Dr. OctoRex - Triggering Loop Slots With MIDI Hardware

[Raveshaper]

For anyone who uses a controller to finger drum a live set, sometimes you want something a little more expressive than a quick sample. Something you can trigger that will run freely for a while in the background, allowing you to layer other pads on top. One method that works well for this and is not commonly employed is to trigger Dr. OctoRex to play a loop slot.
 
Not to be confused with slices that represent a portion of a given loop, slots define a loop's location in Dr. OctoRex's memory. It is possible to trigger a one-shot style playback of a loop in its entirity from start to finish by sending the MIDI note D0 to the Dr. OctoRex device. But this only limits you to a single slot for playback. Using a relatively simple setup, you can expand this functionality to allow for pad triggering of all eight loop slots that responds just like any other sample.
 
The SuperRex Method
 
Using the "SuperRex" method requires two combinators whose precise setup can be found in the attached template file, as well as some specific MIDI mappings on the drum pad controller of your choice. For those that do not have a MIDI controller at home but would like to follow along or use this patch, you still can. You just have to apply the velocity mappings shown in this tutorial to the MIDI notes you program for the SuperRex combinator's track in the sequencer.
Let's walk through how the central SuperRex combinator patch works.
 
The purpose of this patch in its simplest explanation is to receive the notes ranging from C1 to G1, process those notes using an instance of Kong, then use the gate signals that are generated in combination with a second gate CV and the note D0 to a second combinator for the purposes of targeting a loop slot and triggering it, respectively.
 
The data that are used to trigger playback on the Dr. OctoRex are generated by the "Signal Gen" instance of Thor. The MIDIGate modbus mapping supplies the note gate signal output and a constant value of 26 -- the CV equivelant of the note D0 -- is supplied by the modbus mapping of Rotary 1.
 
The aggregate of the Kong gate outputs is sent directly into CV Input 1 on the programmer of the receiving combinator, where the incoming signal is assigned to control "Keyboard > Notes to Slot" on the Dr. OctoRex device.
 
In this setup, the patch is only half of the story. In order to make the magic happen, you need to edit the velocity of your MIDI controller's pads. Open up your controller's editor and manually input velocity values for the eight pads you have assigned to the C1 to G1 key range. The correct velocity value for each pad is equal to the result of the following formula, where "p" represents the pad number (0 thru 7):

p * (127 / 7) + 1 = v
 
This returns the following table of velocities, provided here along side their respective note assignments for easy programming in your controller editor:
 
Note    Velocity
C 1  :  1
C#1  :  19
D 1  :  37
D#1  :  55
E 1  :  73
F 1  :  91
F#1  :  109

G 1  :  127
 
Once these assignments have been mapped on your controller, you will be able to unlock loop slot triggering on your drum pads. Because the velocity of each pad is being used to access each slot's memory address, this method is monophonic when put in practice and has a fixed velocity during performance. The expressive possibilities make up for these limitations, and modifications can be made to increase the dynamic qualities of this design.
 
Good luck, and happy looping!

[MAL9000]

Will give this a try.

Thank you.

[Raveshaper]

Thanks MAL, hope you like it. It's a lot of fun once it's up and running.

[-008']

It is possible to trigger a one-shot style playback of a loop in its entirity from start to finish by sending the MIDI note D0 to the Dr. OctoRex device. But this only limits you to a single slot for playback. Using a relatively simple setup, you can expand this functionality to allow for pad triggering of all eight loop slots that responds just like any other sample.

You stop at D0 but what about using MIDI notes from D#0 and above? D#0 being "Stop Loop" and E0 to B0 being a selector for Loop Slots 1-8?

I admit that these days I use the easy way of my Nektar P4 pads for slot control, but I remember just using midi notes to control rex slots. Isn't that the same thing? Apologies in advance if I am missing something here.

[Raveshaper]

I developed this method for live play because it was easier to send a single incoming note and handle the loop slot separately. The alternative would have required a scheme of generating notes for the loop slots as well as sending D0 to trigger. Discreet notes don't present an advantage since Dr. OctoRex is monophonic when switching between loop slots and behaves like an eight voice choke group in this implementation. The result would be the same, so I came up with this. Sending D#0 on note release to make it momentary might be interesting, but it would defeat the intent of creating a tempo sensitive long play triggerable sample.

[T-REX]

Hey is there anyway you can make a video for this. Im kinda lost. This is to switch through the notes to slot while using the slice method right? Just curious... thnx

[Raveshaper]

Hey is there anyway you can make a video for this. Im kinda lost. This is to switch through the notes to slot while using the slice method right? Just curious... thnx

Not able to make a video for this for a while, that's kind of a running joke at this point because I haven't had the time, money, or gear for that since ReasonTalk got created. But I do plan on making many once I have the means and time set aside for that.

To answer your question:
This method lets you play loop slots rather than individual slices within loops. The standard method lets you play slices in a loop using keys, but this lets you use entire loops instead. Sort of like cue points on Traktor.

Speaking of cue points, I have been developing a method of using cue points in the sequencer, but I have no idea when it will be done. A bigger project is currently under way, so whenever that's finished it'll be ready sometime after.

[-008']

Like I said before... You need only to load a DrOcto Rex, and you are -instantly- able to "trigger loop slots". What does this patch do beyond that? Is it for having a Kong drum kit and also triggering off some loop slots?

If I'm remembering correctly, i think that can be done in a combi with a Kong and Rex and just some very quick transpose settings.

Sorry for sounding harsh at all, but I honestly do not understand what you are presenting here, as you have presented it. I don't think I am the only one having trouble understanding either.

[Raveshaper]

Like I said before... You need only to load a DrOcto Rex, and you are -instantly- able to "trigger loop slots". What does this patch do beyond that? Is it for having a Kong drum kit and also triggering off some loop slots?

If I'm remembering correctly, i think that can be done in a combi with a Kong and Rex and just some very quick transpose settings.

Sorry for sounding harsh at all, but I honestly do not understand what you are presenting here, as you have presented it. I don't think I am the only one having trouble understanding either.

I bow to your expertise in this matter and perhaps you are touching on a much simpler way of doing the same thing.
I will attempt to explain what I'm doing as clearly as possible.

You need to calibrate your midi pads to send different fixed velocities as described in the first post of this thread.
The notes and corresponding velocities are listed.

When you trigger the Kong monophonically, the velocity of the pad you strike is sent over CV wire to CV Input 1 on the "Dest" Combi.
CV Input 1 is mapped to control the Notes to Slot parameter on the Dr. OctoRex inside the "Dest" Combi.

This means that the velocity of the pad on your hardware will select a loop slot.

At the same time, Rotary 1 on the Thor inside the "Src" Combi is being used to send the note number for "D 0", which triggers the given loop selected.
This is sent via CV wire to the Note CV input on the "Dest" Combi. The notes are triggered by the MIDI Gate from the "Src" Combi's Thor over CV wire into Gate Input on the "Dest" Combi.

By combining a way of selecting the loop slots by trigger velocity and a spoofed version of the loop trigger note "D 0", you can play unique loops per pad rather than slices per pad.

Does that make more sense?
Also, is this far simpler than I've made it, or is this the simplest way?

[-008']

Like I said before... You need only to load a DrOcto Rex, and you are -instantly- able to "trigger loop slots". What does this patch do beyond that? Is it for having a Kong drum kit and also triggering off some loop slots?

If I'm remembering correctly, i think that can be done in a combi with a Kong and Rex and just some very quick transpose settings.

Sorry for sounding harsh at all, but I honestly do not understand what you are presenting here, as you have presented it. I don't think I am the only one having trouble understanding either.

I bow to your expertise in this matter and perhaps you are touching on a much simpler way of doing the same thing.
I will attempt to explain what I'm doing as clearly as possible.

You need to calibrate your midi pads to send different fixed velocities as described in the first post of this thread.
The notes and corresponding velocities are listed.

When you trigger the Kong monophonically, the velocity of the pad you strike is sent over CV wire to CV Input 1 on the "Dest" Combi.
CV Input 1 is mapped to control the Notes to Slot parameter on the Dr. OctoRex inside the "Dest" Combi.

This means that the velocity of the pad on your hardware will select a loop slot.

At the same time, Rotary 1 on the Thor inside the "Src" Combi is being used to send the note number for "D 0", which triggers the given loop selected.
This is sent via CV wire to the Note CV input on the "Dest" Combi. The notes are triggered by the MIDI Gate from the "Src" Combi's Thor over CV wire into Gate Input on the "Dest" Combi.

By combining a way of selecting the loop slots by trigger velocity and a spoofed version of the loop trigger note "D 0", you can play unique loops per pad rather than slices per pad.

Does that make more sense?
Also, is this far simpler than I've made it, or is this the simplest way?

No worries, I think it must be just me misunderstanding you after all, its my fault.
I've got to stop visiting threads when im not in front of reason. Maybe that would sort me out!

[submonsterz]

I think I am not getting what rave is saying is different to what I do the simple method for slot playing from pads via kong.
I use pad 9 for the choke/stop pattern
other than his plays random (as such) its hard to hit pads with same velocity etc when playing them

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[submonsterz]

heres a few rex things I played with in the past when I was bored.
you need to have annotation on the read whats being written by me explaining it all or none makes sense and sounds like drivel ok.

the last two of a clone plus much more of jammer re using stock devices only.