Top 10 things I didn't know about BM3... (but now do)

edited September 2017 in Tutorials, Tips & Tricks

In the hope of assisting all newcomers to BM3, I am listing the top 10 things I didn't know about BM3 when I started, but now do.


01 -
Every one of the pads in a bank can host multiple samples, fx, AU, IAA, plus weird bastard combinations of multiple things all at once.
The only thing you can't load in a pad is another bank, but almost anything else goes.

02 -
Each pad can either just be triggered (at root pitch), or played chromatically (ie. with piano keys)
This means drum hits or other samples can easily be pitched up or down on the keyboard without the need to load the sample onto multiple pads. Each pad can also have multiple sample layers split across keys or velocities etc, and each layer has it's own ADSR envelope.

03 -
Each pad in a bank has it's own insert FX chain and sends
You can also double-tap the bank's mixer strip to show channel strips for each pad (but everyone knows this already, right?)

04 -
Every parameter in an AU plugin can be automated
Note- no other iPad DAW has this feature (I'm excluding apps like Korg Gadget because they are considered insular/internal only)

05 -
Automations can be recorded either to the track (song mode) or within a looping pattern (scene mode).
Q: which automation data (track vs pattern) wins if they play at the same time?

06 -
Patterns can be shortened to less than a full bar by adjusting the loop markers in pattern editor

07 -
You can build all kinds of cool synths yourself by layering single cycle samples (sine/saw etc.)
(see @5pinlink 's recent YouTube tuts for a primer)

08 -
You can zip-up your samples in Audioshare and import to BM3 in one action
(very handy for drum hits)

09 -
Macros are really cool; go use them now
NB just beware if you automate them when paired to an AU parameter, as it currently leads to mighty CPU spikes (a known bug)

10 -
The parameter modulation options are awesome
such as the step modulators and LFOs. Try them!


I hope this is helpful for some of the newer users, and I welcome anyone else who wants to add their own list of cool things they've learnt since starting with BM3. And I'd like to thank the developers, the manual, experimentation, and of course the wonderful users on this forum for my BM3 education thus far.

Tom (tk32)

Comments

  • Awesome post, enjoyed reading. Thanks for taking the time to write it!
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  • edited August 2017

    Thanks Triton,

    I'm still learning the intricacies of AU automations, and not sure I can explain how BM3 chooses which AU parameters get mapped to the 'show AU dials' screen.

    However, what I can say is that you should turn on Automation record (Under the 'A' button on the top transport bar) and then hit record and start tweaking anything that sounds good. If you don't know where to start the filter frequency and resonance are a great starting point until you get more familiar with the other synth parameters.

    I was excited to learn earlier today that even moving obscure little switches in iSEM can be automated effectively. My only advice is to make sure you understand the difference between track and pattern automation, and to spend a bit of time learning how the 'slope' and 'step' draw tools work when editing automations (otherwise you'll find it frustrating)

  • edited August 2017

    @triton100 said:
    Re no9 I would love one of the yoda synth masters - am looking at @5pinlink here ha - to do a tutorial on simple step modulation. For some reason can't get my head around it. And I'm sure it's super easy.

    OK heres a quick one to try that should get you started with a step modulator.

    1 Load a sound into a layer.
    2 Load a different sound into a second layer.
    3 Press a key and they both play at the same time.
    4 Double click gain on layer 1 and add step modulator, go to modulations and change the step modulator to these settings
    100%/2 steps/polyphonic/make it a fastish rate so that you can hear what is happening/Step 1 full on/Step 2 full off.
    5 Do exactly the same thing with layer 2, just change Step 1 to full off/Step 2 to full on.

    You have just created a wave sequencer (Korg Wavestation style) add steps/add layers, either or, combination of both, the steps are the sequence, if you want a particular layer on at a particular part of the sequence turn that step up on that layer, turn the other steps down, ridiculously powerful for creating pads.

    That should give you a real quick primer on step modulation ;)

  • Things I didn't totally expect in BM3 but have been cool to see are there -
    1. Layer via 'pad link'
    2. Instant Pattern/scene Jump
    3. Decent/useable stock reverb
    4. Sampling from Radio without need for cables.
    5. Step Modulation
    6. AU integration (not really a BM3 specific thing but it's first time I've used AU and first time I've found ios to seem to make sense as a serious environment).
    7. Unlimited pad layers.
    8. Polyrhythm functionality.
    9. The 'Roll' touch pad.
    10. Fast updates/Bright future. Already some nice updates added quickly and masses of confirmed big stuff to come (more modulation, arpeggiator, full fx list in layers, slice by transient, fluid resampling etc etc..).
  • edited August 2017
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  • Macros cant be modulated ? i wanted to modulate AU paramters but i cant figure out how, did i miss something ?

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  • @5pinlink thanks for the explanation on the step modulation! Also I discovered layers were a thing so exciting times all round.

  • edited August 2017

    The only thing everybody needs to remember with modulators is that they are all oscillators.
    All an oscillator is is a value that goes up and down.

    LFO (Low Frequency Oscillator) = An oscillator that works exactly like any other, but is very very low down the keyboard range (I am using this as a visual reference, no keyboard ever went that low haha) so far down that you couldn't even hear it if it was sent to an audio output.
    Envelope = An oscillator that runs through its cycle just once every time it is triggered (Again reference that so far down the keyboard image from the LFO, and again inaudible)
    Step modulator = An LFO (See above) that you create the shape of by changing its sliders.
    Random S+H = A sample and hold is an oscillator whose value (up or down) is picked at random, so it will pick a random value and then hold that value for the user defined time (Rate)

    As you can see, they are all oscillators, once you know how an LFO works, you know how all modulators (Oscillators) work.

    One of the things myself and @Samu are hoping for is a drawable Oscillator/LFO, this would work exactly like a step modulator but be drawn by hand rather than using sliders, it would be great as an Oscillator option in the sampler and as a Modulation source too, but then again a Step Oscillator in the sampler based on the step modulator but at audio frequencies would be superb too, and audio sources as modulators !!!!

  • edited August 2017
    Wish I could also use step modulators on the FX in the chain, AU parameters and Macros

    (Unless this is already possible and I've missed something obvious!)
  • @tk32 I think this is confirmed as being in the backlog of things that will be added in updates :) I'm keen for this one too..
  • edited August 2017

    @5pinlink said:

    One of the things myself and @Samu are hoping for is a drawable Oscillator/LFO, this would work exactly like a step modulator but be drawn by hand rather than using sliders, it would be great as an Oscillator option in the sampler and as a Modulation source too, but then again a Step Oscillator in the sampler based on the step modulator but at audio frequencies would be superb too, and audio sources as modulators !!!!

    Yepp, during the initial beta I brought up ideas of using the samples as modulation sources and doing some 'math' between samples/layers in real-time (invert/subtract/add/multiply). This would enable some pretty neat sound-shaping capabilities for wave-shaping/ring-mod type effects. Those ideas got a +1 initially so I can only hope they are still in the back-log for the time when the sampler gets more features which could take a while until the most critical bugs are fixed.

    And well, 'finger-painting waveforms' is still something I look forward to.

  • @Heyez
    sampling from radio without need for cables? Do you mean just sampling through iPad microphone or have I missed something?

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  • edited September 2017
    Create a new thread with description so we can get confirms, try and track it down.
  • @ssspla can sample digital radio internally ;) Details/link here in the current battle guidelines -
    https://intua.net/forums/discussion/5158/bm3-battle-challenge-01-deadline-sept-30th#latest
  • @Heyez. Nice! Thanks!

  • Great thread!

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