Using Drumatic v3 VST to create Drum Track

[guitar1969]

This is another Newbie question from me, but I cannot for the life of me figure out how to map Drumatic's sounds for output in Trackton. I cannot figure out how to actually use this plug-in and there is no tutorial. Drumatic by default has channel 1 assigned to each of its 7 drum sounds. How do I use this in Traction and get output in a midi clip. Unlike the built in Trackton Sampler where you can assign a wave sound to a keyboard note, and enter that note in the Midi clip editor for output, I do not understand how to assign each of these sounds within a chanel to be used in the Midi clip editor, and get any type of output(sound). I have a basic understanding of Midi but I am finding the practical usage of virtual instruments within Trackton very confusing for me. If anybody could refer me to info on the net that explains the practicle use of these VSTs , and basic use within Tracktion, I would be very grateful.

[Breakpete]

You need to use rack filters for this.

Visit this link for some very good tutorials on the subject:

http://www.adbe.org/guides/tracktion/racks.html

You will benefit from reading all of the tutorials, but for this spesific problem you need to read:

"Using racks with multiple output VST plugins"

edit: spelling.

[edelweiss]

Racks are wonderful, but the simplest way I have found to create drum tracks is as follows....

Drag and drop Drumatic into the filter section ( right end of track) of an empty track.
Select the track by clicking on it's name at the left end of the track. Select "insert a new clip" from the section directly below the tracks, then select "insert new audio clip". the new clip will appear in the selected track, just after the cursor.

Click on the "new filter" button in the upper right corner and drag to the new clip you just created. select "Stepchild" from the list that pops up when you release the mouse button. Stepchild is a simple, yet very versatile 32 step-sequencer. (if you don't have "Stepchild", you can get it from "www.subminimal.org". it's a free plugin, courtesy of "Modular" a KvR member.)

Click on the Stepchild icon in the new clip, it's "interface" will appear in the section below the tracks. Looking at the interface you will see a bunch of little boxes. Each box can be thought of as a note. There are 2 measures shown divided into 16 "beats" per measure
We'll use the bottom row for our bass/kick drum. Working from left to right, click on boxes 1,9 and 11. Moving up one row for our snare drum, click on boxes 5, 8 and 13.
Next, on the left hand side of the interface, we will set the note for each row ( Kick and Snare) Set the note for the bottom row to C3 and the note on thwe next row to D3.

Now it's ready to play, so just click "play".

The key/note mapping for "Drumatic v.3 is as follows...
Kick Drum - C3
Rim Shot - C#3
Snare - D3
Clap - D#3
Lo Tom - F3
Hi Tom - B3
Pedal Hi Hat - F#3
Closed Hi Hat - G#3
Open Hi Hat - A#3

Also you can shorten or lengthen your "Drum Track" by dragging the "size handles" on the clip...

This is a very simple method for creating drum tracks, but using this technique I have pretty much retired my drum machine, I use it for hats, cymbals, fill and triggering sampled sounds thru the sampler. I hope you find it as useful as I have

Good luck

[guitar1969]

I had heard of Stepchild, so I set it up as described, but unfortunately, I can't get it to play and I am getting the little yellow "!" symbol to the left of my track, which is telling me my destination output is not set right, but I tried all of my different outputs, with no luck. Any thoughts on what it could be causing it not to output, and creating the error?

[rpc9943]

stepchild has to go before your vsti. So like if you have a drum sampler, or whatever, put that in the line after stepchild. Like this:

Stepchild > Piano/drum sampler/etc

Thats why youre just hooking up stepchild with nothing, more or less, hence the <!>

RonC

[guitar1969]

Unfortunately I do have it in the right order(ie Stepchild - Drumatic. I discovered that whenever I add an audio track, and add a vst such as Drumatic, Dr-005, or whatever, the yellow "!" shows up and wont play it. Do these only work with midi clips (noy audio)- if so, why did the post above drag Stepchild into an audio clip and get it to work?

Thanks

[rpc9943]

youre not supposed to mix audio tracks with midi tracks. thats a no-no.



RonC

[guitar1969]

See Edleweiss' post above - he's mixing audio with midi data with Stepchild and its working. In fact Stepchild will only let you drag it into an audio clip(Not a midi clip). Try it. If not, than I don't understand how to use Stepchild in place of the built in midi editor on a MIDI clip. Can someone give me a workflow for Stepchild with a drum sampler such as Dr-005 or Drumatic.
Thanks

[Breakpete]

Like rpc9943 said, do not use audio clips in a track intended for midi data. I'm not sure what is causing the warning sign in your case, but I found that the internal Tracktion keyboard mapping is totally different to that of StepChild.

A drum sound mapped to C3 in the sampler will sound on C6 in StepChild. I use C4 as middle C.

Another thing to consider; if Drumatic outputs each of its drum sounds to a different output, you have to use racks or you will only hear the sound on the first output.

Keep in mind that even if you have a lot of tracks with your Drumatic rack in them, you can still control them all from a single midi clip.

[flanneljammies]

Racks are wonderful, but the simplest way I have found to create drum tracks is as follows.... [snip]

The key/note mapping for "Drumatic v.3 is as follows...
Kick Drum - C3
Rim Shot - C#3
Snare - D3
Clap - D#3
Lo Tom - F3
Hi Tom - B3
Pedal Hi Hat - F#3
Closed Hi Hat - G#3
Open Hi Hat - A#3

I followed these instructions and it worked like a charm. My question is where are these key mappings documented? Do you just have to stumble upon them? After I got drumatic working with my Stepchild sequence, I swapped in Ersdrums for Drumatic and only the kick drum made sound. Is this a trial and error thing?

[chardin]

That's the General MIDI drum mapping. This is one link that show the full GM map (instruments and drums).

[bobaudio]

Racks are wonderful, but the simplest way I have found to create drum tracks is as follows....
edited...

WOW! Why didn't I think of this way??!? I always just put it in the filter path of the track, but this is WAY more flexible and easy for working out song structure. Thanks for the tip!!!!

[IIRs]

Racks are wonderful, but the simplest way I have found to create drum tracks is as follows.... [snip]

The key/note mapping for "Drumatic v.3 is as follows...
Kick Drum - C3
Rim Shot - C#3
Snare - D3
Clap - D#3
Lo Tom - F3
Hi Tom - B3
Pedal Hi Hat - F#3
Closed Hi Hat - G#3
Open Hi Hat - A#3

I followed these instructions and it worked like a charm. My question is where are these key mappings documented? Do you just have to stumble upon them? After I got drumatic working with my Stepchild sequence, I swapped in Ersdrums for Drumatic and only the kick drum made sound. Is this a trial and error thing?

These seem to stick roughly to the General MIDI mappings.. which is what Synthedit's native Drum Trigger module uses, so it makes sense.

[audiobot202]

I had exactly the samed problem as you did 'guitar1969'...but the easiest way (Stepchild did not work for me in a MIDI track) was to add Drumatic as normal to the track by dragging it as a new filter icon and then right clicking the icon and selecting 'wrap as rack' (or something similar). Tracktion will wrap it for you in a rack and connect all the outputs the way they are supposed to. The mappings from Drumatic seem to be locked down the keyboard somewhat for some reason which is a pain.

[Reqs]

Racks are wonderful, but the simplest way I have found to create drum tracks is as follows....

Hey Edelweiss (or anybody)I'm a Tracktion newb.
Can you tell me what the advantage of your method is over simply inserting Stepchild and Drumatic as filters in the track?

Thanks!
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