Motu BPM Beat Production Machine User manual
User Guide
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Contents
Quick Reference
5
7
About BPM
Installation
11
Tutorial 1: QuickStart Guide
15
23
Tutorial 2: Building a Song
BPM Application
27
35
BPM Plug-in
BPM Window
49
109
Sound and Pattern Library
Effects
239
Troubleshooting
255
261
Index
Contents
III
IV
CONTENTS
Quick Reference
CHAPTER
1
23
24
25
26
1. The File menu provides commands
for importing and exporting sounds,
patterns, kits, and many other
elements, including Performances,
which are a “snapshot” of the entire
BPM window.
2. BPM conveniently routes incoming
MIDI data to the bank or part you are
working on, but you can also control
where MIDI input goes.
3. BPM lets you sample external live
audio signals, such as a microphone
connected to your computer’s audio
interface, or audio track output from
your host software. You can even
sample directly into a pad.
4. This menu lets you choose the audio
input source for sampling. You can
even choose BPM to record BPM’s
output back into itself.
5. This “virtual LCD screen” displays
BPM’s many features, including
sequencers, editors, the mixer,
effects slots and others. Shown is
the pad step sequencer. Use the tabs
to the right (below the BPM logo) to
choose what is displayed here.
2 3 4
5 6 7
22
6. Apply grooves globally to all BPM
output, including all patterns and
loops. Many classic preset grooves
are provided (MPC, LinnDrum, etc.)
Save and apply your own, too.
7. Master tune and volume.
8. These tabs give you access to BPM’s
various main features, displayed to
the left in the “virtual LCD display”.
9. These browser tabs give you direct
access to BPM’s extensive sound
library, which includes kits, patterns,
loops, samples and instruments.
10. The browser organizes BPM’s sound
library into stylistic categories. BPM
provides many fully programmed
grooves, but it also gives you their
individual elements (referenced by
the same name) so you can easily
“deconstruct” or “reconstruct” them
to make your own unique rhythms.
11. BPM provides extensive drag & drop
functionality. You can drag items
from the browser into target areas in
the BPM window, which highlight
as you drag to indicate they can
accept what you are dragging.
12. Most BPM presets indicate their
original tempo (in beats per minute)
in the name of the preset.
13. When AutoLoad is enabled, items in
the browser are loaded as soon as
you click them. This makes for very
fast, interactive browsing. The check
box options let you control what
gets loaded.
14. This play/stop button lets you
control AutoPreviewing in the
browser. The pad matrix to the right
lets you choose which pads get
loaded (black) and which ones don’t
(gray) when AutoLoading a kit.
15. Quantize mode for recording MIDI
into bank patterns and part
sequences.
16. BPM’s main transport controls.
17. O verdub record mode for loop
recording into bank patterns and
part sequences.
18. When running BPM as a plug-in, you
can lock its tempo and transports to
your host software to make it an
integral part of your virtual studio.
9
10
8
11
21
12
1920
14
15161718
13
19. Each bank holds up to 16 patterns,
one of which is active at a time.
20. Build scenes and trigger them live or
use them to build a song.
21. Synth parameters for the currently
selected bank pad or rack part. Each
one can have its own synth settings.
22. The bank pads are highly programmable, with unlimited sample layers
and independent settings for
volume, pan, FX, synth settings, etc.
23. BPM provides four independent
banks of 16 pads, which can all play
simultaneously.
24. BPM provides two racks, which hold
an unlimited number of parts. A
part can be an instrument sound
(like bass, guitar, etc.) that you play
via BPM’s sequencer, or it can be an
audio loop (REX file, Apple Loop,
etc.)
25. Live mode lets you trigger scenes on
the fly from the on-screen pads or
your MIDI controller.
26. Song mode lets you build an entire
song out of multiple scenes.
5
6
CHAPTER
1
About BPM
BPM is an advanced urban rhythm production
instrument for Mac and Windows. BPM runs on
Mac or Windows, either standalone or as an
instrument plug-in for your favorite host software,
including Digital Performer, Cubase, Live, Logic,
Pro Tools, SONAR, and others via all major audio
plug-in formats (MAS, VST, AAX, RTAS, and
Audio Units).
Universal plug-in or standalone operation
As a standalone application, BPM turns your Mac
or PC into a urban rhythm production
powerhouse with 19 GB of all new, never before
released sounds. Standalone operation also allows
you to use BPM with music software applications
that do not host third-party instrument plug-ins.
Standalone operation is virtually identical to plugin oper ati on, ex cept for a few addit ional set tin gs fo r
audio/MIDI input and output.
As a plug-in, BPM can be used as a rhythm
production center directly within your projects.
You can save all BPM settings with the project for
instant and total recall. Since all BPM settings are
saved with your host application session, you enjoy
the highest degree of convenience and speed
because there is no separate application or
associated documents to manage.
Collaborate across platforms
Because BPM supports every major audio
production platform, you can effortlessly move
from one platform to another — or collaborate
with colleagues who use different audio software.
For example, you could compose and track a
project in Digital Performer, Logic, or Cubase and
then move to Pro Tools for mixing. Simply save a
BPM performance (a snapshot of all its settings) in
DP, Logic, or Cubase and then load it into BPM
running in Pro Tools. All settings are exactly
preserved, and BPM is ready to go.
Operation at a glance
BPM makes it easy to choose patterns and drum
kits independently, and then mix and match them
to quickly create your own unique beats simply by
browsing the virtually infinite possible
combinations. BPM displays all essential settings
in one window, with a “virtual LCD screen”
providing additional, contextual controls.
Advanced settings are just one click away.
Included sounds, loops and instruments
To get you going right away, BPM provides
hundreds of preset patterns and kits to choose
from, built from an all-new 19 GB core sample
library of never before released samples, loops,
beats and multi-sample instruments. Included are
over 10,000 individual samples and over 1,000 new
loops — all recorded at 24-bit 96kHz resolution
and mastered at Sterling Sound, New York by
renowned urban mastering engineer Chris
Gehringer. Included is Beat Box Anthology, a
comprehensive collection of authentic sounds
from 80 legendary drum machine models from the
the 1970s, 80s, and 90s. From classic beat box to
cutting-edge urban rhythms, you can use BPM’s
comprehensive selection of sounds for many
musical styles, including R&B, hip hop, techno,
electro, house, and even pop, rock and others.
BPM even includes a programmable Drum
Synthesizer with over 250 factory presets, or create
your own. Synth drum sounds can add infinite
variety and serious punch to your beats.
7
24-bit 96kHz samples
BPM sampled sounds are provided in 24-bit 96kHz
resolution. BPM also provides on-the-fly
upsampling and downsampling, allowing you to
play BPM sounds at any sample rate that your
current project calls for, without the need for
lengthy sample rate conversion operations.
Interactive browsing
Find a nd org anize p atter ns and s ounds with BPM’s
integrated browser and file management tools.
BPM makes it easy to browse and locate exactly the
sounds you are looking for. Quickly scan
expandable folders to audition and select patterns,
kits, kits+patterns, loops, individual drum samples
and instrument presets. BPM plays — or even
loads — items as you click them, so you can
quickly find the right drum hit, loop or pattern.
You can also drag and drop from the browser or
desktop — including audio files, MIDI files and
loops in all standard formats. BPM is designed to
be live and interactive.
A complete rhythm production center
BPM is a powerful all-in-one rhythm instrument
designed with smooth and seamless workflow in
mind. Record individual samples or loops from
any external source. Just click the Quick Sampling
but ton to record dire ctly into the c urrently selected
drum pad. You can even record BPM’s output back
into itself. Mix and match multiple drum samples
and drum synth sounds — even on the same pad
via unlimited layers, where you can play them
based on rules such as cycle, random or random
cycle.
Building beats and kits
Building beats and kits is fast and easy. As you
would expect, each kit consists of a bank of 16
pads, but BPM provides four separate kits per
scene, each with its own step sequencer. That’s 64
pads playing simultaneously.
Each pad has dedicated solo, mute, gain and pan
controls. Click the pad for more detailed controls,
including velocity, fine/coarse tuning, fill,
timeshift, filter cutoff, resonance, decay, and
others. Each sample layer can be fine-tuned with its
own amplitude envelope, filter, drive, aux sends,
pitch envelope, and more. Plus, you can apply
unlimited insert effects per layer and per pad.
If you need to edit the samples themselves, you can
use the built-in waveform editor with fade in/out,
normalize, silence, gain and more. BPM gives you
unprecedented pin-point control within a beat
production instrument.
Pattern programming with advanced features
BPM’s pattern programming feels so familiar, you
can start using it right away. Use the independent
step sequencer to program, record, overdub and
quantize patterns interactively in real time from
the on-screen pads. The Graph Sequencer
produces ultra-dynamic expression for individual
notes with just a few clicks. Or, record live from a
MIDI keyboard or drum pad controller for that
true, hands-on MPC-style experience with useful
features such as Note Repeat, Record Undo, and
MIDI Select. When you’re done, you can apply
grooves with independent control over timing and
velocity. Choose among dozens of groove presets
or create and apply your own. An advanced
arpeggiator provides variations to your live or
sequenced performance.
Are you a fan of the unique sound of the classic
E-mu SP1200? BPM’s exclusive SP Mode faithfully
reproduces the edgy sound and beat box grit of this
legendary rhythm machine.
Unlimited loops and instruments
Two independent rack modules hold loops, audio
phrases and instrument sounds with unlimited
parts in each rack. These rack parts play simultaneously with BPM’s four drum kit banks to make
8
ABOUT BPM
up a scene. This is where you can add bass parts,
rhythm guitar, audio phrases such as background
vocals, breakbeat loops, and much more.
Loops and phrases
Just drag and drop to import any audio into a part,
including REX files, Apple Loops, AIFF, WAV and
all standard audio file formats. BPM will automap
REX loop slices so you can work with them either
as audio clips or individual MIDI-triggered slices.
BPM time-stretches and grooves any audio file in
real t ime with audio quality th at sounds incredible,
even at extreme tempos.
BPM provides a powerful set of tools for
manipulating looped audio. Essential controls such
as tempo, sync, audio drag and drop, MIDI
mapping and MIDI drag and drop are accessed in
the Loop Editor.
Multi-sample instruments
When it’s time to add guitar, bass, keys, or other
instrument sounds, BPM includes a great selection
of instrument presets at your fingertips. Use BPM’s
familiar piano roll editor and pencil tool to
sequence instrument parts, or record them live
from up to 64 separate MIDI channels. Apply
effects with unlimited effects slots per instrument
part. The same goes for loops and phrases.
Compatibility with other UVI instruments
If you own another UVI-based instrument from
MOTU, such as MachFive 2, Electric Keys, Ethno
Instrument or Symphonic Instrument, you can
load sounds from their libraries into BPM’s two
rack modules to incorporate them into your BPM
rhythm productions.
BPM is also compatible with BPM Expander packs
and other UVI SoundCards from UVISoundSource.com.
Powerful synthesis engine
The central section of BPM window shows an
amplitude envelope, filters, velocity response
curves and LFO. These parameters let you carefully
shape the sound of any individual sample, pad,
loop or instrument. The award-winning UVIEngine that powers BPM delivers virtually
unlimited polyphony and ultra-low latency.
Complete mixing
Use BPM’s graphic mixer to refine your mix with
channel strips for all 64 pads, loops and instrument
parts. BPM also provides stereo main outs plus 16
stereo aux channel outputs for sending sub-mixes
to your host audio software.
Comprehensive effects processing
BPM provides the most comprehensive and
flexible effects architecture ever devised in a
rhythm instrument. You can apply professional
quality effects at any point in the signal chain, from
individual samples, pads, loops, and instruments,
to entire drum kit banks, racks, aux returns and
even BPM’s master output.
You get dozens of effects, including EQ,
compressor/gate, filter, delay, reverb, phaser,
chorus, drive, distortion, reverb and many more.
Convolution reverb and real acoustic spaces
For the very best in reverb technology, BPM
includes a convolution reverb processor to produce
the most realistic acoustic spaces available. From
directly in the BPM window, you can audition and
choose plates, halls and authentic acoustic spaces,
such as studio rooms, concert halls and cathedrals.
Live performance and song programming
BPM provides a complete set of features for live
performance and song creation. Combine kits,
patterns and sequences into a scene. Create
multiple scenes and then trigger them during live
ABOUT BPM
9
performance by clicking the on-screen pads or
play ing note s on you r MIDI key board or c ontrol ler
— a unique and powerful performance feature.
Build an entire song in seconds by simply dragging
and dropping multiple scenes and adjusting their
lengt h. Sync your song to your host audio s oftware,
or export the song as a stereo audio file.
BPM is complete beat production environment.
BPM delivers the perfect balance of smooth
operation, advanced features, fresh patterns and
sounds, superb audio quality and across-the-board
compatibility.
MIDI Remote Control
BPM and a drum pad controller give you a true
beat box experience. Map hardware pads to BPM’s
sixteen on-screen pads and you are on your way.
BPM includes template files that you can load into
popular pad controller models to get going quickly.
Or program your favorite MIDI keyboard to
control BPM, both from the keyboard and any
knobs, buttons, and sliders it may have. Then use
BPM's MIDI Remote Control features to map
additional controls such as knobs, buttons, and
sliders.
10
ABOUT BPM
CHAPTER
2
Installation
Thank you for purchasing BPM, the advanced
urban rhythm instrument.
Package contents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Attention new users: an iLok is required . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Preparing your iLok USB Smart Key. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
System requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Installation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Connect your iLok . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Getting started . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Familiarity with your computer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Please register your software . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Visit motu.com for software updates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Technical support. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
PACKAGE CONTENTS
Your BPM package includes:
■
BPM installer CD-ROM disc
■
Two BPM soundbank DVD discs
■
One Beat Box Anthology soundbank DVD disc
■
BPM User Guide with tear-out registration card
ATTENTION NEW USERS: AN ILOK IS REQUIRED
If you are a new BPM user: this product requires an
iLok Smart Key, a small USB device (sold
separately) that holds the license for your MOTU
software. Before you install and use your MOTU
software, you must obtain an iLok, if you don’t
already have one.
You will not be able to use your BPM software
☛
without an iLok.
iLok 2
iLok 1
Figure 2-1: BPM is compatible with iLok 1 and iLok 2 USB Smart Keys.
Do you already own an iLok?
You may already own an iLok if:
■
you upgraded from BPM 1.0
■
you own another MOTU instrument product
■
you own a 3rd-party product that uses iLok
If so, you can skip to “Preparing your iLok USB
Smart Key”.
Purchasing an iLok
If you do not already own an iLok, you can
purchase one from your local music retail shop, an
on-line music technology reseller, or iLok.com.
iLok compatibility
MOTU instrument products are compatible with
iLok 1 or 2 (Figure 2-1).
PREPARING YOUR iLOK USB SMART KEY
BPM will not run unless it detects an iLok Smart
Key plugged into any available USB port on your
computer. In addition, the iLok must hold both a
BPM license and a Beat Box Anthology license.
Downloading your BPM licenses to your iLok
Your BPM package includes a two-sided card with
unique iLok license redemption codes printed on it
for your BPM software and the Beat Box Anthology
soundbank included in your BPM software
11
package. Follow the instructions on the card to
redeem each code and download the resulting two
software licenses to your iLok.
BPM will not run without the downloaded
☛
BPM and Beat Box Anthology licenses in your
iLok, so be sure to follow the important
instructions on the card before proceeding to
install and use BPM.
Managing iLok licenses
If you have multiple iLoks, you can consolidate all
of your licenses onto a single iLok. Use iLok
License Manager to move product licenses from
one iLok to another, consolidate them onto one
iLok, protect them from loss or damage, or
otherwise manage your product license assets.
If you have further questions about your iLok, visit
www.iLok.com, or contact MOTU Customer
Service at +1 (617) 576-2760.
SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS
BPM 1.5.3 has the following minimum and
recommended system requirements:
■
Mac or PC with Intel Core Duo CPU 1.83 GHz
or faster; multiple processors or a multi-core
processor is required. Intel Core 2 Duo CPU
2.0 GHz or faster recommended. Macs with
PowerPC CPUs are not supported.
■
2 GB of RAM is required; 4 GB or more is highly
recommended.
■
CD/DVD disc drive for installation.
Mac OS X version 10.5.8 or later, or Windows 8,
■
7 or Vista (32- or 64-bit; Vista SP2 or later is
required).
■
A digital audio workstation program or other
program that hosts AU, VST, or RTAS instrument
plug-ins. Alternatively, BPM can be used as a
standalone application.
64-bit operation
For native 64-bit operation, BPM has the following
additional requirements:
Mac OS X v10.6, Windows 8, or a 64-bit version
■
of Windows 7 or Vista
■
64-bit CPU
■
64-bit plug-in host application, if using the
64-bit plug-in
Hard disk format
Due to the large size of BPM’s factory soundbank
UFS files, the disk containing the soundbank files
must be able to support individual files larger than
4 GB. This is determined by the disk’s file system
format.
The default file system format for disk drives on
Mac OS X and Windows are compatible with
BPM’s soundbank files:
■
Mac OS X: HFS+ (Mac OS Extended, journaled
or unjournaled)
■
Windows: NTFS
The FAT32 format is not compatible with BPM’s
soundbank files, as it does not allow file sizes
greater than 4 GB.
If you experience trouble copying the UFS files to
your hard disk, refer to the troubleshooting chapter
in the BPM User Guide.
Large hard disk, preferably at least 100 GB. The
■
disk on which the sounds are stored must be a fast
hard disk. Refer to the BPM User Guide
Installation chapter for details.
■
Available USB port for the iLok SmartKey.
12
INSTALLATION
INSTALLATION
Run the BPM installer
Run the BPM installer first before you copy the
UFS soundbank files from the soundbank DVDs,
as follows:
1
Insert the
downloaded the BPM installer, locate the folder
containing the download.
2
Double-click
(Windows 32-bit), or
64-bit).
3
Follow the directions the installer gives you.
☛
Windows VST users: The BPM VST plug-in is
installed in:
startup disk:\Program Files\MOTU\Vstplugins
Point your host application to this folder, or copy
BPM.dll
the
Vstplugins folder of your choice.
BPM Installer
BPM Installer
Setup64.exe
and
BPMSampler.dll
CD; or, if you have
(Mac),
Setup32.exe
(Windows
files to the
The term
startup disk
in the path names above is
the name of your system hard drive (usually
Macintosh HD
or C).
Place the UFS files directly in this location. Alternatively, you can place the UFS files in another
location (possibly on an external or second hard
drive), create aliases (Mac OS X) or shortcuts
(Windows) to them, and then place the aliases or
shortcuts in this location.
If you create aliases or shortcuts, the names
☛
must be the same as their corresponding UFS files.
If the alias or shortcut name includes the words
alias
or
☛
shortcut to,
The
BPM.ufs
it will not work.
and
BPM.ufs1
files must be
placed in the same folder.
Installing the Beat Box Anthology soundbank file
To i ns ta ll t h e
Beat Box Anthology.ufs
soundbank
file, copy it from the Beat Box Anthology DVD to
the following location:
Copy the UFS soundbank files to your hard
drive
BPM version 1.5 includes two 8 GB (dual layer)
soundbank
DVDs that contain a total of 15 GB of
drum samples, loops, phrases and multi-sampled
instruments. These sounds are organized into two
separate “.UFS” soundbank files on these DVDs:
BPM.ufs
and
BPM.ufs1
. Additionally, the Beat Box
Anthology.ufs soundbank DVD contains another
4 GB of drum samples, loops, kits, and patterns.
Installing the BPM soundbank files
To i ns ta ll t h e
BPM.ufs
and
BPM.ufs1
soundbank
files, copy them from the DVDs to the following
location:
Mac OS X
startup disk/Library/Application Support/MOTU/BPM/
Win dows
startup disk:\Program Files\MOTU\BPM\
INSTALLATION
Mac OS X
startup disk/Library/Application Support/UVISoundBanks/
Win dows
startup disk:\Program Files\UVISoundBanks\
Place the UFS files directly in this location, or
cre ate an a lias or shor tcut to the fi le in this locati on,
as described for the
BPM.ufs
and
BPM.ufs1
files.
Presets for hardware controllers
The BPM installer disc includes a folder of presets
for popular hardware pad controller products,
including the Akai MPD16, Akai MPD32, Korg
padKONTROL and the M-Audio Trigger Finger. If
you own one of these products, load the supplied
BPM pad preset into the hardware’s utility software
to load BPM’s pad configuration into the controller
hardware. For details, consult the documentation
for your pad controller.
13
CONNECT YOUR ILOK
Connect your BPM USB iLok SmartKey to any
available USB port.
Figure 2-2: BPM requires the USB iLok SmartKey (included).
PLEASE REGISTER YOUR SOFTWARE
MOTU can only provide customer service and
technical support to registered users. Therefore, it
is important for you to register your software
immediately after purchase.
To do so, visit www.motu.com/registration to
register online. Or, fill out and mail in the
registration card found at the beginning of the
Use r
Guide (leave the rest of the cardboard page in the
manual for your future reference).
☛ If you purchased an upgrade from an earlier
version at motu.com, you are already registered
and no further action is necessary.
VISIT MOTU.COM FOR SOFTWARE UPDATES
Software updates are periodically posted on our
website, so check our web site for the latest updates
at www.motu.com.
BPM will not run unless it detects that your iLok
SmartKey is plugged into any available USB port
on your computer.
If you wish to transfer the authorization in your
BPM iLok to another iLok, or if you have questions
about your iLok, visit www.ilok.com for further
information, or contact MOTU Technical Support
(as explained on page 259).
GETTING STARTED
Follow the directions in the next few chapters of
this guide to successfully install and begin using
BPM.
FAMILIARITY WITH YOUR COMPUTER
This manual assumes that your are familiar with
using your computer. If not, please review your
computer’s user guide before proceeding.
14
TECHNICAL SUPPORT
If you have questions, please review this manual
carefully first. You can reach MOTU tech support
as follows:
■ 24-hour online tech support database with
search engine: www.motu.com
■ Online: www.motu.com/support
■ Phone: +1 (617) 576-3066
(9 a.m. – 6 p.m. Eastern)
■ Downloads: www.motu.com
INSTALLATION
CHAPTER
Open BPM
1 After BPM installation, launch your audio
sequencer or MIDI software.
2 Open BPM in the usual fashion, either as a
standalone application or as a plug-in from within
your audio sequencer.
3 Tutorial 1: QuickStart Guide
Choose a kit+pattern
A pattern is a rhythm that can b e applied to any kit.
A kit is a collection of drum sounds assigned to
BPM’s sixteen drum pads. A kit+pattern is a
combination of the two that BPM provides as a
preset. All kit+pattern presets are also available as
independent kit and pattern presets.
3 Click the Sequence Editor button (Figure 3-1)
so you will be able to see the pattern that will be
loaded.
Figure 3-1: The Sequence Editor button.
4 Notice that the Sequence Editor is currently
empty (Figure 3-2).
Figure 3-2: The empty Sequence Editor.
5 Click the Kit+Pattern tab (Figure 3-3).
Kit+Pattern tab
Figure 3-3: Browsing Kit+Pattern presets
☛ If the brows er i s emp ty a t this poin t, the n BP M
has lost the location of the BPM.ufs and/or
BPM.ufs1 files. See “When I try to access the
browser, the browser is empty. Why is it empty?” on
page 255.
6 Open the Dirty South folder.
7 Make sure the Auto Loa d button is enabled
(yellow) at the bottom of the browser (Figure 3-4).
15
Figure 3-4: Make sure AutoLoad is enabled.
8 Click 076-Brick and Stick (Figure 3-5).
Figure 3-5: Loading the ‘Brick And Stick’ kit+pattern.
9 As soon as you click, the kit+pattern will load
and you will see the notes in the Pattern Editor
(Figure 3-6):
Check the audio output assignment
11 If you are running BPM as a plug-in inside your
audio sequencer host, the BPM track has an audio
output assignment. Make sure that it is assigned to
the appropriate audio output in your system (the
headphone outs, main outs, or whatever you are
using for listening).
12 If you are running BPM as a standalone
application, open the preferences (in the File
menu) and click the Audio Device tab. Check the
Output Device assignment and make sure the
sample rate setting matches the setting on your
audio hardware (or the built-in audio hardware of
your computer, if that is what you are using).
If you don’t hear anything
13 Check the audio output assignment for the track
on which BPM is instantiated. Make sure it is
assigned to your headphones, main speakers, or
whatever you are listening to.
Try a different kit
BPM lets you choose kits and patterns
independently so there are virtually unlimited
possibilities. Let’s keep the same pattern going, but
try it with a different kit:
Figure 3-6: A pattern in the Sequence Editor.
Play the kit+pattern
10 If the kit+pattern is not playing, click the play
button to hear it.
The play button
Figure 3-7: The play button.
16
14 Click the Kits tab in the browser.
Kits tab
Figure 3-8: Kits tab.
TUTORIAL 1: QUICKSTART GUIDE
15 Open the Dancehall folder.
16 Click a few of the kits in the Dancehall folder to
audition them. Notice that the pattern stays the
same, but the drum sounds change as try different
kits.
Try a different pattern
Once you find a kit that you like, let it play while
you try different patterns with it.
17 Click the Pat tern s shortcut in the browser.
Replace a snare sound
As you’ve seen and heard so far, patterns and kits
can be chosen independently. The same is true for
individual drum pad sounds. For example, you
might find a beat you like, but you might want to
change the snare drum sound (or any other
individual sound).
22 Make sure the pattern you are currently playing
has a few snare drum 1 (SD1) hits. If not, you can
add a few by clicking on the cells in the SD1 row in
the pattern grid as shown below.
Patterns tab
Figure 3-9: Patterns tab.
18 Open the Hiphop-Rnb-Bpm V1 > Machine
folder.
19 Click a few of the patterns in the Machine folder
to audition t hem. Notice that t he kit stays the same,
but the pattern changes as try different patterns.
20 If you ever want to hear the “original” pattern
that goes with a kit, or vice versa (the original kit
that goes with a pattern), just go to the
Kits+Patterns folder (Figure 3-3 on page 15) and
click the Kit+Pattern with the same name.
Snare drum row Snare drum hit
Figure 3-10: Snare drum hits in the pattern grid.
Click the SD1 pad in to select it.
SD1 pad
Figure 3-11: The snare drum 1 pad.
21 For the purposes of this demo, go back to the
Kit+Pattern folder and choose the Kit+Pattern
called 086-Dentist (in the Machine folder) before
proceeding.
TUTORIAL 1: QUICKSTART GUIDE
17
23 Click the Sound tab in the browser.
Sounds tab
Add reverb to the snare
BPM lets you add effects processing to your beats
in just about every way imaginable, from
individual samples to your entire mix. Let’s add a
little reverb to your snare sound. For the purposes
of this tutorial, it would be best to choose a snare
sound that is fairly dry to begin with (there is not a
lot of reverb on the original sample).
28 Make sure the SD1 pad is still selected
(Figure 3-11 on page 17).
29 Click the Edit button.
H
Edit button
Figure 3-12: Sounds tab.
24 Notice that individual sounds are organized by
type (BD for bass drum, SD for snare drum, HH for
hi hat, Clap, Shaker, etc.) In the (Categories) folder
at the top of the list, the same sounds are organized
by the same categories as the drum kits and
patterns (Acoustic Mood, Beat City, etc.), so you
can easily find an individual sound that is part of a
Kit or Kit+Pattern.
25 Open the SD (Snare Drum) folder.
26 Click a few different snare sounds to audition
them.
27 For the purposes of this tutorial, choose
SD-Z Rock (near the end of the list).
18
Figure 3-13: Editing a drum pad.
30 You should now see a waveform display that
represents the audio for the snare drum sample
currently loaded into the SD1 pad. Click the FX
button.
The FX button
Figure 3-14: Adding effects to a sample.
31 Click the Add FX button in the upper right-hand
corner of the FX list.
TUTORIAL 1: QUICKSTART GUIDE
Add FX button.
Figure 3-15: Adding an effect.
32 Choose a Simple Reverb, such as Jazz Club, as
shown below.
Figure 3-18: Click the Rack A button to switch to it.
35 Click the Instr uments tab in the browser.
Figure 3-16: Choosing a reverb.
33 If you don’t hear the reverb very well, turn up
the Mix parameter.
Mix parameter
Figure 3-17: Adjusting the reverb mix.
Add a bass part
Now let’s try recording in a bass line to go with your
beat.
34 Switch from Bank A (the pattern and kit you are
currently playing) to Rack A. These two racks are
where you can add instruments like guitar and
bass, as well as loops and audio phrases.
Instruments tab
Figure 3-19: Instruments tab.
36 Open the Synth Bass folder.
37 Click DSP Bass. This lo ads the bass instrument
sound into the first part.
38 Use the scroll arrow to the left of the small
keyboard at the bottom of the rack (Figure 3-18) to
scroll down to C1 octave on the keys.
39 Click a few keys in this octave to hear the bass
sound.
TUTORIAL 1: QUICKSTART GUIDE
19
Set up MIDI keyboard input to BPM
You could record the bass part by clicking on the
on-screen keys with the mouse as you record them
live, while the beat plays. However, for a bass part it
might be more fun — and more musical — to
record from your MIDI keyboard.
Click anywhere on the bass part.
40 If you are running BPM as a plug-in inside your
audio sequencer host, you’ll see BPM as a virtual
instrument destination for your MIDI controller.
Set up your host software so that it sends live MIDI
input from your controller to BPM.
41 If you are running BPM as a standalone
application, open the Audio and MIDI Settings (in
the File menu) and click the MIDI Devices tab.
Figure 3-20: Confirming that an available MIDI device is available for
MIDI input.
42 Make sure that an available MIDI device
connected to your system is chosen for MIDI Port
A.
43 Set the Route MIDI input to menu to Selected
Bank/Part and make sure the check box is checked,
as shown below.
Figure 3-22: Selecting the bass part for MIDI recording.
Play the bass sound with your keyboard controller
45 Try playing your MIDI controller. You should
now hear the same bass sound you heard back in
step 39.
46 If you hear it, you are ready to record the bass
part.
If you don’t hear anything
47 Check to see if the MIDI light for the bass part is
blinking when you play notes on your MIDI
controller. If it blinks, then MIDI is OK. If not,
check your MIDI cables, connections and software
settings again.
Recording a bass part
48 Press the play button (Figure 3-7 on page 16) to
begin playing the drum loop again (if it is not
already playing).
49 Switch back to the Sequence Editor, as shown in
Figure 3-1 on page 15.
Figure 3-21: use these settings to route live MIDI input to the bass
part.
44 Click the bass part in the list to select it. It gets a
bright red border around it when it is selected.
20
50 You’ll see the playback wiper move across the
note grid.
51 Use the scroll bar to the right of the note grid to
sc roll down to the C1 octave range so you can see
the notes appear as you record them.
TUTORIAL 1: QUICKSTART GUIDE
Add a loop
BPM includes a large library of loops that you can
freely mix and match with patterns, kits,
instruments and other loops.
56 Back in the rack, click the empty part below the
bass part to select it.
Figure 3-23: Scroll the empty note grid down to the C1 octave .
52 Press the red Record button to the right of the
play button (Figure 3-7 on page 16) to engage
recording. You’ll hear a “blip” metronome sound
when recording is engaged.
53 Wait for the wiper to come around to the
be gin ning of t he lo op, and t hen play you r bas s pa rt.
For the purposes of this tutorial, play a bass line
where the root note is C1.
Figure 3-24: The recorded bass part.
54 If you don’t like what you played, use the
selection cursor to select the notes and then hit the
delete key to erase them. Then just record again.
57 Click the Loops tab in the Browser.
Loops tab
Figure 3-26: Loops tab.
58 Open the Va r i o u s folder.
59 Open the 099-C-Martinik folder.
60 Click 099-Martinik DrmLoop.
61 Now let’s add another loop. Click the empty part
below the Martinik DrmLoop part to select it.
Selection cursor
Figure 3-25: Selecting notes to erase them.
55 When you are finished recording, click the red
record button again to disengage recording.
TUTORIAL 1: QUICKSTART GUIDE
62 Click 099-C-Martinik Gtr+Vox.
Balance the parts in the mixer
BPM provides a complete mixing environment just
a click away.
63 Click the Mix button.
21
Export your mix
BPM provides many drag and drop tabs. To finish
this tutorial, drag and drop the new mix to the
desktop. Everything done so far is stored in Scene
1. A scene is a a snapshot of the patterns and
sequences loaded in each bank and rack.
Mix button
Figure 3-27: Opening the mixer.
64 Bring down the volume Part 2 (the drum loop) a
little bit to settle it into the mix. Bring up Part 3 (the
guitar and vocals) so you can hear them a little
better.
The volume slider
Figure 3-28: Mixing the parts.
65 To mix the individual elements of the
Kit+Pattern that you currently have loaded in
Bank A, click the Bank A button.
66 To drag and drop Scene 1 to the desktop, press
on the word SCENE above the scene menu and
then drag to your computer desktop. There will be
a short pause while BPM generates the audio, and
then a WAVE file will appear on your desktop.
Figure 3-30: To export the current scene (in the Scene menu) as an
audio file, drag the word ‘SCENE’ to your computer desktop.
Save a performance
A performance is a snapshot of all settings in BPM,
including all scenes, plus all the kits, loops and
instr uments that might be loaded in the four ba nks
and two racks, along with effects, mix settings —
everything. Saving a performance at the end of a
session is a good idea because it preserves all the
work you have done in BPM in that session. You
can save a performance to disk to archive it and
share it with a colleague.
67 Choose Save Performance from the File menu in
the BPM window, as shown below.
Figure 3-29: Mixing the kit+pattern loaded in Bank A.
22
Figure 3-31: Saving a performance.
Congratulations
You are now ready to create your own beats with
BPM and learn more about BPM’s many other
advanced features.
TUTORIAL 1: QUICKSTART GUIDE
CHAPTER
4 Tutorial 2: Building a Song
Overview
The first tutorial focused on perfecting a single
scene; this tutorial focuses on using multiple scenes
to build a complete track entirely in BPM.
Scenes
A Scene is a snapshot of the patterns & sequences
loaded in each bank & rack part. There are 16
scenes available in each instance of BPM.
Two important things to remember about scenes:
■ Only one scene is active at a given time.
■ The kits and instruments loaded in the Banks
and Racks don’t change when you change
scenes — only the patterns/sequences change.
Scene Editor
The Scene Editor provides a simple display to show
which patterns & sequences are assigned to each
scene.
1 Click the Scene tab.
H
By default, each scene uses the patterns of the same
number. That is, Scene 1 has pattern 1 loaded in
each bank, Scene 2 has pattern 2 loaded in each
bank, and so on. However, you can freely assign
any pattern to any scene.
Figure 4-2: The Scene Editor.
In the Scene Editor, each bank and rack part has a
column, and each scene has a row. The number
shown at the intersection of a row and column is
the pattern that will play for that bank/part in that
scene. For example, if a 4 is shown at the
intersection of Scene 3 and Bank C, that means
Bank C’s Pattern #4 will play during Scene 3.
To change the pattern in any cell, click it and
choose the desired pattern from the pop-up menu.
Figure 4-1: Opening the Scene Editor.
Scene tab
Figure 4-3: Choosing a pattern.
23
Loading the tutorial file
For this tutorial, you are going to load a
performance that already has a few patterns
programmed and assigned to a number of scenes.
Use the Load Performance command under the File
menu to load the “Tutorial 2” performance file.
Song mode
In Song mode, scenes are placed end-to-end to
create a sequential timeline.
3 To add Scene1 to the song, click and drag the
Scene1 pad to the Song Editor and drop it at bar 1.
Figure 4-6: Dragging Scene1 into the Song Editor
2 To enable Song mode, press the Song button in
the lower left corner.
Figure 4-4: The Song mode button.
Note that the pads have changed from BD1, BD2,
etc. to Scene1, Scene2, etc.
Above the pads, you’ll see the Song Editor, which is
currently empty:
4 Scene1 is 4 bars long. Let’s repeat it 2 times
(ending at the beginning of bar 9).
When you hover the mouse near the right edge of
Scene1, the cursor will change to the edge-edit
cursor. Click and drag to stretch the Scene1 block
to bar 9.
Figure 4-7: Stretching Scene1 to repeat it.
5 To zoom out to see more of the song, hover over
the Song Editor timeline. When you see the hand
cursor, click & drag upward to zoom out.
Figure 4-5: The Song Editor.
24
Figure 4-8: Zooming the Song timeline.
6 Let’s add more scenes to the song. Drag the
Scene2 pad to the Song Editor and drop it at bar 9,
then drag Scene3 to bar 13, and finally, Scene1
again to bar 17.
TUTORIAL 2: BUILDING A SONG
Figure 4-9: Building a song.
7 To hear the song, press Play: you’ll see the
playback wiper advance, as well as the playback
position fields above the timeline.
If you’re using BPM as a plug-in within a
sequencer/DAW, the song playback position will
follow the host.
8 To export the entire song as a new audio file,
choose Export Song as Audio from the File menu.
Figure 4-11: The Live mode button
As with Song mode, the pads are for Scene1,
Scene2, etc.
10 Each scene is assigned a MIDI note
chromatically beginning at C1: Scene 1 is triggered
by C1, Scene 2 by C#1, and so on.
Pl ay C 1 on you r MID I co ntro lle r ke ybo ard : Sc ene 1
starts playing.
Figure 4-10: Exporting a song
Live mode
Instead of planning out your scene changes in Song
mode, you can trigger scenes on-the-fly using Live
mode. In this mode, you change scenes using MIDI
input (from a keyboard or a sequencer/DAW
application) or by clicking on the 16 pads in the
BPM user interface.
9 To ena ble Live mode, press the Live but ton i n th e
lower left corner.
TUTORIAL 2: BUILDING A SONG
11 While Scene1 is playing, play C#1: Scene 2 plays.
12 Now click on the Scene3 pad: Scene 3 plays.
Sequencing Live mode from your host
Live mode is also great for programming scene
changes from your host sequencer. Since the scene
changes are controlled by MIDI notes, you can
insert MIDI notes in your host that can be cut,
copied, pasted, repeated, etc. just like any other
MIDI notes.
13 In your host sequencer, instantiate BPM in the
normal fashion and assign a MIDI track to BPM
channel A-1.
25
Figure 4-14: Inserting C1 to trigger Scene1
Figure 4-12: The BPM instrument and MIDI tracks
14 In BPM, load the “Tutorial 2” performance file
in the same manner as before.
15 Open the Scene Editor and click on the Options
tab. Change Latch to “False”.
Figure 4-13: Turning off Latch mode
For details on Latch mode, see “Latch” on
page 103.
16 Back in your sequencer, insert or record a C1
from the beginning of bar 1 until bar 5.
17 Insert a few more notes in the following
measures, using C1, C#1, and D1.
Figure 4-15: Inserting additional notes
18 Press Play in your host: as it reaches each MIDI
note, BPM changes to the corresponding scene.
The next step
You’re now ready to build your own songs with
BPM. Keep reading for all of the details about
BPM’s powerful features.
26
TUTORIAL 2: BUILDING A SONG
CHAPTER
5 BPM Application
OVERVIEW
BPM is supplied in two forms:
■ As a standalone application
■ As a plug-in
This chapter explains how to use the BPM
standalone application. For information about
operating BPM as a plug-in, see chapter 6, “BPM
Plug-in” (page 35).
Standalone operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Managing latency with standalone operation . . . . . . . 30
Opening the standalone version. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Audio and MIDI settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Audio device tab. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Routing tab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
MIDI Devices tab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
STANDALONE OPERATION
BPM can operate as a standalone instrument
application, independent of a plug-in host, turning
your Mac or PC into a streamlined urban rhythm
production powerhouse. Standalone operation
also allows you to:
These three scenarios are briefly described below.
The rest of this chapter explains the settings in
BPM necessary to establish MIDI and audio
connections for these scenarios.
Playing BPM as a live instrument from MIDI controller
To play BPM as a live instrument from a MIDI
controller, you need to route MIDI data from your
controller to BPM via a MIDI interface connected
to the computer, and then route the audio output
from BPM to your computer’s audio hardware, as
shown below. The MIDI data triggers sounds in
BPM, which then produces audio signal to be
routed to your headphones or speakers in your
studio:
MIDI keyboard or controller
MIDI data
BPM running on a computer
■ play BPM from an external MIDI keyboard, pad
controller or other MIDI controller, allowing you
to use BPM as a live instrument
■ use BPM as a comprehensive rhythm instrument
for an external MIDI sequencer or MIDI-capable
music software running on another computer
■ use BPM as a comprehensive rhythm instrument
for MIDI-capable music software that does not
host third-party instrument plug-ins but that is
running on the same computer as BPM
BPM audio output from the computer
Figure 5-1: The flow of MIDI data and audio signal when playing BPM
as a live instrument.
MIDI connections
There are several ways to get MIDI data into your
computer. Here are a few:
■ A USB MIDI keyboard or pad controller that
connects directly to the computer
27
■ A MIDI-equipped keyboard connected to a USB
MDI i nterfa ce, or to an audio i nterfa ce th at doubles
as a MIDI interface, via a standard MIDI cable
performance of your audio sequencer, notation
program or other MIDI authoring software
running on your main computer.
Audio connections
There are many ways to play audio from your
computer. The simplest method is to use the
computer’s built-in audio capabilities. You can also
use a third-party audio interface. A perfect
example is the MOTU UltraLite-mk3, an
affordable, bus-powered FireWire audio interlace
that also provides MIDI input and output, as
shown below:
MIDI keyboard or controller
MIDI OUT
MIDI cable
UltraLite-mk3 audio/MIDI interface
FireWire cab le
Figure 5-2: An example setup for standalone operation using a MOTU
UltraLite-mk3 audio interface. In this example, the UltraLite-mk3 is
also handling MIDI data transmission from the keyboard controller
to the computer and BPM.
MIDI data
MIDI IN
MIDI data to BPM and
audio output from BPM
UltraLite-mk3
audio
output
BPM running on a
computer
Speakers or
headphones
The disadvantage to this setup is that you must
manage the operational overhead of two (or more)
computers. For example, you will need to save
BPM settings on the satellite computer in a way that
lets you easily cross-reference them to the
corresponding file or project for your authoring
software on your main computer. If you prefer to
save BPM s etti ngs dire ctly in your host authoriz ing
software, you are better off running BPM as a
plug-in. But if processing resources are at a
premium, and you have an extra computer on
which to run BPM, this “satellite” computing
scenario can be very beneficial.
The setup for running BPM on a satellite computer
is simil ar to the live keyb oard s cena rio descr ibe d in
the previous section, except that audio sequencer
software or other authoring software running on
your main computer serves as the source of MIDI
data being sent to BPM running on the satellite
computer, as demonstrated in Figure 5-3. MIDI
data is transmitted from the host computer via a
FastLane MIDI interface and MIDI cable to the
UltraLite-mk3 audio/MIDI interface connected to
the laptop running BPM.
Using BPM as a sound source for music software running on another computer
When running as a standalone application on a
computer by itself, BPM can serve as a sound
source for MIDI equipped music software, such as
an audio sequencer application, running on
another computer.
The advantage of this “satellite” setup is that you
can fully dedicate the BPM satellite computer’s
processing resources to BPM, without affecting the
28
BPM APPLICATION
Main computer running
audio sequencer or other
MIDI authoring software
USB cable
USB MIDI interface
MIDI OUT
MIDI cable
UltraLite-mk3 audio/MIDI interface
FireWire cab le
Figure 5-3: An example setup for standalone operation using a MOTU
UltraLite-mk3 audio interface. In this example, the UltraLite-mk3 is
also handling MIDI data transmission from the keyboard controller
to the computer and BPM.
MIDI data
MIDI IN
MIDI data to BPM and
audio output from BPM
UltraLite
audio
output
Satellite computer
running BPM
Speakers or
headphones
The example setup shown in Figure 5-3 shows one
satellite computer. But you can use this same basic
idea for two or more satellite computers, each
running virtual instruments as well. For multiple
satellite computer setups, you may also want to
consider using just one or two computer monitors
connected to a computer monitor switcher. These
devices, available from your favorite computer
supplies retailer, allow you operate multiple
computers from the same screen, keyboard and
mouse.
Running BPM standalone on the same computer as your host software
If you are planning to run BPM on the same
computer as your audio sequencer, notation
program or other MIDI authoring software, it will
be mos t conv eni ent for y ou t o ru n BP M a s a p lug -in
inside your host software.
If, however, your authoring software does not have
th e abi lit y to h ost inst rum ent plug- ins, i t is po ssib le
that you might be able to run BPM in standalone
mode and trigger BPM sounds from your host
software using inter-application MIDI
transmission, if your host software supports this
feature. Inter-application MIDI transmission is
when one program sends MIDI data to another
program that is running at the same time. In
essence, both programs are running side by side as
standalone applications, and they pass MIDI data
(and perhaps even audio streams) between each
other.
Inter-application MIDI
On the Mac, inter-application MIDI functionality
is supported by the Mac operating system (OS)
itself, and many current music software packages
support the Mac OS’s inter-application features.
Consult your host software documentation for
details. On the Mac, you can set up a compatible
host application to publish a virtual MIDI device
(stream), which then appears in BPM’s MIDI
Device tab menus.
BPM APPLICATION
29
Inter-application audio
The audio output from BPM can either play
directly to your audio interface hardware
connected (via the settings described later in this
chapter), or you can use third-party downloadable
utilities (such as Cycling 74’s Sound Flower utility
for Mac OS or other similar downloadable
3rd-party audio utility) to route BPM’s audio
output back into your host audio sequencer
application (or any other audio software running
on the same computer).
MANAGING LATENCY WITH STANDALONE OPERATION
Latency is the time it takes for MIDI data from your
controller to reach BPM and then for BPM to
respond to it and produce sound. See “Managing
latency” on page 36, which discusses ways to
manage latency that apply to both plug-in
operation and standalone operation.
Figure 5-4: An example of the inter-application MIDI feature in a host
program. This window in Digital Performer (Setup menu> Interapplication MIDI) lets you create a ‘virtual’ MIDI output device
(stream) from Digital Performer, as shown in this example by the
name ‘DP Output’. You can then choose this a virtual MIDI device
(source) from within BPM (running standalone, not as a plug-in). If
you then play a MIDI track to the MIDI channels on this virtual output
device, they will trigger parts in BPM that are assigned to receive on
those same MIDI channels.
On Windows, there are third-party utilities
available for Windows, such as LoopBe or MIDI
Yo k e , that allow MIDI programs to transmit MIDI
data to each other.
OPENING THE STANDALONE VERSION
On the Mac, the standalone version of BPM can be
found in your Applications folder. On Windows, it
can be found under the Start menu> Programs>
MOTU.
Standalone operation is identical to plug-in
operation as described in chapter 7, “BPM
Window” (page 49), with the exception of the
additional standalone settings described in this
chapter.
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BPM APPLICATION
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