Drum machines in death metal?

[lifebind]

I love playing heavy metal... especially death metal. The problem is I can't find a drummer that can get the job done. I'm considering using a (free standing) drum machine so I can start writing and recording. What I don't know is if these drum machines can be programmed to do blast beats and other complicated double bass/snare combinations. Has anyone used a drum machine for death metal? Give me some input!

[Neito]

I believe Agoraphobic Nosebleed uses a drum machine. If it isn't them, it's another band, but I know it's very possible. As long as you know what you want, you can make the drum machine as fast as you want; typically faster than human drummers. Like I said, though, knowing what you want the machine to play is going to be the hard part. That and staying with it tempo-wise.

[Morbidity]

There's a good program I recommend called Accoustica Beatcraft, check out for yourself how it sounds, this band plays blast beats and everything a Death Metaler is looking for: http://www.myspace.com/eoadisease


Abdullah

[breeeeza]

Originally Posted by Neito

I believe Agoraphobic Nosebleed uses a drum machine. If it isn't them, it's another band, but I know it's very possible. As long as you know what you want, you can make the drum machine as fast as you want; typically faster than human drummers. Like I said, though, knowing what you want the machine to play is going to be the hard part. That and staying with it tempo-wise.

yer agoraphobic nosebleed use them and so do other bands.
If you send me a song that is completed with drum machine i might be able to replace that with real drums if i get round to learning it and recording it. it will be a challenge but i love playing death metal. as long at the blasts dont exceed 220 bpm i could probably do them.

[Adam P]

Agoraphobic Nosebleed, Fuck...I'm Dead, and The Berzerker I believe all use drum machines. I'm positive about the first two. Mortician does as well, but they suck so I wouldn't worry about them.

Bottom line? Yes, it can be, and is, done.

Oh yeah...

www.myspace.com/fuckimdeadgrind
http://Shop.relapse.com/dbmedia/audi..._Gravework.mp3

[Farview]

You can make most drum machines do anything you want. The trick is knowing how to tell the machine what you want. You will really have to know the difference between a 16th note and an 1/8 note triplet.

[Ironklad Audio]

the only problem with bands like AN and berzerker who use drum machines on their albums...is that they still have to have a live drummer who can pull the shit off

[Uladine]

Actually Death Metal is one of the few genres you can get away with using a drum machine. Drum machines can do some pretty extreme stuff, it just depends on your imagination and how real you want it to sound. Blast beats and crazy fills and stuff are the easy parts, getting them to sound human is the hard (impossible?) part.

[legionserial]

I know its not technically the same as a drum machine, but I play a lot of death metal, and all my drums are programmed in midi. They sound pretty much like a kit. Its just a matter of making sure the velocities are a bit more human. Before I was doing that I was pasting wav files straigh into my sequencer. Like file for each hit. Took fucking ages but it came out sounding fairly real not as good midi tho. It just takes time and patience....

[metalhead28]

I used to use a hardware drum machine and I had pretty good results.
Now I use midi drums (Drumkit From Hell Superior) which I think work much better and are far easier to use. (Not to mention sounding much more realistic).

It can be done with a drum machine for sure.

[myhatbroke]

www.myspace.com/buryingthetrend this is Frooty Loop drums Acoustica isnt very good. Its too simple. Frooty Loops has more features that will enhance and make your drums come to life.

[killthepixelnow]

Originally Posted by metalhead28

I used to use a hardware drum machine and I had pretty good results.
Now I use midi drums (Drumkit From Hell Superior) which I think work much better and are far easier to use. (Not to mention sounding much more realistic).
It can be done with a drum machine for sure.

Yeah, you can do anything with todays drum machines. DFH and BFD are my favorite, specially if they work in 24bits. It demands a lot time to get a realistic sound because of the dynamics and the human feeling but if you have the time and the patient you can reach to an almost real drum feeling. You should check Necrophagist's "Onset of putrefaction" It has maybe the best programmed drums I've heard.

[Schloo]

Mix it up yourself with wav samples in Acid Pro 4.0.
As heard in myspace.com/sleepterror

[zacanger]

Originally Posted by Adam P

Agoraphobic Nosebleed, Fuck...I'm Dead, and The Berzerker I believe all use drum machines. I'm positive about the first two. Mortician does as well, but they suck so I wouldn't worry about them.

Bottom line? Yes, it can be, and is, done.

Oh yeah...

www.myspace.com/fuckimdeadgrind
http://Shop.relapse.com/dbmedia/audi..._Gravework.mp3

Fuck... I'm Dead, one of the best metal bands ever. Well, of that grindcore type. Not near TDEP or SikTh in skill, but they rock.

[Atterion]

Samael has used drum machines from the beginning.

[lucky13]

I just bought BFD, and that program is bad fucking ass!!!!!! Real drums recorded wiht great equipment and put together in a sequencer. I haven't gotten into all of the really cool features, I'm just learning the basics (I've only had it 3 days now) and it's already blowing my mind.