Drum programming

[Geey]

My question is how do people go about programming their drums?

I use logic and can't really get on with ultra beat which is the drum programmer on there so use the exs sampler..
I'm just getting frustrated at my work flow with drums and would ideally like to use the ultrabeat as its easy and quick to programme but I'm very limited at where I can place my beats??

Any inspiration would be helpful

[ehbes]

kick and snare i lay down in audio and hats i tap out in midi

[lloydy]

Just use the piano roll for laying down beats if using ultrabeat.You can change the grid quantise and use shuffle/swing.Ultrabeat is a great drum machine but i find working with audio in logic a lot easier when it comes to beats.Normally if i do use a drum sampler it will be battery because the lay out is just so much better and generally it is easier to work with.
If you must use ultrabeat just lay your shit out in the piano roll and quantise the grid for triplets....etc.Learn the shuffle and quantise function of logic,i believe thee is some decent tuts on the interwebz for it.Very underrated in my opinion.

[alphacat]

If do-able, take a small batch of drum loop samples that you like and line up new hits on the accent notes (i.e. where the snare hits, you put your own snare) - sort of like using it as a template - and then mute the original loop and listen to yours. If it's working, play with it until it becomes something new. If it's not working, figure out what's wrong: wrong drum sound? Attack/release differences? Pretty soon you should have a decent grasp on the mechanics of sounds you like. Hopefully.

[rockonin]

Groove Agent One with my favourite tool Beat Designer (Cubase 5)

[123kidd]

I too use audio for my main hits like kicks and snares. I tend to use the groove feature in ableton if I feel the drums need a bit more swing.
Gritty live breaks are also a must have.

[Geey]

Yeah I quite like using audio and have made tracks like this before.. I just hate rigid beats, I have played with different swings withing quantinise but have been struggling of late with being happy with the swing and flow of my kicks, snares and percussion..

It could just be me getting to a point within production that I am getting to a point where I know what I want for sounds/swing/placement but I'm not able to get it on paper how I like.
Or just me caring too much about little things??

[Monosphere]

My drums actually tend to consist of multiple things. Usually I just use the one shot audio clips and place them directly into the playlist and create the starting of a beat there. Kicks, snares/claps, rides, things like that. For Hat patterns I'll usually use the piano roll on the one shot sample just as if it was any instrument. Since I use FL I usually also have a few things in the step sequencer. Generally I don't like using it as it's a bit limited but it's perfect for little things. And of course if I use any drum loop samples I cut up and those go into the playlist as audio files with everything else. My playlist tends to end up being just as much of an instrument as anything else I use.

Probably one of the things I love the most about FL is the freedom I have in the playlist window.

[Artie_Fufkin]

I use Renoise, which has a tracker style pattern editor, so the whole thing is a grid but you can use a delay command to make the notes deviate from the grid. There is a function to 'humanize' notes, which messes with this delay, volume, and also panning, which is kinda odd. There are also groove settings, but I can't change them throughout the song, so if I want to use that, I bounce samples with it adjusted and then set it back when I'm done. Or I just do triplet notes.
I find that this keyboard oriented tracker format has a quick workflow for drums. I'd be interested to know if there's anything similar to it in any of your guys' daws. I tried making beats in reaper a few times before and it just seems like a pain.

[DubMikey]

kick and snare i lay down in audio and hats i tap out in midi

Does it make any difference laying out the kick and snare in audio instead of MIDI?

[justanotherdj]

I use the piano roll in Logic and the use the humanise function. If I use ableton I tend to stick to using audio.

[ehbes]

kick and snare i lay down in audio and hats i tap out in midi

Does it make any difference laying out the kick and snare in audio instead of MIDI?

no

[outbound]

Main drums in battery and then other hits in audio (makes it easier to mangle with delays, reversing etc)

[nameless133]

Ableton, Drum rack and play everything with fingers on drum pads of midi controller.

[Kit Fysto]

Lay out audio. You can move hits by hand this way to humanize your drums at your own free will

[Genevieve]

Just use a tracker. Sequencers are soo 2012

[chekov]

i usually open up drum rack in ableton and add a load of samples i think i might want to use then start building up rhythms

tend to focus on layering samples and getting the sounds right before making the drums too complex

[RhodeRachel]

i usually open up drum rack in ableton and add a load of samples i think i might want to use then start building up rhythms

tend to focus on layering samples and getting the sounds right before making the drums too complex

I'm the same way when it comes to getting everything set up. I'm a Pro Tools user and use Vengeance samples primarily, so I go through my packs and pick out what I want to use, import everything into my session and begin dragging things into place, layering, etc. It is kind of annoying to be honest, and probably my least favorite aspect of production due to how time consuming and tedious of a process it is. I like the idea of using piano roll to just tap in drums using MIDI but as far as I know there is no way to do anything similar with audio samples. You just have to copy/paste them everywhere which takes forever if you have some complex rhythms going on that span across many tracks, which I usually always do. If anyone knows of a quicker way to program audio sample drums in Pro Tools, please let me know! It would be nice if there was a way to "play" them from my controller instead of having to copy and paste everything piece by piece.

And one more question while it's on my mind, can anyone send me some decent dubstep snare samples? I've been searching for good samples to layer and keep coming up with nothing. I have the Vengeance Dirty Electro 3 pack (I'm pretty sure that's the one it is..) and the snares on it just really aren't the best for what I'm doing. I'm looking for those hard-hitting, punchy, Skrillex-ish snares - if anyone can possibly send me some samples you used to layer to get that sound, or at least point me in the right direction, I would really appreciate it! Thanks!

[silkpantsman]

Ableton, Drum rack and play everything with fingers on drum pads of midi controller.

this once upon a time but the latency of midi controllers is bullshit drove my brain insane plus i cant believe ableton have not made a looper for midi so an MPC2500 tap it out like a boss record to audio. that or just midi clicking in pattern world sometimes get good results other times not so good. when you use midi i find the sample is of upmost importance thats why the 128's are great if you midi sequence. If i was nt using the MPC i would certainly be using audio on a gridless layout if you want things to sound the way your head does thats the best way imo. finally hit up the envelops for variation.

[dickman69]

use impulse in ableton

find a kick/snare & hat and tap a beat

turn off the grid & individually move each hit into perfect place (line up kicks w/ bassline b/c my bassline is always sampled and move snare/hats for swing)

add other percussion (open hats/vibraslaps shit like that)