penningtron wrote: Wed Jan 12, 2022 1:52 pm

tommy wrote: Wed Jan 12, 2022 1:42 pm

Owen wrote: Wed Jan 12, 2022 1:08 pm EZ Drummer 2 is also really easy to figure out. Biggest snag is you can't really change BPM through the song (at least I haven't figured it out), but it hasn't really been a problem for me.

I think you have to make the BPM changes in your DAW. EZ Drummer just follows the MIDI clock, right?

I just treat these instances as multiple song snippets and assemble them in the DAW/recorder.

That's if you export the sounds out of EZ Drummer at least, which I do more often than using it as a plugin within DAW

HA! That so obvious. Thanks guys!

tommy wrote: Wed Jan 12, 2022 1:42 pm

Owen wrote: Wed Jan 12, 2022 1:08 pm EZ Drummer 2 is also really easy to figure out. Biggest snag is you can't really change BPM through the song (at least I haven't figured it out), but it hasn't really been a problem for me.

I think you have to make the BPM changes in your DAW. EZ Drummer just follows the MIDI clock, right?

Definitely. it makes more sense to program the drums on your instrument/midi track instead of using the plug-ins sequencer. In both, BFD an EZ drummer you can drag midi files/ patterns from the plug-in to your track and edit from there.
But yes, the patterns will sync with the tempo settings of the DAW if the plug-in is set to playback.

Andrew wrote: Wed Jan 12, 2022 2:04 pm Thanks a bunch.Trying to modify Garageband drum patterns to work with guitar parts has not been inspiring so far. Looks like I should check out EZ Drummer 2. Anyone else know if you can adjust BPM during different bars of a song though? Would like to speed up a chorus or an outro, etc.

I do want ability to program hits -- build patterns from scratch and not just tweak set loops and patterns. That said, if the pattern/loop library is a lot better than Garageband's, maybe it would suffice for me.

At this point, I'll mostly be going with straight drum kit sounds because that's what I understand best and naturally hear behind guitar parts I write. Maybe FXpansion BFD 3 is better for that(?) I'd be into less standard rock beat sounds/percussion too, but it's not a priority for me at the moment.

You know when the Mormons turn up at the front door to talk to you about if you have heard the good word?

I would like to have a discussion along that same line about Reaper.

From the sound of it, you might just be ready to join the flock.

I use some different drum packages within Kontakt Player from Native Instruments. You insert Kontakt Player as a plug-in on a MIDI track in the DAW, and then load your preferred sample package within Kontakt Player’s interface (its not just limited to drum samples, either).

It depends on your sample package and your DAW, but there is the ability to export your MIDI track to multichannel audio. For example, with FM godcity’s sample pack, in Logic I am able to create drum track in the piano roll on the MIDI track and then bounce it down to audio files where I could have, for example, kick, snare, and toms on mono tracks, OHs and room mics on stereo tracks, etc.

You can also run Kontakt Player as a standalone…I haven’t tried it myself but I suspect that you could do this and route the channel inputs from its built-in mixer to discrete audio output channels on an interface and record them as audio.

numberthirty wrote: Wed Jan 12, 2022 5:53 pmYou know when the Mormons turn up at the front door to talk to you about if you have heard the good word?

I would like to have a discussion along that same line about Reaper.

From the sound of it, you might just be ready to join the flock.

$60 hey? Cheaper than EZ Drummer. What's good about it?

Here's the hitch...

It won't actually get you drums. That will still be a separate investment.

That said?

Some of the "Tempo..." and "Programming..." elements that you mentioned are rather user friendly in Reaper. It will also run halfway decent on even a humble computer.

(The one thing being that drum software might want a certain amount of "Spec..."/"Internal Memory..." to not be a headache...)

One catch about EZ Drummer is some of the cool libraries you might want (like 'Alt Rock', aka Electrical Audio samples) are extra, typically $80 bucks. But they often run promotions where you can get a pack free (Alt Rock didn't exist at the time so I got the 'Post Rock' kit recorded in Sigur Ros' studio)

That said the free kits that come with it are not bad (Modern and Vintage, which do about what you think they would)

This is all helpful info, thanks guys

penningtron wrote: Fri Jan 14, 2022 7:43 am One catch about EZ Drummer is some of the cool libraries you might want (like 'Alt Rock', aka Electrical Audio samples) are extra, typically $80 bucks. But they often run promotions where you can get a pack free (Alt Rock didn't exist at the time so I got the 'Post Rock' kit recorded in Sigur Ros' studio)

That said the free kits that come with it are not bad (Modern and Vintage, which do about what you think they would)

I just have the basics that came with EZ Drummer 2 and was thinking of getting an expansion how do you like the Alt-Rock and Post-Rock packs?

Owen wrote: Fri Jan 14, 2022 4:22 pm

penningtron wrote: Fri Jan 14, 2022 7:43 am One catch about EZ Drummer is some of the cool libraries you might want (like 'Alt Rock', aka Electrical Audio samples) are extra, typically $80 bucks. But they often run promotions where you can get a pack free (Alt Rock didn't exist at the time so I got the 'Post Rock' kit recorded in Sigur Ros' studio)

That said the free kits that come with it are not bad (Modern and Vintage, which do about what you think they would)

I just have the basics that came with EZ Drummer 2 and was thinking of getting an expansion how do you like the Alt-Rock and Post-Rock packs?

Alt Rock: has that Electrical Audio ambience everyone here should know! I kind of quibble about some of the kits used: the Gretsch is great and versatile, but the Ludwig Club Dates are gonna be too mellow for most rockers and the larger DW kit sounds a little flat to me. 'Pro tip': I think one of the 'tympani' sounds is the Silkworm kick drum.

Post Rock: the ambience is really cool and some of the aux percussion is neat (like a metal beam and stairs) but most of the drum sounds are kind of flubby and muffled to me.

My favorite is one called Big Rock I think, made by the dudes from Rival Sons (Blueshammer-y band). But they definitely nailed the large drum Zeppelin-y thing. Most of the sounds are cool and usable as long as you like ringy and roomy drums.