Expanding drum sounds (Roland Drum Sound Module TD-17 v-drums) & recording for rookies

jpod

New Member
Please explain like I am 10 . A UK terrible guitarist with an aspiring drummer nephew aged 14. My favourite drummers are Copeland, the chap from Led Zeppelin and Mitch Mitchell. My teen nephew is doing grade 7 drums in the UK. Plays metal. Wants to be a session drummer.

He asked me (1) how to expand the sounds of his e-kit and (2) how does he record about 4 tracks: e-kit, guitar, vocal, bass.

I have Windows PCs & parts. I understand there is lots of free legitimate software for Windows, samples and to record.

I researched and I can see Superior Drummer 3, I understand EZDrummer 3 is good too. I understand that the MIDI cable from drums can plug into a PC via USB. I gather an audio-interface is used for guitar, vocal, bass.

Can anyone help recommend (1) freeware to use, e-drum kit samples with a metal slant for budget and (2) intermediate ~£200. I can research those with him.


Audacity? Reaper? Kontact?

Any pointers very welcome indeed - we are pioneers. Thanks in advance.
 
Audacity is free but limited, Reaper is not free but very cheap, there is also cakewalk which used to be sonar which is also free but very good. Superior drummer is great but also not that cheap.
EZdrummer is from the same family as superior so it is also really good but you don't have as much settings to play with, however you can use the same sound packs on either one.
My suggestion would be to spend the money and get superior, but on the other hand if you bought ezdrummer, you could buy a few more sound packs and you start with more options right of the bat.
About audio interface...not sure what your budget for that is, but you need to look for an interface that has inputs that can be changed to high impedance (hi Z) because guitars sometimes need that. Even the cheap behringer interfaces can give you decent results. Also do a lot of youtube research before spending you $$$, and I almost forgot, check getgooddrums.com it requires kontact (free) but it is good and definitely tailored towards metal.
 
Thanks for this Doggy, much appreciated. I had not heard of cakewalk. I think he has a Reaper licence. Noted on the audio interface - thank you.

SD and EZ will definitely be something for him to aspire to budget wise.

I think getgooddrums.com 'metal' looks like it may hit the spot. Thank you very much indeed for sharing your expertise.
 
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Free? Cakewalk. Been around for decades. Used to be some £100s as Cakewalk, then Sonar, now back to its original name and free. Does everything you'll ever need. Also comes with a free 30+ kit drum synth[1], loads of loops, samples, etc etc. So that's (1) and (2) covered, for free!

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[1]

Cakewalk VST.jpg
 
Si Drumkit (in Cakewalk is also very limited but I guess better than nothing), you could also download Steven Slate drums, the free version gives you some very nice sounding kits.
 
Another question - we use headphones to listen privately and when playing. When you listen back in the bedroom studio - what do you use to start with - PC speakers? Or Hifi amp and speakers aspiring to studio monitors?
 
Another question - we use headphones to listen privately and when playing. When you listen back in the bedroom studio - what do you use to start with - PC speakers? Or Hifi amp and speakers aspiring to studio monitors?

For recording purposes?

Headphones or nearfield studio monitors - with the volume under control, lest you end up picking up pieces of cone from the floor.
 
Haha!

I was thinking about listening back to your masterpiece.
Obs, anything you use to listen to music on, then.
 
Thank you very much indeed. I have passed on the info to my nephew and he is on school holidays tasked with researching it all. I am digging out some PC parts ready to build a rig. :)
 
Another question - we use headphones to listen privately and when playing. When you listen back in the bedroom studio - what do you use to start with - PC speakers? Or Hifi amp and speakers aspiring to studio monitors?
Either using headphones or speakers, you need to use things that are designed with the purpose of audio monitoring. I'll explain why:

Commercial headphones are usually created so that they emphasize certain frequencies (read more bass, less mids, more highs) same with say portable speakers. This is to make it seem as if a tiny speaker really has booming sound qualities. The problem is that you are getting a false picture of what is really the recorded audio, so when you play it in another system say a phone or your car, it sounds way off (too muddy, sometimes even distorted). Monitoring speakers (and headphones) don't color the audio (they don't add bass or highs) so when using those to listen to music they sound a little shitty when compared to say SkullCandy or Beats, but they are giving you a true representation of the audio.
Also those are way better to play an electronic kit with. I tried the Beats, and the SkullCandy's and they both distorted horribly when playing my drums. I then bought the Alesis DRP-100

https://www.amazon.com/Alesis-DRP10...=1685539233&sprefix=alesis+drp,aps,411&sr=8-2

And the drum kit sounds perfect, no distortion even at blow your ears volume (it feels like the mids are the most pronounced here), but I am able to play along a song, and distinguish every nuance of the drums from very low floor toms to very high crash cymbals, the backing track (any music I play along to) sounds great, and all combined just works. Now I know there are a lot of bad reviews about one of the sides of the headphone stops from working, I have had those headphones for about 9 years, no issues, but even if you did have an issue, just open them up and solder the cable is really that easy. I believe Alesis has corrected that QC issue. Anyway those would be great monitoring headphones (no audio coloration) plus at $55 it is a no brainer. Now for Monitors... since you don't want to break the bank I would recommend the Presonus or the Mackie.


 
Doggy this is really great info. I didn't realise there were drum headphones. I had a pair of studio headphones but I did not appreciate the differences you outlined.

Noted on the studio monitor. I have had a go at firing up cake walk and I added SSD free version and I am tinkering.

All thanks to you and Electro. I am grateful.

I like headphones for gaming - I am not a beats or skullcandy type of fella - I am sure my nephew would be attracted to them.

I like entry level and budget bang for your buck.
Cambridge audio Melomania wireless - music and audiobooks
Sennheiser - tv & gaming & youtube - tend to prefer open back so I can hear Suzan speaking to me and not be a complete zombie!
Soundmagic wired in-ear music & audiobooks
Sennheiser Momentum 2 in ear wireless are sublime - the most expensive

I like the look of Beyerdymamic DT900 Pro X and a new brand to me Austrian Audio Hi-X15 and possibly Hi-X65 if I hit the big time.

I had a pair of Sennheiser HD 280 PRO headphones that I picked up for my father - he loves Youtube - bikini bass fishing - ladies repairing diesel engines - but they were very rugged and heavy with a coiled cable - too heavy for sitting in front of the PC. They are closed - great for gaming but I couldn't hear a thing in the house.

The young drum master has them now - they are amazing and will have transformed his listening pleasure - they kicked his JVC ones into touch. He thinks they are amazing. He is lucky.
 
Doggy this is really great info. I didn't realise there were drum headphones. I had a pair of studio headphones but I did not appreciate the differences you outlined.

Noted on the studio monitor. I have had a go at firing up cake walk and I added SSD free version and I am tinkering.

All thanks to you and Electro. I am grateful.

I like headphones for gaming - I am not a beats or skullcandy type of fella - I am sure my nephew would be attracted to them.

I like entry level and budget bang for your buck.
Cambridge audio Melomania wireless - music and audiobooks
Sennheiser - tv & gaming & youtube - tend to prefer open back so I can hear Suzan speaking to me and not be a complete zombie!
Soundmagic wired in-ear music & audiobooks
Sennheiser Momentum 2 in ear wireless are sublime - the most expensive

I like the look of Beyerdymamic DT900 Pro X and a new brand to me Austrian Audio Hi-X15 and possibly Hi-X65 if I hit the big time.

I had a pair of Sennheiser HD 280 PRO headphones that I picked up for my father - he loves Youtube - bikini bass fishing - ladies repairing diesel engines - but they were very rugged and heavy with a coiled cable - too heavy for sitting in front of the PC. They are closed - great for gaming but I couldn't hear a thing in the house.

The young drum master has them now - they are amazing and will have transformed his listening pleasure - they kicked his JVC ones into touch. He thinks they are amazing. He is lucky.
Beyer Dynamic are not budget... at least not the ones that "The charismatic voice" uses.
but pretty much any "Studio" headphone should work, from around $80 to $300. Going further is just a waste IMO unless you have the $$.... I've seen headphones go for $6000!.

Also for in-ears check out KZ, super cheap but they got great reviews, all I would do is upgrade the cable so basically $50 but you get the same quality as headphones that cost $1000...(After you upgrade the cable). Also for any in-ears in order to take full advantage of the sonic stage, the seal is everything, if you have a good seal all the frequencies will be easily discernible, if you don't, your headphones will sound tinny, and you will also be able to hear the sound of the pads as you hit them (extremely annoying).


Bikinis and ladies doing cool things is also my happy place.
 
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