Groove Agent 4 announcement

Intro:
Guys, I’m a BIG Halion Sonic fan & Absolute VSTi collection, so I wanted to test HALion 4 (I dwnled a trial).
To be very honest, I’m not impressed at all, I hoped that I could alter for example the Triebwerk sounds etc, looks like they are real samples etc. So my biggest wish for HALion4 is scattered :smiley: so to speak :wink:
I know it does a LOT more than that (it’s a sampler…) but i don’t really have time to mess with that kind of stuff.

BUT, I came a cross the preset “FlexPhrased Vintage Drums”, and OH MY GOD it sounds SO PHAT!!
:neutral_face: is this what they are preparing for GA4? or is this what GA3 had? because I LOVE that sound :neutral_face: please help me find more of these goodies :smiley:!!
=> Where did this come from, does Steinberg make more of these loops/drum-phrased-recordings? Is it a part of a legacy package?

Hi Matthias,
Very new here and to GA3 - in which I am enjoying so far!
Just curious about the stand-alone capabilities of GA3 outside of a host. I was really hoping that it could actually run independantly of any Sequencer (like Sonar X2 Producer - which I have), so that it could actually be a virtual drummer, in a live setting. What I mean is - I play guitar with a couple of other musicians and we dont have a drummer, so it would be good if we could alter the tempo/time signature on-the-fly via a slider or button on the GA3 interface (not just in preferences), and also to be able to insert an intro (like a simple count-in) before the main rhythm starts - just like when actually performing. I use an Ney-fi iPad app that can mimic the open window on the computer, and be used as a DAW controller in real time with touch control (no need to use a mouse), or any open window on the computer - like the stand-alone GA3 window. So what I’m asking is - can you think about adding these capabilities so that it can truly be a virtual drummer for those who want to use it outside of a DAW, in live performance settings?
This was the main reason I bought this program, thinking this was a possibilty - something I couldn’t find elsewhere.
Regards, Smokey

GA 4 was announced back in January. Any idea when it might be released?

A quibble: My Zendrum sends out such quick note-on/note-off messages that they don’t light up the pads on the Groove Agent One panel (I know, I know - this is Groove Agent 4). So - can you please put some code in there such that pads light up even if the note off event is immediately after the note on event?

Drummer in the new Logic X is stellar!!! Fast loading, great sounding samples…simple to use…yet also able to mix.
I hope GA 4 will be able to drag the midi to the track like Superior Drummer as well.
Keep the percussion agent in some form as well please. :slight_smile:
Groove on Steinberg!!!

Great to hear GA4 is coming. I’ve loved and used Groove Agent since it first came out.

I’ve pretty much given up on Steinberg products, since I never remember to carry my dongle with me when I’m out with the laptop, so I’ve high hopes for the new Logic X Drummer, which has much of the functionality of Groove Agent.

But it would be nice if GA4 could:

  1. Drag and drop midi of a loop to a midi track, like most
  2. Drag and drop audio to an audio track

GA3 has the best palette of rhythms and sounds for me. It’s just a shame the dongle makes it nearly unusable for someone who isn’t in a static 1990s studio.

… and about time too… :wink:

My request: break away from “other usual suspects” - we already bought them while waiting …

  1. use different drummers that are masters in their own style. Don’t follow the less expensive option of using one or two session drummers for all style grooves. I’d be willing to pay for personalised expansion options featuring well known masters e.g. Dave Weckle, Steve Gadd, Billy Cobham, Manu Katche, Mike Portnoy etc

  2. the dual agent concept is excellent; improve on it by offering more percussion options. Think Miami Sound machine… :stuck_out_tongue:

  3. the immediacy of the slider concept is brilliant; don’t buy into the drag and drop… that works but is not nearly as much fun or intuitive. Keep the interface simple but allow us to play the kit and styles as if we were directing our own session drummer. Obviously Logic X has nice additions … improve on them

I’m very pleased to see That Groove Agent will be continued.

At the moment I work on a album and use Groove Agent 3 in many tracks.
I’m sure the new Agent will be even better for this task.
I would really appreciate to hear when the new agent will be available!

( I run GA3 in a 64 bit version of Cubase Artist 7.
Works fine with the help of Jbridge, a little tool that helps 32 bit plugins to run in a 64 bit DAW )

Thanks!

Will the new GA be available in the US? :mrgreen:

To me the strength and originality of Groove Agent is in the very easy but powerfull ability in less than a few minutes to get the basis for a song.
The very usefull random features allows you to jam and exercise, to improvise and also to make sketches and is a big help when writing music.

This is what I would like to see in Groove Agent 4:

  1. Style/Genre
    Extend the number of Styles and Genres

  2. Pattern/Fill/Intro/Ending
    Extend the number of patterns and Fills within a Style/Genre
    Add optional intros and endings

  3. Drummer
    Add a “Choose Drummer” Option for each Style/Genre:
    Let several drummers, as talented as Rasmus Kihlberg, play the same kind and number of patterns/Fills within each Style/Genre so we can choose between several drummers for the same style/Genre
    Make this option consistent: the same number of patterns for each drummer within one Style/Genre with aproximatively the same complexity for each pattern would make the patterns interchangeable.

  4. User Library
    Let the user add his own patterns, fills, intros and endings and the ability to create a user library.

  5. Jaming/Random features
    Allow the random pattern/fill function to choose from a greater range of patterns/fills:
    Mode a. adjacent patterns/fills as it is now
    Mode b. extended patterns/fills range
    Mode c. even more extended patterns/fills range
    Mode d. all patterns/fills
    Mode e. random mode (a to d)

  6. Fill control position
    Add a random mode for the Fills Control position

Best regards

Hi , what is the latest on GA 4 being released. I’m happy, but I would have been happier if GA 3 worked with Cubase 7. NO excuse in my opinion. Come on guys, what was the problem?? I’ve been a customer since Cubase VST.
Later Jeff

I’ve been wondering about upgrading GA1 for a while so came here and saw this post. I don’t know if I can wait for the new version but I thought I’d throw my thoughts into the mix:

  • My main beef about GA1 is that the transition between layers is far too abrupt and there doesn’t feel to be enough variation within each layer. Other products make a great play of this. Will GA4?

  • I would like to be able to layer sounds, each delayable.

For all I know, these may have been features of the paid version, but that seems to be by-the-by now.

As I said, I need to find something to overcome the abrupt velocity layering issue pretty rapid so any update on a release date?

Thanks for reading,
C

I’m hoping for something with the great patterns and sounds with the flexibility of platform. My other goto drummer is the Alesis Sr 18. Groove Agent has more interesting patterns and variations but I end up using mr sr18 more because of how quickly i can make a backing drums for a “Song” without programming. I love being able to quickly have a fill, A and B pattern that I can operate with my feet via midi or sustain pedal. If groove agent could do this along with an ipad app (midi pedal option again) I’d be thrilled. I’d also like a really basic sequencing function to string together so many measures of (eg. intro, pattern a, fill, pattern b, fill, repeat, outro).

Don’t forget some kind of tie in between an app option and cubasis. You would really have a unique slice of market by pairing a smart drumming app and cubasis.

Can’t wait to see what is next!

they should really rush with some news, as Maschine 2.0 is coming out: although Maschine is really TOP-level, on workflow, I know GA4 would be something entirely different (groove’s and stuff :smiley:). plus maschine isn’t vst3, which might prevent me of spending another 99$, and wait what Steinberg releases…

Development process: Years ago Steinberg put a project timeline on the website with a marker showing the current status of the development (can’t remember which product, maybe Halion 3?) I thought it was a clever way to keep us informed without committing to a date, while eliminating the “when is it coming out?” posts.

Groove Agent’s main strength is the wide variety of patterns and fills for a given style, in progressive complexities, with MIDI output. Optional integration of that with forms in either the Marker Track [Intro/Verse/Pre-chorus/Chorus/Turnaround/Bridge/Breakdown/Outro/etc.] and/or Arranger Track would help.

GA3’s main disappointment was the lack of MIDI export for the Special Agent and Percussion Agent. Don’t do that again.

When I use Random Fill, I’d like to be able to X out certain fills that aren’t working in a particular song, kind of like LoopMash does.

User patterns and fills would be great. A way to humanize the patterns by introducing subtle pattern variations (not just timing variations) would be a middle road between Jamstix and rigid MIDI patterns, and would lessen the need for “more patterns and fills” than the 25 already provided. How many times have I opened a style set in another product, only to get 5 patterns and 2 fills? That’s a fail.

Is it true that Groove Agent 3 doesn’t work with Cubase 7?

GA One or 4 or 5, needs sounds that are dry. If you want to provide an also pro solution to users or at least really a tool people can work with we would like to kindly ask you to provide us with samples that are dry as otherwise all the sound banks that come with reverb will only be able to be used with that particular reverb!

It would also be really nice to have the Cubase Presets menues worked on. I was looking for a nice BD and had to skip from one preset to the next. Not that it would cause any major thing, but it did take time.
There are many Grooveboxes out there, I believe if you are serious about getting Groove Agent (which I always considered a stable tool) up to a semi pro level it will need the Preset Section BD/Sn/HH/Tom1 /Tom2/ etc… and the dry sounds as well.

All the best

Theo

to whom it may concern:

I purchased Cubase 6 and GA3 in early December of 2012.

Within a very short time I recieved a complimentary upgrade to Cubase 7. No mention was made as to the inherent problems with Cu7 and GA3 on the Steinberg site.

Inasmuch a GA3 does not directly write to Cubase 7, I would certainly appreciate a similar opportunity to upgrade to GA4, at no cost or a greatly discounted price. I’m quite disappointed that GA3 is not being serviced or upgraded to work with Cubase 7.

This issue has caused me to move to other vendors for a solution. Is that what Steinberg marketing desires?

Not a happy camper…
Last edited by cagressett on Sat Feb 16, 2013 5:59 pm, edited 1 time in total. cagressett
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Soon it will be a full year with no personal benefit whatsoever from purchasing GA3.
I also have purchased Cubasic Pro and have similar experience. I cannot use unless I disable direct monitoring. Not an option for me. Do I detect a trend??

Hopefully people in my situation will be offered some type of compensation when it’s time to pony up more money for “new” products…

Spam deleted as well as spamer zuluss.

Regards

Good!