How to 'humanize' a MIDI drum performance rhythmically...

[shotgunndunn]

Hey guys!!!

I'm already aware of the randomize velocity feature. So my velocities are sounding pretty natural. However, all my drum hits are 100% perfectly quantized and I can't stand it. I see the quantized option when I right click in the piano roll view. I have been able to bring stuff that is out of time back into time successfully. Now I need to select a region one note at a time (o.e. kicks, hen snare, etc..) and loosen them up a bit with respect to the grid.

I have tried selecting a group of kick or snare notes and quantize to say, less than 100%. I don't see, hear, or feel things getting any looser.

Any tips?

[Richard901]

There is a Randomize tick box and percentage slider in the Quantize window.

[WombatStudio.Org]

Originally Posted by Richard901

There is a Randomize tick box and percentage slider in the Quantize window.

+1 ... I'm always using this to "humanize" a quantized human performance.

It's weird, it's played by a human, then quantized to fix, then randomized to sound like a more perfect human. Ah computers!

[Stig Eliassen]

Also, don't forget the awesome feature "Restore performance".

[shotgunndunn]

Originally Posted by WombatStudio.Org

+1 ... I'm always using this to "humanize" a quantized human performance.

It's weird, it's played by a human, then quantized to fix, then randomized to sound like a more perfect human. Ah computers!

Almost as ironic as what the heavy metal band Anthrax posted on their website in the days after 09-11-2001.

The five of them would come out on stage in mechanic jumpsuits. Each with a word on their chest. It said, "WE'RE NOT CHANGING OUR NAME!!!"

Then on the bottom of their site it said...

"If any member of Anthrax should contract the disease anthrax, please call Alanis Morrisette. Because that would be ironic. Don't ya think?"

Well, that had very little to with anything in this post... I've always wanted to tell that to people. There's one item off my bucket list. Actually, I told sorry dozens of times. Now what?!?

I'll be sure to try these suggestions out.

I like that... "To sound like a perfect human." Nice!!!

[shotgunndunn]

For the record, the tracks I'm editing are totally quantized programmed MIDI drum performances never played by a human. I have the fun job of editing out all the "multiple arm hits" as in... Two toms in addition to two crashes and a ride bent struck simultaneously. Not to mention the double kick with the pedal hi hat. L-l-l-l-l-lovely!!!

[shotgunndunn]

Originally Posted by Richard901

There is a Randomize tick box and percentage slider in the Quantize window.

So this will take a perfectly programmed performance and loosen it up depending on the slider value? With 100% being total machine and 0% being 'time to find a new drummer'?

I believe I may have messed with that parameter before but didn't see anything shift nor did I hear or feel anything change in the performance.

[Richard901]

Originally Posted by shotgunndunn

So this will take a perfectly programmed performance and loosen it up depending on the slider value? With 100% being total machine and 0% being 'time to find a new drummer'?

The higher the percentage - the more random.

[colinmansfield]

Originally Posted by shotgunndunn

Hey guys!!!

I'm already aware of the randomize velocity feature. So my velocities are sounding pretty natural. However, all my drum hits are 100% perfectly quantized and I can't stand it. I see the quantized option when I right click in the piano roll view. I have been able to bring stuff that is out of time back into time successfully. Now I need to select a region one note at a time (o.e. kicks, hen snare, etc..) and loosen them up a bit with respect to the grid.

I have tried selecting a group of kick or snare notes and quantize to say, less than 100%. I don't see, hear, or feel things getting any looser.

Any tips?

There are several ways to do this, some of them are in the replies above. A bit more involved would be to find a drum loop whose feel you like, import it into your project, then use Beat Detective to extract and copy the groove and apply it to the MIDI track(s) through the Quantize dialog.. Then mute or remove the audio loop.Beat Detective gives you a way to save the groove to use again or you can simply use it through the "from clipboard" setting in Quantize, in the pop-up where you choose the note division.

I have a largish set of groove files that I've moved and converted to different formats (DP and PT for instance) that I've used since my Studio Vision days. I know I found many free groove files to download over the years. although those years were long ago now. A quick Google search on this phrase: "drum groove MIDI files" yielded decent results. Top of the list was Groove Monkey.

Groove files go into a special folder -- Avid>Pro Tools>Grooves and can be accessed through the Quantize dialog box via a pop-up menu near the middle of the Quantize box. Avid already supplies some, but I'd recommend trying out some more human-like grooves if you can. try here: <http://www.numericalsound.com/dna-groove-templates-notes.html>

I used to use groove files at 100% strength, but now that I've got many more years under my (ever expanding) belt I shoot for more moderate values. You can use these with other MIDI instruments as well (bass and keys for example). Just remember if it's a melodic instrument to uncheck the duration line in the Quantize window (unless you want extremely staccato bass).

[shotgunndunn]

While I'm thinking of it... How do I select all of one note in piano roll view and adjust all note lengths? I mean, I know how to select all of one note by clicking on that note on the piano key. Here's my dilemma... My friend has programmed MIDI drum parts in a program called Tabit. For some reason the note lengths are as long as until the next drum hit. This makes for a messy view. How can I quickly shorten the note lengths?

I've tried to quantize note off to no avail.

Any thoughts?