fake drummer looking for help

[Heat]

Ok so I am not really a drummer...i use a Boss DR-5..on recordings....so i hope i dont get crucified in here........

Any ideas on how to warm up....or make my drum kits sound more natural......anyone who alos uses this machine..which kits do you use for recording...and also what is your process for getting them onto a track????

I think the biggest disadvantage to the DR-5 is the inability to split your kit into seperate tracks..and make individual adjustments (effects, volume)

Well anyone else that uses one of these little toys and has had some decent results they have recorded...I would appreciate any tips you have....


Heat

 

[MISTERQCUE]

I have the Boss DR groove machine.I usually
plug the left in channel 1 and the right to channel 2. I pan the signals to cover the
stereo field in a different unique way,add
some 'Verb and flange(or delay) to get a different color, Tweak my eq to try and eliminate that "Canned Drum" sound and sometimes using an outboard eq to add a lil'
more flavor. I then compress my signals to dat. A lotta work to make a simple drum machine so "REAL"..... Last week I went out and bought me a drum set(I used to play 'bout 20 years ago). Except for micing the kit, the comparison between drum machines and actual drums are no contest! But I still have some fun playing with my drum machine.
There is so much,in the way of recording you can do with a drum machine, but a lil this,a lil of that and you can probably find the right kit and tonality that will suit your needs. Play with it,experiment and do some tweaking.Good Luck!

 

[DaveO]

I use a DR-770, not a DR-5, but I've tried the following and found they work for me.

1) I sometimes run the drum machine through my Tube MP if I'm recording mono or Dual MP if stereo. This depends on a) whether or not I need the preamps for something else and b) how much bouncing I'll get forced into since I'm still on a cassette 4-track.

2) Before I program a pattern, I "air drum" it first to see if it sounds believable. I play mostly rock-based songs so this helps makes sure I get the sound of one drummer on a drum kit. If you're doing dance-based patterns this probably doesn't matter much. My wife thinks this is hysterical, but I've learned to get over that since it works.

3) This takes *a lot* of patience, but after programming and listening to a pattern I'll go back and play with the level on individual "strikes". I think this is most effective with sweeps, rolls, and hi-hats. Subtle is usually the key.

4) Try doing something besides 8th notes on the hi-hat, snare on 2 and 4, etc. However, don't go overboard. If a simple pattern is what the song needs then give it just that. If you're programming on the drum machine itself like I am (rather than on a sequencer or PC) this also takes some patience.

5) When I first got the drum machine I played around a lot with effects, building kits, etc. but then realized I was spending more time fiddling with the effects than I was on the songs. Now I've got it boiled down to six kits that give me 99% of what I need. Once I cut back on the "playing" I became more satisfied with the playing (Hey, I like that idea. I gotta remember to use that in a song).

Anyway, I hope that helps. I agree with MISTERQCUE. It's a lot of work to make a drum machine sound "real", but when that's your only choice you work with what you've got.