Superior Drummer Q&A

[Bryan Griffin]

Originally Posted by Psyy

Some people like Chimp Spanner use a MIDI keyboard for all their drum tracking. Other people (the majority) just use the piano roll, (or if you're using Cubase, the drum tracking page) and click all the notes on. You have to have some rudimentary knowledge of beats or else your drum track creation will be a long time in the making.

I know this post is pretty old but I just saw Chimp blasting out some SERIOUS beats on his MIDI keyboard - the guy is better with the keys than I am with a full kit

[ThrustTony]

What's Drum tracker all about?

It comes up saying I have to register it to my computer but when I put in the code it says it's wrong.

I've installed Superior drummer and toontrack solo and ez player with no hassle.

Do I need to register ez player as well cause theres a code for that in the box aswell

[EtherealEntity]

Drum Tracker as far as I know is Toontracks sample replacer, like Drumagog. Use it to trigger a MIDI kit like Superior with a real recording, for sample replacement.
I seem to remember thinking the same question when I bought Superior. I think I realised Drum Tracker isn't actually included and I didn't own the code for it.
Can't remember if Ezplayer needs registering...if it doesn't work then I guess so haha

[ThrustTony]

Ok cheers.

Do I need to buy drum tracker to use a digital kit with reaper and superior drummer then?

I want to play a digital kit and have it come up on Reaper as superior drummer samples.

Drum tracker was on the first disc of superior drummer but I'm not sure why its there if I can't register it. lol

Originally Posted by EtherealEntity

Drum Tracker as far as I know is Toontracks sample replacer, like Drumagog. Use it to trigger a MIDI kit like Superior with a real recording, for sample replacement.
I seem to remember thinking the same question when I bought Superior. I think I realised Drum Tracker isn't actually included and I didn't own the code for it.
Can't remember if Ezplayer needs registering...if it doesn't work then I guess so haha

[EtherealEntity]

Yeah, who knows why it's on there haha but I remember now my exact same confusion. It's definitely a different product that you do not own.
I presume they sent you Superior in a box with the CD of EVERYTHING they have ever released, as they did with me?
Seems they just like to ship multiple products at once to tempt you to buy the keys/so you don't have to wait/have a partial download if you do decide to buy the keys.

No, Drum Tracker converts AUDIO signal to MIDI, so you use it if you're not happy with studio recorded drum sounds (or even for creative things, like drumming with your fingers on microphones and triggering samples. This is fun).

Your electronic kit outputs MIDI, just like a MIDI keyboard - which is what Superior Drummer is designed to receive


Drum kit>Computer>MIDI channel in Reaper>Superior Drummer>Audio channels

[ThrustTony]

Ah cool. That saves me loads of time cause I don't need to use drum tracker at this stage so I can crack on and learn more about using superior drummer rather than buying drum tracker.

Thanks for all your advice.

You've helped me loads!

Originally Posted by EtherealEntity

Yeah, who knows why it's on there haha but I remember now my exact same confusion. It's definitely a different product that you do not own.
I presume they sent you Superior in a box with the CD of EVERYTHING they have ever released, as they did with me?
Seems they just like to ship multiple products at once to tempt you to buy the keys/so you don't have to wait/have a partial download if you do decide to buy the keys.

No, Drum Tracker converts AUDIO signal to MIDI, so you use it if you're not happy with studio recorded drum sounds (or even for creative things, like drumming with your fingers on microphones and triggering samples. This is fun).

Your electronic kit outputs MIDI, just like a MIDI keyboard - which is what Superior Drummer is designed to receive


Drum kit>Computer>MIDI channel in Reaper>Superior Drummer>Audio channels

[ThrustTony]

I can't get any sound from superior drummer in Reaper.

I've gone through EZ player on superior drummer and dragged and dropped a template beat into Reaper on a track.

Theres sound from superior drummer but none from reaper although I can see it's playing.

Any ideas what it could be?

I've checked the channel is not muted.

Just dropped a guitar file in and theres no volume on that either

[EtherealEntity]

64 bit computer?
EDIT: Sorry. Should've read the last sentence first.
You need to update Superior online for it to output sound on 64 bit (unless the new discs include the 64 bit version).

However as your guitars aren't working either I guess that's not the problem. Have you done anything like this before? Are your outputs set right?

[ThrustTony]

I don't think so cause I tried to download Reaper as 64 bit and it told me where to go lol

I have some vocals and guitar playing now but still no Superior drummer drums.

The vocals and guitar are just the media files included on Reaper just to test it

Originally Posted by EtherealEntity

64 bit computer?

[EtherealEntity]

Ok cool, so the problem is within Superior Drummer.
Just to make sure, go to start and right click my computer. Under properties it will tell you if you have a 64 bit operating system. If that's the case then the S2.0 update will likely fix it.

Have a look at this video to make sure your Superior signal chain is correct. It's EZdrummer instead of Superior but same deal. The problem he encountered in the video is likely due to the lack of update.

[ThrustTony]

You're a life saver!

My Computer is 32 bit I think and the problem is I'm an idiot! lol

I have watched so many videos about it before I bought it but now I have it its frying my brain!

I tried dropping the files into Reaper from SD without opening SD as a virtual insrument in Reaper! My bad

What are all the tracks that open under the superior drummer track when you drop it into Reaper?

I'm confused to how I just make my own beats up and put them into Reaper as well rather than using the pre set drum beats.

I am totally new to all this.

I've had a lot of experience in the studio recording albums in a band but am totally new to home recording.

I have a shed load of tutorials on my favourites but its hard to know where to start

Thanks again!

Originally Posted by EtherealEntity

Ok cool, so the problem is within Superior Drummer.
Just to make sure, go to start and right click my computer. Under properties it will tell you if you have a 64 bit operating system. If that's the case then the S2.0 update will likely fix it.

Have a look at this video to make sure your Superior signal chain is correct. It's EZdrummer instead of Superior but same deal. The problem he encountered in the video is likely due to the lack of update.

[EtherealEntity]

No problem man
All the tracks are the seperate outputs for each drum so you can have them seperated like you would recording a real drum kit.
You can configure these outputs in the Superior mixer itself, but if you are happy with the way the tracks are layed out currently, leave it be.
However you mentioned wanting to play your own drums so you would set that MIDI channel to record the input of your electronic drum kit. Effectively the same thing, but you are drawing your beats by playing, rather than clicking a mouse.
Other methods include importing MIDI's from Guitar Pro, playing them on a keyboard, etc.

To make your own beats, you draw your own MIDI in the MIDI channel which is going to Superior. To clarify, that's the channel he drags the green blocks onto in the video. You should be able to open that up in a MIDI editor / piano view and draw in the grid to make your beats.

[ThrustTony]

I'm getting there lol

I've just figured one thing out before the other though

I've worked out how to split the drums into seperate channels using the mixer on SD and put down the midi thing that looks like a piano but can't work out how to import superior drummer samples into that to build up my own beats.

Originally Posted by EtherealEntity

No problem man
All the tracks are the seperate outputs for each drum so you can have them seperated like you would recording a real drum kit.
You can configure these outputs in the Superior mixer itself, but if you are happy with the way the tracks are layed out currently, leave it be.
However you mentioned wanting to play your own drums so you would set that MIDI channel to record the input of your electronic drum kit. Effectively the same thing, but you are drawing your beats by playing, rather than clicking a mouse.
Other methods include importing MIDI's from Guitar Pro, playing them on a keyboard, etc.

To make your own beats, you draw your own MIDI in the MIDI channel which is going to Superior. To clarify, that's the channel he drags the green blocks onto in the video. You should be able to open that up in a MIDI editor / piano view and draw in the grid to make your beats.

[EtherealEntity]

Click on Grooves at the top of Superior Drummer and you'll find the beats in there If you take them from the very last column entitled 'kit pieces' the pieces are seperate - if from the column before that you'll get the whole beat.

Though I notice you said samples, and building your own beats? These aren't samples - just MIDI that controls the drumkit. You can draw your own in there completely from scratch or edit the ones you drag in from Superior

[warped]

I'm hoping someone else might have had this problem before.

I have installed pro tools 8.0.5, Superior Drummer 2.0 and 223 update and the Metal Foundry Expansion.

When I open Pro tools, create a new stereo multi-out instrument track and select Superior Drummer 2.0 as the first insert Superior Drummer launches and I can choose Metal Foundry.

In the superior drummer window I click on the kick drum and it sounds really good.

In the Pro Tools Midi-Editor when I press the piano roll key for the kick drum it sounds crap. I can see the kick drum on the Metal Foundry kick doing the drum hit, but from the Pro-Tools midi editor it sounds nothing like the sound I get when I click the actual kick drum in the Superior Drummer kick..

If I view the 'Mapping' tab in SD2.0 I can see the piaon roll key 'click'. When I click the key from SD2.0 it gives the good kick sound. WHen I click the piano roll key from pro-tools I can see it trigger the same key in the SD2.0 piano roll but the kick sound soft and dead.

I really want to start trying to track stuff with my Axe Fx (which I just got last week) - but am stuck with getting a decent drum sound..

Thanks guys.
Daz

Adding some more info:

When I choose a preset (eg Fredrick Thordendall - Bleed) - the Superior drummer window sounds huge like when I click on the kick drum it has whole bunch of compression/EQ/touch or reverb etc all going on. Then when I click the pro-tools piano roll key for the kick drum it sounds flat - like none of the effects have been added.

[warped]

Found my problem... The Velocity on the drum hits in Pro-Tools was set to about half way, which sounded like someone tapping the drums very softly.. Increased Velocity and it appears to be going ok now..

[iRaiseTheDead]

Hey guys, I'm getting SD2.0 soon. But It looks like I'm going to need a little bit of help. I've heard that just SD2.0 by itself isn't the greatest thing, you need all of these packs for it to sound decent. So the starter sd2.0 is about $300, and there are update packs? I also read that updates for this were free though? how would you go about expansions and stuff? is it... SD2.0->free updates for that version->BUY expansion->free updates for that updated version?

[EtherealEntity]

^ Not true at all. The Avatar (default) kit is fine. There's so many clips around here made with that that sound just great. Updates are free yes but not expansion packs. Your little arrows thing at the end is correct.
But seriously, Avatar is fine.

[iRaiseTheDead]

is avatar just a term for the "starting SD2 kit?"

[EtherealEntity]

Yep It's name in the kit selector is N.Y (New York) Avatar.

[iRaiseTheDead]

Okay, thank you for all of your help man

[fps]

I have a question, since SD is all files, will your mix of the drums sound exactly the same no matter what you use when bouncing and burning to cd? As in, are preamps and anything else plugged into your computer taken totally out of the equation? Might be a dumb question, but I'm asking it

[EtherealEntity]

^ Correct

[fps]

Thanks EE,
another question,
when you put the kit to multi outs and the tracks all go to separate Aux inputs, suddenly the kit sounds completely, completely different. I didn't expect that. Does everyone tend to use the multi outs and then mix in groups on each of those?

[Metalus]

So I'm really trying to achieve this drum sound but with no luck. Anyone care to give me some tips and suggestions?