how do u record ur drum machine?

[factual35]

I still use the stone age method: record the stereo outs and call it a day.

Same here, although I wish I had a drum machine with seperate outs
I have gotten perfectly acceptable results recording like that.

[darkbill]

I use my Korg drum machine primarily in the writing stage. Easier to demo with simple drum pattern, bass and chord or melody lines.

When putting a track together I ask a drummer friend to come over and play in some fills etc through the Octapad. Still using the drum machine to generate the sounds. Then I record each pad as a separate track via MIDI. It takes about an hour and he'll just jam along with the sequencer and I make sure I record everything and then edit out the parts I like. Often, we drop out various drum machine parts - kick, snare etc and he'll riff with whatever is left which makes the patterns a lot more fluid and yet the timing is still rock solid.

Then I'll skip through drum samples till I find the basics - kick, snare, hi-hats, cymbals and toms (if necessary) and break different patterns into loops. Then I'll build other loops if need be for percussion or rythmic synth sounds. I'll usually process as I'm going along - with as little eq as possible - but try and keep sounds sparse (i.e. not soaked in reverb etc). I often process individual drum effects (i.e delays) as separate samples. If you use older samplers - FZ1, Emulator II you get some real grit to sound - and then I might also play about with the filters and even the tempo taking the loops up or down a few semitones (amazing how it tranforms a beat you're familiar with into something you weren't expecting).

You can end up with some great results that don't sound like exactly like a drummer but don't sound incredibly machine-like either.

It might sound like an overly complicated process but actually it's very quick -the key is to get the song elements - rythmn, bass, melody lines in place first - then the rest is just like building bricks. I don't use ReCycle or anything so I'm sure I could get the same results quicker, but it takes a lot of the fun out of things.

And even though I use Pro Tools, I learnt to engineer back in the days of good old mulitrack tape so I still have old skool mentality about using my drum machine to trigger gated synths etc.

[tom Cadillac]

I record a loop on a zoom sb246 (I think that's the right Number - the tacky hip-hop one) usually starting with the most complicated part and not using a metronome and hoping the loop is smooth, (its usually not). And then adding hi -hats as a stricter rythm on top. Then I play this into my recorder and sometimes switch effects on and off for rythmic emphasis. Then I'll try and record a seperate rythym track onto the machine for clarity. I usually only use snares and hi-hats and things I find on the sb245 - like the 'velcro' or 'gun load' sound - but the novelty of these is wearing off.

Its not very techy and the simplist way I can do drums atall well. Though I'v not described this very well. I'm really rapt with this method. And also just that persevering with banging the pads by hand is paying off.

[Tchammosaur]

Depends on what sound I'm going for. Recently I've done : 808 and 909 samples on the computer --> analog filter --> analog compressor --> interface. Then I've added software effects such as reverb. Nice result, but I am looking for a drum machine to replace the computer samples, because programming drums with a mouse can break creativity a little...

[winningatlife]

I run a direct out of my Vermona and R8 mixed together through a pre, then also a room mic of the drum machines pumped through two 18"'s and two 10"'s and horn with a bout 2500 Watts or so. I then line up the sound waves in ableton to keep everything in phase.

I think a room mic + big speakers does more than a plug-in can ever do. Makes everything sound alive!

=Ryan

[TrondC]

ok, I'm having trouble coming up with a good solution for this:

I want to record my latest track with one track per sound, for full editing possibilities. all drum sounds come from the ESX, and the tracks is organized as 8 different patterns of 128 steps. the problem with recording each track individually, is that I'd have to reorganize everything within each pattern so that I only record the sound in focus for that track. This is tons of extra work, but seemingly it's the best way to go. I also considered going through each pattern, recording the whole loop, instrument for instrument. This means I'll have to record 9-12 parts for each pattern, and then line them up manually (by ear) in Reaper.

And here comes the fun. Reaper lacks a decent trim-->cut/paste function (or I haven't been able to find it yet). thing is, when I trim a loop (cut any silence before and after the actual loop), and then stretch the loop out (multiply it) to fill the entire sound/pattern, the copies appear untrimmed. in other words: I'd have to trim each part individually for each repeat of the pattern (if that makes sense). in the end, I'd have to manually trim and place out some 25 x 12 128-step loops.. easily hours of pointless extra work..

there has to be an easier way to do this....

I just wish my ESX would have individual outs for each part :p

[aeon]

ok, I'm having trouble coming up with a good solution for this:

I want to record my latest track with one track per sound, for full editing possibilities. all drum sounds come from the ESX, and the tracks is organized as 8 different patterns of 128 steps. the problem with recording each track individually, is that I'd have to reorganize everything within each pattern so that I only record the sound in focus for that track.

Can't you just mute everything but the instrument/part you are recording, then go back and un-mute the next part, and so on, so as to make 9-12 passes for all the parts? Of course, I make an assumption here - that you are using "song mode" on the ESX. (sorry, never used a 'tribe)

This is tons of extra work, but seemingly it's the best way to go. I also considered going through each pattern, recording the whole loop, instrument for instrument. This means I'll have to record 9-12 parts for each pattern, and then line them up manually (by ear) in Reaper.

That sounds like a way to go, especially if you do not have many different patterns. It would be even easier if your ESX has some kind of song mode - you would only need to make one pass per instrument/part.

And here comes the fun. Reaper lacks a decent trim-->cut/paste function (or I haven't been able to find it yet). thing is, when I trim a loop (cut any silence before and after the actual loop), and then stretch the loop out (multiply it) to fill the entire sound/pattern, the copies appear untrimmed. in other words: I'd have to trim each part individually for each repeat of the pattern (if that makes sense). in the end, I'd have to manually trim and place out some 25 x 12 128-step loops.. easily hours of pointless extra work..

Yes, that is lame. Do the actual trimming of the tracks/loops in a decent wave editor, then import to Reaper.

I just wish my ESX would have individual outs for each part :p

I can appreciate that.

Sometimes it can be useful to record full patterns or do 4 passes of bass/snare/hats/other, then ReCycle those loops and reassemble on the computer. It depends on how you want to work and mix.

If you can mute parts and pan parts, then a stereo out will give you 2 parts per pass when tracking. Slow in the moment, but saves so much time later.

If I have misunderstood you, my apologies.


cheers,
Ian

[TrondC]

ah, thank you for the response.

If there was a way to jsut enter song mode, then just mute all other parts, I would, but song mode just plays back each pattern as it is saved, meaning I'd have to save each pattern as just a solo of the part I want to record. I thought about doing this, but I just started recording the parts one by one. takes forever to line up the audio in raper properly, but it works tho. However, the noise from the esx outputs is quite noticeable, and it is getting rather loud. the noise-reducer in Reaper is not good enough (it cuts out more than just the noise, probably due to the noise being as loud as it is..)

I'm going to finish this one track and see how it turns out. If it is anything but remarkably better than the all-in one take-method, I won't be doing this so thoroughly again...

now, if only my ESX was a Machinedrum UW...the elektron song mode is brilliant and I think doing what I want would be a lot easier with one... *keeps saving*

[JSRockit]

However, the noise from the esx outputs is quite noticeable, and it is getting rather loud. the noise-reducer in Reaper is not good enough (it cuts out more than just the noise, probably due to the noise being as loud as it is..)

Have you tried changing the tubes on the ESX? Also, are you running the ESX through any effects before going to your sound card? Are you turning up the volume high on your ESX and then controlling the input to your sound card?

[novielo]

takes forever to line up the audio in raper properly, but it works tho.

do you syncn with midi? this could help you alot for this purpose

[Syn303]

takes forever to line up the audio in raper properly, but it works tho.

do you syncn with midi? this could help you alot for this purpose

Novielo! I'm not sure if Trond is using a Laptop or a PC, i think it is a laptop though, In order to sync his external gear via midi he would require some kind of external breakout box. If it was a PC however, the soundcard ie (m-audio 24/96) comes with a d-sub breakout cable (1 midi-in and 1 midi out, audio ins and outs).

I think Trond may require an external soundcard via usb to his laptop. So he can sync his gear via midi out (MTC)

[TrondC]

yeah, how come I never thought about syncind via Midi.. I guess this means I could have the ESX stsrt playback when I press "rec" in Reaper? That surely would make things a lot easier... A MIDI-incerface is on my to-buy-list anyway..

and JS: I never got around to changing the tubes, didn't know that they affected the noise, since the noise is a lot stronger on the esx than on the emx (I've heard).
I record with the outs of the ESX turned to ca 25%, the inout of the soundcard turned to the max, and then I can adjust levels in reaper later. I've tried recording the ESX turned to 50% and the soundcard turned down, but the result is pretty much the same. I also record te Monomachine the same way, and it is dead quiet, meaning it's not the soundcard or reaper, it's the ESX. I also record the ESX dry.

I think the obvious choice would be to buy a MIDI interface and Battery, then record the MIDI-tracks of the ESX and assign samples in Battery for "studio" recordings. this way I still get to keep my ESX for programming in the easy and lovely way I've loved for so many years now, and I can take my productions to live shows, where stuff like this does not matter anyway

[novielo]

I guess this means I could have the ESX stsrt playback when I press "rec" in Reaper? That surely would make things a lot easier...

exacly

and JS: I never got around to changing the tubes, didn't know that they affected the noise, since the noise is a lot stronger on the esx than on the emx (I've heard).

you could try to remove them to check if it change anything.

i've been sceptical about changing the tubes in something that use low voltage plate tube to warmth the sound. but i 've been pleasantly surprised when doing so in a super cheap art tube preamp.

[jaypodesta]

yeah, how come I never thought about syncind via Midi..

For some reason I thought everyone did this - don't ask me why...

Maybe because in Logic it is super easy to set sync up and send a midi clock message out - which I do via the X-Station's usb connection. Using the menu you can easily route it via either of the 2 midi outs (or both).

That also shaped some of my responses to this topic - particularly the muting of parts and recording them individually if your drum machine of groovebox doesn't have multiple outs.

[Joey]

takes forever to line up the audio in raper properly, but it works tho.

do you syncn with midi? this could help you alot for this purpose

I didn't realize you could midi sync rape