Fave drum programming softwares

[erinasaboy]

Hey all,

Curious as to some of your favorite softwares/plugins for programming non-acoustic drum beats. I mostly play rock, and for real/acoustic sounding drums I use EZDrummer 2 and am happy with that for now.

But I would like to try a 2nd software for making electronic/hip-hop/dance sounding beats.

Also, it can be plugin or standalone, so long as it syncs well to my daw (Cubase elements 8 for PC.)

And something with hopefully a user friendly and good UI. Ie- something with maybe a grid kind of set up that's easy/quick to build beats on.

Something with a decent library of classic sounds (ie 808s et al) but also newer sounds, some creative sounding kits, and flexibility to tweak individual drums and add fx within the program (reverbs, comps, distortions, filters, etc).

Lastly, I'm not all that familiar with the difference between sequencers, samplers, drum programs, et al, so forgive my noobiness.

Suggestions?

[Music Wolf]

I upgraded from EZ Drummer to Superior Drummer 2.0 some years ago. I'm upgrading to Superior Drummer 3.0 this Christmas (although I'll admit to having already installed it and played with it - but don't tell my wife ).

I am very, very, happy with it. I believe that there are also a few electronic kit sounds in there but I've not tried them, and probably never will.

[The Elf]

There are thousands of free 808, 909 instruments and samples all over the internet.

I'm sure if you look in the free plug-in haunts you'll find something useful. Looking for 'free vst 808', for example, on Startpage I instantly found this: https://www.pluginboutique.com/product/1-Instruments/7-Drum-Machine/376-TS-808

To program patterns, just use the MIDI editor in your DAW.

[Kwackman]

But I would like to try a 2nd software for making electronic/hip-hop/dance sounding beats.

Also, it can be plugin or standalone, so long as it syncs well to my daw (Cubase elements 8 for PC.)

And something with hopefully a user friendly and good UI. Ie- something with maybe a grid kind of set up that's easy/quick to build beats on.

I thought Cubase Elements had Groove Agent SE, which might have the sounds you are looking for?
Cubase has the Drum Edit page which, IMHO, is one of Cubase's jewels and the perfect place to build your beats.

[erinasaboy]

But I would like to try a 2nd software for making electronic/hip-hop/dance sounding beats.

Also, it can be plugin or standalone, so long as it syncs well to my daw (Cubase elements 8 for PC.)

And something with hopefully a user friendly and good UI. Ie- something with maybe a grid kind of set up that's easy/quick to build beats on.

I thought Cubase Elements had Groove Agent SE, which might have the sounds you are looking for?
Cubase has the Drum Edit page which, IMHO, is one of Cubase's jewels and the perfect place to build your beats.

Cubase does have Groove Agent. I have messed with it before and found it decent, but lacking in certain sounds, but maybe I'll revisit and give a deeper look. Maybe a bit of extra tweaking will get me where I want on those sounds.

And, yes, thankfully Cubase does have the drum editor, which is a breeze to use. I figured I'd mention UI just in case people suggested standalone products.

[Agharta]

I like NI Maschine as you get a hardware controller as well as the software which is very expandable via Expansions some of which are excellent to my ears.
As well as the multitude of kits there are also some complete tunes including instruments which give them context which can help.
Most of the kits also come with at least one rhythm track to get you started and inspired.
Currently NI offer a free phaser along with a free $25 coupon per account and I have 3 accounts and they are all eligible:
https://www.native-instruments.com/en/s ... days-2017/

If you are in the UK use a US address in a state such as California which has no online sales tax and you can buy an expansion for ~£18.50 using PayPal.
I just bought the Rising Crescent and Amplified Funk Expansions and have found them very inspiring.
They have some very good demos online and I took the time to check many of them out and these two have proven even better than I expected.

What I like with Maschine is that I can enjoy it just jamming with the hardware controller, playing with the Maschine Software with a keyboard and mouse or playing with the presets and editing them or playing along with or without the Maschine hardware.
I also use it as a VST with my DAW so it's very flexible,
This may well not be what you had in mind and maybe in a different price bracket but i love this shit.

[erinasaboy]

There are thousands of free 808, 909 instruments and samples all over the internet.

I'm sure if you look in the free plug-in haunts you'll find something useful. Looking for 'free vst 808', for example, on Startpage I instantly found this: https://www.pluginboutique.com/product/1-Instruments/7-Drum-Machine/376-TS-808

To program patterns, just use the MIDI editor in your DAW.

Cool, thanks! I always tend to forget there are free libraries out there.

[Dynamic Mike]

Wouldn't https://www.toontrack.com/product/electronic-ezx/ be the easiest route? At least you'd be familar with the UI. It's not a genre I really work with but I'd imagine any Toontrack kit is going to be decent quality.

[Martin Walker]

I still love Microtonic from Sonic Charge for electronic drums: https://soniccharge.com/microtonic

No, it doesn't include clones of drum machine sounds, but it's INCREDIBLY versatile with its own electronic sounds, and even has a fascinating on-line Microtonic patternarium - thousands of computer generated Microtonic presets available for royalty free use. You can listen to them directly online, download or copy any preset directly into your Microtonic. You can also participate in the rhythm evolution by voting on what you do and do not like.

https://soniccharge.com/patternarium



Martin

[erinasaboy]

I still love Microtonic from Sonic Charge for electronic drums: https://soniccharge.com/microtonic

No, it doesn't include clones of drum machine sounds, but it's INCREDIBLY versatile with its own electronic sounds, and even has a fascinating on-line Microtonic patternarium - thousands of computer generated Microtonic presets available for royalty free use. You can listen to them directly online, download or copy any preset directly into your Microtonic. You can also participate in the rhythm evolution by voting on what you do and do not like.

https://soniccharge.com/patternarium



Martin

Very interesting! Might be a bit over my head, but there's a 3 week trial download. Def gonna check it out. Thanks!

[Wonks]

'ELO, 'ELO, 'ELO. I see what they did there.

[Sam Spoons]

I'm looking for a simple, cheap (or free) software drum machine/loop player to generate basic drum tracks in Reaper for demoing songs. When I record 'for real' it will be with a drummer (and I will probably play him the demo without the drums initially to see what he comes up with). Simplicity and basic editing of verse, chorus, mid 8 are the watchwords I just want something to give form to my guitaristic ramblings

[Albatross]

How about the Manda Audio Power Dumkit, Sam? Sounds great, simple, flexible and free http://www.powerdrumkit.com/

[Drew Stephenson]

I recently downloaded this. Have only had a quick play but initial feelings are very positive.

[Sam Spoons]

Thanks guys I've got that and it does look very promising. Next problem is that I like to start by recording a guitar part (and not to a click). I'm now struggling to get the tempo map in Reaper to match the audio so I can add the midi drum track and it be in time........ It's proving much more complicated than I expected

BTW I also found SL Drums 3 available for free download, that looks as if it has potential too. I'll maybe try it later if I find 'power drum kit' doesn't do what I want (though it's looking as if it will be more than I'll ever need).

[ReedySteadyGo]

.... struggling .... Reaper ....complicated ....

3 words that always seemed to go together for me.

[Sam Spoons]

True but, possibly with the exception of 'Garage Band' they apply to all DAWs until you know them well. One man's 'intuitive' interface is another's 'impenetrable'.....

[muzines]

True but, possibly with the exception of 'Garage Band' they apply to all DAWs until you know them well. One man's 'intuitive' interface is another's 'impenetrable'.....

It's a bit of a double-edged sword really - if you don't put buttons all over the interface, people complain that they can't find the features they need, or that they are missing - but if you *do* put buttons everywhere, people complain it's complicated and overwhelming.

All these tools are phenomenally complicated and powerful, they really require an investment of time and effort more than many people are willing to give, hence they only scratch the surface, and complain that the tools aren't "intuitive"...

[Albatross]

Thanks guys I've got that and it does look very promising. Next problem is that I like to start by recording a guitar part (and not to a click). I'm now struggling to get the tempo map in Reaper to match the audio so I can add the midi drum track and it be in time........ It's proving much more complicated than I expected

BTW I also found SL Drums 3 available for free download, that looks as if it has potential too. I'll maybe try it later if I find 'power drum kit' doesn't do what I want (though it's looking as if it will be more than I'll ever need).

Mic up your shoe and tap your foot on the first beat of the bar as you're playing... then...

youll need some custom actions (like a macro)... i use two, the first i call 'marker it up'

it contains two actions;

1. move cursor to next transient in selected items
2. insert marker at current position

make that and assign a keystroke to it, select the audio track with the foot tap and repeat our keystroke unti;l youve reached the end of the song...

you shoul have a lorra lorra markers.

The next custom action i call 'tempo beat matcher'. It has four items.

1. time selection set start point
2. markers : next marker / project end
3 time selection : set end point
4. mrkers : create measure from time selection (detect tempo)

also make that and assign a keystroke.

now repeat your keystroke until you get to the end of the song.

set the project timebase to 'time' and cross fingers, your click should be playing along!

https://www.soundonsound.com/techniques/tempo-mapping

[Sam Spoons]

Great thanks, I'll try that tomorrow. Hadn't thought of foot tapping, I have a stomper which will record a click. I did think my Gypsy Jazz rhythm would be crisp enough to work but maybe it isn't.

[Albatross]

You can use anything really... 'foot-tap' was just a chuckaway. I use some old aboriginal clap-sticks afterwards. A midi not off a keyboard or pad will do... just something to make a transient on the first beat of the bar/bars.

But i'm into this because we never use a click. Usually i'm lucky enough to have my drumming mate to work with though.

You'll find that it does work a treat. I also have another two macros to get rid of those markers and tempo changes quickly. You just need the 'move to next marker' bit and then 'remove marker'. Its easy, you'll work it out when you get into it.

[OneWorld]

I recently downloaded this. Have only had a quick play but initial feelings are very positive.

Although I have NI Studio Drummer, Abbey Road, Steinberg Groove Agent, they are overly complex, so I use the MT Power Drums quite a lot. Hardly any load on the CPU at all, only a basic kit but really neat and sweet. I think the original poster is looking for 808 sounds as well though, which MT does not have.

Unfortunate the the developer of MT Power Drums, had he made a cheap and cheerful version just like what he is so kindly giving away now, but with sample playing ability, I would have been in the queue to buy it.

[James Perrett]

Unfortunate the the developer of MT Power Drums, had he made a cheap and cheerful version just like what he is so kindly giving away now, but with sample playing ability, I would have been in the queue to buy it.

I've been playing around with it for a few months and found it useful. They've gone some way to supporting alternative samples by allowing you to remap the output to suit other drum software. I'll often just drag the individual sequences into Reaper and use Reaper to build up a complete song. At that stage you can send the output to any sampler you like.

I've also downloaded Melda's MDrummer Small which looks promising but I've not really used it much as MT Power Drums has worked well on the sort of material that I've been working on.

[Sam Spoons]

So I've got the drum app and then have got myself into recording some Gypsy Jazz arrangements, which don't have or need drums . I'll still probably try the stomp track though as it would be useful to be able to set up a grid for editing.

[garrettendi]

I've also downloaded Melda's MDrummer Small which looks promising but I've not really used it much as MT Power Drums has worked well on the sort of material that I've been working on.

MDrummer is good, but you have to kind of settle with the fact it's not very realistic. I like it though, but that's just me. I'm still learning how to use it effectively but I've given up on trying to make it realistic.

I still like it though!

There is another free alternative: Hydrogen. It's even less realistic than MDrummer but a bit more conventional in how you program it.

EDIT: I may have been a bit harsh. MDrummer is more realistic than I think people give it credit for. And there probably is a way you can get it to "pop" out in a mix more.