till today I couldnt find a workflow to implement my drums in a comfortable but also precise way into a complete track.

There are groove editors in most daws that can be very frustrating and confusing and drum machines that limit your freedom.

I kinda figured my "own" way of programming my drums for the entire track but not saying that I am happy about it.

So Im curious how you guys program and arrange your drums for your entire track?

 

first drums..then bass...then the rest...

 

I mean how do you get your MIDI information into the track?
Do you just simply open another MIDI block and draw the drums on the piano roll? Using a beat editor or any step sequencer toll and drag&drop the beat into the arrangement?

 

what drum software are you using?

I´m using Addictive Drums,
drag some midis that fits my suggestions, and than modify them till I´m satisfied.
I think that´s an easy way to "produce" drums, instead of the "old way, (and hard way), recording them.

 

Last edited: Jan 31, 2020

I currently try using the "pattern" system of Studio One, but it behaves in a certain way that frustrates me and assigning new patterns and making sure the right block has the proper pattern...
Wierd thing is, I felt totally fine programming my drums using the basic MIDI piano roll 10 years ago when I started producing, today I feel like I need a perfect solid system that is specificly designed for drums.

 

Toontrack.

 

Fruityloops!

 

I play them in real time on a keyboard- kick snare toms first, then cymbals. I usually have a pretty exact drum part in my head before I start, so I just play it. I always go straight through the song like a real drummer would, I never cut and paste anything so even if a part or pattern repeats it won't be absolutely identical.

 

1st 2bar pattern, copy and paste to make lil edit on the 4th bar'///// 2. copy paste the 4bar pattern and make little varaition on the 8th bar 3. copy paste 8bar pattern and make edit on the 16th bar. loop everything since todays music is more loob based. have about four different fills and rolls for each section of your song, make use of silence and spacing on your tracks as well

 

Slowly. Very slowly.

 

I usually place the audio straight on to the timeline. Sometimes i use drum machines to throw together ideas, but i agree they are limiting.

 

I "play" the drums with my fingers in real time on a keyboard. I thought everyone did this with a DAW until recently someone saw me and was like "how the fuck do you do that!!?"
Maybe it's the old git way of programming as I learnt bashing around on an EMU SP12 back in the day.

 

When I was into the more traditional beats I would just bang them out on pads, a MIDI keyboard or even my computer keyboard if I had to. If you play an instrument, try using only your dominant hand and just laying the whole thing out at once. If not, do the hi-hats and rides then the kick and snare on separate passes.
Lately I've been getting into more "out there" patterns. I'll slice up 2-4 bar loops that I've made and use different sequencers to drive them along with a bunch of MIDI FX and arps. Sometimes multiple sequencers and note delays or loopers to add variation.
I've had a lot of fun with euclidean sequencers driving the hats then playing in the kick and snares by hand. Or driving the kick and snare and playing in the hats. Mix it up. It's fun.

If you use Ableton, slice something up in Simpler, play or drive it however you want (random MIDI clip) while you adjust the Transient Sensitivity. Switch the 'Slice By' mode and adjust for even more fun. Then change WARP modes, transpose and add FX and eq/filter and get yourself a lead/bass line to jam to.

Now automate the things you couldn't do while playing. And keep in mind that drastic tempo changes according to appropriate mathematical factors will sound awesome.

 

Last edited: Feb 1, 2020

finger drummer its the future heard and seem some good ones try it learn it

 

This is my way of programming midi drums that try recreate a real drummer's performance. I don't usually do electronic music, but when I have, the process has been pretty much the same. Besides, since I play bass, I usually have the bass line laid out before I think of drums.

1. First I choose a couple of drum loops that have nice hi-hat and ride cymbal grooves. They are hard to recreate manually so I prefer well put together parts.
2. I use the midi grid to draw kick and snare drums that match the bass groove.
3. I copy the groove of another track that has the pocket of the song (like a strumming acoustic guitar) and paste it onto the drums but without pasting it on the hi-hat or ride cymbal.
4. I manually check that the velocity is fairly consistent. I keep the snare drum hits a little more dynamic than the kick drum to avoid compressing too hard later on.
5. Once I have my groove going, I break down my drums in sections (intro, verses, chorus, and the like) and change velocity globally per section (harder hits in the choruses, lighter touch on the verses, you know where I'm going).
6. I go back to my midi loops and choose fill loops that fit the song.
7. I run my drums through 2 different software instruments to give my drums a less generic sound (I usually use SSD 5 free for the snap of the drum hits and AD for the room sound). Blend the output of the software instruments to taste.
8. Render the drums to audio, making sure the peaks never exceed -6 dbfs. However, I tend to render them much lower than that.

 

Last edited: Feb 2, 2020

you can also put drums one shots direct into arrangement grid....

 

Last edited: Feb 1, 2020

I suppose that works with electronic music, but for more human-based grooves, one shots haven't worked for me. I'd use complete loops for the hi-hat/ride cymbal pocket and then add the one-shots to complete the groove. Then buss them to some reverb for glue and there you go.

 

I play by hand,record then quantize and/or correct in piano roll after.
Fast,triplet,or intricate rolls and kicks I'll either record at slower tempos or program in step sequencer or piano roll.
And I try to give some variance to the velocity levels of most things that are programmed,makes it sound less like a machine

 

Thats what i used to do before i bought drum pads
It was actually weird getting used to pads for a while.
I barely use either these days though. Samples in my timeline is enough for my use these days

 

great approach...method sound really great