Members zone_ahead Posted April 29, 2004 Members Share Posted April 29, 2004 I've always said that I like the visual aspect of sequencing on software, but as i'm delving more into my PX-7 I'm noticing that I kind of like NOT having nearly as much going on visually and having it being solely about what I'm hearing. I've noticed that with software I can get caught up in looking at the whole track rather than paying attention to what's going on right at that moment. Instead I'm paying attention to the waveforms, the placement of envelopes, whether the meters are clipping, what's about to happen next, etc. Which is good sometimes.... But I'm really liking just going almost solely on how a track sounds right at that moment, which is the most important aspect. Now that I have a competent hardware seqeuncer, I'm thinking that the initial creative stages of my tracks will probably be done all with that and then towards the final stages of the completion of the track, I'll go to software to add any last minute changes, software effects and to mix and master it. Just an observation of late and a shift in preferences, perhaps. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Yads Posted April 29, 2004 Members Share Posted April 29, 2004 What's your flow as far as using hardware primarily and using software for the finishing touches? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members zone_ahead Posted April 29, 2004 Author Members Share Posted April 29, 2004 Originally posted by Yads What's your flow as far as using hardware primarily and using software for the finishing touches? Basically, I'm trying to knock off most of my patterns, fills, change ups etc.... before I even turn on my computer. I'm using the PX-7 as my sequencer and the PX-7, Micro Modular and EM-1 as sound and effect sources. When I have my basic track going I'll start importing it into Sonar. I'm not completely set on hardware sounds and definitely still need to go to my software synths and effects to get exactly what I want in some cases. But what I'll do is come up with something close to what I want and then once it's in the computer, just assign the midi tracks to the soft synths and effects I want. From there I'll make the more complex edits, add reverb, eq, compression, mix volumes, and do some recycle/acid type chopping when I render some of it to audio. From there I'll just try to fill out the rest of the track as needed. It takes a little longer, but I'm finding that I like that work-flow. Plus I don't have to worry about dealing w/ latency settings, drivers, crashes and other bugs until half way throught the track. Not that I deal with that a lot, but it's nice not having to worry as much about. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Sinner6 Posted April 29, 2004 Members Share Posted April 29, 2004 Another neat thing you can do with the xx-7 series is build a sequence, load it to your computer via usb, chop it and edit it, and then shoot it back to your xx-7 as a new pattern. I'm with you ZA, I like how harware sequencing "feels" compared to computer sequencing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Synthoid Posted April 29, 2004 Members Share Posted April 29, 2004 I agree....the "hands-on" feel of hardware sequencing and playing is more genuine than anything software can offer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members humanliteshow Posted April 29, 2004 Members Share Posted April 29, 2004 Just out of curiousity, between the PX-7 and the MPC1000, which one has the better/more intuitive sequencer?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Sinner6 Posted April 29, 2004 Members Share Posted April 29, 2004 They are both nice machines but the Emus sequencer has quite a bit more capability. As far as resolution goes the Emu is 384 ppqn vs 96 ppqn on the mpc. The emu holds 300,000 notes vs 100,000 on the mpc. Emu can store 512 user sequences vs 90 on mpc. Emu has a realtime, step and grid recording modes, mpc has no grid mode. The emu can do any odd time signatures(like 7/8), the mpc cannot. As far as interface goes, I guess it depends on your preference, the Emu has way more knobs and buttons, but 3 less "pads" and a smaller screen. If things like being able to sequence arpeggiators is important to you the EMU can run 32 independant arps in its sequencer, the MPC has none that I am aware of. That is when you look at the sequencer capabilities alone. If you want to compare sound generation capabilities you will find it is an apples to octopus' kind of comparison. Like I said, they are both nice machines, but the emu sequencer has more tricks up its sleeve. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Yads Posted April 29, 2004 Members Share Posted April 29, 2004 So you use it more as a scratch pad? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members girevik Posted April 29, 2004 Members Share Posted April 29, 2004 I plan to use mine as a live performance instrument. Have the sequencer send all kinds of MIDI messages (not just note number and velocity), mutate/deconstruct/recombine sequences as they play, overdub MIDI sequence data, etc. I even plan to sit back and listen to it "converse" with my laptop running Numerology (another performance-oriented sequencer). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Hidden Posted April 29, 2004 Members Share Posted April 29, 2004 So, those of you using the PX-7 really like it? Have been looking into it lately, would be nice to be able to make those fat arps and some sequencing without having to use the PC with the keyboard and mouse every time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Sinner6 Posted April 29, 2004 Members Share Posted April 29, 2004 Hidden, there have been a number of rescent threads about the xx-7 family...search the forum. Personally, I think the PX-7 is a great piece of gear and that the Command stations as a whole are way underrated. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members girevik Posted April 29, 2004 Members Share Posted April 29, 2004 I actually have an XL-7, but it's really a PX-7 with a yellow-orange paint job. I started out sequencing with step and grid sequencers - this has been a step up for me. All I've done so far is mini-etudes - like using grid mode to create a gamelan-like pattern using "Metallophone 4" from my World ROM, then switching to real-time mode and overdubbing bass gongs, then bass drum and snare to give it an imitation drum-and-bass feel. So far, I love the user interface of the sequencer. The arp features are sick. Up to 200 user arp patterns to select from for each of those 32 arps. -g Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members zone_ahead Posted April 29, 2004 Author Members Share Posted April 29, 2004 Originally posted by Yads So you use it more as a scratch pad? kind of. but maybe a little more than that. I really like the hands on approach when actually creating the sounds and parts for the track. The creative process seems to flow better - less distractons and things to think about. I'm trying to get pretty much the whole idea down of where I want the track to go before I bring software into the picture. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members zone_ahead Posted April 29, 2004 Author Members Share Posted April 29, 2004 Originally posted by girevik I actually have an XL-7, but it's really a PX-7 with a yellow-orange paint job. I started out sequencing with step and grid sequencers - this has been a step up for me. All I've done so far is mini-etudes - like using grid mode to create a gamelan-like pattern using "Metallophone 4" from my World ROM, then switching to real-time mode and overdubbing bass gongs, then bass drum and snare to give it an imitation drum-and-bass feel. So far, I love the user interface of the sequencer. The arp features are sick. Up to 200 user arp patterns to select from for each of those 32 arps. -g Yeah, my initial interest in a command station was for possible live use. The sequencer is pretty damn easy, but great for exactly what you described. I've been trying to keep my nose in the manual, but I always end up just jamming with the thing switching in and out patterns, arps and presets and throwing live stuff over the top. fun stuff. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Sinner6 Posted April 29, 2004 Members Share Posted April 29, 2004 I know you guys probably think i am nuts, but I erased all the stock patterns right away because I found them distracting. I would spend hours messing with them and never doing anything of my own. Once you are done learning with them....zap em. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members zone_ahead Posted April 29, 2004 Author Members Share Posted April 29, 2004 Originally posted by Sinner6 I know you guys probably think i am nuts, but I erased all the stock patterns right away because I found them distracting. I would spend hours messing with them and never doing anything of my own. Once you are done learning with them....zap em. yeah, I've been thinking about doing the same thing, but always hesitate cause they are nice to learn the ins and outs. Plus I hate scrolling through all the preset patterns just to get to my own stuff. I wish you could arrange it differently. It would be nice just to turn it on and up pops the last thing you were working on. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Sinner6 Posted April 29, 2004 Members Share Posted April 29, 2004 I wish you could arrange it differently. It would be nice just to turn it on and up pops the last thing you were working on. This is possible! before you shut er down, just save the current setup as multisetup zero, and it will be loaded as default next time you power up. Wanna hear somethin stupid? Here is me messing with bongos and arpeggiators. Don't take this too serious, but this was all sequenced on the PX-7. WTF Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members isosceles Posted April 30, 2004 Members Share Posted April 30, 2004 that sounds like whats going on inside my head during a bad acid trip Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members zone_ahead Posted April 30, 2004 Author Members Share Posted April 30, 2004 Originally posted by Sinner6 This is possible!before you shut er down, just save the current setup as multisetup zero, and it will be loaded as default next time you power up.Wanna hear somethin stupid?Here is me messing with bongos and arpeggiators.Don't take this too serious, but this was all sequenced on the PX-7.WTF That's cool. Thanks for the tip. And man, I like the clip. It's kind of in the same vein as how my highway of death track is turning out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members girevik Posted April 30, 2004 Members Share Posted April 30, 2004 I agree... cool clip! I just tried sequencing in step mode, while tweaking the knobs in Quick Edit mode. This way, I converted the Metallophone 4 sound into a gamelan orchestra on drugs. If I set the resolution even smaller in order to squeeze more notes into a bar and increase the tempo while still farking around with the knobs for every single step, I could probably fake an evolving pad or grain cloud this way. Serious noise potential here! I'm doing some gear juggling (selling some stuff, to replace with MOTU 828MkII) so I can start recording my Emu noises too. -g Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members girevik Posted April 30, 2004 Members Share Posted April 30, 2004 Originally posted by Sinner6 I know you guys probably think i am nuts, but I erased all the stock patterns right away because I found them distracting. I would spend hours messing with them and never doing anything of my own. Once you are done learning with them....zap em. omg... this happened to me again tonight. Except this time, I was speeding up every single pattern into the 170+ range to make it sound like drum-and-bass. Still on that Squarepusher high!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Hidden Posted April 30, 2004 Members Share Posted April 30, 2004 Originally posted by Sinner6 Hidden, there have been a number of rescent threads about the xx-7 family...search the forum. Personally, I think the PX-7 is a great piece of gear and that the Command stations as a whole are way underrated. I know, but I'm currently in hibernation mode, haven't shaved for at least 4 or 5 days either Thanks for the feedback, though, mucho appreciated! *bows head gracefully only to smash it into the concrete with a sickening sound*. BTW - about erasing patches.. When I got my D50, it had tons of cool patches made by the previous (and talented) user. And I managed to erase it all by accident. Hated myself a while after that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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