I just realized that I am not a drummer.. help

[chaztrip]

Ok, so I just got back into the game about 4 months ago from a 3 year layoff..... dont ask I now am really wanting to record some stuff and before I would just take premade midi files load up DKFH and mix and match till I got something going on. Now I want to program some of the stuff I hear in my head. What is the easiest way for an old guitar player to do this? I have a midi keyboard that even has 8 pads on it but to get what I want pounded out its difficult or maybe I am making it that way. I have Reaper and Fl Studio to work in. Do some of you just draw in the beats??? just looking for some tips.....

FYI I do not want to find a real drummer

Thanks!!!

 

[schust]

for reaper, i'd recommend stopping by their forum and doing a quick search on "ReaDrums". Several threads on how to incorporate a quick "scheme", drum-wise, into your music. most likely a few other options will pop up while you're looking through those.

 

[devouredremains]

Ok, so I just got back into the game about 4 months ago from a 3 year layoff..... dont ask I now am really wanting to record some stuff and before I would just take premade midi files load up DKFH and mix and match till I got something going on. Now I want to program some of the stuff I hear in my head. What is the easiest way for an old guitar player to do this? I have a midi keyboard that even has 8 pads on it but to get what I want pounded out its difficult or maybe I am making it that way. I have Reaper and Fl Studio to work in. Do some of you just draw in the beats??? just looking for some tips.....

FYI I do not want to find a real drummer

Thanks!!!

Pounding out technical metal beats on pads is definitely not the easiest way to go about this. You need to learn how to use the sequencer in your DAW. And yes most people manually program all their drums by hand. Download the reaper user guide if you have not already and read "The Reaper Midi Editor" chapter. This is where you will be doing the programming.

Just jump in and do it. It's truly not that hard. As long as you can come up with the beats in your head you will be fine.

Cheers!

 

[Loren Littlejohn]

Yeah but, even though I know how to program drums it doesn't mean I am "good" at it.

 

[chaztrip]

Thanks guys...... I will dig into this.

 

[Sloan]

I'm just now getting into programming drums and stuff too. it takes fucking FOREVER. There doesn't really seem to be a better way unless your using a triggered/electric kit and can play good.

 

[smy1]

I'm just now getting into programming drums and stuff too. it takes fucking FOREVER. There doesn't really seem to be a better way unless your using a triggered/electric kit and can play good.

It seems to take forever at first, but that means you just don't know how the midi editing in your DAW works. The day my drum programming became 10x faster was when a friend showed me that you can select any hits I want in groups and then (in Cubase) hit ALT and drag them for instant copying. That really helped programming stuff in minimum time ...

Also, if you are not a drummer. Have a drummer help you with programming at first, so that you understand his playing.

A couple of things that will make your drums sound more realistic:

1) use velocity changes on snare and tom fills - the accented hits should be audibly harder (127) than the hits around it (anywhere between 30-110).

2) use ghost hihat hits on open hats. That means if you have a regular straight metal beat (with kicks on 1 and 3 and snare on 2 and 4) and you want to use 8th or 16th note open hats for a groovy feel - make sure that every 2nd hihat hit is barely audible. That's how a drummer would play it a lot of times. So you may have velocity 100-110 on the first hat and then velocity 30-50 on the second and so on ...

3) make sure that your hihat isn't played throughout drumfills. Most of the time the drummer doesn't do that (maybe he plays a foot hat for keeping time)

4) use crash cymbals to accent your drumming - it will sound more real, especially if you vary the cymbals and use a spread of cymbals throughout the stereo spectrum from L to R

5) try nudging individual hits a tiny beat forward or backward (especially in fills) to make the whole thing sound more human

6) try using a variable tempotrack: verses always 90BPM, choruses always 92BPM, Bridge 89BPM and so on ... that way you can have some dynamics going and will still be able to copy & paste recorded guitars/bass/vocals all over the track ...

Hope that helps!

 

[JonWormwood]

Good information, I suggest checking out this thread as well.

http://www.ultimatemetal.com/forum/...drum-programming-services-people-here-do.html