I think you can do this with repetition/refinement - e.g. start with basic beats to cover the song sections then add in more changes both in response to other instruments and just adding more detail/variation for sophistication. I don't think there's a need to have it all finalized before adding other instruments. Just make multiple passes adding more detail and refinement as you go.
Thank you Graham. Been trying to figure out how to make drum tracks for a few days now but no one has been able to explain it as simply yet thoroughly as you have. I really appreciate how much thought you put into your videos and music. Thanks again!
hey graham, congratulations you are the first person to explain what a ghost not is.... and that was not the focus of the vid but with the visual and the sound i finally understand. thank you
Thank you! I was wandering how one can create their own drum part without taking everything directly off EZDrummer, yet still making it sound unique and human-like.
Thanks for the video!! :) Few suggestions: the midi files in the EZDrummer library are mostly played by a real drummer, so if you randomize all you could lose the groove of that drum performance. Let your song follow the groove of that performance, not the other way around, it can give your song more of a real band feel. Sometimes you should take advantage of “lucky accidents”. Random browsing the midi library and trying out stuff (sometimes) can bring a fresh and original perspective to a song (just like a real drummer would input his take on a song, that could be completely different than your own) You don't always have to know beforehand...
A really cool thing to do is to export all of the audio once you get the drums where you want. I really enjoy working with the real audio tracks rather than a single midi file. Plus for processing it is awesome. Great video, as we all want great drum sounds without having the headache of a drummer hahaha! Cheers!
I use a Beatbuddy pedal in my band and I've found it to be handy for recording too. I send a clock from my DAW to sync it, then it starts when I hit the record button. Then I can initiate breaks whenever I want with my foot. I hate messing about with midi so recording this in stereo audio is an easy alternative.
Legend graham! I used Logic Pro X and it has a stock drummer similar work flow as EZ drummer. You gave me great ideas on how to research and utilise this tool more in my productions. U R So Helpful
The key element / tip found in this video is in the last minute - If, like me you're fairly new to EZ Drummer 2, but have already spent a month or two with it > the different uses / options of the Quantize feature in ProTools
I compose my virtual drums with the Native Instruments drum packs within Kontakt (Studio Drummer, Abby Roads, etc). I like their drum sounds/kits, & rooms to choose from, and the control it gives me with their internal mixer with each drum mic and overheads, & room mics. Also I use the Kontakt-player routing to output every drum channel to discrete tracks in protools so I can mix them the way I want them outside of the plugin and incorporate triggers, plugins & automation. I'm pretty happy with the results I can get
This is helpful. I have been doing some of this, but the different perspective is very useful. Some of these tips I wasn't aware of, which of course is immensely helpful. Thanks!
Thanks for the video Graham! I've been doing this for a while. I'ts the most absolutely boring part of my demoing process but it can bring good results. Excited to see that your recording a new EP! I will follow along!
So i said it in a sub comment, but one thing that is interesting is connecting an electronic drum set to your DAW as a midi controller and running THAT through your virtual drum set. Personally I use Abbey roads 60's drummer and it's incredible. Great sounds and effects. And when I do use grooves, it allows you to randomize time, velocity, pitch, volume and different things like that.
Great video! This is what I've been feeling toward's Logic X's drummer. I found it so 'lazy' but as I've found out that I can convert it to MIDI, not only that I can manually customise it myself but as a pianist, I can analyse and learn how drummers programme/work!
I use EzDrummer2 also. I always tend to start with the midi patterns that come with EzDrummer then tweek them for the track. I get basic patterns going then once some instruments and bass is added I change more in the drums. I'm looking forward to see what you do with these in the mix. Thanks for posting :)
Great video, thanks for your work and sharing! Conveyed very well that you need to customize the beats, make them your own, and adjust them to seem more real to the human ear.
Thanks Graham, I liked how you customized that intro. One thing I'd do differently when using EZdrummer 2... All the EZdrummer 2 grooves I've looked at closely are not snapped to the grid, they are already human as in an actual human performance by an expert drummer. It would be a shame to randomize that performance and lose the expert groove. Also, if you're careful with copy and/or cut and paste and keep the individual events nonsnapped timing, you can modify without lossing the groove.
Came here, saw I did the exact same thing out of intuition and padded myself on the back :-) It gives me some hope to see my way of working intuitively confirmed by the way a pro would go about it. Only difference: I wrote the boring drum patterns myself and tweaked them afterwards instead of listening through the library. But the stuff you say is so true, especially the part about the idea in your head. Without a vision, you don't really know what you're working to achive. So glad I subscribed!
I don't think there's a problem in programming the entire drum part yourself if you can. I found ezdrummer very helpful for straight, common rhythms, but when you get into odd time signatures it's a bit lacking and I often find myself not finding exactly what I want so I need to program some parts myself. Very useful nonetheless. As mentioned, the humanize feature is perfect, especially when combined with Reaper's (my DAW of choice) own Humanize option in the midi editor. ;)
My favorite is to use Logic's Drummer (even though i primarily use Ableton as my DAW) because there is an option to have the kick and snare follow your audio file (scratch guitars or bass) which gives you even more of a starting point for much less midi editing
Yep, the one I use is Steven Slate Drums, very realistic drums. I have drums and can play them but my kit is kind of shitty lol, and yes I have issues with the neighbors. My SSD plugin sounds so professional on the other hand (and it is because they are real pro drums)
Great explanation. If you can't cover all area's, urge people to go to Groove3 for advanced tutorials for the software tweaks. Also here in my studio that I use Roland V-Drums, I actually get just as good drum tracks, compared to the acoustic kit, in Protools. I'm at the stage where I use the e-drums and then go into the other studio and add cymbals to the tracks, blend them together. Bouncing these midi tracks in Superior Drummer and opening them up in Protools is the answer. Then you can use your plugin's for better results.
Hey, I've following Graham for quite a while now and I think he won't be able to show you these kind of things as he is definitely not into this kind of music, but I'm subscribed to his newsletter and one day he shared a serie of hardcore/metal mixing videos by Jordan Valeriote. I checked some of his stuff and eventually subscribed to his newsletter and I can say that he's really good! Hope that helped!
With EZ drummer can you place each individual drum hit from scratch without using a pre created loop? Basically create the layout on the piano roll for every single note.
cool vid man! one way I make my drums sound more real with ezdrummer is making sure that it's physically possible to play the beat in real life. just my short two cents.
Hey Graham, after the fill leading into your chorus, you put in a sound of a clicktrack. Why don't you program a hi hat or kick drum there instead? You can easily mute those notes come mixing time.
only1adnan Being 3 years later... LOL! If you missed it in round 1... he created a midi or virtual instrument track in Pro Tools and placed EZD2 into it.... once he had a beat he liked in the EZD2 program he drug it from there up into the Midi track in Pro Tools... start watching around the 5:30 mark. Hope this helps.
Thre's a function on easy drummer where you can split it into separate tracks in your DAW so you can treat each drum separately just like you recorded the kit for real on separate tracks. Can you still do that after you've customised it the way you want ???
Same question. There are several comments stating that the drums don't sound good. I've used the multi track function on EZ2 a few times, processed the tracks separately and ended up with some authentic sounding tracks. But not with the flexibility presented here.
I don't use EZDrummer, but I imagine that since it's just MIDI data, your level of customization isn't going to be impacted by the fact that it's now in a multitrack as opposed to a combined MIDI channel. If anything, it might offer more in the way of dynamic and FX controls, depending on how EZ Drummer does it.
Worth a note that drum sequencers will rarely sound authentic on their own merits, which is what we're seeing in the video (because the purpose is that the song is just starting out). With proper effects, compression, EQ, etc. they begin to take on a more natural timbre. I think the purpose of this video is less about the SOUND of the drums, but about the actual pattern. And of course, when you actually SEE a drum sequencer being used instead of a live drum kit, the illusion is lost, so you're naturally going to hear a lot of the shortcomings of the samples anyway. It's a similar predicament with strings. It's very hard to find (affordable) samples that sound realistic, and part of that is because the fact that you KNOW they're samples means you've inadvertently trained yourself to look for the flaws as opposed to their actual potential within in a composition. But the average listener won't notice unless it's very obviously fake or the actual arrangement is extremely rigid.
Yes you can, it has a mixer inside the plug-in where you can route the parts to various channels, but you can still edit the part as a whole, it'll only rout the sound to various channels. It depends on your DAW how it's setup, but it's fairly simple and there are lots of tutorials online!
Hey Graham! When you're done editing your midi regions, can you then print the drums to separate audio tracks for mixing? I guess you don't want to mix the entire drum kit as a single midi unit?
Why would my EZDR patterns not be dropping into a Midi Track I drag it into. Im using Digital Performer 10 , which does anything ProTools does.... this is a mystery to me. any ideas?? THANK YOU ( I realize you're not Toontracks customer service, but you made that look too easy..)
what sucks is when importing guitar pro 7 drums there are hidden notes under some of the hits which effect the sound of the velocity and i have to go in apparently and manually take out all of those hidden notes
Couple of drawbacks 1. breaking the common 4/4 pattern (Im not sure theres much in the whole library other than that) and 2. The possibilty of bypassing the library and using ez drummer 2 as a stand alone custom midi drum recorder. Essentially writing your own drum patterns and inserting them in pro tools. Probably Superior drummer is the obvious choice for midi freedom but since I've purchased ez drummer 2 Im not ruling out the possibilities of it being obtained.
Hey , I do not want to use the ezdrummer 2 arranger at all when recording drums , I just want to record the ez drum sounds straight into midi clip in my Daws arranger . I'm using Ableton 10. How do I do that ? . I hate trying to make my own beat with the EZ drums 2 arranger
How can I write with different time signatures at a time? I want to make a 7/4 and 6/4 for the same riff, but I find it hard to do that with a virtual drummer
You have to either do that manually by adjusting your ProTools Grid and placing Drum notes and patterns according to your time signature ( using the different views of the Grid from 1/2 note all the way to 1/64 note ) and using your ear of course. Or find patterns in the search engine of EZ Drummer but few EZXs and MIDI Groove Packs have odd time signatures like that : But one EZX that has it is the "70s Prog Grooves" Midi Groove Pack ... It's under 30 bucks at the moment. You can get templates there close to what you're looking for and customise...
Good video Graham! After the drums are finalized do you keep the drums on one stereo channel or individually bounce each part to separate tracks for the mixing stage? It would be good to see what mixing techniques you employ with EZ drummer.
i think this is a great tutorial and i live your channel, but i have one question. what's wrong with writing as you go instead of having all ready in your head? when i write as i produce the song i think it leads to more interesting patterns that don't follow a typical song structure and make it more interesting.
I personally think there's nothing wrong with either way of working. I do the same myself, writing as I go, but at the same time keeping a rough structure prevents you from losing yourself in possibilities and variations of different riffs and passages. On the other hand I sometimes lay the structure out before hand and keep it as a guideline and tweak the song in the process if I feel the need to. Stale arrangements suck ass. Everyone should work as he's comfortable. Discomfort in your way of working hinders your workflow.
How 'bout on how to make them sound real, specifically how the drum sounds? I'm using logic pro's preset drums 'cause i can't afford to buy any of the other third party plug-ins. Thanks in advance for the help guys!
Hi Graham, I want to get a bit more in depth with drums, but I'm still running Garageband. Is it worth getting EZ Drummer or upgrading to Logic Pro X and using the more advanced drummer there?
I'm just getting into home recording on my Mac and I'm considering EZ Drummer or some such virtual drummer, and I have a really, really basic question. Do I need to get a MIDI controller? Is it possible to program in drum tracks if I don't have one, without it being painfully impractical? If a MIDI controller is necessary or highly advisable, what are some good recommendations for one?
You don't need a controller EZ Drummer is GREAT!!!! Easy also IF you are on Mac check out The Drummer Plug in in Garageband taken from Logic Pro X it is AMAZING it will follow your playing cut to have it make a fill…super easy & realistic.
I love the drummers of Logic X too and as a DAW its super cheap about £150 for the whole package I think. Its also been really reliable for me too. had maybe 2 crashes in the just over a year I've been using it.
Hi Graham, great video! I've got a question: which drum samplers (is that what you call it?) do you recommend? I make alternative pop/rock and looking to buy one but there are a couple of them, so I wanted to ask for advice first. Are there any up or downsides for any of them? What can help me choose the right one? Thanks Alex
The easiest to use, as the name implies, is EZ Drummer which Graham uses in this video. If you want a little bit more control (with a bit higher price) there's Superior Drummer from the same company (Toontrack), in which you can add effects on the single drum parts right into the plugin and other customizations. Both come with a standard kit and some presets to get you started, and there are tons of other different kits which you can add later for different genres. I'd say for pop/rock the standard kit is perfect. There is also Addictive Drums and Steven Slate Drums which are more similar to Superior, because it has kind of the same type of customizations. At the end it goes with preference for the advanced ones, I think all of them have a demo mode to try, but if you just want it simple and easy, EZDrummer is the right way, IMO.
I've produced two full EPs and a lot of covers with EZDrummer 2, which Graham uses in this video. I've found that there's enough customisation, even down to the model of drum you use (you can also buy extra extensions that give more presets and drums) that you really can get any sound you want. Admittedly, I don't really have much knowledge about the browser option, since I've always programmed in piano roll from scratch, but from what I've seen it's very varied and easy to use.
Hey guys, I'm songwriter/mulit-instrumentalist. I want to play the drums on my songs myself but I have noise issues around here so I can't record a real drum set. In these conditions, what do you think is better? Using an electronic kit or EZ Drummer? Thanks so much
I think it depends on what style you're playing. With an e-kit, you're not just placing the snare on the 2 and 4 and the kick on the 1 and 3 (to make it simple) but you're actually playing the drums. It's the subtle timing imperfections that make it sound more realistic. You can do this with EZdrummer, too but it's a lot of work. I use EZDrummer and I try to add slight changes here and there to avoid having a repetitive drum part. You know what I mean? Also, like shown in this video, Graham uses an option that randomly shifts 10% of the hits, so that they're not 100% on time, making it sound more like a human.
+Sumido S. Thanks for the advice, I play anything from blues to prog metal. I would personally prefer playing myself but my concern is with an e-kit I'm stuck with the sound and the volume balance I used to record with.There isnt much post production I can do if I want to change things later
So I play a lot of bluesy type pop myself! What I did was I got Kontakts 60's Drummer from Abbey Road. And you can do this with EZ Drummer or a different type of virtual drum set. You get a decent electronic kit and connect it to your computer as a midi device. Then you port your drum kit to the drum software. Like connecting your electronic kit to EZ Drummer or 60's drummer. Then as you PLAY on your kit, it comes through as the sounds on the drum software you bought. And what I've done before is used something called a "randomizer" feature in 60's drummer that lets you set a range of "humanization" on the hits including velocity. So if you REALLY want to play... connect your electronic set to EZ Drummer or a different drum set as a midi controller. It will take a while the first time, but if you save it as a template you can bring it up every time after that.
+Jordan21Michael Hey thats a great idea thanks dude! But just two questiond. 1- Can I still play dynamicly and get the same dynamics in my sound? 2- Can I progrem the different zones of a single pad to trigger different sounds?
Can Savaryego a lot of that depends on your drumset and key matchings in your drum software. For example. In 60's drummer there are different velocities you can set for each hit. (meaning hitting harder or softer) as well as different snare sounds, including snare and rim. But if your drum set has only 1 place to hit the snare, you'll only be able to assign it to one sound. Furthermore, if you have a drum set with 4 different snare areas, you're going to want a drum software with different snare sounds and a drum set that's velocity sensitive. So I'd be picky when shopping. And you'll probably STILL spend some time editing drums either way.
I use Ez Drummer as well and find it really cool. I'm not using it like you Graham in the sense that my writing is not all set up ... I change it and it evolves as the song do. I'll pretty much start with a foundation/base beat and jam trough it and it will be only at the end of the arrangement that I will tweak the patterns more precisely. Here is one done with EZDrummer if ur interested soundcloud.com/originalcoco-1/one-of-these-dayz
could anyone be a doll and drop the links to the other videos related to this so i can see where this is all going... xD tried looking for ages but i think i'm just being a dumbass aha! xD
I think you can do this with repetition/refinement - e.g. start with basic beats to cover the song sections then add in more changes both in response to other instruments and just adding more detail/variation for sophistication.
I don't think there's a need to have it all finalized before adding other instruments. Just make multiple passes adding more detail and refinement as you go.
Thank you Graham. Been trying to figure out how to make drum tracks for a few days now but no one has been able to explain it as simply yet thoroughly as you have. I really appreciate how much thought you put into your videos and music. Thanks again!
hey graham, congratulations you are the first person to explain what a ghost not is.... and that was not the focus of the vid but with the visual and the sound i finally understand. thank you
This is how I envision using EZ Drummer. You say this will be a series, but I can’t find any others.
Thank you! I was wandering how one can create their own drum part without taking everything directly off EZDrummer, yet still making it sound unique and human-like.
Thanks for the video!! :) Few suggestions: the midi files in the EZDrummer library are mostly played by a real drummer, so if you randomize all you could lose the groove of that drum performance. Let your song follow the groove of that performance, not the other way around, it can give your song more of a real band feel. Sometimes you should take advantage of “lucky accidents”. Random browsing the midi library and trying out stuff (sometimes) can bring a fresh and original perspective to a song (just like a real drummer would input his take on a song, that could be completely different than your own) You don't always have to know beforehand...
A really cool thing to do is to export all of the audio once you get the drums where you want. I really enjoy working with the real audio tracks rather than a single midi file. Plus for processing it is awesome. Great video, as we all want great drum sounds without having the headache of a drummer hahaha! Cheers!
I use a Beatbuddy pedal in my band and I've found it to be handy for recording too. I send a clock from my DAW to sync it, then it starts when I hit the record button. Then I can initiate breaks whenever I want with my foot. I hate messing about with midi so recording this in stereo audio is an easy alternative.
another wonderful demo video that is incredibly clear and useful - thanks!
Legend graham! I used Logic Pro X and it has a stock drummer similar work flow as EZ drummer. You gave me great ideas on how to research and utilise this tool more in my productions. U R So Helpful
The key element / tip found in this video is in the last minute - If, like me you're fairly new to EZ Drummer 2,
but have already spent a month or two with it > the different uses / options of the Quantize feature in ProTools
I compose my virtual drums with the Native Instruments drum packs within Kontakt (Studio Drummer, Abby Roads, etc). I like their drum sounds/kits, & rooms to choose from, and the control it gives me with their internal mixer with each drum mic and overheads, & room mics. Also I use the Kontakt-player routing to output every drum channel to discrete tracks in protools so I can mix them the way I want them outside of the plugin and incorporate triggers, plugins & automation. I'm pretty happy with the results I can get
I like the new intro to the videos you've used on the last few videos.
This is helpful. I have been doing some of this, but the different perspective is very useful. Some of these tips I wasn't aware of, which of course is immensely helpful. Thanks!
Really looking forward to this series. Thanks for sharing.
Thanks, Graham! One thing I sometimes use is the tap2find option - very handy!
Thanks for the video Graham! I've been doing this for a while. I'ts the most absolutely boring part of my demoing process but it can bring good results. Excited to see that your recording a new EP! I will follow along!
Great video! As a drummer, I build all my drum parts from scratch, which is pretty time consuming. This technique can definitely save some time.
So i said it in a sub comment, but one thing that is interesting is connecting an electronic drum set to your DAW as a midi controller and running THAT through your virtual drum set.
Personally I use Abbey roads 60's drummer and it's incredible. Great sounds and effects. And when I do use grooves, it allows you to randomize time, velocity, pitch, volume and different things like that.
Great video! This is what I've been feeling toward's Logic X's drummer. I found it so 'lazy' but as I've found out that I can convert it to MIDI, not only that I can manually customise it myself but as a pianist, I can analyse and learn how drummers programme/work!
I use EzDrummer2 also. I always tend to start with the midi patterns that come with EzDrummer then tweek them for the track. I get basic patterns going then once some instruments and bass is added I change more in the drums. I'm looking forward to see what you do with these in the mix. Thanks for posting :)
Great video, thanks for your work and sharing! Conveyed very well that you need to customize the beats, make them your own, and adjust them to seem more real to the human ear.
This just jump started my knowledge of EZD2 - Thank you.
Thanks Graham, I liked how you customized that intro. One thing I'd do differently when using EZdrummer 2... All the EZdrummer 2 grooves I've looked at closely are not snapped to the grid, they are already human as in an actual human performance by an expert drummer. It would be a shame to randomize that performance and lose the expert groove. Also, if you're careful with copy and/or cut and paste and keep the individual events nonsnapped timing, you can modify without lossing the groove.
Sounds as if this will be a most interesting series of videos.
Love the video and the information..... Damn greatt stuff...I just started using EZ...love the series of videos
Came here, saw I did the exact same thing out of intuition and padded myself on the back :-) It gives me some hope to see my way of working intuitively confirmed by the way a pro would go about it. Only difference: I wrote the boring drum patterns myself and tweaked them afterwards instead of listening through the library. But the stuff you say is so true, especially the part about the idea in your head. Without a vision, you don't really know what you're working to achive. So glad I subscribed!
go through your samples and off set them by milliseconds randomly to make the Virtual Drummer less quantized sounding
EZDrummer includes a Humanize dial to do it inside the plugin as well!
+jafmusicmix.com that's awesome
I don't think there's a problem in programming the entire drum part yourself if you can. I found ezdrummer very helpful for straight, common rhythms, but when you get into odd time signatures it's a bit lacking and I often find myself not finding exactly what I want so I need to program some parts myself. Very useful nonetheless. As mentioned, the humanize feature is perfect, especially when combined with Reaper's (my DAW of choice) own Humanize option in the midi editor. ;)
My favorite is to use Logic's Drummer (even though i primarily use Ableton as my DAW) because there is an option to have the kick and snare follow your audio file (scratch guitars or bass) which gives you even more of a starting point for much less midi editing
Yep, the one I use is Steven Slate Drums, very realistic drums. I have drums and can play them but my kit is kind of shitty lol, and yes I have issues with the neighbors. My SSD plugin sounds so professional on the other hand (and it is because they are real pro drums)
This exactly how I do it! Sometimes I even add other samples of a dedicated drum piece, a crash for instance...
Great explanation. If you can't cover all area's, urge people to go to Groove3 for advanced tutorials for the software tweaks. Also here in my studio that I use Roland V-Drums, I actually get just as good drum tracks, compared to the acoustic kit, in Protools. I'm at the stage where I use the e-drums and then go into the other studio and add cymbals to the tracks, blend them together. Bouncing these midi tracks in Superior Drummer and opening them up in Protools is the answer. Then you can use your plugin's for better results.
Excellent video, bub. Keep 'em coming!
Nice video! I love using EZDrummer.
Thank you for this! I have BFD2, and I'm thinking it probably works the same way :)
Thanks a lot Graham this is awesome, can you also show us how to make fat sounding virtual drums for metal songs?
Djent
Hey, I've following Graham for quite a while now and I think he won't be able to show you these kind of things as he is definitely not into this kind of music, but I'm subscribed to his newsletter and one day he shared a serie of hardcore/metal mixing videos by Jordan Valeriote. I checked some of his stuff and eventually subscribed to his newsletter and I can say that he's really good! Hope that helped!
I know, i'm joking even if it would be kool
With EZ drummer can you place each individual drum hit from scratch without using a pre created loop? Basically create the layout on the piano roll for every single note.
cool vid man! one way I make my drums sound more real with ezdrummer is making sure that it's physically possible to play the beat in real life. just my short two cents.
I use MT Power Drum Kit. It pretty much lets you start your beat from scratch without having to use any preset/loop.
I was afraid of being constrained by the virtual drummer but this cleared things up. THANKS!!!!
Nice new Intro
Hey Graham, after the fill leading into your chorus, you put in a sound of a clicktrack. Why don't you program a hi hat or kick drum there instead? You can easily mute those notes come mixing time.
How did you get the Midi Notes to appear on the EZ DRUMMER instrument Track. Thanks
only1adnan Being 3 years later... LOL! If you missed it in round 1... he created a midi or virtual instrument track in Pro Tools and placed EZD2 into it.... once he had a beat he liked in the EZD2 program he drug it from there up into the Midi track in Pro Tools... start watching around the 5:30 mark. Hope this helps.
Massively helpful. Thank you
Thre's a function on easy drummer where you can split it into separate tracks in your DAW so you can treat each drum separately just like you recorded the kit for real on separate tracks. Can you still do that after you've customised it the way you want ???
Same question. There are several comments stating that the drums don't sound good. I've used the multi track function on EZ2 a few times, processed the tracks separately and ended up with some authentic sounding tracks. But not with the flexibility presented here.
I don't use EZDrummer, but I imagine that since it's just MIDI data, your level of customization isn't going to be impacted by the fact that it's now in a multitrack as opposed to a combined MIDI channel. If anything, it might offer more in the way of dynamic and FX controls, depending on how EZ Drummer does it.
Worth a note that drum sequencers will rarely sound authentic on their own merits, which is what we're seeing in the video (because the purpose is that the song is just starting out). With proper effects, compression, EQ, etc. they begin to take on a more natural timbre. I think the purpose of this video is less about the SOUND of the drums, but about the actual pattern.
And of course, when you actually SEE a drum sequencer being used instead of a live drum kit, the illusion is lost, so you're naturally going to hear a lot of the shortcomings of the samples anyway. It's a similar predicament with strings. It's very hard to find (affordable) samples that sound realistic, and part of that is because the fact that you KNOW they're samples means you've inadvertently trained yourself to look for the flaws as opposed to their actual potential within in a composition. But the average listener won't notice unless it's very obviously fake or the actual arrangement is extremely rigid.
Yes you can, it has a mixer inside the plug-in where you can route the parts to various channels, but you can still edit the part as a whole, it'll only rout the sound to various channels. It depends on your DAW how it's setup, but it's fairly simple and there are lots of tutorials online!
Super helpful. Thanks!
On Linux/Ardour Drumgizmo is a really nice tool. Just takes in samples and can add auto-humanization.
as always, amazing advised
Hey Graham! When you're done editing your midi regions, can you then print the drums to separate audio tracks for mixing? I guess you don't want to mix the entire drum kit as a single midi unit?
Why would my EZDR patterns not be dropping into a Midi Track I drag it into.
Im using Digital Performer 10 , which does anything ProTools does.... this is a mystery to me. any ideas?? THANK YOU ( I realize you're not Toontracks customer service, but you made that look too easy..)
Great video man.
what sucks is when importing guitar pro 7 drums there are hidden notes under some of the hits which effect the sound of the velocity and i have to go in apparently and manually take out all of those hidden notes
Good stuff! Thanks, bro!
I use a virtual drummer as well but i like to separate each drum on their own track. It gives me more room to explore and mix in my opinion.
EZDrummer will do the same. Just insert as a Virtual instrument, instead of dragging in the MIDI. = full control!
Is that Ableton, Anybody knows the Program please can you write it down. It looks straight forward... Thanks
I use EZ and Superior a lot. get good results
Couple of drawbacks 1. breaking the common 4/4 pattern (Im not sure
theres much in the whole library other than that) and 2. The possibilty
of bypassing the library and using ez drummer 2 as a stand alone custom
midi drum recorder. Essentially writing your own drum patterns and
inserting them in pro tools. Probably Superior drummer is the obvious
choice for midi freedom but since I've purchased ez drummer 2 Im not
ruling out the possibilities of it being obtained.
Can i use Beatbuddy loops one track mono drum samples?
"Painstakingly" doesn't sound fun/ easy 😆 but it did make a big difference in that pattern..im a new user and have alot to learn and practice , thx
Hey , I do not want to use the ezdrummer 2 arranger at all when recording drums , I just want to record the ez drum sounds straight into midi clip in my Daws arranger . I'm using Ableton 10. How do I do that ? .
I hate trying to make my own beat with the EZ drums 2 arranger
How can I write with different time signatures at a time? I want to make a 7/4 and 6/4 for the same riff, but I find it hard to do that with a virtual drummer
You have to either do that manually by adjusting your ProTools Grid and placing Drum notes and patterns according to your time signature ( using the different views of the Grid from 1/2 note all the way to 1/64 note ) and using your ear of course.
Or find patterns in the search engine of EZ Drummer but few EZXs and MIDI Groove Packs have odd time signatures like that : But one EZX that has it is the "70s Prog Grooves" Midi Groove Pack ... It's under 30 bucks at the moment. You can get templates there close to what you're looking for and customise...
Hi Graham, Hope you are well mate, How do you get it to save as a playlist when you toggled between the two? very useful
This may be a stupid question but do you have to find a browser preset beat? Or can you actually just make one completely from scratch?
Sickness.. Made me get up and grab a beer. 🍻 and cast this video to my Big speakers 🤓
Good video Graham! After the drums are finalized do you keep the drums on one stereo channel or individually bounce each part to separate tracks for the mixing stage? It would be good to see what mixing techniques you employ with EZ drummer.
Can it replace the drums on existing MIDI Songs?
Hey, Graham. Probably a dumb question but I'm new to Pro Tools: How did you set up that click track to play only on the rest at 1:40 ? Thank you.
Thank you
i think this is a great tutorial and i live your channel, but i have one question. what's wrong with writing as you go instead of having all ready in your head? when i write as i produce the song i think it leads to more interesting patterns that don't follow a typical song structure and make it more interesting.
I personally think there's nothing wrong with either way of working. I do the same myself, writing as I go, but at the same time keeping a rough structure prevents you from losing yourself in possibilities and variations of different riffs and passages. On the other hand I sometimes lay the structure out before hand and keep it as a guideline and tweak the song in the process if I feel the need to. Stale arrangements suck ass. Everyone should work as he's comfortable. Discomfort in your way of working hinders your workflow.
How 'bout on how to make them sound real, specifically how the drum sounds? I'm using logic pro's preset drums 'cause i can't afford to buy any of the other third party plug-ins. Thanks in advance for the help guys!
Hi Graham,
I want to get a bit more in depth with drums, but I'm still running Garageband. Is it worth getting EZ Drummer or upgrading to Logic Pro X and using the more advanced drummer there?
Is there a randomize function for Logic Pro X's drummer?
I'm just getting into home recording on my Mac and I'm considering EZ Drummer or some such virtual drummer, and I have a really, really basic question. Do I need to get a MIDI controller? Is it possible to program in drum tracks if I don't have one, without it being painfully impractical? If a MIDI controller is necessary or highly advisable, what are some good recommendations for one?
You don't need a controller EZ Drummer is GREAT!!!! Easy also IF you are on Mac check out The Drummer Plug in in Garageband taken from Logic Pro X it is AMAZING it will follow your playing cut to have it make a fill…super easy & realistic.
I love the drummers of Logic X too and as a DAW its super cheap about £150 for the whole package I think. Its also been really reliable for me too. had maybe 2 crashes in the just over a year I've been using it.
Hi Graham, great video! I've got a question: which drum samplers (is that what you call it?) do you recommend? I make alternative pop/rock and looking to buy one but there are a couple of them, so I wanted to ask for advice first. Are there any up or downsides for any of them? What can help me choose the right one?
Thanks
Alex
record real drums
Well he used EZ Drummer 2 here that seems like a recommendation. I use it as well.
There's a couple of good ones out there. Superior Drums, EZ Drummer and Steven Slate Drums are all very popular and sound great. Try those, man!
The easiest to use, as the name implies, is EZ Drummer which Graham uses in this video. If you want a little bit more control (with a bit higher price) there's Superior Drummer from the same company (Toontrack), in which you can add effects on the single drum parts right into the plugin and other customizations. Both come with a standard kit and some presets to get you started, and there are tons of other different kits which you can add later for different genres. I'd say for pop/rock the standard kit is perfect. There is also Addictive Drums and Steven Slate Drums which are more similar to Superior, because it has kind of the same type of customizations.
At the end it goes with preference for the advanced ones, I think all of them have a demo mode to try, but if you just want it simple and easy, EZDrummer is the right way, IMO.
I've produced two full EPs and a lot of covers with EZDrummer 2, which Graham uses in this video. I've found that there's enough customisation, even down to the model of drum you use (you can also buy extra extensions that give more presets and drums) that you really can get any sound you want. Admittedly, I don't really have much knowledge about the browser option, since I've always programmed in piano roll from scratch, but from what I've seen it's very varied and easy to use.
Can it do brushes?
Hey guys, I'm songwriter/mulit-instrumentalist. I want to play the drums on my songs myself but I have noise issues around here so I can't record a real drum set. In these conditions, what do you think is better? Using an electronic kit or EZ Drummer? Thanks so much
I think it depends on what style you're playing. With an e-kit, you're not just placing the snare on the 2 and 4 and the kick on the 1 and 3 (to make it simple) but you're actually playing the drums. It's the subtle timing imperfections that make it sound more realistic. You can do this with EZdrummer, too but it's a lot of work. I use EZDrummer and I try to add slight changes here and there to avoid having a repetitive drum part. You know what I mean? Also, like shown in this video, Graham uses an option that randomly shifts 10% of the hits, so that they're not 100% on time, making it sound more like a human.
+Sumido S. Thanks for the advice, I play anything from blues to prog metal. I would personally prefer playing myself but my concern is with an e-kit I'm stuck with the sound and the volume balance I used to record with.There isnt much post production I can do if I want to change things later
So I play a lot of bluesy type pop myself!
What I did was I got Kontakts 60's Drummer from Abbey Road.
And you can do this with EZ Drummer or a different type of virtual drum set.
You get a decent electronic kit and connect it to your computer as a midi device. Then you port your drum kit to the drum software. Like connecting your electronic kit to EZ Drummer or 60's drummer.
Then as you PLAY on your kit, it comes through as the sounds on the drum software you bought.
And what I've done before is used something called a "randomizer" feature in 60's drummer that lets you set a range of "humanization" on the hits including velocity.
So if you REALLY want to play... connect your electronic set to EZ Drummer or a different drum set as a midi controller. It will take a while the first time, but if you save it as a template you can bring it up every time after that.
+Jordan21Michael Hey thats a great idea thanks dude! But just two questiond.
1- Can I still play dynamicly and get the same dynamics in my sound?
2- Can I progrem the different zones of a single pad to trigger different sounds?
Can Savaryego a lot of that depends on your drumset and key matchings in your drum software.
For example. In 60's drummer there are different velocities you can set for each hit. (meaning hitting harder or softer) as well as different snare sounds, including snare and rim.
But if your drum set has only 1 place to hit the snare, you'll only be able to assign it to one sound.
Furthermore, if you have a drum set with 4 different snare areas, you're going to want a drum software with different snare sounds and a drum set that's velocity sensitive.
So I'd be picky when shopping.
And you'll probably STILL spend some time editing drums either way.
Did the screen capture make this mono? :-/
cool thx
Yesterday I uploaded a song using the virtual drum "SI Drum Kit"! Hope you can listen it, and tell me what you think! It calls "To Be (My Way)" :)
You da man
:40 Did he say "very common SNARE-io??? ha ha ha
How do u download this program ezdrummer?
you have to pay for it. google EZ Drummer and you will get the link
べX3KI3 thanks!
protools first doesnt have EZ drummer does it?
@4:00 you sir is a doctrine of philosophy.
A little Rock Candy in the intro
I use Ez Drummer as well and find it really cool.
I'm not using it like you Graham in the sense that my writing is not all set up ... I change it and it evolves as the song do. I'll pretty much start with a foundation/base beat and jam trough it and it will be only at the end of the arrangement that I will tweak the patterns more precisely.
Here is one done with EZDrummer if ur interested soundcloud.com/originalcoco-1/one-of-these-dayz
could anyone be a doll and drop the links to the other videos related to this so i can see where this is all going... xD tried looking for ages but i think i'm just being a dumbass aha! xD
Well I'm on time
Thanks for saying "him or HER"!
Way to involved. Gotta be realistic, to average guitar players which is most, this is way to complicated.
Ø
But a real drummer is better. Full stop.
Depends on the drummer
Yeah all 5 of em. 3 wont show up.