Re: Drum machine set up for looping rack

[Hans Lindauer <hans@ernieball.com>]

Hi Denis-

I use two Oberheim DX's; one with factory MIDI in/out, and the other with 
MIDI out only on the
Stretch option.  Stretch is the clock master and sets the tempo.  I use 
MIDI out on the other DX to
sync a Jomox XBase 09, and then use its MIDI thru to sync an EDP (now 
we're on topic).

If I am playing bass, it is generally just to create a loop, so I just run 
each machine into its own
channel and generally mix them with the master level controls on the drum 
machines.  One possible
solution for you could be to use, for example, an Ernie Ball Stereo/Pan 
Volume Pedal to pan between
the left and right channels of your DR-5.  The 500K resistance may not be 
ideal for line level, but
it should work.  Alternatively, a Boss SE-70 effects processor has a 
two-channel mixer as one of its
patches, which is controllable via footpedal.  On the cheap, you could 
even use an A/B switch to
switch between the two, as long as you didn't want to hear both at once.  
I think there's even an
A/B/A+B box out there somewhere, although it would be easy enough to build 
your own.

-Hans


>
>
> Hans,
> You indicate you use up to three drum machines.  How do you route the
> signals?  I am a guitarist and don't want to play a mixer at the same 
>time,
> so a foot operated fader may work for me.  I could possibly see a 
>crossfader
> set up to for left/right outputs of a Dmachine going into 2 channels of a
> mixer and using a second Dmachine (an old DIY sync one) going in 
>separately
> into a third channel.  This would get around the start pointers and allow
> the second Dmachine to be independently started and stopped.
>
> On thing I like about this is being able to add separate effects. 
>Blending
> traditional Dsets with a set ran through a pitchshift program to get a 
>more
> industrial sound, is one option I like a lot.
> Using the second Dmachine for hand drum 3/2,2/3 son parts would be cool.
> IMHO  Bet none of the old units had any sounds for this style, though.
>
> Tell me a little about your setup, if you would.