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GMC Forum _ PRACTICE ROOM _ Drumming Vst

Posted by: Headbanger Feb 27 2013, 04:55 PM

Does anyone have any tips regarding Drum machine VST usage on Reaper...which VST ?
It seems like a complicated process to me to make a drum track...is there an easier way...
I have an old drum machine an Alesis SR 16.... pics below and I have my my audio fast track.......would this be better or not?

The Drum Machine.


The connections:


Any advice for someone who knows nothing would be gratefully received. smile.gif

Posted by: mr rotton treat Feb 27 2013, 09:28 PM

Hey man, i've been using EZdrummer and Superior drummer VST's for a while now and know the ends and outs. Not too sure about the Alesis but setting up the VST for it should be the same.

Have you dropped the Alesis dll file in your computer's VST folder yet?

If so have your scanned the plugins folder to find the VST inside reaper?

Posted by: Headbanger Feb 27 2013, 09:49 PM

QUOTE (mr rotton treat @ Feb 27 2013, 09:28 PM) *
Hey man, i've been using EZdrummer and Superior drummer VST's for a while now and know the ends and outs. Not too sure about the Alesis but setting up the VST for it should be the same.

Have you dropped the Alesis dll file in your computer's VST folder yet?

If so have your scanned the plugins folder to find the VST inside reaper?


Hey Rotton treat...thanks for the reply, I read about someone, I think it was Bleez, using EZ drummer today and I liked what he did with it..then I found out it wasn't free and I thought maybe I could use a free VST...or my Alesis..which I have owned for probably 18 years or more but never plugged it into the PC...I don't know if there will be a VST for an Alesis...But now you've mentioned it maybe I'll have a search on the internet.I downloaded two VSTs today that Sensible Jones put on a thread in January...But they seemed quite a lot of work to make a track...I'm no drummer...so knowing where to put fills or even making them etc I would be winging it a bit...same with my Alesis machine.I was wondering if there was an easier route...and if so, wondering what would it be.

Posted by: mr rotton treat Feb 27 2013, 10:58 PM

Oh i didn't realize the Alesis was that old. Looks like no USB but you have midi I/O's. I think it would be possible to use it in Reaper but you would need an Interface with MIDI.

I'm sure there are free drumming software of there to use. But check out Toontrack's EZdrummer when you get a chance. It's only $99 and worth every penny. I'm no drummer either but this program has helped me track my songs with realistic drum sounds. And it's pretty much loop based which makes it a breeze.

http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/EZdrummer/

Posted by: Headbanger Feb 27 2013, 11:04 PM

QUOTE (mr rotton treat @ Feb 27 2013, 10:58 PM) *
Oh i didn't realize the Alesis was that old. Looks like no USB but you have midi I/O's. I think it would be possible to use it in Reaper but you would need an Interface with MIDI.

I'm sure there are free drumming software of there to use. But check out Toontrack's EZdrummer when you get a chance. It's only $99 and worth every penny. I'm no drummer either but this program has helped me track my songs with realistic drum sounds. And it's pretty much loop based which makes it a breeze.

http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/EZdrummer/

Yeah its quite old...It has got quarter inch jack sockets for outlets...they fit my guitar jack anyway. I'll have to try it through my USB interface via the guitar input. Thanks for that advice on EZ drummer..its appreciated Dude! smile.gif

Posted by: Todd Simpson Feb 27 2013, 11:50 PM

This question should be part of our GMC NEW USER F.A.Q smile.gif It comes up that often. It's a valid question and among others should be part of a big list. smile.gif


In short, the answer is

GET EZ DRUMMER!!!!


For recording, the Alesis is probably a tad old school but handy for just turning it on and playing with your amp to have a beat to play with instead of a metronome.

NOTE: Ez drummer is DEAD LEVEL EASY!!! Just drag and drop pre arranged beats for a start. Nothing to it. You'll get more involved later and build your own beats.


You can always get expansion packs later, or even upgrade to Superior Drummer, but for now, all things considered, EZ DRUMMER is your best best paired with REAPER to be quite honest.

Once you have EZ DRUMMER, launch REAPER and use EZ from INSIDE REAPER. It's usually the happenstance that new users launch it separately and post a question in the forum asking why it's not working with reaper. I ran in to this very issue myself long ago, there's no shame in it, just something new folks run in to wink.gif

TYPICAL RESPONSE QUESTION:
What about other Drum VSTs?
ANSWER: There are wads of them and they are all fine and dandy. But bottom line, most folks have EZ drummer and Reaper not @ GMC but in General since EZ is simple/cheap and Reaper is free to download. So going that route makes you compatible with a large range of folks to share/learn etc. smile.gif As you go you may add other drum VSTs like Steven Slate Drums, Studio Drummer from Native Instruments, BFD ECO, etc. Wait on those as most folks don't have them and thus less help/compatibility.


Todd



QUOTE (Headbanger @ Feb 27 2013, 10:55 AM) *
Does anyone have any tips regarding Drum machine VST usage on Reaper...which VST ?
It seems like a complicated process to me to make a drum track...is there an easier way...
I have an old drum machine an Alesis SR 16.... pics below and I have my my audio fast track.......would this be better or not?

The Drum Machine.


The connections:


Any advice for someone who knows nothing would be gratefully received. smile.gif

Posted by: Headbanger Feb 28 2013, 12:04 AM

Thanks Todd. EZ drummer it is then.Like you said, the drum machine is quite a nice metronome.I've got a feeling, I have run through quite a lot of new user questions, lately...Oh well..can only be new for a little while! smile.gif

Posted by: mr rotton treat Feb 28 2013, 02:02 AM

Yeah buddy, EZ is where it's at! I've got a few of Toontracks products and expansions. EZX Metalheads, EZX Electronic, EZMix 1 and 2, Superior drummer 2.0 and a few of their midi packs.

Todd... Do you know anyone at GMC that likes to program custom midi drums?


Posted by: Todd Simpson Feb 28 2013, 02:22 AM

Ask way smile.gif We love new folks!!! smile.gif I was thinking it might just be easier for new folks is there was a handy faq with good answers ready and waiting and curated. I emailed FRAN who runs our wiki about it today smile.gif

Todd

QUOTE (Headbanger @ Feb 27 2013, 06:04 PM) *
Thanks Todd. EZ drummer it is then.Like you said, the drum machine is quite a nice metronome.I've got a feeling, I have run through quite a lot of new user questions, lately...Oh well..can only be new for a little while! smile.gif



Folks here can do it quite well! But I'm not sure of anyone who "likes" to do it. Though somebody may!!


QUOTE (mr rotton treat @ Feb 27 2013, 08:02 PM) *
Yeah buddy, EZ is where it's at! I've got a few of Toontracks products and expansions. EZX Metalheads, EZX Electronic, EZMix 1 and 2, Superior drummer 2.0 and a few of their midi packs.

Todd... Do you know anyone at GMC that likes to program custom midi drums?


Posted by: Headbanger Feb 28 2013, 10:22 AM

QUOTE (Todd Simpson @ Feb 28 2013, 02:22 AM) *
Ask way smile.gif We love new folks!!! smile.gif I was thinking it might just be easier for new folks is there was a handy faq with good answers ready and waiting and curated. I emailed FRAN who runs our wiki about it today smile.gif

Todd


smile.gif I know what you mean, thanks. I must admit there was a couple of things that threw me when I first came to this site...One being, each time I pressed on my user name..I found myself logged out. Then I realised that Logout was not a separate option..it was actually saying 'Logout Headbanger'...A lot of sites access personal pages by pressing your user name on any page..Here you have to go to forums, find you user name and press that to go there...Round the houses a bit, this day and age..(Unless I am wrong and there's another way.)Its probably just me.

Posted by: Todd Simpson Mar 1 2013, 08:12 PM

I never noticed that but I just tried and yup!!! It's not separate smile.gif Just looking at it, I kinda thought that it was separate and I've been here for years smile.gif To get to a profile, I typically type in the search box. Then again I'm learning new ways to do things all the time.

Anyone know a quick way of getting to your profile? Forgive my newb question smile.gif


Todd


QUOTE (Headbanger @ Feb 28 2013, 04:22 AM) *
smile.gif I know what you mean, thanks. I must admit there was a couple of things that threw me when I first came to this site...One being, each time I pressed on my user name..I found myself logged out. Then I realised that Logout was not a separate option..it was actually saying 'Logout Headbanger'...A lot of sites access personal pages by pressing your user name on any page..Here you have to go to forums, find you user name and press that to go there...Round the houses a bit, this day and age..(Unless I am wrong and there's another way.)Its probably just me.


Posted by: Rammikin Mar 2 2013, 06:50 PM

QUOTE (Todd Simpson @ Feb 27 2013, 10:50 PM) *
In short, the answer is get ezdrummer



While I usually agree with Todd, I'm going to respectfully disagree on this. In the sub-$100 category, my vote would go to BFD Eco, with Addictive Drums a close second, both ahead of EZDrummer. You get a lot more for your money with BFD Eco (more drums included, better quality samples, a drum track editor, disk streaming, a standalone version, etc.) while still keeping things simple and streamlined. Just like EZDrummer, there are lots of add-on kits available, including some from 3rd parties. I don't know for certain, but I'd guess BFD Eco is at least as popular as EZDrummer.

In the over $200 category, I'd say go with Toontracks Superior Drummer, but under $100, IMHO I'd recommend BFD Eco. fyi, Addictive Drums, unlike the other two has a downloadable demo so you can try it out (http://www.xlnaudio.com/).

Posted by: Todd Simpson Mar 3 2013, 01:42 AM

I can certainaly agree with the validity of RAMMIKIN here. I have BFD ECO and I must say that it's flat out superior in many ways to EZ Drummer. The samples are IMHO better, the interface is more flexible, on board effects for each individual channel and the master output is an awesome feature and the on board midi editor is killer. It's just a FAR more sophisticated product and it's CHEAPER!!!

So RAMMIKIN we are on the same page in many aspects smile.gif

That being said, the reason I suggested EZ DRUMMER is simply the is of COMPATIBILITY with other users here on GMC in particular. Most folks here that have a VST have EZ drummer, and some have more than one VST, (like me) and add BFD or something else. But when working on a project with people, especially here, the common denominator seems to be REAPER/EZ DRUMMER.

So while BFD may be as popular in some circles, it's my experience that folks here @ GMC generally dont' have a copy of it, but usually have EZ DRUMMER. So honestly I'd say GET BOTH!!!! I have both and I love having both smile.gif But for your first VST, one that will work with what most folks here have, I have to say stick with EZ DRUMMER. Add BFD ECO later once you are comfy with Drum VSTs and ready to step up a notch smile.gif

Todd



QUOTE (Rammikin @ Mar 2 2013, 12:50 PM) *
While I usually agree with Todd, I'm going to respectfully disagree on this. In the sub-$100 category, my vote would go to BFD Eco, with Addictive Drums a close second, both ahead of EZDrummer. You get a lot more for your money with BFD Eco (more drums included, better quality samples, a drum track editor, disk streaming, a standalone version, etc.) while still keeping things simple and streamlined. Just like EZDrummer, there are lots of add-on kits available, including some from 3rd parties. I don't know for certain, but I'd guess BFD Eco is at least as popular as EZDrummer.

In the over $200 category, I'd say go with Toontracks Superior Drummer, but under $100, IMHO I'd recommend BFD Eco. fyi, Addictive Drums, unlike the other two has a downloadable demo so you can try it out (http://www.xlnaudio.com/).


Posted by: Todd Simpson Mar 3 2013, 11:30 PM

I'm conducting a poll here on GMC to try to get some hard data on which DRUM VST is the most common. I'd suspected it was EZ drummer, but it's more heavily leaning to EZ DRUMMER than even I suspected. I have several VST's, it seems EZ is far and away the most common here @ GMC. BFD ECO is one of my favs it's a bit more rare. It just doesn't have the market penetration that EZ does.

Here is a link to the poll thread.

http://www.guitarmasterclass.net/guitar_forum/index.php?showtopic=48091&st=0&#entry635309





Posted by: Rammikin Mar 4 2013, 02:44 AM

I understand, that makes sense.

In summary, Headbanger, if you're asking what is the most popular drum kit plugin here at GMC, the answer seems to be EZDrummer. By going with EZDrummer you can get help from other GMC members and share presets with them.

QUOTE (Todd Simpson @ Mar 3 2013, 12:42 AM) *
I have BFD ECO and I must say that it's flat out superior in many ways to EZ Drummer.

On the other hand, Headbanger, if you're asking what's the best drum kit plugin in the $100 price range, the answer is probably not EZDrummer. I agree with Todd that BFD Eco has numerous advantages over EZDrummer.

Posted by: Gabriel Leopardi Mar 6 2013, 04:24 PM

QUOTE (Todd Simpson @ Mar 3 2013, 07:30 PM) *
I'm conducting a poll here on GMC to try to get some hard data on which DRUM VST is the most common. I'd suspected it was EZ drummer, but it's more heavily leaning to EZ DRUMMER than even I suspected. I have several VST's, it seems EZ is far and away the most common here @ GMC. BFD ECO is one of my favs it's a bit more rare. It just doesn't have the market penetration that EZ does.

Here is a link to the poll thread.

http://www.guitarmasterclass.net/guitar_forum/index.php?showtopic=48091&st=0&#entry635309




I used BFD in the past and I remember that it was very real, but as real as when you record a real drum. This means that you need good mixing skills and enough time to make it sound good. The result can be better but you need time and knowledge. Do you have this same feeling?

Posted by: Rammikin Mar 6 2013, 04:40 PM

QUOTE (Gabriel Leopardi @ Mar 6 2013, 03:24 PM) *
I used BFD in the past and I remember that it was very real, but as real as when you record a real drum. This means that you need good mixing skills and enough time to make it sound good. The result can be better but you need time and knowledge. Do you have this same feeling?


I think you're confusing BFD with BFD Eco? BFD Eco has the same relationship to BFD that EZDrummer has to Superior. It's not as powerful, but it's simpler to use.

Posted by: Todd Simpson Mar 8 2013, 01:05 AM

RAMMIKIN is Spot On with this smile.gif BFD ECO is sort the "Starter" version and the interface isn't as complex IMHO and there are many presets built in so you just click. I would also agree with him that it's hard to beat ECO for the price and that in many ways it's just better than EZ Drummer. But, EZ DRUMMER is so ubiquitous that not having it is a mistake. Everyone has it, and not having it really limits who you can collaborate with in terms of sharing projects. Anyhoo....

1.)METAL DRUM KIT

2.)Mix Preset "Big Room"

3.)Drag and drop midi drum patters right there in the interface.

4.)Hit play.

You can go in and actually "Mix" the drums inside the interface if you don't like the preset. Each track has it's own FX/EQ etc. So you can get a very detailed drum mix. The sample quality is amazing in terms of how well the drums are played and how well they were recorded.

Here is a quick vid that breaks it all down smile.gif



QUOTE (Rammikin @ Mar 6 2013, 10:40 AM) *
I think you're confusing BFD with BFD Eco? BFD Eco has the same relationship to BFD that EZDrummer has to Superior. It's not as powerful, but it's simpler to use.


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