Loading a Drumsynth

In this section you will learn you how to load Drumsynths in MASCHINE using the Plug-in List.

The Plug-in List

Before you load a Drumsynth, have a quick look at the Control area in the software:

1. Select the Group “EK-TL A Kit” (Group A1).

2. Select the Sound “Kick Ektl A 2”

Now have a look at the Control area:

The Control area showing some Sampler Plug-in parameters for your kick drum Sound.

To the left of the Control area, you can load an Internal, Native Instruments or External Plug-in into the Plug-in List. The Plug-in List allows you to load as many Plug-ins into its slots as you want. The processing order is from top to bottom (from the first Plug-in to the last).

Building Your Own Drum Kit

Here is an example:

▪ In each Sound of the Group “EK-TL A Kit,” the first slot of the Plug-in List is the Sampler

— the MASCHINE internal sampler. The Sampler is the sound source of each of these Sounds.

In MASCHINE, Plug-in slots are available at three different levels of your Project:

▪ Sound level: The first Plug-in slot is the only slot that can contain a sound source (e.g., a

(Sampler, Drumsynth, Native Instruments or External Instrument) or an effect. The other Plug-in slots can only contain effects (Internal, Native Instruments or External).

▪ Group level: Each Group also offers slots for effects that will process all Sounds of that

Group together.

▪ Master level: There are additional slots for effects that will process the overall audio of your

Project before it is sent to the master output.

Loading a Drumsynth into a Plug-in List

To further customize your drum kit by fattening its low frequency content with another kick drum you can use one of the Internal Plug-ins included with MASCHINE: Drumsynth.

In MASCHINE, there are two different ways to load Plug-ins into the Plug-in List:

▪ Using the Browser: You have already used the Browser to load Projects, Groups, Samples,

and Plug-ins. Similarly, you can use it to search for plug-in effects.

▪ Using the Plug-in menu: You can also choose the desired Plug-in directly from the Plug-in

slot itself via the Plug-in menu.

Note that these methods work for the Sound, Group and Master level. However, Drumsynth can only be loaded into slots on the Sound level.

The difference between the two methods of loading a Plug-in is that the Browser allows you to find presets (from the factory library or user-created), while the Plug-in menu al- lows you to load Plug-ins in their default state.

Since you should be familiar with the Browser (if not, check for example section ↑2.1, Loading

a Drum Kit from the Factory Library, ↑3.2.1, Selecting another Snare Sample), you can use the Plug-in menu method of loading a Drumsynth.

Building Your Own Drum Kit

3.2.2.1

Loading a Drumsynth into a Plug-in List in the Software

1. At the left of the Pattern Editor, click the Sound slot’s name (Kick Ektl A 2) to select that

Sound slot.

2. In the Control area above, click the SOUND tab to select the Sound level, since this is the

only level at which Drumsynths can be loaded.

3. At the far left of the Control area, click the small Plug-in icon to display the Plug-ins.

This displays the Plug-in List on the left of the Control area:

The Plug-in List in this instance contains Sampler.

Building Your Own Drum Kit

4. Click the down-pointing arrow at the right to open the Plug-in menu.

The Plug-in menu opens and displays a list of all available effects.

5. In this menu, click the Drumsynth submenu to display the Drumsynths.

6. Click the Kick entry to load it into the Plug-in List.

Building Your Own Drum Kit

→ The Kick Plug-in is now loaded and is ready to be tweaked.

3.2.2.2

Loading a Drumsynth into a Plug-in List on the Hardware

1. Check that the CONTROL button is lit at the top left corner of your controller — if not,

press it to enter Control mode.

2. Press SELECT + pad 5 to select the Sound Kick Ektl A 2.

3. Press Button 3 to select the SOUND tab.

4. Press Button 6 to select PLUG-IN.

5. Press SHIFT + BROWSE to select a Plug-in.

If you would have pressed BROWSE alone here, you would have accessed the Browser. By

additionally holding SHIFT, you access the Plug-in menu instead!

6. Turn Knob 1 until the TYPE field is set to INSTR. and then turn Knob 2 until the VEN-

DOR field is set to INTERNAL.

If you have NI VST/AU plug-ins installed you may browse them by selecting NI. If you

have external plug-ins installed you can browse them by selecting EXTERNAL.

The right display shows you the available MASCHINE effects.

7. Turn Knob 5 to select KICK, and press Button 8 to load it.

8. Press SHIFT + BROWSE again to leave the Plug-in menu.

Building Your Own Drum Kit

→ The Kick Plug-in is now loaded and is ready to be tweaked.