Need software drum sequencer advice

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Newbie here. So I am a drummer and not a huge fan of drum machines or sequencers. However you can’t really deny their usefulness. I have been enjoying working with Boom which is the free one with Pro Tools. The sounds are sort of cheap sounding to my ears and I would much rather be able to add drum sounds that I like or even my own kit sounds. The main thing I really like about Boom is how easy it is to create sequences from scratch and how simple it is to add to my mix.
Would anyone have suggestions for a better plug in than book with the ability to add better drum sounds. I also own edrummer from toontracks thinking I was buying a sequencer but I think it is just stock beats that you can mix together and use. I want to make my own grooves.
Thanks for the help.




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[Ben Jenssen]

Originally Posted by [email protected]

I also own edrummer from toontracks thinking I was buying a sequencer but I think it is just stock beats that you can mix together and use. I want to make my own grooves.

Hi. I never really used Boom, so I'm not shure if you can make it use your own samples. But Toontrax EZdrummer (if that's what you meant) has lots of nice sounds and you don't have to use its beats. Just insert it on a instrument track and trigger the sounds using a midi keyboard.

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So just build the groove right on the midi editor? Ok well that sounds easy enough haha. The book editor is much like FL studios with the blocks editor for beat making. That’s what I liked about it.
Thanks for the advice. I’ll give it a try.


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[amagras]

Big fan of Boom here. I'm my opinion it sounds great if you understand that it is not intended to sound like a real drum, it has been sampled from electronic drum machines like the Roland 808 and 909 which have become a whole world on their own even contributing to the sonority of some popular music styles. If you want real drum sounds to use with an electronic drum type of MIDI controller then EZ drummer does have great samples of real drums, especially from version 2 and up. My favourite for a long time was the free Drummica for Kontakt by Sennheiser but right now I almost every time use Steven Slate Drums as it sounds even more real and easy to mix to me. If you actually want drum machines then Addictive Drums has a pack called Reel Machines that has all the classics including a Simmons and a Linn drum. Hope this helps

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Thanks for that response. I will check them out tonight. The drummica sounds good... especially with that word free haha.


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[amagras]

Originally Posted by [email protected]

Thanks for that response. I will check them out tonight. The drummica sounds good... especially with that word free haha.


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SSD5 has also a free kit and it's a lot more comprehensive than Kontakt, check out the description of Benoni's video for the download link:
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=z_Sq4jkKyuo

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Wow. That’s a nice sound. So with this you would be using the sounds from this plug in and creating the groove in the midi editor. Right? Do you know of any plug in that has a FL studio type sequencer for drums. I find those easier to use than the midi editor.


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[albee1952]

To me, BOOM is just a beat box when it sounds like you want real-sounding drums. Superior Drummer 3 would be my suggestion. Not that I think it sounds "better" than other options("better" being very subjective), but because of a few features that are missing from other options. Tops on that list is the ability to use SD3 to replace sounds, and it does a great job with minimal fuss. All the major players are capable of giving you great sounding drum tracks(assuming you are a good mixer, in the first place). From my own experience, there are a few things to consider in getting the best results(again, "best" being totally subjective) and here's my top few ideas:

1-find a way to make the overall sound become YOUR sound and not the same sound as the other 5000 people using the plugin. The way I do that is to NOT use the ambient or room mics and substitute my own acoustic signature(any small room reverb will make a big difference). I also tend to change tuning a bit from the stock settings.

2-don't be afraid to edit the midi loops. While there are tons of loops available(which can be great for non-drummers), as a drummer, you can easily edit what the plugin gives you, so dive in

3-my personal preference is to alter the bleed that the stock kits include(they tend to have way too much snare in the overheads for my taste)

At the end of the day, SD3, Slate, EZDrummer, Addictive Drums, BFD, etc are all capable of great tracks

[Ben Jenssen]

I guess you're looking for the combination of FL sequencer with its intuitive interface and the perfect sampled drums plugin. I don't know if that exists. I think it's a great idea.

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Originally Posted by albee1952

To me, BOOM is just a beat box when it sounds like you want real-sounding drums. Superior Drummer 3 would be my suggestion. Not that I think it sounds "better" than other options("better" being very subjective), but because of a few features that are missing from other options. Tops on that list is the ability to use SD3 to replace sounds, and it does a great job with minimal fuss. All the major players are capable of giving you great sounding drum tracks(assuming you are a good mixer, in the first place). From my own experience, there are a few things to consider in getting the best results(again, "best" being totally subjective) and here's my top few ideas:

1-find a way to make the overall sound become YOUR sound and not the same sound as the other 5000 people using the plugin. The way I do that is to NOT use the ambient or room mics and substitute my own acoustic signature(any small room reverb will make a big difference). I also tend to change tuning a bit from the stock settings.

2-don't be afraid to edit the midi loops. While there are tons of loops available(which can be great for non-drummers), as a drummer, you can easily edit what the plugin gives you, so dive in

3-my personal preference is to alter the bleed that the stock kits include(they tend to have way too much snare in the overheads for my taste)

At the end of the day, SD3, Slate, EZDrummer, Addictive Drums, BFD, etc are all capable of great tracks

That’s great advice. Thank you. I am going to have to dig in a bit more to find my sound with my grooves. I love the three suggestions.


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