Drambo (iOS)

:sweat_smile: :sweat_smile: :rofl:

Can anyone think of a clever trick so that I can map a MIDI control (button press) which will send a CC value to a Drambo control/parameter but ONLY when I press the MIDI button?

Edit: for clarity, I’m trying to sort of map a MIDI button that will ‘reset’ a value in a Drambo module. So I’ve got a MIDI knob assigned to it to manipulate a control but I want the ability to ‘reset’ that value with a press on the same knob (UC4).

Oh and I’ve achieved something like what I need by editing the send values on the UC4 then just mapping the button press directly to the Drambo parameter/control but I was hoping for something inside Drambo if possible.

I like the music I make with Drambo after a few beers better than the music I made with other iPad apps with zero beers.

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Please don’t talk about Morph like that. He is afterall the one BBC entertainer from my childhood that I have some hope is not in fact a pedo.

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There is a new update with improvements. Plus there is an IAP with formant modules. I probably won’t use them much, but I bought them anyway to support the developer.

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Just figured out how to set up a sidechain bus in Drambo, and while it’s the first thing I’ve encountered that felt a little bit like a workaround, I still feel more or less unstoppable in this app.

I just need a good channel strip AUv3 and a mastering limiter, and I think I may actually be ready to produce tracks on the iPad, something I had previously given up on years ago.

Good luck with that. Let us know when you find one, lol.

MixBox has a nice one.

It’s ok. I’ll pick it up one day, but I’d only be after a couple channel strips. There isn’t anything I’ve found so far that is stellar, which kinda blows my mind a bit.

Time to get back on that ambient horse i think:

Hope you enjoy this track :pray:t3::two_hearts:

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I’m trying to use the Syntakt to control AUv3’s in Drambo but I have an issue where they’ll trigger on any MIDI channel.

If I set the track in Drambo to MIDI Channel 5 using a MIDI Filter module, then it will still receive notes from the Syntakt regardless of which channel the MIDI channel the track is set to.

Any tips to get this working?

Edit: realised I needed to click on the track number and it then gave options for midi channel.

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I wish there were dedicated hardware controllers for apps like Drambo, (or Loopy, Zenbeats, etc).
Sure you can map midi controllers, but it’s not nearly close to the experience of something like an Elektron box. Can Drambo do everything my Digitakt does?. 200% and more… But the joy and experience is not even close.
An iPad has the processing power and storage (surpasses hardware devices), the screen. But whatever controller you add is not an “integral” part of the experience. They’d just substitute the screen touching. Whereas on Elektron boxes the buttons and knobs ARE the flow. I’d certainly pay a couple hundred for a dedicated Drambo controller to make it feel like the Digitakt.

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Maybe we should all contact these guys:

https://sound-force.nl/?page_id=2412

They make dedicated midi controllers for RePro 5 and a couple of other plugin synths.

I’m sure there must be a decent sized market for Drambo by now…

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a dedicated controller would be epic

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The main problem I see is how would this dedicated controller be designed, since the flexibility of Drambo leads to vastly different configurations between users and from project to project?

Would it have 8-12 faders for 8+ tracks, sends, and master like Akai, Arturia, and Novation keyboards?

Would it have an 8x8 or 16x8 grid of pads to represent the clip launch area like an APC40 or Launchpad?

Would it have a larger set of 8x2 velocity sensitive pads to represent the on screen pads?

What about knobs for devices, would one knob per track be enough for the various devices? 3 enough? Fixed from the factory to certain parameters, or user assignable like any other midi controller?

Would it benefit from a traditional keybed? If it had all these features, what size would it be? Would it have a dedicated iPad holder? What about portability? If downsized, what features would be stripped away?

What about audio and midi interface. Would we still rely on an additional piece? How big would people be willing to go to be able to truly be hands off as much as possible?

And after all that is hammered out, how many people would actually buy a moderately large, less portable, somewhat expensive single minded device geared towards the iPad over standard and widely available midi controllers already on the market?

I would be hesitant to buy a one trick pony that I could easily replicate with other gear that would also easily integrate with my hardware and DAW’s. I currently have no problems mapping midi controllers to Drambo for a very usable, less hands-on-screen workflow, but can see where others might.

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All this talk of dedicated controllers and Drambo reminds of this video i made using it with a LaunchPad X a while back:

Sure it’s not like a dedicated controller but with Custom Templates on the LP you can do quite a lot with Drambo + AUM which i love. Hopefully the video will serve as an aha moment for those seeking a good hardware fit for Drambo.

Also the LP works great with LoopyPro with almost no setup.

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I use the Launchpad Pro XL with Drambo in a similar way as you show, along with midi keyboards and other controllers. I actually prefer to have the flexibility of designing my own workflow on a per project basis and the portability of bringing just the ProXL to the couch or on travel when keyboards and others aren’t needed.

I’d love to see some mock-ups though of a one controller fits all solution.

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I’ve been thinking quite a bit recently about what a hardware controller for Drambo would look like. As a UX designer, it would be a dream project!

The key to making such a product truly great would be the involvement of Beep Street on the software side to work hand in hand with the hardware company to develop hardware-specific enhancements to the software at the same time as the hardware is designed around the app’s workflow.

That’s how you get the kind of “integral” flow @Tahiche is talking about. An Elektron box can have such a great workflow because the hardware and software are designed as a whole, not just as an app and an accessory.

For the hardware, I have a rough sketch in mind. The one thing I have on paper so far is this list of what should go into it:

  • It’s an iPad dock, obviously. With a discreet, L-shaped USB-C cable that goes behind the iPad.
  • Two octaves of mini keys? Maybe three.
  • 16 pads in a row, approximately as wide as an iPad (let’s say 11”).
    • These select tracks and have hardware switches to go into mute or solo mode.
    • There is also a sequence mode for step sequencing.
    • There is also a launch mode for launching from the clip launcher.
  • 8 encoders, with a twist
    • Each encoder has its own “map” button > (or they’re push encoders). Click the button, then touch a control on the screen, and it’s mapped.
    • Encoders are touch-sensitive, and highlight the mapped control on the screen when touched.
  • Cross-fader
    • A and B buttons are the same as onscreen.
  • Transport
    • Record, play, undo, tap tempo.
  • Navigation encoder
    • This does all sorts of great stuff TBD.
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Sounds like a beatstep pro with a script….which I may or may not be 50% done with….

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Drambo has 2 rows of 8 pads on the screen though - wouldn’t you want to keep that the same?