I use Stylus RMX in FL Studio 10 and as of late Cubase 5. I generally use it in Multi mode rather than Kit mode since I have access to Sound Menus which give me a greater selection of individual hits. Plus that way I also simultaneously have access to loops. Is there a way to create choke groups in Stylus RMX? For example to cut an open hi-hat with a closed hi-hat. It seems weird that they would have omitted such common and basic functionality. If not is there an equivalent to FL Studio's cut groups in Cubase that I can use to supplement this missing feature? Any help would be appreciated.

 

@ Catalyst,

I simply don't understand exactly what do you mean by 'cut' an open hi-hat with a closed hi-hat ? A Hi-Hat is either open or closed (apart the very fast time in between these two positions, of course). So, could it be this really 'fast position' in between that you like to get, or I'm totally wrong ?

 

I am referring to a technique called choking. What this means is that when a sample plays it is silenced when another sample (assigned to the same group) is played right after. In terms of hi-hats this means that as an open hi-hat plays the sample is silenced when a closed hi-hat is played right after in effect cutting the open hi-hat short. Since open hi-hats have longer decays than closed hi-hats they ring out for longer. For various reasons this may be undesirable in your composition. You use FL Studio don't you? Check out Cut Groups in the MISC tab of the Channel settings for an instrument or sample. There is also some information in the help manual if you press F1 while the aforementioned window is open. Practically any drum VST has them from Native Instruments Battery to FXPansion Geist. I've also included the definition from Wikipedia to further help clarify: A cymbal choke is a percussion technique which consists of striking a cymbal with a drumstick held in one hand and then immediately grabbing the cymbal with another hand, or more rarely, with the same hand. The cymbal choke produces a burst of sound which is abruptly silenced, which can be used for punctuation or dramatic fortissimo effects. In some modern music, namely heavy metal it is often employed to emphasize a particular beat or signal an abrupt conclusion to a passage. Cymbal chokes are used extensively by classical percussionists to muffle the sound of a cymbal in accordance with the composer's notation, or in an attempt to match the sustain of other instruments in the ensemble.

 

@ Catalyst,

Finally, I understand now what you're talking about 'cut' !
Well, I was searching a bit within my Cubase 5 (v5.1.1) which is the version that I use to see if I was able to find something related to your question, and at a first glance, nothing similar 'catch' my eyes. You can find a 'Group Notes' option but it's related to the 'Notation' itself, so not exactly the function that you're looking for.

By cons, I used 'LM-7' (a Steinberg very basic VSTi Drum Machine) for a while and I even programmed some beats with a lot of alternated 'Open Hi-Hat' and 'Closed Hi-Hat', and what I can certified you is that this 'LM-7' takes automatically in account when you're playing these 2 instruments (even 3 with the 'Pedal Hi-Hat' !) alternatively or at the same time, then it mutes or rather it 'cuts' (according to your own expression) the previous played Hi-Hat at the exact moment where you play the following. So, each time that you play the 'Open Hi-Hat' (even with its long decay), as soon as you play the 'Closed Hi-Hat', it 'cuts' (mutes) immediately the natural decay of the 'Open Hi-Hat'.
It seems that this time I really understand what you're talking about, isn't ?

So, with this in mind, you should certainly get exactly the same scheme and results by simply loading any other VSTi Drum Machine as those that you described in your comment (Battery3, FXPansion Geist,... ), for the single reason that these Drum Machines are far more sophisticated that can be the LM-7. *yes*

 

Stylus is a very different beast from LM-7 and Battery . . a "Groove Module" as opposed to a bread-and-butter drum sampler. It dynamically maps the individual 'hits' from a loop in their chronological order, allowing you to quickly "cut up" and re-order a loop non-destructively in MIDI. Because of this it doesn't actually know what each 'hit' is and nor is there any way to tell it what each 'hit' is and therefore no way to set up a class-based rule system like a choke system.

However, because you can trigger individual 'hits' from MIDI you can control the length of any of those 'hits' with your MIDI programming . . therefore choking your open hi-hat is as easy as ending your open hat MIDI note when the closed hi-hat note begins. If you've already programmed beats without this in mind most DAWs can automate this process for you, just highlight the relevant midi notes (closed and open hats in this example) and select "delete overlaps" or something similar . . the DAW should then cut off one MIDI note when the other starts.

BTW, in no way is this a short-coming of the design of Stylus, just a reflection of the fact that it is a very different instrument from something like Battery . . and thank god too, because it's an amazing instrument! In fact Battery 3 and Stylus RMX are a fucking awesome combination and one that I use on many tracks!!