i want to resurrect an old topic from EUsers to get any fresh insight on this.
i have lately wanted to buys a nord drum 2, but since my MnM has been getting less love in the last few months, i decided to start using it as a dedicated 6 voice synthetic drum machine and i’ve been preeetttyy happy with the results. it’s halted my desire to buy the nord. maybe not the AR though…
is anyone using the MnM like this and care to share some examples? i am in the process of building up some kits that i’ll share in time.
for reference, here is the old thread (actuel posted some really good MnM only drum examples in this one)
Depends on the sort of beats you want - for odd textural and skewed stuff on a percussive tip it sounds great and works really well like this small audio example of mine here …
It’s been ages since I created that but yes it was using an FX track also, with FM Machines and DigiPro Box but the technique eludes me for some stupid reason right now.
This was the note i made on SC for the one above -
Working on some new beat and sound design experiments focusing on just the Elektron Monomachine as a sound source. Suffice to say the little SFX60+MkII never ceases to surprise with what it is capable of when you dig deep and explore Fx machines, neighbour tracks and even feedback looping a set of outputs into the inputs for reprocessing.
Ever since seeing Nicholas Lem’s live set I have gone back to this one unit with fresh ears, eyes, mindset and a new found appreciation for just what a clever piece of design it really is.
This was another one I did ( all MnM except the cello sample) that i made some notes for though.
Another reason why I love the Monomachine - ambient drone + string drone courtesy of ESX24 all beats programmed in the Monomachine and recorded in a single take.
Monomachine Track Config and Machines looks like this -
Track 1 GND>SIN
Track 2 DPRO> Box
Track 3 DPRO>BOX
Track 4 FM>STAT
Track 5 DPRO>BOX
Track 6 FX>FLANGER
FX INBUT is BUS CD with Track 2 outputting to BUS ABCD and Track 4 to BUS CD ONLY
I also find when using DPro>Box machines and the retrig function that you get far more mileage out of it with zero attack, and very little release with most of the trickery coming from how you use the HOLD and Decay features of the AMP envelope.
The GND>SIN Machine can also do some incredible good kicks with lots of thunk when needed also.
Funnily enough I was playing about with the DPRO>BOX machine for the first time today and really getting into it. I was all set to sell the Monomachine on, thinking it wasn’t for me, but it suddenly clicked. It’s a more inspiring instrument than the A4 for me.
thanks for sharing. i was digging into the DPRo a while back with arpeggiator and stuff like that but didn’t take it much farther. it sounds like there is a lot more potential than i have achieved so far with that machine. i was mostly interested in the synthesis machines for this topic, but hearing some really fresh stuff from that DPRo. i find the FM machines to be my favorites so far to get interesting percussions. keep the suggestions and examples coming! i’ll post some clips once i build a few more kits.
Good stuff guys. Still exploring, but I think between the MnM and OP-1 I will have all the percussion/drums I need to feed the OT. Too bad the Pulse 2 didn’t make the cut against the MnM, but I only have so much room and the MnM is just too powerful
the +/- exponential lfo set to trig on is useful for getting more snap.
i think the filters are the easiest way to get started with percussion and also a good way to learn the filters. (and then you can use them on effects tracks too!) there is a huge range of sound within only a couple steps on the base and width knobs.
and yeah, super bass.
a lot of times i start with the filter and then go back and try blending in synth sounds.
Here’s a live set I did centered around the MnM and the A4. The first track is live A4 keyboards + live MnM arpeggio drums. It’s fun how you can add individual hits to gradually get a longer and longer drum loop, changing meters from 3 to 4 etc as you go along.
The second track is a programmed drum beat on the MnM, and I use the arpeggio function to add drum fills here and there.
Every time I hear the VO6 Machine I get the chills. I mean you can do that with a vocoder but there is just something about the machine talking that gets me. Great set!
Thanks! Yeah, The VO6 is great. Here I set the LFOs up to generate new phonems for each trig, so it’s pretty confusing. Still I manage to make some meaning out of it here and there, haha.
