Song mode

[paul_courville]

I've heard many users trash the song mode... saying it's better just to improvize in the pattern mode. I understand the logic there, but is there anybody out there that actually uses the song mode for serious songwriting?
Care to share tips/techniques?
Thanks,
Cyberdude

[Dj Pound]

I actually prefer song mode over improvising everything in pattern mode.
Im just really methodical that way and it makes the structuring of a song alot easier....Plus if your serious about putting together a complete "song" with crescendos, decrescendos, drops, transistions, bridges etc...than at one time or another, you're gonna have to utilize the song mode function!

Some people diss the song function, but i find it quite easy and fun to use.

[TrondC]

I used to have an ESX, ER and EA all running in song mode for years before I learned to improvize better. song mode is a good tool to free your hands to do other stuff, and I'm planning to make song mode arrangements for all my live tracks to free up some hands.

basically, I spent a lot of time arranging tracks, all tracks in this collection here is in song mode, and you can hear a clear "song" structure to most of them compared to my newer tracks (everything else on that page), that are all more or less planned jams.

I'd say the best tip is to record some jams, write down the pattern order and try that in song mode, editing out the parts of your jam you didn't like. I'm doing this right now in preparation for a more serious demo recording where I want things to run smoothly.

I with the electribe song mode could be as powerful as the elektron ones tho, with the monomachine I can add mutes, unmutes, I can loop just a part of a pattern etc, meaning I can recreate a live act and have it play back hand free


ten Song mode tracks all made with ESX as the center piece, and depending on the track, everything else is EA, ER or Microkorg:

http://siestasubmarina.bandcamp.com/alb ... ape-tracks

[laikenf]

Actually song mode is THE only way I've been using my tribe. I find it pretty fun to write stuff with it. What I normally do is create a sequence, with drum parts, a bass line and little drones and bleeps; I follow such sequence with a lead I usually play on top of it with my MS2000, a lot of times I go ahead and use the KP3 combined with a SP-404 to process voice samples and loops on top of the sequence. Pretty fun if you ask me.

What I don't do is use the KP3 as an effects processor for the EMX1, I use the MIDI thru port of the tribe to go into the MIDI in of the KP3 (the SP-404 is connected to the audio-in jack of the KP3) that way I can keep it synchronized to the EMX1.

Improvising is fun and all, but I'm not very good at the whole DJ thing; I just like to create songs and I find that the electribe is a great sequencer (and it doesn't cost an eye).