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Completely disagree

When I'm making a beat I like to start with closed hats on every beat (see Paul Revere for why this too is great) and then remove them until I have the beat I want. Then throw in open hats somewhere if it fits.

Yeah I have minimal patience for step-sequencing beats. I've gotta tap out a loop in real time with only kick/snare.
1-take boom-bap style is the only way I can get the groove right.

I like assigning the "note off" function that is employed in the high hat to different sounds. I seem to recall being able to do this with an SR-16 (been a while since I've helmed one though).

Like cutting a boomy room snare off with a low tuned tom or some such, going so far as to assign note volumes differently (mute if applicable) to add to the effect.

Really intricate open/closed hat stuff can be a lot of fun too, go absolutely apeshit with it and then dump the volume of those parts to the point at which they *just barely* peak through, then lay an additional SPARSE hat pair over the top of that fabric, based on what sticks in the mix.

monkeydancer wrote:Completely disagree

When I'm making a beat I like to start with closed hats on every beat (see Paul Revere for why this too is great) and then remove them until I have the beat I want. Then throw in open hats somewhere if it fits.

Sounds like you use the hats like a metronome ...

rustywire wrote:Yeah I have minimal patience for step-sequencing beats. I've gotta tap out a loop in real time with only kick/snare.
1-take boom-bap style is the only way I can get the groove right.

I step sequence the bass/snare, stop recording play the pattern while playing along with other drum hits as a sort of rehearsal, turn off quantization, then record - you can do a combo of both

JereFuzz wrote:

monkeydancer wrote:Completely disagree

When I'm making a beat I like to start with closed hats on every beat (see Paul Revere for why this too is great) and then remove them until I have the beat I want. Then throw in open hats somewhere if it fits.

Sounds like you use the hats like a metronome ...

Not sure what you mean, any drum sets the tempo... also playing to a metronome on 16th notes sounds annoying. So much unnecessary clicking.

monkeydancer wrote:

JereFuzz wrote:

monkeydancer wrote:Completely disagree

When I'm making a beat I like to start with closed hats on every beat (see Paul Revere for why this too is great) and then remove them until I have the beat I want. Then throw in open hats somewhere if it fits.

Sounds like you use the hats like a metronome ...

Not sure what you mean, any drum sets the tempo... also playing to a metronome on 16th notes sounds annoying. So much unnecessary clicking.

This is the source of my disdain for closed hihats. Open not so much...but cymbal rides are superior in almost every case.
The notable exception would be the Boss DR-110, which may have the best OHH sound of any drum machine ever made.

What can I say, I like my beats stuttery

just record whatever drum machine you have and play along with the recording?

Dr. Sherman Sticks M.D. wrote:mpc500 is pretty compact, no? not much bigger than an xr20.

500 is so slept on.

Yeah, this. I just got an MPC500 to accomplish exactly what you've been talking about. It's pretty much exactly the same size as an SR-16 (currently an SR-16 is what my mpc500 sits on top of, to establish dominance). It's got a pretty steep learning curve and I'm still figuring things out, and past the official manual there's not a lot of help out there, but it's pretty quick and easy to get going with it. Even then, the MPC1000 is really not much bigger and much, much easier to use. I really think this is the answer to your problem.

Any love for
Volca beats?

JonnyAngle wrote:Any love for
Volca beats?

It's fun but too small ... I like to mess with larger interfaces; but it still sounds good ...

I love the beats. Small and limited yeah, but fun to play with, very immediate interface, and it sounds pretty good.

I only have a PO12 and dislike its limitations, for instance only 4/4. Have long considered an SR16, they're not uncommon to find used here for a reasonable price.

Recently I downloaded Hydrogen (for Linux) and am - if not exactly enjoying programming beats - appreciating the scope of control and ease of menu use. I'd imagine an SR16 would be a hassle to program longer sequences on while also adjusting the parameters of each individual hit... or maybe it's easier than I think. Got some different sample packs to play around with, currently digging the Rhythm Ace and DDM110 sounds.

I think the only hit parameter you have control of in an SR-16 is velocity. I seem to recall pitch & pan were set and forget at the drumset level - though it is possible Alesis updated the firmware to support that at some point in the last 20 years.