Drum Track Doesn't Fit Well - Help!

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funkyguitar
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Drum Track Doesn't Fit Well - Help!

Post by funkyguitar » Wed Dec 16, 2020 3:20 pm

I am new to GarageBand and using the drum track virtual drummer feature. I created a song with guitar that is at 85 BPM. But when I add the drum track it just doesn't fit well. I have tried a bunch of different drummers in GarageBand and have played with the settings as well, nothing seems to get it to be a good match. Any suggestions on what I can do to fix this? Here's a link to the recording of it: https://soundcloud.com/lancevallis/drums-dont-fit

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Re: Drum Track Doesn't Fit Well - Help!

Post by Ted » Wed Dec 16, 2020 3:44 pm

Lance, I loved the track title "Drums Don't Fit".. you should use it for a future cue. haha

I had a listen and it didn't sound like it was a total trainwreck between the drums and everything else. Maybe I wasn't picking up on what direction the instruments were going in that the drums were not.

I haven't messed with Garageband in a while, though I use the Drummer in Logic X, and I expect there are some similarities. So off the top of my head, some things to consider. Check to see if your drums are set to any amount of "Swing"-- 8th or 16th note swing. There's likely a control that lets you dial in the amount of swing you want-- or none at all. That would be the first thing I'd check.

Doesn't sound like it in your case, but sometimes if I'm not paying attention, I'll have a song where it's got more of a 3/4 or 6/8 feel and I'll have my tempo/drums still set to 4/4. Sometimes you want to check your kick drums to see if they're set in half-time, regular or double-time. Again, not a problem that yours seems to be having.

Like I said, the first thing I'd check is to see if you've got a mismatch between swing and straight time somewhere.

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Re: Drum Track Doesn't Fit Well - Help!

Post by funkyguitar » Wed Dec 16, 2020 4:17 pm

Thanks for the kind words and suggestions, Ted! I may just need to continue to mess around with settings to get it to gel more...

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Re: Drum Track Doesn't Fit Well - Help!

Post by gitanosoy » Thu Dec 17, 2020 1:53 am

Hi, I use Logic and I believe the "drummer" in GB is the same with limited choices.

Make sure you check the length of the region and really open/zoom as not always a phrase is exactly 4 bars so when you go to repeat it multiple time it is not in time with the click, if so you can cut an splice so it is exactly 2 or 4 bars.

Another thing you can check is the sing feel, if it is set to high it can sound out of wack..

Yes the drum is off in the first few bars of your track, you can hear it right away..


I hope this is making sense

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Re: Drum Track Doesn't Fit Well - Help!

Post by cassmcentee » Thu Dec 17, 2020 9:34 am

Sounds like a drummer before he knows the song...
In this case you need to erase/move within the "midi map/score" the kicks that don't get your groove
I will often hear when people don't recognize their groove, like a drummer who can't "Swing" (playing "Straight" on a "Swing" tune)
When I used to audition drummers, they were out the door if they couldn't swing...

FYI... right now your guitar is way low in the mix so I couldn't feel your groove...

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