Emu XL-7 & MP-7 User's Group

Hi guys,

AFAIK it's not possible to change patterns in live performance - using
any other way than adjusting the "NextPat" on the display.

I ask because I really liked RM1x UI - every "pattern" was actually
composed of up to 16 "sections", which were selectable using the white
"keys" of the two-octave pad-keyboard. What was also nice was the
ability to set the "pattern change" resolution to 1/16 (instead of 1
measure) and create interesting effects by "playing on patterns".
Unfortunately, RM1x had great UI and crappy sounds. I'm not afraid of
XL7 sounds, but is the UI usable for live messing? I would like to be
able to program some more or less distinct patterns and switch from
one to another without scrolling too much (preferably by pressing the
pad keys). Is it possible? As far as I understand something like this
can be achieved using Beats, but then I cannot use my own riffs, only
the ones stored in ROM(s).

Thanks for any info,
Bruno

U can use triggers to change patterns.  Look in controllers under triggers. This is what you're looking for I believe.

On Sun, 26 Dec 2010, Matt wrote:

> U can use triggers to change patterns.  Look in controllers under 
> triggers. This is what you're looking for I believe.
==================

there are >1000 patterns, and only 16 trigger buttons to select them. 
but... there are 60+ multi-setups... IIRC each of the multi-setups can 
store 16 triggers independently.

there's also pattern changes via sysex - 
http://launch.dir.groups.yahoo.com/group/xl7/message/19276

and probably not what you want, but you can assign a pair of foot pedals 
to increment/decrement pattern numbers.

i think that (and the data knob) is a complete list of how to change 
patterns. if there's anything missing, i hope someone will post it.


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Dnia 27-12-2010 o godz. 05:32 Atom Smasher <atom@...> napisał(a):

> On Sun, 26 Dec 2010, Matt wrote:
> 
>> U can use triggers to change patterns.  Look in controllers under 
>> triggers. This is what you're looking for I believe.

So it is possible! Thanks.

> ==================
> 
> there are >1000 patterns, and only 16 trigger buttons to select them. 
> but... there are 60+ multi-setups... IIRC each of the multi-setups can 
> store 16 triggers independently.

Most of the cases it would be around 8-16 patterns, so it is acceptable.

> there's also pattern changes via sysex - 
> http://launch.dir.groups.yahoo.com/group/xl7/message/19276

Whoa! That's awesome - I can use my BCR2K for this :)

> and probably not what you want, but you can assign a pair of foot pedals 
> to increment/decrement pattern numbers.

That's even more than I wanted - changing patterns without moving hands from keyboards! Atom++

> 
Thank you guys for the quick and relevant answers,
Bruno

Dnia 27-12-2010 o godz. 06:18 James Ulibarri <jamesulibarri@...> napisał(a):

> you guys rock.   i love how the CS will queue up the next pattern trigger by flashing and let it FINISH it's bars before kicking in the next one.  

I would love it more to see it configurable, like in the rm1x. With side notes, that having only two options: 1/16 and whole measure makes it not so flexible, and having crappy pads (thanks, Yamaha!) would make it completely unmusical.

An instant profit: make 8-bars pattern that can be looped and make 1-bar pattern with break, that you can throw into the flow whenever you like. Of course the same way you can extend the "break" pattern to 4 bars, so I consider it fixed.

I recall, however, the crazy breakbeat things I was able to create on rm1x in no time. I never tried an external kbd for triggering patterns - had rm1x only for one week (being a proxy for the real owner) and it convinced me to get a pattern based seq. Having already P2K I didn't think a lot about possible options.

Bruno
>

On Mon, 27 Dec 2010, Bruno Kopias-Czekay wrote:

>> and probably not what you want, but you can assign a pair of foot 
>> pedals to increment/decrement pattern numbers.
>
> That's even more than I wanted - changing patterns without moving hands 
> from keyboards! Atom++
=================

i haven't tried it, but i think if you set the LED display to "pattern" it 
will display the pattern that's next to be played when the current pattern 
ends. that would be kinda sweet if it works that way with a pair of foot 
pedals (a pair of boss FS-5U pedals would probably be great). let us 
know...


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         ...atom

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2010/12/27 Atom Smasher <atom@...>:
> i haven't tried it, but i think if you set the LED display to "pattern" it
> will display the pattern that's next to be played when the current pattern
> ends. that would be kinda sweet if it works that way with a pair of foot
> pedals (a pair of boss FS-5U pedals would probably be great). let us
> know...

Well, the only missing thing in my setup is the XL7 itself (yet)...
not so easy to find it for the nice price, especially in Europe. But I
will post a note as soon as I get it!

Thanks,
Bruno

i deleted my posts to edit but alas. that is nice to know about the sp origins. with multitracks, if there is only one track playing at a time(by track i mean pattern) and both track buttons are pressed at the same time to switch over it seems very stable. as long as you press them a split second before the notes play

this is for live and roughing out a track though. to record a song accurately one would extend the pattern to 32 bars and paste a few times in song mode. then live record the track(pattern) mutes while in song mode and every 32 bars be prepared to stop the sequencer and restart or something because all track mutes will reset as the pattern loops. then go back and micro edit the mutes 

or say ef it and transfer the sequence to computer lol 







--- In xl7@yahoogroups.com, James Ulibarri <jamesulibarri@...> wrote:
>
> This is the same on the Emu SP1200 (where they pulled half of the features
> of the CS from) and cross-pasting as you said does happen, but it's like a
> merge and sounds weird.  I mean the data and the sequences are there but
> it's like a broken beat effect as one sequence is butted up one right after
> another.   It's one of those features that you never know how it could be
> useful,  but it's there.
> 
> 
> 
> On Tue, Dec 28, 2010 at 1:44 PM, dutchbeats <dutchbeats@...> wrote:
> 
> >
> >
> > correction, patterns that go into a multitrack pattern don't have to be the
> > same length or tempo. don't know about cross-pasting different time
> > signatures though
> >
> >
> > --- In xl7@yahoogroups.com <xl7%40yahoogroups.com>, "dutchbeats"
> > <dutchbeats@> wrote:
> > >
> > > the only way to trigger the next pattern in the cs before the end of the
> > current pattern is to select the next pattern either with the jog wheel or
> > trigger buttons, press and hold play and tap stop. this is not on beat
> > though, but good for a s-s-s-sampling effect;)
> > >
> > > another way is to open a blank pattern and cut and past multitrack data
> > into each track from the other patterns. go to one pattern and copy all(or
> > not) tracks to clipboard using the combine function. then go to the empty
> > pattern(to save time save a pattern as a template with all tracks set to
> > multitrack) and paste into a track. do the same with the remaining tracks or
> > how ever many are required.
> > >
> > > now within one pattern you can instantly switch between tracks while
> > keeping tempo. the drawback i guess is each pattern must be the same
> > length/tempo/time signature. although you can copy a track and offset or add
> > to it to correct or embellish. that's also not stopping you from making
> > another multitrack pattern and switching between them etc and so on.
> > >
> > > if you do any live tempo changes you don't have to worry about them being
> > reset when switching patterns since it's all within one pattern.
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > --- In xl7@yahoogroups.com <xl7%40yahoogroups.com>, Bruno Kopias-Czekay
> > <brunorc@> wrote:
> > > >
> > > > Dnia 27-12-2010 o godz. 06:18 James Ulibarri <jamesulibarri@>
> > napisał(a):
> > > >
> > > > > you guys rock. i love how the CS will queue up the next pattern
> > trigger by flashing and let it FINISH it's bars before kicking in the next
> > one.
> > > >
> > > > I would love it more to see it configurable, like in the rm1x. With
> > side notes, that having only two options: 1/16 and whole measure makes it
> > not so flexible, and having crappy pads (thanks, Yamaha!) would make it
> > completely unmusical.
> > > >
> > > > An instant profit: make 8-bars pattern that can be looped and make
> > 1-bar pattern with break, that you can throw into the flow whenever you
> > like. Of course the same way you can extend the "break" pattern to 4 bars,
> > so I consider it fixed.
> > > >
> > > > I recall, however, the crazy breakbeat things I was able to create on
> > rm1x in no time. I never tried an external kbd for triggering patterns - had
> > rm1x only for one week (being a proxy for the real owner) and it convinced
> > me to get a pattern based seq. Having already P2K I didn't think a lot about
> > possible options.
> > > >
> > > > Bruno
> > > > >
> > > >
> > >
> >
> >  
> >
>

On Tue, 28 Dec 2010, James Ulibarri wrote:

> this machine is too freakin deep for it's own good i think.  i feel like 
> I am swimming in features sometimes.
===============

i'm still working past that. my advise: 1) take small bites 2) work 
through one section of the manual at a time, until you know it well and 3) 
accept that there are some features that you may never have any need for.

every time i think i've got the hang of it, i go through the manual and 
find something new. that happens with most of my gear, but usually only 
until the 2nd or 3rd read of the manual. with the XL7, it seems like 
learning it is a never ending process.

the only way to really learn a machine like this is to go through the 
manual one section at a time, and focus on learning parts of it, NOT 
making music. when you're studying the sequencer, don't think about the 
synth engine. when you're studying the grid record, don't think about the 
song mode. think of it as if each section of the manual is a separate 
machine, and each of those machines has to be learned independently before 
you can master the whole thing.

only after you learn the tool will music flow from it. no one picks up a 
saxophone or guitar for the first time and "just plays it".


-- 
         ...atom

  ________________________
  http://atom.smasher.org/
  762A 3B98 A3C3 96C9 C6B7 582A B88D 52E4 D9F5 7808
  -------------------------------------------------

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 		-- Charles H. Duell,
 		Commissioner, U.S. Office of Patents, 1899

On Tue, 28 Dec 2010, James Ulibarri wrote:

> this machine is too freakin deep for it's own good i think.  i feel like 
> I am swimming in features sometimes.
=================

better swimming than drowning ;)


-- 
         ...atom

  ________________________
  http://atom.smasher.org/
  762A 3B98 A3C3 96C9 C6B7 582A B88D 52E4 D9F5 7808
  -------------------------------------------------

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 	 others look for fights,
 	 some folks up in treetops
 	 just looking for their kites"
 		-- Grateful Dead

�

On Tue, 28 Dec 2010, James Ulibarri wrote:

> this machine is too freakin deep for it's own good i think. i feel like
> I am swimming in features sometimes.
===============

i'm still working past that. my advise: 1) take small bites 2) work
through one section of the manual at a time, until you know it well and 3)
accept that there are some features that you may never have any need for.

every time i think i've got the hang of it, i go through the manual and
find something new. that happens with most of my gear, but usually only
until the 2nd or 3rd read of the manual. with the XL7, it seems like
learning it is a never ending process.

the only way to really learn a machine like this is to go through the
manual one section at a time, and focus on learning parts of it, NOT
making music. when you're studying the sequencer, don't think about the
synth engine. when you're studying the grid record, don't think about the
song mode. think of it as if each section of the manual is a separate
machine, and each of those machines has to be learned independently before
you can master the whole thing.

only after you learn the tool will music flow from it. no one picks up a
saxophone or guitar for the first time and "just plays it".

--
...atom

________________________
http://atom.smasher.org/
762A 3B98 A3C3 96C9 C6B7 582A B88D 52E4 D9F5 7808
-------------------------------------------------

"Everything that can be invented has been invented."
-- Charles H. Duell,
Commissioner, U.S. Office of Patents, 1899