I rewatched DJ Thomas White’s now-classic “Making Tracks with OP-1” tutorial for yet another time. Near the beginning, he demonstrates a couple of useful tips:
1. Hold down Record, then press a key on the keyboard (any key that triggers the Endless sequencer), to start recording in sync with the sequencer.
2. Shift + Arrow (left or right) to select number of “bars” to loop if you want your recording to be a loop.
My current sequence in Endless has 32 steps but it is a triplet time with swing. Preselecting 1-4 “bars” to loop in Tape using Tip #2 above does not work for me - the loop is either too long or too short - it doesn’t fit one pass of the 32 steps in Endless.
Is it because the Shift+Arrow tip only works for Grid sequencer?
So are you doing 32 triplets and wanting it to line up with a bar end? If they are 8th note triplets, you get 12 in a bar. So you would need 12, 24, 36, etc to line up evenly with a bar ending. Does that make sense with what you are doing? Otherwise you would have to do some math to determine a corresponding tempo to set the device to in order to have exactly 32 triplets within one bar. Which would then would no longer make them triplets. 32 notes in 4 bars are 8th notes, in 2 bars are 16th notes, in 1 bar are 32nd notes – but these are no longer triplets.
I think I’ll just record the Endless sequencer playing through several bars, instead of trying to loop one bar in Tape. The LFO modulating the envelope creates a fair amount of variation that would sound more interesting than just one sampled bar. I have Endless set to one of the odd-time signature rhythm patterns.
I guess i’ll just overdub the drum parts manually.
Are you trying to achieve actual triplets in the song? Or are you just using the triplets for the feel you are looking for, but you want to use them like 16th notes or something like that?
If that is the case, then I think you could try recording at a tempo, then adjusting the tempo to 1.5xOriginalTempo, and then the beats should line up as 16th notes. Or multiply times 0.75 to get 8th notes. I think that checks out mathematically.
I stumbled upon this particular sequence by selecting a particular pattern (via white knob) in Endless, then messing with the swing and note length knobs. By the time I set note length to 1/32T, the sequence had morphed into this weird Andean kind of sounding rhythm. I had the synth LFO set to modulate attack, so the resulting sequence would initially accent the first note of the triplet, then cycle through the triplet notes over the course of several bars.
I’ve been going with recording several bars of Endless playing the synth to Tape, then trying to record the drum parts live to Tape. It’s an interesting compositional puzzle, trying to come up with a drum part while trying not to get messed up by the changing accent notes of the synth.
I guess another idea would be to reproduce the Endless sequencer settings for the drum kit. I notice when I switch from Synth mode to Drum mode, the Endless sequencer settings change - eg. from 32 steps to 25. So in theory if I set the same pattern, note length, sequence length, and swing in Drum mode, I should get a drum sequence that matches the synth sequence.
I’m still confused as to whether you are trying to play triplets as triplets, or if you are trying to treat 32 1/32Triplets notes as 32nd or 16th notes. Based on your drum sequence matching, it seems you are trying to treat triplets as non-triplets. That would probably be easiest done by adjust the tempo to match 32 1/32T notes at a bar ending.
I'm still confused as to whether you are trying to play triplets as triplets, or if you are trying to treat 32 1/32Triplets notes as 32nd or 16th notes. Based on your drum sequence matching, it seems you are trying to treat triplets as non-triplets. That would probably be easiest done by adjust the tempo to match 32 1/32T notes at a bar ending.
I’m sorry I can’t explain this more articulately. I came up with this sequence by accident - after tweaking knobs as described. There was no initial intent to work with triplets or anything.
That is why I have not decided whether to treat the triplet notes as 32nds or 16ths. I’ll experiment with recording the drums in real-time vs. sequencing them by attempting to reproduce the Endless sequencer settings I have in synth mode, in drum mode. I have noticed synth mode and drum mode have separate “snapshots” of Endless.
@GovernorSilver No worries! Just trying to help if possible. It is tough when you come up with something that sounds really good, but then have to figure out how to bend it into something familiar to work with. I once created a loop only to find out it was in 6/8. Needless to say that couldn’t be used for rapping over.
It would be awesome if they eventually updated the tape section to allow for any time signature to be keyed in, as opposed to solely 4/4 like now. I work in odd meters basically almost as much as even, and it works ok if my sections are in multiples of four bars, i.e. four bars of 7/4 fitting neatly into 7 bars of 4/4 on the tape grid, but if a section has an odd number of odd meter bars, it gets pretty dicey to be able to record sections and cut them into perfect timing to make a loop. I know OP is all about limitations, but it doesn’t seem like it would be too difficult to allow to the bars to be in something other than just 4 after all, considering how it’d simply be putting the meters on an even playing field (including not just less used ones but also 3 of course). Then you could toggle between time signatures when switching between different beats you have on the tape, just like toggling tempo in beat match when going between beats currently. I could see the as-yet-unused click-down ability of the four encoders going towards this perhaps….
@GovernorSilver I guess you are using the White patterns on Endless ,dots that change things up.Alot of fun and yes,certainly a puzzle to work around more 4/4 tradional structures.
Sometimes copying abit and sticking it on the end to fill up a 4 or 6 bar can work.Your idea seems solid- copy to drum Endless. Much room for experiments.
In Drum Mode, I set Endless to 32 steps just like in Synth Mode. But I can’t dial in exactly the same pattern with the white encoder. Odd. I wonder if the selection of patterns is affected by whether I had inserted ties or rests into the sequence. Bummer that I forgot if I entered ties or rest into my Endless sequence in synth mode.
Swing control seems to have disappeared too. No green percentage indicator on the screen. Turning Green knob has no effect.
I’ll keep messing around some more with Endless in Drum Mode, before giving up to go fully manual.
Hi @GovernorSilver .
Check Blue setting ,if T is on= means triplets = no swing.
Also shift and White will move patterns along the dotted line (if used) so different start point.
You may be right about rests or ties though.