Guitar/bass/keys player here - can you help me out w/ chillout drum parts?

Elvantin

Junior Member
Hi there!

I'm a guitar/bass/keyboards (less) player and I want to record some chillout stuff. My problem is that I'm not a drummer, so my ideas regarding drum phrases are quite limited. Therefore, I want to ask you guys if it's there any software (working with exdrummer drumkits as vst) that can make random songs (the drum part) based on variables you can set (such as lenght of the song, tempo, style of the song - rock, blues, etc. -, arrangement and so on.
Keep in mind please that I'm not talking about manual editing grooves or putting them head-2-head manually, i'm talking about the whole song being created by AI.

I hope you understood what I'm looking for and I unpatiently wait for your answers.

Thanks in advance, escuse my poor english and if this is not the place for this thread to be, I kindly ask a moderator to move it where it belongs.

Valentin
 
Re: I need some help/advice

Why don't you just look for a damn drummer instead of trying to fake one? However, it sounds to me like you're looking for a drum machine. You can program em with a set progression.
 
Re: I need some help/advice

Welcome to the forum!

I echo the Dr. - get in contact with a real drummer. And on this forum you have great chance to find someone that might co-operate with you.

A decent drummer would pretty much easily and effortlessly come up with the right parts once he hears the material you have. That would sound way better than wasting time on programming stuff as a non-drummer. That is, if you're seriously interested in getting good at drum arrangements - of course this is something that can be learned to some/a good degree but it will take time. Thake the short cut and have it done by a real drummer.

I edited the thread title so people would have a clue what this thread is about.
 
Re: I need some help/advice

Why don't you just look for a damn drummer instead of trying to fake one? However, it sounds to me like you're looking for a drum machine. You can program em with a set progression.

Well...ummm... I have a drummer but we're not playing chillout music, we're playing rock... Something like hard rock... Plus that he will never want to play a 30-60 min long drum session (this is why i'm asking for some AI help... The song will be damn long). As for faking, for me it doesn't matter that much that it doesn't sound as whitesnake (heheheh) because chillout/lounge/other-names-related-music very very often comes with digital-style-drums, so I guess this will not be an obstacle.

Set progression? Pease be more specific... Explain a little please.

Thanks!
V
 
You've never heard of a drum machine?

http://www.sweetwater.com/store/det...g&matchtype=&gclid=CLefy86KubYCFUXZQgodQHcAkQ

Yes, you can program in a progression, record it and then make chill music with it. At any rate, though... It shouldn't be that hard to find a drummer to play long chill music. At the very least, you can have them lay down the tracks, and then you can loop things to be as long as you want. It will sound more human and just plain better.
 
Do you have any recordings of the songs already done without drums. I have never played chillout drums before, I am mainly a rock, blues, funk kind of guy but I'm looking to broaden my horizon and would consider laying down some drums for you. They will likely not be acoustic as I don't own my own mics, and wouldn't want to pay studio time, but from what I read you wouldn't mind if I give it a go on my electric kit.
 
Do you have any recordings of the songs already done without drums. I have never played chillout drums before, I am mainly a rock, blues, funk kind of guy but I'm looking to broaden my horizon and would consider laying down some drums for you. They will likely not be acoustic as I don't own my own mics, and wouldn't want to pay studio time, but from what I read you wouldn't mind if I give it a go on my electric kit.

I'm betting that would be perfect. You could even do a MIDI setup so he can edit after the fact directly.
 
I'm betting that would be perfect. You could even do a MIDI setup so he can edit after the fact directly.

That would be an option for the OP if I do the recordings. Before I fully commit however I would like to hear some of the recordings as recording a 20-30 minute long song is obviously a huge commitment, especially if it is outside your comfort zone.
 
Do you have any recordings of the songs already done without drums. I have never played chillout drums before, I am mainly a rock, blues, funk kind of guy but I'm looking to broaden my horizon and would consider laying down some drums for you. They will likely not be acoustic as I don't own my own mics, and wouldn't want to pay studio time, but from what I read you wouldn't mind if I give it a go on my electric kit.

Thanks a lot, I appreciate, but unfortunately it must be done all by myself in order NOT to have any copyright problems. The finished "product" shall be broadcasted on a TV info-channel and I will give give up the rights of that song.. of course for free (not that it matters anyway).
 
Thanks a lot, I appreciate, but unfortunately it must be done all by myself in order NOT to have any copyright problems. The finished "product" shall be broadcasted on a TV info-channel and I will give give up the rights of that song.. of course for free (not that it matters anyway).

No problem, I don't really know much about how all of that copyright stuff works, however if I did the recording for you I wouldn't expect anything in return, I would just be doing it to improve my abilities as a drummer. As far as ways to do it yourself the best option would likely be programming which you already said you have no interest in, so my vote would have to be for a drum machine.
 
It occurs to me that we are kind of short on drum prorammers here. Oh we have a few. Duncan comes to mind. (bacteriumfendyoke) I'm sure Bermuda must have done some. Anon La Ply is great for chill out drums. I think the ratio of drummers to programmers here is pretty steep, but we have enough. Whether they want to do it or not is another matter. Either learn how to do it yourself, or hire someone to program with you, which would require collaboration. I don't see much other choice without using a real drummer. And yes I'm sure there's software that has preset beats you can choose from, for how long, at what speed, etc. But they wouldn't change up unless you manually programmed the fills, rests, and a hundred other nuances that a real drum part has. If you need a straight beat for a period of time no problem. If you want a tailored drum part then, much more time consuming. Plus you aren't a drummer and might not realize the thought process. So you need help probably. Or learn to program drums the way you want them to sound. What other choices are there?
 
Last edited:
I have done some basic drum programming to quickly cut demos, or send ideas to band mates after hours, or when I only have access to a computer but no kit. However from what I understand the OP doesn't want someone to program the beats as he wants to do it all himself for copyright reasons.
 
Guys, check this out! One question: what it's better, to program the drums using my Casio Privia epiano (natural-weighted keyboards, touch control) - this meaning that i will have tO buy a usb-to-midi cable- or to buy an Korg nanoPad which i found at a store at about 27€/35-40$? the midi cable for privia it's the same amount of money, and the nanopad( i think it's most likely version 1 of the prOduct) comes with usb-usb connection, so there is no need for expensive cables in order tO use it. So, at the end, i'm wondering what would program better, in Order to know what will suit my needs more satsfying.

Thanks and i'm waiting for your reply unpatiently, because i shall be in this city (wich has these stores) not for a long time (4-5 hours)!

Valentin
 
Back in the day I used to midi up a TR707 to an ESQ1, but our [swear word] guitarist stole it (a tale well known to regulars here). I might have some loops (made in various ways) lurking around.

If you're smart technically then a software solution is surely best bang for the buck. I'd love to do some programming again but I can't get my head around the tech in my old age :(

Thanks Larry, but if I had some quantised tracks that needed drums I'd be the last person I'd call! My drumming, as the saying goes, "breathes" ;-)
 
The finished "product" shall be broadcasted on a TV info-channel and I will give give up the rights of that song.. of course for free (not that it matters anyway).

In no circumstance should you part with the rights to your own material without getting some sort of compensation. Not only are you devaluing your own work, but everyone else's as well, and you're making it harder for music professionals to earn a living. If your music is broadcast on TV, you should definitely charge for it -- $300 per minute of composed music is a good rate to start out with.
 
Wavelenght, it's a long and boring story. The tv channel is basically mine, and i want to record something to change the current radio-channel i broadcast now on it (background). It's a info-channel, not something like bbc or others. It's text-based, i think you get it. The reason why i want to change it with a song is to reduce the costs (free music = i don't have to pay the rights for re-distribution of that official radio-channel).

On topic now: i bought that nanopad, i'll surely update after i'll make "some noise" with it.
 
Back
Top