Setting up step recording for drums & EQing each track

[xtv]

Hello,

Sorry if my terminology is off. I am very new to Reaper and DAWs in general.

I am recording a drum beat with DrumCore 3.

What I want to do is set up all the different drum sounds (8 in my case) on different tracks so that once I have laid down the beat I can go back and EQ each track.

I create the different tracks by opening the DrumCore VST and right clicking on the window and selecting "Build 16 channels of MIDI routing to this track". That way I do not need to put the VST on each track and kill my CPU.

Then I set up each track to do step recording (Right click the Record button on the track and select "Record: MIDI Overdub/replace -> Record: MIDI Overdub")

This works great. I can hear the other tracks and record each drum sound on its own track.

However, when I try to send the sound from one of these tracks to an EQ I can not get sound. I suppose it is because the send from each track is to the track where the DrumCore VST is. This makes it impossible for me to EQ each track separately. Is there a smarter way of doing what I am trying to do? Sorry if there is something very obvious that I have missed. I am just getting started.

Thanks for your help!

[Sibben]

If I understand correctly you have separate MIDI tracks that send it's MIDI to the drum VST. It can't "send" an EQ along with it. It's only note data and only becomes audio once it passes through DrumCore.

I would set it up like this. DrumCore on the grey track. Top blue folder is just there so you can collapse all the MIDI tracks into one folder to get it out of the way.



Now you can set separate effects on each drum on the yellow tracks but also common effects on all of them on the drum bus.

[KevinW]

Just like Sibben writes, except put a single midi item containing all the midi parts, on the gray VSTi track. You can still use step recording using the midi overdub recording setting (right click the track rec-arm button). But the big advantage of this is that you can see and edit all the midi drum strikes in a single midi editor.

[xtv]

Thanks Sibben and KevinW!

This is amazing help. I am very impressed with the Reaper community.

Had to go and figure out folders, but now I understand them. Great way to clean things up.

I can almost recreated what Sibben drew (thanks for taking the time to do that!). I cannot get the grey drumcore track to send the sound to the yellow tracks.

For example, I can get the snare midi to the drumcore track and I can hear it there, but I do not understand how to get the drumcore track to route just the snare sound to the yellow snare track.

When I look at the routing for the dumcore track I can see that I can add a send for the yellow snare track, but it just sends everything (snare, kick and hats). How do I tell the drumcore track to take the midi from the snare track, convert it to sound and then pass only that sound to the yellow snare track?

Here is how I have it set up right now:

[KevinW]

Originally Posted by xtv

Thanks Sibben and KevinW!

This is amazing help. I am very impressed with the Reaper community.

Had to go and figure out folders, but now I understand them. Great way to clean things up.

I can almost recreated what Sibben drew (thanks for taking the time to do that!). I cannot get the grey drumcore track to send the sound to the yellow tracks.

For example, I can get the snare midi to the drumcore track and I can hear it there, but I do not understand how to get the drumcore track to route just the snare sound to the yellow snare track.

When I look at the routing for the dumcore track I can see that I can add a send for the yellow snare track, but it just sends everything (snare, kick and hats). How do I tell the drumcore track to take the midi from the snare track, convert it to sound and then pass only that sound to the yellow snare track?

Here is how I have it set up right now:

You'll have to do this in Drumcore - I don't have it, but a quick scan through the Drumcore user manual reveals this:

Global Pad Settings
You can assign DrumCore’s drum pads to multiple
unique audio output channels for independent
mixing and audio processing in your DAW. Drum-
Core provides 8 stereo output channels (1–2
through 15–16) and an additional 8 mono output
channels (channels 17–24). Pad output assignments
are applied by pad number across all kits.
Also note that how DrumCore’s output channel assignment
appear as inputs varies between different
DAW applications.
To assign DrumCore to multiple outputs:
1 In the DrumCore Plug-in window, enable the Assignable
Outputs option in the Global Pad Settings
pane.
2 Select the Pad whose output you want to assign.
3 From the Pad Output selector, select the desired
output assignment (e.g., KC 17).
4 Repeat the preceding steps for each additional
Pad as desired.

Assuming you let Reaper build the multi-channel output when you inserted the VSTi, you should then be all set.

Although, it still appears that you are taking the approach of having each kit piece in its own separate midi item as well, which to me makes no sense. There's another active thread about doing it that way, though, so maybe there's a benefit I'm not seeing. Different AUDIO tracks, absolutely, but not the midi tracks. To me, it would be like having each note of a piano in a separate midi item. But, everyone works in different ways - it's the result that matters!

[Tod]

Originally Posted by KevinW

Although, it still appears that you are taking the approach of having each kit piece in its own separate midi item as well, which to me makes no sense. There's another active thread about doing it that way, though, so maybe there's a benefit I'm not seeing. Different AUDIO tracks, absolutely, but not the midi tracks. To me, it would be like having each note of a piano in a separate midi item. But, everyone works in different ways - it's the result that matters!

Normally I'd totally agree with you Kevin, and I much prefer seeing the drums all on one track. However, editing velocities can be a real headache sometimes so I usually separate all the cymbals to another track.

Kik, snare, and toms seldom occupy the same position to the grid and likewise hi-hat, ride, crash, etc. seldom occupy the same position to the grid, so by separating them, velocities don't get covered up and they're easily accessible.

It would be nice if you could right click on a piano note and hide/unhide the velocities just like you can with "Mute".

[xtv]

Thanks KevinW!

It is working now. I am totally new to routing, so this took me a long time to figure out.

I really appreciate how the Reaper community is so open and patient.

Getting this to work has got me really psyched. Thanks!

I did what you said and put the drums in one midi track. I agree, it is easier to edit the midi that way.

[KevinW]

Originally Posted by Tod

It would be nice if you could right click on a piano note and hide/unhide the velocities just like you can with "Mute".

Always good to hear other perspectives. I can sorta see the benefit of separating out cymbals.

Do you use velocity handles on the notes? By default, Alt+9 toggles showing velocity handles.

Originally Posted by xtv

Thanks KevinW!

It is working now.

Great, glad you got it working!

[Tod]

Originally Posted by KevinW

Always good to hear other perspectives. I can sorta see the benefit of separating out cymbals.

Do you use velocity handles on the notes? By default, Alt+9 toggles showing velocity handles.

Yes I do use the Vel-handles sometimes but the biggest problem is velocity events get hidden behind other velocity events.

If it wasn't for that I'd keep them all on one track for sure.

[hopi]

Yes I do use the Vel-handles sometimes but the biggest problem is velocity events get hidden behind other velocity events.

lotta ways around that really....

since drum hits are normally all on a given note...you can set the filter for only that note and you will see only that note

whcih makes it clear which velo's are which... right?

[Tod]

Originally Posted by hopi

lotta ways around that really....

since drum hits are normally all on a given note...you can set the filter for only that note and you will see only that note

whcih makes it clear which velo's are which... right?

True hopi and good idea. However you can only pick one note at a time and there are times you have to deal with multiple notes. Like kik and snare, Left/Right hand snare plus rimshots, all the hi-hats (closed, half closed, open, etc.).

Now if you could just select notes via right click on the keyboard or right drag lasso them and then toggle Hide/UnHide them... Heh heh, that would be neat.

[hopi]

but you can

rt clk the note on the piano keys, then hold control and rt clk another note on the piano keys to add to the selection

all the notes for that paino key will become selected...

now if you want to get tricky, you can then set those notes [or whatever you have selected] to a midi chan.. say 9, just temporarily... then you can turn on the filter to show only chan 9 and edit away the velos... when done set the chan back to 1 or whatever you like

alternatively, you could set each kit piece note to a diff midi chan and filter that way for velo edits.. and still have the vsti receive all midi chans... you see

even further... you can also rt clk drag to lasso, and control rt clk drag lasso to add to the selection... but we don't call it lasso... we call it 'marque'

really there are a lot of ways to get this done and they are all pretty easy and fast I think

[Tod]

Now if you could just select notes via right click on the keyboard or right drag lasso them and then toggle Hide/UnHide them... Heh heh, that would be neat.

Originally Posted by hopi

now if you want to get tricky, you can then set those notes [or whatever you have selected] to a midi chan.. say 9, just temporarily... then you can turn on the filter to show only chan 9 and edit away the velos... when done set the chan back to 1 or whatever you like

Heh heh, good one hopi, I haven't tried it yet but that looks like it should basically do what I was alluding too.

Definitely going to try it on the next project.