Audiobus: Use your music apps together.
What is Audiobus? — Audiobus is an award-winning music app for iPhone and iPad which lets you use your other music apps together. Chain effects on your favourite synth, run the output of apps or Audio Units into an app like GarageBand or Loopy, or select a different audio interface output for each app. Route MIDI between apps — drive a synth from a MIDI sequencer, or add an arpeggiator to your MIDI keyboard — or sync with your external MIDI gear. And control your entire setup from a MIDI controller.
Download on the App StoreAudiobus is the app that makes the rest of your setup better.
MC707 - anybody has it ? One speciffic question about sound engine
Can't found any real examples of more extreme modulation (like super fast LFO > pitch and LFO > filter modulations - i want to hear how high LFO can go and how it sounds when applied on sine, saw and square pitch and on LP filter with resonance set to maximum, oscillators cross-modulations, fast env>pitch mod for creating kick drums) .. If anybody here owns the machine, would be kind to provide some examples ;-)
Everything what on youtube is basically just boring factory patches, but i want to know where are limits of sound engine, how it stands when it comes to extreme modulations ...
Comments
I doubt that the LFOs will reach audio-rates nor do they have any kind of keyboard-> LFO rate tracking...
...that's after a quickly eyeing thru the manuals when it was released.
If more advanced synthesis is needed I guess Rolands intention is for people to get ZenCore expansions which provide more synthesis capabilities or something
Sound engine inside MC707 is based on Zen Core ! That's why i'm interested in real examples of more extreme modulations from people who own the box, i want to hear where are boundaries (not theoretize) - problem is that all Youtubers are obviously unable to really test synth more than just browsing factory patches (which are basically shit on all grooveboxes ever made:))) and tweaking cutoff ...
@dendy If you're thinking about purchasing one, I'd say you better get your hands on one before and make sure the sound editing is really more fun than on an iPad. I do like the features of the MC-707 and the standalone concept but except for the mixer panel, the fiddly UI was a real turn-off for me.
I would only recommend for people who mostly use presets anyway and don't need too much fine editing of sounds and notes.
@rs2000 i had a few grooveboxes before .. i know what to expect in general ;-) currently that is exactly what i'm searching - something with physical knobs and some limitations, to put iPad away for a while (nor permanently, just for moments when i want
)
In generall, i narrowed all options down to three, which are approximately same in price (and withing my budget which is around 800 euros) :
every one has pros and cons .. (i was considering for a while also deluge, but in my country there are ridiculously high duty taxes and also whole process is super complicated, so ordering stuff from New Zealand not option)
yes this is me feeling based on reviews i watched .. it feels like it's almost there, Zend Core is very powerful
But i don't want something which will sound just like ordinary plugin (which, from all sound demos, looks like it is the case with 707 - but as i said, nobody really explored limits of that sound engine in demos, at least i didn't found single one demo with something more interesting than just presets browsing and cutoff twiddling)
synth engine so i would like to hear how it acts in more extreme modulations .. i have no problem with menu diving, and screen on MC707 looks nice anyway
Can’t help with the 707, but if you’re in the market for a groovebox or 2, have you checked out the Elektron Model samples/cycles?
Some great stuff being done with them on YouTube.
I’m eyeing up the Samples for my 50th birthday
@LeeB yeah, i considered samples/cycles a LOT .. watched all review (especially loopop made great ones) - but the synth engine in cycles looks to me too much limited ... Samples is great replacement for Volca Sample, so i can see how you can utilise it for your live jams
I'm primary searching for something with good synth engine, and sampling is for me only additional, not important, feature :-)
had a 707. sold it. now I have a 101 and count be happier. the pads are so much more playable.
the screen is green instead of blue. the throw of the faders are better suited to my playing style and I don't have any illusions anymore about editing a patch.
sometimes I wish it had an audio input or that I could sample something directly on it. but all in all I am much happier with it than a 707.
LFOs just go into audio rate
For ZenCore in general I think the best way to really test the capabilities of it is to do the 30-day free Roland Clound thing with all the expansion packs for Zenology Pro which gives full editing capabilities...
(I'm not there yet but maybe some day).
@dendy make sure you also check out the AKAI gear!
was thinking for a while about MPC One but i'm really not much into pads / sampling / general MPC workflow - i'm mostly synth guy and build in synths in Live / One looks too much basic for me ..
oh great ! Do you have one ? Any chance to record some modulation sweep from slow to fastest posible on oscilaltor pitch (sine,saw) and on filter (lowpass with cutoof and resonance set to midle, on basic saw wave)
@dendy As for immediate, very accessible synthesis, these might be worth a look:
Korg Electribe MX (the old blue steel box), I still love it for the unique synthesis part!
Digitone (also ask @MrBlaschke for his opinion about the Cycles!)
Some swear by the Analog Four but 4 voices polyphony wouldn't be enough for me, not even for one track.
A better option might be:
Behringer DeepMind rack (or keys if you like) for polyphonic tracks
Behringer Crave for monophonic and semi-modular stuff (Basses, lead lines)
iPad as a sequencer (my choice would be Genome)
Still under $800, considering you've already got the iPad.
@dendy @rs2000 Still very happy with the Cycles - using the own Elektron sequencer AND sequencing it from the iPad or other hardware. @dendy if you need more specific info ask away
@rs2000 aaah Old good blue Electribe MX .. had one many years ago, still regreting i sold it... great inspirative piece of hardware
I have enough analog synths (regarding deep mind or crave),this is really just about some groovebox for noodling and searching for inspirations when want to go away from iPad.. just some knobs love with inspirative workflow and decent sound design capabilities ...
lools like at the end my iterations of searching are more and more close to Digitone :-)
Regarding Akai, I really like the synths that are bundled with free MPC Beats (Tube Synth (Poly Analog), Electric (E. Piano) and Bass Line (Mono). Those are present on the hardware MPC's as well...
I'm trying really hard to resist getting hardware and since the deliveries take ages I hope the GAS will wade away...
I’ve got a deluge and it’s probably my least favorite instrument for sound design. I much prefer piping other synths into it (Particularly, my DM 12d and Machinedrum) - and focus on the Deluge’s strengths; which is the best HW sequencer I’ve ever used, and an excellent sampler and audio looper. I’d probably feel the same way about sound design on the mc707, with all the menu diving and it being a little bit on the shallow side with it’s synth capabilities.
I have the Electribe 2 and I personally wouldn’t recommend it for sound design. It’s probably the weakest part of it for me.
The master reverb with no individual sends to it is a real let down too
Agree, I have the Electribe 2 as well...
...it's mostly collecting dust at the moment replaced by GR-16 which runs circles around it!
The only hardware box that gives me a bit of GAS at the moment is the MPC One...
Hook up a midi controller and it's one heck of a 'playground'
the most fun for high lfo games is analog. maybe try a used Bastl softpop? They are so much fun.
Ok guys thanks for all,opinions.. looks like Digitone is final winner and later when i sell some not much used synths then it gets brother Digitakt :-) Looking forward to true DAWless iPadless jamming, can't wait :-)
Cool. Sounds like fun. I think it’s a good decision, people seem to really love the Elektron stuff.
It’s nice to be able to get away from a screen and The tactility of hardware can be very inspiring.
Once you have one Elektron machine, you’ll probably want more
I started with the MD UW+ MK2 this year and it’s just a phenomenal platform. A joy to program.
I figured I’d start with the classics and eventually work my way toward more recent releases. Next for me is either a Monomachine or Octatrack + A4 ... Sonic Potions LXR is tempting as well, but I fear I’ve been spoiled by the Elektron UI and might end up frustrated with all the menu diving.
707-wise, having fun with V1.60 which includes a random tone generator. Anyone (@Tarekith ?) know if you can save newly generated sounds? Sorry a 36 hour n00b at this pioint
If it’s like the 101 you have to save patches as a project. Then you can open them as presets in any new project.
Correct, there's no concept of user patches in the new Rolands. You basically save the sound as a clip in your current project, which can be loaded in other projects if you want. Also, don't forget you get a year free to Roland Cloud Pro too, which means you can use the zenology pro synth to make sound banks you can then load onto the mc707/101.
& @purpan2
Thank you both. Glad to know I wasn't simply being simple. I did spend most of the morning figuring out (slowly) how to register and get stuff and will certainly look into the Cloud Pro thing. As regards saving your own/new patches, I am amazed at how disconcerting I find it that I can't do this in the way I'm used to, despite there being another way. Largely a lack of plasticity hereabouts I think.
Before opening this browser I had just copied the following quote from my notebook to be added to my collection and then signed in here with it still on the clipboard; perfect timing perhaps
If I want the impossible, I want it in its entirety. Franz Kafka
I'm used to Elektron and Korg stuff, where the pattern and patch data are kind of inseparable and there isn't a patch library per se. But I could definitely see why people would expect to see something like that in the 707, there are a LOT of patches in there to trawl through.
I love that random patch generator though, it works pretty good.
It's exactly the quality of the thing that has me wanting to make banks of my own etc. Some great stuff....