Just getting to grips with this two products and having an amazing time so far.
One thing I am trying to do is to sync the BB drum beat with the Aeros measures.
This way I create my loops first and then drop beats into my loops whenever I feel the need without having the BB start automatically when I create my first loop.
Difficult to explain so I’ll try my best.
SETUP:
BB + Aeros are sync with MIDI cable
I want to start creating a loop on the Aeros (example: a verse loop without drums)
After a few bars of the verse loop I want to kick in the drumbeat from the BB.
I want to do this because I don’t want every loop I create to start with a drum beat.
I realise you can program this as a structure in BBManager but I’m looking for a less structured way to add the drum beats whenever I feel that the loop needs it.
So you’re gonna be playin to a click for a while?
Are you an ambient person?
Maybe you need to use BB as a sound module and trigger it with pads. And include that in your looping?
Hiya, no not an ambient guy
I have the Aeros setup to play a click track for the first loop only, so I lay down a loop with a click track and then all subsequent loops have no click track.
I guess I’m looking for a way to use the looper and the BB to create songs that are more realistic.
Almost all the examples I have seen of people syncing the Aeros and the BB start with the drumbeat at the same time as the loop being recorded but that’s not how 90% of songs are structured.
here’s an example:
most songs we hear on the radio don’t start with a drum beat. They start with a chord progression playing a few bars and then the bass guitar and drums come in together.
let’s use Bittersweet Symphony by The Verve as an example
I want to lay down my loop of guitar, melody and strings first without the BB drums playing
When it’s time for the drums to come in I want to engage the BB and at the same time I’ll start playing bass guitar
that way the song has a natural progression and it more powerful because the drums and bass guitar come in at the same time and at the right time.
the BB and the Aeros are already tempo synced but I can’t seem to find a way to get the BB to sync to the measure of the loop.
As an update:
I’ve found a way to semi do this by:
starting the BB with a 1 bar count-in and Aeros with a 2 bar count in at the same time.
as soon as the BB finishes playing the count in I then use an external foot switch to immediately mute the BB.
The Aeros is then on it’s 2nd bar of the count in which allows me to get settled before I start recording the loop.
The Aeros is set to play the click over the first loop only so I can setup a chord progression and then the click drops out.
then, when it is time, I can engage the BB and it comes in on-beat with my loop because it has been playing the entire time in a muted state.
This works pretty well except that I can only mute the BB once it is finished its count-in which means that a single drum hit can be heard before I can mute the BB.
IF Aeros as master “transmitter”
Settings>Midi>Midi out>scroll to see “Start 1st recording” and actived “rec commit”
In this case, you can satrt the recording and the Beatbuddy will start when you close the loop
Yes, as NYHC describes, you can choose to start BB automatically after first layer.
In the video below I used a kill switch =volume control) to activate drums later than that. In that case, the BB was running along from start - in muted mode. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GZm0Xz6CQZE
Another way if you have a midi controller with a EXP input is to add a expression pedal to control de BB volume. You can go from 0 to 100 % just up & down the pedal.
Just Start the BB with volume 0, this keep the sync and when you need, close the pedal to have the volume % That you set in the midi
Another way with a midi controller is to set a footswitch with the right command
One with the BB at 0%
The other with the % that you want
Just toggle this commands. That’s it !
You can set a command to start the BB with command volume at 0
And the other with the volume level you want
Thanks everyone for your input.
I’ll definitely try the volume killswitch/MIDI route.
I’m in New Zealand and there is no stock anywhere of the Midi Maestro so I’m just waiting for stock to come in to the country.
(I know I can use another midi controller but would prefer to use the SS version)
