# EZDrummer Help (Creating your own Drum Patterns)



## CrownofWorms (Mar 3, 2013)

I've had EzDrummer for about 2 months and I don't have the want/need to implement any of the preset drum patterns that come with the package. I know some new presets come when you buy things like Metal Foundry and DFH, but I don't wan't to create drum patterns that I feel like all I can do. Plus, I'm investing on better guitar tones for my POD and a drum pad. 

I wanna know how can I create the drum techniques and patterns while mapping them out? I'm trying to create drum tracks that come from my head or being influenced from songs I hear. Alot of the drum tracks are influenced by bands such as Meshuggah, Suffocation, and Necrophagist. The sound I'm going for has a lot of different blast beats and poly rhythms and things like that aren't available with the standard presets of EzDrummer. 

I'm using Reaper and I only have the standard EzDrummer pack. How will I be able to make drum tracks and patterns?


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## JaeSwift (Mar 3, 2013)

Unfortunately, the only way you can do that is by using the piano roll.
If you want an example of what I mean, double click a preset drum pattern (the midi blocks) and it will open the piano roll. From there on out you can adjust


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## DarkWolfXV (Mar 3, 2013)

You can use guitar pro and write it in MIDI, then export the midi to reaper.


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## Vhyle (Mar 3, 2013)

May I direct you to my three tutorial threads I made over on HomeRecording.com?

They're basically tutorials on programming effective, realistic drums using EZDrummer. I programmed my drum tracks in Reaper with the MIDI editor.

Check it out. I hope they are some use to ya.

Realistic Drum Programming, Lesson 1: BEATS - Home Recording forums - basic beats
Realistic Drum Programming, Lesson 2: MORE BEATS - Home Recording forums - more beats
Realistic Drum Programming, Lesson 3: SIMPLE FILLS - Home Recording forums - fills

I intended on making more lessons, but it's hard to find the time to do so. I still would like to make more, because I have so much more to share about drum programming. If you want to hear this stuff in action, I programmed the drums on the Algarothsyum album "Wastelander's Epoch", which you can hear through my sig.


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## lewstherin006 (Mar 3, 2013)

Vhyle said:


> May I direct you to my three tutorial threads I made over on HomeRecording.com?
> 
> They're basically tutorials on programming effective, realistic drums using EZDrummer. I programmed my drum tracks in Reaper with the MIDI editor.
> 
> ...



Going to be checking this out on my day off tomorrow!


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## CrownofWorms (Mar 4, 2013)

JaeSwift said:


> Unfortunately, the only way you can do that is by using the piano roll.
> If you want an example of what I mean, double click a preset drum pattern (the midi blocks) and it will open the piano roll. From there on out you can adjust



I know about the Piano Roll, but it is so tedious to use and to create drum patterns/mapping. Any help on this problem?


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## C2Aye (Mar 4, 2013)

CrownofWorms said:


> I know about the Piano Roll, but it is so tedious to use and to create drum patterns/mapping. Any help on this problem?



Honestly? Just work hard at learning the midi mappings and getting efficient with your programming. Once you put the hours in, I've found that at least in my experience the piano roll becomes the quickest, most efficient way to program drums with the advantage being immediate velocity control and not needing an external program like guitar pro for instance. Nothing comes for free so just work hard at it


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## CrownofWorms (Mar 4, 2013)

How will a drum pad make things easier

Also how am I going to use the drum pad midi through EzDrummer and Reaper and maneuver it.


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## pattonfreak1 (Mar 11, 2013)

don't know how much help this is for you but it helped me tremendously:

I have saved MIDI files I call "blanks" which contain various snare patterns with cymbals (hats,chinas,crashes, rides, etc.) but no kicks are in them.
when I need to syncopate kicks to guitar riffs, I load a blank then all I gotta do is "paint" the kick in.


saves a shitload of time


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## CrownofWorms (Mar 17, 2013)

pattonfreak1 said:


> don't know how much help this is for you but it helped me tremendously:
> 
> I have saved MIDI files I call "blanks" which contain various snare patterns with cymbals (hats,chinas,crashes, rides, etc.) but no kicks are in them.
> when I need to syncopate kicks to guitar riffs, I load a blank then all I gotta do is "paint" the kick in.
> ...



How did you make em. Piano Roll?


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## fwd0120 (Mar 17, 2013)

I'm not sure what the fuss is all about..... but I have know problem making very good guitar tracks from scratch with the Reaper Piano Roll.... I don't even have to loop any parts!


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## sear (Mar 17, 2013)

CrownofWorms said:


> How will a drum pad make things easier


Drum pads are touch sensitive, so are most good MIDI keyboards. If you get decent at playing beats you can make your own much more organic sounding ones and improvise fills way more easily since you are going based on what you hear and not what you see. Manual tweaking will always be necessary but you will start with a more human sounding base. You might still have to program stuff like double kicks yourself, but if you want to stop thinking about note subdivisions and just go make music, it's a great approach.


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## xCaptainx (Mar 17, 2013)

I use the piano roll and a large collection of the Toontrack Midi packs. Drag/drop them into the piano roll and edit accordingly. 

I'm not a drummer, I'm never going to pretend to be. The midi packs have been invaulable for capturing more realistic velocities and subtle drum actions that I wouldn't think of. 

I then find one that I like, and edit it to suit. The newer packs are great, especially library of the extreme 1, 2 and 3. I end up using them exclusively nowadays.


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## fwd0120 (Mar 17, 2013)

Yes, I too support the MIDI packs from Toontrack as well as GrooveMonkee! I normally have to mess around with them a bit though, because despite having so many to choose from, most of them rarely are exactly what the song requires. 
What I tend to do is make my demo with the (sometimes slightly modified) midi loops in Reaper's timeline, then once I am satisfied, I glue the midi then mess with it a whole lot. I always will overdub the guitars again with the new drums, to complement any new changes in the feel. It is normal for me to spend about 12+ hours on a MIDI drum track though, but hey... I don't a real drummer or the means to record one - why not go for the best I can do?


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## CrownofWorms (Mar 25, 2013)

Alright I have made some progress with the piano roll. I have made some blast beats and gravity blasts. And I save those beats if I wanna use them later. 

If I want a different kind of blast, I just go to the most simplistic one and edit. Save it as a new file. 

Now I am wondering which should I go for: the DKFH or the Metalheadz pack. or should I still go and purchase a drum pad?


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## JaeSwift (Mar 26, 2013)

LPD8 LAPTOP PAD CONTROLLER

That might help. I just got one and did a sensetivity mod on it; I'm using it to program in all my drum patterns. It made a 2 hour workout turn in to a 15 minute one and it's a crapload of fun to boot.


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## CrownofWorms (Apr 14, 2013)

It's going fine as of now. But I wan't to find a way to have EzDrummer and Line 6 POD going on at the same time, so when I record guitar riffs, I could hear the drums and how the riff blends with the guitars. I try to do that but Reaper only seems to let me allow to have one program running (like POD running and not allowing EzDrummer to run at the same time)


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## JaeSwift (Apr 15, 2013)

Use the standalone version of Pod farm (NOT the VST), assuming that is what you are using, while playing the drum pattern if that's what you want to do.


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## Mprinsje (Apr 15, 2013)

I use the piano roll for stuff like drums etc. If you do it often you'll get to know the basic metal patterns by head and it'll go much quicker and be less of a hassle. Also, i find editing in piano roll easier than guitar pro for example


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## CrownofWorms (May 7, 2013)

JaeSwift said:


> Use the standalone version of Pod farm (NOT the VST), assuming that is what you are using, while playing the drum pattern if that's what you want to do.



I was thinking of that, but I wanna also record the guitar playing while I'm jamming to my drum tracks.


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## Merius (May 15, 2013)

CrownofWorms said:


> I was thinking of that, but I wanna also record the guitar playing while I'm jamming to my drum tracks.



This is very possible. I use Reaper as my DAW as well.

You can record both wet and dry tones in the DAW, depending on what settings you are using in the DAW and as long as POD Farm is set up correctly to send.
Basically you add POD Farm as new tracks in Reaper, make sure that they are receiving from the correct input, and mute the track monitoring from Reaper. You should use the stand alone POD Farm 2 software for monitoring your tone. Just press record and play along with the beats!

I usually record ideas with wet sound because I am too lazy to start messing with monitoring at that stage, I play along to the drum patterns which are coming from my speakers. The guitar sound is routed from the UX1 back to my guitar amp, but still controlled by POD Farm 2 stand alone software.
Once the song is ready, I do a dry recording, this time both guitar and drum patterns are monitored trough headphones.

Try looking for POD Farm 2 recording tutorials on youtube, I think that is a good place to start to get an idea of what settigns you need to locate.


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## CrownofWorms (Aug 31, 2013)

Back again and I have made tons of progress. I now have a full song with guitars and drums finished. All I have to do is to work on the vox and bass. 

Now I just bought a mac and how am I gonna create drum patterns through logic


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## Handbanana (Sep 2, 2013)

CrownofWorms said:


> Back again and I have made tons of progress. I now have a full song with guitars and drums finished. All I have to do is to work on the vox and bass.
> 
> Now I just bought a mac and how am I gonna create drum patterns through logic



The same way you did before. Its not rocket science.


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