Pro Tools Drum track expert!!

[NY Chief]

NOT!!! But, I am making a lot progress on the learning curve. actually recorded a couple of tracks and vocals as I get familiar with the software. The rig came with a demo of BFD Drums and I actually finally got them playing!! It's a sample based app that needs a MIDI track created to play them. Being a guitar player I never really got into MIDI so that's another study.

I'm looking for some loop based drum stuff that I can import and cut and paste to get a rhythmn track going that I can jam over and track some music.

What do you guys suggest? Are there any "canned" grooves around that I can swipe and load? Like a standard blues or shuffle? How about already created midi files of classic stuff? Does anything exisit like the old MMO series? You old guys would recognize that as the Music Minus One stuff. Kinda like karakoe for guitar!!!

[NitroLiq]

MIDI setups can be overwhelming if you're not used to it (and sometimes even when you are!) as far as assigning midi ports, channels, etc. Glad to hear you finally got BFD up and running.

I usually program my own beats or use sample CDs which have midi files included, such as spectrasonics' backbeat with groove control) but one thing you can do is just google midi files for songs or types of music, import the file into PT and just delete the midi tracks you don't need, in this case everything but the drums.

The one thing you have to be aware of when you use general midi files is that the original programmer will many times put sysex messages at the start of the file to set program changes to automatically assign things to the proper GM channel. You want to delete this stuff and assign the drums to however you have BFD setup, This will give you a decent start of a drum track...you may have to tweak for feel as some people program midi well...and some don't. It's not too difficult after the first few times.

[NY Chief]

Hey thanks, Nitro. I'm a real MIDI novice right now so even some of that sounds Greek but I get the concept. Where would I find general midi files? Google search?

I just checked out the Discrete Drums page. That looks like it could work

[NitroLiq]

If you can afford something like discrete drums, I say go for it. I use this collection which is pretty cool:

http://www.spectrasonics.net/libraries/backbeat.php

It basically has guys like greg bissonette and other studio drummers recording beats for songs so you'll have 3 variations for verses, fills, etc...pretty nice for sketching song ideas quickly. Plus, it has groove control versions...the grooves cut up and mapped across the keyboard with midi files so you can slow/speed up the tempo as need be.

For midi files...man they're everywhere. Just type something like "blues midi" into google and you'll find loads. Or search for songs or artists in quotes and put midi after it (like this: "Jimi Hendrix" midi)....you'll find a bunch. Here's an all led zep MIDI site I've used before for goofing around:

http://zeppelinmidi.com/

I actually have a clip I did using the file for "Bring It On Home"...wanted to mess around with the guitar harmonies....it sucks and is sloppy and mixed too loud but you can get the idea of how you at least get started with using midi files. I wiped all the guitar out, kept the drums, bass, and had a piano sound doing the vocal part (attempting to scream Robert Plant parts in my Queens Apt isn't really going to happen!). Some of the files on that site were programmed very well for midi...I'm planning on doing a cover of "No Quarter" at some point...heh! Anyway, here's the link to my goof track:

http://www.frequencybox.com/bring.mp3

[NY Chief]

Great shit!! That's exactly what I'm looking for to goof around with while I develop my Pro Tools chops. This way I don't have to hang up the rest of the band while I'm noodling. I could spend days on the Zep stuff alone...cool!

[chickenbop]

Hey Ny,
Do a google search for groovemonkee or groovemonkey midi loops.They have midi loops for bfd,dkfh,etc.they're good usable midi loops-thousands for like $40.That way,you can change kits,snares,etc in bfd for different sounds.Oh-they're not quantized either,which is a plus 'cause they sound more natural that way.

[Bad Kitty]

Hey NYChief,
Check your PM's

Mike

[NY Chief]

Hey NYChief,
Check your PM's

Mike

Thanks, Mike!

[VelvetGeorge]

Ya know, if you download the BFD drums demo and drag these into the stand alone app. it will play just the drums tracks to a stereo output.

Just a thought.


George

[VelvetGeorge]

I gave it a shot. I needed something to clear my head from web shit anyway.

I DL'ed a bunch of the MIDI files from that link above (thanks BTW) and threw them in Nuendo.

The drums are playing with the BFD demo I downloaded. And the bass is the included bass guitar VST in Nuendo.

I recorded a couple guitar parts straight into the computer and used the Nigel amp simulator on my UAD-1 card.

Fun stuff. I'll have to try some other ones (meaning now I want to remake LZ1 with Midi rhythm section) when I get a break.

george

[NitroLiq]

It's easy to get nuts with midi programming. I start adjusting velocities for every drum hit and moving them back and forth in time (by ticks) to make it sound more realistic (re: non-mechanical). With things like the zep midis...I usually get lazy and just do something quick but there are definitely a couple of tunes I'd like to do up right (No quarter "live" and the Rover).

Nice job with "The Ocean", George. I recorded the "bring it on home" sample above using the same sort of deal...johnson j-station modeler for the guitar direct into my gina 20-bit card. One thing, definitely needed is a real bass...I've a couple samples and sounds I've programmed on my virus b that suffice but you know...playing something like a simple 1/8th note line on a synth bass always sounds cheezy to me. Want to pick up one of the cheaper Fender Jazz basses at some point.

[St August]

I dont know if this will be of any interest or not but I downloaded aprogram call Acoustica Beat craft its not midi but its ez to use and I really like the the samples heres an example


http://www.soundclick.com/util/getplaye ... 76133&q=hi