new to home recording... can't add drums or drum samples in cubase projects
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Posted on Apr 15, 2005 04:51 am
Reza
Member Since: Apr 15, 2005
Hi everyone,
This is my first post on the forum.
I am an experienced musician and a newbie in home recording stuff.
I have a proper soundcard and a pc computer. I bought cubase sx 2 on referreal.
I want to record guitar and bass (which i will play) and add drums on them.
My problem is, i just can't add any drums or drum samples on cubase projects. I don't have a midi keyboard. So I guess i have to do it manually by mouse. I was told to use drum map but its grayed out in the menu.
I can buy or download some other programs for drums as well, as long as i still don't need any midi keyboard.
Any advice and guidance woulde be much appreciated. Thanks.
Reza
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RigsbyUltra MagnusMember
Since: Nov 13, 2004
Apr 15, 2005 07:11 am Have you considered drum samples or loops? If you don't want to use loops but are happy with samples, you could place them by hand, i usually think this sounds fine except with intricate cymbal work, where unless you have many many different hits it can sound pretty fake, keep the cymbals fairly basic though and you'll be golden.
RezaMember
Since: Apr 15, 2005
Apr 15, 2005 09:07 am
Thank you for your quick reply Rigsby.
Well, samples or loops would be fine... but i don't know how to find and use them actually :)
Apr 15, 2005 09:15 am Hi Reza, welcome to HRC.
You don't need a keyboard to add drums. Loops would work but then you are stuck to those beats. I use Battery 2 from Native Instruments myself www.homerecordingconnecti...tory&id=495 is my review of it. It's a virtual instrument that you would step-time sequence with your mouse adding drums in any beats or patterns that you wish. It's quite cool, the drums are very realistic sounding and with proper time and attention you can make some great stuff with them.
Ont he flip side, doesn't Cubase come with a drum machine called the LM4 or something like that? I am a Sonar user myself so I am not sure, I thought it did tho.
RigsbyUltra MagnusMember
Since: Nov 13, 2004
Apr 15, 2005 09:46 am Yeah, it does come with an LM of some kind, go into the VST instruments menu and find it, assign MIDI channel 10 to it on the left hand channel selector, set your locators (L&R) around your song in the arrange window, double click in the space between (which'll give you a block on the screen) and then double click on the block, which'll open the window where you can start filling in your beats. As it's all on one channel it's a good call to export the parts one by one as audio so you can eq them etc separately, but onyl after you're sure you have what you want.
Hope that's of some use.
RigsbyUltra MagnusMember
Since: Nov 13, 2004
Apr 15, 2005 09:48 am As for samples and loops, import them as audio and go forth with editing and such. You can buy sample CDs, time and space make them amongst others, and Future Music has some free ones every month, every couple of issues there are some drum ones.
RigsbyUltra MagnusMember
Since: Nov 13, 2004
Apr 15, 2005 09:49 am There are also some free ones on the net, worth a google.
Apr 15, 2005 09:57 am DOH! We are a PowerFX web site here. Best samples and loops commerically available.
pjkPrince CZAR-mingMember
Since: Apr 08, 2004
Apr 15, 2005 10:19 am There's sfz free sound font player. Don't know if it works in cubase or not, I've used it in n-track.
I'm using FL Studio (frooty loops) now for drums, with some different samples available around the net. I use the soundfont player, and the ns7kit-free for midi drums. It works pretty well, but I key it all in by hand. Once you get used to it, it goes pretty fast.
I also got some samples from samplefusion (part of FL Studio) that were pretty cool, though I'd rather create the drums myself.
Apr 15, 2005 10:23 am Oh, yeah, FL makes me think of another great sequencer app, that is a reasonable price. Kinetic, from Cakewalk. I reviewed that at www.homerecordingconnecti...tory&id=394 it's a great value, and does drums, and a whole lot more (as does FL Studio). Very good app, excellent for entry level use as it's easy to figure out, plus, enough features to keep advanced users happy.
RezaMember
Since: Apr 15, 2005
Apr 18, 2005 10:22 am wow... thank you for all your responses. i think i am finally at the right place.
first of all i tried the lm-7 thing in the cubase. but Rigsby's super "how to use" guidance did not even made me start so easily. i guess i don't have the right knowledge of terminology.
going over again in more dummy style would be so much appreciated:)
By the way, about the separate programs that you guys have mentioned. all sounds really fine, but how do i integrate them to cubase. i downloaded the FL Studio's free version. but couldn't figure out how to use it in cubase.
i also got reason. i can create drum parts in it. but after some googling, i found to use the rewire thing. But opening reason after cubase makes my pc crash.
thank you again for all your responses.
RigsbyUltra MagnusMember
Since: Nov 13, 2004
Apr 18, 2005 11:44 am Sorry if it was a little speedy, i'll go through it again, though i use VST not SX-2 it's probably fairly similar.
01) Panels: VST Instruments.
02) Select LM-7 (LM-9 on VST).
03) Create new MIDI track in the arrange window.
04) Select Channel 10 next to the track (drums are almost always on channel 10 with MIDI).
05) On the left hand side of the screen, where it says 'output' select LM-7, underneath that where it says 'patch name' choose the type of kit you want to use from the choices it provides you in that menu.
06) Set L and R locators around your song, left at the start, right at the end.
07) Double click in the arrange window between the two locators in line with your new track, this will create a new MIDI block if you like for you to write in.
08) Double click on the MIDI block, this should open up a new gridded screen with piano keys down the left-hand side.
09) Find the various parts of the drum kit, kick drums are usually C1 or C0, i can't remember which off the top of my head, that's a good place to start, you may have to click along the piano keys to find the rest, but start at C0 and see what you find.
10) Program your beats by taking the pencil tool (tools menu) and filling in the grid in line with the key/sound you want to use. It's helpful to set a loop of a bar or four as you fill the grid (and have that playing) so you're hearing what you're doing as you go along.
Let us know how you get on with that, if that works out for you i'm happy to talk you through some more stuff afterwards, just post here, i'll watch out for this thread.
Hope that helps.
RezaMember
Since: Apr 15, 2005
Apr 19, 2005 04:44 am Hi Rigsby,
Thank you for your detailed explanation. As i've mentioned, i am new to cubase. There was one point that i could'nt figure out. That is, setting the L and R locators. How and why do i do that?
RigsbyUltra MagnusMember
Since: Nov 13, 2004
Apr 19, 2005 10:57 am You set the left and right locators around your song so that the MIDI block you create starts when your song does and ends when your song ends, when you double click (point 07) it creates the block between the two locators, it just makes it easier so you don't have to create lots of little blocks and once you've finished one set of say four bars you can move staright onto the next without having to create another block to work in.
You can do this by setting them as numbers in the transport bar (the bar that has your play, rec etc buttons on it), the start is left and the end is right, you double click and enter the points you want in the space provided using the numbers on your keyboard (as in typewriter, not musical keyboard); or by using the mouse: point it at the locator and hold down the left (pc)/ only (mac) button on the mouse and move the locator to the position you want it to be.
I'm sure we'll get you there, have you had any joy so far? Keep us informed will you?
TallChapAnswer:On a good day, lipstick.Member
Since: Jun 24, 2004
Apr 19, 2005 02:20 pm Leaf drums ($25) is great.
I need to sit down and study the midi input thing in the mutitracking software. Just can't get my head around it....Lazy, lazy man that I am.
RezaMember
Since: Apr 15, 2005
Apr 20, 2005 05:09 am
Rigsby, that was some real help, thanks. I'm now ok with the drum editing.
Experiencing more on editing would make me ask more questions if i don't figure out some certain things. But it seems ok and real fun for now.
Do you think I should still try some alternative programs to edit drums? Maybe some programs may make it more easy?
RigsbyUltra MagnusMember
Since: Nov 13, 2004
Apr 20, 2005 06:21 am I find that once i've played around with what i have i start to notice what i'd like, this goes for software, hardware, mics, instruments, pretty much the whole deal really. Glad it's working out for you.
RezaMember
Since: Apr 15, 2005
Apr 20, 2005 11:37 am well... i guess it works out for me:)
i have another thing to ask... i've downloaded and installed fruity loops and battery 2's demo versions upon db masters referral to give a try. but i don't understand how to integrate them to cubase. i mean for editing the drum parts. can anyone tell me how these programs work?
Apr 20, 2005 11:39 am you integrate them like any virtual instrument. Read the Cubase help file, I am sure they cover VSTi integration in there...it's one click on Sonar.
RezaMember
Since: Apr 15, 2005
Apr 20, 2005 11:44 am
and i edit them in key editor?
Apr 20, 2005 01:23 pm thats what I do...assuming "key editor" is a step time MIDI sequencer type tool...
TallChapAnswer:On a good day, lipstick.Member
Since: Jun 24, 2004
Apr 20, 2005 04:04 pm Hey Rigsby (yes, yes, Miss Jones....), I was able to plug in my D-10 via midi and get to where I wanted to be (now I have to write the drum part....). Thanks for the explanation above. Wasn't getting it at all before. A whole new world has opened up for me; no more the BOSS Br532's presets....No more the leafdrums (although some of the samples are rather nice). Good stuff.
RigsbyUltra MagnusMember
Since: Nov 13, 2004
Apr 21, 2005 07:28 am That's good to know, always happy to help where i can.
