how do you create your drum/ bass sections? - Guitars101

**baddmann28** · 03-22-2005, 08:45 PM

I'm peeking into the world of digital recording and have downloaded trial versions of Guitar Tracks and Kristal, as well as Band in a box. I was wondering how you guys build your drum and bass sections? I don't have a midi keyboard so I'm looking at programs like band in a box to create sections to record and then use sound fonts to make it sound more real (sounds like a lot of work). I see that guitar tracks has drum and bass looping, how does that work? Can anyone give me any examples of what the looping sounds like? What are you guys using other than real instruments?

**nroberts** · 03-22-2005, 08:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by baddmann28

I'm peeking into the world of digital recording and have downloaded trial versions of Guitar Tracks and Kristal, as well as Band in a box. I was wondering how you guys build your drum and bass sections? I don't have a midi keyboard so I'm looking at programs like band in a box to create sections to record and then use sound fonts to make it sound more real (sounds like a lot of work). I see that guitar tracks has drum and bass looping, how does that work? Can anyone give me any examples of what the looping sounds like? What are you guys using other than real instruments?

I use a program called hydrogen to build my drums. It is a pretty cool drum machine, but it could use improvements. For bass...well I uh....play a bass. I picked up an "Epiphone Gibson" for $150 and bought a Behinger amp for about the same price.

**BleedingPinky** · 03-22-2005, 11:59 PM

Hi. It´s not that I know much about PC recording, but to answer about the loop question I can tell you I also started out with guitar tracks using them, but I just wanted something simpler to manage, and found out Audacity as a great free program, which I use not only for recording with or without BT´s, but also as a "drum machine" for practicing-messing around. You just import a loop and press "shift" while ticking on the play button, and the loop plays back for ever. There´s a bunch of free loop samples on the net, it´s just a matter of finding the ones you like.

**stingx** · 03-23-2005, 03:27 AM

I use FL Studio Producer Edition and amazing soundfonts.

**Mondy** · 03-23-2005, 03:40 AM

Good post. I've always wondered how you guys get great sounding backings that you made from scratch.

I'll be watching this thread with interest.

**ksdb** · 03-23-2005, 05:13 AM

I've dabbled in just about every technique you can do. No. 1 is to know a real drummer who can lay down tracks for you. Otherwise it's a matter finding a method that you're comfortable with. Some software apps like Fruity Loops are very flexible and can give great results, but requires a certain amount of work to program beats. In that situation, it really helps if you know how to play drums

An external drum machine such as Alesis, Boss or Zoom comes with pre-programmed beats, but can also allow you to create you own. Step sequencing and/or real time recording on a drum machine can be difficult, awkward and time-consuming. I have a Zoom RT-234. It has good samples including bass guitar and bass synthesizer stuff. Sounds good if you can program it right.

Band In A Box and Jammer Pro are a couple of programs that are easier to use for the nondrummer. I think you just pick a style and put in the chords for your song. It still takes a while to put a track together, but the results are usually pretty decent. Afterwards you can use soundfonts or samples, although you may need a secondary application for that.

Pre-recorded drum loops are good, but generally you are locked in to the tempo parameters and the recording quality of the initial wave file. These loops are much, much easier to drag, drop and play, but again, it's a little limited.

If you're not doing original music, but just want jam to a favorite tune, find a midi file of the song, use some soundfonts to improve the sound quality and then record your guitars live. That works really well and easy. I've used midi files to trigger my Zoom drum machine too and that sounds great.

Besides Fruity Loops, look for Hot Stepper and Leaf Drums as a couple of simple drum sequencing programs. Newer programs like Groove Agent and Jam Stix are also good for nondrummers, but cost a little more money and use a lot RAM on your pc.

There's other software out there; some easier than others, so if you find something cool down the road, post it here for the rest of us.

**buckkillr8** · 03-23-2005, 05:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by stingx

I use FL Studio Producer Edition and amazing soundfonts.

me too

ericgtr · 03-23-2005, 06:11 AM

I have FL Studio and will admit that I am a complete idiot with it. Even with POD GOD's tutorial I can't figure out how to make a basic drum beat, I have looked on the net too. I need a real idiots guide to that starts at opening the program up and a very basic click by click that doesn't assume you know all the shit in between lol. When I am writing tunes I always end up using my keyboard and manually tapping in the drum parts, by the time I have to learn all that other shit I could have a ton of new tunes by just playing them manually.

**stingx** · 03-23-2005, 06:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ericgtr

I have FL Studio and will admit that I am a complete idiot with it. Even with POD GOD's tutorial I can't figure out how to make a basic drum beat, I have looked on the net too. I need a real idiots guide to that starts at opening the program up and a very basic click by click that doesn't assume you know all the shit in between lol. When I am writing tunes I always end up using my keyboard and manually tapping in the drum parts, by the time I have to learn all that other shit I could have a ton of new tunes by just playing them manually.

Get a hold of me in chat latter. I'll letcha download some soundfonts to import into FL Studio that will blow your mind.

ericgtr · 03-23-2005, 06:23 AM

Sweet, will you also tell me how to make it do a basic boom boom tap too? lol.. I need to learn that.

Rythameen · 03-23-2005, 07:00 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nroberts

I use a program called hydrogen to build my drums. It is a pretty cool drum machine, but it could use improvements. For bass...well I uh....play a bass. I picked up an "Epiphone Gibson" for $150 and bought a Behinger amp for about the same price.

Is Hydrogen a windows prog? I found it on the net, but all I could find was source code for linux.

**Mondy** · 03-23-2005, 07:06 AM

Do you really need the full version of Fruity Loops Studio or will the demo version be fine ? I remember downloading the demo version, having a stab with POD GOD's tutorial, but even after all of that, like eric, I was left going :

**ksdb** · 03-23-2005, 07:12 AM

If you have Fruity Loops but not a soundfont player or don't understand how to play sound fonts, try downloading some high quality drum samples. There are some great ones here:

Tom Hicks Drum Samples

For Eric and anyone else:

If you're just trying to come up with a basic beat in FL, here's a quick way to get started:

When you open it, make sure you have the realistic drum samples. You can go to File > Template and choose "Realistic Drums."

Then you'll have the basic programming grid that should look like this.

First give your project or song a name and Save it. FL names it as an .flp file which can be opened later.

Next, in the area that's circled, adjust the tempo to the speed you're comfortable with; 120 is a steady one to start with. You can adjust it later.

Notice next to the tempo is a Pattern number. Songs are composed of several patterns. After you make the first pattern, you can select No. 2 and that should give you another blank grid for your next pattern. You may end up creating and using several patterns for a song.

Now let's make a basic beat. Select each of the squares highlighted below. Then hit the play button and you should hear a fairly common beat. Notice in the circled area there are two light indicators. One's for pattern, one is for song. Make sure pattern is selected.

Save the file. Go to pattern 2 and start clicking some of the same squares or different ones. You may need to experiment to create a beat that you like.

After you have built some patterns, click on the Playlist button (arrow points to it below) and you should see a second grid with patterns. This is intuitive. Click patterns in the order you want them played. When you hit the Play button, make sure you select song instead of pattern. If you like it, you can save and then export the song as a Wave file (under the File command). It should be easy to understand from there. See if this gets you started.

ericgtr · 03-23-2005, 09:09 AM

Thanks ksdb!

**nroberts** · 03-23-2005, 09:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ksdb

After you have built some patterns, click on the Playlist button (arrow points to it below) and you should see a second grid with patterns. This is intuitive. Click patterns in the order you want them played. When you hit the Play button, make sure you select song instead of pattern. If you like it, you can save and then export the song as a Wave file (under the File command). It should be easy to understand from there. See if this gets you started

Heh, this is almost exactly how hydrogen works in linux.