Idle musings

[JamesD]

Hi Ed,

Many thanks for that - I am at least 10-15 years behind with the state of the art and 45 years since I first started using a drum machine... In my youth I (played at trains) joined a music synthesiser group at Uni - we had to design and build all our kit - great fun - 25 smelly geeks in a small room each with a soldering iron and multicore flux.... no wonder my brains are addled now...

Great update though!

Thanks!!!

[Dave the bass]

Just as an aside, IMO , even old drum machines have helped produce amazing music.

2 examples.





Sorry for the thread diversion Ant.

[Nick]

And of course

[Greg]

Hi Greg,

Here is wiki statement on drum machines

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drum_machine

I was referring to the machine generated patterns that maintain a constant beat - a human drummer speeds up and slows down their beat pattern whilst paying within the time signature to accentuate the feel of the track.

This is illustrated in this youtube video where time signatures can also be quantised and recorded drum tracks brought into strict alignment with the time signature..

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hT4fFolyZYU&t=172s

- it kills the life in the track

Sorry if this was what you were referring too and I got it wrong.

ciao

James

Thanks James, better educated now

[Greg]

Have to say though, both Dave’s and Nick’s examples do not seem to me to be any sound that represents drums, so how can they be drum machines? I would expect a drum machine to try to replicate a real set of drums and none of these examples do, in my head, anyway. I have a mate that has a set of electronic drum pads that IMO does a reasonable job at replicating the real thing. I have no doubt that a drum machine can sound like the real thing, but let’s have some more realistic examples. Otherwise, percussive sounds are just that, percussive sounds. They sound nothing like drums and cymbals. They are just artificial synthesised percussive sound. I don’t have a problem with that because the effect makes a positive contribution to the particular music, but in my head that sound has nothing to do with drums, natural or synthetic.

Am I wrong?

[Nick]

so how can they be drum machines

Well, they are playing the part that would be done by a drum kit, using sounds that are close analogues of the instruments they are replacing.

but in my head that sound has nothing to do with drums, natural or synthetic.

You could equally say these sounds are not Harpsichords/Clavier, but they are clearly taking their part.



I think the point is as Ed said, that depending on the programmiong, now you cant tell if its a drum machine, a real drummer that has been messed with in pro tools, or Steve Gadd. But the classic "drum machine" sounds work because they are clearly artificial.

[simon]

Actually I find that too Simon, the bass available was a real ear opener for me, even more so hearing Vic’s creations, never heard bass like that in a domestic setting.

I was thinking about this earlier Ali, I'd love to hear Vic's speakers - I didn't realise how important low bass is to me until I had some...

[Ali Tait]

Yes that was exactly my thoughts.

[chris661]

They sound nothing like drums and cymbals.

At the risk of opening a fairly major can o' worms, the only thing that sounds like a drum kit is a drum kit. There are various reasons for this, including the serious directivity mis-match between drum kit and speakers.

However, I'd suggest the following: nobody wants the experience of a drum kit played by, say, Phil Rudd, in their living room. It's too damn loud.

What I (and I suspect others) want to hear is a reasonable approximation at enjoyable levels. Is it, in the strictest sense, high-fidelity? No. But it's much more fun.

Chris

PS - Generally agree with those saying more LF extension is useful. Some music is more demanding than others, but movies seem to go quite low pretty often, which is fun on a system that's flat to 10Hz.

[Ali Tait]

Actually I find that too Simon, the bass available was a real ear opener for me, even more so hearing Vic’s creations, never heard bass like that in a domestic setting.

I was thinking about this earlier Ali, I'd love to hear Vic's speakers - I didn't realise how important low bass is to me until I had some...

I did ask him about bringing them to an Owston, but says they are way too heavy.

[simon]

That's a shame, I'm sure there's many would be very interested to hear them

[Ali Tait]

Aye, thats what I said. I'll get round to making a pair sometime. He's been trying a few different things-
https://www.trans-fi.com/diy-speaker-blog

[steve s]

Actually I find that too Simon, the bass available was a real ear opener for me, even more so hearing Vic’s creations, never heard bass like that in a domestic setting.

I was thinking about this earlier Ali, I'd love to hear Vic's speakers - I didn't realise how important low bass is to me until I had some...

I did ask him about bringing them to an Owston, but says they are way too heavy.

Has he seen what some people bring to owston Ali

[vinylnvalves]

I was thinking about this earlier Ali, I'd love to hear Vic's speakers - I didn't realise how important low bass is to me until I had some...

I did ask him about bringing them to an Owston, but says they are way too heavy.

Has he seen what some people bring to owston Ali

They look nice and small compared to the 2 fridges, sorry bass cabinets I bought along with massive horns a couple of years back.. Looking at Vics setup as maybe an option of a smaller arrangement for a second system

[Ali Tait]

I was thinking about this earlier Ali, I'd love to hear Vic's speakers - I didn't realise how important low bass is to me until I had some...

I did ask him about bringing them to an Owston, but says they are way too heavy.

Has he seen what some people bring to owston Ali

Possibly not.

He wasn't keen though, there doesn't look much to them, but there's a fair weight there.