Download Magazine - Jonathan Hoyle

Using the Software
I usually start a new project by laying down a beat first. So I decided to listen to a few of the drum loops from
each of the three folders. As you click on each one, you can listen to the loop play through once to see what it
sounds like, and it shows up as the one playing in the Dr.Rex loop player as well.
I ended up picking one from the 88 bpm folder called “Dance hall 1g”. From there I went on to preview the
sounds in the percussion folder. Again, clicking on each sample has it play through once, to allow you to
preview it while in the file browser. I decided it would be easier to have the drum loop I’ve already chosen,
play in my project window while I listen and browse through the percussion loops, to really find a good fit. The
other way to do it is to scroll through the percussion loops on the actual Dr. Rex loop player and use the preview
button to listen while the other loop plays, and that works well too.
The only adjustment I had to make was to the tempo of the drum loop, which had loaded in at 88bpm, whereas
the bongo loops I was previewing were all at 95 bpm. After listening to the ones in that collection, I chose one
of the bongo loops that seemed to go well with my drum loop.
Then using the same method, I browsed through the Cajon loops and chose one that I really liked and that went
well with the two loops I now had. And I did the same for an Sdrumloop loop, Shaker loop, snare loop, and
finally a Timbale loop. Now I have a really pleasing rhythm track to build on!
I first browsed the sounds for the NN-XT Sampler. There are lots of individual drum sounds there, such as
snares, kicks and hihats and there is a great variety to choose from, as well as other assorted sounds and drum
kits, so that you can build your own entirely customized drum track if you want to go that route, or simply to
add onto your existing drum loop combination.
Also included in the NN-XT sampler patches are brass sounds, organ, FX such as sweeps, blasts, and air horns,
various percussion, stabs both wet and dry, a folder of various synth sounds, Vinyl FX, and all kinds of male
vocal samples. I was really impressed with the variety and quality of those vocal samples and I picked one for
my arrangement.
Among the sounds for the SubTractor, I really didn’t hear anything that I felt made for a good fit with the
rhythm track I had created.
From the Malstrom patch folder I chose a subby bass which I doubled with a bass sound from the Reason
Factory sound bank, and I also chose an accordion sound the latter of which I added reverb to, using a preset
from the RV7000.
As well there are 20 Redrum drum kits - once again the sounds here are all of great quality and using the
Redrum machine, the combinations and beats you can create are literally endless. For my example however, I
just stuck to the Dr Rex drum loops.
I really wanted a kind of lean melody line above everything else going on so I chose a xylophone sound from
the Orkester Sound Bank to round out my music. From the Combinator patches, the sounds in the Sound Box
folder really stood out for me and I used the Bachata Gtr 4 patch to add another melodic layer in the mix. I
should mention that I couldn’t preview the Combinator patches in the other folders - not sure why. It could be a
bug, or a shortcoming on my part.
At any rate, I created a fun, rhythmic little piece of music using Reggaeton, which you can listen to by clicking
this link: http://www.maccompanion.com/archives/May2007/Software/Reggaetonpiece.mp3
© MPN, LLC 2007 macCompanion
Page 87 May 2007, Volume 5 Issue 5