Re: DROID question

[Abildgard support]

Hi Bert - thanks for your email - I'll post this on our forum as well for other users to see


Actually we're working on an updated version of the firmware and hardware. Among a number of other small tweaks it will give you 8 built-in patches that you can edit and overwrite. Also it will have 3 new samplerate operating modes - one higher than the current firmware - and two lower ones (the lowest one REALLY crunchy).

All DROID-3s will come with this new firmware/hardware. Owners of the first DROID-3 version can get it updated for approx 125 EUR (shipping excluded).


| is there a software editor/librarian included?

There are MIDI editors for Windows and MacOS9 where you can save patches. The editor will show a drop down menu with all the patches you have and with sub-menues for each directory in your patch folder so the menu will be categorized the same way as the patches on your harddisk. You can see a screenshot here:

http://abildgard.com/en/droid-3/files/editor

You can load and edit any of the 300+ sounds that come with the editor and save your patches on your harddisk as single files or midi files (for easy import in a sequencer) or - using the buttons and dial on the unit - save 8 of them in DROID-3s new internal memory.


There is also an editor environment for Logic which is mostly for tweaking the sound in the sequencer recording what you change.


| Can I program the Droid-3 via my USB controller (it is a UC-33)?

http://www.evolution-uk.com/company/news_ucc33e.htm

Hey I actually I think the UC-33 (and uc-33e) might just be perfect for editing DROID-3 sounds. We'll buy one, test it and link to it from our web page if it works well for sound editing on DROID-3 - I really think it will.


| How do I save my sounds then?

You can save the sound in the internal memory of the upcoming units (which will have the new firmware/hardware). It seems the UC-33 works a bit like our MIDI editor - only our Editor can save the slider/controller positions as a patch (and of course our sliders and buttons are labelled more intuitively for DROID-3).


| Are there any lo-fi samples involved?
| Some of the demos sounded a bit like that.
| Nothing wrong with that, mind you, I am just interested!

All of DROID-3's waveforms are created in real-time by different algorithms but I think you're referring to the sounds made with the "Digital" waveform which is sort of a tiny high-pitched (realtime calculated) sample-loop. In the lower octaves it sounds just like a tiny sample-loop but for higher notes - due to this waveform's many overtones and complexity - you get different digital textures for each single key. Also you could be thinking of some of the percussion sounds in the demos which I think were made using the Noise or Sample and Hold waveforms - with some added EQ and probably some modulation using DCO2 as the source.



Cheers
David

Abildgard