Creating a classic drum machine (EXS24)

[RhythmTrax]

I'm trying to create a classic 80s drum machine in EXS24, and having learnt a lot from Youtube guides and various online manuals (like this one from Apple) I believe I've got the basics going (drum sounds mapped according to the GM standard, 1 shot, panning etc.), but I could need some help in completing my setup....

 

I've created several groups (bass drum, snare, hihat etc.) which are all set to a single voice (i.e. each group can only play one sound at once) as with the real hardware, and the ability to individually pan and output them.

 

I'm struggling with the hihat group. It contains two keys of closed hihat samples and a single open hihat sample.

The open hihat is fine, but the closed hihat should play at two different levels, and the decay should be adjustable (the single sample is at full decay). As with all the other groups, I've set this one as well up for a single voice so that the open hihat is choked if a closed hihat plays, and no two instances of a sample will play at once.

 

a) how do I adjust the closed hihat decay? I can't find any parameter for doing that except for the main window (and from my understanding that's only for adjusting stuff which affects the entire "instrument" -which is fine with for instance a multisampled piano or whatever).

b) how can I configure different fixed levels (i.e. not velocity sensitive) for the two closed hihats?

 

I'm not sure if I have EXS24 or EXS24 II (there's no indication on its front panel) but I suppose it might be the latter as I'm in Logic Pro X 10.4.8.

[ev9sej4m]

It's tricky but doable. You have to put the open hat in its own group and use the group's envelope offset column (view-->group columns). I think you can also use velocity ranges for the hard vs soft hits. But honestly you're better off using a separate instance for each instrument, making a track stack and saving that as a "patch"

[RhythmTrax]

It's tricky but doable. You have to put the open hat in its own group and use the group's envelope offset column (view-->group columns). I think you can also use velocity ranges for the hard vs soft hits.

 

OK, I've enabled "View" - "Zone:group" as you can see below, but I'm not sure how to adjust the envelope settings here as nothing seems to affect the hihats.

I suppose it has to do with the main window's envelope settings where I've had to adjust either the decay or sustain slider to max otherwise the various drum sounds won't play properly. I assume the main graphic window is an "overall" settings panel which would be ideal for a single instrument such as a piano, strings or bass (single sample or multi-samples mapped across the keyboard), but not a drum kit like this where some sounds need individual settings.

 

I also don't understand how I should work in a group with just the open hihat and still have the closed and open hihats affect each other (i.e. only one can play at once, just like a real hihat).

 

But honestly you're better off using a separate instance for each instrument, making a track stack and saving that as a "patch"

 

I'm not sure what you mean. Separate instances of the open and closed hihats? Multiple instruments making up the whole drumkit? What's a track stack, and how can I save it as a patch?

Bottom line: is EXS24 unsuitable to use as a drumkit? Am I wasting my time and should instead look into using a different sampler plugin for drums or anything other than a single instrument with a simple, common configuration?

[ev9sej4m]

Open the library browser on the left side of the main window, select electronic drum-->beat machine. What appears in the arrange window is a track stack. If you want, you can also do something similar with an instance of EXS24 on each of the sub-tracks. Then you can save the whole thing as a preset in the library browser.

 

When using it, whatever MIDI pattern you program on the aux track will be sent to all the sub-tracks.

 

IMO if you want to simulate a linndrum, this would be the best way to do it.