Groove agent 5 - is it me or is it awful?

Virtual instruments Groove Agent
1

Is it just me or is Groove Agent 5 just absolutely awful and a nightmare to use?

I bought it ages ago with the hope it would be my ‘go to’ for lovely drums but it’s simply not and, it seems to have got worse recently.

Firstly, settings change without me doing anything and the worst thing is, because I haven’t done it, I don’t know how to change it back.

I can’t seem to get any of the ‘instruments’ to easily import into the rack system - I’m sure this used to be a drag and drop but that doesn’t work either, superb.

So many other things are just horrible with it - is it just a case of, having bought this, write it off and get another drum instrument?

2

The comedian in me wants to respond… It’s you.

But hey, if it doesn’t do what you want it to do I’d look for something else. Personally I think it’s a fantastic piece of software.

3

Although GA has evolved from it initial intent (a tarted up version of the rhythm machine you’d find on an organ - fast and easy to select), it is a very, very powerful piece of software. With that power comes complexity.

Unfortunately, SB software is often very powerful but its documentation is often lacking (sometimes completely). This I think is one of the biggest challenges SB has at the moment. A refusal to see this weak point.

A shame, much of their hard work is not appreciated as its often hard to use fully.

You are not wrong.

4

I’d agree with you 100% on this.

I’ve been using Cubase since version 1 and I still love it, I think all DAWs have their positives and negatives but overall, I can do what I want to without too much hassle.

Groove Agent seems to elude me though. I mean I want to basically drag and drop drums, nothing fancy, but the way it has started behaving, it’s not easy to do that anymore.

Also, I’ve had to re-download all 32gig of content as that disappeared.

I’ve tried to contact Steinberg customer services before and it’s non-existant, instead I have to rely on Google or forums like this, sadly, this is getting more common I think.

5

It probably is if you know how to use it but, how do you learn is my question?

I don’t want to do anything fancy or complicated with it but, it doesn’t seem to do what it used to…I mean Groove Agent 5, something has changed.

6

I’m using GA6, but to answer your question… I began by loading a kit and a style and took it from there. I think it also has to do with wanting to create or do 1 specific thing and then learn how to do it. Either via the manual, YT Videos and asking questions on this forum. Honestly, there are some fantastic YT Videos out there. I’m also lucky because I’m not doing anything exotic with it. I would say my complexity level using the software is at about 5 out of 10. But that “5” keeps me really busy and covers virtually everything I would ever want to do.

7

I’m probably not even a 5.

It won’t let me drop a kit into the kit slots, that’s where I’m frustrated because I’m sure I used to be able to do this.

Maybe I need to reinstall it.

8

For what it’s worth I think the beat agent part of Groove agent is a monster.
Really worth putting some learning effort in.

9

I’ve actually started watching this. The first one was great but I think the second was too much too soon. The third should have been the second - that’s where I’m up to.

10

I just upgraded to GA6 and find it a bit less cluttered. The changes in mapping MIDI ports for multiple kits/patterns is a little more intuitive, though I had to experiment a bit to get it working.

I currently have two kits mapped to four MIDI tracks with GA set up so that MIDI channels 1 & 3 are the kits and 2 & 4 are the patterns for kits 1 & 2 respectively. Don’t know if I’ll ever need all four kits, bit I’m preemptively creating MIDI tracks with mapping just in case.

I can easily see using 2 kits, one for drums and one for percussion.

11

Some more specifics here could be useful to the devs - which settings are changing without you doing anything? I’ve never encountered that.

By rack system, you’re talking about the 4 kits? Kits and Instruments are two different things. Instruments are for Pads, Kits are for.. Kits.

While there is a lot of room for improvement,
(see my thread: Groove Agent 7 feature requests: For the Sound-Designer/Instrument Builder/Custom Samples User - Virtual instruments / Groove Agent - Steinberg Forums )

Groove Agent 5 is one of the top 5 most powerful, creativity yielding pieces of software I’ve ever used. It’s a sound-design powerhouse juggernaut for me. In my composition template, I have 4x Groove Agents, each with 4x kits of custom designed drum sounds (and other sounds.)

I would start just by loading your own sounds onto pads, and creating stuff… Learn all the features/ui to do with that.

12

Thanks but how do I learn?

13

Like the rest of us have, taking time to experiment and study.

14

But where do I find how to do the basics?

The manual seems difficult to understand and it seems there are no videos.

I’m not particularly tech savvy, I’m a musician, I don’t want to spend hours learning stuff that I’ll never use.

15

Don’t know what to tell you, maybe the product isn’t for you.

Maybe try ‘Band-In-A-Box’, they’ve had a VST for some time.

16

That’s a harsh comment.

I used to be able to use it fine but something’s changed with it, that’s my worry.

17

You’re just imo, not being exact enough. So no one can help you.

Keep a journal near you and take notes as you discover things, whether know-how, or what you feel are problems/bad changes.

I’ve got about 5 Cubase/Groove Agent/Halion/MIDI/studio setup journals, all chalk full of notes, techniques, feature uses, problems, and feature requests.

Your technological level doesn’t predate pen and paper does it?

18

:joy:

That’s good advice.

19

Software installs sometimes get screwed. A glitch in saving, usually, and settings/projects get corrupted.
I do a complete re-install every 18 months, or so. Takes two days. I don’t have issues that are not inherent in the software ie known and documented bugs. Cubase works. HALion works. Groove Agent works. &tc.

Me, too. I just learn the stuff I do want to use. I learn by doing, and in all my hobbies I am self-taught. Some would say, “It shows!”.

20

I used to be better but I had a stroke a few years ago and had to relearn everything so it’s a bit more difficult.