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BeatMaker 3 (BM3) Tracking, Editing & Arranging - Advice?
I'm into my third week with BM3 and at the point where it's really starting to make sense. Of all the iOS DAWs I've tried, it seems to flow in the most natural, intuitive way. The sampler is especially great. I hadn't worked with samplers much in the past but I'm using this one all the time. And I love the way BM3 integrates 3rd party AUv3 instruments and effects.
There's one area (so far) where I could use some advice from those of you with more experience: linear tracking, editing, and arranging. I'm familiar with Logic on the Mac in which it's easy to record and comp multiple takes, punch recordings in and out, and tighten up audio timing with Flex Time. These are invaluable capabilities when working on longer parts (guitar, vocal.., piano) for a song-length piece; thus, the following questions:
Does BM3 have any functions like these? If so, please elaborate.
How do you approach linear recording and editing in BM3?
Is there anything else you want me to know? All advice would be welcomed.
Thanks, in advance...
Comments
Audio tracks are the weakest part. For the most part I just use the sampler as a workaround but really it is more of a groovebox ultimately than a daw with traditional audio editing.
Haven’t been working with BM3 for that long but you can record directly on the song timeline if your bank is set to “play song”, or you can just press record, it will make a pattern that you can then drag onto the timeline. The easiest way for me though is to have the whole track contained in one bank and the associated patterns of that bank, and this can include any audio you’ve recorded as a sample. Mixing is fine because you can click, “show pads” in the mixer and all the pads of the bank pop up on the mixer.
No, it really doesn't. Nothing on iOS does. Auria Pro comes the closest with its audio editing capabilities and its tempo track.
I pretty much limit myself to recording small bits onto the timeline as audio clips over and over until I get it right. That ends up being easier than trying to edit. I use Auditor if I just need to try to fix up a few badly timed notes. It has the ability to slice up audio and then warp individual slices to fix timing errors. If all you need is to time stretch some audio then BM3 is good enough for that.
Best not to try to think of the iOS platform as a replacement for the desktop. You'll be disappointed on many levels. Use it to generate ideas with the minimum barriers to creativity. Then take it to the desktop for arranging and polish if you're used to desktop workflow and capabilities.
Thanks @wim. I'll have to figure out a process that works well for longer form tracking. I'll also see how far I can get editing longer audio files in the BM3 sampler. I'm not crazy about going back and forth between the iPad and Mac but that seems like the only way, for now.
Thanks @db909. I'll try that approach. Also, I haven't done anything with scenes yet and they look like they could be very useful for building song arrangements.
Unfortunately you can't record a scenes performance to the timeline if I remember correctly. I think you have to do a lot of copy/pasting. It's been awhile but I remember it being tedious when I last did it.
That’s correct. Another reason I like using one bank and it’s associated patterns, you can record your performance of switching the patterns (with all their automation and whatnot) as audio directly into something like AudioShare. With one bank and hence one list of patterns, it’s easy. They stay in sync like Groovebox. No there’s no way to quanitze the triggering or anything, but it’s still a cool unadvertised way of using the app.
Also, be aware that each time you record and delete a pattern or audio part in the timeline that the original will still be saved in the patterns associated for that channel or bank. Can be useful also can just be a bit scary when you realise you still have 32 versions of a part you've been trying to nail. By the way, I think that's a handy feature.
I agree with you. Beatmaker has the best work flow IMO.
I don’t personally use the scenes mode, but here is a good video of your interested.
As for the audio editing, nothing on iOS is good. Everyone says Auria is, but I’ve never been able to really use it because it crashes on me every time I’ve tried to use it. Best bet is to record small parts and load them in the sampler and chop and trigger if you can’t play in perfect time. Sometimes you can fix timing on the timeline, but I find it hit or miss. Mainly a miss... because if you turn the grid off and try to move it freely, you can’t see really where your putting it and it’s hard to line up. That’s why now days I just record a guitar part to the sampler and chop and trigger. But I’m making beats and don’t really need long parts anyways.
@Brad That was very helpful as are Tic Toc’s other BM3 videos. I can’t believe how generous some on these producers are on YouTube (e.g. Bolo, Henny, elbowMedia, E.N.I.).
For me there’s just no one IPad Daw that have ALL my needs covered, I’ll do what I need in whatever app I’m using then either export stems to another Daw on either the IPad or Mac or export Ableton project to Ableton. Hopefully one day they’ll be an IPad Daw that has all the features I need.
Anyone else not like BM3s built in reverb? Or am I the problem?