Dubstepforum.com

so, i have the swar plug in for logic
http://www.swarsystems.com/
, but i was just curious if there's any better middle eastern VST/AU plug in's? especially offhits. what i mean by offhits, is the sound of a darbuka when you play is softly and when you play it violently. it's different from an attack decay setting adjustment. i want the sound of a real darbuka.

http://www.framedrums.de/lessons/darbuka/example.mp3

any suggestions?

Hmm...think you'd be best off sampling a darbuka at various velocities and playing styles and then either layering them across the keyboard in your sampler or by layering them in velocity layers so that the sample will change depending on how hard you hit the pad/key. Might be a bit tricky to play if you've got too many velocity layers though unless you set it up nice.

Or alternatively http://mac.softpedia.com/get/Audio/Darbuka.shtml

Seems to be an AU with your name on it

buy a darbuka??


but seriously - yeah swar seems the shit... did some research myself on this and all there is really are darbuka and latigo which seem pretty lame aka appleloopy

reason's doumbek/darabuka rex files are useable if you re-play them. otherwise... shite

believe it or no the apple 'world music' jam pack has an excellently sampled doumbek in one of its kits.

also.. they're like $40 (starting) at guitar center/sam ash/etc. get an sm57 and you're good to go.

TeReKeTe wrote:reason's doumbek/darabuka rex files are useable if you re-play them. otherwise... shite

believe it or no the apple 'world music' jam pack has an excellently sampled doumbek in one of its kits.

also.. they're like $40 (starting) at guitar center/sam ash/etc. get an sm57 and you're good to go.

thanks bro. i'll look into that apple pack.

thanks to all the suggestions.

you could also pm me to record some sounds for you. i take darbuka lessons, and here is a demo:

http://beatztom.free.fr/percussion/darb ... kebira.mp3

http://beatztom.free.fr/percussion/darb ... falahi.mp3

You can buy a remo doumbek for extremely cheap.

I recommend them, they are VERY easy to play, its like table drumming with your fingers.

I studied this and a large quantity of non-western instruments in college and before and after, and the remo fiberskin doumbeks sound great and go for usually under $100. You could probably find them on Ebay for really cheap.

But searching for Doumbek might also return more hits, as many people refer to these drums as such.

a darbuka is easy to hit but not to play!! as with any instrument, there are techniques, and tricks which take years to master. listen to Misirli Ahmet (a turkish darbuka master) and you'll comprehend the depth and beauty of the darbuka. it's quite simple to knock out a simple maqsoum beat, but to play it with elegance, and coherent improvisations is altogether a different matter.

if you're just looking for a few simple darbuka ish samples then as the previous poster suggested just go out and buy one, however... most unaquainted players will struggle even just to get the left hand tek to sound right, let alone the right hand slap: i've seen many students struggle to get it right. if you have a background of percussion, it will probably come easier.

the offer still stands if you need a few samples

ps. i'd like to try one of those remo ones! mines from here:

http://www.eminpercussion.net/

I must respectfully disagree, these instruments are remarkably easy to play... (though, for full disclosure, i am a professional percussionist)...

I doubt most people here are looking to become solo Darbuk-ists, getting some dope middle-eastern sounds, i think is usually the goal...

and to that end, playing these instruments is easy.

Not to cut into your sample biz, im sure for some mind-blowing performances, you have a lot to offer.

i see your point, though i maintain the assertion that even the basic hits: doum and tak will not sound correctly unless a bit of training is involved!

sure you can hit the drum and produce sound, but to play the strokes with proper technique is incomparable.

i've only been playing for 6 months, but i've already learnt to recognise the diligence required in order to play with elegance and dignity. my teacher is an egyptian who's life work has been mastering the darbuka, and he's in his 50's. more than 40 years of playing the darbuka !!

i have witnessed the magic of oriental rythms played at their best, which is why i have my reservations about someone just picking up an instrument to bang on it in hope of extracting a few samples.

but hey, i've already sampled instruments i can't play either


ps. i'd be curios to discover your work computo!

wow. those ceramic doumbek's are gorgeous. nice looking udu's as well.

The remo's are nice, great sound, and you can take them anywhere...

as an example, i have a remo doumbek and an early addition djembe, which i have hiked with into the smokey mountains, up to around 10K ft, and it never went out of tune (and hella light comparatively).

Then about ....oh.... 9 months later, i was in a huge car accident on the way back from a festival in Maine, and everything in my car got thrust onto the highway at 70+ mph, god knows how far they got tossed (i did a full 2 flips in the car, and landed on the roof, rolling back onto the tires)

Long Story short, the djembe's head scratched, im still playing the same head 9 years later.

If that isnt a testimonial to these drums, i dont know what is.

seckle wrote:...i want the sound of a real darbuka...

Yellow Tools - Culture is the best VST for 'offhits' and you can tweak it. A lot.

wizoo darbuka

Ealzee wrote:

seckle wrote:...i want the sound of a real darbuka...

Yellow Tools - Culture is the best VST for 'offhits' and you can tweak it. A lot.

i've heard a lot of good things about yellow tools culture too (but nnever used or heard results myself)

seems like you do get some control too...

i'd say get the real thing, play it badly, and then make up 4 it in how u edit it after. not necessarily gonna give u an 'authentic' sound, but maybe a good one nonetheless, and perhaps a fresher one

i got lots of instruments i cant play properly, but once my embarassing performance has been chopped and pasted in logic...

re the darbuka
you should email swarsystems about it.
In my experience they are very nice and approachable.
It may be something that they will consider working on.

So far, I have been very impressed by the quality of the majority of their samples / instruments.

The main problem I have had with my version of their player, is that one or two instruments were very hard to play or program in a manner that made the recorded performance sound real.

For example, the flute (i have forgotten the name) is very difficult to play and make it sound like a pro player. Just too many variables to program and play.

I guess the ultimate answer is to find a real instrument, buy it, and learn how to play it, then record that on your track.

Alternatively, if that is too much, perhaps you could find an instrumentalist and pay him/her to play for you on your track.

Hope that helps.

If you are looking to buy, Rayman Music Shop Chalk Farm is a good place to start.

Good luck.

http://rmmusicshop.moonfruit.com/#

Rayman website