Using midi drum samples and NOT step clips

[SteffHell]

Hello,

I have to ask very broadly about creating drum tracks in tracktion/waveform.
At the moment it seems as if the prefered (only?) way of doing it in Tracktion is different from mine and it is difficult for me to transfer my workflow into Tracktion.

I will explain how
1) I have been doing drums so far,
2) how it seems Tracktion is doing it and then
3) someone else could perhaps say if my view is correct and what I could do about it.

1) I have a little collection of drum midi files. To create a drum track, I play the song, click through my drum files, listen to the song and the drum files in context and import those drum files that sound best. Afterwards I open the imported drum files in the midi editor and do lots of tweaks.

2) In Tracktion I can also preview drum midi files* and then load them in the project but then the midi editor (= the big piano roll view, see (3) at screenshot below) doesn't seem to be made for drum editing at all.

I was searching for a way to change the look of that midi editor from piano keys to drum instruments, from note bars to hit symbols but didn't find anything.

Instead I found information about "step clips". I like that concept but didn't plan to completely change my approach. Also, step clips and external midi files don't seem to work together very well.

If I insert a step click on a track, I get that nice inline drum editor (1) with drum instruments (4) and everything I am looking for. But I can't use that view for my other midi files. If I load them on the same track, they still don't have that view (2).

3) Assuming that I am not the only person using Tracktion and drum midi files, I am hoping for some ideas and information.

* Is there really no drum view in the main midi editor (a (4) at position (5))?
* If I want to import midi files and adapt them in the midi editor would be working "blind" (clicking on keys and listen what drum instrument is behind it) be the only solution?
* Is there a way to combine the step clips and midi files? Can I open or import midi files in the step clip editor?

I made a screenshot to explain a few things better


(1) is the inline clip step drum editor, it DOES contain drum instrument names (4)
(2) is an imported midi file on the same track, it does NOT have the drum instruments names
(3) is the main midi editor with that imported midi file, it only has that piano keys view (5) at the left
=> What I am mainly LOOKING FOR is (4) at position (5)
Ideally, (6) would also have (4) as an alternative view

--- foot note:
* ...learned about that just recently:
viewtopic.php?f=22&t=460045&p=7435245#p7435245

[AGreen]

You can import midi into a step clip quite easily. Put a step clip on the track and then select a section of the clip at the bottom, then click "Import from midi clip" in the settings panel at the bottom. You'll see a list of midi clips in the project that you can import.

[chico.co.uk]

If I remember right, if your midi clip is channel 10, and you zoom in a hit, then the keys at 5 get overlaid with the GM midi names for drums) eh, kick, snare etc.

This might just happen at 2, not 5, haven't checked

[chico.co.uk]

Shows in both of them

waveform.png

[Stuttaton]

If you want to have custom drum names in the midi editor, you can make a dummy sampler preset with the correct names and add that to the track. I have done this for my EzDrummer kits. I just add the Tracktion sampler to the track, before EzDrummer, and select the preset. In the preset, the sampler should be disabled. However, the drum names show anyway.

[SteffHell]

If you want to have custom drum names in the midi editor, you can make a dummy sampler preset with the correct names and add that to the track. I have done this for my EzDrummer kits. I just add the Tracktion sampler to the track, before EzDrummer, and select the preset. In the preset, the sampler should be disabled. However, the drum names show anyway.

Actually, I don't really understand what a dummy sampler is and how that can be added to the track.
Is that post at viewtopic.php?t=483781 the proper and up-to-date description for this?

What I recognized when playing around (and perhaps that is related) is that the drum names and their assignment is a bit confusing at first.
* When I click on a drum name in (4), Tracktion adds a little yellow arrow to the keyboard at (6). But the names and sounds were mixed up. Clicking on "bass drum" in (4), triggered the snare drum sound in (6) and similar with other sounds plus some names in (4) that didn't have no sound in (6).
=> So my understanding is that before doing anything else with the step clip I have to first set it up, that is, pick names and assign sounds to them!? Is that correct?

* As regards drums in the midi editor I am also a bit confused. Here, Tracktion shows a long list of drum instruments at (3) (not displayed in the old screenshot because of low resolution.
=> Where do these drum names come from? Is it General Midi standard?

As a test case I loaded some General Midi file and used a simple drum synth (Cakewalk S.I. drum kit) with no extra drum map. A lot of the drum names didn't have sound.
=> I guess this must be due to the limited sound arsenal of that drum synth?
=> Would that dummy sampler approach from above also work as a solution here?
=> Can I limit the long list of drum instrument to only those that my drum synth can actually use?

[Stuttaton]

If you want to have custom drum names in the midi editor, you can make a dummy sampler preset with the correct names and add that to the track. I have done this for my EzDrummer kits. I just add the Tracktion sampler to the track, before EzDrummer, and select the preset. In the preset, the sampler should be disabled. However, the drum names show anyway.

Actually, I don't really understand what a dummy sampler is and how that can be added to the track.
Is that post at viewtopic.php?t=483781 the proper and up-to-date description for this?

Yes, that's what I'm talking about.