Best way to record a drum machine?

[Deen]

Hi there,

I was just wondering what's the best way to record a
a drum machine with 4 assignable outputs ( SR-16 ).
My goal is to have the Kick, Snare, Left toms, Right toms
to be sent to L,R, AuxL, and AuxR respectively. I'd
like them on 4 separate tracks with different effects
processing. I use the built in sound on my motherboard,
so I know it can't handle four tracks at the same time.
A 4 in 4 out card is too expensive an option for me.
So is there a way around this? Thanks.

 

[heinz]

I would do it in multiple passes.

- program your sequence on the drum machine
- turn off volume on everything except kick & snare
- record kick & snare to separate tracks
- turn off k&s volume, turn up toms
- record stereo tom tracks
- turn off tom volume & turn up cymbals
- record stereo cymbal tracks

That would give you good control over the key elements IMO.

 

[Aaron Cheney]

The only catch is you have to make sure to get the tracks synch'ed up w/ each other.

If you are using a MIDI sequencing program (like Sonar), the easiest way to do that might be to program the drums with your software and just use your drum machine as a sound module. Then you can follow heinz's advice and have no problems w/ synching them up.

If you are using an audio-only program, you'll have to drag clips around to get all you tracks in synch with each other.

Aaron
http://www.voodoovibe.com

 

[housepig]

One thing you might try -

program a 4-count on a closed hi-hat or rim shot before your drum track starts.

route this counting track to one of your outputs along with the stuff you are recording.

once you get everything into the computer, the 4-count will make it easier to line every track up correctly, and can be easily edited out.

good luck.

- housepig

 

[Deen]

Thanks for replying guys,

Your posts are all very helpful. I use an audio only program
and plan to follow the steps Heinz mentioned. Then I'd have to sync it. And the 4 count is a good idea.Thanks again.

 

[DaveO]

...

If you are using a MIDI sequencing program (like Sonar), the easiest way to do that might be to program the drums with your software and just use your drum machine as a sound module.
...

I'm currently programming on a drum machine and have found several reasons from learning MIDI programming and using my drum machine as the sound module. My problem is finding a software package that will do what I need. I've looked at several lower priced one (Noteworty Composer, Cakewalk's Music Creator, one from Myriad but I can't rememebr the name right now) and so far I can't find "the one".

The kinds of things I'm looking for are:

1) Features that make editing drum tracks easier. I've tried the piano roll editor in n-Track but haven't gotten used to the "feel" of that style editor, which I've seen in lots of other packages too. The ability to build a drum staff with my instruments would be great too. Writing drum tracks on the packages I looked at so far is difficult because you use a normal staff and the instruments are sort of randomly mapped to notes with general MIDI drums.

2) The ability to split a MIDI drum track into individual tracks for each instrument (for the control heinz was alluding to)

3) Sequencer


I'm now starting to think I need to look at a higher end package like SONAR. Can anyone offer any opinions on how well SONAR or other packages work for drum programming? Right now I'm most interested in drums since I don't play keys. Also, I know real drums would be the ideal solution but I don't have the ideal conditions for putting a drum kit in my basement. I'm stuck with the drum machine.

 

[housepig]

DaveO

Unfortunately for you, I think the *norm* for most drum programming in sequencing programs is the "piano-roll" style.

If you are more comfortable programming your drum machine than using the piano roll, you could try this:

- set up a seqence in your drum machine with each voice on a separate track (instead of everything on sequencer track 1, put snare on 1, kick on 2, hi-hat on 3, etc...)

- set the track parameters so that track 1 is midi channel 1, track 2 is midi channel 2, etc...

- hook this up to a seqencer and set the seqencer to record from those tracks, arm all your tracks to record, press play on your drum machine, and blammo! you'll have the same sequence, entered for you, on discreet tracks that you can assign other voices to, edit in the piano roll, etc.

personally, I find that I have more "feel" working out the beat on the drum machine, then throwing it into a sequencer gives me the options to tweak, replace sounds, etc.

good luck.

- housepig

 

[DaveO]

I can program on the drum machine (DR-770) but it is pretty tedious, especially with all the tweaking I tend to do for individual note (that's the price for trying to make it as realistic as possible). The tedium level is one of the things that started me down the idea of programming them in MIDI.

I'm not sure if my drum machine can do what you described, but I guess it's one more possibility to try. Hopefully I can check it out soon.

In any case, I'm still interested in the idea of a software sequencer. I should probably try the SONAR demo and see what happens. I was trying to keep the price down to the shareware level given all the things we've had to spend money on lately (not toys for me). If I have to try selling the idea of buying something in SONAR's price range to my wife I'll have to have some pretty good reasons.