R E C O D I N G A D R U M PAT T E R N U S I N G MASCHINE AND LOGIC PRO

Transcription

1 Creator: Mark F. Wood Portland State University 3/16/12 R E C O D I N G A D R U M PAT T E R N U S I N G Scope of the Tutorial MASCHINE AND LOGIC PRO The goal of this tutorial is to show a user with little or no prior knowledge how to create and record a drum pattern using Native Instrument s Maschine and Apple s Logic Pro. It covers: Part One : Launch Maschine as a plug-in inside of Logic Pro, Part Two : Prepare Maschine to create a drum pattern, Part Three : Create a simple drum pattern with the Maschine software (mouse and keyboard), Part Four : Create a simple drum pattern with the Maschine controller, Part Five : Record a Maschine Drum Pattern in Logic Pro, Part Six : Prepare Maschine and Logic Pro to properly mix, master and automate. The only presumption this tutorial takes is that both Logic Pro 9 and Maschine 1.7 are installed and activated on the user s Mac. In addition, one free USB port is required to connect the Maschine hardware. * A note about Native Instrument s Maschine: Maschine is an integrated software and hardware package, consisting of the Maschine groove box / midi controller hardware (hereafter referred to as the Maschine controller ) and the Maschine software application (hereafter referred to as the Maschine software ). Many times, a certain task within the Maschine software can be performed by either the Maschine controller or by using a mouse and keyboard within the software. As a result, this tutorial explains how to accomplish these tasks using both methods. Part One : Launch Maschine as a Plug-In Inside of Logic Pro 1. Open Logic Pro From your Mac s desktop, double click on Macintosh HD. Double click on the Applications folder. Find the Logic Pro 9 icon, and double click it to launch Logic Pro. When prompted, select the Compose icon under the Collection heading. Click the Icon labeled Empty Project under the Template heading. 1

2 Logic Pro will prompt you with a dialog labeled New Tracks. Before clicking Create, make sure you have these settings selected: Next to Number : leave at 1 (do not check the box next to Multi-timbral). Next to Type : select Software Instrument. Next to Output : leave at Output 1-2 (do not check the box next to Ascending). Deselect / uncheck the box next to Open Library (do not leave it checked). Click Create. Logic Pro opens with one new software instrument track. 2. Connect the Maschine Hardware Connect the supplied USB cable from the port labeled USB on the rear of the Maschine controller to an open USB port on your Mac. (The two displays on your Maschine controller will light up when properly connected.) 3. Launch the Maschine Software Plug-in With Logic Pro now open and running, and the Maschine controller connected, click on the tab labeled Mixer at the bottom left of the screen to bring up Logic Pro s mixer. (Alternatively, hit the X button on your keyboard.) The mixer will show three channel strips. The channel strip farthest to the right is labeled Master, the center channel strip is labeled Output, and the channel strip farthest left is labeled Inst 1 (which is the software instrument track created in step 1). In the Inst 1 channel strip, click and hold the grey, empty box under the text I/O. (Located above the light grey box labeled Stereo Out.) While clicking and holding, scroll down to and hover over AU Instruments; in the next menu, scroll to and hover over Native Instruments, followed by Maschine, and finally, select and click the option Multi Output (16xStereo). This is shown in detail in the image on next page : 2

3 Maschine launches and is now up and running as a software plug-in inside of Logic Pro on the track labeled Inst 1. Part Two : Prepare Maschine to Create a Drum Pattern 1. Optimize Maschine s Window Once Maschine launches as a plug-in inside Logic Pro for the first time, the window size of the Maschine software is relatively small. To change the Maschine software s window size to Large: Locate the Menu Button in the Header section of Maschine s window. This is located in the top left of the window to the right of the text MASCHINE. Click on the Menu Button (which has a white, upside-down triangle). Navigate to View, and then click on Large. This is shown below: 3

4 Maschine is now optimized to be as large as possible on the screen. (This action can only be done with a mouse inside the Maschine software.) 2. Load a Drum Kit To create a drum pattern with Maschine, first load a drum kit from Maschine s Browser. Maschine comes with many drum kits from Native Instruments. To load a drum kit using the Maschine software (mouse and keyboard): Navigate to the Browser in the top left of the window, below the text MASCHINE. Click on the blue, square Kit button in the File Type Selector Strip of the Browser. Under the column Bank, click the selection Kits. Navigate the the Results list, directly under the Bank column. Select a drum kit to load. For this tutorial, we will use 808 Kit. Double click on the 808 Kit text to load the drum kit. The selected drum kit will be highlighted in orange in the Results list. This is show below: 4

5 To load a drum kit using the Maschine controller: Hit the Browse Button on the top left of the Maschine controller, directly below the Control button. A list of drum kits loads in the right display of the Maschine controller. Twist any of the four knobs located below the right display to navigate to and highlight different drum kits. Select a drum kit to load. For this tutorial, we will use 808 Kit. Navigate to / highlight the text 808 Kit by twisting one of the four knobs.! Notice that when you twist the knob of the Maschine controller, the kit highlighted with!! orange in the Results list of the Maschine software changes accordingly, in real time. Hit the Load button, located in the top right corner of the Maschine controller, directly above the right display. Hit the Browse Button again to finish loading the drum kit. 3. Set the Tempo When Maschine is launched as a plug-in inside of Logic Pro, it cannot set the tempo of the project / drum pattern inside of the Maschine software or with the Maschine controller. Instead, Maschine s tempo is synced to Logic Pro. To change the tempo of a drum pattern created with Maschine, change the tempo inside of Logic Pro. To change the tempo inside of Logic Pro: Navigate to the Transport Bar inside of Logic Pro. This is located across the bottom of the screen in Logic Pro. (Shown in the image on the next page.) You will see the tempo located near the middle Transport Bar, directly to the left of the time signature ( 4/4 by default). The tempo reads This means the tempo is set to 120 BPM (beats per minute). For this project, we will change the tempo to 145 BPM: Double click on the text to change the tempo to a different BPM. Enter 145 and hit Return on the keyboard. The tempo is now set at 145 BPM.! Notice that once you change the Tempo inside of Logic Pro, the tempo changes!! inside of the Maschine software and Maschine controller. This is reflected across the 5

6 !! top of the Maschine software header, as well as in the top of the left display of the!! Maschine controller. Part Three : Create a Simple Drum Pattern with the Maschine Software (Mouse and Keyboard) With a drum kit loaded and the tempo set, you are ready to create a simple drum pattern with the Maschine software:! Note: Maschine creates MIDI data, not audio. 1. Select a Pattern Slot First, select an open Pattern Slot to create the drum pattern on: Navigate to the Pattern Editor, located in the middle of the screen. Click on one of the numbered blue Pattern Slots to select a new Pattern Slot to record onto. For this tutorial, we will use Pattern Slot 3. Click the blue Pattern Slot button labeled 3, shown below: 2. Set the Pattern Length Next, change the Pattern Length: (By default, Maschine sets a new drum pattern to 1 Bar in length.) Just to the left of the blue Pattern Slots in the Pattern Editor, you can see the Pattern Length Controls, which are in grey text, reading: LEN: 1 BAR and 1.0 (See picture above.) With the mouse, click and hold over the 1.0 grey text in the Pattern Length Controls, directly to the right of the text reading LEN: 1 BAR. 6

7 While clicking and holding, move the mouse up and down to change the number of bars in the pattern. For this tutorial, we will change the Pattern Length to 2 bars. Click and hold over the 1.0 grey text in the Pattern Length Controls, and move the mouse up until the grey text changes to 2.0, indicating two bars. Notice how the Pattern Length has changed below: 3. Create the Drum Pattern To create a drum pattern in the Maschine software, first locate the Step Editor, which is located front and center inside the Pattern Editor. The Step Editor is located directly below the blue Pattern Slot buttons. For this tutorial, we will use three sounds to create a simple drum pattern. The orange Sound Spots in Maschine s Pattern Editor contain the individual sounds loaded from the 808 Kit. The Sound Spots are located directly to the left of the Step Editor.! Note: Each Sound Slot corresponds to a drum pad on the Maschine controller.!! Sound Slot 1 corresponds to drum pad 1, etc. Notice that there is a sound labeled Kick in Sound Slot 1; Snare in Sound Slot 2; and ClosedHH 808 in Sound Slot 3. These are the three sounds we will use. The Pattern Editor, with the Step Editor and Sound Slots described, can be seen below: To create a pattern with the Kick sound: 7

8 Click on Sound Slot 1, highlighting Kick in orange. With the mouse hovering over the first grey square to the right of the Kick Sound Slot, double click. An orange box appears, indicating that you have created that sound in the Step Editor.! Note: In the Step Editor, orange boxes represent notes in the drum pattern. Repeat once every eight boxes to create the Kick pattern in the Step Editor. Your Pattern Editor should look like this: To create a pattern with the Snare sound: Click on Sound Slot 2, highlighting the Snare in orange. With the mouse hovering over the fifth grey square to the right of the Snare Sound Slot, double click. An orange box appears, indicating that you have created that sound in the Step Editor. Repeat once every eight boxes to create the Snare pattern in the Step Editor. To create a pattern with the ClosedHH 808 sound: Click on Sound Slot 3, highlighting the ClosedHH 808 in orange. With the mouse hovering over the first grey square to the right of the ClosedHH 808 Sound Slot, double click. An orange box appears, indicating that you have created that sound in the Step Editor. Repeat once every two boxes to create the ClosedHH 808 pattern in the Step Editor. Your Pattern Editor should now look like this: To playback the drum pattern, hit the space bar on your keyboard. To stop playback, hit the space bar again. To return the beginning of the drum pattern, hit Return on your keyboard. 8

9 You can see the drum pattern you just created in the Step Editor of the Maschine software as it plays back. The orange boxes represent the new pattern. 4. Erase / Undo the Drum Pattern: If you are unsatisfied with your new drum pattern, and want to erase it and re-record: Click on the orange box in the Step Editor you want to erase. (Hold the Shift button on your keyboard to select multiple orange boxes.)! If currently selected, the box will turn white. Hit the Delete on your keyboard to delete the selected box(es). You have now created a simple drum pattern using the Maschine software. Part Four : Create a Simple Drum Pattern with the Maschine Controller: Instead of using the mouse and keyboard, you can use the Maschine controller s sixteen velocity and pressure-sensitive pads to create the same drum pattern in real time:! Notice that Maschine s sixteen velocity and pressure-sensitive pads are numbered Select a Pattern Slot First, select an open Pattern Slot to create the drum pattern on: Hit and hold the Pattern button on the Maschine controller. (Located in the strip of smaller buttons directly to the left of the Maschine controller s sixteen pads.) While holding the Pattern button, hit one of the sixteen pads to select the corresponding Pattern Slot number. (Each pad is numbered 1-16). For this tutorial, we will use Pattern Slot 3. While holding the Pattern button, hit the pad numbered 3. You are now ready to create a pattern on Pattern Slot Set the Pattern Length Next, change the Pattern Length: (By default, Maschine sets a new drum pattern to 1 Bar in length.) Hit and hold the Pattern button on the Maschine controller. While holding the Pattern button, look at the left display of the Maschine controller. In the bottom left of the left display, there is text thats says, LENGTH 1.0 BAR. 9

10 While continuing to hold the Pattern Button, twist the knob located below the LENGTH 1.0 BAR text on the left display to change the pattern length. For this tutorial, we will change the Pattern Length to 2 bars. Twist the knob clockwise until the text in the left display reads LENGTH 2.0 BARS. 3. Turn on the Metronome Before creating a drum pattern with the Maschine controller, you may wish to hear a metronome to help you create the drum pattern with Maschine s sixteen pads in real time. To turn on / off the metronome in Maschine: Locate the Shift and Play buttons at the bottom left of the Maschine controller, in the Transport section. Hit and hold the Shift button. While holding the Shift button, hit the Play button once. The metronome in Maschine is now on and active. To turn the metronome off, hit the Play button while holding the Shift button once again. You are now ready to record a drum pattern. 4. Create the Drum Pattern Hit any of the Maschine s controller s sixteen velocity and pressure-sensitive pads to hear the drum sound associated with that pad in the 808 Kit. The name of the sound associated with the pad most recently hit is shown in the top of the right display of the Maschine controller. For this tutorial, we will use three pads to create a simple drum pattern. Notice that there is a sound labeled Kick on pad 1; Snare on pad 2; and ClosedHH 808 on pad 3. (As shown in the top of the right display.) These are the pads we will use. First, hit the Record button on the Maschine controller, (located in the Transport section next to the Shift and Play buttons), to record-enable Maschine. The Record button lights up orange. Make sure it is illuminated. Next, hit the space bar on your keyboard to start playback and recording in real time.! You will hear the metronome. 10

11 Notice how the metronome makes a higher pitched noise when it reaches the beginning of each bar of the two bar pattern. You can keep Maschine playing and it will loop over the selected pattern infinitely. As you listen to the metronome, count 1,2,3,4 with each metronome sound, starting with the higher pitched sound, indicating the start of a bar in the pattern. ( 1 = the first beat of each of the two bars.) Each time you count 1, hit pad 1 on the Maschine controller to trigger and record the Kick sound in Maschine. (You should only count 1 twice, because the pattern has two bars). Now, each time you count 3, hit pad 1 on the Maschine controller to trigger and record the Kick sound in Maschine. (You should only count 3 twice, because the pattern has two bars).! Notice that the Kick sounds you recorded are now played back by Maschine. Next, each time you count 2, hit pad 2 on the Maschine controller to trigger and record the Snare sound in Maschine. (You should only count 2 twice, because the pattern has two bars). Now, each time you count 4, hit pad 2 on the Maschine controller to trigger and record the Snare sound in Maschine. (You should only count 4 twice, because the pattern has two bars).! Notice that the Snare sounds you recorded are now played back by Maschine. Finally, we will add the ClosedHH 808 sound to the drum pattern. While continuing to record, each time you count 1, hit pad 3 twice on the Maschine controller to trigger and record the ClosedHH 808 sound in Maschine. Repeat the process every time you count 2, 3 and 4. Hit the space bar on your keyboard to stop playback and recording. Hit Return on your keyboard to return to the beginning of the drum pattern. You can see the drum pattern you just created in the Step Editor of the Maschine software. 5. Erase / Undo the Drum Pattern: If you are unsatisfied with your new drum pattern, and want to erase it and re-record: Hit and hold down the Shift button in the Transport section of the Maschine controller. While holding down the Shift button, hit pad 1 to undo the last action recorded. Repeat to continue to undo the last action recorded. 11

12 You have now created a simple drum pattern using the Maschine controller. Part Five : Record a Maschine Drum Pattern in Logic Pro Now that a drum pattern has been created, either by using the Maschine software or the Maschine controller, we are ready to record the drum pattern into Logic Pro as a MIDI file. 1. Set Maschine s Export Settings Directly above the Sound Slots in Maschine s Pattern Editor is a blue bar with the kit name ( 808 Kit ) Click the upside-down triangle directly to the left of the kit name. Click on Sound MIDI Batch Setup from the drop down menu. Click on the circle next to the option Sounds to MIDI Notes. Leave the settings at MIDI Channel 1 and Root Note C3. This is shown below: Maschine is now setup to record each of its sixteen Sound Slots / drum pads on different MIDI notes on one track in Logic Pro. 2. Drag and Drop the Drum Pattern into Logic Pro s Sequencer To record the created drum pattern into Logic Pro as a MIDI file, first navigate to the same blue bar described in the previous step. Click and hold on the Dragger Icon, which looks like crosshairs. It is located to the left of the 808 Kit text. Drag and drop the resulting MIDI file into the Inst 1 track in Logic Pro. A green + sign will be shown when you are dragging the file over Logic Pro. 12

13 ! Drag the file into Logic Pro s sequencer with the dialog reading Insert Region to insert the file at the beginning of the sequencer. The two images below show proper dragging/dropping and the resulting MIDI file created from your Maschine drum pattern: 3. Test and Play the Drum Pattern in Logic Pro To play back the drum pattern s MIDI file in Logic Pro s sequencer, first select a blank Pattern Slot from the Pattern Editor in the Maschine software.! This step is necessary. Otherwise, Logic Pro will play back the MIDI data from both!! the Maschine software and the MIDI file in the sequencer. For this tutorial click on the blue Pattern Slot 4 button in the Pattern Editor of the Maschine software. (Alternatively, on the Maschine controller hit and hold the Pattern button, then hit drum pad 4.) Next, make sure the Inst 1 track is record-enabled in Logic Pro. If it is, the R next to the track name will be illuminated red. 13

14 ! By default, Logic Pro will record-enable the MIDI track you have selected. However,!! if the Inst 1 track is not record-enabled, click the R to the right of the Inst 1 name. Hit the play button in Logic Pro. This is located at the bottom of the screen in the Transport Bar. (Alternatively, hit the space button on your keyboard.) The drum pattern recorded in Part Three and/or Part Four is played back in real time in Logic Pro s sequencer. To stop playback, hit the stop button in Logic Pro. This is located in the Transport Bar. (Alternatively, hit the space bar on your keyboard). To return to the beginning of the pattern, hit the Return key on your keyboard. Part Six : Prepare Maschine and Logic Pro to Properly Mix, Master and Automate The reason we launched Maschine in Multi Output (16xStereo) in Part One, is so each of Maschine s sixteen Sound Samples / drum pads can be mixed, mastered, and automated independently in Logic Pro on their own Auxiliary tracks.! Launching the Maschine plugin in Multi Output (16xStereo) mode automatically!! creates 15 additional Auxiliary tracks in Logic Pro, in addition to the original Inst 1!! track, totally 16 tracks. However, the Auxiliary tracks need to be expanded. To achieve this, default settings in both Maschine and Logic Pro must be made. 1. Change Logic Pro s Audio Settings In the Menu Bar at the top of your screen, locate and click on the Logic Pro menu. Navigate to Preferences and hover over it with your mouse. Click on Audio... In the resulting menu, click on the tab labeled General, directly to the right of the Devices tab. You will see an option labeled Track Mute / Solo with a grey selection box next to it, reading Fast (Remote Channel Strips). Click on the Fast (Remote Channel Strips) box, and change it to / click the option labeled CPU-Saving (Slow Response).! This allows every auxiliary track / channel strip in Logic Pro to be mixed, mastered!! and automated independently. Click the circle farthest to the left in the top left of the menu to save and close Logic Pro s Audio Settings. 14

15 ! Note: Changing these settings will affect all Logic Pro projects. Editing Logic Pro s Audio Settings is demonstrated below: 2. Re-Route Maschine s 16 Sound Slots / drum pads to Logic Pro s Auxiliary tracks To re-route each of the Sound Slots / drum pads in Maschine to the proper Auxiliary track, first click the Sound Slot in the Maschine software you want to re-route. (Alternatively, hit the drum pad on the Maschine controller you want to re-route.) Click on the orange Kick Sound Slot (which is Sound Slot 1 / drum pad 1). In the Control Area, located directly above the Pattern Editor: Click the button labeled Out. Directly to the right of the Out button is the Parameter Tab. Navigate to the two arrows above the Output text in the Parameter Tab. Click the bottom of the two arrows.! Notice that the text between the two arrows changes from Group to Out 1. By!! default, every Sound Slot / drum pad is routed to Group and needs to be re-routed. Sound Slot 1 / drum pad 1 is now routed to the first Auxiliary Track. 15

16 Repeat with each of the 16 individual Sound Slots / drum pads using the same method, but using ascending Outs. For example, route Snare (Sound Slot 2 / drum pad 2) to Out 2; route ClosedHH 808 (Sound Slot 3 / drum pad 3) to Out 3, etc. The image below shows what the Parameter Tab should look like when properly re-routed:! Notice that LowConga 808 (Sound Slot 10 / drum pad 10) is routed to Out Expand the Auxiliary Tracks in Logic Pro Now, we will expand the Auxiliary tracks from the Inst 1 track to show each of Maschine s 16 Sound Slots / drum pads on separate Auxiliary channel strips in Logic Pro s mixer. First, open Logic Pro s mixer again. (Click on the tab labeled Mixer at the bottom left of the screen or hit the X button on your keyboard.) At the very bottom of Inst 1 s channel strip (the channel strip farthest to the left) you will see a small + icon, directly below the S (solo) icon. Click the + icon once.! Notice that Logic Pro s Mixer expands with an additional Auxiliary track channel!! strip, named Aux 1. Click the + icon fourteen more times. 16

17 ! Notice that Logic Pro s Mixer expands each time with an additional Auxiliary track!! channel strip, named Aux 2 - Aux 15. Logic Pro s Mixer should now look like the image below: Maschine s 16 Sound Slots / drum pads are now represented and controlled on their own Auxiliary track inside of Logic Pro.! Note: The channel strip labeled Inst 1 corresponds to Sound Slot / drum pad 1 in!! Maschine. The channel strip labeled Aux 1 corresponds to Sound Slot / drum pad 2!! in Maschine, the channel strip labeled Aux 2 corresponds to Sound Slot / drum pad 3,!! etc. This is because Logic Pro treats the Inst 1 track as the first Auxiliary Track. To condense the number of Auxiliary tracks shown in Logic Pro s mixer, click the - icon directly to the left of the + icon at the bottom of Inst 1 s channel strip. 4. Test the Auxiliary Tracks in Logic Pro To verify that each Auxiliary track is routed properly and set up to correspond with the correct Sound Slot / drum pad: Play back the drum pattern in Logic Pro s sequencer with the Mixer open and the Auxiliary tracks expanded. (Playback in Logic Pro is detailed in Part Five, Step 3.) If properly routed, you will see audio registering on multiple Level Meters on multiple Auxiliary tracks. 17

18 Because we created a drum pattern using only the first three Sound Slots / drum pads, you should see audio registering on the first three Auxiliary track s Level Meters. This is shown below: Of course, you are not limited to three Auxiliary tracks / channel strips. Each of Maschine s 16 Sound Slots / drum pads are now routed independently to each of Logic Pro s 16 Auxiliary tracks. Maschine and Logic Pro are now properly set up to mix, master, automate and add plugins to each Auxiliary track / Sound Slot / drum pad independently. 4. Rename the Auxiliary Tracks in Logic Pro With 16 Auxiliary tracks in Logic Pro corresponding to 16 different Sound Slots / drum pads in Maschine, it is a good idea to rename each Auxiliary track / channel strip you are using in order to enhance your workflow when mixing, mastering, and automating. First, open the Mixer in Logic Pro if it isn t already, (click on the tab labeled Mixer at the bottom left of the screen or hit the X button on your keyboard). Expand all of the Auxiliary tracks / channel strips, (detailed in Step 3). Double click on the text of track / channel strip, (located at the very bottom of each channel strip), to rename the Auxiliary track / channel strip. You can rename each Auxiliary track to anything, but its a good idea to name it something similar to the corresponding Sound Slot / drum pad in Maschine. For example, double click the text Inst 1 in the channel strip farthest to the left, and rename it 808 Kick using your keyboard. 18

19 5. Save the Project Last but not least, save your Logic Pro session. To save, navigate to the Menu Bar at the top of your screen, and click on the File menu. Click Save from the drop down menu. A save menu appears on the screen. Under the selection Save As, change the text from Untitled to Maschine Tutorial. Under the selection Where, leave the option as Logic. Keep the boxes next to Include Assets and Copy External Audio Files to Folder checked / selected. Leave all the other boxes unchecked / deselected. Click Save. Conclusion After completing this tutorial, the user is hopefully familiar with: Launching Maschine as a 16xStereo plugin inside of Logic Pro. Creating a simple drum pattern with Maschine (by using either the Maschine software or the Maschine controller). Recording a drum pattern into Logic Pro s sequencer. Re-routing Maschine s Sound Slots / drum pads to correspond with Auxiliary tracks in Logic Pro. Expanding those Auxiliary tracks in order mix, master and automate each of Maschine s Sound Slots / drum pads on their own independent tracks / channel strips in Logic Pro. With the foundation of knowledge gained in this tutorial, the user is ready to create, record, mix, master and automate more complex drum patterns using Maschine and Logic Pro. 19