[Tech] How to Program Drums

[Chris]

You need to be a tad more specific than "an error". What does it say?

Make sure you're dragging the selector from left to right when selecting what to export, like in this:



If you're already doing that, give us something to go on.

[TheReal7]

Just found this. Although I don't use Cubase or EZdrummer. Nice to see someone take the time to make a tutorial. Great job!

[Demonium]

I've done everything that it says, and in the export window i've done:

Type: Wave file
Coding: PCM/uncompressed waves
Attributes:-
Channels: Stereo split (i've tried changing this but no difference)
Resolution: 16bit
Sample rate: 44.100 kHz
Outputs: EZ1 (Stereo)
Import to: Pool

I've tried almost everything, but when i save it says "An error occurred during the export"

I'm using Cubase SX 3 and EZDrummer

[Nik]

Quick question: How am I supposed to turn up the crash cymbal and turn down the ride cymbal?

Both are controlled by the Mixer track 'Overhead' and I need to do this somehow, because my ride cymbal is always waaay too loud and the crash cymbal is waaaay too quiet.

Excellent tutorial, by the way

[Ryan]

Try adjusting your velocities on the beat map.

[Nik]

Originally Posted by Ryan

Try adjusting your velocities on the beat map.

[n00b]Could you please explain to me exactly what velocities are? People are always saying you should adjust them for different sorts of reasons. Is it directly related to volume? Or timing? [/n00b]

Thanks

[h4x5k8]

@Nik (& everyone who wants to know a lot about velocities)

To answer your question simply, velocities are directly related to volume, for nice explanation look below.

Velocity is part of the midi protocol, no matter what instrument you use (drums, synths, etc.) velocity settings for each note will always be included in the information of a midi file. Velocity is how hard you hit the note being played, 1 being the softest, and 127 being the hardest. For instance a snare hit in DFH at a velocity of 1 would be like dropping a leaf on the snare, while 127 would be hitting it very hard with a drumstick.

The term 'Dynamics' is used a lot in the drum world, a player with very good dynamics/dynamic-range sounds much better and gets more emotion across in his playing. Hitting drums at different velocities on drum machines (see example below) gives the sound of a player with good dynamics in his playing, thus making a drum machine sound more human.

As far as song composition goes there is also the 'Dynamic Range' throughout the song. During loud/intense parts of the song you would want the velocities higher maybe in the 80-110 range, and during the softer parts 30-70, utilize the whole range for some kind of build up. I think you get the point, don't use what I say as exact reference, I'm just trying to paint a picture so you can at least understand the context in which velocity is supposed to be used. One thing to do to make the drum track sound more human is to make a small variance in velocity for each beat within the dynamic range of your verse/riff, Ex. 89-91-89-86-87-86-88 etc. This gives the sound of a player with persistent velocity, but not so persistent it sounds like a machine.

In Cubase and Nuendo velocity can be controlled many different ways. First you can input the beats yourself with a midi controller, so the harder you hit it the higher the velocity and vice versa. Second, If your inputting the beats in through the beat map with the draw tool theres a section below the beat map area that has a vertical bar for each note played, set the config to adjust for velocity (this should be default), and adjust the height of the bar accordingly (see pic). Third you can select the individual note and edit it in the object selection config above your ruler.

Hope this helps, feel free to give me input if I am wrong about anything. (Its hard doing writing these when you don't have cubase in front of you, I kinda have to guess/make up names for certain things that already have an 'official name' that I don't know.)

[Demonium]

Originally Posted by Demonium

I've done everything that it says, and in the export window i've done:

Type: Wave file
Coding: PCM/uncompressed waves
Attributes:-
Channels: Stereo split (i've tried changing this but no difference)
Resolution: 16bit
Sample rate: 44.100 kHz
Outputs: EZ1 (Stereo)
Import to: Pool

I've tried almost everything, but when i save it says "An error occurred during the export"

I'm using Cubase SX 3 and EZDrummer

BUMP

Anyone know what's going on here?

[tenorbass]

I am trying to use DKFH 2 and Nuendo 3. When I press F 11 to add the VST drums my BKFH isn't their? Why isn't this working?

[Chris]

Originally Posted by Demonium

BUMP

Anyone know what's going on here?

Make sure you slide the slider from left to right across the top bar to select the part of the song to export. It'll turn the top bar blue.

[Chris]

Originally Posted by tenorbass

I am trying to use DKFH 2 and Nuendo 3. When I press F 11 to add the VST drums my BKFH isn't their? Why isn't this working?

At a guess, F11 isn't the VST key in Nuendo. This tutorial is for Cubase. You need to look in the Nuendo menu and find the command/hotkey to bring up VST instruments.

[tenorbass]

Yea its still F 11 in nuendo. The thing that made me excited about the program was recording guitar in the program over the drums. Will DKFH work with Cubase? Can I do guitar and drums in Cubase?

[Chris]

I'm not sure. I make my drums in Cubase and export them into Sonar. Someone else can probably answer ya.

[Demonium]

Ah, i got it now. For some reason the drag bar was red the whole time.

[Alpo]

Originally Posted by tenorbass

Yea its still F 11 in nuendo. The thing that made me excited about the program was recording guitar in the program over the drums. Will DKFH work with Cubase? Can I do guitar and drums in Cubase?

There is probably a feature in Nuendo that let's you search for new VST instruments. The problem might be that Nuendo doesn't know that DFH is installed. Just a guess, I don't use Cubase or Nuendo.

[h4x5k8]

Originally Posted by Demonium

Ah, i got it now. For some reason the drag bar was red the whole time.

This is a little annoyance that happens to me quite often as well. You had the left locater on the right side, and vice versa.

Originally Posted by tenorbass

Yea its still F 11 in nuendo. The thing that made me excited about the program was recording guitar in the program over the drums. Will DKFH work with Cubase? Can I do guitar and drums in Cubase?

Cubase and Nuendo are both multitrack Audio, and Midi recorders. So yes you can track any audio input (Guitar, Mics, DI, Etc.) over your midi drums (DFHS, EZD)

[Lenny]

would other versions of cubase be the same? cant find sx3 unless ebay, would SE/LE do same?

[h4x5k8]

VST's work with Cubase LE (don't have experience with SE). But there aren't as many features in LE, for instance not as many VST slots, could never get the drum maps to work, and a limited amount of audio/midi tracks available. You can read the differences on the steinberg site.

[Nik]

I've got a question:

Once I've done all the stuff listed in the tutorial and I have a MIDI drum track playing through EZDrummer, how can I apply compressor/other Cubase plug-ins to individual drums?

What I've been doing is going to the EZDrummer mixer, and selecting output as 'multi-track'. This creates a separate track for each drum sound, to which I can add EQ. However, in order to use plug-ins like this one free compressor I downloaded, you have to select an actual audio track, and each individual drum track doesn't actually have any audio data on it, so I can't use the compressor. Any tips?

I'm using this free VST compressor:

http://www.kjaerhusaudio.com/classic-compressor.php

I really don't want to have to export individual drums as WAVs and import them back into Cubase just for the sake of Compression

[Fionn]

Would anyone be interesed in a BFD in Pro Tools version of this thread? I will be able to do this for you all if you like?

[Ryan]

We always like info contributions to the site's wealth.

[TomAwesome]

Originally Posted by Nik

I've got a question:

Once I've done all the stuff listed in the tutorial and I have a MIDI drum track playing through EZDrummer, how can I apply compressor/other Cubase plug-ins to individual drums?

What I've been doing is going to the EZDrummer mixer, and selecting output as 'multi-track'. This creates a separate track for each drum sound, to which I can add EQ. However, in order to use plug-ins like this one free compressor I downloaded, you have to select an actual audio track, and each individual drum track doesn't actually have any audio data on it, so I can't use the compressor. Any tips?

I'm using this free VST compressor:

Kjaerhus Audio - Professional Audio Plug-ins

I really don't want to have to export individual drums as WAVs and import them back into Cubase just for the sake of Compression

I'm curious about this, too. Anybody? I like to add EQ, compression, and some other stuff to my drum (and other MIDI VSTi) tracks, and this is probably the main thing that has stopped me from moving over from Fruity Loops (which actually has a really kick ass mixer setup)... that and I can't figure out how to import a MIDI track without making a new file, but that's beside the point.

[Fionn]

cool, well i'm going on holiday in a week, but when i get back i'll so a short tutorial.

[robe108]

hi, this tutorial is very cool, but how do i use ezdrummer with acid pro 6??

[KaLeVaLA]

great tutorial.

Is this a sticky yet? Let's hope so ...so it doesn't dissapear when i get all the programs