What midi velocity do you use the most?

[hduncan]

Do you go all out and set your drums to all 127 unless you specifically want variation? or do you randomize all velocities for that more human feel. do you use a different common/average level? I generally set all of my drum parts to 127 initially and then lower them from there if I want some sort of velocity effect. Curious if this is a bad idea..

[jeremy.c.]

Originally Posted by DarkEcho

Do you go all out and set your drums to all 127 unless you specifically want variation? or do you randomize all velocities for that more human feel. do you use a different common/average level? I generally set all of my drum parts to 127 initially and then lower them from there if I want some sort of velocity effect. Curious if this is a bad idea..

For my hardest of the hardest hits I use 127. It depends mostly on the sample set I use. If it's one of my put together kits in HALion that uses mono samples per note it doesn't matter much, but if it's a layered gigastudio kit that has different timbre and such at lower velocities I use around 100 for the normal hits and up to 127 for the really POW stuff.
So really I think it's not necessarily a bad idea, just depending on your sample set.
I programmed all of the drums for my friends album and they sound surprisingly realistic in the mix, I used mono samples per note and layered them (this was a few years ago), nothing too complex. This would fall under your start at 127 method. Official Jessie Von Presley Site

[hduncan]

I use battery, so some of my samples are multisampled. if you use a mono sample, does the velocity just simply lowere the volume?

[jeremy.c.]

Originally Posted by DarkEcho

I use battery, so some of my samples are multisampled. if you use a mono sample, does the velocity just simply lowere the volume?

yes.

[PlatinumSamples]

It depends on which software you use... If you use something like BFD you should program a little below 127 to give the software the ability to randomize the velocity both up and down -- with a value of 127 they can only randomize downwards.

Rail

[JesseJ]

on the scale 0-127, 64 should be in the middle and 'medium'.

maybe 80-100 would be reality for a basic rock bassdrum/snare with the accents going above that

And like Rail said... you should peak below 127.. I usually set triggers/pads so they peak at 120 max.. then I have a bit space to boost with the mouse if necessary.

For example, FL Studio initializes it's default level at 78% with would translate to a 0-127 level of 99

[theblue1]

I've always humanized the velocity of my drum machine tracks (outside of techno and some house)... at least since I finally sidelined my old Oberheim DX, anyhow...

I've used many different hardware and software systems over the years. In recent years, mostly BFD, an Alesis DM5, and some favorite Soundfont kits (I have some pretty okay multisampled ones).

Obviously, unless you vary the velocity with something heavily multi-sampled like BFD, it's going to sound pretty much just as fake as the simplest sample-based kit.

I also tend to put my own spin on timing, as well, since I usually start with algorithmically generated drum parts. (Not all of them are on the grid, though, some are based on real drummers on MIDI kits. In which case, time-tinkering is typically limited to re-writing fills [no more round the kit fills EVER! ])

[octatonic]

100-105 for 'normal' playing and up or down from there taste.

[hduncan]

Thanks for the input, though, I am making industrial esque-rock. so I dont want to randomize the velocity to keep that machine feel.