Drumcomputers

I have a cheap ass Zoom drum machine, I think it cost me $119 and it works quite well!
 
If you're already using software sequencers / samplers, etc., check out Drumkit From Hell.

http://drumkit.toontrack.com/

Otherwise something simple like an Alesis SR-16 drum machine works well.

If you have a crappy MIDI controller, you can get pretty kick ass results from an Alesis DM-5 module. (Run it through a compressor with a little bit of reverb, and you're good to go.)
 
Fruity Loops can be used for creating some killer patterns, and there's plenty of free samples allover the 'net. Propellerheads Reason is good too.

As far a drum machines, the Alesis SR-16 is one of the best out there. Decent sounds and you don't need to tweak them with effects all that much either. The Boss DR-770 rules. There's some great sounds on there and the song creation is easy to use.
 
True, but I'm not necessarily sure the problem is the module's, but rather that I haven't properly processed the toms separately. For example, the Drumkit From Hell is just a bunch of samples collected from Tomas Haake's (Meshuggah) drumkit. In fact, they used purely sequenced drums for at least one track on Nothing (Meshuggah's latest album), and I had no idea they were programmed.

I think that I could get convincing toms if I 1) wasn't as lazy, and 2) knew more about correctly using equalization. Cranking up the bass for toms would probably help a lot.

*shrug*

Maybe I'll go so far as sampling every sound from this module and just assigning them all to different notes in a softsampler or bite the bullet & buy the Drumkit From Hell CD.

Does anyone here have any suggestions for how to correctly EQ a DM5 module? :)
 
We made it in a quite simple way... We used Cakewalk as a sequencer, ROLAND XP30 with its drum presets and then A LOT of different editing with WAVE LAB... But after all... computer drums suck and there is no way to make it at least half as good as real ones... AMEN!
 
Nuclear Vampire said:
The Boss DR-770 rules. There's some great sounds on there and the song creation is easy to use.

I really like sample sounds that i´ve heard from Boss Dr 770.. one thing that concerns me is how much fast and variable drumming you can create with it?
Other drummachine that sounds good in my ear is Zoom Rt 323 but the question is same as it is with Boss.. could someone help out?

I know they support tempo over 240 bmp but if it means only quarternotes it aint much.

*diggin´*
 
I've used a Roland R-5 which is eh. I'm now using the R-70 which is great!!. It is the only drum machine I've seen that has a programmable "bar shaped pad". You are able to change different aspects (timbre, nuance, pitch, etc) from one side of the pad to the other. IE one side of the pad can be a ride while as you move to the other side of the pad it morphs into a bell ride. It's also good for the snare so each snare hit doesn't sound the same (very realistic). As far as bpm's go your best bet is to program in eights or sixteens. The DR-770 I've messed with a bit. This is also a pretty decent machine (no pad bar though). The sound set is pretty good but just like anything else you need to tweak. It also has an assload of memory in it which great.
If you want to hear a couple of clips of the R-70 go here http://www.gregrapaport.com/music/azrael.html and click on any clip.
 
zoom rt 323 seems right for my needs.. at least by the samples and manual reading.. dont know yet what to do..
 
I went and bought the Boss DR-670 last week and it's great. Same as the DR-770, but only 200 patterns/programmable patterns as compared to 400. That's okay, since I'll be recording each song after I've programmed it anyways. That way it's on my PC and BACKED UP TO CDR. Can't trust the internal memory on alot of these units. Don't want all your hard work to be for nothing. :D

Plus it's $300.00 cheaper! :OMG:

It's a really good unit. You will have to program your own custom kit, but that's actually kinda fun. I have a killer metal kit and a "pop rock" kit as I call it. Working on an older vintage kit for some rockabilly shit I wrote.
I sometimes program a song and as it's playing I add the cymbal hits or snare fills, rolls, etc. Takes time but it's very cool. I run it through my Boss SE-50 on the Drum Plate setting. Nice reverby room sound. Very metal.

Highly recommended. 8/10