creating drum tracks on the PC

T

tf5_bassist

The LouDogg
Okay... Here's my dilemma... No drumset... at all... I just want to record shit I write, and I'm writing the drum tracks, too... I'm using Cubase VST/32. I'm basically looking for GOOD sounding drum samples and a simple way to write/record them... Several drum programs have a "grid" for writing... as in... you create the drum tracks instrument by instrument, bar by bar, beat by beat, etc etc etc... You all know what I'm talking about... Anyways... I need to find one of these that will easily interface into Cubase... possibly a VST instrument? I dunno, I'm new to Cubase, so I don't know how to do the drum tracks in it... Any ideas at all?
 
I'll be watching this thread, too.

I've been using Fruity Loops, which I think is a great drum maker, but I want to make the drums sound more realistic. The "humanize" settings in Fruity really suck, IMHO, because all you end up with are certain beats being accented, and in a repeating pattern it just sounds something like a compressor pumping.

I don't think Fruity will integrate into Cubase, though. You have to export the drum tracks as WAVs, then import the WAVs into Cubase.
 
I played with Fruity Loops a few years back, didn't have much luck with it... But maybe that's cause i'm a moron. I dunno. But as far as intergrating in with Cubase, the new versions of FL can function as a VST instrument. Cool stuff, but I dunno... I just need to find a good solid drum tracker, basically... Maybe I'll mess with FL some other time, however...
 
Do anyone of you have a sampler: I'M JUST ASKING

cause if you do that you could MAKE your own -- I mean the easiest way to get what you want is really to do it yourself, If you guys had an MPC or something you could make them, or I could catch a few for ya--- but you'd have to have a MPC

then set your keyboard as MASTER, play the drum sounds right from your keyboard --- but then again I know you guys are asking for a software platform---- I steer clear from that shit
good luck
 
I started out in the same situation, wanting to record my own song ideas but without any real drums (or the ability to play them).

If it's just drums you want, my suggestion would be to use NI's Battery as a VSTi in Cubase. Battery is basically a sampler, but it's designed more to be used for creating drum tracks. You can load drum samples into Battery and trigger them using Cubase's midi editor.

For drum samples, I'd suggest Wizoo's Platinum drums. They sound great and with a little practice writing drum patterns, you'll
have a somewhat realistic alternative to the real thing.
 
REASON!

You should definately check out Reason by propellerheads:

http://www.propellerheads.se/

It's got a very good drum machine and a loop player, as well as synths, sequencers, and samplers.

I use Nuendo, which interfaces directly with Reason using the Rewire protocol. I'm not sure if Cubase supports Rewire, but I think it does.

Reason is by far far the most powerful, intuitive, best sounding, and easy to use program of it's type that I have ever seen. Definately beats Fruity Loops for features and versatility in my opinion.


jeez, I sound like an ad, sorry, but it really is a cool program.

-Steve
 
mstudio - Fruity actually IS a software sampler. You can import any WAV sound and build your own tracks one beat at a time.

I just use a mouse rather than a keyboard, and custom build each drum track for each song, from scratch.

Of course, it also comes with some pre-fabbed loops, and lots of techno type stuff that I never bothered with. I just need the skins.
 
See... I don't quite understand how you use these types of programs... I mean, with something like Digitonix Element, it's all on a grid... very music-like... it passes through bar by bar, and it's all nice and graphically laid out to see what hits are going where... I have NO CLUE how the Cubase midi editor and the things like Battery work out... any simplifications?
 
Just think of it as an advanced sound module, you still program and edit your hits in your native piano roll screen or whatever Cubase has (I'm in the Sonar camp), but then the midi notes map to instruments within Battery and trigger the sounds there.

I use Reason personally, but if I was using Cubase I would be all over this because IMO NIB is about the most powerful drum software synth available short of spending thousands.
 
Seems like you'll need to take some time and study up a little more on Cubase. It's a powerful program and is well-suited for what you're trying to do: create music by combining recorded audio tracks (vocals, guitar) with sofware instrument tracks.

I use Logic, but I'm almost certain Cubase has a midi editor laid out on a grid as you describe (in Logic it's called the Matrix editor). The beauty of using a program like Cubase is that you can have a midi track for drums along side a track of recorded audio. I'm not sure how Cubase does it exactly, but you would basically open Battery (or any other VST instrument) within the midi track and the drum sounds in Battery would be triggered by the midi notes. And it's all done within Cubase.

I would suggest using Battery over Fruity Loops because 1) Battery is designed more specifically as a VST instrument and 2) Battery handles 24 bit samples (Wizoo's platinum drums are 24 bit).
 
Why have you ruled out a drum machine? In the end, you'll be spending roughly the same money, but drum machines have pads that are (IMO) much easier to work with. True, plugins can usually do a bit more, but I have yet to find one that I like better than my Zoom 234 (you can get them for about $175). Very nice feel, and a zillion different types of sets to work with.

This is what mine sounds like (the song's not done yet - I'm still working on it).
 
Hey... sounds pretty nice... Dig the keys. ^_^ Anyways..

Why have i ruled out a drum machine? Because i don't quite like the idea of having the pads... I'd rather.. hehe... I'd rather air-drum the parts and the put them down on the grid-type dealie that way I can graphically see what hits are where. Also... I haven't seen a drum machine that has a humanize feature... But I may just not be paying attention..

Haha... the lo-fi drum section kills, yo!

BTW... what kinda' rig are you using? I probably can't afford it, but it sounds nice..
 
Because i don't quite like the idea of having the pads... I'd rather.. hehe... I'd rather air-drum the parts and the put them down on the grid-type dealie that way I can graphically see what hits are where. Also... I haven't seen a drum machine that has a humanize feature... But I may just not be paying attention..
Click to expand...

I can respect that. The Zoom234, and Boss Dr. Rhyhm section do have humanize type features, but they suck. Totally pointless. I dig the 234 because it's realtime. No stinkin' quantize - if I screw up, it stays that way :) I have yet to find a software one that I like, but I'm old school like that. I've heard a lot of nice comments about the LM4 - I think it's the more common VSTI drum machine that Cubase people use (I think it's made by Steinberg).

Thanks for the comments. I'm not using anything fancy - an old 433mhz PC, C-Port (400 bucks), a $99 Oktava 219 mic, a $50 nanocompressor, and an ancient Yamaha 12 channel mixer I got from ebay for $125. Alesis QS 6.1 for keys, and a pawn-shop Epiphone guitar. The lo-fi drums via the 234 and the free Izotope Vinyl plugin.

It's actually kinda like the garage sale rig :)
 
Nice... I just don't have the money for even a low-end decent soundcard... But I'm going to have to sell my DMAN 2044 (Never used, unfortunately -_-) to find something that works with Win2k... May get a delta 44.. And gotsta get a mixer.

Izotope owns my lame ass, btw. I just got my hands on the Ozone plugin for Winamp... Holy hell... if i had the money, i'd get the full version of it... I never knew how shitty my headphone listening really was.. haha... And i got my old band's songs to sound not so shitty, so I downloaded the DX plugin of it too... Fun stuff...

Anyone wanna' trade their delta 44 or 66 for my DMAN 2044? *grin*

Seanmorse79 said:


I can respect that. The Zoom234, and Boss Dr. Rhyhm section do have humanize type features, but they suck. Totally pointless. I dig the 234 because it's realtime. No stinkin' quantize - if I screw up, it stays that way :) I have yet to find a software one that I like, but I'm old school like that. I've heard a lot of nice comments about the LM4 - I think it's the more common VSTI drum machine that Cubase people use (I think it's made by Steinberg).

Thanks for the comments. I'm not using anything fancy - an old 433mhz PC, C-Port (400 bucks), a $99 Oktava 219 mic, a $50 nanocompressor, and an ancient Yamaha 12 channel mixer I got from ebay for $125. Alesis QS 6.1 for keys, and a pawn-shop Epiphone guitar. The lo-fi drums via the 234 and the free Izotope Vinyl plugin.

It's actually kinda like the garage sale rig :)
Click to expand...
 
24 bits make all the difference. I just read on a thread here somewhere that you can get the Echo Darla for 99 bucks nowadays GC, I think. Once you switch, you'll never go back.
 
...that's not too shabby (actually, it's pretty damn good). It does seem to feel pretty human. I'm hearing all kinds of velocities, rolls are very convincing, flams ...nice job.
 
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