How do I use sampled drums on Pro Tools?

[UndergroundLab]

I don't have the product yet, however I do not have a way to record drums from the drum set itself, so as a cheaper solution to buying 7-8 drum mics that one would normally need for each piece of the chicken, I'm thinking of getting a IK Instruments drum sample pack to record drums with. How would I be able to record drums in Pro Tools from a program like that?

Thanks.

[zedhed]

Originally Posted by UndergroundLab

I don't have the product yet, however I do not have a way to record drums from the drum set itself, so as a cheaper solution to buying 7-8 drum mics that one would normally need for each piece of the chicken, I'm thinking of getting a IK Instruments drum sample pack to record drums with.
Thanks.

It's not only the Mic's you'd need. An interface with sufficient I/O capability & pre's would also be required. Not to mention cables and other bits and pieces.

Originally Posted by UndergroundLab

How would I be able to record drums in Pro Tools from a program like that?

Thanks.

Using any 'virtual' instrument (VI) negates the need to actually "record" anything, at least at the part of the process where talent is used to physically play the instrument. Working with an interface using it's output only for monitoring is called working 'In the box'. Obviously it's a cheaper way to do things but it has it's limitations, nevertheless great results can be achieved once one knows what they're doing.

Most companies that provide samples supply a means to play them, using a specific program to do so. Once installed as a plug-in, you can use the program as an 'insert' on a track (typically an instrument track) in a Pro Tools session. It is within this program/plugin that one can select the samples to be played. At minimum, a fundamental knowledge of MIDI is the key to using VI's.

A 'trigger' is also needed to place midi notes into the timeline to play samples when & where they are wanted. The trigger can come in the form of a midi keyboard controller, midi drum pads, electronic drum kit or by manually penciling in midi notes on the timeline in the Midi Editor in Pro Tools (note: manually penciling in notes is generally not the way to go as it is more difficult to create a groove and is extremely time consuming). Using the pencil is best for fine tuning a performance when needed.

So as a basic setup one would create an instrument track in Pro Tools, insert the plugin-in on that track. It is a good idea to refer to the user manual to learn about signal I/O routing at this point.

Press the record/play button and play ones chosen trigger medium to place the midi notes onto the instrument track to create the performance. If you've routed everything correctly you can hear the drums in real time as you play. Companies that produce Programs/plug-ins often provide 'Midi Packs' which are professionally produced grooves which save you the job of capturing any performance at all. Drag n drop a midi groove onto the instrument track and you have a virtual drummer right there.

Once the Midi performance exists on the track, everything will be played back in virtual symphony. It is at this point one can dig in and process the sound of the triggered samples. A more sophisticated setup will have the drums routed out of the plug-in into discrete channels in Pro Tools so processing can be done on each piece of the drum kit separately. Some plug-ins have internal processing ability or one can use other 'external' (third party) plug-ins inserted on the track.

To record or 'Print' the midi performance, the instrument track would be routed and recorded to an Audio Track in Pro Tools. Once this is done, the performance becomes in a sense less virtual since it's now captured and committed. There is a variety of reasons for doing this but I won't get into that right now, suffice to say that it isn't always necessary.

This is a very basic explanation of what's going on and things can get way more complicated in heavily structured sessions where different types of instruments are added to the mix.

If you haven't already got at least an Interface, midi controller and a decent set of headphones, you are best advised to invest in these items to be able to get decent results.

Check Toontracks Superior Drummer (or ezydrummer) out, I'd recommend looking at one of these as a viable solution for you. There are a lot of other choices available as well which may better suit your budget/needs.

http://www.toontrack.com/product/superior-drummer-2/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l3eDi0QjJy4

https://www.toontrack.com/product/ezdrummer-2/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lQQbeKQ9Qsg

[Dillon Ribeiro]

Hi

I have a Roland td-3 drum kit and module. I have seen and heard that it is possible to connect these pd-8 pads through software on my PC to trigger samples and external sounds.

I want to know how to do this since it will allow for much broader sounds and increased efficiency and ease in set-up and switching between samples while on stage. It would be better to have this than to purchase an Alesis Sample pad pro

Advice and requirements on how to set it up or which software to purchase on my PC for the module to run through will be much appreciated!

[Mark Ziebarth]

Hi
You need to buy a sample drum software instrument like Addictive Drums. As well you need to connect your Roland module via Midi with the computer to send trigger signals. You can use Addictive Drums as a Plug-in in Pro Tools on an Instrument Track. In Addictive Drums you can choose your Roland set to get reasonable results. That’s the general setup.

Best

Mark

[Dillon Ribeiro]

Originally Posted by Mark Ziebarth

Hi
You need to buy a sample drum software instrument like Addictive Drums. As well you need to connect your Roland module via Midi with the computer to send trigger signals. You can use Addictive Drums as a Plug-in in Pro Tools on an Instrument Track. In Addictive Drums you can choose your Roland set to get reasonable results. That’s the general setup.

Best

Mark

Thanks Mark

After purchasing the software addictive drums on my Windows 10, Intel Core i7 PC. Do I connect my td-3 module via midi to my PC? (with some sort of cable which goes from Midi to PC input, or do I need another device?

So basically, do i just connect my roland pads into the td-3 module, and then from the module to the PC or where?

Thanks

[musicman691]

Originally Posted by Dillon Ribeiro

Thanks Mark

After purchasing the software addictive drums on my Windows 10, Intel Core i7 PC. Do I connect my td-3 module via midi to my PC? (with some sort of cable which goes from Midi to PC input, or do I need another device?

So basically, do i just connect my roland pads into the td-3 module, and then from the module to the PC or where?

Thanks

To answer your questions you really should take a look at the manual for your Roland system. It should have all you need to setup things with the computer. The Roland may have both traditional round 5 pin MIDI connections in which case you need a MIDI interface to go between the module and computer. It might also have a USB connection to connect to the computer. Once again the manual will have the info you need.

Then you'll need to see if Addictive Drums has a mapping preset that works with the Roland module. If it doesn't have a specific mapping it should have a General MIDI mapping and the Roland should have that mapping available as well. Once again - the manual to the rescue.

[albee1952]

This is actually quite simple, once you understand a few things:
#1-what is midi and what does it do?
#2-How do I get midi into Pro Tools?
#3-little details that make or break function.

#1-midi(in the case of drums) is about as rudimentary as it gets. Midi gets a "note on" message from the trigger pad at a specific note value(like C3, D4, A2). These correspond to notes on a midi keyboard and also to sounds in the Roland module).

#2-Connect the Roland brain to the computer(USB) or your interface(MIDI cable). Either will work, as long as its configured correctly in the correct menu. For Pro Tools on Windows, in Pro Tools, Setup>Midi>Midi Studio. Here is where you create an "instrument", name it as you like(maybe "Roland Kit"), the brand and model are option(not required) and the crucial setting, the input port(how midi comes into the machine). In the case of a USB connection, it should show on a list(maybe the ONLY item on the list) as "Roland TD3 on USB[Emulated]"(or similar). Midi Output can be left blank for now(you would only need that set if you wanted to send midi back to the Roland brain to use the Roland sounds, but leave this for another time)

#3-with Addictive Drums, there will be an option somewhere(lower right corner?) for an E Kit preset(aka "midi mapping") for Roland(probably on a list along with Alesis and Yamaha). Call up a stereo Instrument track in your session and insert Addictive Drums in the top slot and mouse-click to make sure you can hear the plugin drum sounds. Hit the record button and play the kit and you SHOULD be hearing the plugin drums. Keep your playback buffer as low as possible to avoid latency while you record. Once you record your performance, you are free to edit/quantize the midi notes to your liking.

remember, you can also use (Pro Tools Transport window) the midi merge function so you could record the bass drum, then record over that and add the snare, so even if your playing is poor(like mine), you can still build a good drum track.