Live timed drum pad playing (similar to Ableton Clip timing)
Ok, so I was reading on someone's experience using next bar/measure/note time settings and hold + loop and got the idea to mess with the record quantize settings while I play drum pads with my samples live. I don't actually record in BM 2, just live rehearsed songs to play like an instrument and I was getting messed up if my timing was not perfect on pads. I use many auto loop settings with anywhere from 4 to 8 bars and several one shots in each song. Very rarely do I have just the hold settings or hold + loop and wished I could have Intua build in some live quantize adjustment. Well, this is already built into BM 2. My record quantize settings were all set at 1/16 and that is just too tight for live play unless you are just perfect, so I started adjusting record quantize and found that if I change to 1/4 on record quantize, I get that timed clip feel like Ableton and I can be a little sloppier when I play.
Be careful because if you hit too late just a hair, it will wait until that 1/4 time then play, but if you hit just slightly before or right on time, it lines up the timing perfectly on all those type settings for pads.
Very cool to stumble on this as my workflow is non DAW and more live sampler action.
I also messed around with TB Midi Stuff app and built a custom BM 2 stage that has a custom built 16 pad + Cutoff and Resonance sliders to the lower left of the 16 pads and value LED window graphic that displays simple label and midi data. I named the instrument Bank A, then built another just like it with right note triggers for Bank B and labeled it Bank B.
Pads are velocity sensitive with many adjustments available. Switching between Bank A and Bank B is just a quick finger hit on down arrow indicator at top of instrument stage area. Also can built a red synth controller. It has its own arp with many adjustments. It's a quick finger hit on left/right arrow button at top left of stage.
TB midi stuff has quick access drum machine controller, synth, 16 channel mixer with long faders controllers in quick access to toggle in view or hidden with one button access and close.
Be careful because if you hit too late just a hair, it will wait until that 1/4 time then play, but if you hit just slightly before or right on time, it lines up the timing perfectly on all those type settings for pads.
Very cool to stumble on this as my workflow is non DAW and more live sampler action.
I also messed around with TB Midi Stuff app and built a custom BM 2 stage that has a custom built 16 pad + Cutoff and Resonance sliders to the lower left of the 16 pads and value LED window graphic that displays simple label and midi data. I named the instrument Bank A, then built another just like it with right note triggers for Bank B and labeled it Bank B.
Pads are velocity sensitive with many adjustments available. Switching between Bank A and Bank B is just a quick finger hit on down arrow indicator at top of instrument stage area. Also can built a red synth controller. It has its own arp with many adjustments. It's a quick finger hit on left/right arrow button at top left of stage.
TB midi stuff has quick access drum machine controller, synth, 16 channel mixer with long faders controllers in quick access to toggle in view or hidden with one button access and close.
Comments
I was looking at the App Store ratings for BM 2 and was surprised to read how many negative comments from people that never bothered to check out if a feature was actually there or not or look on Intua's website to see if there were answers.
Really for $20, this app cannot be beat and has a depth of features that need time and reading to discover.
I'm excited for Audiobus integration with other apps because if you are an Ableton user, it will have some options very similar to Ableton when combined with a straight multitracker app. Mainly like being able to live play your pads (clips) and record your performance to a stereo track in the multitrack app and edit, mashup, or final mix it.
BM 2 is the app that keeps on giving. Route your empty keyboard preset to an iOS synth running background audio or use a separate midi controller app with multiple midi routing and do the same and you now have iOS synth of your choice with BM 2's great Drum pads and sequencer/fx playing well together. The addition of Audiobus means that you can send the output of both apps you are playing into your track on the multitrack app. Like running vst's.
I haven't had this much fun making new music in awhile. Ableton is still cool in my book, but I got the tools and workflow to do live mixes now all on an idevice.
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I actually recorded my live playing in the sequencer with that 1/8 setting on global quantize. Great for live play at 1/4 or 1/8, but when playing back, switch it to 1/32 global quantize and it will tighten everything up in playback. Those loose quantize settings are only good for live stuff. Timing on playback of recorded sequence was crap at those settings until I switched it to 1/32. Then everything played back right, just like it sounded at live play, well, except I had to retweak some rapid fire hits I did, but no big deal.
I will be able to do this with Audiobus into another app, but would be cool to not have to do that.