Editing on the Wavedrum: Tips & Tricks
Posted: Fri Oct 28, 2011 4:05 am
Editing on the Wavedrum: Tips & Tricks
I’ve been meaning to start this thread for several months now. I’ll probably add to this as we go along, and hopefully others will too. If you have any good shortcuts or workarounds, feel free to share!
Some of this may seem obvious to those familiar with the Wavedrum, but I wanted to make this useful to people of all levels and backgrounds. That being said, you'll need to be at least somewhat familiar with the owner's manual and have a basic understanding of how to access the editing features of the Wavedrum. Trying to explain all the basics is a bit beyond what would be practical for this forum.
This isn’t meant to be an exhaustive “how-to,” (although it might turn into that) rather, I want to shed some light on a few things that should make editing on the Wavedrum more productive and rewarding in the end. Editing on the Wavedrum is far from perfect—there doesn’t seem to be any disagreement on that. But it is what it is, and that shouldn’t stop anyone from taking advantage of the tremendously rewarding possibilities contained within the Wavedrum.
Another reason for starting this thread is that parts of the manual are, quite honestly, horribly written and confusing at best. But think of it like this: If it were easy, or at least more intuitive, then more people would do it. With that in mind, this only leaves more unexplored territory for the rest of us. Embrace it and you can end up with combinations of sounds that, quite literally, no one else on the planet will have!
There are many things that the owners manual does NOT include, and that will be my primary focus as we begin this adventure. That being said, having the manual by your side during the editing process is absolutely essential. Since many of the parameters that are available will change drastically from one algorithm to the next, referencing the manual is the only way to know what those parameters are.
Creating your own sounds on the Wavedrum is, for me, where the real fun begins. The potential for truly unique sounds and textures is limitless. Most significantly, delving into the inner-workings of the Wavedrum can give one a better understanding of the nature of sound itself. As you break down the programs to their core components, you will often find surprising revelations in terms of what makes a “drum” sound like a drum, or how altering parameters can reveal the sometimes-subtle differences between a triangle sound and, perhaps, a cowbell. What is it that makes something sound “metallic”? What makes something sound “warm” or “earthy”? These are the realms one can explore when delving into the more advanced editing features. It is also what sets the Wavedrum apart from so many other “electronic drum” devices.
I’ve been meaning to start this thread for several months now. I’ll probably add to this as we go along, and hopefully others will too. If you have any good shortcuts or workarounds, feel free to share!
Some of this may seem obvious to those familiar with the Wavedrum, but I wanted to make this useful to people of all levels and backgrounds. That being said, you'll need to be at least somewhat familiar with the owner's manual and have a basic understanding of how to access the editing features of the Wavedrum. Trying to explain all the basics is a bit beyond what would be practical for this forum.
This isn’t meant to be an exhaustive “how-to,” (although it might turn into that) rather, I want to shed some light on a few things that should make editing on the Wavedrum more productive and rewarding in the end. Editing on the Wavedrum is far from perfect—there doesn’t seem to be any disagreement on that. But it is what it is, and that shouldn’t stop anyone from taking advantage of the tremendously rewarding possibilities contained within the Wavedrum.
Another reason for starting this thread is that parts of the manual are, quite honestly, horribly written and confusing at best. But think of it like this: If it were easy, or at least more intuitive, then more people would do it. With that in mind, this only leaves more unexplored territory for the rest of us. Embrace it and you can end up with combinations of sounds that, quite literally, no one else on the planet will have!
There are many things that the owners manual does NOT include, and that will be my primary focus as we begin this adventure. That being said, having the manual by your side during the editing process is absolutely essential. Since many of the parameters that are available will change drastically from one algorithm to the next, referencing the manual is the only way to know what those parameters are.
Creating your own sounds on the Wavedrum is, for me, where the real fun begins. The potential for truly unique sounds and textures is limitless. Most significantly, delving into the inner-workings of the Wavedrum can give one a better understanding of the nature of sound itself. As you break down the programs to their core components, you will often find surprising revelations in terms of what makes a “drum” sound like a drum, or how altering parameters can reveal the sometimes-subtle differences between a triangle sound and, perhaps, a cowbell. What is it that makes something sound “metallic”? What makes something sound “warm” or “earthy”? These are the realms one can explore when delving into the more advanced editing features. It is also what sets the Wavedrum apart from so many other “electronic drum” devices.