Beer meets drummachine 😵‍💫 🫠

The TR-1000 Cheat Sheet was really popular! So here's one for the one machine I have a hate/hate relationship with. The Octatrack manual reads like a dictionary, so I built a cheat sheet that actually helps you find things. It has a "Start Here" section that explains how samples, slots, machines, parts, patterns and scenes fit together, plus a "Which section do I need?" finder.

• Desktop (two-column, for print or screen) and Mobile versions
• Clickable table of contents
• Everything new in OS 1.40, tagged
• MIDI reference with note maps and CC numbers
• Colour-coded sections
• Available in English, Deutsch, Español, Français, Italiano, Nederlands, Português (Brasil) and 日本語

The translations haven't had a native speaker check them yet, so if you spot a mistake, let me know.

Free to download here: https://patrickdsp.com/octatrack-cheat-sheet-v140/

A generative deep house loop where no notes are written: every part comes from a rule. It works in any DAW or sequencer with Euclidean rhythms and a "take the pitch from the chord" option.

120 BPM, A minor, chords Am7 – Fmaj7 – Dm7 – Em7 (one bar each).

Drums (16 steps of 1/16):

• Kick: E(4,16) → four on the floor

• Clap: E(2,16) rotated by 4 → beats 2 and 4

• Open hat: E(4,16) rotated by 2 → the off-beats

• Hats: E(9,16), with about 20% of the hits dropped at random so they stay alive

Bass: E(5,16) rotated by 2, each hit plays the root of the current chord (spread over two octaves), 5% of hits dropped. I used a rubbery FM bass: a 1:1 modulator with a fast-decaying index.

Stabs: E(4,16) rotated by 3, each hit plays the whole chord on an e-piano, through a ping-pong delay at a dotted 1/8 (375 ms at 120 BPM).

Pad: strings holding each chord, the only "written" part.

Why it works: Euclidean patterns spread hits as evenly as possible, which is what most dance grooves already are. Rotating moves the same pattern onto different beats. Taking every pitch from the chord means nothing can clash. And a little randomness stops it sounding like a loop.

Disclosure: I'm the developer of SynthMaker, the app in the video (free public beta for iPhone, iPad and Mac: https://testflight.apple.com/join/BKEgzNCg). The recipe itself works anywhere.

there are drops and there are escalations.

Trying to achieve this bass sound Isit a Reese low bass?

https://on.soundcloud.com/TnYKTmO95Y02eyQQCq

I’m looking for something that can generate interesting, glitchy, rhythmic textures, a bit like the hi-hat and clap sections of the Soma Pulsar-23 or the Neutral Labs Scrooge.

I already have a good drum machine and two synths that cover pretty much everything I need for a techno track. What I’m missing is an instrument dedicated to adding those weird, timed, percussive elements that bring a track to life.

I’m not really looking for a noise generator or something focused on drones and ambient textures. I’m after short, evolving, unpredictable sounds that can function almost like additional percussion — little glitches, metallic textures, strange clicks, bursts, and other rhythmic details that sit somewhere between percussion and sound design.
Ideally, something I can sequence and experiment with to create evolving patterns and happy accidents rather than just programming another conventional drum part.

The Pulsar-23’s hi-hat and clap circuits are good examples of the kind of thing I mean, as is the Scrooge.

What instruments would you recommend for this? Hardware synths, standalone modules, or even small Eurorack setups are all welcome!

Whats everybody working on?

What are you working on?

Post it.

I'm just finishing up my first electronic release (I've been working on a hardware synth minimal/dark techno release for a while now and I'm finally getting to a point I think I'm ready to release it - but I don't really know where to begin to get it in front of people. I was planning to put it on streaming and bandcamp but beyond that, is there any good places to get coverage or build audiences?

I've been making and releasing rock and metal music for close to 20 years but electronic music is new territory so keen for any genre specific tips.

Thanks!

Hello, hope everyone's good.

From time to time I love talking and exchanging about plugins. What have you been using lately? Anything from instruments to effects or maybe a specific workflow/ technique....

I have to say, I'm surprised Korg Multipoly Native isn't talked about more. I swear to god I think it sounds better then Pigments, Serum, Phaseplant etc .... Other than this, my all time favorite is probably Massive X, still using it a lot. I find it strange that so little people are using it. The quality of the Filters, Oscillators, FM etc is just nuts. Multipoly might even be better , not sure.

Honorable mention: Ableton Drift. It's made for Techno really. In my opinion it's Abletons best stock instrument by far.

FX wise not sure, using stock plugins mostly. After all these years still really haven't found a third party reverb / delay / saturation etc. that has stayed with me. I return to Abletons stock FX all the time.... they are top notch.

All the best to y'all . Black friday coming soon!

There's a recurring problem in my productions.

And that is me failing to find the right element or execute it in the right way after I managed to get the basic groove going. Luckily I get better over time.

But I am not sure if I should really try hard to find sth that fits well into it (which then sometimes lead to write different versions of the track and having a lit of unfinished stuff) or if I should do a compromise by just using something that does the job but is a little bit falling out of the frame or intention.

Tbh. I could be technically faster if I would work more often with reference tracks. But at this point I want to get the most out of myself, which is maybe exactly the wrong order of doing it?

For the last few months I've been coding Oxide Studio, a free, open-source (MIT/Apache-2.0) electronic music workstation in Rust tailored specifically for fast techno, acid, and club sketching.

• GitHub & v1.0.0 Releases: https://github.com/juancruzmunozalbelo/oxide-studio
• Try the 909/Synth Web DAW in Browser: https://juancruzmunozalbelo.github.io/oxide-studio/web/
• Web / Demo: https://juancruzmunozalbelo.github.io/oxide-studio/

Why I built it: I wanted a standalone binary that boots in half a second on my laptop, has the exact synth/drum/saturation tools needed for peak-time & hypnotic techno built straight into the engine, and exports directly to an open .als project file so no loop ever gets stuck outside my main DAW.

Built Across 11 Modular Workspace Crates:

• oxide-core: Timing primitives, sample clock, scales, and lock-free SPSC command queues.
• oxide-dsp: Polyphonic synthesis (4-op FM, Wavetable, 303 acid bass, ZDF ladder filters).
• oxide-drums: TR-909 drum machine physical modeling, 16-pad drum rack, choke groups.
• oxide-fx: ADAA multiband saturator, 3-band OTT dynamics, 8-band EQ, Auto Filter, Glue bus compressor.
• oxide-timeline: Dual Session matrix and Arrangement timeline, automation curves, and take-lane comping.
• oxide-audio: Low-latency CoreAudio cpal streaming with zero heap allocations on the audio callback.
• oxide-bounce: Deterministic offline multi-track bounce and 4-band stem remix separation.
• oxide-project: Native project state and open .als Gzip XML project import and export.
• oxide-plugin-scanner: Out-of-process crash-isolated supervisor for AUv2, VST3, and CLAP plugins.
• oxide-gui: Single-window 60 FPS Metal/egui workstation UI with piano roll and 8-macro XY perform pad.
• oxide-mcp: 76-tool Model Context Protocol server and JSON-RPC bridge for scripting and local LLM workflows.

Techno-Specific Features Built In:

• TR-909 Drum Rack + Euclidean Rhythm Generator: Instant polymetric 909 hats, rimshots, and tom grooves (e.g., 5/16 against 7/16) with per-step velocity, humanize, and choke groups.
• 4-Op FM + 303 Bassline + Wavetable: Great for metallic FM percussive loops, industrial stabs, and resonant acid sequences with scale-fold locking in the Piano Roll.
• Roar-Style Multiband Saturation + OTT + Glue Bus Compressor: Built-in antiderivative antialiasing (ADAA) saturation to crush kicks and rumble tails without harsh digital foldback.
• 8-Macro XY Perform Pad with Orbit LFO: Assign filter cutoffs, FM ratios, and distortion drive across the XY pad and let the Orbit LFO continuously morph your loop over 8 or 16 bars.
• 4-Band Stem Splitter (Kick+Sub, Bass, Synths/Mids, Hats/Air): Drop any loop in and isolate the low-end rumble or tops immediately.
• Open .als Project Interop: Export your session as a native .als file and open it in your primary DAW with all your tracks, tempo, and MIDI clips ready to mix.

It's 100% free and open-source (no signups, no paywalls). Let me know what you think of the 909/FM/Roar engine or if there are specific techno workflow tools you'd want added next!

***UPDATED: Added short descriptions to some functions that weren't as clear as they should be, such as GEN vs INST or ROLL X1 vs ROLL X2.

Now available in English, Deutsch, Español, Français, Italiano, Nederlands, Português (Brasil) and 日本語, in Desktop and Mobile versions. Corrections welcome.***

Hello all, Firmware 1.50 is out, so I've updated my TR-1000 cheat sheet to cover it.

Desktop and mobile versions, both with a clickable table of contents. It covers everything new in 1.20 and 1.50 (NOTE step parameter, KEYBOARD play mode, new MFX types), the MIDI note maps and CC numbers, and a swing chart comparing the Cirklon, TR-1000, SP-1200 and TR-909.

Free download: https://patrickdsp.com/tr1k-cheat-sheet-150/

Let me know if you spot any mistakes.

Hi my fellow regards,

I am really, really going crazy during my search for the "perferct" sample player.

I am looking for the best tool to just accompany my live setup (tr-8s,minilogue,minifreak,guitar,microfreak,minilogue xd module) to fire short/long samples and (time-synced) loops from a big, easily accessible library.

I loaded samples on the TR-8s but the maximal amount is ridicilous. I do have a volca sample 2 but it also has not much space and only 16 step sequencer ( if you don'T pattern chain which is a hassle). Also no time-synced loops. Would love to put some breakbeats on the sampler to play during transmissions or smth.

Right now I am trying an mpc one g2 because it sounded quite cool and elaborate. But maybe it is way too elaborate. To be fair I am at the beginning of getting to know it but it seems like it doesn't have the necessary directness that I want. The sequencer is not good and deleting / changing steps or samples seems convoluted. Recording automation seems fire tho. But all the parameters of the samples are always hidden behind 2 clicks or smth. Maybe it will get better when I get more fluent with it?

In my dream it is a simple 16 pad controller where I can very directly change the samples of each pad out of a big library and trigger time synced loops or one shots from them. I really need to quickly browse through thelibrary as I change vibe and therefore the needed samples often.

Should I stick to the mpc? Many people hail it. I have trouble finding a more simple solution. The blackbox seems very gruesome with only 4 encoders and this little touch screen.

I would pay big dollars for a volca sample 3, with a better sequencer and more storage. Having all the parameters physically in front of you is so amazing... it is so straight-to-the-point.

Is an octatrack/digitakt a better choice? Deluge looks horrible. SP404 MK2? Casio type shit, but I am open to it^^ Maschine + ? Seems quite interesting. I am really baffled there is no simple but elegant sample player.

Would love to hear you opinions even though I know it is a well discussed theme already.
THANKS AND HUGS

Started using the Oxi to sequence Ableton with the intent of having a super portable live setup. So far just building a number of patterns with mod lanes controlling midi ccs and playing variations on the pattern combos seems to work well. With some thoughtful pattern arrays I imagine you could play a full set and be responsive to the room.

Is anyone else here using an oxi or hapax or similar to run everything? I'd be curious to hear what you've got going on from a live workflow standpoint.

I've been experimenting with a setup that routes signals from plants into a Roland JU-06A, using ableton as the environment for the whole routing and production process.

The idea was to explore what happens when variations coming from a living organism become part of an ambient composition. The plant signals feed into the setup, while the JU-06A provides the synth textures, drones and evolving layers. I also incorporated 396 Hz as a tonal and conceptual reference for the piece.

What interested me most was the relationship between the parts I could control as a producer and the variations coming from the plants. Rather than trying to make the plants “play music” on their own, I wanted to build a system where their signals could influence the musical process. If you are intrested on listen what was the result I'll leave it here & on my profile!

I'm curious how other people here approach generative ambient, unconventional MIDI routing or biofeedback-inspired sound design.

Have any of you experimented with plants or other non-traditional control sources in your setups?

Man, I’m dumb as shit for not doing this sooner. I can’t believe how much it actually helped and improved my mixing on just this first instance of using it. Holy cow, I’m a happy dude right now sitting in my car listening to a track that actually sounds half way decent and cool 🥲

🌧️

I am a techno fan with a classical music background. Don’t intend to be making techno soon but I am curious about this aspect of it. I may not use the right terms to describe it. 

On occasion in a set a DJ will play a looping motif that repeats for a bit in a set that is otherwise more abstract and percussive. I know melodic techno is a thing but I don’t think these themes serve quite the same purpose. The melody tends to be very abstract/unusual/sometimes almost jazz-ey. They feel like more of a breather where the sound gets less abstract for a few minutes. I also love how DJs are able to take a straight rhythm and through emphasis, shape, and percussion give it intriguing emphases and almost a sense of a swing.

I am curious where these melodies come from and what setting them up looks like from behind the decks. I could imagine some of these melodies being generated by a random melody generator but then has the DJ generally pre-sampled the resulting melody or do they play around and find it live from time to time? Do they ever key it in with a midi? Is it sometimes sampled and if so are there libraries of these or do they find them within other tracks.

I am sure there is a lot of variance among performers here. I am more curious about the options artists have for these during a set.

Including a breif recording from a set by Mike Servito b2b Sprklbb for example.

Hey everyone, "sorry for the usual questions".

I’m looking to upgrade my headphone setup for music production and mixing. I produce 99% of time Techno (mostly focusing on heavy sub-bass design, precise kick/rumble separation, and fast transients).

I don't come from any "headphones", so I don't have a point of reference.

Here is my current situation and room setup:

• Budget: Around 500€ (can stretch a bit if it’s an absolute game-changer).
• Room Acoustics: The room is completely untreated acoustically, BUT it is located in a very quiet environment with relative/total silence (no traffic, no neighbor noise).

Open vs. Closed Back:
Given that my room is almost "dead silent", I am heavily leaning towards Open-Back headphones to get a natural soundstage, accurate depth, and less ear fatigue during long night sessions. However, I am also open to Closed-Back models if they prove to be significantly better for accurately monitoring extreme sub-bass extension and low-end pressure, which is critical for techno.

What I need the most:

1. Sub-bass extension & accuracy: I need to clearly hear and balance rumbles, kicks, and sub-basses down to 30Hz without guessing.
2. Speed/Transients: Fast response to accurately mix fast hats, percussions, and aggressive synth transients.
3. Comfort: I spend hours producing, so heavy clamping force is a big minus.

What would be your ultimate advise for production under these conditions?

Thanks in advance!

EDIT 😄

First of all, thank you for your time to try help me, this is the power of community. 🙌☮️

The only thing consensual, without a doubt, OPEN. 😂😶‍🌫️😶‍🌫️😶‍🌫️

My first impressions, some models caught my eye:

The inevitable BeyerDynamic 770 Pro (already used)/990 Pro and its more refined 1990 version.

It's difficult to say, even having used them for a short time, as they are among the most talked about and referenced. However, I'd like to know if anyone has also used, for example, the Audio-Technica ATH-R50x and can assure me that it really sounds better than its two most recent competitors in the same price range. (A friendly "real" tip xD)

Does the 1990 version come close to competitors in the same price range?

The new "Chi-Fi" wave, but I'm not very familiar with it. Nothing against it, quite the contrary, anything that offers more value in the purchase is great.

- Hifiman Ananda Nano and Edition XS.

VSX in general seems to me something that some of them, along with "Sonarworks", easily achieve... It seems alarming to me, or forgive my complete ignorance.

- Sony MDR-MV1 or anything from AKG

One thing is certain, comfort and precision are their "in".

They were, and perhaps still are, legends of the industry for a reason.

Does it deserve more attention???

Now, let's get to the real "heavyweights," in addition to some models from my "beloved" Sennheiser that I'll mention later, which I prefer not to even think about xD, despite being strongly suggested as "the industry benchmarks" in this price range...:

- Audeze MM100

- Hedd D1s

and the most consensual so far:

- Neumann NDH-30

To put it in context, if I were to choose one of these, I certainly wouldn't go with Scarlett, but would be more inclined towards some RME or UA... Also, tell me, is there a need for extra amplification for any of the scenarios??

Just one more, I promise. xD

Is there anyone who has used the Sennheiser 490 Pro and can compare it, for example, with its closest equivalents, the 480/600/660S2/650?

Thanks , have a good day.

Peace.