Live Beatmaking equipment recommendation?
Live Beatmaking equipment recommendation? Posted on: 08.01.2012 by Dante Finley I'm not a DJ per se, but more of a rock looper. But I really like the sounds of breakbeats and DJ kinds of drums.I'm trying to find a piece of gear but am not sure if it exists. Basically I want a drum machine that gives me more options. I've been using an SR-16 in my looping setup and while it works as advertised it just feels kind of flat and boring. The best thing I've found so far are the BPM drum patterns on my Kaoss Pad 2 (the 3 doesn't have this feature!). Basically it has 4 patterns depending on where you touch on one axis and the other does things like cutoff frequency. It feels a lot more "alive" to me. Trouble is, there are only 4 such programs on the machine. As I understand the Kaossilator Pro has about 20 such programs, which is an improvement, but still only a fraction of what the machine is really for (the thing has 200 programs and they're mostly synths). So I'm looking for a drum machine of sorts that's really MEANT for this kind of application and doesn't just have it thrown in on the side. Ideas? Thanks. | |
| Clinton Voran 10.01.2012 |
Originally Posted by tigerstyle
|
| Keith Mermer 10.01.2012 |
Originally Posted by Glen
i agree, if you are looking for a stand alone box (no laptop) i would recommend mpc1000/2500 depending on budget... the renaissance is more of a controller, so you need a computer for that one. korg electribes (emx1, esx1) are also good options. good luck on your search, i love gear hunting. |
| Clinton Voran 10.01.2012 |
Originally Posted by Eizhauz
|
| Juliette Vensel 10.01.2012 |
Originally Posted by dookiex
Maschine Mikro for the budget minded. Similar to other Native Instrument controllers, it comes with the full version of software, even though it is scaled down version of the famous brother, Maschine. |
| Dante Finley 08.01.2012 | I'm not a DJ per se, but more of a rock looper. But I really like the sounds of breakbeats and DJ kinds of drums. I'm trying to find a piece of gear but am not sure if it exists. Basically I want a drum machine that gives me more options. I've been using an SR-16 in my looping setup and while it works as advertised it just feels kind of flat and boring. The best thing I've found so far are the BPM drum patterns on my Kaoss Pad 2 (the 3 doesn't have this feature!). Basically it has 4 patterns depending on where you touch on one axis and the other does things like cutoff frequency. It feels a lot more "alive" to me. Trouble is, there are only 4 such programs on the machine. As I understand the Kaossilator Pro has about 20 such programs, which is an improvement, but still only a fraction of what the machine is really for (the thing has 200 programs and they're mostly synths). So I'm looking for a drum machine of sorts that's really MEANT for this kind of application and doesn't just have it thrown in on the side. Ideas? Thanks. |
| Coletta Chrzan 16.01.2012 | I use Korg Electribes for live production (amongst a host of other gear) so its live hardware music production. If you're at all interested in heading that route then I can definitely recommend the Korg ESX (sampling groovebox) or the EMX (synth/drum machine groovebox) I also have an MPC 2500 but its not as versatile in a live context unless you REALLY know your way around it and have set up everything you need before pressing play. also depends entirely on your method of approach. I'd recommend starting out with software and getting a feel for production while checking out all the different ways people make electronic music live to find a style that would best suit you. personally i hate software =P |
| Roselee Jasnoch 10.01.2012 | It really depends if you want to go down a software or hardware rout. |
| Clinton Voran 10.01.2012 |
Originally Posted by tigerstyle
|
| Keith Mermer 10.01.2012 |
Originally Posted by Glen
i agree, if you are looking for a stand alone box (no laptop) i would recommend mpc1000/2500 depending on budget... the renaissance is more of a controller, so you need a computer for that one. korg electribes (emx1, esx1) are also good options. good luck on your search, i love gear hunting. |
| Clinton Voran 10.01.2012 |
Originally Posted by Eizhauz
|
| Juliette Vensel 10.01.2012 |
Originally Posted by dookiex
Maschine Mikro for the budget minded. Similar to other Native Instrument controllers, it comes with the full version of software, even though it is scaled down version of the famous brother, Maschine. |
| Clinton Voran 09.01.2012 | Fruity Loops is one way to go. Ableton is another way to go (but might be way too heavy duty for your specific use, Ableton can handle anything from simple drum racks to DJ sets all the way to full blown DAW production work). These are both software solutions, MIDI controllers are varied and plentiful for either of these software packages (AKAI APC40, Novation Launch Pad, iPad solutions such as TouchAble if you're going to use Ableton, homebrew controller solutions, etc.). If you take the time, you can effectively just map everything to the keyboard of the computer you're working on (though MIDI controllers provides much easier access to functions which are more easily set with faders and knobs). Another way to go is with the NI Maschine which is a software + hardware solution that is very robust and comes with excellent samples. That's basically a beat performance and production solution. |
| Roselee Jasnoch 09.01.2012 | What about a korg electribe? May not be the sound your going for though... |
| Jacquiline Dua 08.01.2012 | octatrack from elektron http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pq9PiftpAxg |
| Jonathan Chiuchiolo 08.01.2012 | DAW just means "Digital Audio Workstation" it just means music production software, that consists of virtual synthesizors, effects, samplers, and sequencers. Just standard things for music production. all you want to do however is use the sampler aspect of the program. Download the ableton trial to get hands on with it, it will allow you to play loops syncronsed and quantised to a master tempo, there are a million and one different producer packs available, although I have never got any in rock, jazz or funk to recommend, google is your friend there. |
| Dante Finley 08.01.2012 | Lots of references to Ableton. I'm actually working through a Boss RC-50 with live instruments. Not sure how/if that changes your recommendations. As far as what you are suggesting with the DAW and all that... uh please slow down and explain. I'm afraid I've come off as a bit less of a noob than I am. |
| Jonathan Chiuchiolo 08.01.2012 | just get a netbook running a DAW, a midi pad controller, you could get a nano pad which has an xy pad, although led feedback is always better imo. get a producer pack of rock, jazz and funk drum loops, get a simple controller to trigger the loops, loops are all quantised in ableton |
| Dante Finley 08.01.2012 | (previous post is about the mpc.. hadn't seen the other post yet... looking into that now, thanks) |
| Dante Finley 08.01.2012 | That does look pretty cool, but it's a bit beyond what I need. I just need something simple that generates interesting beats that I can capture on my looper before I move on to guitars and such. The function I'm describing on the KP2 can be found starting at about 30 seconds of this video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ygnmtC54PyM Basically I just want more of that. But there's only like 4 patches of it. Alternatively a drum pad like the mpc could work assuming it has a quantizer... hmm... still looks pricier and more involved than what I need though. |
| Jonathan Chiuchiolo 08.01.2012 | it sounds like a QuNeo would suit you controlling ableton live. in ableton you could either use breakbeat loops you can get in producer packs, or you could tap them out yourself. I suggest the QuNeo because every drum pad is actually velocity sensitive pad, aswell as an xy controller like the korg kaoss, the QuNeo is still awaiting production however. [youtube]8Jn1FVxOroM[/youtube] You could also look into native instruments maschine, which a lot of people have a lot of good things to say about |
| Hang Postman 08.01.2012 | have you tried any of the mpc'? This one is just coming out and it looks pretty cool http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xkF-evh5msA |
<< Back to Reviews of DJ equipment Reply