Propellerhead Review
Propellerhead Rebirth
Rebirth is one of the nicer toys there is at the Music -Software Section.
Fist of all you can create Sequence -Patterns without deep study or knowledge of Music -Software.
It's simple and user friendly : on top 2xTB-303 bass
-synthesizer and on the bottom the Drumcomputers TR-808 en TR-909. De TR-808 is obviously more suitable for the sub tile works and the TR-909 for the more kicking works
The TB-303
The disputed by Roland developed bass -synthesizer, first a flop and because of that, one of the most wanted synthesizers, even nowadays. Because it came at the market for dump prices, it was rediscovered by a new public. This tool become even a hit, the sound called Acid and the music, who where made with it called Acid-House. Nowadays you have to pay a lot for a TB-303, it's a real hot item, and you pay now the new price for a second hand one. Apparent it felt good in the taste of some amateurs, because of it's simple construct, the monophonic structure and easy control. The structure of the TB-303 contains in main point about square and saw waveform. The Keyboard contains with 1 octave Up & Down also 2 octave, so a total of 5 octave. De Envelope contains : Cutoff Frequency, Resolution, Envelope Modulation, Decay & Accent. Trough Slide, Accent, Pitch Slide & Sift it's possible to make the famous 303 distort sound.
Very basic and exually very analogue!
The TR-808 & 909
The 808 not only the first House Drumcomputer but also one of the first drumcomputers. In those days all drum modules where analogue, but the 808 attract attention because of it's apart warm and character full sounds. Unfortunately is only the snare and Kick analogue by 909, the rest are 16 bits samples, something where Roland that time was very proud of, but by considering not so good concept. Nowadays the 909 clones are completely analogue, as maybe it was meant to. Still the 909 is of the most wanted drumcomputers, with prices far above the new price. Also a misery that the freaks of Propellerhead choose for samples instead of analogue drum sounds just like the TB-303. They could add a separate sampler to it, and load a kit for it. Maybe a idea for a update, it's also many years ago.
MOD's
The samples of the original Rebirth MOD are also of bad quality, there not even cut on the "zero crossing points". A good reason for me to make myself MOD's, but this time less focused on the visuals but with good quality samples, you can download here on this site. To make yourself a MOD, here a short survey where you must pay intension :
- Keep much as possible the structure of samples of a original MOD the same : The sounds must be equal much as possible, replace the functions of the originals, a low- kick on the place of a low- kick.
- A specially the 808 has enough possibility's to place voice samples and loops, place the longer samples as much as possible on the right side.
- Lookout, don't make your MOD to big, not bigger than 5 MB.
- Only use Mono 16 bit 44.100 MHz samples.
- For to unpack a MOD, start first a DOS-prompt Window in Windows, place the MOD and unpack.exe in to a folder on the C:/ partition. Inside open the unpack file.
- To pack move the whole folder to Rebirth Packer.exe, a survey will be given of possible problems with packing samples to a MOD.
- Don't forget to change the contents of the *.txt files, like the MOD name, site and info.
ReWire
If you want to do something real good with Rebirth, it's better to run it under Cubase or Reason. In Reason there's a module for supporting Rebirth, the audio is streaming out in Reason, but Rebirth runs also on the background.
To get Rebirth in Sync with Cubase, is ReWire developed, this plugin installed in Cubase also got the possibility's to work like a remote control and the audio is streaming out in Cubase. You also can render patterns into *.Wav files and use them in Cubase, but that's a lot of work, all tough the result will be the same.
Tips for working with Rebirth
To make your patterns you add it manually by hand, note for note. Another method is the random generator, to generate fast sequences :
- Randomise pattern : change Note/Pitch, accent and note position.
- Randomise Accents & Pitches : changes everything accept Note en Note position.
- Alter Pattern : changes mainly the note position. Is very usable to make variations out of made melodies.
- Alter Accents & Pitches : Used existing Accents & Pitches but gives theme another position.
You also can use these Random functions on the drum modules and there even is a randomise drum, but I don't find it useful.
Also make use of the Copy / Paste functions inside Rebirth : Even possible to en from other songs, the red selection for the copy pattern (Ctrl & C) to the past pattern (Ctrl & V). Also very handy the possibility to copy the settings of Songs to Patterns and other way around.
Experiment with it ...... mnx July 2004