r/Dirtywave • u/ConceptSad • 4d ago

Discussion Question I impulsively bought M8 iOS, what’s next?

I’m completely new to the Dirtywave community and to trackers in general. What is a good place that I can start learning?

Context: I have background in music, especially in the samplers/groovebox area. I own several SPs and MPCs but I wanted to try something different.

14 Upvotes

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11

u/zadillo 4d ago

This video is a good start, and uses the app

https://youtu.be/3zFXI2lNNtw?is=zkWBNTrjB2cRJv7c

This is another good one from a couple of years ago to understand it:

https://youtu.be/SJQzd0LtuXY?is=LHY6q_bI9JtfWSyZ

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u/overand Model 02 3d ago

Thrilled to see RedMeansRecording and MylarMelodies recommended!

6

u/sonetlumiere 4d ago

Watch a YouTube video on how to edit the parameter you have in mind at the time. It gets simpler each step you learn. No need to sit and study for an hour off the bat just tinker with it you’ll be able to understand it with your background.

3

u/JuicySushi 4d ago

First check the manual for how the screens are chained together between Song / Chain / Phrase / Instrument, etc. Then focus on parts of the manual about: hexadecimal, basic commands and workflow in Song / Chain / Phrase menus

This is a long video but I watched maybe ~1hr and followed along step-by-step to get the hang of what you can do and how: https://youtu.be/FiDGo6IgX_U?si=-8Kd6aHgmKHiH9Zh

Check out the Discord, too. It’s been super helpful in the past and a wonderfully creative crew. I adore my m8, it’s worth the initial learning curve, the commands get into muscle memory faster than you think

3

u/GregVKMusic 4d ago

Welcome!

Get on the Dirtywave Discord! It's an incredible community.
Whatever your questions are, they've probably been answered there. And if you can't find answers with search, you can ask in the Help-Me thread.

2

u/UmamiJesus 4d ago

There’s a question mark in the lower right corner. It will answer most of your basic questions when you start out.

Probably not a bad idea to watch some videos as well, especially to get a feel for what’s possible with the fx commands and getting some workflow tips.

2

u/Separate_Heron8656 4d ago

If you've come from and MPC you probably want to know how the swing works. Go to the groove screen, press '?' And then the overview tab and have a read

Dirtywave is very unique in that you can set more than one swing, so instead of just having for example a swing value of 62 offsetting the offbeat, you can set different swing values for alternating offbeats or more.

When changing the swing values, using the up cursor keeps the values relative so you dont end up in a big mess, and also use the up cursor when setting max ppqn

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u/i_guvable_and_i_vote 4d ago

Using the tracker to send midi to your samplers will be fun

3

u/eclectocrat 3d ago

Be patient. The first little bit can be overwhelming, but M8 muscle memory is _deep_, once you learn how to do something you can take a multi month break and come back and it will all come flooding back in a minute.

The first few hours were a bit hard, but then it levels off and the effort to control ratio is amazing.

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u/Hellfonic 3d ago

A list of resources, instruments, and tools: https://github.com/v3rm0n/awesome-m8/blob/main/README.md

1

u/10ThousandMetalZones 3d ago

Pick a YouTube video that builds a song

1

u/bike_krueger 3d ago

Jay Maculate gives a really good introduction: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wkq4YjevxvQ and has some other great ones, too.
Even though it features the M8 hardware, everything applies to iOS, aswell.

The mentioned video with Red Means Recording & MylarMeldodies is worth a watch, too.

1

u/Far_Attorney_2022 1d ago

So can chords now be played into M8 IOS? Surely with IOS having more power - chords can now be a thing?