MDrummer: Any former Battery users now using MDrummer instead? Compare/contrast?

[Annabanna]

Just watched vid for Mdrummer, and most of the features I saw highlighted aren't really for me as I don't want any randomization, auto pattern generation, internal sequencing, etc.

It's possible the video was simply aimed at a different audience, though, and I do always need a good drum module on every project. Currently using Battery, and the features I do care about are:

1) Zoom and trim

2) Basic HPF, LPF

3) Multi-track instrument split-out

4) Ability to assign multiple pads to the same key with different sounds/settings/pan/outputs

5) Saved banks of similar kicks, snares, etc

6) Quick and easy cycling through sounds

There's probably a few others, but I prefer to do my sequencing, processing, and everything else in the DAW using the full suite of tools.

I am, however, also using some other tools to do beat slicing, editing, and retriggering, and always wished those features were implemented within the drum module.

Any users out there essentially using MDrummer for the types of features I mention (even just as a drum module)? If so, do you have experience with Battery and/or any of the tools people use for editing breakbeats? Are there any features along those lines that may not have been covered in the video?

Either way, I'd be interested in hearing any reasons why you do or do not prefer MDrummer vs some of the other popular drum modules, or any features I'm not using that may be more useful than I'm currently giving them credit for.

[Brother Greg]

Like you, I'm just getting used to MDrummer, and I use it only in drum pad mode. I also haven't been interested in its sequencing capabilities, although they seem amazing. I prefer to use my DAW for sequencing. I do like MDrummer's sounds very much, and I especially like adding effects to them from all the possibilities in MXXX.

That said, I like Battery for its ability to create your own custom drum kit, using either its own samples or samples I drag in from other sources, like Soundiron ones I have. I still can't figure out how to create your own custom drum kit in MDrummer, or MDrummer Multisampler, using different external sources for samples. So for that purpose, I still prefer Battery. If you have MXXX, you can apply all its effects to whatever you use in Battery, of course, but only for the total drum kit. That's the only drawback I see. I'm not clear yet whether MDrummer presents the same limitations or not.

Hope that's helpful.

[Annabanna]

Yeah, for my workflow, at least, I see no reason to sequence or apply effects internally. I could see where it would be useful to get some kind of result quickly, but the DAW will always have a more complete set of tools (including all those from Melda).

Similarly, I always strip any internal processing from Superior Drummer, synths, etc. unless it's integral to the sound generation somehow.

[Brother Greg]

On further exploration, I see that it's not hard to set up a custom drum kit in MDrummer, as in Battery, and MDrummer does enable the import of external samples (at least .wav samples, anyway). I'm still not clear whether effects in MDrummer can be applied to each component of a drum kit, or just to the entire kit. So far, I'm just getting effects to work on the entire drum kit. In Battery, effects can be applied to each component of the kit, using Battery's own internal effects.

[jmalge]

I'm still not clear whether effects in MDrummer can be applied to each component of a drum kit, or just to the entire kit.

You get both:

If you look under the Drumset Editor tab, there's a Drum Effects tab; those effects are applied per component.

The main Effects tab is global to the entire drum kit as you've already noticed.

[Annabanna]

Any other features that someone like me who mainly just uses Battery as a drum module, but who also uses various breakbeat editing tools might find interesting or useful?

[Brother Greg]

I'm still not clear whether effects in MDrummer can be applied to each component of a drum kit, or just to the entire kit.

You get both:

If you look under the Drumset Editor tab, there's a Drum Effects tab; those effects are applied per component.

The main Effects tab is global to the entire drum kit as you've already noticed.

Thank you for explaining! Wow, that's great! This alone makes MDrummer much better than Battery, whose internal effects per voice seem awfully limited.