Electronic Stuff with Live Drums

[cheddatom]

I know there are a few people on here mixing live drums with electronic music, and I know that there are some well known bands that do it. What i'd like is your help to figure out the best way for my new project to perform live.

 

We were a 3 piece jamming, but then a guy with his keyboard and mac laptop came along and it sounds really cool. He'd like to sequence some stuff, but still wants to be performing live. Maybe he could sequence some rythms and some samples, and play keyboards live over the top.

 

Anyway, is there any way at all of doing this without giving the drummer a click? Like, can we stick a trigger on the kick to feed to a beat calculator type thing to set the tempo for the laptop?

 

*as usual, there might be a thread, but I don't have 2 years spare to find the fucker

[haze015]

Basically it's fucking difficult and complicated no matter what you do.

[cheddatom]

the only advice is "give up"?!?!? Come KnT shove some advice up my ass

[haze015]

the only advice is "give up"?!?!? Come KnT shove some advice up my ass

 

Well, a kick drum detecting the tempo only really works if it's straight 4/4, no deviation from that.

 

Otherwise, the guy on keyboards can tap tempo now and then and hopefully has a nudge thing for whatever he's using. Otherwise, why can't the drummer play to the sequences?

[Neil.]

now why do i have the sudden urge to make shit of this thread....

[Flump]

I'm betting there is a way to do it with a tap tempo, but the sequencing and rhythms would most likely sound really whacky due to being started and stopped with different tempos. I'm not sure software could overcome that.

 

Either tell the drummer to play to a click or get a REALLY good drummer.

[Mobius]

65daysofstatic make drumming in tandem with a drum machine look so effortless, I guess it is mainly skill and effort.

[cheddatom]

why can't the drummer play to the sequences?

 

There's no reason why he can't. He's an amazing drummer who plays to a click on sessions often (you know, one of those real session musicians). I suppose I would prefer to play without him having to wear headphones or an ear piece, and i'd like the tempo to be more fluid.

 

I think that any rythm sequences would be OK to be to a set tempo really but it'd be nice if there was some sort of intuitive software running sequences/samples to the tempo of the band, rather than the other way around.

 

You can draw tempo into Cubase for example - i've never done much more than a straight line, but I guess you could record automation onto that track, and any MIDI data would be able to follow a mental tempo track - at the very least a drum sequence should be able to adapt to changing tempos pretty well?

 

So basically, yeh, we can do it to a click, but i'm asking if we HAVE to?

 

now why do i have the sudden urge to make shit of this thread....

 

Perhaps because my thread is made of sweet slick silky shit and your burt hurt needs some soothing? RLY what's your beef?

[DJF]

Could you send a click track through on-stage monitors from the laptop?

[cheddatom]

yeh, but to be loud enough to be heard over the drums, wouldn't it be heard FOH?

[haze015]

There's no reason why he can't. He's an amazing drummer who plays to a click on sessions often (you know, one of those real session musicians). I suppose I would prefer to play without him having to wear headphones or an ear piece, and i'd like the tempo to be more fluid.

 

I think that any rythm sequences would be OK to be to a set tempo really but it'd be nice if there was some sort of intuitive software running sequences/samples to the tempo of the band, rather than the other way around.

 

You can draw tempo into Cubase for example - i've never done much more than a straight line, but I guess you could record automation onto that track, and any MIDI data would be able to follow a mental tempo track - at the very least a drum sequence should be able to adapt to changing tempos pretty well?

 

So basically, yeh, we can do it to a click, but i'm asking if we HAVE to?

 

You don't have to use a click track, just turn up the synths & shit in his monitors and get him to practise playing to them. If you have something like tap tempo, then it doesn't have to be the same tempo every gig.

There are tempo detector things you can use, but they only work by setting a tempo range, so anything the drums do outside that is ignored, but there's still plenty of room for disaster there.

[Phil.]

Without a click track in the drummer's ears, it does seem pretty hard, but it all depends on what sequenced stuff is playing, for example, if it is just going to be short sections of sequenced synth, the synth player could have little clips set up in ableton or something, and launch them when needed, with a tap tempo pedal at his feet to tap out the tempo just before the synth comes in or something.

 

if it is whole synth backing synths, like a backing arp (a la bliss etc..) then a click track really is important.

 

Like said, it really does depend WHAT is going to be sequenced and played. if it is just simple, say, 4 bar synth riffs every now and again, if your synth player has access to a launch pad of some kind, he can just launch with one hand, playing synth with the other, providing your drummer is tight as fuck, it should work.

[matthijs]

now why do i have the sudden urge to make shit of this thread....

 

Stay ontopic!!!

[Xut]

Stay ontopic!!!

 

on what scale?

[haze015]

Without a click track in the drummer's ears, it does seem pretty hard, but it all depends on what sequenced stuff is playing, for example, if it is just going to be short sections of sequenced synth, the synth player could have little clips set up in ableton or something, and launch them when needed, with a tap tempo pedal at his feet to tap out the tempo just before the synth comes in or something.

 

Just turn off the quantising thing for launching clips, so the person on synths can launch in time with the drummer, then the drummer plays along to those. Also the synth person can tap tempo to what the drummer is doing before hand.

 

If it's a decent drummer, with a decent monitor mix and knows what's happening, shouldn't be too much hassle.

[Phil.]

To be honest, if he really is a decent session drummer that regularly plays to clicks in the studio, Then a click track definitely just seems like the simplest and easiest idea...

[cheddatom]

I feel like a click track would restrict some of the mental shit we do. Clicks per sequenced track would be fine, but...

 

You don't have to use a click track, just turn up the synths & shit in his monitors and get him to practise playing to them. If you have something like tap tempo, then it doesn't have to be the same tempo every gig.

There are tempo detector things you can use, but they only work by setting a tempo range, so anything the drums do outside that is ignored, but there's still plenty of room for disaster there.

 

Yeh, good point, I just need to get a decent monitoring set up at my studio so the guy can hear the synths, then he'll be fine.

 

I don't know if anyone listens to Scott Mathews? It's pretty cool mellowish stuff. He plays drums for him - that's the most well known session AFAIK. He doesn't do anything impressive on that though, just tasteful drumming. With us he goes fucking mental and is as good as any of these "virtuosos" i've seen on youtube.

[Phill]

I like Scott Matthews.

[cheddatom]

I like Scott Matthews.

 

He's very good live, but his brummy accent brings you back down to earth between every song.