drum machine/sequencer question

[telaak]

hello all..haven't posted in a while due to limited computer access these days ~ but still lurk and have learned more HERE in the past 10 months than I did in my 20 previous years of making music ~ thanksanyway..i'm working on new stuff and actually recording other people with my humble setup but am in a dilemma..Up until now i've used live drummers but that's not an option now ~ I have a keyboard with decent drum sounds that I currently record with but I have to play the drums w/my fingers ~ sometimes I can do what's needed and sometimes I can't (like today).What i'm looking for is a piece of gear that I can lay down a drum pattern on and then continue to layer things over the top til I get something i'm happy with..something I can record drum sounds from my keyboard into or something that has quality drum sounds I can manipulate in that fashion..I guess i'd be creating my own loops.I'm working on a very simple machine ~ Korg D888 and DON'T wan't to get into recording on the computer..so I need to create loops that I can then send into the korg ~ any suggestions ?thanks..jp

[mojobone]

If you mean that you'd rather use drumsticks than fingers, this might be a good option:option 1If you're happy with the sounds in your keyboard and just need a more ergonomic triggering method:option 2Roland makes a similar pad you can load samples into.If you don't mind using the computer as a sampler, there are some less expensive alternatives, but you'd also need at least a MIDI interface. Maybe look into Twiddley Bits and or Groove Monkee.

[kingsunday]

I think AKAI MPC or Roland 8800 is good for drums sampling and sequencing.

[aimusic]

The MPC and ROland is more for hip-hop and rnb.... but if you're going for more of a band kind of drums, then EZDrummer, BFD or Addictive Drums are the 3 I'd highly recommend.

[garrettmiller]

Nov 25, 2008, 11:46am, telaak wrote:I'm working on a very simple machine ~ Korg D888 and DON'T wan't to get into recording on the computer..so I need to create loops that I can then send into the korg ~ any suggestions ?thanks..jpIf your happy with the sounds in your synth, and all you need is something to help you create loops with those sounds, Check out ebay for a used Alesis MMT-8. A fantastic 8 track pattern based MIDI sequencer and can be found VERY cheap... record your parts as MIDI; layer, quantize, etc....Garrett

[mojobone]

Or use the preset or user patterns in any MIDI drum machine to drive the percussion sounds in your keyboard...better yet, download a demo version of Ableton Live; if you're going to be sequencing percussion loops, you might as well learn loop-based sequencing of everything else while you're at it. Being able to see what you're doing on a large monitor is a bigger advantage than you might think, and well worth the learning curve. Step outside your comfort zone, if you want to have a breakthrough!

[telaak]

all great tips ~ going to check'em out now & see what fits best for me...thanks..jp