be the first, most basic, one)
@tk32 The tutorial patches would make most sense when they're part of the factory set of course.
Call them introductory or modular basics, I don't think they would stop people from building more advanced stuff because they're too simple to be useful yet they should spark new ideas.
I don't think that the LEGO analogy works here, Drambo is not plug and play.
Hm, I think the LEGO analogy works well, I’ve described Drambo as musical legos already independently of this discussion. If not legos, then it’s the cookbook that teaches you how to cook; what you learn in one recipe you can carry over to other dishes. Eventually you’ll be able to cook from scratch.
Is there a way to offset a track (main seq, not seq modules) to compensate for audio interface latency?
Does anyone know if when multichannel AU support drops it will apply to inputs as well or output only? (trying to work out a workflow for hardware - sampling/resampling)
I'd like to mention two great examples: Audiobus and Groove Rider GR-16.
They sync to IAA, Ableton LINK and MIDI clock, latency can be compensated in both directions (with the first step after starting playback obviously not starting shifted 😉) , effectively syncing well to any hardware I've tried by now.
My best bet would be to host Drambo inside Audiobus 3 for now.
First and foremost, thank you to whoever made the visual guides. Absolutely love them and they are my intial reference point right now. I do think that I am one of the people who will benefit greatly from this tutorial/manual/guide project.
Secondly, I suggest that you write a plan for the guide. What you wish to achieve and how. When that's agreed you can refer to it when you disagree, or update it with an agreement.
Lastly, no single document can be all things to all users. It will be different at the end from what you set out to achieve. It looks to me like there are some very fundamental disagreements on this thread about what this guide should be. Don't waste all your passion, enthusiasm and energy on those disagreements. Write something instead.
I think this is a really good idea. People assume way too much knowledge. Questions are often answered with baffling technical explanations that shortcut the steps required and will fly over the heads of most users. I'm learning quite a bit from Drambo, but some of the concepts are still alien to me, so I think I would appreciate the more advanced step-by-step recipes.
I started creating my own reference manual, initially it was to focus on the modules but I started working on explaining the UI as a proof of concept. This could be something that others find useful and could be worked on as a community project. Otherwise I'll just keep working on it as a project for myself.
You can check it out on the link below (it may be a bit slow so just give it time to load the screen):
Probably stating the obvious for most, but can be useful for those diving in for the first time... (feel free to use/share)
Step Conditions
You can spice up your composition using step conditions. Most step conditions relate to the main step event 'MIDI NOTE'.
MIDI NOTE
Determines note conditions.
By default C2 note will be inserted on selected step. Tap&Hold note name and press a note on the keyboard to change.
You can set velocity, gate (note length), and offset (positive delay percentage)
Pre - event - Conditions (blue header):
These conditions always have to be placed in front of the event (notes, other conditions) and determine whether the following event will happen or not. Multiple Pre Conditions cannot be applied to a single event.
CYCLE CONDITION
Determines at which pattern cycle condition is true.
Set Length to determine how many pattern cycles should be counted for. Enable with buttons at which cycle condition is true
f.e: Placed in front of a MIDI NOTE a with the settings Length = 4, Buttons 1 and 4 enabled will trigger note on the first pattern cycle, rest for the following 2 cycles and trigger note on the 4th cycle, then repeat. Buttons 5, 6, 7 and 8 are disregarded because of the Length being lower.
RANDOM CONDITION
Probability percentage whether the following event is triggered or not.
SCENE CONDITION
Is true when scene selected and fader points toward the scene.
f.e: scene A/B selected on the left/right sides of the fader respectively and B scene condition is active in front of MIDI NOTE event . No notes triggered while fader is on the left (scene A), moving the fader to the right, once fader is over halfway to the right (scene B) note will be triggered.
Other Conditions (grey header):
RETRIG
Placed after a MIDI NOTE will retrigger (ratchet) the note.
TRANSPOSE
Placed after a MIDI NOTE will transpose the note.
ONCE CONDITION
Placed in front of a MIDI NOTE will trigger midi note only once. Resets when sequencer stopped. Can be useful when longer (then pattern length) samples, loops, backing tracks need a single trigger start them.
JUMP
Will jump to selected step (1-16). Inclusive of the step it is placed on, so placement regarding the note is irrelevant, in fact can be used without MIDI NOTE. Can be used to achieve polyrhythms.
Additional PARAM LOCK will appear if parameter lock(s) are present for the step. All parameter locks are included as one and you can attach conditions to it.
Comments
I've also started a Dram-d'Oh Tips and tricks thread, in which everyone is invited to share their best tips & tricks and "d'oh" moments.
Thanks to @SpartanClownTide for the suggestion
@rs2000
I think building is part of the learning experience for new users, and sadly, probably easier than teaching them how to download and install tutorial patches from Patchstorage.
I like the idea of tutorial patches, but if it's already built you miss out on learning how to make connections and set all the parameters yourself.
I really think the LEGO analogy works well here.
Give these kids instructions to build some basic workhorse patches, and then let them loose on the full arsenal of
bricksmodules.I'm currently working on designing an example recipe to test the idea (it'll be the first, most basic, one)
@tk32 The tutorial patches would make most sense when they're part of the factory set of course.
Call them introductory or modular basics, I don't think they would stop people from building more advanced stuff because they're too simple to be useful yet they should spark new ideas.
I don't think that the LEGO analogy works here, Drambo is not plug and play.
Hm, I think the LEGO analogy works well, I’ve described Drambo as musical legos already independently of this discussion. If not legos, then it’s the cookbook that teaches you how to cook; what you learn in one recipe you can carry over to other dishes. Eventually you’ll be able to cook from scratch.
The building blocks of tutorials and demos are not in the presets
that would speed things up ...
Is there a way to offset a track (main seq, not seq modules) to compensate for audio interface latency?
Does anyone know if when multichannel AU support drops it will apply to inputs as well or output only? (trying to work out a workflow for hardware - sampling/resampling)
Thanks in advance! :)
None that I know of, the sequencer does not support negative offsets so you can only delay events forward.
And even this is limited to individual steps, you cannot select all steps and change the offset of all events, so I would say: no.
A chap trick is to add delays where necessary to match everything up. Not nice but at least a workaround.
@rs2000 👍
Yep, multi select/edit step components would be handy and probably difficult given the flexibility.
Thanks!
Yeah, freaking latency is always the death of inspiration when trying to bring various sources under one roof :D
@TheInvisibleMan, @rec
I'd like to mention two great examples: Audiobus and Groove Rider GR-16.
They sync to IAA, Ableton LINK and MIDI clock, latency can be compensated in both directions (with the first step after starting playback obviously not starting shifted 😉) , effectively syncing well to any hardware I've tried by now.
My best bet would be to host Drambo inside Audiobus 3 for now.
First and foremost, thank you to whoever made the visual guides. Absolutely love them and they are my intial reference point right now. I do think that I am one of the people who will benefit greatly from this tutorial/manual/guide project.
Secondly, I suggest that you write a plan for the guide. What you wish to achieve and how. When that's agreed you can refer to it when you disagree, or update it with an agreement.
Lastly, no single document can be all things to all users. It will be different at the end from what you set out to achieve. It looks to me like there are some very fundamental disagreements on this thread about what this guide should be. Don't waste all your passion, enthusiasm and energy on those disagreements. Write something instead.
I think this is a really good idea. People assume way too much knowledge. Questions are often answered with baffling technical explanations that shortcut the steps required and will fly over the heads of most users. I'm learning quite a bit from Drambo, but some of the concepts are still alien to me, so I think I would appreciate the more advanced step-by-step recipes.
I started creating my own reference manual, initially it was to focus on the modules but I started working on explaining the UI as a proof of concept. This could be something that others find useful and could be worked on as a community project. Otherwise I'll just keep working on it as a project for myself.
You can check it out on the link below (it may be a bit slow so just give it time to load the screen):
https://www.figma.com/proto/ma6K8N1SRqMuZS1ktealXf/DRAMBO?node-id=7%3A2&viewport=55%2C534%2C0.35967352986335754&scaling=scale-down
Figma is a really cool design tool with prototyping functions but unfortunately cannot integrate sounds.
Trying to embed the link as well to see if it works attached
Probably stating the obvious for most, but can be useful for those diving in for the first time... (feel free to use/share)
Step Conditions
You can spice up your composition using step conditions. Most step conditions relate to the main step event 'MIDI NOTE'.
MIDI NOTE
Determines note conditions.
By default C2 note will be inserted on selected step. Tap&Hold note name and press a note on the keyboard to change.
You can set velocity, gate (note length), and offset (positive delay percentage)
Pre - event - Conditions (blue header):
These conditions always have to be placed in front of the event (notes, other conditions) and determine whether the following event will happen or not. Multiple Pre Conditions cannot be applied to a single event.
CYCLE CONDITION
Determines at which pattern cycle condition is true.
Set Length to determine how many pattern cycles should be counted for. Enable with buttons at which cycle condition is true
f.e: Placed in front of a MIDI NOTE a with the settings Length = 4, Buttons 1 and 4 enabled will trigger note on the first pattern cycle, rest for the following 2 cycles and trigger note on the 4th cycle, then repeat. Buttons 5, 6, 7 and 8 are disregarded because of the Length being lower.
RANDOM CONDITION
Probability percentage whether the following event is triggered or not.
SCENE CONDITION
Is true when scene selected and fader points toward the scene.
f.e: scene A/B selected on the left/right sides of the fader respectively and B scene condition is active in front of MIDI NOTE event . No notes triggered while fader is on the left (scene A), moving the fader to the right, once fader is over halfway to the right (scene B) note will be triggered.
Other Conditions (grey header):
RETRIG
Placed after a MIDI NOTE will retrigger (ratchet) the note.
TRANSPOSE
Placed after a MIDI NOTE will transpose the note.
ONCE CONDITION
Placed in front of a MIDI NOTE will trigger midi note only once. Resets when sequencer stopped. Can be useful when longer (then pattern length) samples, loops, backing tracks need a single trigger start them.
JUMP
Will jump to selected step (1-16). Inclusive of the step it is placed on, so placement regarding the note is irrelevant, in fact can be used without MIDI NOTE. Can be used to achieve polyrhythms.
Additional PARAM LOCK will appear if parameter lock(s) are present for the step. All parameter locks are included as one and you can attach conditions to it.