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WeHuntKings wrote:

skullservant wrote:Garageband. I had an Alesis SR-16 for a while but never got the hang of it

been using garageband, but i can't seem to put beats together that isn't just one pattern stretched out over the length of a song. i really want an sr-16 though.

this may sound stupid and/or obvious, but to write interesting drum parts you have to think like a drummer. good drummers don't play the same thing all the time...they sometimes vary the kick if necessary to follow the bassline or the riff, they change from the cymbals to the hats when the vocals come in, they play louder or quieter, they use fills to punctuate. you can get away with using one or two basic patterns when programming if you write a few variations, different versions of the turnaround/fill/ending/return, etc. so it's not exactly the same every iteration.

it also helps to try to write parts that an actual drummer could play. it's easy to program parts that would require an octopus with the timing of Jaki Liebezeit to execute in real time, and that tends to feel uncomfortable to the listener. i sit and tap along with my parts with my hand, foot, or a pencil to make sure they could actually be played.

zoom mrt3 is dirt cheap i got mine from someone here for 40 or so. Sounds decent and is super easy to use to get a beat going.

I currently have 2 drum machines, paid under $100 for each of them, and I love them both.

Alesis HR-16: WAY better than the SR-16. It's also super quick and intuitive to use. I found the SR to be sterile and boring. The HR has a lot more character, but it's less "realistic" (not to say the SR is convincing at all). Get the 16B model if you can find it. If not, you can "upgrade" with new ROM and OS chips. I found the sounds to be much more useable. There's also a ton of modifications and bends that can be done to it too. Check http://www.burnkit2600.com/

Yamaha RX7: It's an expanded RX5 for less than half the price (but you lose the individual outputs). The sounds are editable, and it has 24 pads! Lo-fi 80's digital, but it sounds awesome to me. It was used all over Sisters of Mercy - Floodland from what I've read.

We have an Alesis SR-16 that we use for more "real" sounding drums, and a Korg Electribe EM-1 that we use for more "fake" sounding drums, both of them triggered by a laptop running Cubase. It's actually rather run to sit there and play around with beats in Cubase, rather than trying to do them on the drum machines themselves.

I know this is software but there's so much flexibility... you load samples or 'design' your own drums. Plus the routing and the built-in effects and other options are crazy!

I second the software suggestion. Not quite as good as the real thing but once you get your hands on some decent samples it's more than a stopgap.

kong looks really cool! thats a reason module only tho right?

Dr. Sherman Sticks M.D. wrote:kong looks really cool! thats a reason module only tho right?

Yeah Kong is a Reason module only. You also get the ReDrum with Reason which is more like your Electribe drum step programmers.

MannequinRaces wrote:

Dr. Sherman Sticks M.D. wrote:kong looks really cool! thats a reason module only tho right?

Yeah Kong is a Reason module only. You also get the ReDrum with Reason which is more like your Electribe drum step programmers.

damn, was hoping u would say, "nO! it is also a vst" or something like that.

Dr. Sherman Sticks M.D. wrote:

MannequinRaces wrote:

Dr. Sherman Sticks M.D. wrote:kong looks really cool! thats a reason module only tho right?

Yeah Kong is a Reason module only. You also get the ReDrum with Reason which is more like your Electribe drum step programmers.

damn, was hoping u would say, "nO! it is also a vst" or something like that.

Sorry to let you down, but for any of you that have a decent computer and are in need of a DAW that's easy to use and get can as complicated as you want... look into Reason. Great drum machines, synths, effects, sequencing, etc.. Yes it is missing some features of other DAW's but I can't say enough good things about it!

Dr. Sherman Sticks M.D. wrote:

MannequinRaces wrote:

Dr. Sherman Sticks M.D. wrote:kong looks really cool! thats a reason module only tho right?

Yeah Kong is a Reason module only. You also get the ReDrum with Reason which is more like your Electribe drum step programmers.

damn, was hoping u would say, "nO! it is also a vst" or something like that.

You could rewire Reason through another program. Not sure what's compatible but I was using it with Ableton a few times before.

fiddelerselbow wrote:You could rewire Reason through another program. Not sure what's compatible but I was using it with Ableton a few times before.

Excellent point. I believe also Cubase, Logic, Pro Tools, Sonar, and more are also compatible.