programming drums -- full level

Discuss the various methods you use in music production, from compressor settings to equipment type.
 Reply Share on Facebook

programming drums -- full level

By zork Sat Apr 30, 2011 8:17 am
Do you always use 'full level' when programming your drums, or rather not, so drums maybe has more of that "human" feel to them?

What's your position on that?
How it was done professionally by great producers like RZA or Havoc...
User avatar

Re: programming drums -- full level

By damien907 Sat Apr 30, 2011 10:22 am
i like to leave it on when im creating and then go back and turn them all down manually, i found that on my 500 if i didnt have full level on then the drums would fluctuate way too much from hit to hit.

Re: programming drums -- full level

By HP. Sat Apr 30, 2011 11:11 am
damien907 wrote:i like to leave it on when im creating and then go back and turn them all down manually

Thats what i do.
Always have done, but now my pads are dying I don't have a choice :lol:

Re: programming drums -- full level

By jimmie Sat Apr 30, 2011 10:07 pm
damien907 wrote:... the drums would fluctuate way too much from hit to hit.


That's what the VELOcity setting in Program is for; so you can temper any wild variances easily after your hits are programmed.
User avatar

Re: programming drums -- full level

By damien907 Sun May 01, 2011 7:32 am
jimmie wrote:
damien907 wrote:... the drums would fluctuate way too much from hit to hit.


That's what the VELOcity setting in Program is for; so you can temper any wild variances easily after your hits are programmed.


i meant variancies of the levels in my programs because the pads werent very sensitive for my 500. i would rather just have it hit at full level regaurless of how hard i hit the pad then get the basic groove laid out and finally edit the velocity after the fact.

i never really finished beats completely in my mpc though i usually used logic as my sequencer and my mpc as the soundsource.

Re: programming drums -- full level

By TangoDigital Mon May 09, 2011 2:25 pm
Depends on the track. If you're making some robotic synth laden 808 type of stuff you're gonna look for that quantized full level artificial feel. More natural sound -> don't use full level. I use sample layering and adjust the velocity factor to get more variationon each hit.

Re: programming drums -- full level

By manji Wed May 11, 2011 11:55 am
how I make beats is I lay down the most basic drum tracks of all time first and formost, almost as just a metronome and I do that full level. then after I've got the melodies and all that figured out, I erase that one track and then i make the actual drum tracks, almost never on full level. I've made around 100 custom drum kits in my mpc4000 and atleast 80% of them have leveled samples where the sample sounds different the harder you hit the pad to add a little more dynasism to the sounds, so I do my best to take advantage of that.

My hi-hats are almost always full level, though. I just realized that.

Re: programming drums -- full level

By ghosty Wed May 11, 2011 5:16 pm
I would start learning to chop drum breaks. Rza and the likes didnt have full velocity options back in the day. They had very very little memory to work with. They chopped or looped a drum break. Its not magically going to be a equal volume after you chop the break. hats are the only thing i recommend not using full Level. Ever seen Araab make beats? Full Level At all times. The more amazing you play the more real it sounds. Dont try to full people with volume. The difference your hearing is not volume , its where the stick lands on the snare,toms,cymbols , and crash. The kick is at max Velocity at all times. this is why using 2 different snares and layering 1 different will yank the swing way better than velocity. Crappy playing is crappy playing no matter the velocity.
User avatar

Re: programming drums -- full level

By peterpiper Wed May 11, 2011 9:00 pm
ghosty wrote:I would start learning to chop drum breaks. Rza and the likes didnt have full velocity options back in the day. They had very very little memory to work with. They chopped or looped a drum break. Its not magically going to be a equal volume after you chop the break. hats are the only thing i recommend not using full Level. Ever seen Araab make beats? Full Level At all times. The more amazing you play the more real it sounds. Dont try to full people with volume. The difference your hearing is not volume , its where the stick lands on the snare,toms,cymbols , and crash. The kick is at max Velocity at all times. this is why using 2 different snares and layering 1 different will yank the swing way better than velocity. Crappy playing is crappy playing no matter the velocity.


:roll: What do you mean exactly?

You dont give a damn bout volume??

sorry but thats bs

peace
 Reply
Return to Production Techniques