Guitar Gear Forum

Do each of these packages allow you to edit and build the drum score bar by bar, measure by measure? As an example if I have drum tab on paper and want to sit down and type it all into either of these packages, is that possible? Sorry but new to these packages and have previously used older programmable drum machines or good quality backing tracks.

You load them up in Cubase/Reaper/whatever and do the sequencing in there. The Superior stuff (and I'm guessing EZD... dunno about BFD) can be run standalone, but it doesn't have any sequencing functionality. That's more for running an e-drum kit live 'n' whatnot.

BFD and EZDrummer are plugins that you load into a track into your DAW. All the programming and sequencing is done in the MIDI editor of your DAW.

thanks, using Logic Pro X, so I edit the midi in that and use either of those plugins I should be ok correct?

mdc1 wrote:thanks, using Logic Pro X, so I edit the midi in that and use either of those plugins I should be ok correct?

I use Logic Pro. Use the Piano roll, as it's easier than trying to manually type every bit into the event log. Load your plugin on whatever stereo channel you've got, create a midi event in channel's strip in the recording window (right click/two finger click on that area). If your screen is big enough, double click that midi area and it'll pop the piano roll. If you need it in a separate window so you can expand it, go to the menu bar, window->piano roll. Point your mouse where you want a hit to be on the piano roll, command+click = new hit. It sounds tedious, but once you get used to it you can do a measure in no time at all.

Check youtube for tutorials on the Piano Roll. There's bunches of them.

I'm sure you know this, but don't forget the copy & paste function. You can sequence your base drum pattern for 4 bars or whatever, then copy that and repeat it over and over, then go back and add/change the specific points for your lead in for changes.

Another thing you might want to consider is, when your drums are electronic like that, they often sound like a machine because they are so perfect. Throwing in a slight 5 or 10ms delay here and there makes them sound more human when they aren't so mechanically perfect. Just a thought.

RustyMetal wrote:Another thing you might want to consider is, when your drums are electronic like that, they often sound like a machine because they are so perfect. Throwing in a slight 5 or 10ms delay here and there makes them sound more human when they aren't so mechanically perfect. Just a thought.

Yeah, that.

Typically I do on-grid/static volume while I'm writing and recording the other parts. Then I'll make a pass and add some variation in to velocity. Then I'll make another pass and bump things here or there just ever so slightly off-grid to give it some human flavor. This is REALLY important when you're doing a double kick pattern for long periods of time. That can sound REALLY mechanical if you don't add a bit of variation in there from time to time. Though there are bands putting out production albums now that LIKE that mechanical sound, and sometimes that works too.

If your plugins are like Addictive Drums, you'll also have the option of the snare being multiple different midi event possibilities, each with their own slightly different flavor. Lots can be done to humanize a track by moving your snare hits among the different variations.

I used to use Superior Drummer in Sonar 8.

I'd load midi tracks from Guitar Pro and then run Superior Drummer. After that i'd tweak the velocity, but never thought about taking things off of the grid, that's a great (and now obvious) idea. lol

So, if you don't want to write everything click-by-click, do it in Guitar Pro and then export the midi. Open it in your daw and run Superior Drummer or EZ-Drummer on it. Saves a lot of time.

Yeah, I did the drum sequencing for a three or four track black metal demo or EP or whatever the fuck it was for some friends. Had to sound like a real drummer though. Took for fucking ever to do. Every note's velocity and timing adjusted to make it sound right. And when a large portion of the drums are blast beats... that's a lot o' notes to tweak.

The nearest thing Superior Drummer has to a drum machine is EZ Player that comes with it. You can build drum patterns with that and you can do some basic editing. But as already mentioned, you're better off using the DAW for editing.