Hello manning1,

I think I understand what you are describing. What you said is one of many ways to add / augment /replace drum sounds for a Real Drum track. BUT . . . what someone can do will greatly depend on the available software / hardware a user has on hand.

I am luckier than most. While I am not an accomplished drummer, I can play well enough to play in an amateur "local cover band". I also have full Roland electronic kit that I use to record percussion parts in MIDI.

If I can use the stereo output created by Real Drums, I would use my mixing tricks to process the stereo track to get the Real Drums to sit better in the final mix. This is the least painstaking way to go. Fortunately. for songs that I can use Real Drums in the final mix, the tracks are so well recorded that just some creative EQ is the only thing needed for the final mix. If I need to add additional "percussion hits" to add to the Real Drum track, I would just use what "sound module / software" available to add to the Real Drum track. The main difference is that I would add these "new percussion hits" as a new player in a "band" as if the "band" added a "percussionist". My reason for treating the "additional percussion hits" in this manner is that the drummer playing the Real Drum track is already busy enough. Remember, he only has 4 limbs available to play with. When you treat additional percussion hits as a "new player", you mo longer have to worry about matching any "ambiance" or "sound character" to whats heard on the Real Drum track. However you add the additional percussion hits, its MIDI so you can edit them until it sounds right. Once it sounds right, just mix it into the final mix so it sounds like it belongs in the song.

If I need SEPARATED DRUM TRACKS, for me, I would do thin in an external DAW. That is, only if you want to duplicate the drummer's playing style used to create the particular Real Drum track you are using. I would use my Ableton (sample based sequencer). I would first generate the stereo drum track for a song using Real Drum. Much of the Real Drum track is repetitious depending on where the chords were entered. All you need to do is break is down to various repetitious patterns to create individual "audio clips". Then in Ableton, I would then recreate each "audio clips" from Real Drums except each drum sound will be on separate "tracks" and individually controllable. I like my Ableton because I can create "drum kits" that is MIDI triggered but plays back sampled individual drum hits. You get the natural "recorded sound" and MIDI editing. Most software sample based sequencers, drum machines and samplers will have this ability.

BUT . . . If I was NOT trying to emulate the drummer's playing style that was used for a particular Real Drum track. I would just create a new drum track in Ableton . . . much faster and painless than trying to re-create a particular drummer's playing style.

Perhaps in the near future, there might be "Real DRUMMER" . . . a counterpart to Real Band. In another words, "Real DRUMMER" can import Real Drum track from BIAB and give you individually controllable drum tracks. Perhaps up to 16 "Real DRUMMER" tracks . . . Hmmmmm . . . Of course . . . you would have to BUY "Real DRUMMER" and the new Real Drummer styles.

Ed Layola

www.pointconceptionstudio.com