MID Machines

Elektron Gear Machinedrum
#1

I use the MD solely for drums (and a few FX) at this point, but I’ve been debating using it to sequence my Volcabeats (instead of using the MnM) so that all my drum programming is on one machine and all my synth programming is on another.

However, in looking at the MID machine info in the MD manual, it seems that you can only choose the note (C2, B1, etc) on the trigger, and then everything else is entered via semi-tones. Is there a way to change N2 and N3 to being actual note entries instead of semitones? Trying to count semitones with the way the KVB has their sounds laid out would be a huge pain in the butt (they don’t put all their drums in order - the kick is C2 and then some of the other instruments are up in the 6th octave or something stupid like that).

If not, I guess it makes more sense to keep using a MIDI channel on the MnM to control the KVB, right?

#2

No.

Well, maybe. If it works for you then fine. Do you not have enough tracks on the Machinedrum to use a few of them to control the Volca Beats’ individual sounds? Is the Volca Beats’ internal sequencer insufficient when run in sync with the MD & MM?

#3

The KVB internal sequencer only really does one bar patterns, so it’s not as versatile as the MD/MnM. In terms of using more MID machine, I tend to use a lot of triggers in my percussions and FX tracks, and the KVB has 10 sounds (not that I use them all at the same time).

I guess I’ll experiment some more and see how it goes.

#4

Iirc the MD displays note number in addition to the note “name”, and the Beats manual has the numbers you need.

Edit: I just realised you don’t want to build a whole kit with different Volca sounds on different tracks? Using N2 and N3 sounds cumbersome indeed.

#5

Yeah, I want to use the same track. That’s where it gets cumbersome.

#6

From the Beats I would only use the Kick : MD is better on all other sounds, IMO.

#7

I like the OH and CH of the Beats, and my buddy and I did the snare mod to remove that nasty distortion from it, so it’s much clearer.

But yeah, I pretty much use it for that deep sub kick.