Drum programming in detail

[Methlab]

I think we all know how important drum programming is, and I am constantly working on getting better and better at it. So, I was wondering what tips people have for drum programming that really helps their tracks bang. You can use this thread to just add thing you do specific to hip hop and rap.

I think for me, getting a little crazier has helped. Like a real drummer can't play 2 hi hats at once, but a beat machine can. Using shakers to drop in at the chorus..maybe dropping out hi hats for verses, and then bringing a nice 8th note hat pattern back in can make the beat feel like it's kicking in.

I also am pitching up a lot more then pitching down when I tune my drums. I do that all by hearing,so one thing may be up 3 notches, and another drum may be -2, but pitching up hats and crashes really sounds nice.

Markus coleman made good points on pitch and velocity in earlier posts, and you can paint those in after the tracking stage in cubase. This really helps the kick and snare pattern breathe and not feel the exact same.


In Cubase, I usually bang out a kick snare track and Iterative Quntize it as long as the performance is good. I will use a 16th note triplet grid.

For hats and shakers and percussion, I use a 32 note triplet grid and swing them, so they arent as straight as the kick and snare.

I think knowing where to put certain little sounds is a real art, and seperates the men from the boys. It also makes the drums bang just right when everything is locked in, so anyone who is good at the subtleties feel free to post your hints.