Drum Machine Functionality

[DragonBlight]

I'm looking at buying a drum machine to use with Pro Tools. I want to be able to touch the triggers at any point in the mix and have the drum machine start within rhytyhm of the song. Sort of like the way that boom functions, but on a piece of hardware. Do I need to clock (or sync im not really sure which is which) the machine to something like MMC? What kind of machine am I looking for?

[nst7]

Is there a particular reason you're wanting to use hardware? Just curious.

[DragonBlight]

Definitely something that can write its drum patterns as MIDI. If at the very worst, I could just volumetrically trigger it.

[DragonBlight]

Originally Posted by nst7

Is there a particular reason you're wanting to use hardware? Just curious.

Well... they sell libraries of fills and such for lots and lots of money, if one of my friends has a piece of hardware, I'd like to take advantage of it's library.

[DragonBlight]

On a side note... I don't know how to enter in automation any other way than using my mouse to slide it up and down and get it on the exact number... which is tedious and there has to be a better way...

[albee1952]

I don't think that's going to give you success. It sounds like you might want to look into toontracks ezdrummer.

[DragonBlight]

Thats not controlled like boom though right? I want to get EZ drummer, but I want to be able to trigger each drum via midi... not sequences. Enlighten me if you can do this with boom. I like the kits that boom has, it would be great if I didn't have to buy a set of drum sounds for when I get my electronic drum set.

[albee1952]

BOOM sounds are more for hip hop and rap and not so great for pop/rock drums. Ezdrummer works great with both a Roland TD10 kit(should work fine with any similar setup) as well as my M-Audio Trigger Finger. If you prefer to play in the parts with either a triggered kit or a pad device(like the Trigger Finger) then I would recommend Superior Drummer2 if you can afford it. It can take all the ezdrummer expansion kits(and it allows you to mix drums from different kits and you can tune the drums-this cannot be done in ezdrummer). The Nashville EZX is an excellent add-on for pop/rock and country, as is the Metal Foundry(despite its name). Lots of great sounds are available in that program(as well as others like BFD or Strike). Go to toontrack.com and check them out. If you hit my myspace page, the song Dungeon Of Diamonds was done with a Roland kit midi'd into Superior Drummer.

[frantik]

Originally Posted by DragonBlight

I want to be able to trigger each drum via midi... not sequences. Enlighten me if you can do this with boom.

you can indeed do that with boom... try playing a few octaves up or down from the patterns triggers and you will play the drums as single hits

[DragonBlight]

I must be missing something... how? Where is this option... I seem to only be able to make loops.