Drum Recording for a new Drummer!

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SaltSlasher

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I have already begun to build my studio and now the only instrument that I really need is an electronic drumset or a midi drum pad.

I have a few demos that are drum programs but the best thing I have for building drums is my CTK6000's drums. Which arent exactly the best way.

I don't know which to get, a cheap $300 electronic drum set(cause I don't have room for an acoustic one right now) or something like the Alesis midi pad?

The thing is I don't know how to play drums, and can only sort of make beats, nothing fancy or cool. So the device I want it to be will be able to help me learn the drums.

The only reason I just don't jump on the electric drumset is cause I don't know if the Simmons or Alesis $300 drumsets are worth the money or if I would just be fine with a midi pad for around $200??

What you think, are the electronic drums like the simmons for $300 anygood?
 
I forgot, they also have starter drums which are like the midi pads, but with there own sounds. I don't know if those are any good for making beats. THen I am not sure if a drum machine would be just fine?

I really would like to get the full electronic drumset, so unless the midi pads or something would be better, then I would go with them.
 
Is this for you or 'visiting' musicians?
If it's for you then it's down to your own personal preference. If you don't have one yet, find somewhere that sells one or both and try it out until you're satisfied. Probable short answer you already said yourself, you don't really know how to play drums so unless you're planning to learn (which is a different matter!) then an electronic kit won't really be much use to you.

If it's for other people, it's a bit harder. For drummers, most would be used to acoustic drums I guess, but a physical kit would be more suited to them. If it's for producers, then that totally depends on how they write/orchestrate. I would expect some to use the synth pad and most to build straight into the midi editing window (with or without the pads).
 
Ok that make sense. Well I just got done buying studio monitors after spending a couple of hours going through each one and testing them. I did spend a little bit of time on the drum machines and they aren't to bad.

I just like being able to hit pads to make it more unique. It is easy to do beats in a program, cause you can sit there and edit it and change the key and how hard you hit it.

I mainly want one for me, and sometimes I have people come over, but not often. I pretty much whatever will allow me to learn drumming, to improve my overall recordings.

The reason I like the midi is the same reason why I bought my piano, because I have a couple of programs that utilze having a keyboard to control the synths. The same goes to having a midi for drum beats.

I found the Alesis DM5 for $239, the one that is missing one cymbol and one tom. Its a kick, snare, highhat, two toms and one cymbol, with moduele and pedels.
This is perfect, I just dont know if its going to be like playing Guitar Hero Drums?
 
Last time I was in the drum department at GC, they had the yamaha drums and the simmons. I don't know if they have a DM6 model up, but I am going to go see tomorrow.

The two best places in my GC, as far as the knowledgeable staff, #1 for drums and #2 everything recording.

So I am pretty sure they can point me in the right direction.

I already starting doing research on the DM6 USB express kit and from what I have seen on youtube, it ain't that bad especially for 239$, plus they offer the snake, tom and cymbol online if I ever want to upgrade!

I will have about 400 by the end of the month, so I will probably just get the drumset. I though about getting another guitar, but the thing is I don't have a drumset, and its like the only thing I need to have an actual full home studio.
 
In your situation, if you really want to learn to play drums, go with a full electric drumkit, not one with a cymbal and tom missing. Even a $300 kit will be useful.
It's not how you start that is most important, but rather, where that start leads.
 
You don't need a kit of any kind to learn to play the drums. I'd start with a practice pad, some sticks, and rudiments. Lots of work to be done there.

In the meantime, use something like Stylus or Reason to make beats,
 
If I were in your situation, I'd go with a midi pad. Much easier!
 
I almost bought th alesis midi pads a couple of months ago, because it would be able to trigger the sounds on my computer, and then later I can incorporate it into an electric set.

But for $200 I can get the alesis midi pads, and for $240 I could get a four piece that can upgrade to a 6 piece.

I do make beats in fruity loops(old version that is pretty much the same as fl9) and then in Reason 4. Then I mainly work with abelton, at least until I buy my mac book pro for Fall Semster, which I will convert to Logic and garageband.

But ableton has a really cool setup where you can program pads or certain beats, I had the mpk25 which I used its pads but i traded it in for my new ctk6000. So now I want some sort of midi controller with drums. I also have borrowed back n forth, and had this other program battery 2, but it was a full blown computer simulated drum machine which each button is programable, and can be triggered by out side controllers(which I use my keyboard for now). But being able to chose the correct power in which you hit and better sensitivty would be nice.

Anyways I just thought that having a whole set would be more ideal, because its the next best thing to having acoustic drums, but I will have endless use for the libray banks of these couple of programs. I guess if I had to pay 500 for a complete set and 200 for the pads, I would just get the pads, but there the price.

I just think it would be a lot funner to sit at a real set and play drums like people normally do, instead of hitting a square piece laying on my desk. But I am going to GC here soon, so I am probably gonig to figure something out, and come home and get it.
 
Yeah, it would probably be more fun to play an actual kit, but only if you're willing to put in the large amounts of practice time to get good at playing.
 
I have always been enthusiasic when learning new instruments. I use to mainly play music, but started recording stuff about year or two ago, on my friends apple mactop pro, in garageband and logic. He has what he calls "808", which is an older sampler that we just plug into and reocord are riffs. Push one of the sample buttons and replay and re-record till we like it, then just slide it over onto logic, which we can rearrange.

Since he has always been a drummer I never got to far into it. I have only played maybe 30-40 times in my lifetime. But if I had one thing that I need to improve, that would be beat counting and timings. I don't jam anymore cause I don't have enough musician friends to even be a duo, cause my other friend is already in a band. Primarily I am going to be making music like Skinny Puppy and Aphex Twin, and other stuff that one man can do, maybe pick back up DJing, which we be cool cause i like them turntable midi controllers.

Even though beats can be made in ableton and reason, it doesn't teach me that much about drums, mainly just teaching me how to organize and DAW control. I can barely do a whole measure using my fingers for drums with my keyboard and I can't do one with a mouse. I have to take my chopped up pieces and put them together. Which is why I think i would benifit extremely having some sort of controller pads or drum kit! Since the Dm6 4 piece is the same as any practice kits I might as well get it!

I plan to buy them because I have read a lot which has convinced me that they are not some dumb guitar hero toy. I know there not some 1,000-3,000 rolands. There perfect for an learner like me, but still good enough to not be a cheap piece of nothing. I just got to wait maybe one week or two weeks max, and then I will have enough to get them!
 
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