Beat Juggling with VCI 100 SE

**Señor Kaoss** · 09-26-2008, 12:40 PM

Just got the amazing VCI 100 SE off of ebay and am trying to get the hang of beat juggling using the juggle mode. I'm wondering if you guys had any tips you'd like to share to a complete beginner who has little understanding of the structure of drums in a beat. After watching some vids of Ean using his Oxygen 8 to juggle, I thought it might be easiest to start off by first finding interesting points in a song to cue with a keyboard, which has more buttons to juggle with, and then taking the most interesting points and moving them over to the VCI. I am a complete beginner, and any advice big and small would be a great help

**Fatlimey** · 09-26-2008, 01:31 PM

The easiest way to start with messing with beats is to take an 8-count loop (count 1..2..3..4..5..6..7..8.. ) and cut it into four even part, placing cues on the 1, 3, 5 and 7 beats - we'll call the cues A, B, C and D.

You will be triggering the cues so that they play the entire loop starting from their cue point when you hit the key, not just while you are holding down the key. This makes things easier to start with.

Begin by recreating the rhythm by pressing the keys in order at a regular tempo. Keep going until you get the groove of the break and it sounds like the original: A..B..C..D.. A..B..C..D..

Next, keep going but try repeating a cue: A..A..C..D.. A..A..C..D..

Then try reordering the cues: A..C..B..D.. A..C..B..D..

Try triggering the cues at double tempo: AABBCCDD AABBCCDD

Try triggering only one of cues at double tempo: A..C..BBD.. A..C..BBD..

Now you get to go crazy and make up your own breakbeats!

A..CBCBD.. / ADC..C..A.. / BBCB..DD / DDA..CBA..

The next step is to choose cue points that are not regularly spaced inside your loop, so you cue the sample on a particular instrument, e.g. a Snare you like, a particular bassdrum or hihat pattern. This makes recreating the original pattern a little more challenging, but your cutup breaks can really catch a groove.

Now you're using your controller as a musical instrument - don't expect to get it right first time. You will mess up plenty, we all do. Just practice, practice, practice!