Recording Electric Drums. Help :)

[BlackSquire]

Hey guys!!

I recently got a Roland TD 4K2 electric drum set for my B day and I was wondering what is the best way to record them.
The Roland TD 4K2 has:
- MIDI out
- L/R jack out
- Phones out
- Mix in
and also has a 'Quick record' feature build on the drum interface but I have not played around with that too much yet.

I have an audio interface, the Tascam US 200 which has
- 2 inputs
- MIDI in/out
- 4 outputs plus Phones.
The software I use is Cubase LE 5 at the moment.

So looking at my options I an either
- MIDI
- L/R record
- Or quick record which I'm not so keen on.

I love the build in presents the Roland has already so if I were to MIDI record would I then lose that? if so can I then get the present back somehow?

If I L/R record how would I go about, I would think it could be rather difficult. But I could set up the kit on the drum interface to have each drum volume mixed to how I like it and then it wouldn't be as big of an issue.

I'm recording Rock music if that could effect anything and no, acoustic drums is not an option .

Thanks so much for your, I'm very new to the recording world.

Oh and one more thing, may be a stupid question but..
Do electric drums need to be EQ'd??

Thanks again!

 

[grimtraveller]

Let me quickly add a rider ~ I'm not in any way an expert and though I had electric drums for a couple of years, I was never satisfied with the sound I got ~ but I think that's more to do with me and my techniques at the time. Also, I wasn't patient enough to push for better sounds like I have been with an acoustic kit over the last three years.

I love the build in presents the Roland has already so if I were to MIDI record would I then lose that? if so can I then get the preset back somehow?

You shouldn't lose them. If I understand MIDI correctly, as you record, you're generating points not sounds so theoretically, wherever the notes/points are, you should be able to assign any MIDI capable instrument there. If that's not correct, hopefully someone will come along and put me right on that.

If I L/R record how would I go about, I would think it could be rather difficult. But I could set up the kit on the drum interface to have each drum volume mixed to how I like it and then it wouldn't be as big of an issue.

If you did that, you'd have to get the entire volume and panning on each drum balanced exactly right. It'll take some trial and error to start getting the kit sounding how you like it because you'll only really get a feel for that with all the other instruments you'll use mixed in. But recording is largely trial and error in the beginning {and along the way} ~ that is the agony and the ecstacy ! You'll learn lots along the way.
I guess the L~R record is to enable you to get a good stereo balance as you record.

Do electric drums need to be EQ'd?

I think so. Back in 2004/5 when I had one, that was one of the things I had difficulty with. I had the TD6 but with a mesh head snare and I bought a TD10 brain, which I thought was awesome because it gave 10 separate outs {or was it 8 ?}. Very few electric drums I've seen since have had anything like that. The idea was to record each drum/cymbal on it's own track and then work it into a stereo bounce once on the DAW. It didn't ultimately go that way but that's another story ! If I was going back to the electric, I wouldn't do it without at least 6 outs. But that's me.
You should be able to EQ from within if you so desire. You can EQ when you've got your signals down in your DAW but obviously that will be a different matter as you're then EQ~ing the entire signal. I hope that at least helps a little even though I haven't given much useful info.


By the way, try all 4 of your poll methods {"Other" could be mono out of an amp for trashy lo~fi, for example} and see which works best for you.