Re: Drum-machine song construction tips?

[mark sottilaro <marksottilaro@sbcglobal.net>]

Great ideas Rick!  Often I try to use that mentality
when programming, but probably more often that not I'm
going for a more machine thing... I just like to keep
my machines machiney and my humans humany.  During my
stint with Laurie Anderson I remember a conversation
with David Van Tingham where she was asking for, "more
machine like."  He was able to instantly mimic the
Linn sound.

Really, the only difference with what I'm attempting
now it that I want to do a ABABCAB type of song
structure with a base rhythmic structure and evolving
percussion over it.

I think I may have solved my problem: Scrap the song
mode on the drum machine.  Make the loops on the drum
machine and use a computer sequencer to record that
via MIDI and then edit it into the song structure you
need.  I was able to get a ton of work done last night
that would have taken forever if I'd tried to do it on
the XL-7 or ESX-1.