Audio Damage Axon 3 (released)

filo01

@Spud said:
Cool app, but man the interface is so tiny. Might be a dealbreaker sadly. Pretty frustrating trying to hit those tiny buttons.

True. I thought there must be a bug at first because I didn't able to run any item from Randomize group with my finger. It would help if whole item (tiny square + label) will react to tap.

Luxthor

@rs2000 said:

@yellow_eyez said:

@kirmesteggno said:

@catbox said:
I am really loving the app! Only one small thing: Have anyone figured out how to audition the individual drum synths? I can only trig them by the sequencer, which is a little awkward when tweaking the sounds.

I think you can using the level knob in the mixer section (turning down the levels of the other nodes), also make sure you don't use an FX send to another node. Solo somehow isn't enough (finding it out right now).

Yes you guys are lucky with consumer protection. We don’t have that here at all. Still the Wild West of capitalism in the good ol Us of A

Idc either way AD deserve to be supported for rolling out this app at $4…that’s a rollout! And for something so expansive…their on my list of dev to keep on eye on

How are you liking it so far (and all you guys)?

I quite like it!
Apart from the unusual, maybe slightly complicated but fun sequencing engine, I do like the drum synth part.
Not too many parameters but Chris has managed to hit quite a few sweet spots.
Been tweaking a few factory presets and came up with some nice drum/electronic percussion sounds.

Out of curiosity, I've loaded Axon3 in my recent sound effect track from
https://patchstorage.com/space-radio-voice-transformer/
and it feels like the perfect match!
I haven't played with Axon's individual outputs yet, has anyone tried?

AudioDamage limited multi-output on only three channels, I really don’t understand the reasoning behind this decision.

The drum synth part is phenomenal, it’s like Noir on steroids. I can’t believe how effective FM and Timbere XY pads are. You can sculpt the desired sound in no time.

Spidericemidas

Loving it.

catbox

I an loving it too! The drum synth sounds great, and the sequencing concept remind me of Soma’s Ornament-8, which is my absolute favorite sequencer in hardware.

Spud

@filo01 said:

@Spud said:
Cool app, but man the interface is so tiny. Might be a dealbreaker sadly. Pretty frustrating trying to hit those tiny buttons.

True. I thought there must be a bug at first because I didn't able to run any item from Randomize group with my finger. It would help if whole item (tiny square + label) will react to tap.

There is a bug in the app where the label font and size changes and it becomes unresponsive.

yellow_eyez

so glad to hear yall love it too
It is a little buggy it seems OR there are lil UI idiosyncrasies I still have to work out. We’ll see over time

I like everything in this very deep and rich app. As people mentioned the sound design is incredible. Then ofc you have the randomization which works really well in this particular instrument . On top of that this is the most unique non linear sequencer I have ever tried

It has a very novel approach. I really enjoy playing with it because it spits out such interesting and playable usable stuff , and it even has midi triggers and/or adding during playback

My biggest issue is the actual routing of the nodes because sometimes they seem to get my path and other time it seems like they go their own way.

Anyone have a good grasp yet on controlling the node relationships? ****

Spud

@yellow_eyez said:
so glad to hear yall love it too
It is a little buggy it seems OR there are lil UI idiosyncrasies I still have to work out. We’ll see over time

It's def a bug. Sometimes it needs a full restart to get it sorted.

Anyone have a good grasp yet on controlling the node relationships? ****

After clicking the route button, the first node selected is the sender, the second one is the receiver.

yellow_eyez

I got it @spud thanks , between you and Wim it makes sense
I was doing it all from center node (not realizing you have to click the node first and then create the route) so I just used random
Network lol but now I got it

Does this thing suck battery or is it some other app on my iPad?

And @wim is right about the path . It’s not impossible to remember how you route it but it can be difficult for sure , for me it’s impossible. Maybe they can add a numerical indicator for the origins of each pathway? In other words under neutron 3 it might say source: neuron 2? Idk , I’m not an app maker

kirmesteggno

@wim said:

@kirmesteggno said:
Feels better than going through folders of recorded percussion loops and sample slice randomizations.

I like it better than Euclidean sequencers too. I often feel a little bored with what I come up with them.

I wish badly that it had scenes though. I don’t like that everything is destructive.

Maybe it's too interconnected for that code wise.

When I come up with something usable I just save it as a preset now. Didn't know that it was multi out when I bought it, a nice surprise.

Gavinski

Although it's strange they didn't give a separate out for each node, for a drum synth, 3 outs should be fine I reckon, for most purposes.

yellow_eyez

@kirmesteggno said:

@wim said:

@kirmesteggno said:
Feels better than going through folders of recorded percussion loops and sample slice randomizations.

I like it better than Euclidean sequencers too. I often feel a little bored with what I come up with them.

I wish badly that it had scenes though. I don’t like that everything is destructive.

Maybe it's too interconnected for that code wise.

When I come up with something usable I just save it as a preset now. Didn't know that it was multi out when I bought it, a nice surprise.

Strange it’s 3 and not 7?

And you’re right. I like this more than Euclidean, it seems like it has an organic flavor to it while I’m still able to “affect “ it with control to a degree

Also agree with you about code, I think the only way to add “variations” or scenes would be on things like trigger and ratcheting - otherwise the UI would also get crazy , and a few seem to already dislike it. I personally don’t see any issue with it

The only thing is the oscilloscope doesn’t work for me. Idk why ? Also sometimes it SEEMS like it takes two passes to get something to kick in or be recognized as changed …idk

Still working at it

Luxthor

@Gavinski said:
Although it's strange they didn't give a separate out for each node, for a drum synth, 3 outs should be fine I reckon, for most purposes.

There are essentially four channels, if you count the master one. I agree It’s enough for most of the usage before needing to insert another instance.

bygjohn

@yellow_eyez said:

The only thing is the oscilloscope doesn’t work for me. Idk why ? Also sometimes it SEEMS like it takes two passes to get something to kick in or be recognized as changed …idk

Further up the thread it’s mentioned that they were having instability problems that they narrowed down to the scope, so they disabled it. I guess they might re-enable it in an update if it they can fix the problem.

I agree it takes a little time to figure out what it’s doing (I’m nowhere near getting a proper handle on it yet), but it’ll suddenly produce something magical even if you’re not sure quite how you got there.

I’m loving it! I like apps that have depth when you get digging in there, but also are capable of doing amazing things while you learn. Instant gratification plus lots of stuff under the hood is a great combination.

kirmesteggno

@Gavinski said:
Although it's strange they didn't give a separate out for each node, for a drum synth, 3 outs should be fine I reckon, for most purposes.

I bought Axon for "toploop" percussion, so basically everything above low toms in the frequency range.

For kicks, low toms and other drum sounds I stick with 909/808 samples or romplers and then run them each through Dials or RX950 and a clipper.

What's funny is that I just found out these days that I could trigger other instruments from a non midiFX Drumcomputer instance in AUM, I first assumed that I had to use a midi track and dedicated sequencer version for it.

yellow_eyez

@bygjohn said:

@yellow_eyez said:

The only thing is the oscilloscope doesn’t work for me. Idk why ? Also sometimes it SEEMS like it takes two passes to get something to kick in or be recognized as changed …idk

Further up the thread it’s mentioned that they were having instability problems that they narrowed down to the scope, so they disabled it. I guess they might re-enable it in an update if it they can fix the problem.

I agree it takes a little time to figure out what it’s doing (I’m nowhere near getting a proper handle on it yet), but it’ll suddenly produce something magical even if you’re not sure quite how you got there.

I’m loving it! I like apps that have depth when you get digging in there, but also are capable of doing amazing things while you learn. Instant gratification plus lots of stuff under the hood is a great combination.

Magical is the word. Any sequence is just ….at least very good .- usually it’s more like “damn I wish I could make that on my own” , add the ratcheting and probability and you really hear the magic

I haven’t had one sequence pattern that wasn’t great. I’ve had SOME randomized voices with way too much noise or whatever it may be, but the patterns are always fun or funky

I’m a basic user, I have no real time , I’m literally staring at the nodes with amazement and listening over and over .

One thing people may want to know is the midi is awesome. It is literally 7 clicks to set it up to your hardware; and the midi out to hardware works just as it should. I wasn’t sure if it would translate to my op1 but anyone with a field it works nicely ; and also anyone with a weird drum machine like a korg volca drum would like it

(The FM/timbre pads are really cool)

This app is just sick. Radical . Awesome. Any drum machine or drum midi auv3 /sequencers etc would dig this thing!!

I am kind of like trying to wrap my head around it while still almost feeling (pretending lol) that I’m really jamming on this thing. It’s really fun.

I’m a sucker for drum machine and sequencer and this is a unique one for sure

kirmesteggno

@yellow_eyez said:

@kirmesteggno said:

@wim said:

@kirmesteggno said:
Feels better than going through folders of recorded percussion loops and sample slice randomizations.

I like it better than Euclidean sequencers too. I often feel a little bored with what I come up with them.

I wish badly that it had scenes though. I don’t like that everything is destructive.

Maybe it's too interconnected for that code wise.

When I come up with something usable I just save it as a preset now. Didn't know that it was multi out when I bought it, a nice surprise.

Strange it’s 3 and not 7?

3 for Kicks/lowtoms, mid/hitoms, hats/cymbals I guess.

And you’re right. I like this more than Euclidean, it seems like it has an organic flavor to it while I’m still able to “affect “ it with control to a degree

Also agree with you about code, I think the only way to add “variations” or scenes would be on things like trigger and ratcheting - otherwise the UI would also get crazy , and a few seem to already dislike it. I personally don’t see any issue with it

I regard the Ui as a bonus tbh. I just hit the randomizer until it sounds cool, maybe tweak it a little bit. I would have liked even more detailed randomization, but can't complain for the price.

The only thing is the oscilloscope doesn’t work for me. Idk why ? Also sometimes it SEEMS like it takes two passes to get something to kick in or be recognized as changed …idk

The scope got disabled for this version to avoid crashes is what I've read somewhere in this forum.

gusgranite

Is it possible to save midi out templates to sequence Bram’s drum machines for example?

[Edit: the developer just replied on Discord that they will add a midi note out lock in the next update]

filo01

@gusgranite said:
[Edit: the developer just replied on Discord that they will add a midi note out lock in the next update]

Does this mean I won't have to set MIDI out again for each node when I switch between presets? That would be great.

Lorichs

Thanks @wim. You have been very helpful.

yellow_eyez

@gusgranite said:
Is it possible to save midi out templates to sequence Bram’s drum machines for example?

[Edit: the developer just replied on Discord that they will add a midi note out lock in the next update]

Good dev ! I guess he saw my request ! ( glad I bought it just for support lol)

drewinnit

Been having a blast with Axon 3, I set up an AUM project with 2 instances of Axon that I can „beat juggle“ between

Each instance uses 4 outputs, Main for kick, bass, low elements, bus 1 for snare and mid percussion, bus 2 for hats and high percussion and bus 3 for synth/melodic elements.
Each of the 8 busses has a few Turnados, Transits and other FX, then I mix and match elements between each of the Axon instances to create evolving beats on the fly and twiddle FX knobs to keep things interesting

The onboard synth sounds fantastic and the rhythms the sequencer makes are lovely and unique. Like someone above said, it‘s a welcome break from the euclidean stuff which can get a bit samey over time

yellow_eyez

This sequencer is incredible

It’s hard to describe

I want AD to give a manual on it

If you’ll notice it has no reset, 1 bar, 2 bars etc

What happens if you don’t stop the sequencer

Does the sequence continue to like regenerate differently after 8 bars?

Or does it revert back to step 1 , bar 1?

I know it’s a hard question to know but maybe someone who used axon 3 before or the beta knows ?

Neuron Sequencer

___**> AAxon employs a unique design for its internal sequencer. It is made up of a group of seven interconnected objects we

call neurons, so we call it the neuron sequencer. The neurons are displayed in a pane at the upper center of Axon’s
window, depicted as a group of seven circles.
The neurons are numbered from one to seven. The neuron at the center is neuron 1. Neuron 2 is directly above
neuron 1, and the remaining neurons are numbered in a clockwise fashion. You can select any neuron by clicking it, or
by clicking one of the graphical buttons at the bottom of the window. Neuron 3 is selected in the previous illustration.
Any neuron can be connected to other neurons. Connected neurons send signals, called pulses, to each other at
metrical intervals. A neuron that sends pulses to other neurons is called a transmitter. A neuron that receives pulses
from other neurons is called a listener. A neuron can be both a transmitter and a listener. Connections are shown as
lines between the circles.
Neuron 1 is special: it receives pulses at a fixed rate determined by your host program’s tempo, or Axon’s internal
timing source. We’ll describe Axon’s timing features in greater detail in a following section titled Transport Controls;
for now, just remember that neuron 1 always receives a steady stream of pulses regardless of any connections in the
neuron sequencer. Neuron 1 is the origin of pulses within the neuron sequencer. If neuron 1 isn’t connected to any
other neurons, then no other neurons will receive (or send) pulses.
Each neuron has a threshold value. The neurons each have a counter to keep track of how many pulses they receive.
When the number of received pulses exceeds the threshold value, the neuron fires and five things happen
simultaneously:
1. The neuron sends a pulse to any other neurons that are connected to it.
2. The neuron triggers its corresponding synthesizer voice, generating a sound.
3. A MIDI note message is transmitted by the plug-in to anything that might be connected to it, such as a
software or hardware synthesizer.
4. The neuron, and its symbol at the bottom of the window, flashes briefly.
5. The neuron resets its pulse counter to zero.
A neuron’s threshold has a value from zero to sixteen. If its threshold is zero, the neuron will fire every time it
receives a pulse. If the threshold is one, it will fire every other time it receives a pulse; if the threshold is two, it will
fire after it receives three pulses, and so on. The neuron’s counter is displayed with a blue arc within the neuron,
which fills as the counter increases with each incoming pulse.
Routing Mode
Axon’s window has a special mode for making connections between neurons called routing mode. The button labeled
ROUTE at the upper-right corner of the Neurons area let you switch between routing mode and play mode.
When routing mode is active, the connections between the currently selected neuron and other neurons are shown by
red lines. Other connections are shown with green lines. In the following screenshot, Neuron 3 is the currently
selected neuron. Neurons 2 and 4 are listening to neuron 3, and neuron 3 is listening to neuron 1. Neurons 6 and 7
could be listening to neuron 1, or vice-versa; you’d have to select neuron 1 to find out.
To make a connection from one neuron to another, first select a neuron by clicking its box in the row of neuron
symbols at the bottom of the window. Then click on another neuron within the routing diagram to make it listen to the
first neuron. A red line will be drawn between the neurons to indicate the connection.
To remove a connection, click the receiving neuron again; the red line disappears. You can remove all of the
connections for all of the neurons by clicking the CLEAR button at the lower-left corner. (Use with caution!)
You can connect any neuron to any number of other neurons. The only restriction is that you cannot connect neurons
such that the connections create a loop. Axon checks for loops as you make connections and will prevent you from
forming loops.
Creating patterns with Axon consists of finding combinations of connections and threshold values that produce
interesting results. Keep in mind that while the results can be unpredictable, they are not random.**___

yellow_eyez

@Jökulgil said:
I think the manual has been shared but just in case.

https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/1550/9885/files/Axon_3.0_Manual.pdf

My bad man
I googled it and it came up so I posted the section in quote
Just wanted to know if someone knew about the generation /regen

Thanks though

reasOne

Can you set up different patterns in some type of song mode or scene change?

alexwasashrimp

@wim said:
Here are a few of the key concepts that were what I needed to get the basics of the sequencer:

1. The middle node (node 1) is the core beat clock. By default it sends pulses every 16th note.
2. All the other nodes fire after they receive a certain number of pulses from other nodes.
3. The Route button at the top of the node circle (called the "Neuron Circle) is important.
   • Disengage it to select nodes.
   • Engage it to connect nodes.
   • (It sometimes works best to get in the habit of selecting nodes from the synthesizer section of the interface to avoid making accidental connections.)
4. To get other nodes to fire, they must be connected as the target (called listener) of a firing node. It pays to always keep in mind the connection order.
   • The selected node is the source (called transmitter).
   • When Route is enabled, any unconnected node you tap will be connected to the source as a listener. If already connected the connection will be removed.
5. The threshold of a node determines when it will fire. The node counts up received pulses until the threshold is exceeded, then fires and resets the counter.
   • This may be confusing! If you want a node to fire every four beats, you set the threshold to three, because the counter has to exceed the threshold to fire and to reset.
6. The core of the unusual rhythms Axon is capable of lies in the ability to have multiple transmitting nodes feeding each listening node. The count of received pulses is cumulative from all the nodes feeding it.
7. Always remember: Select the source first, then tap the node(s) you want it to feed. I find this hard to remember. I always want to do it in reverse.
8. The UI doesn't give any indication of the overall flow of pulses. This can be frustrating. The only way to expose nodes listening to a transmitter is to first select the node, then engage the Route button. The nodes it is transmitting to will turn Red. Remember to disengage the route button before tapping on other nodes or all you'll do is remove the connector.

The drum synth is more straightforward than the sequencer IMO. I find that if I think through the knobs in the synth, I can make sense of most of them. But until I got the above fixed in my mind, the sequencer was really difficult to get a handle on.

Okay, this comment was basically my manual. Didn't need anything else to make sense of the app. Thanks for this super useful list.

As for the app itself, I've found it fun, but in half an hour I've spent with it so far neither me nor the randomizer could come up with anything I'd like to use in my tracks. I guess glitchy drums aren't my cup of tea. Still a great playground though. Just make sure it's something you're really looking for.

laopan

Nice pice, got it ,but the oscilloscope and midi out doesnt seem to work ?

yellow_eyez

@laopan said:
Nice pice, got it ,but the oscilloscope and midi out doesnt seem to work ?

MIDI out and in works perfectly
Who needs the other thing. (Don’t work yet)

drewinnit

Would be great if there was a way to save synth patches independently of the overall pattern, they're relatively quick to create but minor knob variations can vary the output so much that it's fiddly to get it "just right" when recreating patches

Robin2

This isn’t ideal i know, but for those who are finding the UI scale a bit of a strain on the eyes, don’t forget about the iPad’s built in Zoom mode. Enable it in the Settings and then it’s just a three finger double tap to show/hide it.

I did make a screenshot but the effect of the zoom window doesn’t seem to show up in screenshots!

yellow_eyez

This is the most interesting and unique rhythmic sequencer I’ve ever seen or tried.

It makes a lot of sense when I construct node by node but I’m wondering what is the effect when you attach two nodes that are already pulsing from other routing connections…?

Idk if there is anything like this sequencer or this instrument (drum machine, synth drum + non traditional/non Euclidean
sequencer)?

(Like what iiiiis this sequencer!?)