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basically I need a good drum machine for Cubase that allows me to quickly build drum tracks and was thinking to buy a dedicated product (don't know if I can mention them here so I won't), but frankly, I have an old BB version and I'd rather spend the same money on the new 2010 version if I can achieve the same results with drum tracks. I think I should be able to.....with my old BB version 2007, I just figured out a temporary song structure , then exported it as midi file, imported it in Cubase, got rid of all the BB tracks minus the drums, and voila'.

The only problem is sorting all the drum fills, so I have to cut parts, etc. Basically I'd like to find a way to have normal drum patterns and drum fills separately but that can be easily selected at will.
Maybe you know of some sort of midi drum collection that has normal drum patterns and fills already cut ?
I have to work them in Cubase because I have to do some music assignements from my music college.
Still, I use BB all the time to compose with, just not to record with, because for me it's easier to use Cubase to do the final product, especially considering that I am using libraries like the ones from Quantum Leap Eastwest

sorry if I might sound confusing. Basically I work in two ways: either directly with BB when I am composing music, or directly in Cubase when I have already a very clear idea of the structure and I want to start working by using my Eastwest libraries directly. The reason is that using such libraries with BB would not be very intuitive as they aren't GM compatible, but at the same time they sound so good that often I just want to start composing using them directly. The only thing I need to do is to find a way to build drum tracks easily, because with BB doing this is a piece of cake, but with Cubase is a real boring chore as it's merely a blank canvas. Still, I want to build the drum tracks in Cubase for these particular projects because the drums that I have in the Eastwest libraries are simply mind blowing. So I was thinking, instead of spending money on a software drum machine for Cubase, I'd rather spend them on BB and get the new version if it there is a way to pair it up with Cubase for quick drum track building

I am on a budget so I can't buy both products (especially after forking out on the Eastwest libraries, which sound absolutely killer but are hardly cost effective) so instead of now buying a drum machine I'd rather be inclined to spend the money on BB because it's such a useful program, if I'd find a way to work with drum tracks quickly. Hope that what I wrote makes any sense.
oh by the way.....of course BB has the Realdrums, which sounds fantastic too.....I am just thinking about how I could use all this while not burdening the whole process. Any ideas? Thanks

Last edited by avatars_the_titletrack; 04/03/10 04:47 AM.
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There really is no quicker method than using BB, filling out the chordgrid and letting BB select the RealDrums to fit the style.

After that, you could drag 'n drop just the drum track if that's what you want to do.

If you get one of the Combo paks that includes RealBand, customizing the drums and fills as you build the multitracked song is even easier and can be done in sections of editing after the fact, too.

You could do the same with MIDI drums in BB and the same applies to RB.

Automatic Drum part generation is simply MUCH faster than selecting loops manually and all that.


--Mac

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I do this a lot with Reaper. I build the tune in BIAB including part and section markers so I get all of the drums fills and transitions from part to part. I then mute all of the instruments except for the drums and then generate the midi file. When I import into Reaper all of the midi tracks are blank except for the drum track, so I just delete the tracks. I then have a great basic starting point that I can edit and tweak. I use EZ Drummer and Steven Slate Drums as my virtual instrument.

Works like a charm.
<<TS>>

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With BB ver 2010 and Drag 'n Drop DAW mode, all you need do is grab the Drum trackname and drag it into the other software.

Either method works fine, though.


--Mac

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Mac - Thanks - I haven't tried that yet and should probably get up to speed on it - would save me a few keystrokes!!
<<TS>>

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Quote:



Automatic Drum part generation is simply MUCH faster than selecting loops manually and all that.


--Mac




I agree, I mean, why bothering to build a whole drum track ? Unless you are a drummer and a good rhythm programmer, the drum track will not be as good as the ones generated automatically and you waste time that could be used for the rest of the song.

In much the same way as if I'd bring a song to my band, I'd just have the drummer do his job rather than me trying to play his drums too

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Quote:

I do this a lot with Reaper. I build the tune in BIAB including part and section markers so I get all of the drums fills and transitions from part to part. I then mute all of the instruments except for the drums and then generate the midi file. When I import into Reaper all of the midi tracks are blank except for the drum track, so I just delete the tracks. I then have a great basic starting point that I can edit and tweak. I use EZ Drummer and Steven Slate Drums as my virtual instrument.

Works like a charm.
<<TS>>




I haven't tried muting the parts I don't need, that's a good idea. Ironically, the drum machine I was thinking to buy is EZ Drummer, but I felt I wanted to try working it out with BB and buy the 2010 version instead of EZ Drummer. Do you use EZ Drummer only for the drum samples, or do you do a rough version of the drum tracks with BB first and then refine them with EZ Drummer by adding or deleting fills etc ?

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Quote:

With BB ver 2010 and Drag 'n Drop DAW mode, all you need do is grab the Drum trackname and drag it into the other software.

Either method works fine, though.


--Mac




wow, that sounds very interesting, you mean that I would be able to take the drum track directly from BB and drop it into a Cubase track just like that?

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Yes it's that simple with 2010. Keep your version up to date. Check the support page and put the latest patches on your version. And at the end of December there was a RealTracks update you should have too.


John Conley
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fantastic. I think I'll just get v2010 ....with all these great additions and unlimited undo, I think I'll go Megapak with all styles (can't live without BB styles, I study them all the time) and 40 great sounding Realtracks

the new Realtracks really sounds impressive.....I can make even a MIDI file sound great with my Eastwest Goliath, but still, the sounds take time to load and you have to set the sounds up..... the Realtracks make instant sonic gratification even more immediate

sure BB came a long way from my prehistoric 2007 version

thanks

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done.....!

PG Music rocks!

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