Sugar Bytes Drum Computer vs Rytm/Syntakt/Digitakt

The Lounge Other Gear
#1

Curious if there are any other SB Drum Computer users/fans here who also own any of the Elektron Drum Machines?

After being blown away by the iOS version of Drum Computer, I bought the desktop version over the weekend to have it standalone on my Macbook and available as a plugin in Ableton.
I can’t believe how little I hear Drum Computer mentioned and how amazing it is.

With an hour of use, I think anyone familiar with the Rytm/Syntakt/Digitakt would feel at home with DC and see the similarities.

It’s the closest alternative I’ve come across to my Rytm mk2… being able to blend (2) drum synths and samples, and have a load of modulation options.

And it’s sequencer is REALLY fkn good too. You have probability, poly-rhythmic parts, humanisation, ratcheting and a bunch of remix options.

I’d recommend it to ANYONE who likes drum/beat programming and/or Elektron sequencing.

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#2

I’ve got it on my iPad. I’ve only had the briefest explore but it seems really cool

#3

Big fan here. I like to sample its sounds for use elsewhere

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#4

I tried out the demo shortly after release. It’s got amazing features and the sequencer is very powerful, but I found it lacks low end so didn’t purchase.

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#5

This was my experience too, bought it and just couldn’t get the sound I’d hoped for from it so I’ve used it 3 or 4 times max, ngl it’s probably the purchase I regret most… one man’s meat and all that tho…🤷

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#6

Same here, bought with high hopes and tweaked a few days but never liked the sound - lacks low end pressure

#7

Thing is fucking mindblowing.

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#8

Same as Skypainter, Symian and Dopplgngr.

#9

Weird… how were you fellas using it? Standalone? As a plugin?

I can’t get my head around the ‘lacking low end’ analysis’… you can route it any way/any where you want… and you can use samples… trying to get the gist of the comments.

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#10

Use it in on tracks on my iPad all the time and when I recently got an Octatrack I’ve seen sampling it into that.

Excellent bit of software

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#11

I love it.

#12

I was using it both ways, I thinks it’s really a personal preference thing for me I like bass heavy music mostly dnb and Hip Hop, my overarching impression was that on the whole it sounded pretty thin and hollow for the most part and I wasn’t really gelling with the UI either… so yeah it’s really not for me…

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#13

Low end - my instant thoughts as well. Could ipad be doing something to sound - if you were on ipad at all? Otherwise, I can see no reason why something about the plugin might be removing low end from everything it plays.

My experience of drumcomputer - only positives. What you lack is the preconfigured, dedicated hardware controller. What you gain is tonnes of highly relevant functionality that is not even found on any other software instrument.

I have tried configuring launchpad (dedicated components page) to link with drum computer. It was fun although a current version drawback, when changing pattern, configuration needed to be reloaded (if you were lucky to have saved it). I imagine this will be resolved sooner or later.

The DC sound synthesis amazed me dozens of times.

To sum up, less of a performer’s, more of a composer’s machine.

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#14

Drum computer has compression and processing you can turn off. I find this impacts the sound and takes out some low end

I send each track to different channels for post processing and can fatten up kicks. Similar to older drum machines that always needed processing. Add some eq, compression, saturation, distortion etc

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#15

Echoing the lack of bass. I route the kick midi out and use my own. The routing options are great and the sequencer, as has been mentioned is fantastic. I do find the sequencer randomization a bit samey though…

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#16

I tested it standalone on iPad with Sennheiser HD25 headphones. I played around with synthesized kick parameters, resonance boosting on a HP filter etc, and tried dialing in some low toms and was underwhelmed. I guess it could make for a great accompanying drum synth for an Electron or other drum machine. But it’s over twice the price of Drambo which to my ear sounds way better. My experience with SB Factory (I purchased) is a somewhat similar. It’s feature set is amazing, but found overall there was a tinny, thin characteristic to the sound. I spent a lot of time with it and really wanted to dig it.

I’ve no intention of getting a Mac laptop but would be interested to hear if there’s a difference in sound compare to the iOS app.

#17

Was thinking of adding fac drumkit and using the drum computer sequencer with it

#18

Excuse my ignorance, but what’s the fac drumkit?

#19

It’s a drum synth and similar to drum computer lets you layers samples with the synthesis

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#20

I’ve demoed the desktop version as well as purchased the iPad version, same results sonically in each case for me… although I did find the UI less of a pain in the ass with a mouse and it was easier to sequence within a proper daw too…

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