what do you do for drums on your tracks?

[jimmymio]

OP here and thanks to all. This is very informative. I didn't realize SD could be used with midi files. I recently worked in someone else's studio and he used SD to program drums, one part at a time. Came out great. I'm familiar with the drag/drop approach because that's basically how I used RMX. But the results were never quite right, always seemed rather inorganic. I've got about 10 songs where I might want to redo the drum tracks once i get SD. Does SD come with a fair amount of midi files? And Groove Monkey just gives you more to choose from?
JP

[jimmymio]

One more question: Does SD come with any midi files for percussion tracks? How about Groove Monkee? I noticed GM doesn't have a specific library for percussion.
JP

[vasek.g3]

There is also Battery 3 (I´m not sure whether I can post the link to it...)
by Native Instruments...

Ok, the link now http://www.native-instruments.com/#/en/ ... battery-3/

[Len911]

JP, I don't know how many midi files come with SD, in fact I believe they also sell midi fill packs, and since it also comes with ez player pro, though I've never used it for editing midi loops, may make it simple to make or edit the ones you get, and it's possible after you purchase SD they will email you a coupon or something for discounts on the packs they sell, I'm not sure. They always seem to be sending me emails about something, but I really don't read them that much. I'm not sure what you mean by percussion tracks?? Midi loops are only midi, not sounds, but the drum samples will be within SD for the sounds. The midi can be used for any sounds or samples, though a piano might not sound the best. If you mean orchestral, or world drum type midi loops, I believe groove monkey has a world beat collection, and I don't think orchestral would be practical. Are you confusing audio sample loops with midi loops?

[jimmymio]

I'm not sure what you mean by percussion tracks?? Midi loops are only midi, not sounds, but the drum samples will be within SD for the sounds. The midi can be used for any sounds or samples, though a piano might not sound the best. If you mean orchestral, or world drum type midi loops, I believe groove monkey has a world beat collection, and I don't think orchestral would be practical. Are you confusing audio sample loops with midi loops?

Actually no I understand the difference. And I'm thinking about those songs where you don't want a full kit but rather some percussion to enhance the solo guitar or piano. I've tried programming conga drums and they never sound quite right. I've tried loops and they never seem to fit. I just thought there might be a library dedicated to percussion.

[greggo]

SD2 doesn't come with percussion loops. But EZ Drummer has a Latin expansion kit that comes with loops for all sorts of conga's, shakers, cowbells, tambourine, guiro etc. You can use that equally with SD2.

[Len911]

Conga, world beats

http://www.groovemonkee.com/en/products ... egory_id=1

[shanegrla]

+1 for SD2 for rock/"real" kit type stuff. And +1 for Battery for more of the electronic type stuff.

SD2 comes with a few midi loops, but not really that much. At least that I find very useful. Most of them are a bit too busy for me. I've used them now and then, and they're great when you can find something close to what you're looking for. But often times I can't, and I just find it much quicker and easier to play the parts myself on a midi keyboard. (When you say "program" the beats, I'm not sure if you thought you had to enter them in manually note by note or what, but it doesn't have to be nearly that tedious.)

[orest]

I love everything from Toontrack! I own every kit they've done so far and I'm extremely satisfied.
I bought the big BFD program, after a few songs with that program I threw it out. Didn't like the interface and I really didn't like the sound of it.
Everything is a matter of taste.
2 things are important for me though:
* It must sound good
* It must be easy to work with

[guitarhacker]

I have, and use a number of synth drummers. One of the least expensive is Cakewalk's Session Drummer. I think they have it on sale no for $50 and it normally sells for $80(?) it also has a number of kits included, and more can be purchased.

It has drag and drop of the clips into your midi track.... very easy to work with. Plus, the kits are samples of real drums. At it's current price it is a good deal. Even at full price it's worth it, and on occasion they drop the price on it for their weekly specials. I picked it up when it was on sale a few months back for $10...... that was a no brainer.

I also have Battery 3 and Jamstix 2..... both excellent, but more costly drummers.

With the low cost drum tools available there is no reason to program a drum track note by note like the old days.

I know Jamstix is one of my favorites. It will play the Battery kits plus it's own. It is an artificial intellegent drummer. You don't have to drag midi clips. You just set it up by choosing a kit, a drummer and a style, and tell it to follow the DAW's bpm clock. It creates a drum track in that style, using the parameters of the drummer's style that you selected. All parts are editable easily. I don't use click tracks anymore since the drummers are so easy to set up and edit.... Oh yeah....Jamstix has a "humanize" function that makes it play random notes "slightly off the beat" like a real drummer, before or after the beat by a few milliseconds to add that human factor of not playing dead on the beat like a midi machine drummer.