An equivalence to Drum Track for Triton ?

jmi · Post by **jmi** » Sat Oct 08, 2011 8:22 pm

Hi all,

I would like to find an easy solution to spontaneously play the Triton with a rhythm, without spending time programing in the seq mode or in the combi mode with the arpegiators. Ideally, I would like to have something equivalent to the Drum Track on M3.

Is that possible to find a large choice of arpegiator patterns for Drums somewhere to add to the factory ones ? I was also thinking about the Karma software but I am not sure it can help for that, or maybe another software ? And lastly would any hardware be another interesting solution ?

Thanks for any idea.

SanderXpander · Post by **SanderXpander** » Sun Oct 09, 2011 2:10 am

The arpeggiators in the combi are probably the easiest way. I think if you'd get to programming that once or twice you'd find it's not very complicated to set up.

X-Trade · Post by **X-Trade** » Sun Oct 09, 2011 9:18 am

If you're after drums and want to change patches and such in between, then you might want to look at an external drum machine.

as far as compact and flexibly programmable goes, I can recommend the Electribe ES-1. Load or directly sample your own drum samples into it, programming a pattern is very visual and fun, quantized and seamless switching between patterns.

Alternatively, try looking at the RPPR function in Sequencer mode. Korg have some good videos from the M3 on Youtube that equally apply to the Triton and other models.

billbaker · Post by **billbaker** » Mon Oct 10, 2011 12:03 am

jmi,

One bad thing about the triton classic was that the drum patterns were not named drum patterns... you kind of have to figure out what does what.

On the other hand the on triton extreme the drum arp patterns are named (e.g., DR:xxxxxxx) so they're easier to find and organize.

Using an editor/librarian you may be able to load the extreme's (or any of the exb's) drum arps into the classic. This will give you a much larger vocabulary of patterns to use -- however, it is very slanted to dance/techno; not much in the way of latin, jazz or even straight rock as there are with the M50.

I hacked my classic pretty heavily to do this exact thing, but it meant (among other things) rewriting combis to use patterns found in different slots.

As far as i know you can't load the M50's patterns into the triton series, so you're limited just to what's been released for tritons.

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One way to extend the usefulness of patterns you have is by writing specialized kits that change the character of the patterns.

Two examples:

One kit I wrote is just shakers; I put all the gentler ticks, shakers, brushes, etc. into one kit. At a slow or medium tempo with a little swing those dance rhythm tracks can take on a nice jazzy, chill/downtempo or new age feel.

Another useful kit was hand percussion; bongos, tablas, congas, etc., again spread over the entire width of the keyboard. This can help with making more latin or world sounding beats.

And don't forget to transpose up and down for additional variety -- as the patterns shift they access different sounds.

These aren't perfect solutions but can go a long way toward getting new flavors of rhythm out of your Triton.

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------ Alternative 2 ------------

You can use the sequencer to play imported rhythms -- the sequencer doesn't care where they come from. You can import midi rhythm tracks from external software drum machines, write 'em yourself, maybe even save the m50 tracks as .mid data ... basically anything that can write a standard midi file can be brought in to give you variety.

BB

jmi · Post by **jmi** » Wed Oct 12, 2011 12:33 am

Thanks for your interesting feedbacks.

The arpeggiators take a while to be programmed on the synth (all the more some of my buttons are getting worn - I'll fix that one day). So I should see if Triton Edit Pro can help. Making a rhythm with a PC sequencer in mid format seems to be rather fast and flexible, and I was wondering about any conversion from midi patterns to apeggiator patterns. I'm pretty sure that's possible to create a program to do that using Sysex, maybe not as complex as I think if it's possible to manage the input/output formats. Otherwise I must copy a combi into the sequencer on the first 8 tracks and use some of the last 8 for the rhythm. But again arppegiators are better since they can also be used for bass.

Do you know any interesting library of rhythms in midi file which gathers a wide range of different styles from waltz to techno ? (free or not)

And how about the Karma software : would it be another alternative for this issue ?

billbaker · Post by **billbaker** » Wed Oct 12, 2011 12:48 pm

jmi,

Re: rhythm libraries - try to find "Band-in-a-box", it started as a program to provide backing tracks for Real Book jazz, but has morphed over time to include pop, standard dance rhythms (like waltz and foxtrot), country, latin, and a host of other styles.

I believe all files generated by B-i-a-B can be saved as standard midi files (either .smf / .mid or both) that can be imported to the classic's sequencer.

I don't think you can import midi directly into the arp section except as korg formatted arps -- I've done that using arps from the EXB's and other sources. However, if I recall correctly, there IS a slightly convoluted way to get data from the sequencer into the arp section, which would give you exactly what you want -- computer .mid > sequencer > arp.

At that point it's just a matter of maximizing available arp slots. As I recall, you can overwrite all but the first 6 arps. Be aware that overwriting any existing arps will change any programs/combis that reference them.

BB

jmi · Post by **jmi** » Sat Oct 15, 2011 8:16 pm

Thanks for this new input.

As far as I understand, Band in a box is an arranger, but from the description found it seems that's not exactly midi. But that's interesting.

Not sure I correclty got you for the process computer .mid > sequencer > arp, but programing an arp is so fastidious that I think the best is to to everything in seq mode at first. With Midi Ox, I can see the Sysex information for every spot in the arpeggio patterns, but I need to understand the SysEx string for each beat, each drum etc to see how to convert a midi event list into SysEx for arp.

The Triton manual is not very clear about sysex. Is there any definition of all the SysEx for Triton anywhere to know how to code an order to be sent to the synth?

billbaker · Post by **billbaker** » Thu Nov 03, 2011 5:07 pm

jmi -

Most sequencing/arranger programs do (or can use) GM drum kits for rhythm. They can also save in various formats, again most can save in a general midi or .mid format.

You can save small (4 measure) files as .mid data. These can be imported into the Triton's sequencer. From the interior sequencer, I believe there's a process for writing them into user arpeggios.

That process -- .mid (generated by your computer) into the Triton's sequencer, then into the User Arps section is what I was talking about.

BB

jmi · Post by **jmi** » Tue Nov 08, 2011 9:25 pm

Thanks Bill ... but I don't see how you do that ... Is it related to RPPR ?

billbaker · Post by **billbaker** » Wed Nov 09, 2011 5:40 pm

jmi,

I believe the procedure is outlined under "Global", on page 6 functions (is for Extreme) where you can edit (create) User Arps.

There is also a bit of mystery regarding how the data gets saved depending on what playing status (prog/combi/seq) you come from and what arpeggios are preselected for edit by including them in the playing set-up.

This, BTW, is a very clumsy procedure on the Tritons that got (from reading about it, anyway) a bit more streamlined where the OASYS / M3 / Kronos are concerned because they have a dedicated Drum Track function that can import patterns more directly.

Hope this points you in the right direction.

BB

jmi · Post by **jmi** » Sat Nov 12, 2011 8:20 pm

Thanks again Bill, I am not at my home tonight to check that, but I'll try this asap when back. That's very interesting to do that anyway.

jmi · Post by **jmi** » Sun Nov 13, 2011 9:06 pm

Hi Bill, I looked into the P6 of Global but did not find anything to copy from sequencer to arpegiators. Maybe that's something possible with Extreme but not with Classic ... too bad !