Roland MC-101 Full Song Tutorial: Pop/Future Bass

This is a complete breakdown of the first track I’ve released in a while and I’m super excited about it! I do ramble a bit but I hope there’s enough information to make it a worthwhile watch. Thanks for taking the time to check it out!
EDIT: Remix out now!! open.spotify.com/track/1BKcOhfPKuFH6WlwqiJ3HN?si=utzAmTtVRXWYY5U5fUQM-w
Original song: Loosing My Head - MadHappy
share.amuse.io/track/madhappy-losing-my-head
MadHappy Links:
madhappy_music
vm.tiktok.com/TTPdBTt3Gm/
Mastering engineer: Rory Hinkel
www.roryhinkel.com
My Patreon (free demo song download):
www.patreon.com/posts/62810438
Sincerely, thank you to everyone still watching my videos (especially if you made it all the way through this one!) I really do hope they help people, hoping to have more coming soon!
Contents:
0:00 Intro
5:10 Playthrough
7:30 Overview
12:25 Section 1: Intro
32:30 Section 2: Build 1
54:40 Section 3: Drop 1
57:00 Secret riser/downshifter technique
1:13:30 Section 4: Build 2
1:23:20 Section 5: Drop 2
1:34:30 Outro

[@JGlassy]

Really enjoyed this & the process focus, as I’m still learning the 101. I also plan to try the R-Pi as the USB/MIDI glue as well. Inspiring!

[@huntrrams]

This is interesting! I have a notation pad and didn’t know you can connect one to the Mc-101

[@trigasurge]

Excellent video, Ben! Really enjoyed the many tips embedded. Mind blown on downdrifter generator

[@teabreakbeats]

I'm super excited to see this!

[@BenCoeMusic]

Thanks a lot! I hope even you can learn something from it!

[@FinlayCampbell]

Such a comprehensive set of videos, thank you.

[@BenCoeMusic]

Thank you! I’m glad they seem that way. There’s so much to cover on the 101

[@Peter-ki7sc]

Good to see you again!

[@BenCoeMusic]

Thanks a lot! Good to be making videos again!

[@agwmusic]

Glad you are back👍😁

[@BenCoeMusic]

Thanks for the warm welcome!

[@beakbeak1682]

thanks for putting in the time and energy for this ben

[@madhappy4392]

You absolutely CRUSHED the remix, Ben! So cool to see a deep dive into your process 🤘

[@BenCoeMusic]

Thanks!! Really an honor to work on it, love the track!

[@khalylehagood3222]

Looking forward too watching, gonna need to spread it out over a few sessions. Entire song breakdowns are genius.

[@BenCoeMusic]

Good idea, this turned into a long one, hope you like it!

[@Thomasabraser]

Exactly what i wanted to write. I'm very happy because I waited for another Ben Video. Must find the time to watch it because videos like this are not the ones you can have running in the backround.

[@IliyanIrmanov]

I finally learned how to make long notes.🎉 Until now I had to record them. And the tip to view the motion lanes was great. Also the way you use multi FX automation on a single drum sound is awesome.

[@TheLordcasio]

PPS: I like the addition of the iZotope spectral meter on the scene. Helps to inform the synthesis, if you're watching on a system that is not your main one (iPhone VS DAW)

[@BenCoeMusic]

Thanks! It’s a bit of extra work but I’m glad it’s appreciated! I’ll try to keep it on screen when I can.

[@NeoLudditevisons]

Awesome to see you back!! Hope to see more ahead. Also getting FM sounds in mc101 possible? Video to explore?

[@BenCoeMusic]

Thanks, good to hear from you! I actually started working on an fm sort of pack like my virtual analog pack before I started the virtual analog one. My idea was to sort of copy the operators and their parameters from the model: cycles. It was going alright but it was a bit more difficult so I shifted focus. I’d like to come back to it but I’ll need to buy Zenology pro, I was on a free trial before haha.

[@ALTARBEATZ]

Thanx for sharing this Ben..

[@krazywabbit]

We need more Ben Coe in our lives!! This will inspire me to fire up the MC-101. Coffee a must! Salud! Also looking forward to how you set up the launchpad ( I have that too) Wait, maybe I should look to see if you have a video already lol

[@channelz3363]

Hey! Good to see you back. Please get a Roland MV-1 Verselab too and make vidz with that!

[@BenCoeMusic]

Thank you! Most things I do on the 101 apply to the mv-1 as well but I’ve actually had a verselab since almost the day it was released, I love it! I was thinking of making some tutorials for it as well, anything in particular you’d like to see?

[@magnuseriksson8081]

@@BenCoeMusic I am confused with all the effects and how it is routed on the MV1. I really wish It had a better integration with Zebeats

[@ghanezu]

@@BenCoeMusic yes we want a full song creation with arangement and mastering etc.(all on mv1).

[@TokeStorm024]

Your videos are incredibly helpful and you’re such a great teacher. I have a question regarding the MC-101. Aside from the first track being dedicated to drums, can the other 3 tracks be used for drums as well? Or, is it just the first track that’s reserved for drums? I haven’t been able to find any info on that and figured you’re the one to ask. Keep on rockin’, man!!!

[@BenCoeMusic]

Thanks for the kind words! And yes all 4 tracks can be whatever you want, most people seem to leave the drums on track 1, which is the default and seems to make the most sense to the most people, but if you wanted you could have all 4 tracks be tone or even all 4 tracks as drums. The only caveat is that there are two types of drum tracks (drum and drum+comp), the drum track is just the 16 sample kit, while the drum+comp track has the kit and 6 compressors that can be routed to individually. You can only have 1 drum+comp track in a project, but with a drum+comp track you can still have other normal drum tracks. I often have all 4 tracks as tone tracks for playing keys with live bands, and using 2 or 3 drum tracks can lead to really cool sequencing possibilities for sample-based music. There is a limit at some point on total length of all samples, I think it’s 6 minutes total? If you’re mostly using drums/percussion it’s never really an issue, but if you want a lot of long loops and stuff it might become a problem, though you can always use old-school sampling techniques like changing the pitches of samples to help with that.

[@TokeStorm024]

@@BenCoeMusic Thank you so much for the reply! You explained that very well and quite thoroughly. Much appreciated! You seem to have mastered this awesome machine and have helped me decide to go ahead and get one. I’ll be watching all of your instruction videos on it. Really, thank you so much for taking the time to answer my question. You rock!

[@abdullalhazred3365]

yay!

[@TheLordcasio]

You sorta blew past the usage of the Raspberry Pi. I'm assuming it behaves like a USB-to-DIN MIDI converter (or "client"). (edit) :: You have blown my mind on the way to use a drum track. I'm old and do not think of these things the way the newer gen does. The drum track can be an MPC onto itself, is my take away. Thank you my dude. What'd be cool (and help me pull the trigger on the purchase) is to see how you use Synology and create sounds for the 101. You sort of delved into it on your sound pack demo, but a proper demo would be a first on KZbin.

[@BenCoeMusic]

Thanks for commenting! The raspberry pi is configured to automatically/headlessly connect midi in ports to midi out ports among any usb midi devices that are plugged in. I followed a nice tutorial here to get it going and it’s served me well since. neuma.studio/rpi-as-midi-host.html The drum track is indeed very powerful and if you want it can do pretty incredible things on it. With resampling I use a drum track like an entire sp-404, and you can really do a full song on it if you wanted, glad this helped you appreciate it. Several people have also asked for a Zenology pro lesson/breakdown and so I’ll hopefully have a chance to do one in the near future. Thanks for the encouragement!

[@magnuseriksson8081]

You can't plug the launchpad directly into the 101 and play in chord mode or however you use it 😊 ????

[@BenCoeMusic]

Correct, the launchpad X requires a USB host, which the 101 doesn’t have. The 101 does have the 5 pin din midi in though, so if you have a launchpad pro you can plug that straight in (with the 3.5 mm to din midi adapter that I think still comes with the launchpad pro) as long as you provide power to the launchpad pro. The new launchpad pro gives you better chord mode and a sequencer over the launchpad X, but I chose the X because it’s smaller and lighter and I don’t need that stuff, and I was using the external usb midi host anyway.

[@w.t.7149]

Hi Ben. Do you run your mc101 into a zoom H1n?

[@BenCoeMusic]

I don’t because I don’t have one, but I think you could record right into it with the line in jack (I believe you could just use a 3.5 mm aux cord and go from the headphone jack on the 101 right into the h1n). I use a zoom H4n sometimes to record with the 101 and it works well.

[@w.t.7149]

@@BenCoeMusic thanks Ben! Glad to see you back!

[@underduckbro]

Razor Bass lead 1 fucking slaps

[@ghanezu]

Do same tutorial for mv1.

[@BenCoeMusic]

I’m making more music lately with the MV-1, so hopefully I’ll be able to do something similar soon!