A Better Way to Program Drums in Reaper (in my opinion anyway)
I feel a bit pompous posting this to a group of Reaper experts, but I'm hoping this can help someone if they're struggling with programming drums in Reaper.
I'd love any suggestions for improvements. I feel like we're only a few steps away from having Reaper be really optimal for MIDI drums.
We need more actual workflow videos. It's one thing for someone to show an action out of context, but showing workflows is so much more practical. This is great stuff. Thanks !
It would be nice to see this thread become the place to add scripts, actions, cycle actions, toolbars, tips & tricks, etc...for the purpose of drum programming!
at the same time, there 'could' be so much more if you were to get into
some of the script work by the masters on the scripts area of this forum.
Probably. And I very well may do that. I get super into this kind of crap sometimes, spending hours at a time figuring out how to do something if I'm in the mood
From the videos I've seen, Cubase has a really robust drum mode. It doesn't seem all that much different than what Reaper is capable of, it just takes a couple of custom actions and stuff to get us there. Drum programming is such necessity for many modern bedroom musicians like me, so I'm hoping the Reaper community will wanna rally around something like this and figure out ways to fill in the gaps or perhaps Cockos will implement a dedicated drum editor. They've made huge strides in Reaper 5 with MIDI including drum specific issues. We're SOOOO CLOOOOSE!
Another nice thing about this approach is, if you like using the inline MIDI editor in the main arrange (some hate it, I love it), it will reflect some of the main MIDI editor settings DeathByGuitar recommends, including "show only used" and/or "only named" notes.
It also will display notes as diamonds/half-diamonds. It doesn't display the note names, however (no room for them, or maybe there's a way to change that I haven't seen).
So you can also have a very nice little inline drum sequence editor right in the arrange!
I'd love any suggestions for improvements. I feel like we're only a few steps away from having Reaper be really optimal for MIDI drums.
I would totally recommend anyone to purchase reason(6 upwards) as the perfect companion for reaper drum/sound programming.
Rewired sessions are a total blast! midi can go both ways.
There's a number of devices that trigger vst and reason stock players drums very well.
Using modules like redrum,matrix,alligator,rpg8 and lfo's from anything else.
Everything can be controlled with down to 1 midi track>16 channels per bus.
A single multitrack file/recording can be made in reaper-on the fly tweaking is a breeze.
No human can beat a machine!
No human can play like this,even with the biggest and baddest kits.
Reason *is* great for drums. A cheaper more arcane but awesome alternative for ReWire drums into Reaper is Renoise, which I use for complicated/breakbeat drums, Reaper I use more for straightforward traditional sequencing.
Reason *is* great for drums. A cheaper more arcane but awesome alternative for ReWire drums into Reaper is Renoise, which I use for complicated/breakbeat drums, Reaper I use more for straightforward traditional sequencing.
I don't doubt that it's amazing but I'd rather see how much I can squeeze out of Reaper. I hate using using multiple programs unless I absolutely have to.
I don't doubt that it's amazing but I'd rather see how much I can squeeze out of Reaper. I hate using using multiple programs unless I absolutely have to.
I don't like breaking out of either programme either-they just compliment very well here.It's no different to any other 'pop up' window.
Megababy does the job good enough- and a few other js/scripts do very nyce triggers.
Save all your midi files-they can be rea composed/chopped and rea arranged quick time.
Load a kit into a reaper track,and you can browse through the media explorer them midi files while previewing loaded kits.
Golden.
Well you know what some say "once you've had rack,you don't look back"
@mpl-ty- could you make that script a little more 'intuitive'? seems kool n that-just not easy-for-noobz-like-me to figure 1st time round.
I guess it's fine once learned..
Ok thanks mpl-i think it's excellent-will give it another try now it's been updated a lot!
Tbh-1st time I tried it-totally not intuitive(random clicking did not rea lly help to begin)
I think with a lot of plugins and scripts user must 'get it' straight away 1st time,or some just move on and not look again..shame that-with extra learning these tools are most powerfull when they operate well.
Random stuff is what I like to generate anyway,but I like "organised randomness"- I want stuff to go to how it's set.
Credits come your way!
Location: Near Cambridge UK and Near Questembert, France
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Its all good. I AM going to try out deathbyguitars stuff though - it does things very close to how I work now but looks smoother and quicker and easier.
Lets hope it acts that way for an old duffer like me, too.
Still think I will be doing most of my drums by playing them in and editing out my klunkers, but this looks very useful.
Thanks, DBG.
Location: Near Cambridge UK and Near Questembert, France
Posts: 22,754
Bri1 is a nerd - In my opinion, anything you put in a drum part that is physically impossible for a human drummer to play isnt drumming. Its that godawful noise my grandkids listen to!
Bri1 is a nerd - In my opinion, anything you put in a drum part that is physically impossible for a human drummer to play isnt drumming. Its that godawful noise my grandkids listen to!
When I got my first hardware based midi drum machine, a Sequential Circuits DrumTrak, and you programmed drum patterns by pressing one or more buttons on each loop of a predefined length of time, I always tried to keep from doing things like playing tom fills while kick, snare, and hihat patterns were playing.
I didn't want it to sound like some octapus drummer with eight arms and hands. Then I got a midi pad drumkit, and my midi drums became much more believable, but since then, I've gone back to using real drums for recording, and only a couple of the oldest songs I have up now still use Superior Drummer played from V-Drums.
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Glennbo
Hear My Music - Click Me!!!
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Bri1 is a nerd - In my opinion, anything you put in a drum part that is physically impossible for a human drummer to play isnt drumming. Its that godawful noise my grandkids listen to!
Bri1 is a nerd - In my opinion, anything you put in a drum part that is physically impossible for a human drummer to play isnt drumming. Its that godawful noise my grandkids listen to!
Lol- wozzup m8? afraid the machines will beat anything you got?
Go challenge a machine-see how you get on
Drumming is a human art yes- but let's not forget how nature also drums in it's own ways- machines are the next stage of instrumentation for us to enjoy--why not.. i fully accept that i cannot 'compete' physically with a machine- but the machines don't seem to posses what humans do- REAL emotion. ! who knows what the top scientists are currently working on.. some of them labs are pretty intense i heard...
Nerd on that for a while
This is Terry Bozzio's drumkit. He's endorsed by DW and Sabian so he doesn't have to pay for all that.
cheers,
Hugo
Hehe, I actually knew dat. I'm a huge Zappa fan and got to see Boz play live.
I've actually gone the opposite direction and now have the smallest drum kit I've owned since I started playing. One rack tom, one floor tom, kick and snare. It's one of those BeBop kits. :-)
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Glennbo
Hear My Music - Click Me!!!
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Location: Near Cambridge UK and Near Questembert, France
Posts: 22,754
Quote:
Originally Posted by Bri1
Lol- wozzup m8? afraid the machines will beat anything you got?
Go challenge a machine-see how you get on
Drumming is a human art yes- but let's not forget how nature also drums in it's own ways- machines are the next stage of instrumentation for us to enjoy--why not.. i fully accept that i cannot 'compete' physically with a machine- but the machines don't seem to posses what humans do- REAL emotion. ! who knows what the top scientists are currently working on.. some of them labs are pretty intense i heard...
Nerd on that for a while
Sorry - forgot to put in the smiley! I don't REALLY think you are a nerd....
Well - not much of one, anyway.
And you kinda made my point for me - "top scientists" are trying to make machines do things as well as humans can.
Music isn't generally regarded as an olympic event, more of a means of emotional expression, I think.
And you kinda made my point for me - "top scientists" are trying to make machines do things as well as humans can.
I just want to be able to strap something on my head and as I imagine the beats in my head, they spit out in the MIDI editor when record is on. (seriously, one day, that will be possible - it's already possible actually, just not for Music/MIDI/DAWs). If their SDK wasn't so damn expensive, I'd already be doing this.
__________________ Music is what feelings sound like.
Last edited by karbomusic; 11-13-2017 at 10:05 AM.
I just want to be able to strap something on my head and as I imagine the beats in my head, they spit out in the MIDI editor when record is on. (seriously, one day, that will be possible - it's already possible actually, just not for Music/MIDI/DAWs). If their SDK wasn't so damn expensive, I'd already be doing this.
Lol-Enter the Borg =new film,about to start in 5...4...
Let's play with the internets *embedded* reality for a while--where we are ALL assimilated into the matrix of perception-guided only by desire to engulf and 'possibly' rule the multiverses.
Wake up people-we ALREADY live in a holographic universe- i like being 'unique'-refuse the assimilation induction to the day i won't die!!
People will take their place-working both with nature and machine to form the ultimate reality!!
Dammit-i have become the freekin nerd i so refused to become.. must cancel that arrangement some time.. =)
Aye-awesome drummer buddy-- Luckily with the interwebz- these things can ALWAYS be on!
Funny enough,even animal sees the beast in buddy-but animal still gets the final roll!! =)
AnywayzZz-people can learn how to use lfo's and other existing midi events,to make drum programming in reaper an absolute joy!
GLHF!
We did the Buddy Rich version of Westside Story when I was in the jazz band in school. There was a joke going around then, because of his reputation of ragging on the other musicians in the band.
Q. What's the difference between the Buddy Rich band and a bull?
A. A bull has the horns in the front and the a$$hole in the back.
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Glennbo
Hear My Music - Click Me!!!
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Buddy Rich was the definition of asshole. His bit about country music is simultaneously right and wrong - but 100% jerkish.
Terry Bozio did a clinic at a music store I worked at with that kit, used my lesson room for his green room. He can creatively use every part of it. The set up/tear down is interesting, as is the special micing technique he has for it that is remarkably simple but effective, sort of "modified Glynn Johns".
Lol-Enter the Borg =new film,about to start in 5...4...
Let's play with the internets *embedded* reality for a while--where we are ALL assimilated into the matrix of perception-guided only by desire to engulf and 'possibly' rule the multiverses.
Wake up people-we ALREADY live in a holographic universe- i like being 'unique'-refuse the assimilation induction to the day i won't die!!
People will take their place-working both with nature and machine to form the ultimate reality!!
Dammit-i have become the freekin nerd i so refused to become.. must cancel that arrangement some time.. =)
Yeah, I something think the Internet and/or other virtual reality technological systems, are simply the materialization of something spiritual going on; something we ought to better master, but regrettable will fail at, because we've been directed to focus on the materialistic proxies. This of coarse, is done purposefully, by the Deep Control System to make sure we remain immature slaved living in a planned, contrived, and rather perverse form of conscious reality...
+1 on the 'becoming the freekin nerd i so refused to become.. must cancel that arrangement some time'
Lolz--this maybe,another reason why bots have an advantage-total lack of 'person' ality.
A bot will not really eat,drink or shit on anybody-mentally or physically-- it's the physical aspects which keep a lot of actual human players in a job-currently--a human will find it very very very difficult to out drum a well programmed machine.This things will run indefinately!!
I actually spent years,and travelled thousands++ miles to track & own some really great drum recordings--it was *my thing*™ -i started digging for rare and *hard to find* records around 1984/85..on that journey i discovered thousands of qaulity recordings from a whole range of expert players and genres--which with great interest __began to study--deeply and intensely...then started dj'n these very short drum clips >as the aim on the turntables back then_ was to keep constant loops going of these very short drums.. this is a dj art initself!! it actually took me months to get it 'down'- but it came >and have been happier ever since!!
Now- with modern softwares this takes just a blink of an eye,with minimal of efforts to loop indefinately!!! lolz..
A friend a me >used to hunt a lot of grooves- here's a short wiki list of some of them grooves and recordings we searched so hard and long for!! The "ultimate breaks and beats" series >> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ultima..._Beats#SBR_499
You can youtube most tracks these dayz =sweet.💙
If you want to improve something =BECOME IT!