Drum Software

judaskiss

Looking for a good software for drums. Trying to find something thats not only easy to use and inexpensive, but sounds very close to a real drummer. I still haven't mastered(not even close :? )my Sonar LE yet, but would like to incorporate a drum software . Advice anyone?

gtaus

Are you thinking about plug-ins? I have read that Superior Drummer 2.0 is probably the best out there right now as far as the sound. I don't know if you lay down preprogrammed drum tracks with Superior Drummer 2.0 or if you have to midi code your own drum patterns for the song. I have used Band in a Box over the years where you can have the program drum according to any number of styles BIAB has available. You can export that drum track as a midi file and drop it into your DAW. Also, I think that they just recently came out with \"Real Drums\" which is an audio version that you could copy and paste into your DAW. There are a number of drum machines such as the Alesis SR-16 (new version is the SR-18) which get high reviews. On another thread the guys were talking about the Boss DR 880 drum and bass machine which they said was good.

If you have the GNX4, there are many built in midi drum patterns that you can copy and paste into PTP. Also, you can custom program the GNX4 midi drums to play anything you can think of (disclaimer: I'm not a drummer). I have used some of the GNX4 basic patterns and copied/pasted them into PTP as the basis for my song and then gone back into the midi track to cusomize it for the song. As with any programming, there is a learning curve, but there is also tremendous power in being able to work with the finest details of the drum track. And I happen to think that the GNX4 drum sounds are great, at least compared to most of my other options. Point is that if you learn how to program the midi drums, you can take that midi drum track and play it though a plug-in such as Superior Drummer 2.0, or any other plug-in, to get the sound you want. Lots of good options to think about.

partch

EZ-Drummer is pretty cool! You can drag & drop the middi loops. Place them out for verse chorus etc.. add fills & such. Lastly you can then edit the middi file in Piano roll to put final touches cymbals & such. I like the sounds of EZ Drummer. Not bad obviously nothing like the real thing BUT not bad. Suits me 8) EZ Drummer is a VST Plugin.

gtaus

I think EZ Drummer and Superior Drummer 2.0 are made by the same company. They appear to have good reviews from what I read. I don't own either package, so my knowlege is based only on magazine reviews.

iliace

If you're working in software, then any synth that has good drum sounds will do. Frooty Loops will have that, for instance. However, you may want software that creates the beats for you as well - in which case, you can use something like Session Drummer (comes with Sonar Producer series), where you have preprogrammed beats in a variety of styles, set to a fixed number of measures each.

0Dannyboy

I have EZ Drummer. You can find it here. http://www.toontrack.com
comes with a default standard pop kit with alot of beats and styles & time sigs to choose from. Thers also a free cocktail kit. You can add other kits and styles as well like \"the drum kit from hell\" its a huge hard rock setup or the Vinatge kit ( I have) or the new jazz kit whatever.
Very nice software just install it into your computer start up Pro tools and its right in the menu to pick from. It loads up a kit you pick a beat and drag the beat you select onto the track you have setup to record on. reapeat the process to fill up the section you want playing that beat...you can drag fills etc inbetween measures to fill in the parts its really pretty cool.

judaskiss

Thanks for everyones input, its always good to get feedback from fellow guitar players. I do like alot of the beats that GNX4 has, but can sometime sound artificial--i guess I just have to use some EFX. My problem is trying to put two different loops together without missing a beat :evil: . I'm not a drummer, so its good for me to have loops that I can piece together. I may use some trials and see how it goes. Thanks again.

guitar3456

What some like to do is take some midi grooves or midi songs, cut sections from those clips and create new ones. It's fairly easy to do.

If you have groove clips in relative time sig/tempo you should be able to just drag and drop them in the DAW program and they will line up usually. You can also set quantize at different settings to enhance the groove swing.

There are many drum software programs. Superior Drummer 2.0 seems to get the nod from many as does BFD.

Antony

+1 for EZ drummer. Listen to the Twisted Kit demo as well for something different.