Is it possible to make "funky drummer" style breaks with drum machines?

ScottBrio

ScottBrio

Music Making GOD
Anyone know how one would go about making drum breaks like the famous "funky drummer" with a drum machine or program like Reason? Is the only way to piece them together in the arrange window?
 
the key is ghost notes, but the right amount of swing helps too. you can always program it in, then nudge various hits into place at the highest resolution until it sounds right. The easy way, tho, is to find or make a funky drummer loop in rex or rx2 format and steal its groove, applying it to your homemade drum loop, but still, it won't sound right without a good understanding of ghost notes. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WGXGpa458Ig Search youtube for "ghost notes", "clyde stubblefield", and "bernard purdie". There's also some good threads on dogsonacid.com about breakbeats and ghost notes if you search the grid. Enjoy.
 
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Darko said:
the key is ghost notes, but the right amount of swing helps too. you can always program it in, then nudge various hits into place at the highest resolution until it sounds right. The easy way, tho, is to find or make a funky drummer loop in rex or rx2 format and steal its groove, applying it to your homemade drum loop, but still, it won't sound right without a good understanding of ghost notes. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WGXGpa458Ig Search youtube for "ghost notes", "clyde stubblefield", and "bernard purdie". There's also some good threads on dogsonacid.com about breakbeats and ghost notes if you search the grid. Enjoy.
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That's what i'm talking about! Great link. Now I gotta figure out how to translate that into programming, lol. I've done 16 Levels with my MPD 32 before, and that gets close, I just gotta fine tune it. :cheers:
 
yeah, don't forget you can also make a sample more ghost-like by using a filter or messing with the attack and decay.
 
Do you mean by using acoustic samples or an actual drum synthesiser?

I think I've learned to understand a bit more about drums by playing a real acoustic kit, I'd highly recommend it if you are into breaks.
 
Either way, I'm just interested in being able to make my own breaks. I watched that youtube vid of Bernard Purdie like 10 times lol. I think i've figured out a good method.

Record myself playing finger drums. Import into PT. Replace with acoustic samples. Study pattern and eventually learn to make them on a grid. :D
 
LostProfit said:
Sounds like someone would like an MPC to be invented! :monkey:
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Maybe he's in the same boat as me.. I have a lot better timing drumming with a few fingers on a desk (usually my left thumb and index finger with fills done by my right index and middle) than I do of playing a complex beat on my mpc in real-time.
 
those fingers are just tuning in to your rhythm, your body clock.

Everyone starts off doing a little dance and then nodding your head, then tapping one foot etc

Fingers are a sensitive part and they are an acute area of dexterity. You should be able to easily get your patterns down on the MPC, think of the co-ordination involved with typing on this qwerty keyboard.
 
Darko said:
the key is ghost notes, but the right amount of swing helps too. you can always program it in, then nudge various hits into place at the highest resolution until it sounds right. The easy way, tho, is to find or make a funky drummer loop in rex or rx2 format and steal its groove, applying it to your homemade drum loop, but still, it won't sound right without a good understanding of ghost notes. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WGXGpa458Ig Search youtube for "ghost notes", "clyde stubblefield", and "bernard purdie". There's also some good threads on dogsonacid.com about breakbeats and ghost notes if you search the grid. Enjoy.
Click to expand...

Great thread....

EVEN MORE FOCKING AWESOME RESPONSE!!!!! :cheers:
 
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