Approaches to adding drums to your song

[357mag]

It seems like there is more than one way to add drums to your song. Like one way is to just use software like Addictive Drums or EZ Drummer or BFD2.

Then I guess another way is to buy like an Alesis or Boss Drum Machine. How do you hook these up? I kinda get the impression you don't just plug them into the back of your soundcard or computer. Do you have to hook them up via one of those small electronic keyboards? Or is there another way that they can be used? Do you actually create your own beats and patterns with these, then somehow get them to go into Reaper?

Then I was reading about something called Reason. I guess you can program your own beats and patterns? So instead of choosing from beats and patterns that have already been recorded for you(like in BFD2 or AD), you can actually create your own? But wouldn't this be kinda hard, if you're not a drummer? And it looks like you can do more than just add drums with it. So if I wrote a song that started with a 30 second keyboard intro, I could add that with Reason? Can Reason be used without buying a small keyboard, like can you add drums to your song without using a keyboard? I wanted to join their site, but I'm just getting hung up when I try to.

If you guys could try to explain these other methods that would be cool.

[SmoothBro]

Hey 357,
I've been using reaper for a little while now, and I also use reason. I like the redrum machine because you can make simple to complex drum tracks using reason's one shot drum samples or your own. What I do (I'm still developing a method that works for me) is create a drum pattern in my head (where it all starts) and duplicate it in the drum machine. I'll rewire it to reaper and play it along with any samples or whatever I have in there to perfect the drum pattern. Then I'll export the drums as waves and import to reaper. I'll export the drums together as one loop or many (depending on how many drums I have: kick, snare, hi hat, toms).

I've also used the readrum template from Jamester, which IMO works just as well, depending on what you want to do. It works fine for me. Or even loopazoid or fl studio which I use on occasion. I think there are alot of ways to add drums, just play with it for a while and your own style will start to develop.

I don't believe you need a midi keyboard to work with reason(I could be wrong). You can use your computer keyboard, but it helps to have a midi keyboard. Hope this answers some of your questions. I'm sure more experienced users will chime in and give more in depth and better responses.

[Wolffman]

Originally Posted by 357mag

Then I guess another way is to buy like an Alesis or Boss Drum Machine. How do you hook these up? I kinda get the impression you don't just plug them into the back of your soundcard or computer. Do you have to hook them up via one of those small electronic keyboards? Or is there another way that they can be used? Do you actually create your own beats and patterns with these, then somehow get them to go into Reaper?

Its been a long time since i used a drum machine and things may have changed but this is how I used to hook mine up. You'd need a midi cable from your interface to the drum machine, then from the D/M outputs, patch back to your mixer / interface and then set levels against the mix. Kinda messy, not veyy flexable either and a vsti like EZ drummer or BFD is streets ahead IMO.

Originally Posted by 357mag

Then I was reading about something called Reason. I guess you can program your own beats and patterns? So instead of choosing from beats and patterns that have already been recorded for you(like in BFD2 or AD), you can actually create your own?

You can create your own beats in reaper in the midi editor, you can do this with a midi keyboard or just with your mouse or pc keyboard, its a little labourious at first but once you get the hang of it its ok.depending on the song I find i only have to make 6 to 8 single bar beats to build a drum track, just loop them where you need to.

Just insert BFD or whatever drum vsti you have, make the single bar beats in the midi editor, loop and arrange them how you want and thats basicly it, and the fact that you can route each drum to its own track makes the vsti option far better than a drum machine ( unless i'm missing something )

Originally Posted by 357mag

So if I wrote a song that started with a 30 second keyboard intro, I could add that with Reason?

You do this in reaper the same way as for drums except you use a synth or keys vsti, but a midi keyboard would be a must to get the right feel.

Hope my ramblings make sence, someone else may know a lot more about setting up drum machines so hopefully they will chime in.

Cheers

[Yaz]

Hi Mag,
You should have an excellent software included with your 1212m, Proteus X or Emulator X, it should be a LE version but can be used as a VSTi. The included bank has a ton of percussion with it. You just have to install on your machine, set the vst folder for Reaper to see it and voila, drop it in as a FX, drop in some midi notes and you're on your way. It also includes brass, strings, keyboards, etc etc.

Reaper's midi editing and Proteus X make for a simple drum setup.

[357mag]

Someone told me that you can use things like Addictive Drums and BFD2 and those kinds of things to "program" drums. I was under the impression that things like Addictive Drums and Superior Drummer 2.0 and BFD2 just contain pre-recorded beats and patterns and you just choose what patterns you want and add them into your song. But I guess you can actually come up with your own patterns also? Is that what is meant by "programming" drums?

I hope I would not need to buy a keyboard in order to do this though.

[ngarjuna]

You don't need a keyboard, you can use the Virtual Midi Keyboard (check your view menu) for one thing.

Programming drums is both really simple and kind of hard; simple to do, hard to do convincingly (for me anyway, I'm 100% not a drummer). I went the Jamstix route personally. It allows me to program just enough to get exactly what I want but the AI adds a lot that never would have occurred to my fragile little mind. I think there's a demo of Jamstix, you may want to check it out. It was weird/difficult to get into at first but once I started using it I was hooked.

[357mag]

I watched a short video on YouTube about using Addictive Drums and Reaper. Somewhere in the video, he said be sure to go into Project Settings and look at Timebase for events/envelopes/markers and select Beats instead of Time.

What is all that about? There are three options there:

1. Time
2. Beats(position, length, rate)
3. Beats(position only)

Which specific one do I select? What is this about? If I don't do this before I start, is my project ruined?

And about using a pad controller like the Korg PadKontrol. Do those make the job easier. What are the advantages to using one?