Jenkins Synth Drums Stompbox

[mrjenkins]

I have made a preset that functions as a synth drum / stompbox on the quad cortex.

Ever since the mono synth block came out on the quad cortex, I have been trying to get my quad cortex to play drums.

When using the synth block, impulse response, EQ, and looper I managed to create a synth drum preset that enables quad cortex to play (basic) drum sounds.

This preset includes drums sounds: kick, snare, closed hi-hat, open hi-hat.

Create your own drum loop, and jam against that in another preset that also has a looper block.

The mono synth block is used in a drum synthesis approach, to generate drum sounds: kick, snare, hi-hat by using the right waveform, in combination with white noise for the 2 oscillators.

Typically, we combine two different waveforms, and also apply filtering in the synth block to filter in the right frequencies.

This preset includes impulse responses that come from Landr’s (free) royalty free samples.

The combination of the mono synth block, together with the impulse response gets us quite far with drum sounds.

The impulse response applies impulse samples for the drum sounds. This helps a lot in tweaking the signal in the direction of drum sounds.

Next we use an EQ block to filter the right frequencies.

Please check out the preset:

Link to free preset at neural DSP cloud (under Neural DSP account jenkins): Jenkins Synth Drums https://cloud.neuraldsp.com/cloud/profile/preset/preset/view/e10cbf9b-bb80-430a-b568-8b2e057f2737

Link to video with explanation: https://youtu.be/pby9GbVt7SY

Link to website with some screenshots and written instruction: https://sites.google.com/view/jenkinssynthdrums/homepage

Let me know what you think of the preset. Feel free to improve upon the preset.

I am interested in what better configurations you may come up with.

Jenkins

[MP_Mod]

Thanks for sharing, excited to test drive your preset!

[kNow2]

Hi @mrjenkins didn’t work in my end. Too low and weak signal. Kudos for the idea and for trying tho.

[mrjenkins]

Thanks for trying and feedback.
Did the IRs load Ok? I was not entirely sure whether they would be included with the preset.
For the kick I play a downward plucked note on the 5th or 6th string.
For the closed hi-hat I do a pull on 3rd string.
You could adjust the volume settings in the impulse response to make it louder. But that is not the issue and it might be that the input towards the synth block behaves different with your guitar.
Do other synth block presets play Ok for you?

[MP_Mod]

3rd party IRs can’t be shared so they would need to be added separately etc.

[kNow2]

Thanx for your reply.

Sounds mostly as some mumbling humming Moomin scouring over in some dim and dusty corner.

The IR is there alright, but I didn’t download it but used one of the factory ones. Tried on both active bass and passive guitar. Different places on the fretboard. Tried different volume output options. Synth block works, have built presets with it too.

All in all I know how my signal chain setup works, but sometimes, too often tho, other’s presets just don’t work and can’t be fixed without changing the original sound radically, and then what’s the point?

Have made me wonder about how mine sound on theirs, probably just as sh​tty? Therefore there’s no expectations when I try stuff out from the cloud, which is a good thing. It’s weird that the factory presets all sounds fine on all setups (presumably), so why can’t ours do the same?

Thanx again.

[mrjenkins]

Thanks k and MP.

| Sounds mostly as some mumbling humming Moomin scouring over in some dim and dusty corner.

Understood. What you are hearing is mostly the synth block with EQ. The impulse responses (I use) are essential, since they shape the sound and add ~50% of the sound character to the final output signal. Note that these impulse responses are not the normal cabinet/amp impulse responses, but rather a kick-drum/hi-hat/snare sample (used in impulse response) that we overlay over the synth block output.

| 3rd party IRs can’t be shared so they would need to be added separately etc.
I did not realize before we can’t share IRs on the cloud. Related feature request: Allow Sharing IRs in the Cloud
I’ll pack up the samples I used, and will provide a download link from website outside of cloud cortex this weekend. That way users can import them.
In the meantime: you could grab any kick/snare/hi-hat sample, and try your own.
I’ve detailed the process for finding these samples here: Jenkins Synth Drums
The samples I found worked reasonably well, so I’ll share them this weekend.

[kNow2]

That clears it up, looking forward to the link. TIA.

Don’t understand why this preset is not getting a craz amount of attentions already? Even though it may not be something people would normally use, it’s a really fun and interesting idea. Even just as a try-out.

[mrjenkins]

Hi K,
I updated the description on my website: https://sites.google.com/view/jenkinssynthdrums/homepage and now has the sample pack linked.

Note that, when you use this preset, I really recommend you use some kind of samples for kick/snare/etc as impulse responses.
You could use this free sample pack:
Link to sample pack to use as impulse responses: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ZQVt0TFbyPI5B24N8DlOHRYo-xOgUTQx/view?usp=sharing
(based on Landr’s (free) royalty free samples).
Would be curious to know if this improves your experience with the preset.

Also: I slightly changed the names for the hi-hat samples, since cortex showed these as the same name which can be confusing → preset is updated on cortex cloud (not sure that was needed).

[kNow2]

Downloaded the IR (never cared about that stuff but you forced me​, just had to try and get this to work).

And Oh man @mrjenkins this is so much fun. Still sounds like a Moomin drumkit but in the good way. Had a very good laugh trying to make a Jazz beat. For blastbeats?; not so much haha​, the synth gets a hard time following without the odd blips and bobs.

Had to turn up the level in the IRs of the kick and snare, set it to multi-out and the output level as well. The kick easily gets into the red, so it has to be fine-tuned.

Thanx again.

(Still laughing​)

[mrjenkins]

Thanks for trying k! It might need some improvement along the line. For me: I wanted to push the idea into the community and spark some ideas where this could lead. If anyone improves this concept, please let us know.

[kNow2]

It’s also a fun new way of getting acquainted with the looper X, because it’s more rhythmic and possibly bypasses some of the tonal cognizance focus?

[mrjenkins]

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