Dubler 2 and Voice-to-MIDI for Drummers

In this new blog article we look at how drummers can use Dubler 2 and Voice-to-MIDI both for live performances and for recording.

Dubler 2 is a great tool for laying down melodic ideas, chords and beats via its triggers function, but a wide range of musicians in our community have been finding ways to push the limit of what you can do with Voice-to-MIDI!

Many Dubler 2 users have described it as “adding an extra limb.” For example, in his breakdown of Dubler 2 Youtuber Andrew Huang sends MIDI to synths with his voice via Dubler 2 and uses his hands to modulate effects parameters on the synths.

Alternatively, some instrumentalists have used the vowel MIDI mapping feature to modulate effects of their instrument while performing. We did this in the below video collaboration with Beatox in which team member Aykan controls a Wah-Wah effect with his voice while playing bass:

Drummers are another super example of the practice of adding an extra limb. While using both hands and both feet to play drums its not that easy to do something else! Drummer-singers are definitely rare because of this but some famous ones do exist - in fact one of the biggest songs of all time The Eagles’ Hotel California has always been performed live by the band’s drummer-singer!

In Dubler 2’s case, a drummer could use the software to perform chords and bass parts, sing melodies with synths and other instruments, or to add and modulate drum effects in real-time ALL WHILE DRUMMING!

Don’t think it’s possible? Check out this below video by London-based solo drum and electronics performer Chiminyo. He uses Ableton and specifically the Gate effect to trigger chords via a synth in Ableton. Normally he would choose the pitch of the chords to be triggered via a drum MIDI pad, but with Dubler 2, he was able to switch the chords with the pitch he sang into the microphone.

Dubler 2 allows you to perform melodies and chords simultaneously by splitting MIDI outputs, so while he sings the bass part, the pitch he sings is also triggering the associated chord of each note, sending chord MIDI to another MIDI channel with a pad. As he’s locked Dubler 2 to a scale, dissonant or wrong notes don’t come through and are transposed to correct notes in the scales.

He breaks down this process in more detail in the below video:

An important point for drummers who want to try this is that the input level in the Play Tab should be reduced to its lowest point while drumming, or the pitch detection might pick up drum hits by mistake!

One more recent example is American drummer Jasper Williamson’s use of Dubler 2 to modulate effects while playing. To do this, he used overhead microphones to record the drum audio to Ableton. The audio channels have effects on them with parameters MIDI mapped to Dubler 2’s vowels AAA, EEE and OOO. This allows him to control effects like Filter Cutoff, Delay amount and Flanger amount. He demonstrates this in the below video:

He’s not even performing any synths or instruments with MIDI. He’s only using the vowel input to change effects. We demonstrated this with an older video we made with Dubler 1, but with keyboard-playing instead of drumming:

Some singers in our community have also done this, using the vowels to bring effects in and out while singing, as opposed to performing melodies with Dubler 2:

We’re really excited to work with more drummers and see how they can push Dubler 2 and Voice-to-MIDI to the limit! If you’re a drummer who wants to check out Dubler 2 be sure to e-mail our Content Manager Aykan at aykan@vochlea.co.uk