Question about making beats w/ pattern sequencer

[spwarlock]

Im a resample type of guy but thought id try my hand at the pattern sequencer.How does everyone go about making a pattern?i was thinking make a drum loop,matching its bpm w/ the pattern settings and play my chops etc over top of it which is sort of how I resample.Anybody on here approach this differently like play live drums over the whole track?

[spwarlock]

Just tried out what I said above and Im really digging this.Cant believe I didn't check out the pattern sequencer sooner!

[janglesoul]

I found a combination to be quite good. I make the structure and basic arrangement in patterns, then mixdown a livetake to tape/recorder. Sample it back into the SP and continue with resampling from there - onshots/Fx etc.

I'm too much a beginner to give instructions. But this is what I've done lately. I start my patterns with chopping all harmonic/melodic samples to the same length/bpm. I then record patterns and set my patterns to the same bpm, so that my samples will play even with the bars/bar-divisions. Add drums etc.

Still havent tried the 99bars-noquantize-method. But maybe that be a cool thing to do when sampling back from tape like above.

[spwarlock]

I found a combination to be quite good. I make the structure and basic arrangement in patterns, then mixdown a livetake to tape/recorder. Sample it back into the SP and continue with resampling from there - onshots/Fx etc.

I'm too much a beginner to give instructions. But this is what I've done lately. I start my patterns with chopping all harmonic/melodic samples to the same length/bpm. I then record patterns and set my patterns to the same bpm, so that my samples will play even with the bars/bar-divisions. Add drums etc.

Still havent tried the 99bars-noquantize-method. But maybe that be a cool thing to do when sampling back from tape like above.

Cool ideas!What Im doing now is really similar except that I don't quantize anything,then I set the bars to really long like 99 or whatever and then I record my drums into a loop/loops and play my main chops over them.I really only worry about the BPM of the drums matching the pattern setting and basically just play the chops different ways until they fit.Then I send the pattern to tape and back where I resample extra stuff and effects etc.

[janglesoul]

Cool ideas!What Im doing now is really similar except that I don't quantize anything,then I set the bars to really long like 99 or whatever and then I record my drums into a loop/loops and play my main chops over them.I really only worry about the BPM of the drums matching the pattern setting and basically just play the chops different ways until they fit.Then I send the pattern to tape and back where I resample extra stuff and effects etc.

Interesting. So far I have played it quantized in pattern mode. Well, at least the foundations - samples,kick snare. I add some freehand-stuff on top afterwards.
Having a bunch of loops makes sense I guess. That would make adding FX/muting stuff easier during my final "take" when I record into Audacity. Fewer pads to keep track off.

[spwarlock]

And actually the way I do it can work with out the drums bpm matching the pattern.As long as quantize is off just play the chops to your drum loop and not a metronome.Im not rhythmic enough to free hand drums even with quantize on so I basically just focus on getting a drum loop that has a groove that sounds good to me and any change ups in the drums are done w/ resample.

[medearis]

I recently cracked into the sequencer as well. I took a more traditional route and just straight up sequenced everything in unquantized patterns how I would in my MPC.

@Warlock - What do you mean you make a drum loop and then match it's BPM to the pattern's BPM setting? Are you using resample to build your drum patterns and then throwing them into the sequencer, setting the BPM of the pattern to match the BPM of your resampled drum patterns? Word. Sorry if I'm making it more comlex.

[janglesoul]

And actually the way I do it can work with out the drums bpm matching the pattern.As long as quantize is off just play the chops to your drum loop and not a metronome.Im not rhythmic enough to free hand drums even with quantize on so I basically just focus on getting a drum loop that has a groove that sounds good to me and any change ups in the drums are done w/ resample.

Ah, getting one good groove down first. And then resample with extra hits/mutes, to get variations to the beat. Sounds smart. It freaks me out that there are so many possibilites to get it all done. And the limitations of the 404sx is both a blessing and a curse. I'm hanging in to get up to speed, but it seems a multitrack sequencer like an mpc might be a tempting option later on.

It would probably be smart to practise fingerdrumming a lot more. Just to practise like a drummer. Playalong to wellknown songs and learning more patterns.

[spwarlock]

I recently cracked into the sequencer as well. I took a more traditional route and just straight up sequenced everything in unquantized patterns how I would in my MPC.

@Warlock - What do you mean you make a drum loop and then match it's BPM to the pattern's BPM setting? Are you using resample to build your drum patterns and then throwing them into the sequencer, setting the BPM of the pattern to match the BPM of your resampled drum patterns? Word. Sorry if I'm making it more comlex.

Yeah thats what I started doing and its helpful but now I just make the beat with no bpm match and basically just work off of my own groove to make the chops fit.Im sure there are better ways to use the pattern sequencer but thats what Ive been doing for now.

[noDDy hEAded fREak]

the only difference between the approach for me would be that with the pattern sequencer i end up recording out into a second SP. If i dont plan on recording out into a second SP then i have to resample the parts together.

i resample the beat together in the same sequence as pattern mode...

i guess just due to no quantize there is that subtle difference in quality of sequence.

coolest thing about pattern mode to me is multiple patterns with sample mutes and then cycling through them.

[janglesoul]

(Thinking out loud)

The SPBB-beat I'm working on right now is in pattern mode. I could copy the patterns, remove samples/drums, so I get one pattern with only the drumloop, one with only the melodic sample etc.

I could then bounce/mixdown each pattern. Resample into SP as loops, and start a new pattern with these loops. Now it will work more like a multitrack. I can also resample, for example the drum loop separately with filter, or delay on certain hits...

Having every loop for the beat on just 12 pads would make performance mixing (mutes etc) a lot easier.


And maybe I should just make one pattern with all the loops?

If my math is correct a 120 bpm-bar is 2 seconds, 60bpm 4 s etc. So a 99bar/40bpm/no q would give you almost 10 minutes, right? (99x6=594 seconds).

[medearis]

the only difference between the approach for me would be that with the pattern sequencer i end up recording out into a second SP. If i dont plan on recording out into a second SP then i have to resample the parts together.

I'm starting to see the value in a second SP(404/303) for that type of work flow. I'll probably end up going that route too. If I come across an OG 404 or a 303 at a good price I'll jump on it fasho.

[Dirty Banks]

As an SP little grashopper (aka newbie to the SP game), this threat was really helpful. tnx.