The best way - Drum Machine/VST/Samples in DAW

[Periphery]

Hi there!

I did not know where to post this question so I'll just adjust it alittle to make it fit into this category.

The problem I'm having atm is that I've grown sick of using Battery 4/placing samples into my daw for beat making (Using Cubase 9.5). There's the Groove Agent 4 SE in Cubase but I'm not too fond of that either.

I've been looking to expand my arsenal with a drum machine of any kind. I make the music I want to do myself at the very moment so it could be extremely different genres. But generally it's DnB/Future Bass/Urban/Rock/Pop. Often using samples from Splice.

I'm wondering what you guys are using for making beats (VST or hardware drum machine). I've been looking at the Maschine MK3 (I already own the Kontrol S61 and Komplete Ultimate) and the Digitakt. Maybe been glancing at the Analog Rytm too but cannot justify the price at this moment since I'm only doing this for a hobby

I'm not closed to using a VST either since I'm only doing the beat making at home and in my studio. So any tips there too would be great! I've just not only taken the plunge to explore what great VSTs there are for making beats today.

Greatful for any answers! Hopefully you've got some good ones for me! Cheers!

[RichieWitch]

So are you looking for a hardware drum machine so you can create your own sounds? Or are you looking for an inexpensive piece of hardware that you can load drum samples into and get a little bit out of the box?

If it's the later, I'd suggest a Novation Circuit. It has four drum sequencers and 64 slots that you can either buy sounds packs for or load your own samples into. And you'd get two 6-voice synths as a bonus. Fairly cheap, especially if you buy used or B-stock on eBay.

For drum synthesis, I use an old Korg Electribe ER-1 that I run through a Radius 3 Fat Man tube compressor. I don't think I paid more than $150 for either of them. The Korg sounds a little flat by itself, but once I added the compressor, it gained a whole new sound that I just love. The kicks especially sound like real drums now, the transformation is amazing.

[deastman]

I have a Digitakt, but I think if you come mainly from the software world, you would find it too tedious to work with.

Ableton Live with Push 2 is a really great combination, but I’m guessing you don’t want to switch from Cubase. I’ve never used Maschine, but that seems like a good middle ground.

I also really love Geist 2. If you want an upgrade from Battery, that would be it.

You could also look at something like UVI Beatbox Anthology 2 if you’re more interested in existing sounds rather than sampling your own.

[Zexila]

Do you play or just pencil in the piano roll?

[Periphery]

So are you looking for a hardware drum machine so you can create your own sounds? Or are you looking for an inexpensive piece of hardware that you can load drum samples into and get a little bit out of the box?

If it's the later, I'd suggest a Novation Circuit.

Thank you for your reply! I'm looking for inspiration at this point, listening in on what other use! But I just looked up a video on the Circuit and it could def be a good start for me. Seems like it can be operated without a computer and that's perfect.

I would like to be 'limited' by a set of sounds in a unit just because of the immense power of working in a DAW. With all the choices makes one focus more on the sound while creating instead of just creating music.

Very good suggestion!

[Periphery]

You could also look at something like UVI Beatbox Anthology 2 if you’re more interested in existing sounds rather than sampling your own.

I'll check this one out after work today!

Thank you for your reply!

[Periphery]

Do you play or just pencil in the piano roll?

I play out my idea roughly on the keyboard then add fills by drum editor in Cubase. Or just plain throw samples in Cubase to move around.

But I love that feeling of everything actually performed by a human. It should be a bit unquantized!

[yellowmix]

Seconding you check out Geist 2. It does a lot, but to quickly summarize specifics that might be good for your workflow: it ingests samples and auto-slices loops, assigns hits to pads, you can sequence them, humanize and swing the grid, down to a very fine-grained level. Each sequenced hit can be varied in nearly every aspect and randomized, and hits can have a probability to make it aleatoric (try it on fills). I'm primarily a Battery user but I dive into Geist 2 for some intentional random inspiration. It also has one of the nicest manuals around.

If the random thing piques your interest, you might also be interested in WaveDNA Liquid Rhythm. It randomizes entire beat patterns but is guided by AI. That is to say, it's random but the beats still make sense. And you can direct it as well.

[egbert101]

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[RichieWitch]

Seems like it can be operated without a computer and that's perfect.

Yes, it can--it's completely portable. I toss mine in a courier bag with a pair of headphones when I travel, and I can work out fairly complex beats and song ideas wherever I am. Battery powered too, so you can use it anywhere.

[rod_zero]

Take a deep look in to maschine, I think if you limit yourself to maschine soundbanks using it is easy, but not much difficult adding your own.

[Periphery]

I think sooner or later, a sampler is a good idea, so I recommend TAL-Sampler. The Hollowsun library that come free with it, has plenty of various classic drum samples built in. And when you get bored of those, just import your own samples.

https://tal-software.com/products/tal-sampler

I already use Kontakt for my sampling needs! I've never tried TAL but I'm satisfied with Kontakt for the moment Thank you for the tip though!

[Periphery]

Take a deep look in to maschine, I think if you limit yourself to maschine soundbanks using it is easy, but not much difficult adding your own.

Maschine does seem nice. I like the sequencing possibilities with it. Just send the midi to your favorite hardware synth and get creative. I'm leaning more and more to it. But it's a shame it cannot be used standalone!

[ramseysounds]

But I love that feeling of everything actually performed by a human. It should be a bit unquantized!

Turn off quantize then

[Periphery]

But I love that feeling of everything actually performed by a human. It should be a bit unquantized!

Turn off quantize then

True