Drum programming

[Michael]

What about an MPC? Seems to do everything you want if I'm understanding correctly..

Akai MPC

[dayl]

What about an MPC? Seems to do everything you want if I'm understanding correctly..

Akai MPC

Nah, program of choice on the mac triggered by midi from the external soundcard by midi footswitch.

Didnt read the entire thread. If you want the drummer to trigger them, which would possibly be easier get one of the bigger trigger pads .. the Alesis are nice and cheap and will do the trick.

[Pakehendrix]

I'm leaning towards software. The Alesis pad looks nice - but $800

[Bg]

I'm leaning towards software. The Alesis pad looks nice - but $800

Whatever did you expect? We're talking musical gas here

Get some piezo transducers and hook up your own midi interface, cheaper option

[Vince]

Erm... why bother triggering anything anyway? You're probably going to need something throughout the song to keep you at the same tempo as whatever you are going to trigger, right? (assuming that the triggered stuff is actually to a tempo) Otherwise you'll be out of time with your sample.

so you may as well have something like closed hats keeping the tempo and then program whatever it was you wanted to trigger? Just wondering.

[dayl]

Well if the drummer is using a pad triggering device with a program like NI battery He could trigger an almost unlimited amount of kits at his leisure.

Its easily set up integrated ino the existing kit. Even drop some subz bro.

[Pakehendrix]

OK.

Drummer and I will be creating drum sequences/loops on iDrum/Garageband at this stage. I like the idea of being able to trigger the loops with a control pad of some kind, but I'd really only want a cheap interface at this stage...haven't come across any yet.

The other thing is having an interface to get the sound out of my magical computer - any recommendations? How does it interplay with a control pad?

I am a noob with all of this stuff.

[Bg]

Erm... why bother triggering anything anyway? You're probably going to need something throughout the song to keep you at the same tempo as whatever you are going to trigger, right? (assuming that the triggered stuff is actually to a tempo) Otherwise you'll be out of time with your sample.

so you may as well have something like closed hats keeping the tempo and then program whatever it was you wanted to trigger? Just wondering.

+1 if you're thinking of triggering loops in the middle of the song, hows the drummer going to be in sync? unless he's playing exactly on the right time its going to be a shitter.

[Pakehendrix]

A valid point. At this stage, the loops are all basically at the start of songs, and they stop before the drumming comes in.

Ideally I would probably set the track up with a click (or HHs) going for a decent while after the actual piece itself stops, but of course, that's not really a loop is it...though I can add different patterns in iDrum etc....

[dayl]

OK.

Drummer and I will be creating drum sequences/loops on iDrum/Garageband at this stage. I like the idea of being able to trigger the loops with a control pad of some kind, but I'd really only want a cheap interface at this stage...haven't come across any yet.

The other thing is having an interface to get the sound out of my magical computer - any recommendations? How does it interplay with a control pad?

I am a noob with all of this stuff.

Its cool.


Just saw your post and too lazy to edit.... for ultimate win.. you want these suckers to play during the song in some way or being triggered.

If its just for beginning of track....just walk over and press play.. triggering the click and the sequence at the same time. It is a loop... if you want to loop it?


Take this for example (not making a recommendation that you buy)

This comes with midi, and the usual audio ins/outs.
http://www.trademe.co.nz/Music-instrume ... 275101.htm

A midi keyboard will tell it what to trigger and when, with a lil fiddling around at times.

But you have a bass in your hands.. and want to do it on the cheap.

There fore... you grab something like this..
http://www.trademe.co.nz/Music-instrume ... 531793.htm

...and pill it apart for the trigers and guts that transmits the midi signals. Put in in a container of choiuce and set it up for either foot control of if you want the drummer to rock it, set it up for him to hit.

The good thing with this unit is that it is run via USB so no need for midi cables...midi still transmits tho.. but dont worry about that part.

BG is right though.. your drummer will need to be hooked in to some sort of click track or you guys will need to be tight as hell... but I guess that once the sequence is triggered, you could always play along..


Option B

Bring you keys player in from the other band....nuf said.. sorted.

[jeremyb]

Those small akai pad controllers are really good, avoid the korg nano stuff as its a tad delicate...

[Bg]

A valid point. At this stage, the loops are all basically at the start of songs, and they stop before the drumming comes in.

Ideally I would probably set the track up with a click (or HHs) going for a decent while after the actual piece itself stops, but of course, that's not really a loop is it...though I can add different patterns in iDrum etc....

You'll be sweet if all at the start then. Personally I'd go with this http://www.trademe.co.nz/Music-instrume ... 173563.htm which should be suitably low-fi though I've never used one so do your research, or this http://www.trademe.co.nz/Music-instrume ... 245939.htm which will be more pristine and put it on a stand or something next to me, program a 'song' which might only be 4 bars long or 16 bars or whatever then hit play. You then don't have to worry about laptops during a gig or an interface.

[Vince]

Oh, it's at the beginning, is it..?

[Lemmings]

Not directly relevant, but one thing I saw on another forum which I though was pretty cool. The guy programs everything the band doesn't play (synth pads, keys, electronic drums etc) for the whole song in line with a click track. When you've got your 'backing track' sorted you just pan all the instruments hard left and the click hard right and export to MP3 or WAV. Then you can just load the tracks onto your MP3 player of choice, send the left channel to the PA, and the right channel to the drummer's headphones. Saves carrying a laptop / sampler around. Not much ability to manipulate the tracks live though.

[Vince]

Not directly relevant, but one thing I saw on another forum which I though was pretty cool...

That IS an interesting idea!

Saves carrying a laptop / sampler around. Not much ability to manipulate the tracks live though.

I've always thought that if I had to do the synth band thing again, I would put everything on CDs and get one of those portable CD players. No matter where you go, the pub will have a CD player (or two) in case yours breaks down.