Old 05-12-2007, 02:17 PM   #1
lisagloria
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Default ReaDrums (or any drums)

If I do not have a MIDI input device, can I still use Readrums? I'm lost. In the explanation of ReaDrums it says to "simply" drag the fx into the sampler.... I don't know what that means. Drag it where?

Thanks for any direction you can offer.

Lisa
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Old 05-12-2007, 03:03 PM   #2
alex zonder
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lisagloria, here's jamester's posting of his ReaDrums plus the corresponding track template:
http://www.cockos.com/forum/showpost...80&postcount=3
Do read the original thread as well (also for drum sample links)

After opening that template in REAPER you'll be able to drag and drop one-shot drum samples (from the explorer window) into ReaDrums'sample slots. So you'll need the samples to set up a kit; 'preview' them in the explorer window.

Teej posted his own ReaDrums project template that includes drum samples: if you're able to find that posting in the forum (I wasn't) and open that template in REAPER you'd be ready to go. You could save that project template as a track template: select all the involved track panels and save as track template.

You don't need a MIDI input device: just write your own drum tracks in REAPER's midi editor and have them performed by ReaDrums.

Hope it works out, good luck
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Old 05-12-2007, 03:38 PM   #3
Bevosss
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Default TJ's Readrum Project

I uploaded the Readrum project by TJ here:

https://stash.reaper.fm/oldsb/20388/ReaDrums-teej.rar

It's around 6 MB and it's a Prince-type loop (Sign of the times). It should be enough to get you started.
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Old 05-13-2007, 09:46 AM   #4
lisagloria
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Thanks! I'm still lost, but I can make sounds come out, so that's good.

I can tell you think I'm not reading the manual but I really am! It seems to have an assumption of general sound recording knowledge that I don't have.

I'll keep plugging away! Thanks a lot for your help!
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Old 05-13-2007, 10:13 PM   #5
jamester
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Woah, just stumbled across this! :-0

I'll be happy to help answer any specific questions; the concepts behind ReaDrums are basically the same behind any type of sample-playback device, and this is probably a pretty easy way to learn compared to more sophisticated/complex instruments...

Basically it's like this:

1) Create a track from the ReaDrums template.
2) Go to the Media Explorer (I like to keep it permanently docked) and navigate to some drum one-shot samples.
3) Find a Kick drum you like, and simply drag it right into the Sampl0matic window. No need to use the Samlp0's built-in sample Browse button, in fact you don't want to as you can't audition the sounds before loading - a big drawback with almost all of the free or independent drum samplers out there!
4) Repeat previous step for the remaining samplers to build a kit. You will notice I have them pre-labelled by piece, but that can easily be changed to however you like it. The midi number assignments can easily be changed as well, I simply have it chromatic from C36.
5) Finally, as was said to build a beat you can simply create a midi clip on the ReaDrums track and open it up in the Midi Editor. (Make sure "Show Named Notes" is set instead of "Piano Roll", for easy number checking!) Number 36 will be the Kick, and chromatic up from there. Simply pencil in your beats by clicking the mouse if you don't have a midi controller! :-)

Hope that helps, it's very fast and easy once you get the hang of it. And as you master Reaper's track routing you'll see that it's also easy to create track-outs for discrete processing of the kit pieces (if desired), as well as create fx Sends like room reverb and such, and keep it all wrapped up tidily in a Track Folder which can be saved as a Track Preset!

Good luck! :-)
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Old 05-14-2007, 03:33 PM   #6
lisagloria
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Oy, I really hate being so dopey. LOL But here goes:

- I have the Readrums file in my TrackTemplates folder.
- I have that showing on my media explorer when I click Insert Track from Template, and that creates a new track and opens the FX browser with all the neato names already in place.
- I snagged some samples (ogg files) from other places around here and dragged them onto the Sampl0matic, like a snare onto the snare, and a cymbal onto the cymbal. (You're right, the preview thing is cool!)
- I arm the track, change to MIDI>All Channels, and record random beats using the virtual keyboard. A series of flat dashes appears and the EQ flashes so I know sound is going in.
- Save track.
- Click the output icon and make sure there's NO output named (I have MS GW Wavetable Synth and <no output> as options), and that it goes to All Channels (major discovery there.)
- Right click on track and open MIDI editor.
- Change to Named Notes
- Click and drag stuff around to the named notes that have the numbers associated with drum sounds

Sound right to you?

Another question - do the samples stay attached to the individual VSTi's? Mine seem to randomly disappear. I set them all up, went into the MIDI editor and some of them made no drum noise... When I went back to the FX list on the track about half of them no longer had sounds associated with them.

I'm going to go re-read help on VSTIs before I ask any more dumb questions... :-)

Last edited by lisagloria; 05-14-2007 at 03:53 PM.
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Old 05-14-2007, 06:22 PM   #7
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There are no dumb questions...just dumb people asking normal questions! lol ;-)

Quote:
- Click the output icon and make sure there's NO output named (I have MS GW Wavetable Synth and <no output> as options), and that it goes to All Channels (major discovery there.)
I don't really understand this, but maybe that's because I use a controller? I've also never used the virtual keyboard, so these are things I'm unfamiliar with...

Once you record your beats, simply double-click the midi clip to open in the Midi Editor. From there you can use your mouse to move things around, add more "notes"(hits), erase some, slide them around...whatever! That's the beauty of midi, you can manipulate it extensively. Sounds like you're already catching on to that...

But I can't understand why you would be losing the drum samples from the samplers! You absolutely shouldn't, so something's wrong there. I doubt things are "randomly" disappearing; more likely is something's getting changed. Are the samplers empty, or just not making sound?

Try loading a kick and snare, the create a midi clip on the track and double-click it to open the midi editor. Then just pencil in the notes with the mouse. Keep building on this with more kit pieces and moused rhythms. Does this all work properly?

Quote:
- Save track.
Maybe this is causing something weird, perhaps the way you're saving it? You don't have to save the track, at least not immediately. It'll all save with the song/project. If you wanted to save a particular drum kit you've built, you could save the track as a Template. Is this what you mean?
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Old 05-14-2007, 07:32 PM   #8
lisagloria
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Quote:
Originally Posted by jamester View Post
There are no dumb questions...just dumb people asking normal questions! lol ;-)
Aw! I resemble that remark!


Quote:
Originally Posted by jamester View Post
But I can't understand why you would be losing the drum samples from the samplers! You absolutely shouldn't, so something's wrong there. I doubt things are "randomly" disappearing; more likely is something's getting changed. Are the samplers empty, or just not making sound?
Yeah, I load a sample into the sampl0matic under, say "kick" and all the others, and that set of drums is loaded. When I go into the MIDI editor, some will make sounds and some won't. When I go back out to look at the FX panel, some have samples attached and some don't. That's weird?
Quote:
Originally Posted by jamester View Post
Try loading a kick and snare, the create a midi clip on the track and double-click it to open the midi editor. Then just pencil in the notes with the mouse. Keep building on this with more kit pieces and moused rhythms. Does this all work properly?
yeah! I did this without ReaDrums, just the Reasampler and pulling in drum samples on multiple tracks, layering using the 1/8 beat intervals. Suhweet - far more accurate than the latency from the mouseclick. Can't bounce around note to note (they all sound the same, one sample per track I guess), but it worked OK.

Wow. OK. I think I get it now. :-D THANKS!!
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Old 05-14-2007, 10:18 PM   #9
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Awesome! Sounds like things are clickin' :-)

Though you've got me curiously nervous (nervously curious?) about the whole "dissapearing samples" thing. I'm gonna look into this....

cheers
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