Question for anybody using a VSTi for drums

Posted on Feb 21, 2008 04:22 pm
Tadpui
I am not a crook's head
Member Since: Mar 14, 2003

So with my new MIDI controller has come a bunch of fun being able to play drums in realtime with my songs. Love it.

But now I've come upon my first hurdle:

I want the kick on 1 track, snare on another track, toms on another track and all the cymbals on another track.

Is there a way to do that with a single MIDI controller (EMU Xboard) and a single instance of my VSTi (Proteus X2)?

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fortymile
Member
Since: Jan 18, 2003

Feb 22, 2008 05:19 am

i would recommend getting a different drum vsti. i dont know about proteus, but it sounds like no. you would need multiple instances, and then of course it would be hard to write and record the part.

or you could convert each drum to audio. this workaround would involve performing and recording your entire drum pattern in midi, then selectively muting all but one drum at a time, saving the result each time and thus getting an audio track for each specific drum. and then using each as an audio track. this seems like a pretty good workaround. seven or eight processes to run, but you wind up with 7 or 8 audio tracks and will then have control of them individually.

if you want to buy a better vsti, BFD drums will give you the flexibility you want straight in midi. one instance, one track, but you will be able to control pan and individual volumes on each drum, as well as being able to mix and match specific drums from different kits.

Tadpui
I am not a crook's head
Member
Since: Mar 14, 2003

Feb 22, 2008 10:56 am

Well I'm pretty much married to Proteus for the forseeable future so I'm going to need to find a way to make it work.

I think what I'll have to do is just copy each piece of the kit out of the finished MIDI drum track to its own MIDI track. Same idea as yours except it takes out the extra step of converting to audio. At least then I can still edit without having to render again.

Luckily with the way that Cubase works, I only have to have 1 instance of Proteus running and I can send as many channels through it as I want...at least I think that's how it works. I guess I'll see!

olddog
Member
Since: Jul 02, 2003

Feb 23, 2008 01:09 am

That's the way I do it now Tad, except that I send the separated midi tracks to my TD6 and record the audio on separate tracks. I have to make 2 or 3 passes since my TD6 only has stereo outputs, so I do the kick/snare, toms, & stereo cymbals. Sonar has a script to split the notes out, but it creates 16 tracks so I just cut & paste instead. :)

Dan

Tadpui
I am not a crook's head
Member
Since: Mar 14, 2003

Feb 23, 2008 04:39 pm

OK I see. Well, it looks like that's my new approach. I'll see how it works once I actually get a drum performance worth going through the trouble for :D

Thanks everybody!