Too many drums sounds - help please!!!

K

KHz Wilkerson

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I'm trying to come up with some sort of system of getting a core set of drum sounds (process of elimination). my drum library is RIDICULOUS. if you make beats then you can relate. any input would be gladly appreciated.
 
First: You need time,DAW with shell integration and patience.
Open file browswer of your daw. In Drum samples folder make sort of folders named:
*Best*Medium*Bad.
You listen a samples form a daw browser, when sample is poor-delete it. This sample will be in the Recycle Bin. When process is done. Cut samples from Recycle Bin and paste in *Poor or *Medium folder. Very time consuming but it is worth to do it.
 
GKPL said:
First: You need time,DAW with shell integration and patience.
Open file browswer of your daw. In Drum samples folder make sort of folders named:
*Best*Medium*Bad.
You listen a samples form a daw browser, when sample is poor-delete it. This sample will be in the Recycle Bin. When process is done. Cut samples from Recycle Bin and paste in *Poor or *Medium folder. Very time consuming but it is worth to do it.
Click to expand...

THANK YOU!!! for the response. i really dig this idea.
questions:
1) what is a DAW with shell integration? (i.e. Maschine + Ableton)?
2) how many drums do you currently work with on a REGULAR basis?
 
1.Shell Integration means that U can use windows tasks (like cut,paste,delete) inside DAW.
*FL Studio Have This feature for sure: Right Click>Windows Shell Menu>Delete.
*Presonus Studio One also got this feature Right Click>Delete
*Ableton Live got this feature Right Click>Delete

I don't know how it's going in other DAW's.

2.I have 2.5 GB of drum samples. Folders order for example:
KICK> Kicks1,Kicks2,Kicks3. 500 files in one folder-its easy to navigate in browswer.
If you don't want to make folders manually I can write a script for You (if You are using windows).
 
good lookin homie. preshate the input. i'm working on it right now!
 
I feel your pain. Not much you can do besides listen to each sample and delete the cheap sounding ones. Take note of any you like and haven't paid for if that is the case, so that if the time comes you can buy them later.
 
I have them sorted by the developer.

I have beat block right now, so by the first I will finally have everyhing organized and ready to go. It just sucks moving stuff around then trying to open up project files.
 
MrWonderful said:
I have them sorted by the developer.

I have beat block right now, so by the first I will finally have everyhing organized and ready to go. It just sucks moving stuff around then trying to open up project files.
Click to expand...
agreed. i've finally trashed all my garbage drums & load em up in maschine by Best & Medium. a good tip by my man GKPL. #thanks!
 
Good question. For me, as far as drum libraries, its always quality before quantity. Take your time because, you wont get to have 1 folder with 1000 GREAT kicks. Thats way to hard to judge on.

If your straight making hiphop beats. What you also can do is this:

Kicks
- Best (the type of kicks you really like, like instant, like top notch)
- Bassy kicks (808 so on)
- Spaced-out kicks (kicks you generally dont like but can be used in a stacking-situation, diversity
- Trashkicks - Which you can decide if you want or delete at the end.

Snares: The same. Og defined by what sound they have like, snapping, sloppy whatever. Just some ideas.

You have to trust your ears atleast wiht a such a big library and filter out everything that sounds "alike" because you dont need 1000 GREAT kicks if they all sound pretty much alike. as well as you do NEED som wierd kicks to play around with. the same for snares.

If your into different genres, just put them in a genre folder where you think you might get good use for them
 
I used to have the sample problem, but today I'm more organized. It's better for your workflow. And you don't need 1000 drum sounds if you know how to tweak drums. Good luck mate.
 
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KHz Wilkerson said:
I'm trying to come up with some sort of system of getting a core set of drum sounds (process of elimination). my drum library is RIDICULOUS. if you make beats then you can relate. any input would be gladly appreciated.
Click to expand...

Well don't delete any sounds since you don't know if you may need them someday. There's no set system for this... but I would create a bunch of folders: two main folders - Acoustic, Electronic. Within those: kicks, snares, hats, toms, cymbals, FX, various percussion. and allocate your samples accordingly. I personally use Battery 3 as a software sampler, and I have made 2-4 different kits for every project, each kit can have up to 60 samples in it. So instead of eliminating all the sounds you don't use, it could save some headache to spend time singling out the sounds you do use in kits. FYI any software sampler will let you create your own sound banks... unless it's some freeware demo.
 
The shit I don't need is unorganized, then I have a folder titled "Go To Packs" and within that folder I have the medium ehh type stuff, and within the Go To Packs folder I have a "Gems" folder, and within the "Gems" folder, I have my best drumkits (SIHD, Urban Fire) and my own kit (which is pretty much drums I get from my best kits and rename them).
 
yeah drum organization can be a pain if you have a ton of one shots. I really like how they are fixing this in Live 9 with the new browser (its not out yet but I have the beta) and what they did with Live 9 is have live scan all of your samples on your computer then give u a search bar so u can type in kick or clap or snare ect and it just pulls those up then u audition and select that way rather than going through hundreds of folders. Other than that the way to go imo is to pick one or two drum libraries and stick with those. No need to download every kit out there since you are going to be layering filtering and compressing and really changing the sound anyway.
 
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