Dr Octo Rex - How do I Make Drum Loops in Pattern Sequencer Blend Together?

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SygnusCentauri
Posts: 3
Joined: 17 Mar 2019

17 Mar 2019

I selected 8 different drum loops (A1 - A8) and drew them into the pattern sequencer. When they playback the clips don't really blend together like I want. For instance, a ride with loops with crashes leads into another another loops that is more chill drum part, stick cross. The problem is when the crash loop ends and the next loops begins, the last hit of the crash just stops suddenly instead of decaying/bleeding into the next loop like it would on a real drum set. Is there a way to blend the loops together somehow so that the decay on the loops blends into the next loop?

groggy1
Posts: 466
Joined: 10 Jun 2015

19 Mar 2019

Yeah, when you change patterns in Dr. Octorex, it can be pretty jarring.

One solution is to add a crash on Beat #1 of the new loop. You can copy a crash sample straight into a new Audio Track, or use something like Kong or Umpf to trigger it.


If you want cross-fading like you mention above, then I'm afraid you'll need to use two instances of Dr. Octorex. My suggestion is to create one instance just as you want it, then right click the device and select "Duplicate device". Once you have second device, you can automate the volume between the two of them to crossfade.

antic604

19 Mar 2019

I've no clue if this will help*, but perhaps:
- increase AMP Envolope's Sustain and Release parameters.
- try higher Polyphony setting.

Image

* because maybe it only works within single loop, but not between the loops?

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Jackjackdaw
Posts: 1400
Joined: 12 Jan 2019

28 Mar 2019

Bounce your rex loops without any reverb or delay so the slices are nice and clean, then add your fx as inserts on the Dr. Rex track. It won't carry over crashes but it will give you better continuity overall.

SygnusCentauri
Posts: 3
Joined: 17 Mar 2019

18 Oct 2019

Thanks for the replies, I'm just now coming back to this. It's a bit frustrating.

First let me copy/paste this from an article because it does a good job of pinpointing the issue:
REX files and similarly sliced loops have the potential for excellent fidelity because, although the audio is edited, it isn’t actually processed. However, there are important limitations. Each slice has the potential to produce a ‘discontinuity’ in the sound. If the slice occurs at a quiet moment, such as a gap between notes, it’s not an issue, but otherwise you’ll often hear a pop or tick. Careful editing of the slice boundaries can minimize or eliminate clicks, but for sustained sounds, it’s not always possible to hide the slice transition. In this case, the fix often involves creating a slight fade-in/out for each problematic slice.

What’s more, sustained sounds, including cymbals that ring over other beats, and anything processed with a long reverb tail, don’t lend themselves to slicing if other beats occur during the sound’s decay. Slicing at each beat also slices the cymbal/reverb tail — which again means discontinuity. This time, though, fading can’t help.
So, let me explain my exact situation. The exact REX loop I am using is called Rok25_Ride_105 (Jason McGeer). It's 105 bpm and the song is also at 105 so no issues there.

I am literally just repeating this one pattern/loop but every time it starts again it sounds 'off' like it has a slight 'almost imperceptible' stutter each time the loop repeats. Is there not some simple way to just repeat the loop in succession but with smoother transitions? Can this be accomplished with the crossfading thing you mentioned?

If you have more input on this or anyone else can comment, would appreciate it.

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thx
Posts: 46
Joined: 18 Sep 2016
Location: UK

18 Oct 2019

Had a look at Rok25_Ride_105. It's not bad but the drums are played a little hurried for 105bpm, which leaves a longer space (filled by the ride) at the end of the bar. This means when it loops over, it feels like you've tripped over. If you want it to play nicer, copy the loop to track, then quantize the beat or at least manually edit the note positions to be a little more on-beat.

WarStar
Posts: 296
Joined: 17 Oct 2018
Contact:

18 Oct 2019

I'd use more than one Octo Rex instead of relying on the transition inside one Octo. Have one Octo with one half of the loops and the other with the other half making sure what ever loops have transitions aren't loaded into the same Octorex. Just duplicate your original Octorex and just remove half the loops in one and the opposite in the other. That way if you do want reverb or efx then it'll be easy for the loops to ring out if that's what your shooting for.

Obviously you have print to track and make your edits in the sequencer too to make sure your transitions make sense.

SygnusCentauri
Posts: 3
Joined: 17 Mar 2019

19 Oct 2019

So, I just want to ask, is there an actual difference between these two? The first one is how i had it before, that A5 pattern is the loop just repeating on a single octorex, this second image is when it has been duplicated and the loop plays on one, then the other, and then back, etc.

Is this what one of the posters was referring to? I listened to both versions, and it seems like "maybe" this duplicated one is better, but it's hard to tell for sure, can you confirm this is what you were talking about when you said to split them like this?

[media]
rex single.jpg
rex single.jpg (41.93 KiB) Viewed 1478 times
rex2 duplicated.jpg
rex2 duplicated.jpg (46.55 KiB) Viewed 1478 times
[/media]

WarStar
Posts: 296
Joined: 17 Oct 2018
Contact:

19 Oct 2019

SygnusCentauri wrote:
19 Oct 2019
So, I just want to ask, is there an actual difference between these two? The first one is how i had it before, that A5 pattern is the loop just repeating on a single octorex, this second image is when it has been duplicated and the loop plays on one, then the other, and then back, etc.

Is this what one of the posters was referring to? I listened to both versions, and it seems like "maybe" this duplicated one is better, but it's hard to tell for sure, can you confirm this is what you were talking about when you said to split them like this?

[media]rex single.jpg

rex2 duplicated.jpg[/media]

Yep, that's what I was suggesting. Does it sound better? Still clicks?

Another thing to keep in mind is the lines in the note clips represent transients in the audio, ie kick hit, snare, etc.. so you can always double click a note clips where you feel the "click" sound comes from and slide it back or forward to see if it eliminates the click sound just make sure you uncheck the snap to grid option so you can slide it around freely...

Hope this helps..

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MannequinRaces
Posts: 1543
Joined: 18 Jan 2015

19 Oct 2019

Consider using the Nurse Rex Player in Kong for more flexibility. For some ideas of what you can do read this: https://modeaudio.com/magazine/delving- ... asy-C3MyrM

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selig
RE Developer
Posts: 11685
Joined: 15 Jan 2015
Location: The NorthWoods, CT, USA

20 Oct 2019

Jackjackdaw wrote:
28 Mar 2019
Bounce your rex loops without any reverb or delay so the slices are nice and clean, then add your fx as inserts on the Dr. Rex track. It won't carry over crashes but it will give you better continuity overall.
Trying to follow, but not clear…
This seems to suggest that after bouncing, something will be different - it shouldn't sound any different after bouncing, so there logically shouldn't be any reason adding reverb etc after bouncing would be any different from before bouncing.
In other words, the "nice and clean" slices are no more nice or clean AFTER bouncing as before - or am I missing something?
Selig Audio, LLC

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selig
RE Developer
Posts: 11685
Joined: 15 Jan 2015
Location: The NorthWoods, CT, USA

20 Oct 2019

thx wrote:
18 Oct 2019
Had a look at Rok25_Ride_105. It's not bad but the drums are played a little hurried for 105bpm, which leaves a longer space (filled by the ride) at the end of the bar. This means when it loops over, it feels like you've tripped over. If you want it to play nicer, copy the loop to track, then quantize the beat or at least manually edit the note positions to be a little more on-beat.
This would be my suggestion as well, since the issue doesn't seem to be so much about a cymbal ringing over but more about a slight timing gap at the beginning of each loop which breaks continuity.

When you do this, also check to be sure there's not a "micro slice" at the top of the loop, which would result in a gap that would only be obvious when looping.This is sometimes done intentionally when the first audio hit doesn't fall on the downbeat, since there HAS to be a slice on the down beat with all REX files.
Selig Audio, LLC

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Jackjackdaw
Posts: 1400
Joined: 12 Jan 2019

20 Oct 2019

selig wrote:
20 Oct 2019
Jackjackdaw wrote:
28 Mar 2019
Bounce your rex loops without any reverb or delay so the slices are nice and clean, then add your fx as inserts on the Dr. Rex track. It won't carry over crashes but it will give you better continuity overall.
Trying to follow, but not clear…
This seems to suggest that after bouncing, something will be different - it shouldn't sound any different after bouncing, so there logically shouldn't be any reason adding reverb etc after bouncing would be any different from before bouncing.
In other words, the "nice and clean" slices are no more nice or clean AFTER bouncing as before - or am I missing something?
If you bounce a sample with loads of reverb on then slice it , you are slicing the reverb tail. Move those two slices apart and the reverb tail will have a gap of silence in and sound weird. Bounce dry and then add reverb and the reverb tails will paper over the gaps.

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