Drum Machines
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Posted on Jun 06, 2002 01:50 am
Loki
Cone Poker
Member Since: Apr 07, 2002
How would you go about recording a drum machine? I am going to be getting one soon but have no idea on how to record it. I don't even know how to program it yet, but I will learn
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WaltChief Cook and Bottle WasherMember
Since: May 10, 2002
Jun 06, 2002 07:47 am Please allow me to chime in a little. dB definately has a strong point here. He recomended fruity loops to me and I absolutely love it! Typicaly you get a stereo output from a drum machine. I have used a Zoom that a friend brought over and it is a pain in the popper to program or use the little finger pads on the front of. Even an electronic drum kit (Roland) has just a stereo out and again it is a pain to program. Both these units are expensive! FruityLoops is one heck of a lot easier to program, much more expandable, much less expensive! My friend came over with the Roland and played for a session and now I have all of my favorite Roland drum sounds in FruityLoops! If you can record it...you got it!
But I still keep him. Cant replace a good drummer with software.
shepherdsampatron saint of quality footwearMember
Since: May 30, 2002
Jun 06, 2002 11:30 am Just to add my two cents...
I purchased BOSS's DR-5 (Dr. Rhythm section) a few years ago. It is a great tool for song writing as well as just a drum machine as it has 4 seperate tracks and 256 instruments.
HOWEVER, had I known about fruity loops then I never would have spent my money on yet another piece of gear to clutter my studio. Yes, you can take the machine anywhere and work on stuff but we're talking a little over $5oo Canadian. The poor sled dogs didn't eat for a month (that's a lot of coin on a studio janitors salary).
Kidding aside, you really should check out the software available before making a decision.
LokiCone PokerMember
Since: Apr 07, 2002
Jun 06, 2002 04:22 pm well I HAVE heard a lot of good thigns about Fruity Loops, but I really think I need a drum machine becuase I need it for Live shows. If I did not need anything for live shows then I would definitly buy fruity loops. I am looking at something like the Alesis SR16 Drum Machine right now
Noize2uCzar of MidiAdministrator
Since: Apr 04, 2002
Jun 06, 2002 07:30 pm Ok, now I will pop in here. The SR-16 is pretty sweet, and yes it has a left and right audio out which will go to your mixer. And the drum sound's are pretty smackin as far as drum machine's go.
You can also use another trick for the drum's. You can send the midi out of your SR-16 into the recording app on your PC and play back your programed drum sequance, (and that is all it is really is just a midi sequance of your drum hit's) and it will be recorded into your program liek Sonar or whatever. Now you can edit the drum sequance if you like and play it through any other synth's drum patch or drum synth.
The SR-16 can also me the master for midi timing when you hook it to your PC via midi, or it can be the slave, and lock to the software on your PC.
Also you can find the SR-16 used almost anywhere.
LokiCone PokerMember
Since: Apr 07, 2002
Jun 06, 2002 09:36 pm Well I downloaded the demo for Fruity Loops, and while things look really cool, I have NO idea what I'm doing with it. lol. My freind has i, but he doesn't really know what he's doing either so we're both stuck. Ah well
Jun 07, 2002 05:28 am just play with it a while, you'll get it, and when you do and learn how much FL can really do, you might be surprised...and if you need it live, put it on a laptop ;-)
LokiCone PokerMember
Since: Apr 07, 2002
Jun 07, 2002 10:35 pm well yeah, I've got some things down, But I don't know how to make loops longer then just a few seconds :( ah well. I wanna make a full song on it, but I guess I'll have to make a few different loops and load them up into Cubasis and paste em together as one track, still a lot of work.
WaltChief Cook and Bottle WasherMember
Since: May 10, 2002
Jun 07, 2002 10:57 pm This one is making me crazy! I did the same thing. Got one measure loop and copied and pasted it in Cubase. What a mess! I mean it worked but then I read the Fruityloop manual. You can download it from the Fruityloop website if you do not have one. I can't explain it very well but you right click on one of two red lights that say part and song next to the transport box. You then get a grid pop up where you can have different patterns play at different times and assemble a song.
Sorry, I know that explanation is a little shabby, but I am not real good at on line help either. I was working on a help desk once for a telephone company. I told a lady to hit pound pound three to remove an unwanted feature from her phone. She was pounding on her desk twice and then pressing the three key on the phone. That's when I gave up.
LokiCone PokerMember
Since: Apr 07, 2002
Jun 08, 2002 04:14 am are you serious? She pounded her desk? oh man... that's hilarious!
Jun 08, 2002 06:56 am You then have to chime in and tell her to hit "any key" for the canned, Homer Simpson response "I can't find the any key"
WaltChief Cook and Bottle WasherMember
Since: May 10, 2002
Jun 08, 2002 10:01 am Yes. I speak the whole truth and nottin but the truth! I got the ticket that said her phone would not ring. I dialed in to the swith via modem and could see her exetension was in do not disturb. I could not remove the feature from her extension from the software so I had to try to talk her through it. I almost sent out a tech to replace her phone as every time I asked her to dial the sequence all I saw was a three come through. We finally fixed it together by calling the pound button the "tic tak toe" button. She got that!
Noize2uCzar of MidiAdministrator
Since: Apr 04, 2002
Jun 09, 2002 12:07 am OK Loki, open FL and look in the upper right section. You will find 5 little box's that should go like this.
PL (play list) this is where you assemble the loop's you have made into song form. You can change the instrument that track play's and whatever you like. Apply effect's and so on.
Next is SS (step sequancer) this turn's the main panel where you click note's on and off, and and off.
Then you have PR (piano roll) pretty much like the piano roll in CakeWalk and Cubase. You can add and delete note's and edit them and move them around and all the good stuff.
Then SB (sound browser), this is where you find the loop's and noize's and stuff.
Finally FX (effect's), again pretty self explanitory.
Hope this get's ya started down the road. I know I twiddled with the app for a month B4 I found all this stuff without the manual. I am a true geek, I will not open the book untill I am in tear's.
LokiCone PokerMember
Since: Apr 07, 2002
Jun 09, 2002 06:26 pm Okey, I found the playlist and stuff you gus were talking about. I don't really know how to use the piano roll but I've got the loop creation and play list part down, so that'll keep me busy for a while :) thanks
Noize2uCzar of MidiAdministrator
Since: Apr 04, 2002
Jun 09, 2002 11:02 pm The piano roll works a little like the step sequancer. You can add and delet note's, change their pitch and timing and duration and so-on. Once you figure that out you will have it licked.
LokiCone PokerMember
Since: Apr 07, 2002
Jun 12, 2002 04:50 pm Okey, I see what you're talking about with the Piano roll. This program is actually very cool, and I think when I get paid in two weeks I'm gonna go buy it. I'm using the Demo right now. If I hadn't gone see KMFDM and if I weren't going out of town this weekend I'd go pick it up, today.
Noize2uCzar of MidiAdministrator
Since: Apr 04, 2002
Jun 12, 2002 10:07 pm Good, I am glad I could help. dB turned me onto Fruity a little over 2 year's ago. I was a Rebirth user, and still am, but Fruity is way more intuative and user friendly.
So how was the KMFDM show, good I hope. Everyone on their feet all night.
Aug 11, 2002 08:50 pm I am wanting to start doing some digital recording at home. Obviously, this means creating a home studio. I was wondering if anybody had any recommendations for a drum machine that doesn't sound cheesy but is relatively inexpensive. Am I asking too much?
Aug 11, 2002 08:54 pm Wow! Ask and ye shall recieve. Thanks to everybody who took part in the previous conversation concerning drum machines.
LokiCone PokerMember
Since: Apr 07, 2002
Aug 11, 2002 09:35 pm If you'd read the rules you'd have noticed we ask not to post the same question in two different topics, which you did, so I deleted the other topic. Please adhere to the rules, we really don't ask much :)
