How do you humanise your drum patterns?

[Kenmac]

Just to add to this, for anybody using Garageband on Mac, I saw a video a few days ago from the Garageband Guide channel that shows you how to get the virtual drummer to follow what you play. I never knew about this before. Here's the video:

[BBFG#]

Oh, another trick is to use multiple drummers. Either in layers as in a Spector "wall of sound" or in juxtaposition with varied sets/styles on multiple tracks. Patrick Moraz's "Story of i" touted a thirty-two drummer arsenal which gave it a bit of "street carnival flair".

[WackyZoundz]

I still use Tobybear's Humanisator.

[hotmitts]

I still use Tobybear's Humanisator.

I've been using Jamstix, which adds micro-timing, velocity differences, I guess that's along similar lines ? Jamstix I really love because it does all that and is generative not MIDI loops, also it plays how a real drummer would play in terms of how they use their hands etc

Problem is I really love Jamstix but it crashes in Reason and hasn't been updated for years. I wonder if my solution is to use a plug-in wrapper which would still load it in a stable way.

[WackyZoundz]

I tried Jamstix as well. I like the concept but it wasn't stable for me either and I collected so many freeware plugins which can do the same as well if combined (with a little bit of additional automation programming of course). Back then I didn't try third-party plugin wrappers though so this might be an option to make it work.

[mixtur.se]

Jamstix is great, and using it with other drum libraries is very useful.

That said you might try a modern drum machine, or I also use an Arturia Beatstep pro.

Using the Randomness and Probability really change things up nicely.

Depending on how much change you want, they can be very musical. Also you can
play and change those parameters live to really control things.

I believe Roland and Elektron boxes both offer those features, I'm sure there are others.

Drummels don’t have random timing and velocity, they consistently push/drag beats against the tempo and accent beats based on groove. Randomizing with a drum machine/plugin may sound good on its own right but it’s nothing like a real drummer

[mixtur.se]

I have played drums for 30 years or so and have programmed drums for almost as long. First of all, a beat can sound ok with a logarithmic approach with %swing, random velocity, random timing etc but this is not what a real drummer does. Here are som tips to sound more like a real drummer:

• Don’t play hi hat and cymbals at the same time

• Lay the groove so that it drags slightly late or pushes slightly early on key notes

• Use ghost notes on the snare (16th offbeat)

• Add soft stick rolls at the end of a pattern instead of ghost notes

• When playing fast single foot/handed strokes, the first is usually way softer

• Use accents on th hi=hat and make the other notes softer

• Play the accented hi hat beats with another articulationGently open hats over the bar before fills/chorus

• Vary how hard you hit cymbals, drummers sometime hit them softly

• Balance the kit elements with velocity, not volume like a real drummer

• When playing snare fills, use different articulations (hits from different zones)

• Play the ride like a hi hat, dynamically and with different articulations

• Play every groove like it’s 16th notes and emphasize the groove while the rest becomes ghost notes or silent, This give a beat the right feel/drive.

• Slower tempos often benefit from a slight shuffle feel. It’s should be felt, but not heard (unless its meant to have a triplet feel).

• Use combined rim/headshots on strong snare accents

• Use flams on upbeats, fills etc. especially on snare but can work on toms too

• Drummers typically vary the tempo to control energy

• Fills can often be all over the place as long as you land on the downbeat

These are just some things to keep in mind, it there are a lot of subtle things like that.

I’d suggest trying to play the groove live focusing on timing and velocity.
Play one kit element a time. Record a few great bars and then copy. Add slight variation across the copied sections (ex ghost notes, hi hat fills etc).
Quantize maybe 80%-90% max to not kille the groove.

[Examigan]

Good suggestions!

I’d also suggest that people really listen to how drummers play within songs. It will help them to get creative ideas for the patterns they are adding.

[HOTF]

i press random on drumcomputer and hope for the best

I love you man

[WackyZoundz]

Drummels don’t have random timing and velocity

They have a pseudorandom timing, velocity etc. Even the best drummer can't play a drum pattern twice (or more often) in the exact same way but will stay in a relatively small min/max range. That's why you need a (weighted) pseudorandomness generator to shift things a little bit in addition to all the things you mentioned (which is a good list, by the way).

[MidnightRunner]

lots of good advice. i usually play by hand kicks and snares and drag a hh pattern and then use FL macro to humanize velocity and grid placement.