Things like, "how to set up preview buses, and use the step sequencer, and organize your instruments and files, and organize your layout, and create track and instrument templates...  fx chains, etc, etc.."  All in the Sonar X1 book.

elijahlucian


any of you guys ever used battery?

All the time, very familiar with it. Great program, would likely suit your needs well. Very simple yet can be quite deep and flexible. Offers lots of nice tweaks like filters, envelopes, basic compression, looping (with variations) etc.
 
In fairness, though, Battery is largely a sample player with a drum machine type interface that uses pads instead of "keys" as in a keyboard. In reality it's very similiar to Kontakt or any other sampler.

Considering he's using FL Battery would probably be a huge step up for creating beats. That however is merely based on what I've seen people say about it online. In fact I think this is one of the first times I've seen anyone here talk about using FL.

Beepster


Considering he's using FL Battery would probably be a huge step up for creating beats. That however is merely based on what I've seen people say about it online.

Yes and no. Essentially you could operate just as in the video but drag the samples into Battery instead of SD3 and it would be every bit as user friendly. Battery is quite simple to use. After watching the video again (I guess I initially fast forwarded past the initial FL stuff) I'd say if the goal is to use the Step Sequencer and just drag and drop files into a player anything will do: SD3, Dropzone, even Cyclone DXi. The huge benefit to Battery or another sampler is if, and I say if, someone is looking for more functionality in the long run.
 
For me, a step sequencer doesn't cut it, not enough flexibility and even in the case of "step sequenced" material I can enter and edit far quicker in the PRV. Set the snap as need and the PRV is a visual hyper-step-sequencer. YMMV
 
Disregarding how you enter your notes, however, I need flexibilty. I may find a kick I like but often I need to mess with the kick to get exactly what I want -  add filters (resonance, cutoff etc), set one hit to cut another off for a gated effect, set different kicks for different velocities, whatever. I think one also has to consider what their longer term goals are if they're going to invest some time. Most samplers are just as simple to use as SD3 in the beginning but there are far more options if you care to dig deeper.
 
As far as the video, it looks like the only issue is Elijah doesn't quite seem familiar with SD3 or some of the other tools yet. Once you set up the outputs etc. of SD3, Cyclone, Dropzone or any other sample player and create a template or something you would likely speed up the workflow quite a bit. And some VSTi's like Rapture have step-sequencers built in. There are probably some other good choices out there.
 
Ultimately to get the best workflow you have to consider your needs, pick the right tools, set them up properly and spend the time to familiarize yourself with everything. A little work but in the long run you save so much time.
 
A little off topic but, if you're looking for the ultimate in flexibility, Reaktor by NI is a monster! And it functions as a  VSTi. If you can name it, Reaktor will do it. Step seq, fx, almost any possible type of synthesis, sampling, analyzing, A little example:
http://soundcloud.com/stoons-1
(listen to "Breakfast...")
This was done entirely with Reaktor using nothing but a sample of white noise as the sound source, there are no other VST's, synths or samples used, sequenced in Sonar. All instruments including drums were created with a short sample of white noise and nothing else (as part of a challenge/competition). If I had to "desert island" a plugin it would be Reaktor, it will do almost anything. Not as user friendly as SD3 ;-p

To save and delete locations in the browser, use the icons just to the right of the content location combo box.

I agree with you about the auditioning, but incidentally I don't have crash problems using FL as a VSTi in Sonar.

Bigdogs



I agree with you about the auditioning, but incidentally I don't have crash problems using FL as a VSTi in Sonar.

Yes it works, it is stable, but have you double-checked to see if they actually tight in timing ? You will see that it is not, 
FL lags about 400-500 samples late, so for rhythm creation (or anything else TBH), it's useless... 

Beepster: Considering he's using FL Battery would probably be a huge step up for creating beats. That however is merely based on what I've seen people say about it online

actually, I would tend to say the opposite!!, not to start a fan war here, but FL is quite a powerful software when in good hands.  for so many reasons it's better than a pad sampler like Battery (which is also good BTW)!, but FL is a full DAW afterall, and you get plenty for your money... only it's so much of a different workflow, compared to Sonar. 

As to answer the OP question, maybe in X2 we'll be able to trigger matrix cells in MIDI ? from then, apart from the browsing with up/down issue, would make it closer to FL. 

One thing I did at some point, is to use FL as VSTI, and drag and drop from FL browser to Sonar tracks (or sampler of your choice).then you don't have to deal with the FL VSTI latency issues, and you have the super nice browsing workflow you want. 

HTH

Cheers ! 

V 

Just watched your video... Battery is not going to bring anything to the party, I don't think. I've been using it for quite a few years now and it has some great samples, suited to your music, but it is just an instrument and does not come with its own step sequencer. And although you can audition the various samples available, it does not do what you have shown FL to do...

I think I understand where you are coming from with respect to work flow and stuff, and over the years you have gotten used to FL and what it can do. I seriously don't think that X1 will come close to what FL does, and that is no criticism of X1. At the end of the day, all of the tools available to help us with our creations have their own pros and cons.

I take it that you prefer samples too, and so some of the other instruments mentioned here will not give you what you want, as they are either analog synths or physical modelling instruments.

Looks like you may have to compromise and move on, or stick with FL until you have found something similar that ticks all the boxes.

cheers

andy

  Bigdogs. you don't? what versions of both are you using? could you possibly try and help me debug my problem? I would really really appreciate it, if i could just use both my life would be complete.

Hi! 

It works for just about any versions for me, the only issues I had is when I install beta versions, I tend to think it does not update the VST versions, so it crashes when loading FL itself. 

as I said earlier, it works, (I think we discussed that together in IL forms), but there is a wierd show-stopper latency with FL, so it's just lagging behind the beat... you might have more success with 32bit Sonar maybe? because the latency changes when FL is wrapped with Jbridge, or Bitbridge. 

Anyways, I'd give it another try with the latest distributed version if I were you. 

If you still get it working, and have that annoying latency just as I do, you could still use FL in VST/rewire, but use it only for its browser, but instead of drag-dropping in FL, do it in Sonar (or any sampler plugin of your choice in sonar). this works.

Let me/us know if we can do anything else to help you, 

Cheers ! 

V

BTW, I use FL signature 10.6.0, and Sonar X1d producer build 533.

V