To quantize or not to quantize. Thats is the question!!!

fasttrackpimp wrote:There is kind of a way to get a natural kind of swing, but still moderate quantize. I just record with 1/32 quantize almost all the time, but that varies depending on the style of beat I'm trying to make. Gives it just enough quantize to not sound super sloppy(if you have **** timing ), but not enough quantize to take that "live" feeling away like 1/16 and 1/16(3) can do.

Gives it - That's the key word . 1st off , I'm not knocking anybodies method that already works for them . I started out quantizing everything and I just could not understand why my beats lacked that FEEL even though my chops were on time . The truth of the matter is , once you hear what your sh1t can sound and feel like when you finally get it with the quantize off, you will not be an advocate of quantiziing . Unless you are doing some type of house or techno and even those disco drummers from back in the days had no quantize and they were solid . And when you get good at it , you can even make it sound like it's quantized - Man not the Machine

I quantize my samples (if it works, otherwise no quantization), my kicks and snares. The hats i don't quantize.

I started out with quantizing everything until i came accross this video on youtube where a guy said "don't quantize your hats" and demonstrated how you can give a beat that natural feel/groove if you don't. Ever since i record my hi-hats without quantization... and my beats sound A LOT better!

Also, don't forget velocity when it comes to recording drums!

mr.pleasant wrote:

asr10boy wrote:

mr.pleasant wrote:i got 1 word............ NEVER
Quantize means u don't got next to no rhythm

^ bull$hit, dickweed. using a machine to simulate drums means u don't got next to no rhythm!!!

ALWAYS QUANTIZE. THAT WAY YOU CAN COMMUNICATE WITH THE ROBOTS.

hear me out Mr. wannabee & neverbeen Asr10bwoi.... * yawn * leave the name callin else where, cuz u would'nt say that to me face, Mr.Simpleton bwoi... ....... ( 15 posts, kid )

& imma say it again, In my opinion & from great experiences, QUANTIZE is for people with next to no rhythm...
most of u wannabee beatsmiths have never had your fingertips touch a drumstix ( & rock band don't count fools )

never did i say its not a useable function just not for me, so step on a REAL drum kit & try to quantize
U CAN'T U DAMN FOOL....

listen up, goofball. THE VERY POINT OF A DRUM MACHINE IS TO NOT HAVE THE SO-CALLED "NATURAL" DRUMMER FEEL.

That's why the drum machine was invented! To mechanize the drummer's job! So, saying you want a natural or human feel ON A MACHINE is like trying to get that female Terminator pregnant.

So, no matter what velocity, swing, or how much you try to bite Dilla, your drums are just still just an electronically reproduced sound, SO ALWAYS QUANTIZE YOU SUCKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKERS!!!!!!!

Listen to any 80's music that used drum machines: QUANTIZED.

Since most drum machines are 96ppqn anyway, you really are quantizing your hits to this level of definition anyways. Barring the MPC 5000's 960ppqn which is actually quite hard to hear the natural quantize of the machine, you can still hear it change your beats ever so slightly from what you played anyways.

So I dunno... one trick is to double your tempo to effectively double your ppqn, or you can always sample the audio played live and see how well that works out for you .

Some of the things said on this forum that are presented as facts are laughable... others just silly. A quick search will tell you "THE VERY POINT OF A DRUM MACHINE" and "why the machine was invented" and thats not it. I can play those pads in a way that if you weren't watching you'd have no idea if I'm using 16 pads, 88 keys, or holdin drum sticks. A natural and human feel can most definitely be achieved on a drum machine

Example: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7cP6ca5eIds

Side Note: Yes that female terminator is only a machine and can't get pregnant... but that wouldn't stop me from tryin. I'd imagine our kids to be the illest beat boxers and midi compatible.

We are on the internet... where every statement is presented as fact

I'd say quantize until you develop real good feel

just make it sound good---really

Vary, and try everything. In the past I've quite liked quantizing most the drums except adding an extra unquantized snare on top of the quantized snare and using unquantized hi hats to give it that extra kind of echo shuffle sort of sound. I wanna get more into doing everything unquantized though personally

This is a stupid thread. Quantize is for beginners, double-tempo no-quantize is for the big boys.

My two cents. The meaning of quantize is placing your hits on exact time in the sequencer grid. Since a mpc is damn near perfect people complain as not natural. Human feel is never perfect or meant to be a little late or a lot early depending on your groove. If you want to quantize use it; but shift your hits by timing or step edit to move them off the strict grid. Play with the different swing settings on different hits til you got the sound you want.

Remember the mpc can be programmed to get the sound you want. Plus you can record with quantize off and step edit the off notes to an right sounding time. It is important to know your sequencer grid aka timing scale.

It is like composing drum measures.

it depends upon the type of music you're making. some people, like kraftwerk, enjoy the sound of machines. other people, especially modern hip hop, likes to simulate a live sound.

timing is just another tool of music production. to mistake it for the goal screams ignorance.

Come on now, some of you katz need to respect the others' preferences. There's no one way that's superior to another.

Some prefer to quantize, some don't.

beach_break wrote:it depends upon the type of music you're making. some people, like kraftwerk, enjoy the sound of machines. other people, especially modern hip hop, likes to simulate a live sound.

timing is just another tool of music production. to mistake it for the goal screams ignorance.

exactly my point. some songs require quantization because of the genre and style of the song... while some songs require a more humanized sound... saying that quantization is for noobs is dumb because when you practice your unquantized drumming your goal is to get it perfectly timed so it sounds as if it could have been quantized. Unless it is for live performances where people see the skill it is pointless to not use what technology offers.

Most people who don't use quantize sound awful.