Are you ready for Arturia’s drum synthesis machine
Arturia has been busy lately with several interesting releases and now theeir is an update on their hardware/software hybrid drum synthesis machine: Arturia Spark is shipping June 1st and will be available for MSRP: $599. Arturia Spark is available as of June 1st. This panacea for all of your drumming woes is suited for a wide variety of musical genres and applications. From live performance, to record production, the Arturia Spark will be by your side to inspire and (hopefully) impress.
Arturia has been gearing up for the summer music scene with numerous releases and announcements. One of which is an update on their hardware/software hybrid drum synthesis machine: Arturia Spark is shipping June 1st and will be available for MSRP: $599. This panacea for all of your drumming woes is suited for a wide variety of musical genres and applications. From live performance, to record production, the Arturia Spark will be by your side to inspire and (hopefully) impress.
Arturia says about Spark:
“BEAT THE FUTURE: Combining the power of analog synthesis, physical modelling and samples, through the intuitive workflow of a hardware drum machine, Spark is a highly creative beat production center.
“Spark will save you time when looking for the right drum kit, will get you hooked by its amazing simplicity, and will surprise you by its sonic possibilities.
“With a complete library including vintage drum machines, electronic analog kits, acoustic & physical drums, Spark is your weapon of choice to create unique grooves whether you are producing in the studio or performing on stage.”
The Spark’s software comes pre-loaded with over 480 instruments or 30 Kits including high quality electric and acoustic kits — all with tweakable parameters.
MAIN FEATURES:
- Pristine quality sound engines including : TAE® Analog synthesis, Multi layered sampling delivered by reference third-party companies, Physical modelling
- 480 Instruments / 30 Kits :
- Vintage drum machines : Analog recreations in the spirit of the TR-808, TR-909, Simmons SDS-V, and Eprom based LinnDrum, Drumtraks, DMX, and more*.
- Electronic kits covering the most popular modern music styles : Dub, House, Techno, Hip Hop, RnB… as well as experimental fields thanks to the physical modelling engine.
- Acoustic drum kits subtly mixing physical modelling and samples for high audio realism.
- 16 key – 64 step sequencer
- 8 velocity & pressure sensitive pads
- Touch sensitive FX Pad with Repeat, Tape, Reverse, Strobe, Pan, Mix, 3 mode Filter and Roller
- Advanced Loop mode with divide and move functions
- Real-time automation on all parameters
- 16 track mixer with 9 high quality effects : compressor, reverb, bit crusher, multiband EQ, chorus, delay, distortion, phaser, plate reverb
- Song Mode with up to 64 patterns by song
- Shuffle and Shift modes to humanize grooves
- Assignable encoders
- Aluminum enclosure
- Works as a universal MIDI controller towards any third-party software
Getting to know the MFB Schlagzwerg
SCHLAGZWERG combines the power of analogue drum and percussion sounds with modular versatility in a convenient and compact desktop unit. SCHLAGZWERG fusions CV-controllable percussion modules and a six-track CV/Gate-sequencer into a unique drum-machine for live and studio applications.
Thanks to its semi-modular concept, SCHLAGZWERG is ready to go without any need for patch-connections. Its internal pre-wiring comprises trigger-assignments for the gate-tracks of five (of six) drum-sounds as well as hihat decay-control. The additional CV-tracks can freely be patched to any of the modules’ functions. Naturally, the available CV-inputs can also be addressed by external control sources like LFOs, envelope generators or a Theremin-controller.
An additional CV/gate-track-pair can be used to either control a variable function of a drum-module or an analogue synthesizer like MFB’s KRAFTZWERG. The CV-track output is quantized in pitch for perfect tuning.
The internal sequencer can store sixteen patterns, each holding A- and B-parts. Patterns can be advanced using gate-signals as well as thru start/stop and reset remote inputs. The sequencer can be externally synchronized. Start/Stop and clock-sync can also be remote controlled from the units MIDI-input without any further patch connections.
SCHLAGZWERG will double as a sixfold MIDI-CV/gate-converter. Two modes cover drum-sound control and a basic CV/gate-output of the sequences. Two additional modes allow conversion of incoming MIDI-data into CV/gate with the internal sequencer being inactive. Here, every drum sound is controlled by an individual MIDI-channel with a pitch range of two octaves. A separate channel with five-octave-range is used for synthesizer control.
The individual drum-sounds derive from our MFB’s drum-sound-modules. Trigger inputs are level-sensitive and allow dynamic performance thru drum-pads, piezo-pickups or microphones. All drums offer CV-inputs for different parameters. In difference to our modules, the different drum-sounds do not need attenuators because the sequencer allows for scalable CV-output.
The bass-drum offers the powerful sound MFB’s MFB-503 drum-machine respectively our DRUM-04 module. It offers a wide variety of possible kick-sounds due to its parameter-set with attack, tune, decay, pitch and drive.
The snare-drum is also based upon the MFB-503, respectively our DRUM-05 module. Snap, decay, tune and pitch parameters allow for broad sound-variations.
The tom-sound derives from the MFB-503 respectively our DRUM-06 module. Here, pitch and panorama-position can be coupled to achieve the classic pan-spread sound of hi-, mid- and lo-toms.
Hihat and cymbal derive from our MFB-522 drum-machine, respectively DRUM-07 module. The sounds are based upon a six-oscillator-mix. Cymbal, open and closed hihat can be triggered separately. In addition, the decay of the cymbal- and open-hihat-sounds is under CV-control.
All drum-sounds are routed into the internal mixer with adjustable panning and stereo outputs. Alternatively, the sound modules also offer individual outputs.
In the video:
peterdyer.net Some fiddling after being away from my analog beauties for a while, ended up like some Tron dubstep. You’ll hear the MFB Schlagzwerg controlling the Kraftzwerg, with a mixer to fade things in and out, and then me playing some Voyager over the top. And thats it! No laptops allowed on this one! Sadly my camera does not capture bass too well. The Voyager does have an Xotic effects AC Booster on it for beef.
Molten Drum Machine for iPad triggering Roland TR-707
the amazing Molten drum machine controlling the TR-707. iPad connected to ableton via wifi. Ableton connecting to 707 with a DIGI002. Timing seems to be good, but it is dropping a lot of notes.
280 free drum samples from the Korg KPR-77 drum machine
Wave Alchemy has released Tape KPR-77, a collection of over 280 free drum samples (recorded directly to 1/4″ analogue tape) from the Korg KPR-77 drum machine.
The Kits:
- Tape Clean – Includes 127 KPR-77 drum samples which have been recorded directly to 1/4″ tape via a Studer A80 Mk1 analogue tape machine at a clean / neutral level. This kit includes 5 round robin samples per sound as well as 3 velocity layers per hit.
- Tape Saturated – Includes 127 KPR-77 drum samples which have been recorded at a hot level (providing obvious tape saturation) to 1/4″ tape via a Studer A80 Mk1 analogue tape machine. This kit includes 5 round robin samples per sound as well as 3 velocity layers per hit.
- Driven Kit – Includes 27 KPR-77 drum samples which have been recorded and processed through a variety of Wave Alchemy’s outboard studio collection.
Due to the KPR-77’s analogue nature, subtle differences in tone are heard in the sound each time a drum is triggered. This means that no two hits coming from the KPR-77 will sound exactly the same, which in turn makes the overall sound a lot less static and instead, more vibrant and real.
Tape KPR-77 contains three pre-mapped drum kit patches for use with Kontakt 2, 3, & 4 and Battery 3. Each kit makes use of extensive velocity layering, round robin sample playback and choke groups which in turn capture the quirkiness and expressiveness of the original unit.
Wave Alchemy notes:
The KPR-77 was originally manufactured by Korg in the early 1980’s and was advertised as a cheaper alternative to Roland’s successful TR-606 drum machine. Surprisingly this quirky little analogue machine is capable of producing quite powerful drum sounds, we are especially fond of the toms, snares and claps!
Note: Registration at the Wave Alchemy site is required to download the free drum sample library.
Rob Papen gives us a sneak preview of the ‘Punch’ Virtual Drum Machine
Announced back at the NAMM show in January this year, Rob Papen Punch has generated quite a stir with music producers all over the world. With the release date getting closer and closer, we thought it was time to get an up to date run through of some key features.
In Punch you can combine real samples with synthesis to create your own drum sound, or just use the massive number of presets designed by none other than Mr Papen himself.
Follow this link for more information – http://www.timespace.com/product/PUNCH-1/3/9999916/rob_papen_punch.html
Testing ReBirth – Propellerheads drum machine on iPhone
Testing rebirth iphone version in box the original rebirth … lol rss
Circuit Bent Roland TR 505 Drum Machine
I just bent this Roland TR-505 with a 55 point patchbay for some really weird sound modulations and sequencer glitches, a pitch knob, distortion and feedback distortion.
Right know I am building a new case for this to make it look a little betterIf you’re interested in this, feel free to contact me. I’m planning to use this as a prototype and build a few more of it.
Funkbox updated
Synthetic Bits announced today that they’ve updated FunkBox (App Store link) – their $2.99 virtual drum machine for iOS – to version 2.1.:
FunkBox v2.1 was approved blazingly fast today by Apple! If you are using FunkBox with CoreMIDI, or running it on an iPhone 3G with iOS4, or do a lot of drum box custom sample editing, you will definitely want to update as soon as possible.
If you have an iOS device that can do multi-tasking, you may also want to pick up the BassLine and MoDrum apps to play with the new multi-tasking audio features that allow you to run FunkBox simultaneously with other music apps. Thank you to Finger apps for leading the way with these extremely cool CoreMIDI features that we think are going to change music making on iOS dramatically for the better!
For iOS musicians, the FunkBox update is one more small step towards iOS MIDI nirvana. Details below.
The FunkBox v2.1 update includes:
- Fixed startup issues with iPhone 3G/iOS4
- Fixed edit drum part crash problems
- Improved CoreMIDI/sync support
- Added background / multi-tasking audio support
- Added option to disable startup sounds and/or auto-start beat in Settings app
- Added lock drum machine option
- Added master volume slider in mixer
- Increased touch size of sliders
- Misc other improvements and fixes
via Synthetic Bits
Arturia’s hybrid drum machine
Bax reports on the Musikmesse 2011 in Frankfurt. Arturia announced early this year, the Spark drum machine. At Pro Light & Sound exhibition showed product manager Romain Dejoie Spark and explained the capabilities of the hybrid drum machine all are.
MPD Software mobileRhythm mR-606 classic drum machine app for iOS updated to v1.2
mobileRhythm mR-606, adding MIDI support to the classic drum machine for iOS.
You can now use your iPhone/iPad and mR-606 with other drum machines, sequencers, samplers, synths, arpeggiators, DAW’s etc.
mobileRhythm mR-606 features
- New features:
- Copy/Paste patterns in play mode
- MIDI notes send/receive
- MIDI clock send for syncing with other hardware
- Core MIDI and Line6 MIDI Mobilizer compatible
- UI improvements:
- Last step selection – deselect with a second tap
- Drag finger across steps to set beats quickly
- Bugfixes:
- Fixed bug that prevented patterns from saving properly under certain circumstances
- Fixed bug that made toms volume occasionally load incorrectly
mobileRhythm mR-606 for iOS 3.0 or later is available for $5.99 USD.
More information: mobileRhythm mR-606
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