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IOs Drum Machines Evolution
Hi everyone,
I wanted to open a thread on the evolution of iOS drum machines
I believe that, contrary to what happened with synthesizer or midi apps, the evolution of drums has not kept pace, in fact sometimes it has gone backwards.
I still find that the best iOS drum machines, in terms of usability and live control, and hardware sensation are:
- iElectribe (among other things today easily synchronized via midi with AUM)
- Elastic Drums with its infinite sound possibilities, automations and live preparation.
unfortunately both are not supported like Auv3
there have certainly been very interesting and high-quality releases:
Ruismaker Noir is delicious, as is Hammerhead (the best of the last few years Auv3 in my opinion)
Patterning is certainly a great drum machine, but exclusively based on samples, and the latest version is full of menus and submenus
playbeat of which I love the included samples, the randomization possibilities but really not very suitable for quick use in live (the mute and solo buttons are ridiculous and unusable, and for my way of playing it is a fundamental element)
vadrum2: excellent sounds but meh interface.
blipbox is also interesting, but for example I find it absurd the almost impossibility or in any case slowness (you have to hold down the part, come on) in being able to modify the parameters of each part while it is in play.
as well as FacDrum which didn't grab me (obviously not for its sound capabilities but for the lack of sequencer or speed in the workflow).
oh well, there's no point in talking about ar909
DrumComputer is also very nice but even there,....
....it seems to me that over the years, apart from the Bram apps, we have moved more and more towards making drum machines that are very complete with functionality, but much less intuitive than the first releases, still today for me unsurpassable.
a strange direction, more in the direction of plug ins or PC software than hardware.
obviously, it always depends on your needs.
what do you think?
Comments
What a great post and thread starter. I'm going to give it some thought before responding more fully but just want to say this is why I still use Seek Beats as well. It has not been fully replaced yet.
I use about 10 Fac drums on own ipad, along with Drambo modules per track ( mainly for Euclidean ) to justify a Faderfox pc12 sitting about. Along with other modules like freq shift, decay etc ( for lazy or p-lock of these parameter types ) Also have cality per track to gain swing per track. Also each track stimulates a resonator by send amounts.
Its just getting used to Drambo sequencer now. I have to activate record and add steps so it records velocity.
Drambo defaults to internal keyboard made velocity. So combining a bit of record plus touch screen input will be weird. The screen input will always need adjusting velocity wise. So you gotta add live and just add steps via sequencer, sparringly.
And the fact it costs about £1300 to build ( the drum machine )
Other issue
Is Fac drum per track gives you 16 kicks per track. 16 snares. 16 toms etc.
And perhaps if you can be bothered.
A maybe more pro way of different sounds than p-locks not to mention the live choosing of different sounds via midi octaves
But saving kits in Fac drum per track and trying to keep tally of which banks are for songs is hassle.
Everytime you make a variation of a sound so its like p-lock but is actually a programmed version of a sound of 1 of Facs 16 slots.
I think you would have to choose to save bank for each additional sound added. Perhaps keeping older banks. Naming it as kick and naming it to a song but per auv3.
Unless host state save is reliable.
DrumComputer is one of my favourite musical tools I've ever used. I used to have a VST called Tremor which was similar, but sadly discontinued. I sequence DrumComputer from a dedicated instance of Drambo, I set up some MIDI CC knobs in Drambo and map them to DC so I can parameter lock various controls throughout the pattern. With this combo of Drambo sequencing DrumComputer, I have everything I need for drums
Can you sequence with multi Drambo tracks and AU also be multi out audio ?
uhhhm Seekbeats
Yep, that‘s my exact process
Dedicated Drambo MIDI instance on track 1 followed by DC, then a mixer module on the next 7 tracks to handle each DC output (output one goes to a mixer on the first track after DC). Sometimes I group outputs, might have 2 hats that share an output for example.
The Drambo MIDI sequencing instance has a set up as shown in the pic below for quick plock access to key DC controls, it often gets stuff added to it depending on the project‘s needs:
Thats cool.
Is it all sequenced on 1 Drambo track ?
All you missing if so is. Swing per track and Euclidean drums per track but with euclidean theres probably a routing somehow.
Does Drambo work like this for you.
Set velocity of track trigger pads by first setting amount in octave key mode by triggering a key with velocity.
Obviously max velocity so track or external controller pads have full velocity range
If you want to record your pad triggers.
Hit record=ok
but then if you add steps via screen.
It dosnt rememeber the last track pad velocity but the original octave keyboard velocity.
DrumComputer is severely underrated. If you own it and haven’t taken time to learn it, go to the website and watch the short tutorials for each section. The developers were very thoughtful. My recent masterclass in DrumComputer made me change its status to “Desert Island” 🙌
Drum computer is unrivaled. Sugarbytes in general is unrivaled ; to me like the TE of auv3.
Love me some Drumcomputer, but I'm waiting HARD for a Battalion release... Could be epic, just saying...
I’ll say a word here.
Hammerhead.
Funkbox was one of my faves from back in the day, but these days I use Koala Sampler for my sample-based drum needs outside of NS2, and NS2's Slate covers everything I need in that app. I definitely need to experiment more with the drum synths like the Ruismaker series and FAC Drumkit.
Once Apple releases an iPad Mini with at least 512gb storage, I'll be diving into Drum Computer, Patterning, and other iPad-only apps. (I prefer a smaller form factor lol.)
Ah you beat me to it!
What about that cool one with the pie slices? Can’t think of the name right off hand.
Also: Strokes (of course much more than a drum machine)
Ah Beat Scholar
Word! I need to get desktop DC next time it’s on sale
@Edo9330 It seems like you have a very specific idea about your ideal drum machine.
How would you design "the perfect one" if you knew a developer who built it for you?
There is no perfect drum machine in the hardware world, either.
I'd love a true Machinedrum clone. I'm looking forward to messing around with Prism to see if I can't get that Elektron vibe from it paired with other stuff.
In the end I just treat all my apps as potential sources for perc sounds. It's not "fire up and go" but it's the freedom that comes with the format.
Sooner or later Klevgränd will release the OneShot! drum app on iPad - this will put things forward in iPadland…
Yes!
No, each of the 8 tracks sends to same midi channel that DC receives on, and i enter the note range of that voice (set up in DC) in the specific Drambo track - you can see the notation in the names of the drambo tracks so i know the start of the note range for each voice
I then select on a per DC voice basis whether i want the Drambo note pitch to affect voice pitch or retrigger amount, or both
I tend to flip projects between my iPad and iphone now so i shy away from ipad only apps which moved me away from DC (my old fav). These days tho i can't imagine needing much else than Koala and Drambo for drums.
I find Drambo absolutely perfect for drum synthesis. Not simple, sure. But i took 30 minutes one night and grabbed every interesting drum patch from patchstorage and laid them out on a template. Dramboise is especially impressive. Just a bit of tweaking and wow.
If Hammerhead allowed me to play and record sequences into it tho I might never have left...
Drum Computer and Noir stand as my two paramount iOS drum machines. Recently, I acquired the new Patterning 2, yet, within a mere week, my initial enthusiasm waned. While I appreciate the emulators by Elliot Garage, my profound affinity for Noir mirrors my passion for using the Moog DFAM in tangible form. However, as you aptly noted, preferences vary based on the user.My predilection for sound design and randomization features defines my approach to digital instruments. Noir excels in allowing a seamless flow, where I can manipulate knobs via MIDI controller and tweak the sequencer live, yielding an organic and dynamic performance. Drum Computer's standout attributes lie in its extensive sound manipulation capabilities and live remix features, which introduce a delightful layer of controlled chaos.I gravitate towards generative workflows and the creation of sounds from scratch, diverging from traditional drum machines that rely on samples and a conventional setup of bass drum to cymbal. Such structures and rules, while efficient, can induce ennui swiftly for me. However, genre specificity plays a crucial role. In genres like hip hop or rock, a straightforward drum machine might suffice, allowing other musical layers to shine. Conversely, in IDM, where drums often take center stage, a unique and highly modifiable instrument becomes indispensable.
Good point, Noir is also a rel gem for sound design. I often employ it to rattle out a percussive top line - you can great variations from using different velocities, easy to set up call and response patterns with just the one voice
BlipBox is another good one, used it heavily for a while and should bring it back into use again
I think that this thread is mainly about drum computer apps ( e.g. synthetic sounds ) ?
I‘m more interested in pad style drum sampler/ sample-based apps ( Koala, Sitala, Digstix, EG Pulse etc. ) and I‘m also quite disappointed when it comes to certain features and I see not much progress.
For example I bought my first iPad for music making back in 2013 and I‘m baffled by the fact that to this day Digistix/Digistix2 are the only drum sampler apps that support multi layers / round robin playback.
I‘m looking forward to Klevgrand‘s OneShot, but I already know that there‘s so much other stuff in it that it‘s probably overkill for me.
I hope that the guys behind Sitala will implement such a feature in the near future.
Drumcomputer is great. Wonderful functionality. I love playing around with it, but it's the UI design, that sadly puts me off this one and other SugarBytes apps (Thesys), that I would love to use in jams otherwise. Grey knobs on grey background and lots of controls on a fairly small iPad screen are difficult for me. I wished they would have added some sort of theming with some flat, high contrast themes included.
Although I am more a fan of synthesis than samples, Patterning 3 has become my favourite jam drum machine.
I keep going back to Ruismaker and Ruismaker FM driven by Rozetta sequencers, but honestly with Logic's Drum Machine Designer I'm starting to put together kits that combine multiple plugins, and for that, some of the single-purpose apps (Thump One, Chow Kick, Hand Clapper, some random monosynth running a snare patch) really start to shine. Not to mention Logic's drum synth plugin. Need some CPU and RAM for that though.
That said, I also love Drum Computer and its amazing sequencer, and FAC Drumkit and its amazing sound engine, and Patterning 3 and its amazing drum kit library. My problem with Patterning is that I can't seem to figure out how to record MIDI in Logic. Works in AUM with Helium, other midi-generating AU instruments work in Logic, but somehow the combination of Logic and Patterning does not click.
ETA: Oh, and I've got to put in a good word for Klevgrand Skaka and Borsta, which are both great at what they do.
💯