Category Archives: Granular

ParamDrum for Konkreet Performer

Please note: though this version of ParamDrum has Konkreet Performer mappings, Konkreet Performer is not mandatory. ParamDrum works just fine with a mouse or any MIDI controller.

Hey kids! It’s time for yet another update of ParamDrum.

This time the big deal is Konkreet Performer mappings. Performer is an iPad app that gives you tactile control over anything that can receive OSC, such as Reaktor. Free utiities also let you translate it to MIDI for software and hardware that can’t receive OSC. How good is Konkreet Performer? It’s the reason I went out and bought an iPad in the first place.

Here’s a cheat sheet with the lowdown on who does what where and when in the KP interface:

For those of you who don’t have KP (go get it you fools), the new version still includes a new sample set, a whole lot of new snaps, and new features including optimized randomization.

A funny thing about the beats this thing throws down in conjunction with Konkreet – it’s so easy to make crazy fun beats that you’ll be making and saving one after another at a furious clip. That’s why this edition of ParamDrum has so many more snaps compared to earlier versions. And among the most warped of them, you will find that they only make sense early in the morning when your ears and mind are fresh. When your ears, body and mind are exhausted, late at night, you will lose the ability to follow the sickest beats. So never delete snaps late at night. True story.

ParamDrum KP is free for owners of previous versions. Did I mention that you also need a working installation of Reaktor to use it? I should mention that. You can download ParamDrum KP edition here. Don’t have ParamDrum yet but want in on the game? Buy a license here:

Update: Due to changes in default settings for the latest versions of Konkreet Performer, not all parameters are automatically mapped. Quickest way to fix that is to install this bank in Konkreet Performer via iTunes. Instructions on working with Konkreet banks can be found here.

Loupe 1.5 for Reaktor – now with bidirectional OSC mappings for TouchOSC

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From now on, buying Loupe on this page also gets you a copy of Loupe 2!

Here’s the release version of Loupe 1.5, with some added features, bugfixes, and a new layout for TouchOSC.

Changes include:

Added copy / paste slice (fixed since beta)
Added duplex OSC mappings for TouchOSC
Added two page OSC iPad template
Fixed release envelopes cutting off prematurely

You may download it here. Update is free for owners of Loupe 1.0 – same license info will unlock Loupe 1.5. Don’t have a license? It’s $15 USD and can be purchased here:

Loupe

Here’s a better look at the TouchOSC layout.

Above is the slice page. Each of the sliders gets updated from Reaktor when you trigger a new slice. This lets you see the loop area, filter settings, envelope settings, etc. of each slice and adjust them. Copy and paste buttons let you copy slice parameters to a different key – handy if you want the same thing on a different key except for panning, or reverse playback.

There’s no way to get the sample waveform to display in TouchOSC, but the large green XY pad works the same way as the Reaktor Loupe GUI – X position sets loop position, Y sets loop length. I actually prefer working with my ears this way instead of looking at the display – it’s a more hardware-y approach.

Above is the global page. This selects the sample, global position offset, position LFO and other global variables. You can use this as a performance view once the individual slices and keys are adjusted to your liking.

In order to get this fully working with Reaktor, it’s necessary to set up bi-direcitonal OSC addresses. Reaktor has to talk to TouchOSC. Here’s how to set that up in Reaktor:

The identifier “ipad” is necessary – that’s what all the OSC send terminals in the instrument are mapped to. Take note of the ports and addresses. Reaktor’s receive address should be TouchOSC’s send address and vice versa. Here’s what it looks like on the TouchOSC side:

That will get the OSC connection going both ways. But wait, there’s more! You also need to set up a WiFi MIDI session between your iPad and computer. Here’s what that looks like on my Mac:

Selecting your iPad and hitting “Connect” should be enough to enable the session, as long as you have CoreMIDI enabled in TouchOSC. Windows users can use rtpMIDI.

Whew! This may seem like a slog at first glance, but it becomes clearer when you sit down and set up the connections, and the result is worth it. It’s magical in a dark room late at night, just you and your headphones and the controls and samples. Let me know what you think, how it’s working for you and any suggestions for a better layout.

If this is your first look at Loupe, you might also be interested in the other two instruments in my sampler pack, Mirage and Frame 2.

Update: here is a download of the TouchOSC template on its own, if you don’t have Loupe and just want to check out the mappings and naming conventions I used. I didn’t know at first that leaving a TouchOSC control’s OSC address pattern as “auto” named it according to /pagename/controlname. Quite handy for homing in on the address you want when you’re trying to select from a long dropdown menu in Reaktor.

May 15th minor update: Loupe version 1.5.1 uploaded – fixes OSC address patterns for copy and paste buttons.

Introducing Loupe 1.5 Beta

ParamDrum 3 is Here!

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ParamDrum 3 has arrived.

ParamDrum is a fun and fast way to create unique sounding beats in Reaktor. It’s based on three granular samplers with built in parameter automation and variable length and speed step sequencers. The value of a step gives the probability that the step will trigger as the sequence plays, creating endless variations.

The third edition adds several carefully selected refinements.

All recordable parameters are now mouse-automatable by clicking and dragging on the indicator, perfect for when you’re stuck with a laptop but no MIDI controller.
The GUI now matches Frame, Loupe and Mirage with a clearer layout that is easier on the eyes.
Smooth and swing are now static parameters, making room for envelope decay and sample start as recordable parameters. Try modulating sample start with a melodic sample to build the foundation of a track right in ParamDrum.
A “Max Vel” switch for each sampler allows full velocity for each step, so step value affects only probability.
A virtual analogue “sub” kick unit has been added for layering a little extra earthquake with your sampled kicks.

Aside from these improvements the rest of the instrument will be familiar to previous users and retains the ultra fast and fun workflow of earlier editions. The PDF manual still applies, and new users are also advised to watch this video to get an overview of the instrument:

ParamDrum TR Edition from Peter Dines on Vimeo.

(the video features an older version)

ParamDrum 3 is a free upgrade for anyone who’s already purchased a license and can be downloaded here.

If you don’t already have ParamDrum, what are you waiting for? It’s 15 bucks and you can get a license here:

ParamDrum

Requirements: A computer capable of running Reaktor 5.5. ParamDrum is extremely CPU efficient and unless your computer was hewn from flint by neanderthals you should be more than fine. It takes 2.7% CPU on my 2009 3gHz iMac.

Mac users take note: I now recommend SimplyRar for unarchiving password prrotected RAR archives on OS X. Newer versions of The Unarchiver sometimes give error messages when dealing with password protected RAR files.

Introducing the Reaktor Sampler Pack

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Note: from now on buying Loupe on this page automatically gets you a copy of the new Loupe 2 as well!

I’m pleased to release three new granular sampling instruments for Reaktor: Frame 2, Loupe and Mirage.

Each one has its own character and purpose. Frame 2 is a simple looping sampler designed for live control of loop points and other parameters. Here’s the cheat sheet:

Frame is free and you can download it here. This is an update to the original Frame – it adds a nicer GUI, clearer graphical start and end points on the waveform, and some small under the hood enhancements. Here’s a bit of improv to hear how it sounds:

The next instrument is Loupe – a polyphonic looping slicer for quickly mapping arbitrary (that is, non-beatsliced) sections of a sample to different MIDI keys.(note: purchasing this version now gets you Loupe 2 as well)

How it works: hit a MIDI key and hold, then click and drag to set loop location and length in one gesture, then click and drag in the XY controllers to set pitch, pan, gain, envelope, reverse / forward and filter parameters. Each slice / note has its own settings. It’s great for remixing. By default it has four voices but set more in the instrument properties if you want ’em.

It’s primarily intended for mangling melodic samples but percussion works too. Here’s what it sounds like:

Like Frame 2, Loupe is self documenting through extensive tool-tips. None of the controls are too small or too fiddly. You can learn how to use it in minutes but I think you’ll find a million uses for it. This reflects my instrument building philosophy that an instrument should give you musical leverage without making you feel like you’re endlessly flipping switches on a room-sized computer from the 1960s.

I use a Maschine MIDI controller and like to map each row of four pads to musically related slices so I can play a particular idea or phrase on different rows. A different pad (or MIDI key) can have the same slice but with a different length, or a different pitch, or reversed and panned differently, or all of the above.

Loupe can be downloaded here. A password to unlock the archive is $20 USD and can be purchased here:

Loupe

The third weapon in the sampling pack arsenal is Mirage.

Mirage is a granular sampler inspired by three things – the music of Tim Hecker, my laziness, and my disorganization. 😉 It’s sort of like a trapper keeper for ambient sampling. It lets you select an area of a sample to work with, then allows you to set your granular parameters, per-voice filter settings and pan, voice retrigger frequency, and other things – and crucially, it remembers the pitches you play and saves them with a snapshot when using the “Hold” button.

This creates a host-independent sketchbook for sound design and composition. When you stumble upon a magic combination of samples, settings and notes, everything saves together in the instrument for later recall, refinement and mixing.

When you DO find something magical, you’ll find you can just sit there and listen to a snap for an indecent amount of time as the separate voices crawl across the waveform hypnotically.

Here’s what it sounds like:

Mirage is aimed at a different musical goal than Loupe – you might say that if Loupe is a paintbrush for cubism then Mirage is one for impressionism. Both instruments differ, then, from the typical granular sampling feel and sound which in my mind is more like pointillism.

Mirage can be downloaded here – A password to unlock the archive is $15 USD and can be purchased here:

Mirage

If you want to know more leave a question in the comments or hit me up on twitter.

Special thanks to Felix Petrescu for beta testing Loupe and helping to make it a better instrument!

NOTE: these ensembles are built for the latest full version of Reaktor – version 5.5.1 – it’s a free update if you have 5.15.

Several newbies have asked me about adding samples. See here and the resource page.