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I use an Akai MPC for a number of varied projects (none Hip Hop!). I find it to be a real work horse, and as its a sampler it sounds as good as the source material. The sequencer is pretty intuitive. Set up time is really quick, meaning I don't have to spend ages at a gig getting it up and running.

Having said all that, I prefer playing with a drummer. A drum machine is really just a glorified metronome. There is no "conversation" going on between the musicians.

image

I still use the trusty BOSS Dr Rhythm...both the DR-770 and older DR-550...
both can be programmed either real-time or step-wise...

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Last edited: Mar 24, 2010 15:47:19

I used a Boss DR-770 for awhile, but I'm liking EZdrummer a lot better. The visual aspect really helps me when editing patterns, etc..., and the kits sound nice.

Mike

manfromravcon.com

Last edited: Mar 24, 2010 19:02:51

Wow that's a neat looking box

Check these out, seriously:
http://www.xlnaudio.com/?page=products&p_page=adpaks&i_page=retro
http://www.native-instruments.com/#/en/products/producer/powered-by-kontakt/abbey-road-60s-drums/?page=1268

They sound great. Coupled with a DAW, today's sample packs offer way more flexibility than we dreamed of in the '80, and soundwise they're awesome.

Reinforced with http://www.rayzoon.com/jamstix2_vid.html,
I'm having lots of fun, learning a lot.
And I can totally say, that without a question, there is no doubt...
...
I need a drummer

I've dicked around with sampled drums quite a bit, I think the technology has improved quite a bit, things don't necessarily sound so obviously drum-machiney as they did back when, and while there'll always be a difference, I think you can fake it well enough to fool a lot of people, if not yourself.

All of this assumes mostly computer-based stuff, but if you choose to go that route, I can make some suggestions:

1) Get to know controllers: midi-pads, keyboards, drum triggers, all have foibles and quirks. The controllers are your best chance at doing "live" sampled drums, as if you turn off the quantize function, then any timing errors or "character" if you want to call it that, is going to be your own. Hitting a drum too hard, too soft, this is all in the controller, whereas point-and-click quantization or beat-mapping has a more roboticky feel;

2) Multi-track the bejebus out of your "kit": most sample drum-applications come with groups pre-collected, might even be the same drumkit in real life recorded in the same space with the same mic, which is nice, theoretically, but when you aren't actually confronted with the necessity of arguing with a real, live, drooling, dope-smoking, raw-meat-eating drummer, in my experience, you're going to get picky as hell about your sounds (although, if programming is a necessity, and not a pleasure, you may just wanna get it over with, in which case, this may not apply to you), and being able to tweak volume, signal strength, processing, panning, etc., on an individual track, rather than messing with the sample-application settings (which are often applied globally, rather than to an individual virtual instrument) makes things a lot more satisfying;

3) Process the crap out of your drum-sounds. This sounds counter-intuitive for surf, which tends to limit the amount of horsing around with signal that you experience, but recording live drums involves this huge number of environmental variables, mics, placement, compression, natural vs. wired reverb/delay, phasing, yada-yada, and punching in plug-ins and tweaking them, sometimes past the point where the drums sound "naturally" recorded, can have a better overall effect than trying to keep it clean and simple when you're obviously using an artificial medium;

4) Totally analog it up: I only used it for a break, but programming my samples, then playing them through an amp in a natural space (laptop>amp) and mic'ing the results gave me, for about 8 beats, some of the most awesome sounding non-live drums I've ever recorded;

5) Mess with it: there is a habit, with programming, to put your effort into a pattern, and then re-use that pattern. Real, live, mentally-unbalanced, compulsive, anger-management-issues-having drummers aren't usually thrilled playing 8 minutes of the same rhythm, exactly, perfectly, invariably, and are noted for messing around with stuff on the fly. Regular jackoffs may not notice tiny little details, not necessarily fills, or riffs, or solos, or anything, but I have a rule, whenever I use a pattern repeatedly, to change each instance of that pattern, even if only by one note. To my ear, it makes a world of difference, even if you're not trying to fool the listener into thinking you have a real drummer, but if you're trying to not convey the impression that everything's online.

Anyway, this is what I've learned. Your mileage may vary.

Cheers,
The Damnthing

"Anythin' worth doin's worth overdoin'."
-Louis Bert Lindley

Bumping an old thread here:

Another option for recording is doing an internet collaboration kinda thing. Record your tracks and upload them. A drummer could download them and record him/her self playing along, and send the results back to you. If the drums need to come in on the downbeat or before, just make sure there's a 4 count (or whatever time signature) so they know when to come in.

I've got a Roland electric kit I could use for this but I don't yet have the MIDI cables to connect it to my recording rig. I can record the audio outs, and the Roland kit has some good drum samples built in. Cymbals won't sound so great though. No sampled cymbals are really any good in my opinion. If I had the midi cables, you'd be able to use your own samples.

I use Steven Slate Essentials, which only has one or two kits but has pretty much been perfect for my sound. Slots right into Reaper as a VST and only costs about $20 USD.

"Stop Me Before I Surf Again" at Band Camp.com

Dead_Gremmie wrote:

I use Steven Slate Essentials, which only has one or two kits but has pretty much been perfect for my sound. Slots right into Reaper as a VST and only costs about $20 USD.

Looks good I might give it a whirl.
I'm trying MT Power Drumkit VST - discontinued product available for free.

Often, trying to make drum parts without being a drummer is like trying to make horn parts without being a horn player. It's not too hard to learn a bit about how a drummer goes about his business, and apply that.

When the most popular song I ever wrote got recorded by a band, the drum part changed completely because the drummer literally couldn't play the part as written. That was partly because he didn't have enough technique, but also partly because it wasn't written the way a drummer would have played it.

For myself, on the technical side, I have 2 drum machines. One is an old Roland R-5, which has a live input method and the switches on the front are velocity sensitive. So I can input a rhythm directly instead of step by step. I also have a Roland TD-10 hooked up to a set of pads I made myself (much easier than you think). That one I play more like a drummer, though I'm not all that good. Also, it gives the children something to bash on.

Would I prefer a live drummer? Sure, I would. But mostly my music time comes in fits and starts and later in the day.