March 2005 - Doggiebox - lists.zygoat.ca

Re: Playing vs. Displaying in DB
by Sterling Beckwith 11 Mar '05

11 Mar '05

Once we recognize the need to hear the same drum-type PLAYED using a limited selection of different kinds and levels of attack, we naturally ask next: How and to what extent these gradations can best be DISPLAYED in the pattern-editor, without compromising the usability and economy of our notation system. Apropos, it's tempting to offer a few off-the-cuff observations: 1) Not everything that is played needs to be displayed--at least, not on the same screen view. 2) To notate any kind of music always implies reduction, i.e., leaving out a whole lot of what the performers (or the computer) must then put back into the intended audible result. 3) Only a notation that is simple, logical, and easy to learn will be used by a lot of people to WRITE with. A complete specification of the actual sounds desired is of course needed at some level somewhere along the line, and a few of the more ambitious early computer music languages actually proposed using such a thing as the ideal composing tool of the future. Thank goodness Doggiebox doesn't, and in my view shouldn't. 4) A typical late-19th-century orchestral score goes pretty far in attempting to show (albeit in highly relative terms) almost every significant parameter, employing dozens of different systems of representation in the process, including Italian words, letters, diacritical marks, trills, numbers, and so on. Computers, on the other hand, can switch quickly among alternate representations of the same "score" so easily that we have become used to a multiple-screens approach, allowing each particular, single-purpose view to be simpler to read, less cluttered, and far easier on the eyes. But any kind of readable "score" must still be a far cry from an actual "performance", whether in the realm of live or of digital percussion. 5) The crucial question then becomes: How much can we afford NOT to see? How LITTLE by way of graphic support can we manage to work with in capturing our musical ideas? -Sterling Beckwith

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Status report...
by Ben Kennedy 11 Mar '05

11 Mar '05

Hey all, Since I haven't piped up in here since I posted the last beta a couple of weeks ago, I wanted to show my face and mention a couple of things. :) I have been working on a revised UI for manipulating bars (specifically, a new floating palette with controls for adding/deleting bars and beats, as well as changing time signature and tempo). My hope is this will prove a vast improvement over the current time signature/tempo "sheet" mechanism. I had hoped to post a build by now, but I have been tied down over the last week so there are still a couple of loose ends that need finishing to make it usable. Tomorrow afternoon I am going to be going away for a week (visiting Vancouver...) so no development will occur then. With luck, I'll have a new build up sometime during the week of the 21st. Several of you have made some bug reports and suggestions over the past several days, which I intend to respond to. I am not ignoring them -- but I may not have time to address them until I return. It has been great to see this list so active lately; keep it up, and thanks for your patience. Have a good weekend/week everyone, -ben -- Ben Kennedy, chief magician zygoat creative technical services 613-228-3392 | 1-866-466-4628 http://www.zygoat.ca

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Re: AKAI archive
by Dan Costello 11 Mar '05

11 Mar '05

> Just came across this archive of kits designed for Akai MPC1000's. > Most > seem to be a collection of WAV files (plus an Akai format .pgm file > that > ties them together in the intended Akai kit), so one should be able to > build them into dbkits easily enough. > > http://www.akaipro.com/int/mpc1k/arc_kotw.html > > I have to see how the congas are, anyway :) Holy cow, great find, Carl. there's some real cool-looking stuff in there. Have you had a chance to parse out any of the sounds into a kit yet? If so, how do they sound? Dan

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Re: Doggiebox Digest, Vol 21, Issue 7
by Dan Costello 10 Mar '05

10 Mar '05

> using letters and numbers to help me out with iDing relative > velocities... I first saw this and thought it was a new thing from Apple. "iDing. The most intuitive triangle tone generator ever known. Tink different."

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a couple of recent observations
by Mike Carlyle 10 Mar '05

10 Mar '05

When using the latest beta, I've had some weird corruption during playback when using my nskit. Certain drums seem to not play, or to play very quietly. When exported, the files play normally. It's only DB's playback that seems odd. When building new kits, I've seen a need for a "copy drum" button or function. Sometimes, all the parameters for a series of snare drums, for example, are the same except for the sound file and the name itself. When adding several drums one after the other, it becomes tedious to perform the same clicks over and over. If I could "copy" the selected drum to a new drum, then change only one or two attributes, it could be a real time saver. I made a major upgrade to my studio. Bought a pair of decent monitors, mics, and a Tascam US-122 as an interface. I plan to begin production of an "album" pretty soon with my singer/lyricist collaborator. Stay tuned.

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SV: Re: recording software? (was Re: [Doggiebox] a couple of recent observations)
by Tor Lillegraven 09 Mar '05

09 Mar '05

I`ve used Digital Performer the past 2 years, any I`ve found it to be fairly buggy. I swithched to Logic a couple of months ago, and it`s soooo much better as far as reliability goes. On a usability level, I`d have to say that DP is *quite* OK, one u get used to it, but it has a rather steep learing curve. Logic is somewhat more intuitive, but it has too many pre-sets for my taste. It does give you a bunch of preset sounds for different instruments, so its basically just plug, play and record. One downside to Logic is that its really, really pricey, and u cant use VST plugins. One biig benefit is that it will most likely work flawlessly with any hardware. Altleast it did for me. I also kinda like the tight integration with iTunes for easy exports and so forth.. Logic will also most likely cover any future needs u might have. it really is quite a package. I tried Deck, but didnt really get into it, I though DP was better for me at the time. I also use Peak a lot for basic editing of tracks. Its really quick and easy to use for the basic stuff. Tor www.luladelfuego.com >>> Thorsten Kummer <thorsten.kummer(a)gmx.de> 09.03.2005 12:14:00 >>> Hi, please have a look at Sound Studio (www.felttip.com) It supports direct recording and basic editing. The export options are cool.... Regards Thorsten Carl Edlund Anderson schrieb: > On 09-Mar-2005 09:04, Adrian Delso wrote: > >> The studio upgrades sound good. I'd love to hear your views on the >> Tascam, >> once you've used it for a while. I have an Emagic a6|2m and I have an >> intermittent >> noise problem, which can stop all audio recording for a day, until it >> decides to stop! >> What DAW are you using? > > > BTW, for people recording direct to their Macs, what software do you > use? I've heard good things about MotU Digital Performer, though it > looks quite pricey (and perhaps overkill for me). Deck LE looks > rather cheaper, and likely to cover a lot of my requirements .... > > I'm still using my trusty old Roland VS-1680, but _someday_ when I've > got the cash for a snazzier Mac and a multi-channel Firewire audio > interface .... :) > > Cheers, > Carl > ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Zygoat Doggiebox discussion list - <http://www.doggiebox.com> To unsubscribe, view archives or change your options: <http://lists.zygoat.ca/mailman/listinfo/doggiebox> ***************************************************************** Denne fotnoten bekrefter at denne e-postmeldingen ble skannet av MailSweeper og funnet fri for virus. ***************************************************************** This footnote confirms that this email message has been swept by MailSweeper for the presence of computer viruses. *****************************************************************

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Re: recording software? (was Re: [Doggiebox] a couple ofrecent observations)
by adrian.delso＠btopenworld.com 09 Mar '05

09 Mar '05

Carl asked; I use Logic Express, backed up with Doggiebox, (natch!), VSamp and Audacity, all running on a Mac DP G4. I used to have a Fostex X-15 (still do, but it's knackered), then a Roland VS-840 (which I didn't understand) and finally a Boss BR-8, which was brilliant, but I prefer working on the computer. So my 'studio' is now the Mac, an Emagic interface, which is driving me nuts, an ART pre-amp, a Mackie 1202 mixer, a couple of decent mics and several guitars,basses, mandolins and a dulcimer. -------------------------------------------------------------------- mail2web - Check your email from the web at http://mail2web.com/ .

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Akai WAV drum/percussion samples
by Carl Edlund Anderson 09 Mar '05

09 Mar '05

Just came across this archive of kits designed for Akai MPC1000's. Most seem to be a collection of WAV files (plus an Akai format .pgm file that ties them together in the intended Akai kit), so one should be able to build them into dbkits easily enough. http://www.akaipro.com/int/mpc1k/arc_kotw.html I have to see how the congas are, anyway :) Cheers, Carl -- Carl Edlund Anderson http://www.carlaz.com/

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Re: keyboard shortcuts
by Sterling Beckwith 09 Mar '05

09 Mar '05

Dan Costello's yen for what amounts to a playable (on the computer keys) drumkit [see vol 20, issue 21] suggests the following wild & crazy thought: Does a computerized percussion composer really need to work within the constraint of having to choose among a limited number of specific predefined drumkits, as if playing live with real instruments? And why not allow patterns to be typed in with all ten fingers, rather than just clicked into the grid with the mouse pointer? Of course the existing drumkits in DB do make good musical sense, and I'm all for limitations as a spur to creativity. But how dangerous would it be if DB were to open up an alternative method, by allowing users to assemble their own custom kit (or kits) easily for each new piece, choosing the particular set of drums and velocities required from a mega-library that includes all currently accessible sounds, and assigning each of those chosen sounds to specific computer keys in whatever logical way makes sense to the user? I suppose the next big question would likely be: How to enable said users to PLAY actual music on their custom keyboard drumset, either stepwise or in real time, and have the resulting pattern recorded, not just as an audio file or a MIDI file, but in a format that could then be saved, edited, and eventually translated visually into Doggiebox notation on the DB grid? Does anybody else think it might someday be worth our Master Magician's while to go in such a dizzying direction? -Sterling Beckwith

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Finally got my DB Files To work on my site...
by Scott Kerr 09 Mar '05

09 Mar '05

http://www.guitarius.net/dbfiles/ Some of you were curious about my files, so I figured I'd letcha take a look (Y'all need a laugh I figure, anyways!) Also, my "Realistic Rock" file is in there, literally scads of template grooves and fills you can use to really build your own ideas...(I use 'em to practice to with my midi kit, very helpfull!) Anyways, lemme know what you think, OK? http://www.guitarius.net

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