How do you do your drum tracks ...

[Peter from LinPlug]

To further improve handling of our products we would like to know how you approach drum programming. In particular:
- do you work with a single track, some tracks, or a track per drum sound
- do you work with one plugin, multiple plugins, samples (directly from a hosts audio track)
- how many different drum sounds or loops are in a project
- how do you program the beat, realtime via drum hardware, step by step, do you use existing MIDI files
- how do you start programming, from the kick, percussion, loops or something else
- do program your own sounds or use presets/samples
- whats your favorite drum plugin and why

This is NOT meant as a discussion about RMV

THANKS FOR YOUR PARTICIPATION !

[alphasnk]

Hi Peter,

To make my drums i use custom made samples that i place on a grid! each element of the kit will have its own track! I tend to never use any drum plugin because i often find it more flexible to work this way!

[Dikkop]

Hi,

Starting point for my drumtrack is a kick. Every sound has its own track. I mostly use samples for reversed sounds. Others are from Element P, Halion One, Battery or own made samples. I never use loops and every note is placed by hand. The amount of different sounds depends on the complexity of the track; sometimes 5 sometimes more than 10. I often use layered kicks and snares. Don't have a favorite plug.

[Brittlestem]

1 track, built in sequencer of plug, layered samples and built-in fx.

[MikeInOttawa]

For the record, I own RMIV.

My use of percussion is minimal (if any) for acoustic stuff. I use more percussion on my synth-based stuff, but still it's very sparse. I'm a melody-focused kinda guy.

For my purposes, I start a tune using one general-purpose midi track for all drums, but when it comes time to bounce to audio, I put each drum sound on a different midi track then bounce to audio. It makes it much easier for individual eqing, reverb/chorus/compression/panning/whatever. I also record some of my own percussion sounds, and create a song-specific kit by loading up all the sounds I'm using. Works like a charm!

When I use standard drum kits, I generally work with the kick and snare to start. I usually program the midi file on my keyboard real-time, then edit the midi data to fix my screw-ups (and that's a lot of fixing!).

RMIV, along with the occasion sample I record on my own, is all I really need.

[justin3am]

- do you work with a single track, some tracks, or a track per drum sound

I use some tracks. I typically have an audio channel for each drum sound but only a few midi tracks.

- do you work with one plugin, multiple plugins, samples (directly from a hosts audio track)

I typically set up a number of individual plug-ins with Ableton Live's Drum Racks. Each drum rack may consist of synthesized drum sounds or samples I've created. I can even use external hardware via drum racks.

- how many different drum sounds or loops are in a project

Depends. On a strait forward rock track maybe as little as 12. On a super technical experimental track it could be hundreds (literally).

- how do you program the beat, realtime via drum hardware, step by step, do you use existing MIDI files

I use Numerology with a Novation Launch Pad to sequence midi in realtime. Once I have a backbone rhythm bed, I'll go in and program more detailed rhythms step by step. From there I may bounce that drum track to audio and continue editing and rearranging.

- how do you start programming, from the kick, percussion, loops or something else

Again, it depends on what material I'm working on. Some times I start with a kick and snare, others I might start with found sounds or the tapping of my ceiling fan.

- do program your own sounds or use presets/samples

I almost always program or record my own sounds.

- whats your favorite drum plugin and why

I couldn't name one. There is no drum plug-in that has everything I want from a drum plug-in. That's why I really like Live's Drum rack, I can use it to turn all my gear into a single huge drum machine.

[Peter from LinPlug]

Thanks everybody, I'm reading and look forward to other peoples preferences being posted here

[fanfarecircuit]

i really prefer synth over sample/loop. i've been very interested in project management and limiting external dependencies. i also prefer to mix within the drum synth and just use a single stereo track, so adequate eq/dynamics and effects is a plus. i can't always work like this, but it is my prefered way.

despite trying to limit external dependencies, i do like an internal sequencer in a drum vst... for some reason an old fashion pattern sequencer like on the d16 stuff always ends up being the best way for me to visualize during composition. the best of both worlds would be for rmv to have an internal sequencer and be able to drag that pattern midi to my host after composition.

i'm still looking for the perfect balance in a drum vst and lately i am pretty confused in general about drum stuff. i have rmv and wish i wasn't so scared by it's complexity... to date i've been put off by it's samples and looping functions which seem to be how most people use it.

i don't know... maybe i'll spend time with it today. i generally don't feel comfortable with drum composing and my music is not beat heavy, so take my comments with a grain of salt.

[fanfarecircuit]

yeah.. that's what i want... rmv's drum synth engine and effects routing combined with an old fashion pattern sequencer and the ability to drag patterns to my host easilly after composition. no saving the midi and then opening it in my host... just drag it right in.