Check my drum mix please...

[six]

I checked out battery too. As far as I understood it only plays midi files with the samples you assigned, so nothing special there. I think the key to a good "faked" drumtrack is a combination of good samples and your "writing" skills.

let's say you have a fill consisting of 8th-notes played on snare and a low tom. worst way: all the hits are at the same velocity/volume. better way: they gradually get louder. but this still doesn't sound too real if it's always the same sample, because a (snare-)drum just doesn't sound the same when played soft as when played hard. nevertheless you can get quite acceptable results by just "writing" the track as a drummer actually play it, best with little imperfections. and now, if you're lucky you have a plug-in (like battery) that handles several samples for one drum as velocity layers. this way the drum sounds not only quieter when hit with less force but also different - just like a real drum. this will make quite a difference to your tracks.

here's a sample I just made: sample (if there's a 404, copy the linklocation and feed it there...)

it starts with a non-layered kit all played at a velocity of 120 - sounds like crap.

then the same kit with a velocity rise - better and might work in some situations.

last one is the SAME midi track but with a layered kit. about 6 layers on the snare and some less on the tom - sounds a lot better.


I don't say the third example is killer, but it'll give you an idea.

 

[Myriad_Rocker]

Okay....can you tell me HOW you made it?



I'm reading up on BFD and it's sounding pretty good....

 

[six]

I think it's clear how I did the midi-track: place the "notes" and alter their velocity if needed.

I use soundfont-technology, but it's basically the same as battery: you just gotta have either hardware or software that assigns samples to your midi-tracks. that's all.

... oh, of course you need the samples. I once found a drum-kit that sounded acceptable in my ears. and then by and by I changed it, replaced samples that I found for example in other kits. that's quite a bit of work sometimes.

 

[ecktronic]

I dont really believe in using fake drums or sampled drums if you are trying to make them sound real as if a drummer played them. Thats just silly and false. I can understand if its not possible for any reason to record drums but if possible, use a drummer and a drum kit. Its like using a keyboard with a guitar sample to make a santana lick! It aint gonna be easy to make it have feeling. Sampled drums are for making techno and dance and other stuff. I make techno beats and also dj shadow sort of beats using samples or MIDI. But i also record rock n roll in real time with real human beings.
Keep music real.

 

[Cult_Status02]

I got about 3/4ths the way down the posts, and I was reading I was thinking the same thing about the toms, but I just want to say this. I have been drumming about 8 years now and I was trying to figure out if it's possible to do the fill with the hi-hat, and it is. I realize he said it was a sample, but I'm just putting this out there: If the drummer drums using the left hand to do hi-hat, but is a right handed drummer (I've seen these freaks before) he could do that fill with the hi-hat. Oh and to help Myriad, I'd say the Bass is WAY too loud, unless you are going for that hard rock sort of sound. The other things (cymbals) were covered in other posts.

 

[Myriad_Rocker]

I got about 3/4ths the way down the posts, and I was reading I was thinking the same thing about the toms, but I just want to say this. I have been drumming about 8 years now and I was trying to figure out if it's possible to do the fill with the hi-hat, and it is. I realize he said it was a sample, but I'm just putting this out there: If the drummer drums using the left hand to do hi-hat, but is a right handed drummer (I've seen these freaks before) he could do that fill with the hi-hat. Oh and to help Myriad, I'd say the Bass is WAY too loud, unless you are going for that hard rock sort of sound. The other things (cymbals) were covered in other posts.

Thanks for the bass suggestion. It's actually hard rock so I'd like the kick to be up there. But I'm sure it's probably too loud anyway, so I'll probably turn it down a tad.

 

[Myriad_Rocker]

I think it's clear how I did the midi-track: place the "notes" and alter their velocity if needed.

I use soundfont-technology, but it's basically the same as battery: you just gotta have either hardware or software that assigns samples to your midi-tracks. that's all.

... oh, of course you need the samples. I once found a drum-kit that sounded acceptable in my ears. and then by and by I changed it, replaced samples that I found for example in other kits. that's quite a bit of work sometimes.

I got ya now...the reason I didn't understand how you did it is because my method is so much different than yours. Mine is more tedious and now I see I was going about it all wrong in the first place. I was making it harder than it really is.

I think I still might give the BFD thing a whirl if they have a demo. It looked pretty freakin sweet (to quote Family Guy).

 

[Cloneboy Studio]

But i also record rock n roll in real time with real human beings. Keep music real.

Drum machines are an excellent composer's tool for people that can't afford the cost/noise of miking a live drum kit.

 

[Steal Sessions]

Drum machines are an excellent composer's tool for people that can't afford the cost/noise of miking a live drum kit.

Or don't want to have to deal with that idiot that calls himself a drummer.

 

[ssurj]

No offense but it sounds like a guitar player's impression of what drums sound like.

LOL!..I'm a guitar player, and your absolutely correct!!...lol

 

[Dexter411]

1) Yeah -- that tom fill is possible if you can play open; I'm a lefty that plays a right-handed kit and I thought the hi-hat consistency vs. its playing part gave it away.

2) Definitely use something to vary the volume and "feel" of the drum hits -- you never hear a drummer play EXACTLY the same sound twice.

 

[Jizz]

Unfortunately I agree with the people saying it's a drum machine. I have a little experience of the SR-16 and it does sound similar...even though I wouldn't argue that it was definitely an SR-16 in particular. The hits all sound identical, especially the hi-hat.
Plus a fill in is happening while the hi-hat is being played, while I'm not saying it takes someone with 3 arms to do it, it just seems that you have excellent strength and control to make EVERY damn hit sound the same.

LIES!!! CHARLATAN!!! DRUM MACHINERISTER!!!!!

 

[Jizz]

I use a Zoom RT-323 drum machine and I often try altering the sensitivity so that each drum hit, whether it be bass kick or cymbal crash is at a different volume every time I hit it.
It's extremely hard to disguise a drum machine, no matter how you mix it.

 

[Jizz]

I dont really believe in using fake drums or sampled drums if you are trying to make them sound real as if a drummer played them. Thats just silly and false. I can understand if its not possible for any reason to record drums but if possible, use a drummer and a drum kit. Its like using a keyboard with a guitar sample to make a santana lick! It aint gonna be easy to make it have feeling. Sampled drums are for making techno and dance and other stuff. I make techno beats and also dj shadow sort of beats using samples or MIDI. But i also record rock n roll in real time with real human beings.
Keep music real.

As for that argument, some people, like me, don't have access to people that can play Slayer or Fear Factory style double bass stuff...so the drum machine really IS the only option when you really want to make some fuckin noise!!!



I do know what you mean though, I hate the constant hi-hat hits on my Zoom...only way I can think of tempering it a bit is to make 4 or 5 different hi-hat sounds using the same preset ie, tuning it slightly different from the others and altering the volume on it. Very time consuming to someone who is very impatient like me.

 

[Chibi Nappa]

If the drummer drums using the left hand to do hi-hat, but is a right handed drummer (I've seen these freaks before) he could do that fill with the hi-hat.

Ha! The drummer for the band I do sound for does this. He can change up left hand on hat/right hand on hat and keep the feel the same. Looks strange as hell, but he makes it look effortless none the less.

 

[Cult_Status02]

Man, those guys are the oddest creations, aren't they?