Are you music producers tired of spending countless hours browsing through you library looking for some nice drum sounds to go along with this fire melody you have been playing in your head all day. Or are you sick of searching for "hip hop drum kits" only to find drum kits claiming to be the same sounds used by "Dr. Dre", "Kanye West", "9th Wonder", "Just Blaze, "Polow da don", etc... But  knowing damn well none of these Producers would every use these weak ass drum sounds. Then  after you spent time having to download these kits. You have to spend more unnecessary time having to EQ the sounds just to get them sounding half way decent. As a music producer myself I can relate to want you are going through. We as producers are creators, and were put on this earth to create beautiful music for people all around the world to enjoy. We have one of the most important jobs in the world, because think about it there is not a day that goes by that there is no music heard. So it is very important that you as a serious producer look into perfecting your craft. When you have to spend hours mixing drum sounds that will never come out the way you want you are only hurting your creative process. This causes you to not put make music consistently, or settle with mediocre beats. You have heard of the saying Quality over Quantity right? Well how would you like to combine both by making Top notch tracks in half the time it usually takes you. Ask your self this "Am I getting that head nodding response I know I want from my music?" If not, it may be because your drum are not hitting hard enough. I have heard many stories from producers who sent there stuff off for major placements only to be rejected because there drum sounds were not on point.  However, after countless hours of frustration and many trials and errors I have found what every producer needs. Whether hip hop, trap, R&B, Pop, you name it. You need these kits to skyrocket your sales or just to speed up your creative time. But hey dont just take my word for it. Check this out and tell me what you think.

https://dtgellc.infusionsoft.com/go/main/Olivia500/

What i have found to be true is that there are drum kits that are better than others but regardless of which drums you use your still gonna have to eq, compress them and mix them in no matter what. so i think the quality of your drum sounds are important but i think that your mixing skills when it comes to drums percussion are more important. if you know how to use the right tools you can get the sound you want, but thats just my opinion

You're absolutely right that you need great drum sounds. I however love making my own using weak samples. When you know what you want, you can layer and tweak weak stock sounds to create what you want. Knowing how to engineer new sounds that you hear in your head is what keeps music innovative and increases your skills. Think about it this way... the sound kits you download had to come from somewhere. Wouldn't you rather know how they got their sounds to hit hard as opposed to blindly copying them?

Just be patient. Learn about sound engineering in all aspects and you'll get the desired sound you ar elooking for. It will take hours but a lot of the pros take a loooong time mxiing their sounds to a tee. and when I say a long time i'm taking like 14+ straight hours type long.

I get what all you guys are saying, but some of us want to sit down right away, be inspired by our sounds, and get to the beat making. I have wasted so much money on sound kits/packs. I have also wasted just as much time downloading free wack sounding kits. Theres no quicker way to kill your track than weak sounding uninspiring drums.  There are very few musical investments that I have made that really have stuck with me because of the quality. With the tools that I have stuck with, I can avoid beatblock and stay inspired. The link that OliviaH has provided links to traumahdrums.com. I actually have purchased some of these drums, and they are definitely sounds that will always be in the go to category for me. You have to have them in order to understand what I mean and what OliviaH means. If you want to sit down right away and be inspired(by your drum sounds), these drums are very dope! They are fat, layered, thick, and hitting hard! I hate telling others about it because it took a long time for me to find quality sounds like these. I may be wrong, but I think a lot of beatmakers who have found amazing products or sounds, dont like to share about those things with others because they are that good and they dont want the word to get out. One other product that has stuck with me is nexus. Yes you can tweak sounds and make them your own but, I am one of those who get inspired right away and like to get to the beat making. It quickly drains my creativity when I spend to much time trying to tweak one sound. 

I like to design my own drum sounds. I always layer sampels from various kits together and eq'em to make them sound uniuqe. I'm not a fan of using sounds straight-out-of-the-box.

I like to design my own drum sounds. I always layer sampels from various kits together and eq'em to make them sound uniuqe. I'm not a fan of using sounds straight-out-of-the-box.

We are on the same track homie I also use some pitch techniques to bring drums 2gether, I never use the step sequencer, all I use is FPC

Posted By Big Serg on 23 Apr 2012 08:39 PM

I get what all you guys are saying, but some of us want to sit down right away, be inspired by our sounds, and get to the beat making. I have wasted so much money on sound kits/packs. I have also wasted just as much time downloading free wack sounding kits. Theres no quicker way to kill your track than weak sounding uninspiring drums.  There are very few musical investments that I have made that really have stuck with me because of the quality. With the tools that I have stuck with, I can avoid beatblock and stay inspired. The link that OliviaH has provided links to traumahdrums.com. I actually have purchased some of these drums, and they are definitely sounds that will always be in the go to category for me. You have to have them in order to understand what I mean and what OliviaH means. If you want to sit down right away and be inspired(by your drum sounds), these drums are very dope! They are fat, layered, thick, and hitting hard! I hate telling others about it because it took a long time for me to find quality sounds like these. I may be wrong, but I think a lot of beatmakers who have found amazing products or sounds, dont like to share about those things with others because they are that good and they dont want the word to get out. One other product that has stuck with me is nexus. Yes you can tweak sounds and make them your own but, I am one of those who get inspired right away and like to get to the beat making. It quickly drains my creativity when I spend to much time trying to tweak one sound. 

Thus is part of the creative process though.  What you're really asking is to use the work that someone else has done to generate a great sound.  My two cents are: if you spend the time making a new sound, it will be more worth while in the long run, both for you and listening to your track, and to other people for hearing something "new" "fresh" and "unique".

 

At times I will use "stock" samples, but I layer them with samples I've created or "weak" samples.  One can make some really strange sounds when combining vocal syllables with drums.

Thus is part of the creative process though. What you're really asking is to use the work that someone else has done to generate a great sound. My two cents are: if you spend the time making a new sound, it will be more worth while in the long run, both for you and listening to your track, and to other people for hearing something "new" "fresh" and "unique".

At times I will use "stock" samples, but I layer them with samples I've created or "weak" samples. One can make some really strange sounds when combining vocal syllables with drums.

QBert, I understand what you are getting at, but we both know that there is no standard creative process. Also, using what one perceives as good drum sounds doesn't take away from the all the other work that is involved in making a good beat. Also, just because you start with what you perceive as a good drum sound doesn't guarantee you will end up with a good or great beat. I understand the feeling you get when you've made a great kick and a hot snare(even from scratch) and someone hears the good beat you used them in and asks" man where do you get those drums, they are off the chain?!" I get that, honestly I do. However, their are many people who think that if you dont make your own drum sounds, or if you dont play the instrument, or if you dont know how to program a synth and just use stock synth sounds, or use session players, or use any kind of loop sounds or sounds from a sound pack, or if you dont use protools or logic, then somehow your music is not as special or as satisfying or as good. I mean try making a rock beat without using a good drum plug-in such as addictive drums or ez drummer, etc. I dont know about you, but I dont have a big studio, with many mics and many drums and engineers and top of the line equipment, and years and years of experience. So would my track not be worthwhile for me in the long run because I used drum sounds from these plugins? Of course not. Look, I get what you are saying, but for me creativity is all about inspiration and using your gifts. If your gift is creating drum sounds and you are inspired by that, then by all means, have at it. Even more, share it with others so they can become inspired too, whether its for sale or its something that you just post up in warbeats for download. Personally, I dont like to focus as much on actually creating my own drums sounds. I would much rather put more effort into the composition that I make using the drums, such as making it feel humanistic or giving it the right effects or swing and making all the sounds I use mold together. I get really inspired by new sounds that somebody else used their gift to create. I then take all the sounds and make a marriage. Of course I add effects and panning and reverb, etc. However, making drum sounds is simply is not my lane. Every once in a while I will do that, but for the most part, I dont. Does that make my music any less worth while because I didn't create the snare that I used? Of course not, right? I look at the track I've created as a whole and feel great how Ive chosen all these sounds and made a marriage. Now QBert I will say this, the more knowledge you have, the better you can achieve getting exactly the results you want whether its mixing in general, keyboard skills, making drum sounds, programming synths, etc. Like I said, I do understand what you are getting at, but I do get a little frustrated because sometimes people make it seem like one way is better than the other just because it works for them or it inspires them. Feel me?

I'll admit I didn't bother to read the wall of text, but bottom line is this:

If you are good at what you are doing, drums are not a problem and will not hinder your productivity one bit.

If you on the other hand don't know what you are doing or how to achieve the sound you want, then maybe sample packs are the way to go.

Lastly, ssample packs are not going to cut it for mimicking a live drummer. As with everything it can be done, but gets alot of easier with a proper plugiin with velocity layers, round robbin etc.

Sabatoge if you dont read the wall of text then you just repeat whats already been said and dont advance the conversation. That name fits you perfectly LOL

That name fits you perfectly LOL

LMAO.... uh oh

Posted By Big Serg on 03 Nov 2012 03:43 PM
Sabatoge if you dont read the wall of text then you just repeat whats already been said and dont advance the conversation. That name fits you perfectly LOL

Come again now?

I did take a brief look at you wall of text before posting and I have now waded thru it just to make sure. No where do you state what I said, infact one might say you are just saying the opposite to what I posted. A part from the bit about drum VSTi's I fail to find the connection.

 My point was that if you take the time to learn things, they become second nature and a fluent part of your work. It will infact propably take less time for you to make the required sound, then to go looking for it among your samples.

If you cannot be bothered with learning stuff, then yes you are left with the choice of trying to find what you need from samples others create. Beside the fact that alot of todays drum sample libraries are overly processed, compressed and limited to death just to make them seem better to a more unexperienced customer base, I have nothing against them. But it does leave you with alot less options come crunch time. (this is actually the case with the Traumah drums the OP is trying to sell)

 I never said anything about one way being better then the other. Your post on the other hand heavily argues for and defends the use of said sample libraries. No need to get sensitive about it, specially in a thread that someone created just to sell their samples in.

 Next time you try to insult me, make sure you atleast get the name right.

Next time you try to insult me, make sure you atleast get the name right.

Haha! Burn! (Instigating voice)

Sabotage,

I dont have a problem saying, I apologize if you truly believe that i tried to insult you. (Dj seasonz looks like you are a damn good instigator LOL) It was simply a play on your name and your comment in which you admitted to not reading my wall of text, but commented on it. I was simply having a little fun.

Look Sabotage, I definitely understand the idea of "practice makes better." In a nutshell, my feeling is this is what you were trying to get at, right? There is nothing wrong with that and it is very true, which is why i decided long ago to better my keyboarding skills, to expand my sound and further my inspiration. Im sure that we both can agree that this can apply to all facets of music making from mixing, to programming synths, mastering, accoustic treatment, playing an instrument, drum timing and swing, sampling, and a host of other things. You could dive head first into any aspect of music-making and learn about it for the rest of your life.

I wont say too much more about the point I was trying to get across in the long text that you referenced, as you clearly stated the one thing you did agree with. I'll just respect your point of view. However,I will say this: Where we get our drum sounds or how they've been made or who does or doesnt like them is not very important in everyones creative process. Though, it could be a mix engineers nightmare! We all have our own specialties, inspirations, processes, daws and or vsti's we use, tips and tricks, work-flow, go to sounds, etc.

As far as the referenced drum sample library, "traumah drums" is actually a guy who also creates drum sounds and has a select amount of drum libraries he has created. In my opinion, they are dope, especially for those who are into creating hiphop, pop and r&b. The couple of his libraries that i do have are definitely in my favorites drum sounds.

Lastly, thanks for your answer on my pc question in the hardware thread

Peace

If the drums ain't tight, the beat ain't right.

Dj seasonz looks like you are a damn good instigator LOL

What? Are you insulting me?!

lol Im jk

Posted By DJ Seasonz (L2MS) on 06 Nov 2012 11:28 AM

Dj seasonz looks like you are a damn good instigator LOL

What? Are you insulting me?!

LOL, Seasonz you are a wild dude! I better stay away from you before you get the wolves sicked on me! Thanks for the laugh bro!

Warbeats needs laughs What can I say? *In a Joker's tone of voice* "WHY SO SERIOUS!"