Drum programming

[Pakehendrix]

The band (now called The Altered States) is getting more serious about including some programmed drums into the songs and performances, but I'm not 100% where to start. Sound wise, we're keen for something digital and completely unlike real drums (that's why we have drummer). My main influences would be NIN, Smashing Pumpkins and other industrial stuff, along with those clever buggers Understanding Utopia.

Do I want a drum programmer (Dr. Rhythm?) or some sort of trigger pad? I've got a Macbook Pro, and can look at getting a decent USB/Firewire interface. I've tried the trial of iDrum which seemed fairly intuitive and simple, but I do like the idea of some kind of interface, rather than just mouse clicks.

Naturally, we want these for live stuff too.

[Vince]

Well, personally... If you're going to use a laptop, then why not get a software drum machine?

That would have the advantage of letting you use whatever sampled sounds you wanted, and you could do a lot of processing on those samples.

And because they use samples, you could also record fills or whatever and use them as well (if you can use a sample of a snare drum, you can use a sample of a whole fill as well). You can't get a more natural interface than the drummer's own kit.

[Kloppsta]

tons of options if you go the software road bro

id probably go with usb/fw interface > laptop > reason (Redrum) and if you want a more tactile feel instead of mouse clicks you could hook up an Lemur or on the cheaper side an iPad and use one of the many freeby apps that interface with Reason (and pretty much every other drum programmer / sampler / pattern sequencer) out there

or you could could go old school and get an 808 and be done with it

[adrian0476]

Laptop with Ableton Live. Awesome program and will allow you to load as many different drum modules as you like and build drum patterns for sequences as easy as clicking on the right spots in the pattern sequence. Used this as my primary software for this kind of stuff - www.myspace.com/xrayxrayband.

[Matt_Demise]

If you want full digital and unlike real drums at all then use a midi sequencer (many many of those available).
If you go for something real old and crab that would be pretty unique , as opposed to using the latest and greatest.
Old school roland drum machines are awesome for sounding like a nintendo!!

[Pakehendrix]

Thanks guys. I'm looking into Ableton, but I've got iDrum at the moment, and the more I look into it, the cooler it seems.

I suppose now I need to be thinking/asking about controllers and interfaces - suggestions?

[jeremyb]

Wheres thehenderson when you need him!

[Pakehendrix]

I don't want his advice, I want to make good sounds

[jeremyb]

I don't want his advice, I want to make good sounds

Saucer of milk table two for Mr Sandyhendrix!

[Vince]

I suppose now I need to be thinking/asking about controllers and interfaces - suggestions?

if you sample the kit, you've got the most natural drummer's interface out there. But I guess that's too straightforward.

[Pakehendrix]

Saucer of milk table two for Mr Sandyhendrix!

He knows not to take me seriously (he thinks)

I suppose now I need to be thinking/asking about controllers and interfaces - suggestions?

if you sample the kit, you've got the most natural drummer's interface out there. But I guess that's too straightforward.

Not sure I follow. I'm talking electronic and non-acoustic sounds here...and also meaning in terms of setting up loops and sequences.

[Vince]

Not sure I follow. I'm talking electronic and non-acoustic sounds here...and also meaning in terms of setting up loops and sequences.

Well, a sequence is only something that's repeated "n" times, right? So, no matter how complicated a beat you want, all you have to do is get the drummer to play the phrase, record it, and then use the .WAV in a software drum machine.

If you don't want it to sound like a drum kit, you can do all sorts of processing to the drum sounds (slow them down, EQ them in weird ways or whatever) It's a pretty straightforward solution which gives you a heap of freedom (if you can play it once, you're set), costs you practically nothing and has a minimal learning curve.

[badmotor]

Email Trent and see what he uses.

[alanp]

Aren't TR808's and 909's what all the cool kids use these days?

[Vince]

Aren't TR808's and 909's what all the cool kids use these days?

It's a lot easier to get a sample pack from somewhere and use the sounds in a software drum machine.

The sounds on those old Rolands were lovely, but there were a lot of limitations, esp. when you wanted to have a song that was the same all the way through for the first three verses and then did something different, liek go into a break or whatever. Memory was a bitch on those things, they worked best on simple loops but you couldn't really do a full set on them, they were intended to be studio things, really.