Please Help, About Triggers, And Alesis Modules

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GWAR129

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Whatsup guys, :) I'm Pretty new here but I have already learned alot. It's really great. But anyway, Here is my question.

Well, Since i have joined the board I started reading about putting triggers on acoustic drums to turn it into an Electric kit. that appealed to me only for my kick and maybe the snare. Because i want to get that awesome death metal kick drum sound. So I am getting a 16 track boss recorder for christmas and i have money so i wanted to try and buy the equipment for triggering as soon as possible. I have been looking at drum modules on ebay becuase buying them new is kind of expensive. So I read alot about the Alesis d4 and i heard it's pretty good. but i want to know if it has good death metal kick sounds and good heavy hitting snare sounds. This is all for recording not playing live.


Summarized Questions

1. Is the Alesis D4 good for Death metal kick and snare sounds?

2. Please explain step by step how to go about hooking up the triggers to the module to the recorder. I have read many threads but none of them explain this is detail.

3. Do I need to use a computer to trigger acoustic drums or can i just plug strait into the recorder?

4. What triggers do you guys suggest?

I know its kind of a long post, Sorry about that. But Please help me out guys I really appreciate it. If I think of anymore questions i will let you guys know.
 
GWAR129 said:
1. Is the Alesis D4 good for Death metal kick and snare sounds?
Click to expand...
There are a couple sounds that will work for death metal on it. You might still have to EQ them and ad reverb to the snare.

GWAR129 said:
2. Please explain step by step how to go about hooking up the triggers to the module to the recorder. I have read many threads but none of them explain this is detail.
Click to expand...
Attach the trigger to the drum, plug a cable into the trigger and the other end into the module. The module will have a bunch of trigger inputs, pick one. Set the sound that you want for that input. You will be able to send that sound out any of 4 outputs, pick one. Plug that output into your recorder and record normally.

GWAR129 said:
3. Do I need to use a computer to trigger acoustic drums or can i just plug strait into the recorder?
Click to expand...
You are not triggering acoustic drums, you are using acoustic drums to trigger electronic sounds. No computer required.
You can, however just plug the triggers into the recorder so you can trigger the sounds later by sending the trigger signal from the recorder to the module. (sort of like re-amping)

GWAR129 said:
4. What triggers do you guys suggest?
Click to expand...
DDRUM, everything else is just a toy.
 
Thanks!!!

Wow, Thank you very much Farview. I really appreciate that. My questions probably seem really simple to you :D but i have no idea! Anyway that should be everything but i have one more question. Thanks for recomending ddrum triggers. Now i will know never to get any other kind. There is only 1 snare trigger from ddrum so i know which one to get, But can you please tell me what is the difference between these 2 kick drum triggers please and which one i should get. Proably the more expensive one but still please tell me. :)


http://www.musiciansfriend.com/srs7/g=home/search/detail/base_pid/442392/


http://www.musiciansfriend.com/srs7/g=home/search/detail/base_pid/442194/
 
I have tried them both. The redshot trigger will work if you have the kick drum stuffed with pillows or something, and then it is iffy. If your head is the least bit resonant, you will mis trigger. The other one is the one all the pro's use. That would be the way to go.
You don't need to get the snare trigger for the snare, you can use the tom trigger. The snare trigger has an extra sensor for the rim, if you don't do rim shots, you don't need it.
 
DON'T buy the Redshot models. They're cheaper and prone to miss hits more often, especially when recording death metal style blast and double kick beats. Just spend the little more money it takes to buy the standard ddrum triggers.

Also, don't waste your money on any drum brain like an Alesis D4 or Alesis DM5 since you're not going to use it live. If you're going to record only with it, then you should try one of 2 options...first, look into some sound replacement software. There's 2 that work really well. The better of the 2 would be Drumagog:

http://www.drumagog.com/

Drumagog is $199 and lets you replace drum sounds with samples of your choice. Let's say you record your drums. Then, you could take your kick drum track and replace it with a sample kick drum sound of your choice using Drumagog. You could completely replace it, or you could blend the 2. You could make it so the sound is 70% of your original, and then 30% of the sample of your choice. What's even better is that you can sample multiple hits and have it randomly assign those hits when you replace the sounds. Because no 2 hits will be exactly the same, the sampled hits will vary slightly and give it more the feel of a real drummer as opposed to sounding like a drum machine.

As an alternative...you could spend less money and buy Aptrigga:

http://apulsoft.ch/aptrigga/index.php

It does the same basic thing as Drumagog, but has less options. BUT, it only costs like $40 to buy, which is a lot cheaper.

If you'd rather trigger the sound and not even record the sound of the kick, and only use the sample...just buy the ddrum trigger you want to use, plug it into your mic pre just like you would a mic, and record the trigger directly. Then, use the softyware to replace the sound of the trigger 100% with your desired sampled sound.

For a good library of drum sounds, you can get the original Drumkit From Hell really cheap now, and Drumkit From Hell 2 is about the same at around $89:

http://www.musiciansfriend.com/srs7/g=home/search/detail/base_pid/955845/

http://www.musiciansfriend.com/srs7/g=home/search/detail/base_pid/955885/

Either one would give you a great library to build from. As a side note, to get that nice "clicky" death metal sound, you can pull a nice sample of a Vinnie Paul kick from the song "Good Friends and a Bottle of Pills" off of Pantera's "Far Beyond Driven" album. Slightly blend that in and you'll get a nice clickier sound. That was actually done on a Machine Head album, as well as a few death metals albums I know of right off.

Hope this all helps!
 
Thanks!

Hey guys, Silverwulf I really appreciate all the help about the software and everything thanks for typing all that out but I am getting the 16 track boss recorder for christmas so therefore i dont do any computer recording :eek: I will only be using the recorder. So thats why i need the drum module. I will just hook it up to the triggers and record with the kick and snare being replaced as i play. I wouldn't be able to use those software programs. :confused: :( So i will just buy the expensive ddrum kick trigger and a trigger for the snare and i will be set to record. :) I repped you both for all of your help.

Thanks alot dudes.
 
No prob...in that case, then the Alesis D4 will work just fine, as you usually find them cheaper than the DM5. You'd still want to check into that Drumkit From Hell kit to add to your sample library, and don't forget to get that Vinnie Paul kick! ;)

You could still mix in the computer if you wanted. All you would need would be a DAW like Cubase, Sonar, Audition, etc. You could do all of your recording on the BOSS recorder, then transfer your .wav files to the computer to handle all of the mixing and mastering of your material. I know a few guys who do that, actually. In that case, you could still use the software mentioned above.

Best of luck to you...any other questions, feel free to ask!
 
Awesome

Thanks again for all the help guys! You guys are awesome! I will start off by purchasing the Alesis D4 Then once I get that I will get the Ddrum triggers for the kick and snare.

THANKS DUDES!!!!!


If anybody else has anymore imput please feel free to post. I am always ready to learn more :)
 
Alesis D4 = 1/4 inch inputs?
Ddrum triggers = xlr?

What to do?
 
you can use any triggers to trigger your bassdrum,it doesn't matter wht name brand they are.
you'll get it to missfire or miss hits if you don't know how to program your module corectly.

i have on my 1 kickdrum (they suggest 2) a cheap 5 for 29 dollars trigger that i got from musiciansfriend going into a dm5, you can use any trigger module as long as the sound is constant and punchy,you can EQ it later.

it's important to stuff the kick with alot of pillows,sheets so that there is very little natural resonance.

and it triggers fine all the way up to 270 in 16ths.

as for the rest,i mic the rest of the kit,it takes a long time to get a good constant volume from your snare and requires alot of practice.

oh and for those who are curious, the mics are cheap store bought drum mics (7 mics for 100 dollars) and all the blast beats are done with 1 foot and the double bass is single strokes.

the 270 stuff i lpay it using doubles.

 
!!!!!!

WHATSUP GUYS! Merry Christmas :) I got My Boss Br1600 Today and I Have been in my room almost all day recording. I love it!!! And 2 days ago I bought An Alesis D4 on ebay. So now all i need to do is get some triggers and when the Alesis D4 arrives in the mail i should be making some kick ass recording!!!!!!!

Thanks for all the help guys. :)
 
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