Cubase sx 3

hey peeps, was just wondering if i could get some help of any SX users out there as to how to lay down a solid kick pattern in sx? im used to 16 step sequencers for my drums and ive only ever realy used SX for synth work up to now but would like a few tips or any links for useful tutorials etc etc

any help appreciated, im literaly just after practical ways to approach laying down even the simplest of 4/4 kick patterns, as ive used fruity studio extensively for years now so thought it was time to broaden the horizons somewhat

cheers

Haha all the best with that one :laughing:

In my opinion Cubase (sx 3) is a real nightmare to program drums in - even the dedicated drum editor is crap - and there's absolutely nothing pattern based in there without using a plugin like Guru, which improves matters but still doesn't really do it for me tbh

Or maybe use Fruity as a VST plugin (or Rewire these days?) and switch back into Cubase if you want to get more advanced

I have used SX3 loads and I have to say in the end I went back to the tool I knew and loved - Fruityloops (and eventually switched to Logic on a mac which definitely does the business but there's still a place in my heart for Fruity)

I'd find it hard to imagine anything that would douse my creativity quicker than loading up Cubase !!

Hope that helps :laughing:

Noooooooooooo! Cubase is great! How can the drum editor be crap? Its simply a matter of drawing your midi notes in the right place and the right velocity. Logic is fould! Yuck!

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Originally Posted by eyeswithoutaface

hey peeps, was just wondering if i could get some help of any SX users out there as to how to lay down a solid kick pattern in sx? im used to 16 step sequencers for my drums and ive only ever realy used SX for synth work up to now but would like a few tips or any links for useful tutorials etc etc

any help appreciated, im literaly just after practical ways to approach laying down even the simplest of 4/4 kick patterns, as ive used fruity studio extensively for years now so thought it was time to broaden the horizons somewhat
cheers

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Start new track in SX,. Set tempo.,.
Press F11 and load some VST, eg Battery or some drum synth..
Create MIDI channel, and mount Battery to the output,.
If you want 1 bar kick pattern, so put left locator to 1 and right locator to 2.
Then doubleclick to place between and it creates a midi event for you.
Then doubleclick this midi event or choose menu MIDI>Drum editor and you are right in the drum editor..
First, see that each row has the left section with info about midi channel, and some other stuff and then to the right side, there is a grid.

In the left section you can preview the sound when clicking on the place right in the beginning of each row...

There is numerous rows in drum editor, each representing one midi input so. It is more than common that the sounds are spread randomly on the lines, so you just preview the sounds, find the one you want and then drag that row to the top,. You will find it easy to have all rows with sounds visible one near by the others,. It will be easier to edit, then...

As you locate all the sounds you can start to write your sequence. Just select Stick tool, and start placing notes.., ( it can maybe have different name, but the icon looks like a stick) .

I hope it makes sense.. :]

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Originally Posted by judas_beast

Noooooooooooo! Cubase is great! How can the drum editor be crap? Its simply a matter of drawing your midi notes in the right place and the right velocity. Logic is fould! Yuck!

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:laughing:

Classic case of horses for courses, innit

Midi editors are shit for drum programming. Much prefer step sequencers, much more intuitive.

I'd rewire reason into cubase, program in a load of patterns into redrum then when you are happy with them export it as a midi file into cubase.

Then you get all the benefits of midi, but without the awkward hassle of having to write stuff in it in the first place.

Works for me anyways.

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Originally Posted by Jay Pace

Midi editors are shit for drum programming. Much prefer step sequencers, much more intuitive.

I'd rewire reason into cubase, program in a load of patterns into redrum then when you are happy with them export it as a midi file into cubase.

Then you get all the benefits of midi, but without the awkward hassle of having to write stuff in it in the first place.

Works for me anyways.

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Midi editors are great for drums , VELOCITY is the word.

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Originally Posted by FILTERZ

Midi editors are great for drums , VELOCITY is the word.

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plus all those lovely beat divisions and awkward time sigs

whats not to love

yeah cheers guys, some great help here :)

im kinda at the half way house as it where, just gonna keep workin away and see what happens, no rush as it were, and i quite enjoy a nice learning curve to get around, nowt better than learning some new software

ta peeps

You can always try the StepDesigner MIDI 'effect', which is included with SX. Basically a reasonable step sequencer with randomize, shuffle, velocity/CC modulation etc.

Not great but I used it a lot before I moved to Ableton.

Cubase SX3 as a drum editor is not exactly what i would call "flexible". It CAN get the job done, but only if you put in the hours to properly program each drum sound.

The 16 step sequencer is designed more for synths rather than drums. Actually using that 16 step sequencer as your only tool in the kit for making drum patterns will dissapoint you im sure, but as mentioned above, what I do is re-wire my drums thru Reason, sync the audio outs in reason to audio-in channels in Cubase and just record when im satisfied. I think everyone can agree with me that when you start with reason for drums, using anything else seems counter-intuitive.

The second option is something like the Drumazon. That doesnt read samples, and only has 909 drum sounds but has a pretty cool step sequencer.

If i were you, i would just rewire reason, thats what I do.

I use cubase SX3 mainly for sequencing, recording and programming synths. I rewire it to Reason mainly for drums, while also rewiring Ableton for loop manipulation.

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Originally Posted by tekara

Cubase SX3 as a drum editor is not exactly what i would call "flexible". It CAN get the job done, but only if you put in the hours to properly program each drum sound.

The 16 step sequencer is designed more for synths rather than drums. Actually using that 16 step sequencer as your only tool in the kit for making drum patterns will dissapoint you im sure, but as mentioned above, what I do is re-wire my drums thru Reason, sync the audio outs in reason to audio-in channels in Cubase and just record when im satisfied. I think everyone can agree with me that when you start with reason for drums, using anything else seems counter-intuitive.

The second option is something like the Drumazon. That doesnt read samples, and only has 909 drum sounds but has a pretty cool step sequencer.

If i were you, i would just rewire reason, thats what I do.

I use cubase SX3 mainly for sequencing, recording and programming synths. I rewire it to Reason mainly for drums, while also rewiring Ableton for loop manipulation.

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how is it not flexible ?

I find it more flexible than any other program

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Originally Posted by FILTERZ

how is it not flexible ?

I find it more flexible than any other program

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I can feel a sequencer war coming on:laughing:

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Originally Posted by FILTERZ

how is it not flexible ?
I find it more flexible than any other program

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Flexible might not be quite the right word, but I know exactly what he means.

Programming drums as midi patterns is a pain in the arse, even if it does give you more options.

Redrum all the way.

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Originally Posted by Jay Pace

Flexible might not be quite the right word, but I know exactly what he means.

Programming drums as midi patterns is a pain in the arse, even if it does give you more options.

Redrum all the way.

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Well its more intuitive and probably more fun to do it on a drum machine soft or otherwise.

but using midi with velocity and stuff you can have different filter and panning settings for each hit , slightly different quantisation per hit and all manner of modulation possibilities

so its much much more flexible in my opinion

by each hit i mean literally each hit not each sound

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Originally Posted by theledge

I can feel a sequencer war coming on:laughing:

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Well not really , each to their own innit , I dont want to come on like a Steinberg advert .......... lol

all very true

But I still reckon its better to use a drum machine to build the groove to start with.

Then export the drums as a midi file to cubase, and muck about with it.

Looking at a blank midi map doesn't do much to inspire.

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Originally Posted by FILTERZ

Well its more intuitive and probably more fun to do it on a drum machine soft or otherwise.

but using midi with velocity and stuff you can have different filter and panning settings for each hit , slightly different quantisation per hit and all manner of modulation possibilities

so its much much more flexible in my opinion

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exactly why im getting my head stuck back into cubase again after years without it, it really gives you a more natural feel to your percussion with all the modulation and velocity possibilities

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Originally Posted by Jay Pace

all very true

But I still reckon its better to use a drum machine to build the groove to start with.

Then export the drums as a midi file to cubase, and muck about with it.

Looking at a blank midi map doesn't do much to inspire.

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fair enough

it doesn`t really mean much to me though

set cubase to loop call up the piano roll and what your looking at is essentially the same as a drum machine anyhoo , you click on the squares to put the hits in and then hear them in the loop , same same but different .

drum machine looks prettier of course

but i write music with my ears







there really hard to click the mouse with though

All this reminds me of why I switched to Renoise.

****ing about in a horizontal sequencer to make beats is not the way to go. You can do it, of course, but doing it in a tracker is SO SO SO much faster and intuitive.

I have working on a soundtrack for a new horror film here in japan, and I needed to use Cubase to be able to work with long audio samples.

For old times sake i decided to make a simple 4/4 drum loop with a kick, a snare, two sets of hats and some incedental noises. My god. It took about a WEEK!

Great for long audio work, but a pain in the arse for beats.

I gotta say, I'm far more used to using the piano roll for making drum beats. I'm quick at it too. Its a case of what your most used to really.

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Originally Posted by wormjar

All this reminds me of why I switched to Renoise.

****ing about in a horizontal sequencer to make beats is not the way to go. You can do it, of course, but doing it in a tracker is SO SO SO much faster and intuitive.

I have working on a soundtrack for a new horror film here in japan, and I needed to use Cubase to be able to work with long audio samples.

For old times sake i decided to make a simple 4/4 drum loop with a kick, a snare, two sets of hats and some incedental noises. My god. It took about a WEEK!

Great for long audio work, but a pain in the arse for beats.

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I could do it in ten seconds

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Originally Posted by FILTERZ

I could do it in ten seconds

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make that 30 seconds