I’ve recently purchased a Rample and i have tried all kinds of connections to find out the best/most functional workflow.
I’ve hooked it up to my Keystep Pro, but that makes the Rample just a simple 4 voice sample player as the KSP doesn’t create a lot of dynamic rhythms. I does exaclty what you tell it to do. Of course the layers of Rample gives some variation but that’s it. Today i hooked my Rample up to Pamela’s New Workout and i must say this makes Rample come to live. Not using a standard 16-step sequencer. Especially when using percussion sounds, beeps and blips preferably in layer mode. With PNW you can make use of Euclidian patterns that work great with the Rample.
Putting an LFO on CV1->All->Pitch adds some extra dynamics. I find the other effects less useful when connecting them to an LFO/Randomizer.
I’m curious how you use the Rample and if you have any tips to make even more use of it’s features and possibilities.
Hi,
I got Rample last week and started first with Pamela’s and also with Pyramid. It is great, sounds amazing. Using the euclidian from Pam’s (and Pyramid) creates amazing unexpected rhythms and sounds.
I didn’t try yet but I want to use Rample also for stereo field recordings, just to playing long files and try it with the internal FX (bit, freeze, pitch and filter). So far, very happy with this machine!
I can confirm that Rample is a LOT of fun with some tactile controls or modulation coming into the CV inputs.
Here’s a short video I made, using some of our prototype North Coast Modular Collective control surface elements. Excuse the sloppy playing and iPhone audio
The first 4 faders are controlling global pitch, bitcrush, filter, and freeze. The keypad is triggering the Rample sounds, making it super fun and performative!
I have also been sequencing rample triggers with Euclidean (VPME), which has been great.
A few thoughts:
The randomizer is great, press the encoder, one tick to the right, and press again. Lots of nice variations that tend to be a bit quieter than with no FX so, nice for breakdowns and such. Also, reset to instantly go back to normal is great.
The included kits are great, but a little poorly organized and a bit uneven in their design. I’ve had a lot of fun authoring my own kits, being careful to get the same sorts of sounds on the same channels within a “group” of kits. This allows me to take a sequence that’s working and try it with various sounds easily (since switching kits is INSTANT and works so well live). Different drum machines for instance.
Similar, but use variations on kits to create variety. Two kits that are the same, but one is a bit toned down, or whatever, and switch back and forth to affect the mood.
I found it surprising that the default (random) layer choice turns out to be the best (before I got the module I thought I would like the sequential mode more, and it has it’s uses, but …). In some of the funnest kits, 3 of the channels only have one sample layer (so they’re consistent), but the fourth has some good variety, with those chosen randomly (and varying sequences and such) a lot of variety can be had.
I am still dialing in authoring kits with harmonic/melodic content (as opposed to percussive ones), taming random, and getting some variety so it’s not boring, but not having it go too wild with different ideas all at once … still more to think about there. Would love to hear other’s thoughts on non-percussive kit making.
If you have any kits to share please let me know. I’m trying to figure out myself how to do more outside drums/percussion, but it’s kinda hard to get something that’s sounds okay.
Only tip i can give you so far is to lower the tempo to 20-50 bpm when working with piano’s, synth, strings etc. and add some spacial effects.
@ritsaert - in case you didn’t see them (I didn’t until just now), @Daisuk shared some sweet kits in these threads:
One particularly nice technique I noticed in these is to have some of the samples have a slightly delayed copy or slap back sound in them as well. At different tempos this gives all kinds of shuffly rhythmic goodness.
Inspiring stuff. If I find some time I’d like to make another kit or two this weekend, and I will share here for sure - the kit I shared above is ok, but I can do better.
Leaning into the idea of more than one onset per sample. Four varieties per slot, so even 1-bar sequences have some switchups.
The samples were authored at 110bpm, but the fun comes when sequencing them back at different tempos.
Lower tempos give a kind of drunken swung vibe
Mid tempos give a kind of garage-y shuffle effect
Higher tempos get into weird abstract breaks rhythms
Another thing going on here is the bassline is all on slot 4, this makes it easy to patch a cable into output 4 and process the bass separately (say with a filter…)
Enjoy! Composing for the Rample seems to be its own skill and I look forward to developing it.
