Best automated drummer in existance

[VesuviusJay]

I just read an earlier post about making a drum machine sound real. This has been a mighty task for my metal project, as I have no drummer, yet need brutal percussion. After much hard work and research, I fool people now. Unless you are an engineer yourself, you would never know.

First go to http://www.pcdrummer.com and PURCHASE PC Drummer pro. $60.00

Next find the best analog .wav file drum snaps you can find. I got mine by scouring the internet and downloading them for free. Although there are some good CDROM's full. Then use PC drummer's intrument utility to map PCDrummer's drum set to the new .wav files you obtained.

Next thing is to use PC drummer to sequence your drum part. Once complete and you have tested the sequence for fluidity, export the drum part to a wav file. This can only be done with PC drummer pro. Play close attention to the dynamics of each snap in each measure as PC drummer allows 4 levels of velocity for a snap, and velocity dynamic adds to the human feel.

Now you want your drums to have an even more human feel. So far only later versions of cubase have the function you need, which is called GROOVE QUANTIZATION. Here's how it works; consider the drum song in question and think of an MP3 you have that has a similar "feel" to it, (ie. similar tempo, similar beat style), Next use cubase to "find m points" for your sample MP3. Then you go to [quantize][convert to groove]. This saves a groove "blueprint" of the MP3 you chose. It does not save the actual beat or rythm rather, but more of the tempo changes, etc. close the mp3 file and import your drum .wav. Now right click on the drum wave and go to the GRV menu choice. Now go to [edit][select all]. and then click the wav with the grv mouse icon. This applies the human "groove" to your drum wav part. Magic, now the drum machine sounds 90% human. Now save your new quantized drum track and re-import into your favorite VST and start loopin!

The only "watch out for" I have is that when you import the drum .wav into cubase, it tends to bump up the tempo about 10bpm. Therefore, in pc drummer, set the tempo then subtract 10 bpm before you export.

Listen to the attatched sample MP3 to see what all that work will do for you.

"KEEP MUSIC BRUTAL"
http://www.vesuviusdeath.com

[Fangar]

Wow that's pretty in depth. Is that what you used on the songs on your web page? Cause they sound pretty "Non Humanized" to me... Just my opinion though. Definately need to continue the quest for programmed drum brutality.



Fangar

[tubedude]

DR-008 will smoke that program with Drumkit From hell. I suggest you check it out.
Drumkit from hell is multisampled, from REAL soft hits all the way up to REAL hard hits, not just a louder hit thats the same hit, and it has like 10 hits for each hand, soft to hard for left, soft to hard for right, and THEN, you can go though and add in the same hits from an ambient mic too to fatten it up.
Best I;ve seen, and with Sonar you get multiple outs and a two channel aux bus with the DR-008, among other good features.
Peace

[tubedude]

I was gonna listen to your stuff, but why in the world is it in a zip file?
Homey dont play that....

Get some MP3's up at nowhereradio and get back to us.

[HangDawg]

No offense but I think the drums were kinda crappy sounding. Pretty thin and mixed way too low. I've never heard a drummer play like that. If you played that for me without saying anything, the first thing I would have asked is what drum machine did you use.

[VesuviusJay]

So what would you guys suggest for getting a better mix with this sequencer?

[Fangar]

Originally posted by VesuviusJay
So what would you guys suggest for getting a better mix with this sequencer?

Jay,

I think your first problem at least on the Captivity one is that the Samples are very bad. I am not familiar with PC drummer, but if it is able to use Acidized loops, Sonic Foundry makes a whole slew of them. I use Sonic Foundry's Acid for the drums and the samples that I have so far purchased are great. I have a tough time finding free ones that are worth a crap, but I am sure there are a dew out there.

Secondly, Your arrangement (Drums) has no feel. It does not sound like it was put together by a drummer. For a heavy song such as yours where the singer sounds like he has an opened can of frozen Orange Juice in this throat, you need some way open hi-hats and a snare drum that jars your head.

Thirdly, your mix sounds like it was slid under the bedroom door. The top end and midrange were lost somwhere in the shag carpet. All you are left with is high end mix with no shape to it. The musical content sounds fine and I think that you have worked on the arrangement.

Thanks for opening yourself up. Just try again, cause we all like to hear progress. Good Luck.

Fangar

[tubedude]

Originally posted by Fangar
Jay,

I think your first problem at least on the Captivity one is that the Samples are very bad.
Secondly, Your arrangement (Drums) has no feel. It does not sound like it was put together by a drummer. For a heavy song such as yours where the singer sounds like he has an opened can of frozen Orange Juice in this throat, you need some way open hi-hats and a snare drum that jars your head.

Thirdly, your mix sounds like it was slid under the bedroom door. The top end and midrange were lost somwhere in the shag carpet. All you are left with is high end mix with no shape to it. The musical content sounds fine and I think that you have worked on the arrangement.

Fangar

Damn, HARSH! You just broke the mans poor heart...

[Fangar]

I was not trying to be harsh, I just think that he has some talent and the song cold be a lot better with a little work.

Fangar

[RealFastV6]

Originally posted by HangDawg
No offense but I think the drums were kinda crappy sounding. Pretty thin and mixed way too low. I've never heard a drummer play like that. If you played that for me without saying anything, the first thing I would have asked is what drum machine did you use.

Tru Tru

[flash2ace]

man the never ending search for a real drum sound never ends.

[tubedude]

I would be willing to say I pretty much have it nailed. My problem is letting things stay nailed and not fixing them into a perfect grid.
I'm pretty picky, but Drumkit From Hell, combined with close and ambient signals, its hard to tell. It really is.

[VesuviusJay]

Check out my progress guys.

http://www.vesuviusdeath.com/cycleofchange.zip

[Fangar]

Originally posted by VesuviusJay
Check out my progress guys.

http://www.vesuviusdeath.com/cycleofchange.zip

Jay,

Sounds like you might have worked on adding a little midrange to mix, at least from what I remember of the original. The drums are still pretty synthetic. Keep in mind I am not saying anything about the tune itself, just the sound quality as a whole. The drums samples are bad. Keep at it though.

Fangar