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Recording with V-Drums


Circus Hands

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Has anyone used v-drums for recording? We've been trying to record some stuff ourselves using our trusty 8-track, v-drums and various software on the laptop - Audacity, Garageband etc. I'm not convinced the v-drums sound that good, so am thinking that it might be the way that I'm recording them.

What we did was just take the output from the drum module to two inputs on the 8-track. Doing this, I don't have much control in how it sounds other than adjusting the volume for the whole kit at once. What I'd like to do is say, turn down the volume of ride cymbal and turn the floor tom up for example. I started reading up about using the MIDI interface to control a software drum kit, but to be honest I've not used MIDI before and don't know anything about it. Has anyone tried anything similar before, or got any tips that might help out?

Cheers :up:

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Guest droid
Has anyone used v-drums for recording? We've been trying to record some stuff ourselves using our trusty 8-track, v-drums and various software on the laptop - Audacity, Garageband etc. I'm not convinced the v-drums sound that good, so am thinking that it might be the way that I'm recording them.

What we did was just take the output from the drum module to two inputs on the 8-track. Doing this, I don't have much control in how it sounds other than adjusting the volume for the whole kit at once. What I'd like to do is say, turn down the volume of ride cymbal and turn the floor tom up for example. I started reading up about using the MIDI interface to control a software drum kit, but to be honest I've not used MIDI before and don't know anything about it. Has anyone tried anything similar before, or got any tips that might help out?

Cheers :up:

Try using them as a trigger for inputting midi notes into your sequencer,then when you playback the midi info into the module you can adjust individual volumes.Midi out of the module to midi in of computer,then midi out of your computer to midi in of the module....make sure you have them on the same midi channel.Hope this helps!

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Guest Gladstone
Try using them as a trigger for inputting midi notes into your sequencer,then when you playback the midi info into the module you can adjust individual volumes.Midi out of the module to midi in of computer,then midi out of your computer to midi in of the module....make sure you have them on the same midi channel.Hope this helps!

I'd love to know what you just said...!! ?(

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Try using them as a trigger for inputting midi notes into your sequencer,then when you playback the midi info into the module you can adjust individual volumes.Midi out of the module to midi in of computer,then midi out of your computer to midi in of the module....make sure you have them on the same midi channel.Hope this helps!

Ok, I think I know what you mean. But instead of taking the midi back to the drum module I could just take it as far as the laptop and record from there? Sounds like I need an evening of playing around with it. Cheers for the help!

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Guest droid
Ok, I think I know what you mean. But instead of taking the midi back to the drum module I could just take it as far as the laptop and record from there? Sounds like I need an evening of playing around with it. Cheers for the help!

You need to send a midi message back to the module to trigger the notes,so everytime you press play from your software it retriggers the sounds and you can tweak the volumes in the module.When you are happy then record it to a stereo audio track in your software.Yeah man play around with it see what works best for you.

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Guest droid
Record the audio as well as the midi and that gives you the option of re-adjusting it later.

Pointless recording the audio Mark if it's only a stereo mix and you are unhappy with the levels,don't you think?

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It really depends what your expectations are. It's unlikely to be exactly what you're after in terms of a mix but it gives you something to work with while you're writing/recording. Based on my experience, It tends to be an extra hassle when you record something to have to perform an additional process before it's possible to hear what you've recorded. You can use the 'midi module' type approach where you have a midi cable permanently plugged into your v-drums module but it's still not going to be as convenient as having an audio track (even if you don't use it on your final recording).

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Guest droid
It really depends what your expectations are. It's unlikely to be exactly what you're after in terms of a mix but it gives you something to work with while you're writing/recording. Based on my experience, It tends to be an extra hassle when you record something to have to perform an additional process before it's possible to hear what you've recorded. You can use the 'midi module' type approach where you have a midi cable permanently plugged into your v-drums module but it's still not going to be as convenient as having an audio track (even if you don't use it on your final recording).

Not at all,if all it takes is connecting a cable to achieve better results,all good.I think you aren't really referring to the original question.:up:

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If you find that solution works for you. My personal preference would be to record both the audio and the midi.

If you record the midi signal you can either run it back through your V-Drums module and adjust the volume levels of each drum and cymbal on that or run it through a software sound set, such as Steven Slate Drums, EZ Drummer or Battery.

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Guest droid
If you find that solution works for you. My personal preference would be to record both the audio and the midi.

If you record the midi signal you can either run it back through your V-Drums module and adjust the volume levels of each drum and cymbal on that or run it through a software sound set, such as Steven Slate Drums, EZ Drummer or Battery.

The software drum set i'e addictive drums or BFD would definitely be the better option.But if you don't have that,my suggestion would suffice.I personally wouldn't faff about recording audio to then change it afterwards.

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Guest Gladstone

Would it just be easier for me to bankrupt myself and build that fucking garage I've got planning permission for, soundproof it, and mic up the acoustic kit??

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Guest droid
Would it just be easier for me to bankrupt myself and build that fucking garage I've got planning permission for, soundproof it, and mic up the acoustic kit??

Probably!:laughing:

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The kits/mics/rooms used in sample banks of BFD etc are generally awesome/expensive as fuck and far outwith the reach of us non studio owner types. i think a properly set up midi kit with a shit hot sample bank will give you a far better drum track than a mic'd up kit in a garage unless you spend a fucking fortune.

I just got a new soundcard with midi in (Oh aye) so I'll see whether or not I'm being a dirty liar when we next record round mine.

Oh and Underkills, if you get a computer/midi interface on the go give me a shout and I'll give you a hand setting it up.

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The software drum set i'e addictive drums or BFD would definitely be the better option.But if you don't have that,my suggestion would suffice.I personally wouldn't faff about recording audio to then change it afterwards.

I like the idea of doing this, i.e. having the midi track to define what's been played and then playing around with the software kit to make it sound exactly like I want it to.

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what kit is it?

really handy if youv got one one those brains with indivual outputs for each drum; helps for mixing to make it sound realistic.

Iv used my TD3 which only has a stereo out, just whacked a decent amount of compression on it, sat well, but you could tell, especially when it came to rolls/dynamics.

It's a TD3 that I've got too. It's things like the cymbal samples that I find aren't quite right. But I've got a few things to try now with this midi stuff.

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The kits/mics/rooms used in sample banks of BFD etc are generally awesome/expensive as fuck and far outwith the reach of us non studio owner types. i think a properly set up midi kit with a shit hot sample bank will give you a far better drum track than a mic'd up kit in a garage unless you spend a fucking fortune.

I just got a new soundcard with midi in (Oh aye) so I'll see whether or not I'm being a dirty liar when we next record round mine.

Oh and Underkills, if you get a computer/midi interface on the go give me a shout and I'll give you a hand setting it up.

Sounds good min, cheers. what sample bank do you use out of interest?

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Guest Gladstone
Aye, pull your finger out FFS.

Listen - if you could just learn to play your Vdrums properly, we wouldn't even be having this debate.

Circus Hands indeed.

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Guest droid
Listen - if you could just learn to play your Vdrums properly, we wouldn't even be having this debate.

Circus Hands indeed.

XLN Audio Proper drum samples,multi-velocity,stacks of midi files,plays in time and doesn't moan and whinge like a real drummer....sorted!I don't use anything else.:up:

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Guest Gladstone
XLN Audio Proper drum samples,multi-velocity,stacks of midi files,plays in time and doesn't moan and whinge like a real drummer....sorted!I don't use anything else.:up:

Circus Hands - you're sacked.

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