Synosonics drum machine by Mattel
“I just got this drum machine made by Mattel (yes, the company that made Barbie”
http://WWW.DOLCHNAKOVBRIGADE.COM
iPad Music App: mobileRhythm mR-7070
A quick tutorial on getting started with this app. Styled on the early 80s drum machines, such as the Roland TR-909 and TR707, this is a useful app for creating quick beats.
Universal – works on iPad, iPhone and iPod touch devices.
16 drum sounds – with all the beats on a large grid display makes creating amazing rhythms easy.
Individual level fader- for each class of drum sound – kick, snare, toms, hats, cymbals, percussion and accent.
Scale switch – For complicated rhythms and interesting beats, 16, 16T, 32 and 32T.
Adjust tempo – From 40-240 BPM, precision display of tempo to 0.1 bpm accuracy
CoreMIDI compatible- including midi clock output for rock solid sync to other equipment.
DSI Tempest – “Synth mode” test
Making a drum machine into a synth:
No flashy performances or crazy beat-mangling going on here. Just testing the Tempest as a 6-voice analog / digital polysynth.
NAMM Most Recommended: Nord Drum Virtual Analogue Drum Synthesiser
Here’s a guest post from one of our followers – S. Williams, enjoy
Looking back at NAMM 2012, there is much controversy in picking ‘the best in show’ but in terms of initiative and surprise we can all agree that the Nord Drum synthesiser is right up there. Nord cleverly created hype by releasing a few teaser pics a few days before NAMM but they may as well been pictures of a guitar as no one could of predicted what they had in store for us. It is not a drum machine in the traditional sense and is in-fact a virtual analogue drum synthesiser triggered by external devices. Nord promised that the virtual drum is “ guaranteed to change your perception of what’s possible with synthetic, sample-free percussion”. And that’s exactly what they have done, by creating a device that is totally brilliant and unique.
At the Nord stand at NAMM I was very much hoping to have a go on the drum but unfortunately I wasn’t allowed. However I did get the best seat in the house and get a great view of a tutorial like the one below, but it’s just not the same.
All it has done is make me desperate to play one and count down the days until its release date. Unfortunately I can’t give you more information on a playing experience but I can forward what I know and my opinions.
The Nord drum creates its sound through complex analogue waveforms and noise generators similar to that of a vintage Synth. It features lightening-fast triggering, and four trigger inputs allow MIDI equipped devices to connect. With this variety of connections we assume Nord intend to integrate the drum into an existing set-up or to be used as an electronic percussion module. With Nord making all the right noises describing the drum as ‘retro-futuristic’, it certainly ticks both boxes and is undoubtedly a great product. I can’t really see it introduced in live sets just yet, but would certainly be useful in studio set-ups and home usage. It is due to be available very soon, so sign up to this newsletter for more information and to be kept posted.
When it is released I will certainly buy and review it again in more detail and give it a thorough test drive. So stay tuned to this blog and we’ll see just what the Nord Drum is capable of.
Rhythmic Robot releases Boss DR55, Magnus Reed Organ and StyloDrum Kontakt Instruments
Rhythmic Robot have released three new instruments for Kontakt 4.2.3 and later:
- Doctor 55: a sampled recreation of the Boss DR55 analogue drum machine.
- Magnus: a reed organ emulating a 1950s Bakelite Magnus organ and a 1970s plastic version.
- StyloDrum: a glitchy drum machine with four kits sampling scratches, crackles, pops and squeals from vintage Stylophones which have been pitched, looped and trimmed to form electronic drum sounds.
Doctor 55 costs £4.95. Magnus and StyloDrum cost £3.95.
Doctor 55 is a Kontakt version of the Boss DR55 analogue drum machine. It samples the original with great precision at 24-bit. Each of the four original kit pieces (kick, snare, hats and rimshot) are covered, plus an additional “hidden” snare sound that only showed up on the original during programming. This additional snare has been given its own Attack and Decay parameters, hidden on the rear panel, which allow the user to create brushed snare sounds or snares with long decay tails.
Additionally, as usual with Rhythmic Robot drum machines, multiple samples have been taken through the entire travel of the DR55’s “Accent” control. These differently-accented samples can then be accessed either by tweaking the “Accent” control on the GUI panel, or by velocity from a MIDI keyboard (or by drawing velocity automation straight into a DAW lane). Accent amounts change the tonality of the kit pieces considerably, and can be dialed in on a per-kit-piece basis, which of course was not possible on the original instrument (where Accent functioned globally).
The Doctor 55 rounds things out with a Tone control, plus effects control over tube saturation, bit-crushing effects, Drive distortion and an output compressor / limiter for “gluing” and pumping effects.
Features:
- All the sounds of the DR55 captured through the entire travel of the Accent control.
- Kit pieces individually adjustable for level, pan and Accent.
- New “hidden” snare sound sampled, and adjustable for attack and decay.
- Velocity Retrofit button allows incoming velocity to vary the Accent level dynamically (for humanised beats).
- Bitcrusher, tube saturation, distortion and compression / limiting on the outputs.
Magnus is a reed organ instrument sampled from two vintage Magnus reed organs: a Bakelite model from the 1950s, and a red plastic model from the 1970s. The Bakelite model was Magnus Organs’ first ever model and is extremely rare.
Magnus allows the user to blend the “Bakelite” and “Plastic” samples to taste via the front panel controls, and adds Tone and “Electrify” — which brings in tube harmonic distortion to the sound. Attack and Release controls are available for the amplitude envelope, and longer release times invoke a slight pitch drop-off as the sound decays, which mimics the behaviour of a real reed organ having its keys very slowly let up (air pressure through the reeds drops, and the pitch falls as a result). Stereo spread, chorus and phaser effects are available on the rear panel.
Magnus is designed for unusual organ sounds and breathy pad textures.
Features:
- Bakelite 1950s and Plastic 1970s samples can be blended to taste.
- “Electrify” control for adding harmonic distortion; Tone control for high-end roll-off.
- Attack and Decay parameters.
- Original pitch drop-off emulated on long ADSR release settings.
- Stereo spread, chorus and phaser controls on rear panel.
StyloDrum is an analogue drum machine built from sampled scratches, bleeps, bloops, fizzes, noises, crackles, thumps and glitches — all taken from vintage Stylophones. These have been pitch-shifted, looped, trimmed and fiddled with as necessary to turn them into old-school-style analogue hits. StyloDrum incorporates four kits spread over four octaves, each with at least two kicks and two snares. Most have hats, some have crashes, toms, claps or other “classic” sounds. Interspersed are a lot of random scratches, glitches and other Stylophone-based weirdnesses.
Kit pieces can be adjusted in level and pan position, and there’s a comprehensive effects section with Saturation, Drive and “Pump” compression to really kick things into gear. StyloDrum is a unique source of left-field electronic sounds for any genre, with a glitchy, grainy edge.
Features:
- Four kits built entirely of Stylophone scratches, glitches, squeaks and squeals.
- Pan and level controls.
- Tube saturation, Drive distortion and “Pump” compression.
- Unique and unusual electronic elements for any genre.
Two videos of the Nord Drum – Virtual Analog Drum Synthesizer
Jim from Nord shows the Nord Drum, It specializes in electronic sounds. Shipping in February
The Nord Drum is a revolutionary 4-channel drum synthesizer.
With an amazingly vast sonic palette and astounding level of playability the Nord Drum is guaranteed to change your perception of what’s possible with synthetic, sample-free percussion. Create classic retro-futuristic percussion with analog waveforms or use the harmonically complex waveforms together with different colors of noise for results that both sound and respond stunningly organic. The Nord Drum is designed with the performing musician in mind and its extreme dynamic range and super-fast triggering add to the feeling of playing a real instrument. 4 high-sensitivity inputs and MIDI lets you play the Nord Drum with a wide range of Electronic Drum Pads, Acoustic Drum Triggers and MIDI-pads/Sequencers for easy integration into any existing drum-kit or the starting point for something completely new…
NAMM: Taking a closer look at AKAI Max 49, Nord Drum and Casio WX-P1
The Akai Max 49 is unique in the way it combines traditional keyboard controller functions with MPC pads, control voltage support and LED faders.
The Nord Drum is not sample-based, but uses a virtual analog synth engine that’s designed specifically from drum synthesis.
A lot of buzz around the WX-P1 – the first Casio synth release for 20 years.
This is what it sounds like the new Nord Drum – Virtual Analog Drum Synthesizer
We have all seen the nice little red box from Clavia / NORD – the new virtual analog drum synth, now an new teaser video has been released where you can hera what it actually sound like.
Nord Drum – 4 Channel Virtual Analog Drum Synthesizer.
See: www.norddrum.com for more info and additional sound demos!
Music by Boska (soundcloud.com/boskamusic)
Short video demo of the free 8bit drum app for the iPad
I have not seen any video featuring this little nice app that is available for free on AppStore for the iPad/iPod. So I decided to make one, check it out below:
This is a really nice little 8bit drum app with several drum patterns and accompanying chip tunes. In the video I have not tried to do any performance drumming just showing what some of the sounds sound like, so please excuse out of sync drumming 
And best of all it is absolutely free
♬ 24 drum kit appropriate for 80′s Video game console,Home computer,Vintage Drum Machine,Rhythm Machine
(NES/FC,GENESIS/MD,GB-DBG,ATARI2600,C64,TR808/909,VL-1,Simmons SDS-V etc)
♬ 24 drum sets that is appropriate for Soul, Funk, R&B, and HIP HOP are prepared.
♬ 24 lesson riffs are collected.
♬ The drum can be played according to the accompaniment of iPod if it starts after it reproduces with iPod.
♬ Spec:
– Collection drum kit 24
– Collection lesson riff 24
* When the sound doesn’t become it even if touching, it might be a manner mode as for the drum.
* Please confirm the volume setting of “Ring tone” by “Sound” of “Setting” application program when the lesson riff rings and it doesn’t sound the drum.
NAMM: A whole range of new stuff from Clavia/Nord has been revealed – check them all out here
So NAMM has started and NORD brings us lots of goodies – including the previously teased Nord Drum
Nord Piano 2 – 88 key hammer action stage keyboard with Nord Sample Library support
The Nord Piano 2 HA88 lets you easily play, split and layer stunning Grand, Upright and Electric Pianos from the Nord Piano Library with sounds from the versatile Nord Sample Library. All this in a streamlined portable package with 88 Hammer Action Weighted keys.
The Nord Piano 2 comes with a wide range of quality acoustic and electro-mechanical instruments from the Nord Piano Library, all with their own unique character. The included Nord Triple Pedal features a dynamic sustain pedal that can also recreate the mechanical “stomp” and “sizzle” noises that occur when the lifting or releasing the dampener in an Acoustic Grand or Upright Piano. The Advanced String Resonance feature simulates the subtle phenomenon that occurs when piano strings cause other un-dampened strings to resonate, further adding to an amazing level of realism.
The Nord Sample Library offers more than 1000 high quality sample-instruments ranging from Strings, Brass, Synths and Basses to the legendary vintage sounds of the Mellotron and Chamberlin.
Both the Nord Piano and Nord Sample libraries are continuously updated and are available as free downloads for all Nord owners.
All of the sounds in the Nord Piano 2 HA88 are replaceable, making it an instrument that is built to evolve with you. It’s even possible to create your own sample instruments using the Nord Sample Editor.
We think technology should be transparent to the user, which is why the Nord Piano 2 has dedicated buttons and knobs for all functions the performing musician needs instead of confusing menus.
We’ve made it amazingly simple to layer and split sounds, and there’s a volume pedal input for sneaking in those strings while you keep playing.
The Nord Piano 2 also sports an extensive effects section, covering everything from Phaser, Wah-wah, Flanger, Chorus and Delay effects to a 3-band Equalizer, Amp Simulations, Compressor and Reverb
The Nord Piano 2 will be shown at the AM&S Nord Booth #6464 at NAMM Show 2012″
Nord C2D Combo Organ – Dual manual organ with drawbars
Complete with 2 sets of physical drawbars per manual the Nord C2D is the ultimate portable organ for musicians that play with their drawbars as well as the keys. The new left-hand preset sections offer an unsurpassed level of hands-on control and the upper manual and panel has been tilted for better ergonomics. A LCD-display has been added for easier access to programs and settings.
The Nord C2D features a redesigned simulation of the characteristic mechanical key clicks that are an essential component of the classic tone-wheel experience. Furthermore, the redesigned percussion model offers increased control over the percussion levels when playing near-legato.
The Nord C2D also includes a redesigned Rotary Speaker simulation of a vintage 122 unit.
Naturally, the Nord C2D also includes both the Vox and Farfisa transistor organ simulations and the sampled Baroque Pipe Organ from the acclaimed Nord C2 Combo Organ.
The Nord C2D will be shown at the AM&S Nord Booth #6464 at NAMM Show 2012″
Clavia releases Nord Drum Virtual Analog Drum Synthesizer
The Nord Drum is a revolutionary 4-channel drum synthesizer that is the result of a creative collaboration between Clavia and drum/music technology enthusiasts Bruniusson & Berg. With an amazingly vast sonic palette and an astounding level of playability it is guaranteed to change your perception of what’s possible with synthetic, sample-free percussion.
The Nord Drum lets you create classic retro-futuristic percussion with analog waveforms or use the harmonically complex waveforms together with different colors of noise for results that both sound and respond stunningly organic. The Nord Drum is designed with the performing musician in mind and its extreme dynamic range and super-fast triggering add to the feeling of playing a real instrument.
4 high-sensitivity inputs and MIDI lets you play the Nord Drum with a wide range of Electronic Drum Pads, Acoustic Drum Triggers and MIDI-pads/Sequencers for easy integration into any existing drum-kit or the starting point for something completely new…
The Nord Drum will be shown at the AM&S Nord Booth #6464 at NAMM Show 2012″
DATAMASKIN
