Steinberg Groove Agent 3, Groove Agent - 3.0 Operation Manual

Groove Agent 3

Operation Manual

by Sven Bornemark

The information in this document is subject to change without notice and does not represent a commitment on the part of Steinberg Media Technologies GmbH. The software described by this document is subject to a License Agreement and may not be copied to other media. No part of this publication may be copied, reproduced or otherwise transmitted or recorded, for any purpose, without prior written permission by Steinberg Media Technologies GmbH.

All product and company names are ™ or ® trademarks of their respective owners. Windows XP is a trademark of Microsoft Corporation. The Mac logo is a trademark used under license. Macintosh is a registered trademark. Mac OS X is a registered trademark. Cakewalk SONAR is a registered trademark of Twelve Tone Systems. ReWire is a trademark of Propellerhead Software AB. Logic is a trademark of Apple Computer, Inc. registered in the U.S. and other countries.

2007.

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Welcome!

What is Groove Agent?

What’s new in Groove Agent 3?

Installation

Setting up the instrument

First test

Groove Agent terminology

About the sounds in Groove Agent

Using Groove Agent in Classic Mode

The LCD window

Range

Introducing Dual Mode

Groove Agent in Dual Mode

Special Agent

Percussion Agent

Ideas on using Dual Mode creatively

Import & FX page

The Setup page

Creating a drum track with Groove Agent 3

Using Groove Agent’s MIDI output (Live to host) in Cubase SX

Using Groove Agent’s MIDI output (Record to file)

Using host automation in Cubase SX

Composing with Groove Agent’s Memory slots in Cubase SX

About the Groove Agent Styles

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Tempo Guide

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80 or 160 BPM, what’s the correct tempo?

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Jamming with Groove Agent 3

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Smooth operator

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Controlling Groove Agent from a MIDI keyboard

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Contact, Internet

118

Credits

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Last but not least…

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Groove Agent 3

Welcome!

Somehow I find it hard to believe that I’m sitting in a rented cottage in Skagen, Denmark actually writing the manual for the third generation of Groove Agent. What started out as a rather basic idea about a virtual drum machine, has turned into a tool that’s almost a household name amongst computer based musicians around the globe. Third version, consider that!

So, how do we meet the expectations from an increasingly demanding group of followers and new potential customers? We’d better be good this time, because the market is full of fine drum tools…

Well, we’ve had to change the overall design a bit. The original Groove Agent interface was elegant and easy to use, but provided no room for growth. It would be impossible for us to fit our new modules into the old layout, so we’ve created a new one: Dual Mode.

Even though the name itself may not sound too exciting, Dual Mode offers the possibility to use any two modules simultaneously. You may think of it as controlling a drummer and a group of percussionists at the same time. Or a live drummer with added MIDI controlled elements and sounds. Or even as two drummers playing together! Oh, this sends me back to the days of Joe Cocker’s “Mad Dogs And Englishmen” tour in 1970… but I digress.

My dear friend Paul Kellett, who skillfully programmed the first two versions of Groove Agent, now works exclusively for another music software company. Our new master of ceremonies is Dave Brown, music software authority extraordinaire. He has designed and built a totally new Groove Agent from the ground up. This new code offers a wealth of possibilities, enabling us to present a machine that will load drum kits even faster along with a new built-in nine band EQ/Compressor coming directly from Dave’s respected Quantum FX 2.

But, software without strong musical content is not of much use. The ever persistent Mats-Erik Björklund has assembled a new range of drum kits. A trusty group of talented musicians have produced 27 new styles for the original Groove Agent module.

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Engineer Marco Manieri, Special Agent Rasmus Kihlberg and producer Sven Bornemark

On top of that, one extremely experienced and frequently recorded drummer by the name of Rasmus Kihlberg has recorded some of his best grooves for you. This gives you, the lucky user, instant access to 15 useful styles of live drumming, complete with 25 complexity levels, fills and half tempo feel renditions. And as if that weren’t enough, Rasmus also took the time to record a bagful of percussion instruments. Again, live grooves that can be arranged into traditional or complex patterns.

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I feel confident that version 3 is a worthy successor in the Groove Agent series of instruments. Believe me, we spent a lot of effort on this baby. More than two dozen devoted musicians plus a bunch of patient betatesters assisted in turning this drum machine dream into reality. We’ll take a short, well deserved break now before we dig into… well, you’ll see!

/Producer

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What is Groove Agent?

Groove Agent 3 is a tool that can help you compose a complete drum track for your song in a few minutes. Groove Agent 3 can provide inspiration throughout your musical creation process. Groove Agent 3 can be the perfect sparring partner when you’re jamming and practising. Groove Agent 3 can breathe new life into your existing array of inboard and outboard drum and percussion equipment.

So Groove Agent 3 can do a lot of things, but first of all it’s a fine helper when you say:

– “I can’t program drums”

– “I don’t have the time to program drums”

– “Inspire me!”

What’s new in Groove Agent 3?

This third incarnation is a major step up from the previous versions. Consider the following:

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Special Agent module with 15 complete drum styles played live by Rasmus Kihlberg.

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Percussion Agent module that provides 8 groups of live recorded grooves.

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27 new Groove Agent styles including odd time signatures.

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Total number of audio outputs increased from 8 to 12 stereo outputs.

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3 new acoustic drum kits plus an assortment of digital drum machines and percussion.

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All new FX section, where every output has its own 9-band EQ with Compressor.

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FX presets for individual drums and entire kits can be used as-is or tweaked.

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Improved style handling with genre categorization for better overview.

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New Auto Fill functionality for jamming and practising along with a useful Speed control.

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All new Dual Mode where two drum/percussion modules can be run in parallel.

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A new Sample Import page allows the users to import and use their own drum samples.

Register Groove Agent!

Before getting carried away with Groove Agent 3, please take a moment to register. This will entitle you to technical support, and we’ll also keep you up to date with the latest news and updates.

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Groove Agent 3

Installation

The Steinberg key

Please read this section before installing the Groove Agent software.

Included with the Groove Agent 3 package you will find an activation code for the Steinberg Key (sometimes referred to as a “dongle”), a hardware copy protection device that is part of the Groove Agent copy protection scheme. Groove Agent will not run if there is no Steinberg Key or if the key hasn’t been properly activated. You can separately purchase a new Steinberg Key for use with Groove Agent, or use a key previously bought for use with other Steinberg applications.

The Steinberg key

The Steinberg Key is, in fact, a little computer on which your Steinberg software licenses are stored. All hardware-protected Steinberg products use the same type of key, and you can store more than one license on one key. Also, licenses can (within certain limits) be transferred between keys – which is helpful, e.g. if you want to sell a piece of software.

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If you have a Windows PC, the installation routine will initiate a restart of Windows after installation of the key drivers and the program software. After the restart, you can plug the key into the USB port to proceed with the key activation.

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If you have an Apple Macintosh computer, there will be no automatic restart. Be sure to read the information regarding the Steinberg Key that is displayed during the installation process.

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If you already own copy-protected Steinberg software, remove any existing Steinberg Keys from the computer’s USB port during the Groove Agent 3 installation routine.

The Steinberg Key must not be plugged in before or during the installation of Groove Agent 3. Otherwise the operating system of your computer will register it as new USB hardware and try to find drivers that won’t be present before Groove Agent 3 installation.

If you already own a Steinberg Key (e.g. for Cubase or Nuendo), you can load your Groove Agent license onto that one, using the activation code supplied with Groove Agent 3. This way you need only one USB key for both your host application and Groove Agent 3 (see below).

System requirements (PC version)

To run Groove Agent you’ll need:

• Windows XP (Home or Professional).

• Intel/AMD Processor 2 GHz minimum.

•1 GB RAM.

•4 GB free hard disk space.

• DVD drive required for installation.

• Windows MME compatible audio hardware is required (ASIO compatible audio hardware required for low latency operation).

• Steinberg Key (copy protection device) and USB port required.

• Internet connection required for license activation.

• For using as a plug-in or Rewire slave-device, a VST 2, DXi2 or Rewire compatible host is required.

• The Steinberg Key (USB copy protection device) required to run this product is not included. Customers who do not own a Steinberg Key must purchase one separately. The same Steinberg Key copy protection device is then used for all Steinberg products that require it.

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See the Steinberg website for recommendations on how to set up your audio work station.

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Installing Groove Agent 3 (PC version)

Proceed as follows to install Groove Agent 3 on a Windows PC:

Switch on your computer and insert the Groove Agent 3 DVD.

If the DVD window doesn't open automatically, locate the Groove Agent 3 DVD with Windows Explorer.

Double-click on the Groove Agent 3 Installer icon to run the installation program, and follow the on-screen instructions.

Removing Groove Agent 3

To remove the Groove Agent 3 software from your PC:

Locate your installation directory of Groove Agent 3.

Run the application “Uninstall.exe” for Groove Agent 3 from your hard disk.

System requirements (Mac version)

To run Groove Agent you’ll need:

• Mac OS X 10.4

• Power Mac G5 2 GHz minimum/Intel core Solo 1.5 GHz

•1 GB RAM.

•4 GB free hard disk space.

• DVD drive required for installation.

• Core Audio compatible audio hardware.

• Steinberg Key (copy protection device) and USB port required.

• Internet connection required for license activation.

• For using as a plug-in or Rewire slave-device, a VST 2, AU (tested in Logic

7.2.3, Garageband and Digital Performer 5.1) or Rewire compatible host is required.

See the Steinberg website for recommendations on how to set up your audio work station.

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Installing Groove Agent 3 (Mac version)

Proceed as follows to install Groove Agent 3 on a Macintosh:

Switch on your computer and insert the Groove Agent 3 DVD.

If the DVD window doesn't open automatically, double-click on the Groove Agent icon on your desktop.

Double-click on the Groove Agent 3 Installer icon to run the installation program, and follow the on-screen instructions.

The Groove Agent 3 Content will be automatically installed to the following location on your hard disk: “Hard Disk/Library/Application Support/Steinberg/Groove Agent 3”.

If you want to move the musical content to another place on your hard disk, run the “Move Content.pkg” utility after installation has finished.

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Activating the Steinberg Key

Whether you bought a new key when you bought Groove Agent 3, or if you want to use one you previously bought with a different Steinberg product: Your Steinberg Key does not yet contain the license required for Groove Agent 3. You must download this license before you can launch Groove Agent 3!

Use the activation code supplied with the program in order to download the license for Groove Agent 3 to your Steinberg Key. This process is the same both for existing and new keys. Proceed as follows:

After installation of the dongle drivers and the program software (and, on a Windows PC, after restarting your computer), plug the Steinberg Key into the USB port.

If you are unsure of which port this is, consult the documentation of your computer.

If this is the first time a copy protection device is plugged in, it will be registered as a new hardware device. On a Mac, drivers are found automatically without further user interaction. Windows will display a dialog box asking you whether you would like to find drivers for the device manually or automatically.

Under Windows, choose to find drivers automatically. The dialog box closes, and you may have to reboot your computer.

Make sure that your computer has a working internet connection. License download is done “online”.

If the computer on which you installed Groove Agent 3 is not connected to the internet, it is possible to use another computer for the online connection – proceed with the steps below and see the help for the License Control Center application.

Launch the “License Control Center” application (found in the Windows Start menu under “Syncrosoft” or in the Macintosh Applications folder).

This application allows you to view your Steinberg Keys and load or transfer licenses.

Use the License Control Center “Wizard” function and the activation code supplied with Groove Agent 3 to download the license for Groove Agent 3 to your Key. Simply follow the on-screen instructions.

If you are uncertain about how to proceed, consult the help for License Control Center.

When the activation process is completed, you are ready to launch Groove Agent 3!

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Setting up the instrument

Groove Agent 3 as a VST Instrument in Cubase

This section describes how to set up Groove Agent 3 with Cubase as your host application. However, the same procedure applies to most host applications, and you should consult your host’s documentation if you need further help.

Make sure the host program has been correctly installed and set up to work with your MIDI and audio hardware (e.g. MIDI keyboard and an audio card).

To set up Groove Agent 3:

1. Open the VST Instruments window.

2. Click the “No Instruments” label and select Groove Agent 3 from the

pop-up menu.

3. Wait for a few seconds while Groove Agent 3 loads its default style samples. The Groove Agent window opens automatically.

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4. In the VST host application, select Groove Agent 3 as the output for a MIDI track.

Groove Agent 3 as a DXi2 Instrument in Sonar

In SONAR you load Groove Agent 3 into the Synth Rack.

1. Open the Synth Rack and choose “Insert soft synth”. You will then need to scroll through the list and find Groove Agent 3.

2. You are provided with the option of inserting the default MIDI control track as well as one or all of the audio outputs of Groove Agent 3.

MIDI Output in SONAR 5.2 or higher

Note that the DXi version of Groove Agent 3 does not support MIDI output. If you desire this functionality, you will need to install the VST version of Groove Agent 3. Having done so, you will need to run SONAR's VST configuration wizard in order to locate and configure Groove Agent 3.

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Now locate the Groove Agent 3 VSTi in the Synth Rack and select “Enable the MIDI output” when inserting Groove Agent 3 into your project. You will then see Groove Agent appear in your MIDI input port drop-down selection. This will allow you to route the MIDI output from Groove Agent 3 to any other MIDI track in a SONAR project.

Using Groove Agent 3 in an AU compatible application

For Logic Pro 7 proceed as follows:

1. Open the Track Mixer and choose the desired Instrument channel.

2. Click the I/O field and, in the pop-up menu that appears, choose ei-

ther “Multi-Channel” or “Stereo”.

3. In the sub-menu the appears. select All Instruments and then Groove Agent 3.

4. Groove Agent 3 is now loaded as an AU instrument.

Groove Agent 3 stand-alone and ReWire

Groove Agent 3 can be used as a stand-alone application, independently of any host application. This makes it possible to use Groove Agent in sequencer applications that do not support one of the provided plug-in formats of Groove Agent (i.e. VST, DXi, AU), but allow for data exchange using ReWire.

ReWire2 is a special protocol for streaming audio and MIDI data between two computer applications. When using ReWire, the order in which you launch and quit the two programs is very important, as the first audio application launched will capture the sound card resources.

Proceed as follows:

1. First, launch the sequencer application you wish to use (e.g. Ableton Live, ProTools).

If your sequencer supports ReWire, it will provide a way to assign audio and MIDI channels for the exchange of data. See the documentation of your sequencer application for details.

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2. Now, launch Groove Agent as a stand-alone application.

If you chose to create desktop and Start menu items during installation of Groove Agent 3, you can launch the program just like any other application on your computer. You can also double-click the Groove Agent program file in the installation folder.

When you now play a style with Groove Agent 3, the sound is streamed via ReWire to the assigned mixer channels in your host. You can route the separate instrument outputs to individual mixer channels (up to 8).

Note that you are now running two completely separate applications. When you save your sequencer project, this will include the overall channel and bus configuration, but none of the settings in Groove Agent 3! To retain your Groove Agent settings, choose the Save Bank command from the Groove Agent File menu. You may want to choose a file name that indicates that the file contains settings created for a particular sequencer project.

Similarly, when you re-open a project in your sequencer application and have launched Groove Agent 3, use the Load Bank command in Groove Agent to reload the Groove Agent settings pertaining to this particular project.

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First test

Let’s make sure Groove Agent 3 is properly set up and ready to play:

1. If you load Groove Agent as a VST instrument, make sure Groove Agent is selected as the output for a MIDI track. If required, make sure your MIDI controller is routed to this track.

2. Open the Groove Agent panel. Move the Style slider to a style of your choice. Be prepared to wait for a second or two while Groove Agent loads its samples for this style. The green LCD window is helpful here with its Loading and Ready messages.

3. Adjust the tempo of your host application to suit each style’s favorite tempo range as displayed in the “range” field in the green LCD window.

4. Click Run in the Groove Agent window. Now you should see the red LCD meters on the Groove Agent interface flash and the beat light indicate 1-2-3-4. You should also hear cool rhythms streaming from your speakers!

Groove Agent terminology

Accent – The kind of Accent we refer to in this manual is the traditional marked hit, typically played on the crash cymbal and kick drum. When played off beat, like e.g. on the 8th note preceding a bar line, it becomes a syncope.

Ambience – Groove Agent 3 comes with a complete set of ambience recordings for all drums and percussion instruments. The acoustic sounds have been recorded with distant microphones and the electronic sounds have been processed through various reverb and effects units.

Channel – A Channel in Percussion Agent can be seen as a single musician playing his/her instrument. Each Channel can have its own settings for volume, pan, shuffle, tuning, ambience and even start point offset.

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Complexity – The level of advancement in a style. In Groove Agent 3, the complexity levels go from left (simple) to right (advanced). Music generally benefits from variations in a song, and in Groove Agent they’re always easy to reach.

Compressor – This is probably the first device a recording engineer reaches out for when recording drums. Limiting (or compression, the difference is not always easily defined) controls the overall output level and can also be used as an effect.

Control Strip – The central panel in Dual Mode view that holds general functions like the module selector, Stop, Run, Fill buttons, Speed control etc.

Dry/Wet – These are terms that describe the two extremes of a sound. Either you listen to an instrument very closely in a damped environment, or you take many steps back and listen to it from a distance or bathed in reverb. In the studio we refer to these extremes as dry (close) and wet (distant).

Dual Mode – The all new page that lets you access any two modules at once, Groove Agent, Special Agent, Percussion Agent.

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Fill – A live drummer usually plays a fill every eight bars or so, emphasizing the song’s structure and movement. A fill may be regarded as “an improvised exclamation mark”. Are you going from the verse into the chorus? Time for a fill!

Half tempo feel – Typically, slowing down the kick and snare pattern to half speed, while keeping the rest of the pattern going in the other instruments. This creates a dramatic effect and is a very typical live drummer behavior! Real drummers do this all the time, if you don’t stop them.

Kit – A special set of drums and percussion associated with each style. In Groove Agent, style and kit can be chosen separately.

LCD meters – These are the cool, red level meters that start flashing when Groove Agent is playing. They indicate that sound is being output from Groove Agent, but for more detailed control you should use the level meters in your host sequencer.

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LCD window – The big, yellow window tells you, at all times, what’s going on inside Groove Agent 3. This is your main source for information.

Module – This is new in Groove Agent 3, the possibility to fill the two slots in Dual Mode with Groove Agent and/or Special Agent and/or Percussion Agent. Each such agent is referred to as a module.

Shuffle – Also referred to as “swing factor”. These terms indicate the relationship between the 8th notes (sometimes 16th notes), as these can either be perfect 8ths (“straight 8ths”) or swung (“triplet 8ths”).

Style – A certain musical style, normally linked to a unique drum and percussion kit.

T – If there’s the letter T after a style or groove name, that’s an indication that this style is triplet based.

About the sounds in Groove Agent

Groove Agent was one of the first virtual instruments to include multiple velocity layers and separate ambience recordings. The more velocity layers you include, the closer you’ll be able to get to the sound, impact, musicality and realism of a drum kit recorded live. The same goes for the acoustic properties of the room where the drums were recorded. By including separate samples of the echoing room, the user is able to adjust the amount of space surrounding the drum kit.

Apart from velocity layer and ambience, a third feature is also very important for realism: Alternating, new in Groove Agent 3. First seen in an early Yamaha sampler (and then strangely forgotten until recent years), Alternating calls up a different sample every time a drum sound is played. With alternating, you can record two or more (nearly) identical hits, load them into your playback device, and hear the samples alternate. Our ears are extremely good at recognizing exact repetition, so treating them with similar but yet different, unique samples is generally a good idea.

Groove Agent 3 now sports Alternating for the most important acoustic instruments in the new kits, namely: snare, hihat, toms, kick and cymbals.

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Groove Agent 1

The drums for the original edition of Groove Agent were recorded during the summer of 2002 in Studio Kuling north of Örebro, Sweden. The large studio room has the most dramatic acoustic properties we’ve ever heard! The room itself is large and mostly covered with wood panels, and engineer Jens Bogren certainly knows his way around the equipment. With Mats-Erik Björklund playing all instruments, sound designers Per “Worra” Larsson/SampleTekk and Sven Bornemark started recording multiple velocity levels of each sound.

There was an initial agreement that this archive should cover most grounds – as many musical landscapes as possible. Therefore we decided upon recording all these instruments:

A 50s jazz kit. Not very damped, sounds a bit loose, sloppy.

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A 60s pop kit. Very damped drums from the era when they put towels on the toms!

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A 70s rock kit. Loud, deep and ringing. This kit is big!

An 80s studio kit. Fresh and modern, like on most of today’s CDs.

On top of that, we added stuff that adds color and realism to the different eras and attitudes we wanted to cover. 50s drums played with brushes and mallets, 80s kit with rods and additional snares like piccolo and deep models.

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To make the archive complete, we spent a long session recording percussion instruments, both those included in the GM protocol plus an array of other, interesting sounds: African fur drum, rainstick, tambourine, cascabelles, mouth plop etc.

Recording bongos…

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…congas…

… and timbales

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Engineer Jens Bogren came up with the suggestion that we’d run all sounds through an analogue 24 track tape recorder for “that warm sound”. Great idea! Coupled with our original intention to produce a very complete archive, this is what we actually recorded:

• Tracks 1-2: closely miked drum.

• Tracks 3-4: overhead microphones.

• Tracks 5-6: ambient mics 2 meters away.

• Tracks 7-8: distant mics 7 meters away.

After the recording sessions, Per Larsson spent several months editing the sounds. Editing in a multitrack environment like this is a task very different from working with only stereo samples. We carefully chose the takes that would go together best and went for a mixed setup, where the 50s and 70s kits use the dry and distant sounds and the remaining instruments use the dry and ambient recordings.

Mats-Erik Björklund was the person responsible for bringing all the carefully chosen instruments to the studio. So even if the 70s hihat recordings went astray or if we totally forgot to record the sound of a whistle, his help has been invaluable!

So much for acoustic timbres. For the more modern and experimental electronic sounds we turned to the sample library of Primesounds, Stockholm. There was the multitude of sounds we needed. On top of that, many of our musicians spent time on building their own, unique sounds from the ground up.

Sounds marked with a B, M or R were recorded with Brushes, Mallets and Rods respectively.

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Groove Agent 2

The Groove Agent 2 sessions sported Mats-Erik behind the drums and as the main sound designer. Engineer for this second round was Rickard Bengtsson. Mats-Erik took the opportunity to record some useful kits to make the sonic palette even more complete:

The Studio kit – A top of the line set with some of the best drums and cymbals around. We wanted to achieve a sound that would fit in a lot of styles that demand a good, clean and modern sound. The three snares are high quality snares with different depth and materials and carefully tuned to bring out the true characteristic of the instruments.

The Heavy kit – This drum-set is intended to fit in many of today’s Metal styles, where busy bass drumming is a vital ingredient. The dry character of the ride-cymbal and the great sound from the crashes will cut through any wall of guitars.

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The Noisy kit – We wanted to create a modern drum sound using traditional drums. These instruments are very small but along with the boom-box effect they sound much bigger than they really are. We experimented a lot with different digital effects and came up with a sound that we think will last. The snares are a thin, high pitched piccolo and a small 10” mini-snare. Some of the cymbals are rare vintage

instruments that are almost impossible to find anywhere today, while others are modern, noisy sounding instruments that have seen better days…

A red Slingerland “Radio King”

(the world’s most recorded

snare drum), a black

handmade snare drum from

Hanus & Hert in Prague and a

Slingerland copper snare.

In order to achieve our sonic goals, it was decided that we would not add acoustic ambience this time. Rickard had just purchased an Eventide Harmonizer “Orville” unit and spent considerable time creating some very significant environments for the drum sounds. The resulting sounds are very rich and colorful.

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In addition to the acoustic kits, a handful of vintage drum machines from Sven Bornemark’s private collection were added. Some of these beauties are over thirty years old, so sampling them was not without complications. Old analogue gear tends to sound a bit different from day to day – and even from beat to beat – so when comparing the original, built-in rhythms with our MIDI renditions, there are some differences. However, we think we’ve managed to capture and re-package

the better part of the magic of these drum machines of yesteryear.

The vintage drum machines got their ambience from a vintage EMT plate reverb unit located in a well known Malmö recording studio, Tambourine Studios.

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Groove Agent 3

With Groove Agent 3 we wanted to add new dimensions to our drum tool concept. Session drummer deluxe Rasmus Kihlberg is one of a very small group of people capable of delivering live drum grooves ranging “from very sparse to very hot”. In 25 steps, with only slight variations between each step plus fills and half tempo feel versions of all levels! All in all, Rasmus recorded over 1.000 unique grooves behind his drum kits plus hundreds of percussion patterns.

The studio chosen for our Groove Agent 3 sessions was Gula Studion in Malmö, with Marco Manieri as engineer. The sound at Gula is not as big as in Studio Kuling. Instead we relied more on the studio room’s earlyreflection style ambience plus an assortment of control room reverb effects. In addition, the “Stone Room” was used with one kit, giving an aggressive yet natural character to the third kit.

In parallel to the grooves, Rasmus also recorded individual samples of every drum kit. As usual, we wanted to give each kit its own personality and we treated ourselves to an easy start by recording a kit that was already in the studio, the in-house Gula kit.

It looks a bit odd with its extended bass drum (two kick drums mounted head-tohead), but the sound is easily recognized as the very popular sound found on many hit songs recorded at Gula. This kit is referred to as “Gula”.

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The second kit was Rasmus’ own Premier GenX set with pinstripe heads. It’s tuned to produce a dry, clean, elegant and widely useful sound, hence the name “Clean Adult Fun”.

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For the third set of recordings, we moved into the overly reverberant Stone Room, where Rasmus played his old, precious Ludwig kit from the early sixties, nick-named “Fula”. Think “Ringo Starr”, and you’ll know what sort of drum set we’re talking about. Mother-ofpearl finish, white heads and almost no damping gives a very dynamic jazz-to-pop sound that can be used in almost any situation.

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We’ve spiced up the sonic palette with some very well known digital drum machines

from the eighties.

One such drum machine is the Linn LM-1 Drum Computer that belongs to Torgny Söderberg in Skara. It has serial number 00131 and was one the first to be sold in Sweden. This was Torgny’s main tool during his extremely successful period of songwriting, and consequently this very machine has been heard in more Swedish pop hits than any other drum machine.

Hmm, isn’t it fascinating how everything goes in circles. When digital drum machines first appeared in the early 80s, we were amazed at the sonic realism. It sounds just like a real drummer! Human drummers didn’t become totally extinct, but they met some fierce competition in those days.

Later, with huge, multisampled sound libraries, plus a general revival of the live drummer, those old 8-bit beasts seem to represent an era most musicians want to forget. Until now, that is, for it seems like digital sounds have started to become fashionable again!

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Special Agent: Rasmus Kihlberg

Groove Agent 3 sports some totally new modules. In two of them we’re able to enjoy the inspiring drumming and fine percussion work of Rasmus Kihlberg.

For me as a producer, finding a person like Rasmus was a stroke of luck. Even though we’ve been acquainted for over twenty years and played together a number of times, it wasn’t until October 2005 that I started to think about Rasmus as a very exciting Special Agent.

Some background: Rasmus Kihlberg was educated at Malmö Music University and has worked as a musician at Tambourine Studios and Gula Studion with Tore Johansson. His recording credits include Titiyo, Shakira, Aha, Junior/Senior, Charlotte Church, Saint Etienne, Tom Jones, Bonnie, Pink, Hideki Kaji, Tomoyo Harada, Dan and Gullan Bornemark, Jan Lundgren Trio, Viktoria Tolstoj, The Ark, Ainbusk

Singers, Sylvia Vrethammar, Spitfire, Arne Domnerus and Kasper Villaume. He’s also made live performances with many European artists such as The Cardigans, Björn Skifs, Tomas Ledin, Anders Berglund, Jill Johnson, Toots Thielemans, Putte Wickman, Tommy Körberg, Jojje Wadenius, Monica Zetterlund, Jennifer Brown, Johnny Griffin, Deborah Brown, Nils Landgren, Viktoria Tolstoy and Ulf Wakenius.

Asking a drummer to play a basic rhythm is easy. Then asking for some similar patterns with only minute variation isn’t too hard either. But instructing someone to produce 25 different renditions that still remain true to the style in question, that’s a tall order. Very few musicians are experienced and mentally organized enough to be able to deliver that. Then, after those 25 levels have been recorded, there are 25 fills needed and an additional 25 levels of half tempo feel. That’s where total musical understanding comes in.

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I knew Rasmus could manage to do all that, and so he did! It’s very un-Swedish to confess such self-confidence, but for a producer it’s a godsend to find that in a musician. So, he was not afraid of trying, but would he manage to deliver?

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When recording a typical Special Agent style, Rasmus proceeded as follows. Of all those 25 levels in a style (A-B-C-D-E-1-2-3-…-20) he usually started at complexity level 8. He worked his way up to the rather extravagant level 20 and then started from level A. At the end of the session he would reach level 7, the one next to level 8 where he started 20 minutes ago. Now, levels 7 and 8 are supposed to contain the same logical progression as between all other consecutive levels, and I remember being amazed that they always did.

This is true musicianship!

Mr Kihlberg has no troubles writing and reading music, and you would assume that he’d prepared his work by writing down arrangements for every styles prior to the sessions. But no, it was all composed and recorded right before our very ears there in the studio.

There are few people on this planet who have heard Special Agent styles being created and recorded, but those of us who did are extremely happy to have shared that magic experience!

After recording, all those hours of drum kit and percussion grooves went to Uffe Börjesson for mastering. After that, editor Lars Westin patiently cut these grooves into slices, one slice per beat, so that you can use Rasmus’ drumming in a tempo that suits your song. Both Uffe and Lars have been on board since we did Virtual Guitarist in 2002. Reliable chaps, indeed!

When Rasmus finds the time between tours and studio sessions, he offers his services via his own website at www.livedrumsonweb.com.

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Using Groove Agent in Classic Mode

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Here’s an extremely compact version for the impatient amongst you:

With Groove Agent in Classic Mode, choose a musical genre by dragging the upper slider and select a style from the pull-down menu. Make sure the lower slider is somewhere in the middle third of its total travel and that the tempo is inside the tempo range of the chosen style. Start your sequencer, and when you want the drums to start playing, hit Run in Groove Agent.

For really easy living, activate Auto Fill. Move the Complexity slider to the left for easier/gentler playing and to the right for a more advanced/ noisy/wild drummer. Stop Groove Agent with its own Stop button or by stopping your sequencer.

For a more detailed description, read on!

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The LCD window

The information given in this window is mostly self explanatory, but let us give you the most useful tip of all:

When navigating the Style and Complexity sliders, the big LCD window always tells you the current status of your selections.

We’ve crammed a total of 108 styles

under the 15 genres selectable from the top slider. If you think it’s difficult to find the style you’re after, the LCD window also offers an alternative method of making selections. Just click on the names shown in the window and choose the style and kit from the list that appears.

You may also find the LCD window useful when making fine detail editing to various parameters, since the exact value is shown in the central part of the window.

As you might have expected, it’s still possible to combine the music of one style with the drum kit from another style. Just de-activate the Link button and use separate positions (and sub-menus) for the two halves of the style selector.

Range

Each style has its own favorite tempo range. If you play a hectic House style at 40 BPM, it probably won’t sound very impressive. We won’t try to stop you from trying any style in any tempo, but we remind you of each style’s home BPM range in the LCD window. The recommended tempo range should be regarded as a helpful hint if realism is what you’re after. If not, break this rule!

For a tempo map overview, see page 108.

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Dual Mode button

This button takes you to the brand new Dual Mode, where many exciting new features await you. Clicking on “To Classic” takes you back to the “old style” Groove Agent Classic Mode.

The Style slider

The top slider is probably the most important gadget in the entire instrument. Those of you old enough to remember earlier versions of Groove Agent will notice an immediate change here. We’ve changed the way styles are handled, because their total number has increased to 108. The 15 genre names are a starting point to select a style.

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You use this slider to select a style. Start by looking under an appropriate genre name, then select a style from the pull-down menu that appears.

The letter T after a style name indicates that this style is triplet based.

Important! If a style has a time signature other than 4/4, it is ESSENTIAL that you set the time signature of your host to the same value! This is true for all odd signature styles except for the 12/8 style, which sounds fine when you use it with 4/4.

There’s a complete listing of all styles with descriptions written by the composers starting on page page 81.

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Every style has its own carefully crafted drum kit assigned to it. Many of the early styles sound vintage by today’s standards – both musically and soundwise – and that’s exactly the point!

When first selecting a style, the plug-in will take a few seconds to load the samples. When you move to another style, there are a few seconds of loading time again. But if you go back to the first style again, loading time will be much shorter, because the samples are still in your computer’s cache. This is especially true for the Windows operating systems. So, if you are brave enough to use several styles within one song, you may encounter glitches at those style changes, but only the first time during a session.

Styles stored in Memory locations stay loaded, so Groove Agent will not glitch when switching between them.

As described elsewhere, you can also choose the style and/or kit by clicking in the LCD window.

The Style Link button

Choosing a style also selects a drum and percussion kit especially assigned to it. As long as the two halves of

the slider are linked, that is. Clicking the Link button once un-links the two halves of the slider button, making it possible for you to play the Bossa Nova style with a Techno drum kit! In this mode, the upper half selects the playing style and the lower half of the slider selects the kit.

Click the Link button again, if you want to re-establish the Link between the style and the corresponding kit.

Please note that selecting a new kit usually calls for new samples to be loaded. This may take a few seconds.

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The Complexity slider

This tool is also very important, since it makes the drumming built into Groove Agent come alive. Getting acquainted with this slider shouldn’t be too problematic, since its behavior is very predictable.

If you move this slider to the left, you’ll reach the simpler levels of complexity. As a matter of fact, the first levels – named A, B, C, D, and E – are usually not even complete patterns. Something is missing here, be it a kick drum or a few beats. The reason we gave you these levels is because we think you might find them suitable for song intros or when producing very sparse music. Maybe only the first verse of your song needs this gentle touch?

By moving the slider to the right, you move into the more active territory. Here you’ll find variations 1-20 of the chosen style and the further you move to the right, the busier it gets. Some may even regard the rightmost levels to be totally unlistenable, but that’s intentional. This drummer gets a bit wild sometimes!

For convenience and predictability, level changes occur only at bar lines. This means that if you want to change from level 8 to 11 and move the slider on the second beat of a bar, you’ll have to wait until the next bar to hear the new level. This behavior gives you time to trigger fills (and click other buttons if you need to) a bit in advance.

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If you really want to change levels instantly, you should get acquainted with the memory section. There you can jump between ANY combinations of panel settings in a split second.

Complexity levels 1-15 are generally regarded as normal or most useful.

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The Complexity Link button

The 25 levels of complexity each have their own unique

fill. By moving the slider to a certain level and then hit-

ting the Fill button, you’ll hear that level’s fill.

You can also separate the two halves of the slider. When you click the Link button, the two halves can be dragged individually. In this mode, it’s perfectly possible to use a very simple rhythm and activate a rather complex fill. Or vice versa.

You may also find the Link button useful if you’ve decided that fill number 13 (or whatever) is the only one you want to use at a particular position in your song. Or throughout the song, for that matter.

Clicking the Link button again re-establishes the link between complexity and fill.

Snare/Sidestick

One common practice in traditional drumming is to

make the sound “lighter” by playing with the stick lying

down on the snare drum, hitting the metal rim. This is

called sidestick and here’s the button for it. You may

switch between regular snare and sidestick at any level

of complexity.

While we’ve tried our very best to make the sidestick option sound as natural and musical as possible, there are instances where it felt really awkward to use the sidestick. Therefore, the sidestick option is available in most but not all the complexity levels in Groove Agent.

The sidestick playing technique generally sounds more natural at lower complexity levels.

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Accent

This button triggers a kick + crash cymbal hit. You may use it as an accent in your song. When hit at an offbeat, the accent hit becomes a syncope. The current drum pattern stops for as long as you keep the button pressed. Holding down the Accent button for approximately one quarter note after you hit it on an off-beat creates a very realistic syncope.

Fill

This is one of the most rewarding buttons of Groove Agent! A drum machine that plays its patterns very regularly and automatically triggers a fill every 8th bar will sound right most of the time but certainly not always.

In Groove Agent YOU are the band leader, the conductor! Hit the button when you feel it’s time for a fill, and Groove Agent will obey. If you hit the button early in a bar, you’ll hear more of the fill bar than if you hit the button late in a bar. Armed with this knowledge, you can turn even the wilder fills into more discrete (short) ones.

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Please note that in most styles the fills end with a crash cymbal on the downbeat of the next bar, just like a live drummer. You can turn this effect off on the Setup page.

Speaking of arming, you can actually start a pattern with a fill. When Groove Agent is stopped, hitting the fill button will arm it, so that clicking the Run button makes Groove Agent start playing with a fill.

Each style has 25 complexity levels. This also applies to fills; the lower numbered fills tend to be less busy than the ones with higher numbers.

Some musical styles have a definite 2 or 4-bar pattern feel to them. While an irregular (e.g. 7 or 9) bar period in your music may cause such a pattern to sound wrong (“one bar late”), it’s reassuring to know that after a fill the music always restarts at “bar 1” in such a pattern.

Fills can also be used for endings. Hit the Fill button in the last bar of your song and then the Stop button on the last beat.

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Half Tempo Feel

One trick many live drummers use is to change their playing to “half tempo feel”. It usually involves slowing down the kick and snare pattern to half tempo while keeping the hihat/ride pattern going. Figge, one of the

musicians involved in this project, suggested that we include this feature in Groove Agent. After some serious thought, we decided it would definitely be a big bonus; there aren’t too many drum machines out there with a “Half Tempo Feel” button. But all drummers do half tempo feel now and then!

In Groove Agent, all the half tempo feel patterns have been especially programmed to imitate this trick. One very obvious example can be found in the Fox style. Play it at a moderately brisk tempo and then hit the Half Tempo Feel button. You will notice how the playing style turns into something very similar to funk. Or use a rock style with half tempo feel, and it’ll turn into a power ballad.

In practice, the Half Tempo Feel function doubles the amount of available styles! You can think of the half tempo feel as the basic rhythm of your song. And then, near the end, perhaps disengage the button for an uptempo, gospel style ending!

Try activating the Half Tempo Feel button at the bridge section of a song and then go back to normal play for the end choruses. Or at any other part where you feel the urge to increase the excitement or coolness with this function.

Random

The Random button only plays levels within a range of ±2 levels from the slider’s original position.

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If you want some automatic pattern variation, the Random button is very handy. This function automatically changes patterns for you. The general idea is to make the drumming sound less rigid, less predictable. The LCD window shows you what level is currently playing.

Auto Fill

Here’s a handy little knob. It can automate the way fills are triggered:

• On – When you move from one complexity level to another with Auto Fill activated, Groove Agent automatically plays a fill before the next level.

• 2, 4, 8, 12 or 16 – A fill is triggered automatically every second, fourth, 8th, 12th or 16th bar, but NOT when you change complexity level. This is perfect for those moments when you’re jamming along with Groove Agent and your hands are busy. This function is new in Groove Agent 3.

Random Fill

This is another little tool to make life easier. If you stay within one complexity level and trigger a fill every now and then, this button will make sure that every time there’s a fill, it’ll be a different one.

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As with the Random button, the randomly chosen fill always lies within ±2 steps from the slider’s current location.

Tip: Using Auto Fill in position 2–16 with Random Fill activated will increase variation; every time a fill is triggered, it will be a different one.

Import & FX

Here’s a new feature! Earlier versions used to have a Limiter accessible directly from this interface. In Groove Agent 3, the effects section has been seriously over-

hauled, so we’ve created a special page for those settings. Press this button to go to the page for (sample) Import and Effects.

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Shuffle

Some of the music in this world has a “straight” or “even” subdivision. Eights are even eights, so to speak. Other styles use some form of triplets, giving the rhythm a certain “swing”, a smoother, rolling character.

Musically, these two types are known as straight and swing based music. And to make matters more complicated, music with a swing can be based on either triplet 8ths (as in the song “New York, New York”) or triplet 16th notes (as in Stevie Wonder’s “Sir Duke”).

The Shuffle knob affects the sub-timing of the 8ths or 16ths and acts a bit differently than the other Groove Agent controls. If you play a straight style and turn the knob to the right (+), you’ll hear the music change to a more “swingy” style (the even 8ths or 16ths turning to triplet feel). On the other hand, a swing based style becomes straighter if you turn the dial to the left (–).

Unfortunately, while we’ve tried our best to provide a logical and “indestructible” user interface, the Shuffle knob can be used to mess things up, too. If you turn it towards 7 o’clock when playing a straight style, or if you turn it towards 5 o’clock when playing something triplet based, the result will sound weird, to say the least. Use with intelligence and an open mind!

The normal position for this knob is 12 o’clock. At this setting, all styles sound as they were originally composed.

For that cajun, zydeco, or New Orleans kind of half-swing, try using a straight style and move the Shuffle knob halfway to its triplet position, to the 57–60% region.

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Humanise

Even though the musical tracks feeding Groove Agent have been created with great care, imagination and musicality, you may want to give your drumming a bit more natural variation. This knob gradually makes the instrument play more “inaccurately” in terms of timing and dynamics.

The normal position for this knob is to the far left.

Ambience

This knob is one of the highlights of Groove Agent! All the acoustic drums and percussion instruments were recorded using a mix of several techniques:

• Every instrument close miked, giving a very dry sound.

• Every instrument recorded through the overhead microphones, giving

a rather dry sound but with a sweet stereo image.

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• Every instrument recorded through the ambience microphones, positioned approximately 2 meters from the source. This gave us a warm, roomy sound with a controlled amount of “air”.

• Every instrument recorded through a pair of distant mikes, placed over 7 meters away. Now we’re talking room! These recordings give a definite hall atmosphere. Roomy? Yes, definitely!

• The analogue and digital drums sounds have electronic and electromechanical reverb added to them.

Now, while editing the sound archive for Groove Agent, we carefully chose the ambience recording that should go with every dry source. For the 50s kit, we used the close-up microphones for drums and hihat and the overheads for the cymbals. We then added the distant recordings for ambience. This gave us a chance to create old sounding, roomy, acoustic kits for that vintage sound.

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For other kits we used different combinations, and for the analogue and digital sounds we added normal studio effects units like digital reverbs and delays.

All in all, the very natural sounding ambience is there for you to use! We’ve preset a lot of different kits to go with the different musical styles, but if you want to change the overall ambience, use this dial to your heart’s content!

The Ambience knob also acts as a master control for the 8 individual Ambience controls (one per group). The normal position for this knob is 12 o’clock. Turning it all the way to the left produces a close-mic’d dry sound, while all the way to the right gives you the ambient (wet) sounds only.

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Mute, Groups, Instrument Selection and Solo

The sounds in Groove Agent are organized in 8 logical groups:

1. Kick (bass) drum

2. Snare drum

3. Toms or effects

4. Hihat

5. Ride and Chinese cymbals

6. Crash and splash cymbals

7. Percussion group 1 (usually “high

pitched and quick playing” instruments)

8. Percussion group 2 (usually “low pitched and slow playing” instruments)

You can use the corresponding Mute button at any time to kill the sound output from any of these groups. Mute activated = no sound. Mute disabled (un-lit) = sound on.

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Next are the Solo buttons. When you’re listening to a full drum kit and want to tweak one of the groups only, it’s usually easier to press Solo for that group than to mute all other groups. Solo activated = only solo-ed group(s) is (are) heard. Solo not active (un-lit) = all groups are heard.

While listening to the preset styles and their related kits, you may want to experiment with changing individual instruments or instrument groups. Click the sound name field to open a pop-up menu from which you can choose a different instrument. Change that tight 80s studio kick to a dull 50s jazz kick in one easy go and hear the results instantly!

When using the Sample Import function found on the Import & FX page, the sample(s) you’ve loaded can be accessed here at the top of the instrument list as “User”. Please note that the Sample Import function is only available in the Upper module in Dual Mode.

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Stop/Run

These buttons start and stop the internal drum pattern engine. While Groove Agent can be used with your host sequencer

stopped, it always plays at the BPM rate (tempo) and time signature of your host program. When your sequencer is running, Groove Agent follows the tempo and synchronizes to the beat position of the host.

You can make Groove Agent start simultaneously with your sequencer by using this method:

1. Start your sequencer.

2. Start Groove Agent.

3. Click the sequencer stop button.

Now, depending on the “When host stops” setting on the Setup page, Groove Agent may be stopped or paused. The waiting/pause status of the Run button is indicated by the green color. This is good for those situations where you want the drums to play from the very start of a song or a section.

You can choose how you want Groove Agent to react to Run and Stop commands. The Setup page offers two alternatives:

• Selecting “When Host Stops -> Pause Playback” puts your drummer in waiting mode whenever the host is stopped.

• Selecting “When Host Stops -> Stop Playback” means that Groove Agent has to be restarted manually.

Different modes for different situations. Find the setting that best suits your workflow.

Under the hood

So far we have described the functions you can reach on the top surface of Groove Agent in Classic mode. The black area surrounding the large LCD window not only holds the level meters, it’s also the lid under which the Edit department resides. Let’s open the lid by clicking “Edit” in the lower right corner of the instrument panel.

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The sound edit knobs

There are eight rows of controls in the area close to the middle of the screen. The functions for all the eight instrument groups are identical, so we’re using the top row as an example.

All knobs have their default position at 12 o’clock.

Aud – This button lets you audition the sound chosen in the group window to the left. This function is handy when auditioning the sounds themselves and the edits you make to them.

Vel – The Velocity Offset knob alters the response of the drum sounds. When turned counter-clockwise, the MIDI input velocities are scaled down to lower values, making more use of the softer samples. Turning the knob past 12 o’clock increases the input velocities, producing a harder, louder sound. To compensate for the decrease/increase in overall output, a volume compensating device is connected to each group output.

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This knob may also be regarded as a quick method for making the acoustic drums sound more loose or tight.

Please note that this function only works (and makes sense) on multisampled sounds, i.e. nearly all of the acoustic instruments.

Tune – You can tune each group up and down by as much as 12

seminotes with this knob. Please note that for delicate fine-tuning you may want to hold down [Shift] on your computer keyboard for a more detailed resolution.

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Dec – Altering the decay of an instrument can create interesting changes to the sound, especially if they’re recorded with ambience as our acoustic drum and percussion sounds. A normal snare can be turned into an extremely damped, snappy drum or to an almost gated reverb kind of noise.

Amb – Here you can fine tune the amount of ambience for each group from dry to wet. The main Ambience knob (in the bottom left corner of the window) always serves as a master control, so if you make sure it’s in its 12 o’clock position, it’ll be easier for you to do the fine tuning.

Vol – Finally you can adjust the total volume for each instrument group.

Out – Each group can be assigned to any of the 1-12 available stereo outputs. This is useful when you want to individually tweak one or more groups with Groove Agent’s built-in effects or treat the sound using external EQ/effects.

Please note! The available number of outputs is determined/limited by the number of outputs chosen on the Setup page.

Memory locations

The Memory locations represent an alternative method of working with Groove Agent. Think of each memory slot as a snapshot of the entire Groove Agent panel.

When you first open Groove Agent, the first memory button is lit. This means that it’s active, it’s listening, it registers every change you make. You don’t have to activate this memory slot – it’s always live.

The Copy button copies whatever is on Groove Agent’s panel into any of the 10 memory locations. Click Copy and then a memory button, and the procedure has been completed.

• A dark button means that this location is empty.

• A green-ish color indicates that something has been saved here.

• A bright light shows the currently active memory.

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Each of the 10 memory slots can be regarded as a snapshot of all settings in the entire module. After some tweaking, you may have found an overall setting that is absolutely right for, say, the verses of your song.

By clicking the Copy button and then memory slot number 2, all the current settings are stored in Memory 1 but also moved into the new memory slot. You are now free to go further and find the right sound for, say, the chorus. With slot 2 active, you may fiddle around the panel to your heart’s desire. That perfect verse setting is safely stored at memory position 1, so you’re free to experiment. (While this description does not represent the ultimate in flexibility when using Groove Agent, this is ONE way to use automation.)

Here’s another suggestion. Since the Memory slots store the entire front panel settings of this module, you can jump between complexity levels instantly and even completely different styles and kits in one go! This may not be the ultimately realistic scenario – how many drummers do you know that can change an entire kit in a snap – but it sure gives you more flexibility than anyone could ask for!

If you save your Groove Agent settings as a Bank (.fxb), all the content of the Memory buttons will be retained.

Master Volume

It’s not very hard to describe a knob marked as Master Volume, is it? You may think that it controls the overall output from this instrument, and if so, you’re absolutely right!

Even when using several outputs, the Master Volume knob controls all outputs.

Please note that audio activity stops when the Master Volume control is at its minimum position. So if you’re using Groove Agent 3 as a pure MIDI player, and using none of its internal sounds (controlling external drum sounds only), you may want to save some CPU power by turning the volume control all the way down.

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Speed

Here’s another new gadget for you! The Speed control (not to be confused with Half Tempo Feel – they are in no way related) lets you quickly solve simple tempo mis-match problems. Here’s an example:

Let’s assume that you’ve started working on that slow power ballad with a 120 BPM setting in your host instead of 60 BPM. When editing a MIDI part, the note data might look a bit odd with quarter notes appearing as half notes – but it would work. In fact, there’d be no problem at all.

Until you want to sync up a self-playing device like Groove Agent, that is…

The easy solution lies in the three buttons that make Groove Agent 3 play half as fast, at normal speed or twice as fast. In the scenario described above, the half setting would cure the problem instantly.

The Speed function can also be used as an effect. Forcing our drummer to play at half or double speed may give interesting results. Feel free to try this at home!

Setup

The Setup button takes you to the Setup page, where you can define all sorts of general preferences and settings. Clicking the Close button magically closes the Setup page.

You can get back to the default view of Groove Agent Classic mode by clicking on the Close button.

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Introducing Dual Mode

The biggest step forward in Groove Agent 3 is undoubtedly Dual Mode. We created this mode because we needed to introduce an elegant solution to working with two modules simultaneously.

At first glance you’ll see a control strip in the middle of the screen. Here you’ll find some general controls like Speed, Stop, Run, Fill, Volume and Balance. With the blank panels in place, there’s not much you can achieve here. The fun begins when you press one of the module selector buttons on the left side of the control strip.

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Press GA, and a new version of Groove Agent will appear. Click on SA, and an all new module called Special Agent will be seen. If you select PA, the all new Percussion Agent will be shown. As you can see, these modules can be used in any combination on the upper and lower half of the screen.

Please note that when changing from Classic Mode to Dual Mode (or vice versa), whatever was playing will stop. Only one can run at a time.

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The Control Strip

You load a module by pressing the appropriate buttons on the left side of the Control Strip: GA for Groove Agent, SA for Special Agent and PA for Percussion Agent. Any Agent can be selected for the upper and/or lower halves.

The Volume knob to the very left sets the overall output level. The Balance knob controls the balance between the two modules. Use it to set the ideal mix or use automation to create a dramatic fade from one kind of rhythm to another.

The central control strip allows you to control two units with very little mouse movement. The most important transport buttons are split into three sections – Upper, Lower and Upper+Lower.

For instance, you may want to start the upper module first. Press the U section of the Run button. Then you want to start the Lower module. Okay, press the L section of the Run button. Or start them both at once by clicking in the U+L section of the Run button. The same principle applies to the Stop, Accent, Fill and Half Tempo Feel buttons.

Consequently, when using two drummers, it’s easy to make only one of them play a fill. Or to pause the lower drummer only. Creative use of these buttons will make your drum track sound more dynamic.

The button To Classic takes you to the original Groove Agent page.

Please regard Classic Mode as a dear old friend and Dual Mode as the new exciting stuff. Groove Agent in Classic Mode and Groove Agent in Dual Mode (in the UPPER slot) are basically the same drum machine; changes made to Groove Agent in Classic Mode will be reflected to Groove Agent in Dual Mode (in the UPPER slot), and vice versa.

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A world of possibilities!

Imagine what Dual Mode can do for your music! You can combine old style Groove Agent drumming with a live drummer module, the Special Agent. Or you can base your drum track on Rasmus’ drum tracks and add a Percussion Agent. Or you can decide to only work with percussion, building up exciting, slowly evolving sonic landscapes (with help from the Random button) and add Groove Agent kick and snare at a later stage. Or make two Groove Agent drummers compete!

For further reading on this topic, please refer to the chapter “Ideas on

using Dual Mode creatively” on page 62.

Groove Agent in Dual Mode

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You’ll recognize the Groove Agent module quite easily. While the screen layout is different from Classic view, the same controls are still there. Groove Agent behaves like before, only the control surface has changed a bit. The new design became necessary to accommodate two modules on one screen.

The main difference is in the Style selector. The top slider has been replaced by two pull-down menus in the top left corner. The Link button is still there, so selecting styles is still very comfortable. And, as usual, you can always click on the Style and Kit names in the LCD window to make your selections, if you prefer.

For a detailed description of every single aspect of the Groove Agent module, please refer to page 31.

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Special Agent

We’re very proud to present Special Agent Rasmus Kihlberg! He has recorded a total of 15 new styles, each with their own 25 levels plus 25 fills and 25 unique half tempo feel renditions. All of them made accessible in a module inside Groove Agent 3.

The best thing about having recordings of a live drummer inside a drum machine is the FEEL. The Groove Agent approach of using MIDI-controlled samples is great, because you can compose and edit patterns any way you want. Because the patterns were recorded live as loops, Special Agent doesn’t feature user-playable drumkits, and due to the different concept Special Agent isn’t able to export its grooves as MIDI patterns like Groove Agent classic. So Special Agent is not as flexible as Groove Agent classic, but there is the good FEEL. So, lets get into this new module and see what we can do with it!

Percussion Agent

The second great innovation in Groove Agent 3 is the all new Percussion Agent. As with the live drumming in Special Agent, there’s a special “something” about instruments recorded live (as opposed to samples triggered by MIDI). So we asked Rasmus Kihlberg to record percussion grooves for this new module.

Percussion Agent can be seen an ensemble consisting of up to eight percussionists (one per channel) playing together. Each player has an instrument playing a particular groove, or rather five variations of a groove. For each player you can adjust the shuffle factor, tuning, amount of ambience plus pan and volume. Each channel can also be assigned to any audio output.

Let’s jump on the bus that takes us around the Percussion Agent module.

A guided tour around the Percussion Agent module

The first point of interest is the Preset department in the upper left corner. Here you can

load and save entire ensembles of percussionists, complete with settings and all. For a head start, simply load one of the presets we’ve prepared for you. This gives you a great chance to evaluate the possibilities.

Or you can skip the use of presets and start building your own ensembles right away! More of that later.

The Import & FX button takes you to the page where you can import Groove Agent samples and add FX to the Groove Agent 3 modules.

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Ambience

The Ambience knob sets the overall mix between dry (close) sound and the wet (ambience) sound. The most natural sound is found in the 9-1 o’clock area.

Please note that there is no facility to route the wet signal from Percussion Agent to a separate output. However, there’s an easy workaround: If you want to treat the wet signal from a channel individually, make a copy of that channel by loading the same groove into an unused channel. Make sure the copy channel is routed to an unused audio output. Set the Ambience knobs for the two channels to Dry and Wet respectively. Done!

Mute, Groove and Solo

The functionality and specifications for each of the eight channels are identical, so the explanations below apply to all of them.

First there is a Mute button. This button mutes the channel, making it easy to compare the sound of the whole ensemble with or without the channel in question.

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Second is the slot that allows you to load a Groove. When clicking inside the text box, a pull-down menu appears. You are now allowed to load a Groove.

The Groove name describes its content in the following way:

• “Tambourine 120-8T”

In this example, Tambourine is the instrument in use. 120 indicates the tempo the groove was recorded at. The number 8 relates to the subdivision; this groove is based on 8th notes (as opposed to 16th notes). The T at the end tells us that this groove is triplet based (as opposed to straight or “even 8ths/even 16ths”).

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As a general hint (not a rule), when the groove subdivision is 8ths, this groove suits higher tempi. Grooves based on 16th notes are often used at lower tempi.

The third button is called Solo, and that’s just what it does. It plays that channel in solo, temporarily muting the other channels. That’s perfect for those occasions when you want to monitor one specific instrument.

The Complexity buttons

There are six buttons in a row here. The first one is called Off. When that button is pressed, this channel won’t make a sound. The remaining five indicate the complexity level of this Groove.

You see, when playing a rhythm pattern, it makes sense to change the rhythm somewhere in the song. The groove may become a bit more complex or in-

tense as we move into the chorus. Or maybe the pattern should become very sparse during a break or a bridge. That’s what Complexity levels are all about.

When a Complexity level is chosen and Percussion Agent is running (you have pressed the Run button), you’ll hear cool percussion grooves pouring out of your speakers.

Press buttons 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 and choose a variation that you like. After that, load another Groove in an empty channel and try to find something that matches the first Groove. After that maybe a third Groove etc.

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Shuffle, Tune, Ambience, Pan, Volume and Output

Next are five knobs plus a selector that help shape the feel and sound of each Groove channel.

Shuffle – When turned clockwise from it’s top position, this knob gradually adds a triplet or swing feeling to a straight (even 8ths/even 16ths) Groove. When turned from 12 o’clock and backwards, it can straighten out a triplet based Groove.

You can create an interesting effect by adding or subtracting small amounts of Shuffle values to various channels.

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Tune – You can tune each channel up or down by as much as 12 seminotes (one octave) with this knob. Please note that for delicate fine-tuning, you may want to hold down [Shift] on your computer keyboard for a more detailed resolution.

Ambience – Here you can fine tune the amount of ambience for each group from dry to wet. The main Ambience knob (in the bottom left corner of the module) always serves as a master control, so if you make sure it’s in its 12 o’clock position, it’ll be easier for you to do the fine tuning.

Pan – Most percussion Grooves are mono recordings (with ambience recorded in stereo). You can make your sonic landscape more interesting by positioning rhythm instruments in the stereo field, i.e. left to right. Tip: If you place a high pitched, bright sound to the left, try panning another bright sound to the right, for balance. Our ears seem to enjoy a bit of symmetry in sound. Also, a wide sound usually sounds richer than a mono sound, where all instruments are placed in the centre.

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Volume – You can adjust the total volume for each instrument group here.

Output – Any channel can go to any stereo output. You may want to use Groove Agent 3’s EQ and Compressor for a specific channel or perhaps add some external treatment in your host. The total amount of stereo outputs is determined by the settings on the Setup page.

Groove Offset

As you can see, a full bar of 8th notes illustrates eight possible starting points for a Groove. The yellow colored note indicates where each Groove starts, where it has its “rhythmical home”. So, what happens if you change that starting point? Let’s see…

Once you’ve got a few channels of percussion Grooves rolling, you can add a kind of “modulation” or “inner effect”

with the Groove Offset department. Now, click on the second or third 8th note in a channel while Percussion Agent is playing. As you can hear, that channel has moved and the overall accents in the total rhythm have changed. The overall rhythm pattern is different – sometimes for better, sometimes for worse.

When arranging the percussion part(s) for a song, try adding some inner dynamics by moving the Groove Offset for one or several percussion channels around. The results can be very rewarding!

Random

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Just like in Groove Agent and Percussion Agent, this button makes the groove change randomly between different levels. Starting from the level you’ve selected, this function allows a channel in Percussion Agent to change ±1 step adjacent complexity levels.

The Random function plays levels within a range of ±1 levels from the button you’ve pressed.

Memory locations

The Memory locations represent an alternative method of working with Percussion Agent. Think of each memory slot as a snapshot of the entire Percussion Agent panel. When you first open Percussion Agent, the first memory button is lit. This means that it’s active, it’s listening, it registers every change you make. You don’t have to activate this memory slot – it’s always live. The Copy button copies whatever is on Percussion Agent’s panel into any of the 10 memory locations. Click Copy and then a memory button, and the procedure has been completed.

•A dark button means that this location is empty.

•A green-ish color indicates that something has been saved here.

•A bright light shows the currently active memory.

Each of the 10 memory slots can be regarded as a snapshot of all settings in the entire module. After some tweaking, you may have found a mix of percussion grooves and tweaks that is absolutely right for, say, the verses of your song. By clicking the Copy button and then memory slot number 2, all the current settings are stored in Memory 1 but also moved into the new memory slot. You are now free to go further and find the right mix for, say, the chorus. With slot 2 active, you may fiddle around the panel to your heart’s desire. That perfect verse setting is safely stored at memory position 1, so you’re free to experiment.

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Setup

The Setup button takes you to the Setup page, where you can define general preferences and settings. Clicking the Close button closes the Setup page.

Please note that Percussion Agent does NOT react to Accent, Fill and Half Tempo Feel commands. Why? Because accents, fills and half tempo feel playing are typical things drummers do.

If Percussion Agent is running and you click “To Classic”, playback will stop. This is normal behavior. To start playback, press Run again.

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Ideas on using Dual Mode creatively

Here are some thoughts on how to make clever use of Dual Mode and its modules.

• Find two different Groove Agent styles that both suit the song. Try to find the most effective combination by using the mute buttons to mute groups in both agents. Maybe the kick and hihat from the first agent sound great together with snare and percussion from the second.

• Let Percussion Agent perform the rhythmic backbone of your song and use one of the drumming modules for fills only.

• Search for a Groove Agent style that suits the verse and a Special Agent style that sounds good with the chorus of your song. Start with the Groove Agent style only. When you approach the chorus, you can either (1) switch over instantly to the Special Agent drumming or perhaps (2) fade from one to the other by using the Balance knob.

• Use the dry sound from one drumming module and the wet sound from another drumming module by turning the main Ambience knobs to dry and wet respectively. This will create a totally unnatural ambience. If that’s too much for you, try using this effect only in the fills.

• In Percussion Agent, load the same groove into the first and second channel. Pan them hard left and right. Delay one of the grooves by half a bar (by clicking the 5th offset note). Now you have a very authentic and wide stereo perspective of two musicians playing together!

• Try to imagine having two drummers in your band. They could play similar, but not identical, styles. They could be panned slightly to the left and right respectively. They could use identical Complexity and Fill commands; the fact that they’re using different styles will still make them sound as two individuals.

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Import & FX page

This page is brand new! It holds the new Sample Import utility and the Effects section. You can access it by pressing any of the Import & FX buttons on the other pages. You leave this page by pressing Close in the upper left corner.

Sample Import section

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Many users have asked for a sample import utility, so that you can use your own samples inside Groove Agent. Well, now that’s possible! Here’s how you do it.

Start by deciding what drum sound you intend to load. If it’s a kick drum, then you’ll find the kick drum slot in the lower right corner, right beside the C1 key. Load a dry sample by clicking in the first box and selecting a kick drum sample from your hard disk. If you have a wet (ambient, reverbant) sample for that kick drum, load it by clicking in the second box.

Please make notes of where your samples are located on your hard disk. Otherwise, if you load a song that uses imported samples and some samples have been moved or deleted, Groove Agent won’t be able to locate and play those samples.

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For every dry and wet sample pair there’s a set of knobs: Volume, Pan and Balance.

Volume – You can adjust the overall volume for this sample pair by turning this knob.

Pan – You can pan the dry sample with this knob. You may want to follow the overall Groove Agent panning laws where hihats are slightly to the right etc.

Balance – If the relative balance between the dry and wet samples doesn’t sound right, you can adjust it here.

As a sensible starting point, use stereo samples for the wet slots. The dry samples can be either mono or stereo.

You can fill every slot with samples of your choice. Imported samples can be used in the Groove Agent classic view or in the upper Groove Agent module in dual mode. The user entry will appear at the bottom of every group where a sample has been imported. You can now select your own sample and compare it to any built-in sample, in the usual Groove Agent manner.

Please note that in Dual mode, imported samples can only be used in the upper view.

If you decide to unload a sample, just click on the small button with an X on it next to the slot in question. You can also unload all samples in one go by pressing the “Unload all” button in the lower left corner.

If you decide to save your work for future use in another song, use the button called “User kit preset” to save this information to disk. You can also load previously saved kits this way. Please note that no user kit samples are included in the Groove Agent 3 package (but on the other hand, we’ve provided thousands of built-in samples already, haven’t we?!).

The keyboard illustration in the Import section actually reflects how the drum sounds are allocated to the MIDI keyboard.

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Please note that the grouping rules that apply to Groove Agent’s internal structure (e.g. a closed hihat always kills the sound of an open hihat) also apply to samples imported by the user.

Most Groove Agent groups – e.g. hihat, toms etc. – have several slots. To fully replace a group, all slots in that group must be filled. An example: If Groove Agent plays a tom fill on all white keys between F1 and D2, any hits assigned to a slot that’s been left empty will produce silence. Another example: If an Ambience slot has been left empty, the Ambience knob for that note/drum will not work properly.

The Setup button takes you to the Setup page, as in other pages.

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FX section

At last, multiple built-in effects! It’s rather convenient to have custom made effects right where you need them, wouldn’t you say?

Please notice the twelve tabs at the top of this section. They represent the twelve possible outputs in Groove Agent 3. The color coding is very important here, because it informs you about the following.

Grey with grey text – This output is not active/selectable, because it lies outside the number of outputs specified on the Setup page.

Grey with black text – This output is active/selectable. It has no effect running.

Red – This output is active/selectable. It HAS an effect running! All computer effects consume CPU power, and having effects running with no sound passing through them is a waste. If a sound is routed through this output, fine. If not, perhaps you should turn off this effect.

Green – This output is active/selectable. In fact, it’s the output you’re looking at right now!

Under the tabs you'll find the effects. On the right side there's an equalizer – or EQ. Nine bands that cover the entire audio spectrum allow you to make minor adjustments or go wild in the name of creativity.

You'll also find a classic-style compressor. Use this to make subtle changes to the dynamics, or add bags of compression for a loud, pumping sound.

Use compression with care – too much compression can be very fatiguing on the ears, as it can kill all the interesting dynamic content.

The Compress knob controls how hard the compressor works. At the minimum setting, the compressor has no effect on the sound, and at the maximum setting the drums sound highly compressed.

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The Release knob controls how quickly the compressor recovers when the volume of the drums drops. Short times increase the compressed sound, and longer times give a more natural sound.

The Out Level knob allows you to compensate for the level changes the Compress and EQ settings may induce.

A word of warning! Although it is fully possible use effects on every single Groove Agent 3 output (all 12 of them), your computer may not be able to handle the load.

Gain reduction meter

The meter next to the Compressor section shows you how much the sound is squeezed by the Compressor.

FX Preset handling

We’ve made life a lot easier for you by providing preset effects. These are suitable for individual instruments (such as kick, snare, hihat, etc.) as well as entire drum kits. These presets can be used as-is or as a starting point for further tweaking.

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Effect presets are available in the FX Preset box. You can also save and load your own presets by clicking the diskette symbol next to the box.

You can easily copy the entire FX settings from one output to another by using the Copy and Paste buttons.

The Total Bypass button is for comparing the sound of an output channel with and without effects.

Any time you move a knob or a slider, the exact value can be monitored if you keep an eye on the small value box next to the Total Bypass button.

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The Setup page

You can reach the Setup page by pressing any of the buttons labeled Setup in Classic Mode, the Dual Mode modules and the Import & FX page. The settings on the Setup page affect the functionality of the entire Groove Agent 3 instrument.

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Groove Agent GM Output

When GM Output is active, this status is shown by a GM symbol in the LCD window. Click the symbol to turn this function on/off.

For Groove Agent we used the keyboard mapping as displayed on the Import & FX page. It starts off like an ordinary GM map with kick drum on C1, sidestick on C#1 etc., but after Tom 1 you’ll notice differences. There are two groups of percussion instruments and, finally, a series of ride and crash cymbals above C3.

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When you set the GM Output to its ON position, Groove Agent will redirect output notes so that it follows the General MIDI protocol.

Groove Agent Ambience Split

When Ambience Split is active, this status is shown by a split sound chain in the LCD window. Click the symbol to turn this function on/off.

You can make Groove Agent output its ambient or reverberated sounds to a separate mixer channel output. This is handy if you want to process that part of the sound separately. With this button activated, the wet signal will only be heard on the highest numbered mixer output.

So what can you do with the ambience on a separate output? Well, EQ or dynamics processing can create interesting effects. Or, if you export Groove Agent’s drumming to an audio file, you can experiment with the isolated ambience file. What does it sound like with the ambient sound a bit late – or a bit early? Or with the dry sound from a techno snare combined with the ambience from a piccolo snare…? Experiment!

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Tool Tips

After having used Groove Agent 3 for a while, you may want to live without the helpful Tool Tips. Do so by unticking this box.

Limit memory usage

If activated, Groove Agent will use less memory because changing from classic to dual mode or vice versa will empty the previously selected modules. For example, if you go from Groove Agent classic to dual mode and load Special Agent in the upper module, Groove Agent classic will be unloaded. Also, if you change back to Groove Agent classic, all dual mode modules will be unloaded and classic mode will be loaded again.

Groove Agent 3 Credits

The all important Credits page informs you who’s been involved in making this instrument. It also shows the version number of Groove Agent 3.

Steinberg Website

Pressing this button takes you to the Steinberg website, where you can get online support, check for updates, get answers to frequently asked questions, etc. These features require that you have a working Internet connection.

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Audio outputs

You can decide how many stereo outputs you need for Groove Agent 3 by choosing a number here. Each output will create a new mixer channel in you host audio mixer.

Please note that Groove Agent 3 will have to be removed from the VST instrument rack and re-opened again for changes to be effective.

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MIDI Output

When MIDI Output is active, this status is shown by a MIDI plug symbol in the LCD window. Click the symbol to turn this function on/off.

One very strong feature in Groove Agent is its ability to write a MIDI part containing the notes you actually hear! When this feature is active, Groove Agent in Classic Mode and the Groove Agent module in the UPPER slot (in Dual Mode) can write a MIDI part. The MIDI Output switch really opens up a whole world of possibilities!

If you arrange your drumming in real-time with your sequencer in record mode (you should try it – this was our ultimate goal when designing Groove Agent), a MIDI part will be created as you go along. After this stage you are free to open that newly created part and perform various tasks:

• Delete, add, copy or move individual notes.

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• Copy any desired length of this new part into another section of the song or into another song altogether.

• Use another kind of quantizing or dynamics.

• Copy the entire part, delete the kick drum in the original part and de-

lete all other instruments in the copy part on another track. Now you can assign the kick part to another virtual or physical instrument, e.g. your favorite sampler. If you’re using a Cubase drum map, this whole operation is even simpler.

The MIDI Output feature really belongs to the outskirts of the VST protocol. We’re pushing the limits here. We have no idea what MIDI Output may do (or not do) in every available host program. We only guarantee that MIDI Output works correctly in Steinberg’s Cubase and Nuendo.

It’s usually a good idea to turn on the SysEx (System Exclusive) filter in your sequencer when using Groove Agent. If you don’t filter out SysEx, the Run and Stop commands are written into the MIDI part, causing Groove Agent’s engine to start playing along with the incoming MIDI data. If you filter out SysEx, the Run and Stop commands aren’t written into the MIDI part and life becomes generally easier.

It is advisable to turn off your sequencer’s auto quantize function when Groove Agent writes a MIDI track. You can always quantize the drumming later, if you want to.

You may choose to direct Groove Agent’s MIDI output to either a MIDI part in your host – as described above – or to a MIDI file on your desktop. The switch has three positions:

Off – Groove Agent does not output any MIDI notes.

Live to host – When selected, Groove Agent will output the notes it

plays to the host. If the host is in record mode, those notes will appear in a newly created MIDI part.

Record to file – In this mode, Groove Agent will record a MIDI file for you and place it on your desktop.

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If you use the “Record to file” option, remember to set the MIDI Output switch to OFF when you’re finished. This action actually instructs Groove Agent 3 to write that file. You can then import said MIDI file into your song for further tweaking. Just use the “Import MIDI File” function of your host, or common drag and drop import if you prefer, and you’re there. Please note that every time you start Groove Agent in this mode, any previous MIDI file will be overwritten.

Please note that Groove Agent in Classic Mode and a Groove Agent module loaded into the UPPER part of Dual Mode will output MIDI note data. A Groove Agent module in Dual Mode lower half will NOT output any MIDI note data.

Actually, you CAN use MIDI files exported from Groove Agent to feed a Groove Agent module loaded into the lower half (in Dual Mode). Just remember to change the MIDI channel for that part to channel 2, as the lower module only listens to that MIDI channel.

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MIDI Mute Key Mode

When controlling Groove Agent from a MIDI keyboard, there are alternative methods for muting and un-muting groups. Choose the method that suits you best.

Toggle – White keys in the range C4-C5 switch instrument groups 1-8 on and off.

Velocity Switch – Notes with high velocity (>64) mute groups, notes with low velocity un-mute groups.

While Held – Groups are temporarily muted (or un-muted, depending on their current status) while notes are held.

When host stops

You can choose how you want Groove Agent to react to Run and Stop commands. This switch offers two alternatives:

• Selecting “When Host Stops -> Pause Playback” puts your drummer in waiting mode whenever the host is stopped.

• Selecting “When Host Stops -> Stop Playback” means that Groove Agent has to be restarted manually.

Save current settings as default

You may want Groove Agent 3 to have your own settings every time you start it. If so, adjust all parameters to your liking and press the “Save current setting as default” button on this page.

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Creating a drum track with Groove Agent 3

When you want to add drums to your music, your scenario may be either one of these two:

1. Your sequencer program is an empty screen but you have very definite musical ideas in your head. You want to start with the drums.

2. A couple of instruments and/or vocals have already been recorded, and now you want to add a drum arrangement. Groove Agent offers at least three different ways of creating a drum track:

Method 1 – Play along with your song in real-time, using your sequencer’s automation to capture every move you make. Those moves can include “non-musical” events like real-time tweaking of sound parameters (edit knobs etc.).

• Advantage: After recording, you can edit your moves in great detail. Your own knob tweaking gets recorded as editable MIDI events. For sequencers that don’t accept MIDI output from a VST instrument, this is one of a few workarounds. Note: MIDI editing is not available for Special Agent and Percussion Agent modules.

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• Disadvantage: You cannot edit individual hits in Groove Agent’s drumming this way, although you can always add individual hits by playing them live on your MIDI keyboard.

Method 2 – Play along with your song in real-time, using the Groove Agent panel controls to create a living and breathing drum track. Your sequencer records the MIDI notes output by Groove Agent in a MIDI part. The MIDI Output switch must be activated for this to work. We believe this is the most intuitive and creative way to create a drum track.

• Advantage: “What-you-hear-is-what-you-get”. The drum part will sound identical to your performance. Also, it’s easy to delete, add, copy or move individual notes in the newly created drum part. You can re-direct certain notes to trigger drum sounds in another instrument, like e.g. a sampler. Note: MIDI editing is not available for Special Agent and Percussion Agent modules.

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• Disadvantage: If you want to use a lot of dynamic controls, like the Compressor knob fading in and out or switching snare drums during a song, these events are not captured, only the MIDI notes streaming out of Groove Agent.

Of course, you can mix these two methods of working, by automating Groove Agent to map out the song and then recording its output to a MIDI track for fine tuning. You can think of this as rendering Groove Agent’s output to a MIDI track, like you can render the audio output of plug-ins to an audio track. Of course, you can render Groove Agent’s output to an audio track, too!

Method 3 – First create a series of settings using the Memory func-

tion. One setting may be perfect for the verse, the next one for the chorus and so on. When you are happy with the individual memory setups, you can map out the song by switching between memories while it plays.

• Advantage: Since the Memories capture EVERYTHING currently on screen, this is the only way to switch instantly between different complexity levels or even between different styles and kits! This is the method to use if it’s really drastic changes you’re after.

• Disadvantage: Switching between pre-set scenarios may seem a bit static, since fills and real-time variations will need to be recorded or programmed separately.

The creative musician may combine any of these methods to obtain the ultimate drum track, one that includes an editable MIDI part with moving knobs and instant switching between levels, styles and kits!

Here’s a slightly different angle: Set up a suitable controller – like a five octave MIDI keyboard – the way you like it. Then record a MIDI performance of pattern start, stop, select, fill, parameter adjustments and individual drum hits. This method can be used with Groove Agent’s MIDI output active or not.

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Using Groove Agent’s MIDI output (Live to host) in Cubase SX

Not all hosts can handle MIDI output from a plug-in, but these steps work fine in Cubase SX:

1. Open Groove Agent in your VST instruments rack. Select Groove Agent as your input (and de-select it as an output to avoid double triggering) on the desired MIDI track. Go to the Setup page and make sure that MIDI Output is set to “Live to host”. For most situations, the auto quantize function in your sequencer should be turned OFF. You’re now ready to start recording your drum track.

2. Start recording in Cubase SX. Record your drums. In this mode, FX and drum sound settings won’t be recorded, only the drum notes. When the song or section of the song is over, hit Groove Agent’s Stop button and then the Stop button in Cubase.

3. In order to hear what you just recorded, make sure that the MIDI track you’re using has its output set to Groove Agent. If not, it may output notes to another VSTi or external module, and you won’t hear Groove Agent play back the rhythm.

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Using Groove Agent’s MIDI output (Record to file)

When using the standalone version of Groove Agent, or when using a host that doesn’t support “Live to host” MIDI output, you can still use the “Record to file” method for outputting MIDI.

On Groove Agent’s Setup page, set MIDI output to “Record to file”. Now everything Groove Agent plays will be recorded as MIDI.

To stop recording and save the MIDI file, return to the Setup page and set MIDI output to “Off”. A MIDI file named “Groove Agent Output.MID” will be saved to your desktop.

• Note: In Dual Mode, only a Groove Agent placed in the Upper slot will output MIDI. Special Agent and Percussion Agent don’t output MIDI.

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• Note: Every time Groove Agent writes a MIDI file to the desktop, any existing file with that name (“Groove Agent Output.MID”) will be overwritten.

• Note: In Classic Mode, the MIDI channel used to play back an imported MIDI file doesn’t matter; Groove Agent will listen on all channels (this is sometimes called Omni Mode). However, in Dual Mode, the Upper agent will only listen on channel 1, and the Lower agent only on channel 2.

Using host automation in Cubase SX

Probably the most powerful way of automating Groove Agent is by using the host’s automation (sometimes also called VST automation). Here’s how that’s done in Cubase SX:

1. Open Groove Agent in your VST instruments rack. From Groove Agent’s panel, activate the Write button (W). Look in the Cubase SX project window, and you’ll notice that a new track called VST Instruments, plus another track below it, have been created. For most situations, the auto quantize function in your sequencer should be turned OFF. You’re now ready to start recording your drum track.

2. Start Cubase SX. When it’s time for the drums to start playing, hit the Run button (with or without a fill being armed, remember?). Drag the sliders, push the buttons and turn the knobs until your drum track sounds right. When the song or section of the song is over, hit Groove Agent’s Stop button and then Cubase’s Stop button.

3. After recording, right-click the VST Instrument automation track and select “Show used automation for all tracks”. All the automation classes (Run/Stop, Fill, Pattern Select etc.) will have a separate track.

4. Click the Read button (R) in Groove Agent or in one of the newly created automation sub-tracks. Now you’ll see the actual data in all the tracks. This data can be freely edited.

5. To prevent unintentional overwriting of data, make sure the Write button is only lit when you deliberately want to overwrite the automation data.

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Composing with Groove Agent’s Memory slots in Cubase SX

For more drastic changes, i.e. if you want to change style, kit and sound in one go, the Memory buttons come into play. Proceed as follows.

1. Open Groove Agent 3 in your VST instruments rack. Prepare settings for the various parts of your song in Groove Agent 3 and save those “snapshots” in different memory locations. You may want to use one snapshot for the first verse and another snapshot for the chorus etc.

2. From Groove Agent’s panel, activate the Write button (W). Look in the Cubase project window, and you’ll notice that a new track called VST Instruments, plus another track below it, have been created. For most situations, the auto quantize function in your sequencer should be turned OFF. You’re now ready to start recording your drum track.

3. Start Cubase SX. Record your drum track by hitting Run and selecting different Memory slots when you reach various sections of your song. When the song or section of the song is over, hit Groove Agent’s Stop button and then Cubase’s Stop button.

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4. After recording, right click on the VST Instrument Automation track and select “Show used automation for all tracks”. All the automation classes (Run/Stop, Fill, Pattern Select etc.) will be on a separate track.

5. Click the Read button (R) in Groove Agent or in one of the newly created automation sub-tracks. Now you’ll see the actual data in all the tracks. This data can be freely edited.

6. To prevent unintentional overwriting of data, make sure the Write button is only lit when you deliberately want to overwrite the automation data.

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You may prefer sending Program Change commands from your MIDI keyboard to select memory locations. If so, use normal MIDI recording, since automation will not be involved. If you play live drums on your keyboard while recording, those notes will also be recorded.

In Dual Mode, please note that the Upper module listens only to MIDI channel 1, and the Lower module listens only to MIDI channel 2

In Cubase SX, the MIDI SysEx filter must be turned OFF for parameter automation to work.

In Dual Mode, the Upper and Lower modules have separate memory slots.

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About the Groove Agent Styles

Here’s a short description of each style, as expressed by the musicians themselves. As you can see, we’ve had to abandon the idea of sorting styles chronologically. We have so many styles now that a new sorting method became necessary. We hope that the introduction of genres (categories) will prove helpful.

Those styles that were new in Groove Agent 2 are marked with an asterisk (*) and the new Groove Agent 3 styles have two asterisks (**) in front of their names. To assist you in finding styles that suit your music, we’ve added a “T” after the names of those styles that have a triplet or swing feel.

Jazz

Swing (T)

Here’s a style used for jazz and big band playing. It’s hard to cover all the possibilities in a field as complex as swing/big band drumming, so I chose a straight, forward view for this one. The style was programmed around 144 BPM. It’s divided into two sections: the first half in “2”, the second in “four on the floor” in order to match the different bass patterns often used in this type of drumming. RB

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Jazz Trio (T)

The lost art of brushes! Not many people these days know how to use brushes “the right way”! It’s one thing to own a pair, another to be able to play them. A third issue is to make a VST instrument handle them convincingly.

We’ve implemented the “brush stroke” in Groove Agent and combined it with my own inspiration from brush greats such as Buddy Rich, Louie Bellson, Jo Jones and all the lessons taken from brush legend Ed Thigpen (known from the Oscar Peterson Trio among others). You should know that I don’t agree 100% with Sven about what happens when we push the sidestick button! It’s a “hire one drummer – get two” effect and that’s not so bad, after all! RB

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Tom-Toms (T)

This style is used in many different situations. With its origin in the 1920’s, when Duke Ellington played “jungle music” in Harlem and then made totally unforgettable by Gene Krupa with the Benny Goodman Orchestra at Carnegie Hall playing “Sing, Sing, Sing” in 1938, this type of drumming is heard in almost every movie made reflecting the 30’s and 40’s. RB

* Bop (T)

This busy jazzy style could easily be used in a small jazz combo, like piano, bass, drums and a solo instrument. A good choice when you want to make your version of one of the many jazz standards out there. So open up Real Book, hit the Run-button and play. MEB

** Acid Jazz (T)

Just snap into this cool yet energetic blend of jazz and funk. There's the liquid fluency of the ride cymbal and the ruff back-beat of the snare, all in one style. From level 16 and up the playful kick changes pattern to give a slightly different groove. There's a tambourine and finger-snaps from the percussionist - plus an overdubbed tiny splash on some higher levels. But you should definitely try mixing in some nice congas and stuff from the Percussion Agent into this. Have fun!

Latin

Samba

This Samba style is a mixture between the authentic Samba (when played on the drum kit) and the Samba style that many jazz and fusion drummers use in their playing. MEB

Cha-Cha

Cha-Cha style is a sidestick based style that sounds best with the sidestick button enabled. MEB

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Rumba

This is the Afro-Cuban version of the Rumba, not to be confused with the Rhumba (with an “h”) that can often be heard in older drum machines. MEB

Bossa Nova

The traditional Bossa Nova style is played with the sidestick on the snare drum. Activate the sidestick button for that authentic feel. MEB

Songo

Songo was created in the late sixties by drummer Chanquito of the group Los Van Van. This style has inspired many of today’s jazz and fusion drummers. Songo is one of the more modern Afro-Cuban styles and is sometimes a drummer’s first step into the world of Latin music. MEB

* Mozambique

The Mozambique was invented in the 1960s and is one of the more modern Latin rhythms. It’s often heard on recordings with funk, jazz and Latin bands and has been developed by several well known drummers. MEB

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** 6/8 Latin

If you want more swing in your 6/8 arrangements, try this one. It's based around a sensitive and lively snare drum, covering a wide range of velocity levels. The congas and the triangle add a nice Latin touch. This one works nicely with most tempo settings, with a sweet spot around 94 BPM. MMB

Moods

Paint

Sometimes there’s no need for regular, rhythmic drum playing. If you tell a drummer to “do something”, he or she will probably get into some sort of creative mood and start producing wonderful noises. This is a style that emulates such a situation. SB

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* Ominous

This style is a non-rhythmic sound-fx journey through different moods and places, preferably unpleasant ones… Heartbeats, scary noises, chimes and many more noises merge into a melting pot of suggestive impressions. It ranges from the simple to the complex but in a non-linear fashion, beyond the boundaries of standard pattern playing. Still the Fill, Sidestick and Half tempo functions will vary the contents. Also try using the Random function a lot. So, imagine where you will be, and it will be so… NE

* Machinery

Factory hall? No it’s not a reverberation algorithm this time. It’s the static rhythm of machines working together. Some are small and fast, others are big and slow or vice versa, and they’re added one by one and speeding from a small scale industry into the final cacophony of hammers and wheels. Move carefully and put your helmet on! NE

** Old Squeaky

Have you ever thought of pulling the emergency brake while on the train, just to make your daily commute more interesting? Well, of course you have, and of course you’ve never pulled the red handle. So here’s your chance! Just hit the fill button to cut off the electrical power to the tracks, i.e. the drum tracks. Old Squeaky – a brakebeat for all occasions. MMB

** Free Form

When talking about the fine art of improvization, a guy once said: “If you get any ideas, just forget'em!” Don't ever stick to anything. That must have been the motto for this Free Form style. It's totally wacko, with absolutely no structure or thought. But it still has a very nice and inspiring, spontaneous live feeling. The percussionist is somewhat hesitant at first, but gets into it after a while. Make good use of the Random function, or even better: Change levels often so that no accidental patterns are created… Or whatever. Feel free. NE

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** Storm

Look what the Storm brought us: a blend of different styles from different cultures. There is a soft latin touch to it, as well as marching drums and a nice R'n'B djembe groove in the higher levels, all interacting beautifully. Try adding reverberation to get a more pompous feeling or go to half speed. Eh... that would be a moderate gale, right? NE

Blues

12/8 (T)

This style is a hybrid. The original idea was to create a slow 12/8 feel, similar to what you can hear in many love songs from the fifties. While composing the patterns, I raised the tempo just for fun and noticed that with faster BPM rates there’s a whole new feeling, a funky and pretty modern touch. Use it in a ballad or turn it up for that groovy beat. PS

Boogie (T)

Some bands built their careers on simple three-chord songs where the drummer had to work a bit harder. This is a classic boogie style where the feeling is focused on the hihat and ride. PS

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* Slow Blues (T)

If I were forced to choose one style and one tempo for an all-night jam session, I’d say “Slow blues at 60 BPM” without hesitation. It’s a mood and tempo that could last an entire evening. There are so many cool standards that fit here: “Summertime”, “Red House”, “Sweet Sixteen” and numerous other classics. Or any relaxed improvization. Slow Blues in Groove Agent is rather dynamic; see how it increases in volume and intensity as the complexity levels get higher. Also, it restarts a couple of times (at level 7, 12 and 18) from it’s basic closed hihat groove. SB

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Country

Shuffle (T)

An uncomplicated style which can give you, as a drummer, a lot of possibilities if you are creative. Instead of just playing backbeats on the snare drum, you can play the whole pattern along with the hihat or ride cymbal, which will give you a “fat” sound in what you’re producing. It’s harder for your left hand (if you play an ordinary drum set) but a lot more fun! RB

Fox (T)

This is one style that has been around for longer than anyone cares to remember. Call it foxtrot, slowfox of whatever; some people would still refer to it as “music”. A merry and light uptempo style. SB

Train Beat

This is a style where the drummer has to work hard with the snare drum. It works well in country and rock’n’roll songs and will give your music a “busy” feeling. PS

Pop

3/4

Here are a number of different styles that have the 3/4 signature in common. The complexity doesn’t go from easy to wild in this one. It’s more like a journey through different attitudes and emotions, all in “three quarter time”. For best results, set your sequencer’s time signature to 3/4. SB

Twist

The inspiration here was of course Chubby Checker’s classic “Let’s Twist Again”. On the record, the song is played really straight and simple, but as you crank up the complexity slider here in Groove Agent, you’ll get more variations and additions of bass drum patterns and ride cymbals. RB

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Pop

High energy pop drumming at your service! Fave tempo is 146 BPM. These rhythms were created to inspire all the other boys in the band. Pop drumming is the motor to a popcycle, with fill-ins from corny to rocket fuel. Can you find the two-bar fill going from A to Z and back again? Happy ride! DB

Backbeat (T)

This is the perfect up-tempo style. The drumming is pretty intense and it doesn’t stop to catch its breath, and maybe that is why it’s very easy to create a dance friendly song based on this groove. PS

Olympic

It’s funny how a drumming style without accentuated backbeats can make a song really swing. I took the drumming from The Beatles’ Get Back and scaled it down. The result can be heard at the lower levels. I also took the style a few steps further, the levels to the right. Wirebird suggested that this one could be used for gymnastic exercises, hence the style name. SB

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* 6/8 (T)

One silly omission in the original edition of Groove Agent was that the 6/8 style was missing. There are many lovely songs that need this kind of rhythm, songs like “If you don’t know me by now” and “When I need you”. Please note that you must set the time signature of your host to 6/8 to play this style properly. SB

* Steady Beat

Here’s a very basic style that suits almost any tempo. It’s perfect when you need a steady drummer who doesn’t do any unexpected exercises, someone who never flips out, someone who’s not into impressing anyone – but just plays. Plays a steady beat. This style can also be used if you want something with a triplet feeling. Just turn the Shuffleknob to the right and you will have a steady Shuffle-beat. MEB

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** Wonderland (T)

The inspiration to this style comes from some of the best Stevie Wonder songs. It's a mixture of some of his classic grooves that have become part of many good drummer's “musical libraries”. This one is played with a 16th note triplet feeling. MEB

Dance Floor

Tamla

For this style I was inspired by the rock classic “Pretty Woman”. This rhythm was also frequently used by artists on the legendary Tamla Motown label. There can’t be a better way to start an up-tempo song, than with a snare drum pounding the beat! PS

Soul

This style is influenced by some of the groovy drummers behind James Brown. MEB

Disco

In the early 1970’s, the disco era began. In April 1976, the famous New York club Studio 54 took disco-ing to a higher level, but it was the movie Saturday Night Fever that spread the hustling world wide. The drums may sound muffled and some of the fills are kind of cheesy, but that is the charm of this style. When mixed with the rest of the band, this beat makes a nice and funky dance groove. So bring out your bell-bottom pants and your platform shoes, grow some hair on your chest, put on a satin shirt slashed to the waist and get down on it! FvW

* Bombay Dance Hall (T)

It’s the third millennium global dance hall beat. Could be London, could be Bombay, could be Sollentuna. It doesn’t really matter, as long as everybody is having a good time. Some artists marry this style to Reggae, others to Hip Hop. It’s all around and it’s up to you. Try adding or subtracting ambience to the different instruments to vary the sense of space. NE

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** Jillie Bean

This style is inspired by the two world famous pop songs Billie Jean and Thriller by Michael Jackson. It features a cool, straight pop groove with a 8th feel that begins Jacko and ends Whacko. FvW

** Mad:ish

The grooves in this style come from some of the most captivating Madonna songs. The beats are very basic with some small variations in the grooves that makes the style so “floory”. After a couple of days with Madonna tunes in my headphones, I finally realised the greatness of her music. MEB

Rock

Bonzo

This style is, as the name suggests, to some extent inspired by the late great John Bonham of Led Zeppelin, perhaps the most influential hard rock drummer. I suggest you turn the Ambience dial up to at least 2 o’clock to get that big heavy feel. The patterns A to E are intended to emulate Mr. Bonham’s habit of playing the drum kit with his bare hands. To achieve this effect, Percussion 2 should be activated for these patterns. Percussion 1 is supposed to sound like a tambourine attached to the hihat. The complexity increases from pattern 1-10 with hihat and then it starts over for Pat 11-20 with ride. The Half Tempo Feel patterns have small snare triplet things going on that are not found in the regular patterns.

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Although perhaps not environmentally correct, some songs just call for being run on leaded fuel. MD

Dark Side

It never ceases to amaze me how you can sell so many records and play so few notes. There’s a fair amount of inspiration from Pink Floyd’s “Dark Side of the Moon” album in this style, well suited for slow songs. SB

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Arena

During the glory days of the 80s, the hardrock guys wore tight pants, sprayed their long hair and stole make-up from their girlfriends. There is no doubt that they really could play drums though – hard and distinctive. Since the music should be hard and loud, the dynamic has pretty much just one level – louder! The fills are very typical for those drummers, intense, distinctive and almost composed sometimes. PS

* Indie Punk

A classic drum figure for a Punk song should be powerful and fast. But a drum figure for a Modern Punk song must be powerful, fast, individual and creative in order to stress the structure of the song. These characteristics are implemented in this style. Enjoy and keep on rocking! MS

* Unplugged

Music Television made it popular. A big rock song must also be played in a smooth ambience so the audience can easily listen to the voice of the singer. This style is full of soft played beats/fills and uses the popular and lovely rods. MS

* Ballad

It’s early in the morning, your coffee is still hot and your latest ballad needs some steady and powerful drums. Try this one! The tambourine can add extra sparkle to the chorus and maybe straighten out the overall drum sound as well. (And psst, here’s something I just discovered: try this one at 120 BPM! Pretty energetic, eh?) MS

** Wattsup

Sometimes drum machines tend to sound way too stiff and play too much in time. And no matter how you try to kick things up, the machine never lets loose. Here’s a style representing a loose and swaying rock'n'roll attitude. The drumming here is a bit behind, a bit before and never really right on the beat. For an even more human feel, try to vary the tempo slightly throughout your song. Maybe push the tempo up in the choruses while taking it back down during verses. Wattsup rolls up and down and is stony and uneven. It may sound as bad programming to some, to me it's only rock’n’roll. And I like it! MMB

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** 5/4 Rock

This is a rather basic rock pattern, with one significant difference: the odd meter that adds a fifth beat to the bar. You might think it's like driving a car with five wheels instead of four, but really – this style can add new dimensions to any rock production. The percussionists get busy keeping a steady groove as the drummer hits the low tom or snare on all those “extra” beats. Gimme five… NE

** Irish Rock

“Slowly evolving, one little step at the time, but rock steady and without hesitation towards perfection.” That could be a description of the Irish nation. But it's this very style, inspired by the beats of the amazing Mr Larry Mullen Jr of U2. Half Tempo provides just that and a straighter timing usable for really slow songs. The differences between patterns are deliberately kept small to make it easy to build a varied yet consistent song structure by combining levels closer or further apart. Make use of the Random function and by all means, don't miss the nice fills. See them as an expression of Irish spontaneity... NE

World

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New Orleans Funk

In the winter of 1968-69, great drummer Joseph “Zigaboo” Modeliste recorded the classic New Orleans R’n’B style tune “Cissy Strut” with funk pioneers The Meters. Zigaboo invented the characteristic funk groove often referred to as “the second line” style, very typical for The Meters’ groove. The Zigaboo grooves are (together with James Brown’s “Funky Drummer”) among the most sampled and recycled grooves in the history of modern Afro-American music. This exact groove is found at complexity level 8. Enjoy! MK

Cajun (T)

You no longer need to go “Deep down in Louisiana close to New Orleans” to get that spicy cajun feeling. Just tune in to Groove Agent’s 1971 Cajun style, set your VSTi host to preferred 86 degrees, or… BPM, and get cooking! Add a pinch of accordion and a bouncing bass to the busy snare, and you’re off. Bon appetite! MK

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Reggae (T)

This is a triplet based version of reggae usually played with sidestick. The sound of the drums is very dry. When we recorded these drum samples for Groove Agent, sound engineer Jens Bogren turned around, looked at us and asked: “Do you really want it to sound like that?”. We nodded. MEB

TexMex

I once played a song to Sven with a strange, loose kind of drumming together with bass, piano and slide guitar. It sounded a bit like a notso-very-well-rehearsed-gig in a small restaurant somewhere on the borderline between Texas and Mexico. “This is very weird and very cool”, Sven said. “We have to include this in Groove Agent“. “OK!”. JS

World Ethno

Take one big, wide pad, one fretless bass and one electric guitar playing 8ths through a delay unit, and you’ll find yourself in a “world/ ethno” kind of ambience that’ll make you say “Manu”?!? JS

* Roots

Roots, rock, reggae. The percussionist – playing big bottles and a vibra-slap – is free-wheeling through the different complexity levels, whereas the drummer goes from simple to busy. He’s using rim-shot already on some mid levels, so selecting the “Sidestick” function will make him play a deep fur-drum accordingly. Enough of tech-talk, it’s time to quote the old rasta in Trench-town who once said: “It’s like football. It’s there. It’s in your knees…”. NE

** 3/4 Nordic Woods (T)

Influenced by the woods up in the north and mixed with some heavy folklore grooves, the “3/4 Nordic Woods” started to take shape on my computer. The style starts with some simple beats that take you out alone in the dark woods, where you hear some drumbeats coming from far away. Then the style grows into some rather complex grooves at the end of the journey, all played in 3/4 time. MEB

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** Mandela

Picture yourself below the equator, in the good hands of a crowd longing for freedom and democracy. The heavy beat from the bass drum has become unstoppable. Eager hands play skin drums and triangles, and in all of this, there's also the programmed grooves of modern electronica. They all start off whispering but soon enough a roar will reach the oppressors. You can blow out a candle, but you can't blow out a fire… NE

** Senegal (T)

Somewhere deep in Africa, before the people were influenced by western culture: Was life better then? Maybe. But either way, this style brings you one of the most common rhythm patterns in traditional Sub-Sahara. The agogobell has it. It's in 12/8 but programmed here to fit a 4/4 metric. The timing is already fairly “native” but can be even more loose using the Humaniser. In half tempo feel mode, the agogo and shaker keep up the basic beat while the rest of the instruments cool down. Picture yourself with your tribe under the stars… NE

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Funk

This is funk drumming inspired by funk guru George Duke (Party Down) at one end to the unexpected Frank Zappa (I Don’t wanna Get Drafted) at the other… As a matter of fact, they did some great music together, too! Of course, many are the innovators of funk. Earth Wind & Fire’s Fred White really did some seriously simple but stunningly groovy stuff.

In the 1970’s, funk music was often played quite straight except for the drums that added a little more swing to it. Add the Slick Triangle and the Wood Block at any time. Style programmed in 126 BPM. dB

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Slick

This style is a 16th note based beat, inspired by the sessions recorded in L.A. around 1980, with master drummers like Jeff Porcaro and John Robinson. Actually, the beat itself isn’t very innovative, but it’s too representative for this great genre to leave it out. A slow tempo is a must for this style. Favorite tempo range is 73-88 bpm. FvW

Breakbeat

Wirebird shouted “HEEEELP” from deep down in “the Pixelmine”, when he created that fabulous front panel. I said “With what?”. “With breakbeats!”, he shouted from below. “You mean dirty, groovy, kind of playing-too-much à la Chemical Brothers?”. “Yep!”. “Yo, I’ll do it!!”, I replied. And while you’re at it, dear user, why don’t you run the whole thing through some nice distortion. JS

LA Shuffle (T)

Somewhere around complexity level 15 you will find a sibling to a girl called Rosanna. All over these grooves you will hear a whole bunch of her relatives from earlier decades, also known as ghost notes. Tiny triplets in between, especially from the snare drum, that add a fine masked web to a sturdy, laidback foundation. A slick style, yeah! Not to be used in a too high BPM environment! 78 is perfect! dB

Westcoast

This is the beat many drummers would play if you told them to just cruise at 98 Bpm. A straight “perfect-day-for-going-to-the-beach” groove with influences from modern gospel music and contemporary pop/rock beats. FvW

Fusion

The inspiration for this busy style comes from some of the fusion records of the early nineties. MEB

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Busy Beat

A lot of 16th notes coming at you in this one, especially at the higher complexity levels. Busy Beat is a kind of modern funk style with plenty of ghost notes on the snare drum. I’ve been inspired by the groove from the Spin Doctors’ hit “Two Princes” as well as Candy Dulfer’s song “Funkyness”. If you listen carefully, the sources of inspiration should be obvious. Programming was made at 104 Bpm. FvW

** Ambitious

Here's the typical 16th note based groove you always hear when drummers are asked to “Play something!” at soundchecks. There is a lot of funky, backward playing here with a lot of show off. In the higher complexity levels our ambitious drummer takes off in a latin direction.

FvW

** 5/4 Fusion (T)

This 5/4 style is a fusion of jazz, rock and Latin and gets rather complex at higher levels. It starts off with subtle percussion and adds hihat, snares and ride along the way. The 3+2 feel goes up to level 17, where it turns into the more unusual 2+3 structure. Level 20 is a bit special with its “floating” and irregular meter. It can actually be used as a sort of random fusion swing in any metric form, thereby meandering the pattern. It tricky, it cool… NE

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** 7/8 Funk (T)

“Seven of eight” – sounds like a cyborg space woman… Well, it is odd, but not that odd. Playing a 7/8 pattern takes some exercising and this agent sure made her homework, with some good help from her percussionist friends. From level A to 12 they're elaborating on basically the same idea, and in 13–16 it gets more altered. In the last four levels we get a more aggressive rock pattern. So watch out: The odd can bite! NE

** Paradiddle Triplet (T)

These grooves are an extension of the HM Paradiddle style. It's basically the pattern I used on the song “Virtual Future” on the Beware The Heavens album by Synergy. Maybe you can hear influences from Mikkey Dee during his King Diamond days here. RM

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Heavy

Hard Rock

I grew up listening to The Beatles in the early seventies. After that I was a young soul without a home, listening to whatever was on the radio, but I never found “my thing”. Then, when I was sixteen, someone gave me a black album from a band I’d never heard of, and I was just blown away by the intro of “Hells bells” starting up their album “Back in black”. Yep, I became a hardrocker!! So here you have some steady and heavy drums for anyone with Angus-ambitions!! JS

* Grunge

Nirvana, Mudhoney, Melvins… I think this list wouldn’t get an end. The Music Industry calls them Grunge. So, preheat your amp, strap your guitar, aim at the F# power-chord and press the “Run”-button for this style. MS

* HM Straight

HM Straight and HM Triplets are based on the European style of Heavy Metal with a lot of double bass pedal work as well as some of my own chops from the albums/bands I played in, such as the albums “Beware the heavens” by Sinergy and “Sign Of truth” and “Anima Mundi” by Dionysus. The triplet rolls were inspired by the one and only Scott Travis, especially from the time before Judas Priest when he played with Paul Gilbert in Razor X. The Razor X song “Scarified” is a milestone in metal with its magnificent drum intro groove and I made a lot of variations of grooves of this type. The more straight and powerful grooves were made in the style of Jörg Michael, one of today’s most hired and respected German drummers. RM

* HM Triplets (T)

A triplet based groove with a lot of 3-stroke rolls in the bass drums. The rolls in particular were inspired by my friend and Brazilian metal band Angras drummer Aquiles Priester, who developed it to a new level in modern metal drumming. While touring with Saxon I got the chance to pick up a drum fill or two which I throw in here and there. It’s from another great drummer and friend, the legendary Fritz Randow, one of the most technical drummers in European metal. RM

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* Grind

These grooves are kinda busy and made for higher tempos. Notice how the bass drum uses 8th notes, 8th note triplets and then 16ths in various modern approaches. These grooves were influenced and played in the style of The Haunted, Krisiun and Hate Eternal. If you’re a huge fan of brushes, these grooves are not for you! ;-) RM

* Progressive

Here’s a rather technical style with a lot of busy fills. “Progressive” is a mixture of the sound of new progressive styles and some old progressive bands back in the 80s. Certain levels were recorded in various odd meters and played over a loop of four bars. Don’t get lost! MEB

** Three Beat

Let's jog back to the 80's rock arena when both you and your music were supposed to be muscular yet clean. This beat has a fat kick on all four beats in the bar but instead of the usual backbeat on the 2&4 the fat snare is on 3, giving this style even more weight. The fat toms play an important role adding a clean groove. Get a workout. NE

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** HM Paradiddle

Joe Franco is the main inspiration behind this style. He was the first guy to produce instruction books and videos for double bass drum playing. You can also hear some influence from Tommy Aldridge and Virgil Donati. In fact, some of the stuff here was actually played by Mr. Donati himself on a clinic in Sweden. RM

HipHop

Basic Hip-Hop

This style was inspired by early Hip-Hop and the way it sounded in the early digital drum machine era. LW

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Hip-Hop

Groovy, fat and heavy Hip-Hop with a modern sound in contrast to the Basic Hip-Hop style. It’s been programmed to sound a little “off” in the beat with a nice swing to it. Closely related to Modern R’n’B. New, fresh kick, snare and effects noises were designed especially for this style. LW

Nu RnB

An effective groove with poly-rhythmic fills for that special feeling. Modern RnB/Hiphop style with a compressed sound, if you like. Kick and snare were designed especially for this style. LW

* Live Hip-Hop

In a big discussion about Hip-Hop, a friend told me that a real drummer in a Hip-Hop band only needs a bass drum, a snare, a hihat, a crash and no toms. He was right. This style will provide you with a full palette for your live song. Don’t forget to use the percussion in the chorus! MS

* Sloppy Hip-Hop

The “Sloppy Hip Hop” style is inspired by the works of Beastie Boys and others, giving you a sense of floating time, where quantizing is banned… The basic character of the groove is slightly altered from level 14 and up. Warning: Changing the loose handclap to a more distinct sound may produce some really weird timing effects, as will excessive use of the Humanise function. Select this style when you’re in the mood for drifting away, avoiding all the boundaries of a regulated beat. NE

* Kelly

This is a cool, yet energetic modern R&B-style. The basic beat is slow and heavy while the hihats and other small sounds play in double tempo, creating a dynamic contrast. Try using a lot of different fills to vary the formula. No feelings were hurt during the making of this style.

Groove Agent 3

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Electronica

Elektro

My intention here was to create a style that sounds like an analog drum machine programmed for early synth-pop tunes. It’s not an 808 or a 909 but a totally new “box” with retro and electronic sounds. LW

Mini Works

All the sounds in this style come from the legendary Mini, built by a very clever guy called Moog. Every sound is note-off dependent. This means that the important note-off events become independent of the tempo. Mini Works is built up around this rule, which turns the noteoffs into important rhythmical components as well as all the cool little note-ons! There are 5 different grooves with 5 complexity levels each. Like five time zones in a synth clock. Every sound has its own effect in ambience mode which makes the note-off function even more extreme. Fave tempo: 95 BPM. Fave ambience: none! dB

Ambient

Time to chill with some ambient grooves and spacious rhythms. It’s 5 am at the club and the previously crowded dance floor is visited only by a couple of slow dancers, chillin’ to the beat as the faint early morning light passes through the drapes. My favorite tempo for this style is somewhere around 90 BPM. Try experimenting with different combinations of dry and wet sounds and alternative pitches. The long reverb tail on some of the low pitched drums can create a really nice rhythmic tension to dry high pitched cymbals or percussion sounds. W

ENGLISH

Mini Club

Again, a Moog-only built up sound bank. And again 5 different grooves with 5 complexity levels each. This style will hopefully find its way to the floor of the future dance club. Try the note-off dependent sounds, too! Every sound slot has to be active to make these rhythms complete. There are no special percussion add-ons in this one. Original groove was made in 120 BPM with absolutely no ambience, but personally I like the full ambience version just as much, especially since every sound has its own special FX treatment! dB

Groove Agent 3

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Steinberg Groove Agent 3, Groove Agent - 3.0 Operation Manual

Specifications and Main Features

Frequently Asked Questions

User Manual

Table of Contents

Welcome!

What is Groove Agent?

What’s new in Groove Agent 3?

Register Groove Agent!

Installation

Setting up the instrument

First test

Groove Agent terminology

About the sounds in Groove Agent

Using Groove Agent in Classic Mode

The LCD window

Range

Introducing Dual Mode

Groove Agent in Dual Mode

Special Agent

Percussion Agent

Ideas on using Dual Mode creatively

Import & FX page

The Setup page

Creating a drum track with Groove Agent 3

Using Groove Agent’s MIDI output (Live to host) in Cubase SX

Using Groove Agent’s MIDI output (Record to file)

Using host automation in Cubase SX

Composing with Groove Agent’s Memory slots in Cubase SX

About the Groove Agent Styles