Just starting out...needing some help!

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jimbo_05

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I'm just getting into home recording on my laptop.

I've got Adobe Audition software, plus a mic for the guitar amp and vocals. I was just wondering what's a good way to get drum sounds? I have about £200 to spend on something. The BOSS DR-670 looks pretty good - I think it lets you program basslines too. Would I be able to record directly from it, or do you play it through an amp, and record the sound from the amp?

I've also heard there are drum loop programs which you can buy. Any help would be much appreciated!

Thanks
James
 
Ya ever hear of a drum set?

You set it up ... get a pair of sticks, and start beating on it. They're pretty cool that way. :D

.
 
hehe, very funny. I have a drum kit at home, but not at uni - and I can't afford all the mics etc...I just want something small that I can use to get some realistic drum sounds
 
Hmmmm

If you are just doing demos, a couple of SM57s and possible on overhead will do. I used to record live demos like this:

1) sm57 laying on a towel ON the bass drum centered between the two mid/hi toms facing the drummer. Panned 50-60%
2) sm57 on a desk stand facing up slightly into the low tom panned 50-60%
3) Your best mic right over the drummer's head facing down or at a slight angle into the set panned center.
4) I used to mic the bass drum when I could, on the floor right under the drummer's stool on a small desk stand.

Apply a TINY bit of EQ here and there.

I've had people *thrilled* over the sound through those three or four mics.
 
If good realistic drums are what you're looking for, anything by Boss will probably please. I've always found machines by Roland and its daughter companies (Edirol and Boss) to be fairly easy to use with pleasing sound.

But don't give up on natural recorded sound either. One trick I've always had good luck with is using MIDI triggers, for the kick, snare, and toms, to trigger electric samples, and then mic'ing an overhead pair and the hi-hat. You might not wanna spend the money on triggers though, if you're hesitating to commit to mics for drum recording anyways. Another neat solution is using a drum machine like the Alesis DM-5, which has triggers built right into it! Of course, you still need to mic all the drums you're going to trigger, so maybe that doesn't actually help that much. I guess my point is: go all-electronic if you must, but nothing electronic is a proper replacement for an overhead pair on an acoustic kit.
 
I use V-Drums, Gigastudio, and Peter Erskins Living Drums. I like to load the set that Yamaha custom built for him to tour with Steely Dan. The samples were recorded at Ocean Way with Allen Sides and his famous mic collection:)

Real skins are great, but this works for me.

-RD
 
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