[Tech] How to Program Drums

[EtherealEntity]

Originally Posted by black_anther

Yes it most certainly does, I used it with Ableton first and then switched to Cubase.

Has anybody worked out how to do cymbal chokes using this method?

The only way I've managed to do it in my recordings is to put the cymbals on a separate audio track and then delete the section of the wave by inserting a silence after the cymbal hit.

What drums are you using? If cymbal chokes are available, they are usually a different 'drum' (different MIDI key) e.g 55 = splash 56 = splash choke (this is not true)

[zeal0us]

Originally Posted by EtherealEntity

What drums are you using? If cymbal chokes are available, they are usually a different 'drum' (different MIDI key) e.g 55 = splash 56 = splash choke (this is not true)

Yup.

As far as I understand, to encompass all possible hits you need to (somehow) assign them via a new drum map.


Does anyone know how to change the grid beat divisions for different time signatures? I have a part in 6/4, but if I change the time sig. on the transport bar, the grid divisions still remain 4 per beat. I need 6 divisions per beat.

Is the only way to do this by turning snap off and manually inserting every note approximately?

EDIT: I did it manually anyway... bleh

[black_anther]

I pre-program all my drum loops in Guitar Pro before I bring them into Cubase. When I drop the midi track in all the time signature and tempo changes are automatically picked up for me.

Thanks for that EtherealEntity, that's helped me a lot. It's confusing cos they weren't labelled correctly in the default drum map (or whatever it's called). I didn't think there'd be an separate note for them because when I program them in guitar pro all I do is put two notes on the cymbal together but with the second one's dynamic set to dead quiet (ppp button). I think the problem is in Cubase or EZDrummer is that it doesn't cancel the previous cymbal hit when two are played in a row. That make sense?

[Kapee]

SoundClick artist: Kapee - page with MP3 music downloads

Finally learnt how to program drums, haha.

[FMG]

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'd like to bring this up again, I've heard tons og guys on this forum discussing how they EQ'd and compressed their snare, but no one has addressed how to separate each drum onto a separate track. HELP!

[black_anther]

The way I do it is using the mixer on the EZDrummer display, there you can select the track you want to put each drum mic on.

If you look at the image below, where it says Trk 1 on the Output line, you can click these and select different tracks.


Once that's done (not sure if this is the best way mind), I do an audio mixdown per drum track, if you use this screenshot as a reference (sorry I don't have cubase where I am right now so had to make the best out of Google Images). Where you have the VST Instrument Channels menu you can select the track you want to export. I export it to a WAV and then import as a new audio track and do all my eqing etc on that.

[ManEatSoul]

Awesome work! Thanks!!

[Mn3mic]

Too bad I was not aware of this tutorial earlier, I had to google most of this stuff one by one...

Btw, can anyone explain to me when to use a rim tom and when to use a normal tom.
I use both SSD and AD but I can't figure out what to do with these two.

I mean, when I make a normal tom fill it sounds good but not as aggressive as a rim tom fill, but after a certain speed of the fill it sounds way to "unreal"...

I like the way the toms sound on for ex. Acacia Strains Woodworm, they all sound to me like rim toms, not regular toms (like Rareform by After The Burial).

Anyone have an idea?

[Ahmet]

Good work!

[lastninja]

I would recommend a) use a free program Stomper Hyperion to make some insane drum samples

b) find or take samples of metal drums (there are actually commercially available sound packs just for metal drums)

c) use an easy program to start like fruity loops, or way better, Ableton live

ableton is a great program for beginners and very quick results. Great for tempo shifts too.

[xSyncope]

Does anyone know a free or a cheaper alternative to Cubase? I've just been using guitar pro to export MIDI files then transfer it to FL studio and change it to DFH, and I wanted to try a different way besides that.

[AngelSKinGarden]

@xSyncope

I do it the same way using guitar pro, except after exporting I drag it into reaper and load EZdrummer/dfh. I haven't found a faster way to make good, non-generic drum parts for my tunes.

[Mn3mic]

I can't imagine how it is easier to program drums in GP and then exporting the midi, I literally draw them in Cubase and it takes me less time, especially cause I can reedit move/paste the parts that I change during the writing process.

A good tip is also not to copy/past same parts on same riffs when they are repeated - re-edit them and add different accents - makes all the difference in the world

[Bjorn218]

Great tutorial. Much better doing it this way instead of my old standard, Modplug Tracker. Quick question though, how do you program shorter note values on the drum editor (i.e., 16th or 32nd notes)to create fast double kick lines?


EDIT: Nevermind figured it out. Needed to change note values for each drumkit piece.

[vsiljivc]

I think this tutorial is awesome therefore i should revive this thread,so i think that someone should explaine step by step and klick for klick how to multichannel Ez Drummer in Cubase ! tnx to this tutorial am finally using Tootrack and doing something!!

[vsiljivc]

As a step 7 you should do this first : How to set up EZDrummer Multiple Outputs in Cubase:

How to set up EZDrummer Multiple Outputs in Cubase - YouTube

[Ryan]

65k views and a brother can even keep contributor status.

For shame.

[NegaTiveXero]

That is pretty lame.

[Ryan]

Right? :'(