Korg Drumlogue

The Lounge Other Gear
#673

Can’t wait to hear real usecase of Drumlogue, especially grittier side of this machine :slight_smile:
Another machines video is great to show more personnal stuff created with this machine, but more is always welcome!

Initially, demo sounds didn’t catch my ear, but the more I listen to them, the more I start to feel kind of strange good feeling about Drumlogue sound: it sounds alive.
It’s hard to explain, but to my ears, even through YT not that good quality, it sounds sometimes like some real drums. I don’t talk about congas samples or anything, it is more a global feeling.
I honestly don’t care about if sound is produced by analog or digital source, but here it sounds like synergy between both synthesis engines is perfectly achieved.

Looking for a tweakable drum machine, I followed Drumlogue with great interest, but finally pulled the trigger 2 weeks ago on a TR6S, with very interesting discount price (336 euro instead 399, here in France).
I have to wait some weeks as it is currently out of stock, not a problem as I’m not in a hurry. I can cancel the order, so I’m really asking myself: should I do it and try Drumlogue?

Already owner of multiple synths, grooveboxes and samplers, I don’t own a dedicated drum machine.
Usually producing linear song structures, I want to build a live project with OTmk2, playing world music loops, and kind-of breakbeat-techno-electro-ish beats produced by a live tweakable drum machine.
So I thought initially TR6S could perfectly help me to finally build my first liveset, with variations, scatter, faders (TR8S is too big for my desk, and its price may cause troubles with my wife :smiley: )

But after some analyze, I’m afraid that TR6S doesn’t allow the same live exploration and tweakability as what Drumlogue is capable of: less direct controls, more menu diving, scatter and variations are ok but need more preparation compared to, for example, on the fly step(s) looping.
And this Drumlogue sounds more and more a better fit with the kind of music I want to achieve.

Some questions about Drumlogue appear now:

  • is it possible to recall a kit after total mess (similar to Digitakt reload pattern)?
  • does pattern/kit change can be achieved with midi?
  • does switching kit/pattern is easily possible on the fly while playing? For example with shortcuts?
  • does this midi latency @Rokki21 faces may appear if only Drumlogue start/stop is synced as slave of OTmk2?

Sorry for this messy long post :slight_smile:

1 Like
#674

Kit and Pattern recall are both possible.
Kit and Pattern change can be achieved via MIDI as well.
Fairly easy to load a new kit or pattern while playing. Both have dedicated buttons.
Not sure about the MIDI latency.

I’ve used both the Drumlogue and the Tr-6S fairly extensively. They are very different experiences. The 6S I’d describe as bright, shiny, and malleable, whereas I’d describe the Drumlogue as woolier, darker, and more ‘messy’ sounding. Both sound really good in the right hands; it’s how you wield your weapon. Drumlogue offers more hands on control.

Hope that helps!

3 Likes
#675

Great to know about all these kit and pattern stuff.
And about how Drumlogue sounds, that’s also my feeling.
I will take some time to decide.
Thanks a lot for these precious information, it will help me for sure!

#676

Is it wrong that I expect to be able to hold a step, turn a knob and have that step reflect the turn, ala Elektron p-locks? I’ve become well versed in Korg’s motion recording principles over the years but somehow I expect to be able to simply hold a step and twiddle a knob to affect a change, rather than holding a step and altering one of the options displayed on the screen?

I may be completely incorrect and the hold/twiddle function may be present, I haven’t spent much time with the documentation.

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#677

I have the same problem with Non-Elektrons. They set the bar high!

3 Likes
#678

Made a little video after work, the ‘riser’ reverb on that percussion sample adds a lot of depth to the mix. I added a little saturation, a smidge of compression, gentle EQ and limiting to the recording but it mainly served to add subtle beef and boost the volume rather than any drastic changes.

10 Likes
#679

I’m perfectly happy with my TR8S; have plenty of other drum options with a Akai Force and SP404, yet I keep looking at this thread!!

I do like the sounds here, nice groove you got going. If this thing had been £400 range think I’d have jumped, just feels a little to much at the mo.

1 Like
#680

That´s a fine kick you got there, good sir! Reveb reminds me of the Eventide Blackhole with reverse decay. Nice. :slight_smile:

1 Like
#681

Thanks, and I get you, I’d rather it was £400-ish as well. Had it been released a few years ago it definitely would have been. The cost of everything has risen so much - not only components, but basic materials such as wood and metal. Costs as much to build a big shed as it would have to install an entire conservatory five years ago. That said, it’s way more versatile than any Volca and it supports user samples, including stereo samples. So a pretty good deal.

Thanks, I’m rather fond it that kick too. And I have
the Blackhole VST and agree, it is similar. It’s the Riser reverb model, the opposite of the Submarine model. I think they’re both from the Minilogue XD. There’s also a synced tape delay with a touch of modulation on it for that weird warble thing.

6 Likes
#682

Found this jam, nice one for my ears

6 Likes
#683

so has anybody released stuff for the drumlogue SDK yet? i was scouring this thread hoping to find some links but nothing

#684

Haven’t seen anything yet, looking forward to some cool FX and Synth machines!

#685

Nick Batt’s review is up

1 Like
#686

Looks like midi implementation is still pretty janky - when Nick records a bassline in, it plays back weirdly. It clearly didn’t record properly. That aside, I really like some of the sounds he shows off here though - the more I hear, the more I like it.

2 Likes
#687

Honestly the rhythm track on the new SH-4d looks more interesting to me than the Drumlogue.

3 Likes
#688

New demo…does it slap?

2 Likes
#689

Finally canceled TR6s purchase and jumped on a new Drumlogue sale.
Arrived the day before yesterady, but it took me just a little time with it to think I definitely not regret this machine!
I was looking to create something different from what I heard in various demo, so here are 2 short audio examples.
Drumlogue only with factory samples, recorded in FL Studio, and only used Maximus to enhance sound a bit.
Of course, better to listen wit headphones or good speakers.

In this one I used Boost Fx, really great to color sound and add some distortion to global sound:

In this one I used compressor. I tried plock samples, and it is possible as long as samples are in the same category (here, was in “misc” category). Played a bit with filter on plocke’d samples track:

I already find some things to improve:

  • better “Room” reverb (this room sounds too big to my ears :smiley: ). But I’m sure some custom fx will appear soon. If not, I’ll start to learn c/c++ to create my own
  • few more samples tweak would be welcome (reverse, …)
  • assignable knobs would be incredibly useful, as current ones are usable only for sound design, not for live, in my personnal usecase.
  • and more to come soon :smiley:

But globally I love its specific sound.

Hope it can help people to enjoy a bit more this unloved machine :slight_smile:

24 Likes
#690

See, I think some machines get a bad rap upon release because the demos or YouTube walkthroughs are so uninspired. Just 4 on the floor generic examples. But if most synthfluencer demos were this interesting, I think the Drumlogue reception would have been much more positive. Great musicians can coax great sounds from anything. Well done and would have tipped me over the edge pre Roland SH-4d.

2 Likes
#691

So a friend left his Drumlogue at my studio after a jam, and I got to play around with it a bit.

Seems very much like a budget Rytm to me. Specifically, it has a lot of the AR functionality for less money and sounds quite good. I certainly can imagine people using this to make great music. It looks good too.
What I didn’t like is the clunkiness of the interface, which IMO is not on par with elektron or Roland. This really surprised me, as I’m used to the relative intuitiveness of Korg’s electribes and volcas. If I had to choose a hybrid A/D (or ACB) drum machine in that price region right now, I’d go with Rytm Mk1, Syntakt or even TR-8S, so much easier to perform on these and do sound design on them, from my perspective.
I own these three drum machines and Drumlogue can’t add anything new to what I’m doing with them already. Still a good machine though, don’t get me wrong.

5 Likes
#692

We need Noise Engineering models in this box !

5 Likes