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Deepmind 12 - Examples and observations


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Sooo... working on how to use my DM12 live. A big concern was how to handle program changes on a board with no 10 key or program change buttons. On the home screen, the only way to change a program is incrementally with the +/- buttons, with the dial assigned to the far left parameter on the screen. However if you press Prog and Global at the same time :idea: this comes up, and the dial springs into action as a program changer:

 

http://h2.cocolog-nifty.com/photos/uncategorized/2017/09/28/20170928a_deepmind12dprogrambrowser.jpg

 

Calling it browse is a bit misleading because it doesn't let you freely browse. It's more like a browse and select - all in one. As long as you keep the dial moving you can hold a chord from the previous patch, but as soon as you stop turning it (even to reposition your fingers) the keyboard goes dead (!) and then 1/2 second later the highlighted patch becomes active.

 

It's a bit of a jolt at first, but with some practice I'm getting this down.

 

I'm setting up Program Browse as my home screen onstage. The synth will allow all slider and non-edit button use without exiting. Once you hit an Edit button the DM12 kicks you out - but I don't think I'll be doing much of that live (if at all).

 

I thought about bringing out an old relic I have from the 90s - a handheld 10 key MIDI program changer - but this works fine for my purposes (occasional weekend casuals). There's no room to set the program changer (or anything) on the DM12, so it would have to be placed somewhere else. I think it will be easier and simpler to just use the DM12 by itself onstage.

 

And honestly all I'll be using live is maybe a couple dozen (there's that word again!) patches. If I keep them grouped I can access them in any order I want with the dial.

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File under "how the hell did I miss this?!?" category ...

 

The DM12 does have the killer iPad app. News to me. Thanks for the heads-up in this thread. Way, way impressive and completely answers my UI gripes with this amazing board.

 

doesn't get you going, nothing will.

 

Jeez. Can't wait to dig in this weekend. Game changer for me, as I have an iPad Pro that mounts on a mike stand. Wooooo .....

Want to make your band better?  Check out "A Guide To Starting (Or Improving!) Your Own Local Band"

 

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The app has an intriguing Preset Blender page that can load four different presets and sweep between them Prophet VS-style. It is kind of weird and wonky though, especially when utilizing very different sounds like pads to leads. Seems work much better with samesies. Tap the corners and instantly switch to something that sounds close to the loaded preset...it has quite a randomness to it, but that's all part of the fun for me.
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Yeah, I've played with the PC software a bit. All of the editors are really the same, AFAIK. I prefer programming on the synth. But I'll probably use the blender at some point for ideas. I always start off with a clean initialized patch.

 

Here's a chamber string program. Spent an inordinate amount of time getting the expressiveness the way I wanted. It plays really nice.

 

Chamber Strings

 

Busch.

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Beautiful work, Busch. Way to synthesize! You took me back to the first time I ran my first Prophet-600 through a reverb. Instant Space Cadet Glow. Its a very good example of why slagging Behringer should become passe in short order. With sound like that, they deserve a fresh start, especially if the builds are observed to hold up over time. BTW, your Jazz Guitar shows off the power of analog as well as any massive modular patch. Nailed it.

:like:

 

Thanks much. I know some people feel trying to emulate acoustic instruments is cheesy. I don't care. It's one thing to nail a sound using samples, but I think it's cool creating something that sounds close out of thin air.

 

Busch.

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This an excellent thread Busch, adding to the body of knowledge in the best possible way. Motivated me to get back to digging in to my synths of choice.

 

Thanks for taking the time to post and share.

A misguided plumber attempting to entertain | MainStage 3 | Axiom 61 2nd Gen | Pianoteq | B5 | XK3c | EV ZLX 12P

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I love it when people dismiss it out of hand based on a few demos.
:wave:

 

Spent a considerable amount of time with it at NAMM 2017. Thought it sounded okay, but I wasn't overly impressed. And I did notice that many of the patches were doubled, making it for all intents and purposes a 6 voice synth- I prefer at least 8 voices. Final dealkiller: It doesn't recognize polyAT over MIDI.

 

Right now I am strongly considering the Novation Peak, but am curious to see what may be introduced at Messe next month...

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Here are a couple of fun examples.

 

Upright Piano. Thanks to Behringer for including:

a) Inverted filter option

b) Envelopes that can be scaled to note number (shorter at top, long at bottom)

c) Fine tuning of the Tone Mod and Pitch while in sync.

d) Several detuning options

e) EQ

f) The ability to reset the phase of the oscillators when the key is pressed (critical for sounds like this)

 

DM12 - Old Upright

 

Organ. Great to have a decent enough Leslie sim in an analog synth. I don't think the old Juno could do as well in this category.

 

DM12 - Hammond

 

Busch.

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Brotha Busch is clearly demonstrating the potential of this particular synth. :thu:

 

The reality is wonderful sounds can be porgrammed on most modern synths.

 

The real question and/or challenge to the end user is determining how deeply they plan to dive into their synth in order to mine sonic gold. :cool:

PD

 

"The greatest thing you'll ever learn, is just to love and be loved in return."--E. Ahbez "Nature Boy"

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The real question and/or challenge to the end user is determining how deeply they plan to dive into their synth in order to mine sonic gold.

 

I'd rather mine for gold than part with it... which is the main reason I haven't bought any new keyboards in the last 4+ years.

 

 

When an eel hits your eye like a big pizza pie, that's a Moray.
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The real question and/or challenge to the end user is determining how deeply they plan to dive into their synth in order to mine sonic gold.

 

I'd rather mine for gold than part with it... which is the main reason I haven't bought any new keyboards in the last 4+ years.

In reality, a ROMpler that is less than 10 years old still has sonic gold potential too. Menu-diving is usually the turn off when it comes to digging into it. :cool:

PD

 

"The greatest thing you'll ever learn, is just to love and be loved in return."--E. Ahbez "Nature Boy"

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Thanks Prof,

 

Menu diving on the DM12 is handled quite nicely. There's an EDIT button in each section, e.g. OSC, FILTER, VCA, etc. that gives you access to deeper functionality. Usually, these are a single page. So easier to maneuver than the more common single edit button and then a menu subsystem.

 

While all synths provide a good deal of sonic variety, it's my contention that the DM12 is fairly unique among analogs and has some key features that are rare in synths in general.

 

What sets the DM12 apart for me is:

- Variety and quality of FX

- Variety of FX routing

- Ability to modulate FX parameters from good sized list of sources

 

If a person is not interested in using FXs as an extension of sound-design and only wants to hear raw waveforms and filter, buy something else. There are better options available.

 

Busch.

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Another tip.

 

Often when using PWM for a string, pad sound it becomes too warbly in the bass and too thin in the upper octaves. You can use the MOD MATRIX to scale the speed of the LFO based on NOTE NUMBER. It will now be faster in the upper octaves and slower in the lows.

 

Busch.

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At first sight, the NOISE GATE is an odd addition to the FXs, but it is very useful as for attack transients.

 

Set the THRESHOLD low and the RANGE high (maybe 0.0). Set the ATTACK to something very quick and PUNCH to +1 to 3 (PUNCH determines attack level). Now set the MODE to TRANSIENT. It's only going to work with a sound that already has a quick attack.

 

Busch.

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In reality, a ROMpler that is less than 10 years old still has sonic gold potential too. Menu-diving is usually the turn off when it comes to digging into it. :cool:

 

Guilty as charged. Aside from the menu-diving,the sheer number of sample waveforms to browse through on a typical ROMpler can be daunting. My Emu Command Station can use as many as 12 waveforms in one patch, and I can spend hours just browsing and auditioning waveforms.

 

However, I've been inspired of late to do some sound tweaking on my Emu Command Station again. Lots of LFOs, LFO types, sources, and destionations; the Patchcord system, the Z-plane filter...

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My cool feature tip....(Yes, I broke down and bought one yesterday at the blowout price)

You can assign Voice number (as opposed to note number) as a source in the mod matrix.

By having this affect LFO speed/depth, or what have you, then using that LFO to modulate cutoff, PWM or whatever, you can get quasi-random variations. This can be used subtly, so that not all notes are being effected similarly but not exactly the same, or for complete over the top mayhem.

 

Moog The One, VV 64 EP, Wurlies 200A 140 7300, Forte 7, Mojo 61, OB-6, Prophet 6, Polaris, Hammond A100, Farfisa VIP, ,Young Chang 6', Voyager, E7 Clav, Midiboard, Linnstrument, Seaboard
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I agree. Another way to introduce something similar is PARAM_DRIFT which adds randomness to a number of key parameters. In this example, I have it set on max 255. Each time you hear a note in the arp it will be different. When used subtly, it really helps to take make a static patch sound more interesting.

 

Disturbing Past

 

Busch.

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  • 2 weeks later...
  • 6 months later...

It has no dedicated keypad for entering patches directly.

However, upon downloading the manual it seems you can make patch lists and change the order of patches.

 

I'd be interested how any DeepMind users have integrated the synth into their workflow.

 

Tom

Tom

Nord Electro 5D, Modal Cobalt 8, Yamaha upright piano, numerous plug-ins...

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I was initially excited about it, but that was the one thing that kind of turned me off.

Dan

 

Acoustic/Electric stringed instruments ranging from 4 to 230 strings, hammered, picked, fingered, slapped, and plucked. Analog and Digital Electronic instruments, reeds, and throat/mouth.

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It is still a studio horse and stress relief toy for me. Too many keys in my live rig already and the patch selection issue. The iPad app should make set list set up fairly easy, but just haven't dedicated the time to work on those things. I usually wind up deep in a synthesis rabbit hole everytime the thing gets some attention. It just so darned fun to tweak noises and I have little discipline with my very limited music time.

 

The recent price drop just makes it a stupid silly value beyond belief.

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Game changer for me, as I have an iPad Pro that mounts on a mike stand. Wooooo .....

 

 

 

Game changer for me, as I have an iPad Pro that mounts on a mike stand. Wooooo .....

 

 

YOU DO?????!!!!! Please could you send details, and pics if possible? I have a (large) iPad pro, and a couple of mic stands. I have been looking for a way to attach one to the other for about a month. I have found nothing in the UK that isn't very plasticky, or stupidly expensive, or both.

 

Many thanks.

Occasionally, do something nice for a total stranger. They'll wonder what the hell is going on!
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