EZ Drummer - Nashville - huh?

[devin]

I've loaded in the EZ Drummer Nashville pack, and the sound is good. However, I'm getting thrown off by where the accents are placed inside the measure.I certainly recognize that this may just be a subtle "country thing" that has been holding me back all along, and now I have the opportunity to learn something. But before I go re-programming my brain, I wanted to check in here and get a second opinion. Here is the lesson I was dealt this weekend:I'm working with the "trainbeats" section of midi presents, and it loads in a complete measure of the drum pattern using drag and drop. The snare drum shuffle plays a really nice accent, but it happens early in the measure, not towards the end like I would have expected. Every time I hear the accent, it resets my rock and roll brain to start over...but I'm only at '3' in the 4/4 time signature, not at '1' yet.I checked out a bunch of the other presets, and they are similar...the accent falls early in the middle of the measure. Here's a very quick mp3 of a preloaded measure right from the software. I put a 4 count click in front, and then I repeated my click measure after 4 rounds of the preset.If you are a country fan, and this is how it's done, then please feel free to post "Devin, you gotta get used to that!". Thanks for any and all comments.....so much to learn!!!Here's the link:https://download.yousendit.com/DFAEEF1022995037(hmmm...seems the automatic link thing isn't working for me this weekend either...but cut & paste on the above address still works...hmmm)

[mazz]

Hey Devin,I'm not a country guy but this does sound like a legit trainbeat to me. If you focus on the bass drum I think it will start to make sense. The accent is on the "EE" of 2 (2nd 16th note of 2) if you count the quarter notes at the tempo of the bass drum. That's what I was hearing in my head before I listened to the mp3 and the mp3 confirmed it.If you try to count it at double the speed of the bass drum it could potentially be confusing. When working things like this out, I find it helps to find the lowest, slowest component and work up from there. In this case, it's the "4 on the floor" bass drum. The snare is basically playing 16ths with some accents. If you re-imagine it as a rock hi-hat pattern you might be able to relate to it more easily.Also, it sounds a bit "poundy" and plodding with the big snare setting you have it on. The Nashville kit has a really nice brush kit setting which I think would make this particular groove work better. I think for this kind of groove a lighter touch is more "idomatic". Of course, as I mentioned, I'm not a true country guy so maybe my comments make this more "idiot-matic". Hope this helps a little,Mazz

[devin]

Thanks Mazz! I played with it some more after reading your helpful post. It's getting clearer now...your "focus on the lowest/slowest component" first piece is really helpful.I continue to be in your debt...as I think your skill at music is only surpassed by your willingness to share. If you ever need anything built, let me know. (I ain't too smart, but I can lift heavy things...I guess I could be called the "lowest/slowest component" bwahaha ).Asking you stuff can easily become addictive though

[mancave]

It's funny, I've been reading these threads for a couple of years now (I'm actually a Taxi member) but this is my first post! I guess it was this question that finally motivated me to create an account. Anyway, I really like EZDrummer and have created some songs with it. I use Digital Performer so I'm not positive if you would go about it the same way in whichever program you're using. In Digital Performer you can click on any of the MIDI hits (hi-hat, kick, snare, etc.) and change the velocity of the hit. There are different ways to do that depending on the program you use though (look for "Velocity" or in DP there's a down arrow also). When I've made beats, I think anything over 85 or so is a bit harder hitting than others. You'll have to mess with it until it sounds right though. This should allow you to emphasize (and de-emphasize) any of the hits you want. Once you get a pattern you like, then copy and paste it. I didn't listen to the link though, so it might be fine as is like Mazz said. Does that help or am I reading your question wrong?

[bigbluebarry]

Hey Devin, I checked out the file you posted. That sounds like a very legit trainbeat to me. While I'm not much of a country songwriter, I have played my fair share of country drums and that's a very nice sounding trainbeat pattern you got there. I can't wait to get the Nashville expansion pack now! - Big Blue

[devin]

Hey Mancave, thanks for posting! Ya, Cubase has velocity as well, just as you said..in fact, the piano roll view even has different colors attached to the velocities, which should help me a lot. Thank you!! I've only done a few songs...and I've been able to use about 85% of the presets, and then modifying that last 15% for what I want.Big Blue: I figured out where I led myself into trouble. I had pulled in a HH intro with the same pattern already, except the accent was at the '4'. When I previewed the snare beat, it just loops the measure, so I picked the same accent....but the pattern I loaded in had the accent around '2', but I didn't know where I was in the measure when previewing...I just assumed the same group of pre-loads were identical...my bad. The very next preset has the accent around '4', and it matches the intro, so I discovered that later.When I strung my midi blocks together, I had a mix of accents, some at '2', some at '4'.All together now in harmony......" well DUH !!"Thanks again gang...thanks to you, please consider Devin's personal music lesson #563 complete.