corrupted wrote: Well, I currently use FL Studio (fruityloops) to lay out all of my drums. This works pretty well, I like what I've built over the years. I don't actually use any midi interface, I just lay the hits out the way I wish and then construct patterns and a playlist of the patterns.
Once I'm done, I export that and load the WAV into Sonar5PE. Then I layer all of the instruments and vocals and basically leave the drums alone.
I self-humanize any hits that need to be, and I'm pretty quick with it... I've gotten pretty good at it with time.

So, I don't really have any downfalls right now, but I would like to investigate other ways of doing this.

Enter: Drumkit From Hell (DFH).

Can someone explain this to me? I've been looking around on the innarweb, and I've found numerous articles that I'm not sure about.

Why is "DFH2" only $99 and "DFH Superior" $299?
Which one do I want?
I don't really want to use a "sequencer" if I can just export the individual tracks as WAV's, right? That's essentially what I do right now, I don't know if I'm missing something...

Also, I looked at EZDrummer (or something like that), and it seemed to incorperate DFH somehow. Is that a limited version? Stripped down?

I'm not sure how to ask the correct questions, but from the layout of EZDrummer, it looked pretty nice.
I also don't want to get a "lite" version that has limitations or "no humanizing" or less samples. DFH2 didn't seem to have as many instruments.

Or... am I just confused about the whole purpose of DFH?

If it ain't broke, don't fix it. Get better samples if you need them.

MadTiger3000 wrote: If it ain't broke, don't fix it. Get better samples if you need them.

Well, that's just it. I feel like I can do everything I need to... so I'm not really pushing myself to buy anything else... lord knows I don't need to spend more $$$!

But, the sound of those are spectacular when used correctly. From the samples I've heard, they have great tone... obviously because the set out with the sole purpose of making that program when they recorded the hits.

For me, I've built the kit I use from a ton of different samples, some of which were "the best I could find". If I heard a snare hit on an album that was all by it's lonesome, I'd grab it and play with it. I'm fairly happy with most of them... but I could use better toms and better hi-hats. New crashes wouldn't hurt... but I could improve the ones I have.

So, anyone have any sets of samples or links to good ones?
I need, in order of importance:
Hi-hats
Toms (set of 3 or 4 so I don't have to just pitch-shift them)
Crahses/Splashes/Chinas

In case I didn't mention it, I'm looking for live acoustic samples.
Thanks!!

there are lot's of very good drum samples around.
dfh sounds very nice. ezdrummer is a "lite" version of dfh, which means only it's editing functionality is stripped down to basic adjustments in the set. you have, i think, three different snares, 2 tom sets, two cymbal sets and 2 or 3 bassdrums, all taken from dfh with the same amount of layers. but you can't make your own keyboard sets. you have only the general midi layout with bassdrum, snaredrum, three toms, two crashes, one hi-hat, one ride and a china. you have the humanize function, close, overhead and room mics, which can be mixed in the internal mixer, and many preset-grooves in midi. it sounds very nice.

another good library is NI battery. nice interface and good sounds.

you can also check the "best service artist drums" with complete drum kit samples of simon phillips, mel gaynor, kenny aronoff and dennis chambers, which were actually recorded for ddrum4. very cheap (they sell it for 50 euros over here) and also very nice.

but basically they all do the same, and with a little practice they all sound very real.

Thanks, I will look into those!

I don't really need a new interface, but does this look like a good set of samples?
http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/StudioDrums/

It looks good to me, I don't want loops, I just want individual recorded hits to use in my current sequencer...

corrupted wrote: I don't really need a new interface, but does this look like a good set of samples?
http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/StudioDrums/

It looks good to me, I don't want loops, I just want individual recorded hits to use in my current sequencer...

those are for the battery sampler, but you can use them in any other sample player, too. they're also very good.

I'm actually playing with the Battery demo right now... I think I may make this investment. It seems like a great tool.

Right now, if I want to make a change to a drum hit, I have to go back to my sequencer, make the change, and then export all over again. That takes too long...
I've never used midi in Sonar, so I suppose now's a good time to start!

And so I just purchased DHFS for $225 (on sale, $89 off! woohoo!).

After reading reviews and listening to samples, as well as playing with as much as I could... I had to go with DFH. It's geared more towards what I do than Battery. Battery seems great, but it has a lot of "synth" sounds that are almost useless to me. DFH is way more focused on the acoustics... but I'd like to have them both because I'm greedy. :lol:

Thanks for the help, I think I just needed to do enough research into the actual implementation of a drum sampler and midi.

Thanks!

You want live drums, get e'm. stop screwing around and wasting your money on fake, phony, stale drum tones. If you don't think your listeners know that something is missing in your music, your fooling yourself! My wife can spot sampled, programmed or looped drums in the first bar of the music no matter how well they are programmed.
I work with artists all over the world recording drum tracks for them and sending them completed, mixed tracks. I attach tracks to e-mails as a high quality MP3. They fly the tracks right into their recording software and thank me later. I can have a track completed and sent back in about an hour (if I am not busy).
USE REAL MUSICIANS! WHAT IS THIS WORLD COMING TO?
Tommy