Questions about how to use MDrummer

[sirmonkey]

I have several free and paid drum VI's, and MDrummer is the most unique. But I'm confused!

1.) When using the midi command method, sliding up the velocity of midi notes seems to mostly make the cymbals more busy. Most of the time, I don't really want that so much. Is there a way to make the snare, or toms more busy instead?
* Same with transposing up midi notes- the cymbals seem to get most of the added emphasis.

2.) When choosing base rhythms, usually the cymbals get most of the emphasis, yet are not shown on the kit piece selector. Why? What if I like a base rhythm, but want fewer cymbals & hats? Is it possible to de-emphisize them? Or emphasize something else?

3.) Can I create a beat in a separate midi track, and drag that straight in to MDrummer for use as a base pattern?

4.) The "Randomize" button seems to randomize everything, including the drum kit. Is it possible to just randomize the beats (individual kit pieces or together)- but keep the currently selected kit intact? I spent quite a while choosing kit pieces, and then the whole thing got destroyed when I hit Randomize. Doh!

Thanks in advance for any suggestions!

[werzel]

4. Are you choosing Randomize while in the Rhythm Editor tab?

[sirmonkey]

Actually i"Randomize" is under the Rhythm Generator tab (near top right of the plugin). I don't see that feature under the Rhythm Editor.
However, I have now noticed that when the Rhythm Editor is selected, an "Edit" screen appears to the left of the piano keyboard display. At the bottom of that box, you an click "Rhythm processing", and import midi patterns to a folder (but not straight into MDrummer). And, it seems like if you want to import a single midi clip, MDrummer always wants to put it into a new folder! Seems like I can't add it to an existing folder within MDrummer. Or maybe I'm just confused.
(Actually, I am definitely confused by a bunch of stuff!)

[werzel]

"Randomize" in the Rhythm Editor seems to be called "Generate" (on the Loop Editor bar). I'm guessing that they are the same due to the dice icon. Tbh, I've never gotten as far as the Rhythm Generator, this plugin has so much to explore and I'm trying to learn small parts at a time!

[sirmonkey]

Shortest version of my question: Suppose I have an existing short drum midi segment, with a full drum kit loaded on MDrummer. Can I make variations of the loop by making individual kit pieces become more busy, or less busy, independently, within MDrummer?

[nbyte]

I'm also new to MDrummer - but as far as I understand it - it is possible what you want to achieve. But not in the way you think!
MDrummer differ between essential beat (which consist of base drum and snare(s)/handclap/rim) and the metals (HH, Cymbals etc...).
1. You create or import a essential beat. Here you can edit which note are part of the level of your loop. So you can define here that some ghost notes only play at higher loop level.
2. you select one of the predefined metals parts style (left upper corner).

Here a link to a video which explains how it works (it is a older version of MDrummer):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=00A_YbDih_g
Hope that helps ....

What would be great to have:
A XY-Pad where I can control the level of the essential beat and the level of the metals. Or simple to slider for that!

[sirmonkey]

Thanks for the post. While I had seen this video before, it is easy to miss small details. So far, when choosing an Essential Beat, hi-hats/metal pieces played. Now I see how you click "Load" to choose those (I think... it happens really quick in the video).
Maybe I can come a bit closer to what I'm looking for. Maybe. I'll let you know. In any event, thanks for the help!

[Chandlerhimself]

If you want things like ghost notes or random Toms to play, use probability. This will add the notes in randomly, so the beat isn’t the same everytime. There is another way to do this also if you want more control, but it might take too long to explain here. Another thing to try is working with the minimum level in the rhythm generator.

I want to do some videos on this type of stuff later this year. I hope that helps.

[sirmonkey]

So far, I'm 20% less confused than before. That's progress, but I still feel very clumsy using MDrummer.

What I do realize now: The "Minimal Velocity" slider determines whether or not a note will play. I think it means "above a certain midi note velocity, play this note, but don't play the note if the midi velocity is below that velocity". So, to always play a certain note (or set of notes), set "Minimal Velocity" all the way to the max. Right?
* I'm not interested in the "Probability" parameter... I want to set things how I want, and then stay that way while I compose or practice playing against the drum/percussion part. So for this purpose, "Probability" should be set to 100%, I believe. Is this correct?

[sirmonkey]

Also, again, I appreciate the video that was posted! However, in the newer version, the "steel" part (cymbals, hi-hats) always seem to be generated automatically, and they are not displayed on the interface. And the button that was in the video with the older version of MDrummer doesn't seem to be in the new version. And every time I try something to adjust the steel, the whole drumset or kit gets changed.
At this point, I don't need a barber. I already pulled my hair out manually!

[MeldaProduction]

Ok my 2 cents (since I'm not sure what has been answered )

1.) When using the midi command method, sliding up the velocity of midi notes seems to mostly make the cymbals more busy. Most of the time, I don't really want that so much. Is there a way to make the snare, or toms more busy instead?
* Same with transposing up midi notes- the cymbals seem to get most of the added emphasis.

By using higher velocities you are asking for more complexity and apparently the rhythms you are using are using cymbals, but not too much complexity for the stuff you want . You may simply go to the Rhythm editor and edit whatever you need, you can change every single note. Or you may use the Rhythm generator, edit the essential beat with as many drums as you want and then use a base rhythm, which isn't so "cymbal busy".

2.) When choosing base rhythms, usually the cymbals get most of the emphasis, yet are not shown on the kit piece selector. Why? What if I like a base rhythm, but want fewer cymbals & hats? Is it possible to de-emphisize them? Or emphasize something else?

You really don't like cymbals huh? Where btw? The cymbals are there in the rhythm editor of course. They are not in the rhythm generator, because these are included in the base rhythm. So I'm quite confused. I'd really recommend checking the first few pages of the docs. I'd also like to make the new set of video tutorials, but... some things need to be done first...

3.) Can I create a beat in a separate midi track, and drag that straight in to MDrummer for use as a base pattern?

I have no idea why you would do that . But you can export your MIDI file and import it to the loop editor. But you can edit it directly in MDrummer (notes there are more capable than MIDI notes, think of min/max level, probability...) and you can even record it in MDrummer directly.

4.) The "Randomize" button seems to randomize everything, including the drum kit. Is it possible to just randomize the beats (individual kit pieces or together)- but keep the currently selected kit intact? I spent quite a while choosing kit pieces, and then the whole thing got destroyed when I hit Randomize. Doh!

Right on the main page, down there are Generate buttons for both drumset and rhythms separately . Plus there are randomizers for loops etc...

[goldglob]

Also, again, I appreciate the video that was posted! However, in the newer version, the "steel" part (cymbals, hi-hats) always seem to be generated automatically, and they are not displayed on the interface. And the button that was in the video with the older version of MDrummer doesn't seem to be in the new version. And every time I try something to adjust the steel, the whole drumset or kit gets changed.
At this point, I don't need a barber. I already pulled my hair out manually!

Don't tear any more hair out..MD is complex and takes a while to understand.
A lot of the confusion comes down to nomenclature.
Essential Beat is not Base Rhythm.
Essential Beat is usually bassdrum and snare, Base Rhythm is usually cymbals, but actually you can create your own Essential Beats and Base Rhythms with any drums/cymbals you want. But one thing at a time....
Another confusion is Actual Drumsets versus the list of drums you see in the left column in the Rhythm Generator (and Rhythm Editor).
Actual Drumsets have specific samples. The list of drums on the left are Drumtypes...think of them as the names on a drum chart. A simple drum chart might be written for just bass and snare...the chart exists but the actual drums (samples) haven't been chosen yet.

Back to this Essential Beat vs Base Rhythm thing.
Forget Base Rhythms for now...select 'root> empty base rhythm' up there on the left.
Now, Essential Beat can be written by you, or loaded, or generated (maths applied to existing saved loops).
In the Essential Beat editor right click over the drum list panel...explore the options.
Click on all the buttons along the top right of the editor..see what they do.
Hover over buttons/panels and press F1 to get info.
So this is just a start to get used to Essential Beats.
Hope this helps a bit.

[goldglob]

So far, I'm 20% less confused than before. That's progress, but I still feel very clumsy using MDrummer.

What I do realize now: The "Minimal Velocity" slider determines whether or not a note will play. I think it means "above a certain midi note velocity, play this note, but don't play the note if the midi velocity is below that velocity". So, to always play a certain note (or set of notes), set "Minimal Velocity" all the way to the max. Right?
* I'm not interested in the "Probability" parameter... I want to set things how I want, and then stay that way while I compose or practice playing against the drum/percussion part. So for this purpose, "Probability" should be set to 100%, I believe. Is this correct?

You mean 'Minimal Level' slider I think. Set it all the way to minimum for hits to always play at all levels.
'Level' relates to which loopbox is doing the triggering, not velocity. There's an error in the info: 'You can switch between 3 predefined velocity (should read level) values using the shortcut "N".'
And yes, for your purpose, Probability should be set to 100%.
Hopefully you are 20.001% less confused now!

[sirmonkey]

Ah yes, I meant "Minimal Level". And indeed it should be all the way down to make a note play 100% of the time. I really botched what I meant to say there.
I'm 20.062% less confused. Approximately. Getting there though!

[MeldaProduction]

No no, Minimal level means "If the level of the rhythm being played is above or equal to this value, then play this note". So basically increasing minimal level for a certain note means it will NOT be played if the rhythm level (in other words complexity) is lower. The rhythm level is what makes difference between verses and choruses for example. For most rhythms the note level is not used and multiple loops are used instead, but the note level actually lets you implement a whole rhythm with all the complexities using just a single loop.