My take: Drambo is an Octatrack with a modular system, endless software synths and effects nestled into one package. The ultimate groove box, not really a DAW, but can do DAW-like things😂. Clear as mud take.
Ben Richards’ Drambo videos are great.
2 Likes
I get where you’re coming from!
Here is where I started:
Drambo Tutorials by Sound For More
I sometimes build with the modules to build synths, and effects but I don’t do this when I approach jamming/making a song.
Here is my workflow:
I always start with the Sample Drum Machine. It has room to add more tracks for other sounds you may want to have for a jam/song.
It’s under new -> Sample Drum Machine
It’s the last option on the list. From here you can pick a sound, and add it to the sequencer or live record it. What’s really cool is if you picked any of the sample based sounds, like snare for example, and enter keyboard mode.
Keyboard mode lets you access 2 octaves worth of samples based on the drum track your working on. So 2 octaves of different snare samples, and you can change pitch and all that good stuff in the sampler. Add reverb and delay….
Once I get a drum beat going, I add more tracks over the drums. I’ll sometimes use an instrument preset from Drambo, or one I’ve found on PatchStorage, or one I made. You can even add other apps like Moog model D, and get some nice bass, and leads going.
On top of this, I’ll usually use Drambo built in effects or some I’ve found on patch storage. I also use some made by 3rd parties, like klevgrand.
Then I start building like I’m in a mix between groove box, and DAW.
I start with drums. Once I get a beat, I’ll work on a bass line.
From here I copy the pattern, and work on pattern 2. Either make it more complex by adding instruments that play Melodie’s or chords, try to add more excitement to my drums by putting more drum hits, or changing the pattern to be more exciting than what I stated with on pattern 1.
After that, I’ll decide if pattern 1 needs more work to be an interesting intro.
Then I’ll make more copy’s of the 2 patterns and try to make them into a chorus, bridge, and outro . Any other song part that might fancy the song structure. Basically build off the 2 patterns and try to make different song parts to build a song. Cymbals and crashes help transitions. So do having an instrument or noise sound continue onto another pattern.
Most of the time when I get this far, I’ll edit some sounds, audition different effects, tweak things.
I also use the sample drum machine a lot just to make beats on my phone. When I’m bored somewhere, when I’m camping… anyway I guess I find the drum machine a good start place for fun and inspiration.
There must be so many approaches to work flow on Drambo.
10 Likes
Not revisited Drambo since my initial purchase. I think I just dont enjoy making music on my iPad.
A few years ago there were talks of a native desktop MacOS app. Has there been any news on this or was this just a rumour?
it works on M1 macs already, but the interactions are all ipad-focused, so sometimes its like simulating swipes with your touchpad.
Drambo is your OctaTrack meets Digitakt meets Digitone meets your full studio setup with all your favorite hardware and software synths at your disposal and controllable from a great touch based UI.
I have never been so productive as i have with Drambo.
I have a couple playlists geared toward it on my YouTube page.
Creations:
How To:
If you’re a fan of the Elektron way of making music, Drambo will fit you like a glove.
4 Likes
Really enjoying this sampling workflow with PlayBox and Drambo:
Be sure and grab the link to the samples from the YouTube description if you like the vibe.
1 Like
PlayBox will be a permanent fixture in my Sample kit moving forward. Glad it plays so well with me in Drambo FlexiSampler:
Samples are available via link in the YT Descrition👊🏼™️
4 Likes
I absolutely love this app. I use it on an iPad mini with a headphone jack.
I want to get a bigger iPad, but they don’t have aux out, only blue tooth. For anyone that uses their iPad to make music, how do you deal with the latency issues for headphones or speakers?
Is there something obvious I’m missing or is this a real problem? Seems crazy that music apps would work best only using the internal speakers!
I use headphones or a USB Audio interface with my iPad Pro. I never use Bluetooth when making music.
Just grab the USB-C Audio dongle to run the headphones with the iPad without a headphone jack.
USB-C Dongle
Lightning Dongle
2 Likes
Thank you! Didn’t know this existed, though it seems obvious now.
experimenting with some new techniques:
5 Likes
I got playbox after seeing you talk about it. playbox and XO/atlas. Unreal. It’s my dream setup. this must surely be the future of sampling? Playbox is like an advancement of an old NI plugin called polyplex but with all sorts of insane new features. I used to use it but they made sample import so much more accessible on playbox plus all the chord stuff and FX stack/randomisation. Look forward to this innovation reaching hardware one day. Mind blowing
just wanted to say thanks for the rec
@ddiamond84 the little hubs are nice too, search usb c hub for iPad. Some are like a little block that sticks out the side no wires. You get headphone Jack and sd card and USB ports too etc. not far off the price of those little dongles I think mine was about 30 quid
Am I going nuts or is there no way to either enter the midi note gate length manually or go beyond 16 (only to Inf)?
1 Like
I’d hit Drambo forums on beepstreet for a more prompt response, good question. I’ve never really tried that out of all the stuff I’ve done in it
increase the pattern length
tap here
hold step and drag
tadaa!
I don’t know of an easier way. I hope this helps you.
1 Like
Thank you. I fumbled around and kind of got to this, I’m just a bit confused as to why you can’t double tap on the gate length and set it manually. That and the lack of a redo when.you accidentally hit undo are my two main bugbears, though in the scheme of things they’re pretty small.
Anyone know if it’s possible to use other iOS apps in Drambo that can only be accessed by ‘inter-app audio’ as opposed to AU3? I can’t seem to find a workaround, if there is one.
Anyone knows if it is possible to have the DN send notes from all 16 keys/pads; would love to be able to map to all 16 pads inside of Drambo? Able to do this in scale mode on the MC-101 but not as good as DN for Drambo.
I couldn’t find a way to do it within Drambo. My first thought is to host Drambo from within AUM which has inter-app audio support.
Good luck!