Advice re drum machines/sequencers/samplers

octatonic

jimkehoe said:

octatonic said:

jimkehoe said:

Right I think I am finally getting somewhere. Thanks to a lot of the help and suggestions of you good people on the forum.

Current situation is this :
I have managed to acquire an Alesis SR16 which has some perfectly good drum sounds and some half reasonable patterns. I have also got hold of a Boss DR880 which is also good but I probably won’t keep as it is larger and does more than I need. 

I am also far happier using drum loops, both wave files and midi in garageband on my Mac.
I have also found out that very cleverly GarageBand can transfer audio/wave files to midi.

So my next puzzle is this - Can I edit and save drum patterns on garageband and then transfer via  midi/usb cable to the Alesis where they can be stored and used away From and without being connected to my Mac?

If so - How?

You would need to use midi sysex dump, which means you need to save as a .mid and I do not believe you can do in Garageband.

This might work though: https://apple.stackexchange.com/questions/291622/how-to-save-export-as-a-midi-file-in-garageband
It is a droplet that allows you to export midi.

Then you need to follow this process:

https://www.alesis.com/kb/article/1576

to get midi files into the SR16.

This is a very old way of working- we used to have to do this in the 90's.
Expect it to be slow and frustrating.

Thanks @octatonic I knew someone would have an answer.
I don’t mind old, blimey I am old!

Now to get a usb/midi in/out cable.

No worries, happy to help.

hollywoodrox

There is a fantastic drum machine app called funk box on the IPad which has all the classic drum machines like the linn ,808 etc and it seems easy to use 

jimkehoe

Maybe a separate drummer software that exports midi. 

Any suggestions?

jimkehoe

hollywoodrox said:

There is a fantastic drum machine app called funk box on the IPad which has all the classic drum machines like the linn ,808 etc and it seems easy to use 

Thanks will check it out.

octatonic

jimkehoe said:

Maybe a separate drummer software that exports midi. 

Any suggestions?

The problem is going to be the amount of articulations that many drum plugins have will not cross over to the .mid format.

How complex are your drum parts?

Would you consider upgrading to Logic?
You can export midi information as .mid easily in it.

jimkehoe

I would suggest fairly simple drum parts.
I think Logic is overkill for the amount of music I do in garageband.
Unless there is an older version of logic that I could pick up fairly cheap that would do that?

octatonic

jimkehoe said:

I would suggest fairly simple drum parts.
I think Logic is overkill for the amount of music I do in garageband.
Unless there is an older version of logic that I could pick up fairly cheap that would do that?

Logic doesn't work like that anymore- it is one price and it works with a current OS.
Going down the 'old/cheap' route will just leave you unsupported.

You might want to look at Reaper- I believe it will allow you to export to .mid.

jimkehoe

octatonic said:

jimkehoe said:

I would suggest fairly simple drum parts.
I think Logic is overkill for the amount of music I do in garageband.
Unless there is an older version of logic that I could pick up fairly cheap that would do that?

Logic doesn't work like that anymore- it is one price and it works with a current OS.
Going down the 'old/cheap' route will just leave you unsupported.

You might want to look at Reaper- I believe it will allow you to export to .mid.

Thanks I’ll check it out.

jimkehoe

hollywoodrox said:

There is a fantastic drum machine app called funk box on the IPad which has all the classic drum machines like the linn ,808 etc and it seems easy to use 

Just downloaded this. Might do the trick it’s great fun. Thanks again.

Strangefan

jimkehoe said:

hollywoodrox said:

There is a fantastic drum machine app called funk box on the IPad which has all the classic drum machines like the linn ,808 etc and it seems easy to use 

Just downloaded this. Might do the trick it’s great fun. Thanks again.

Yup hate to sound like a broken record, but that's a tr8s in a more basic software version :D:D