Help making a drum sequence

[devilfish]

Hi,

im an idiot, and i cant understand the tutorial on creating a simple drum sequence...i dont get what this step is:

''Set your tempo and start recording a first guidance track in the first beat of Measure 3. This means you will hear 8 "tacks" and will start to play when you hear the 9th "tack" and "bing!" simultaneously. Make sure you follow the music's tempo.''

i selected the 4/4 metronome but im not sure what were trying to achieve by this step.

i set my tempo to 170 as thats what i need...then selected ''003'' for the rthird measuer, then started recording indefinitely and stopped after about 30 seconds because i didnt know what im supposed to be doing.

can someone help me with this?

i dotn understand how to record a ''first guidance track in the first beat of Measure 3'' and why im doing it either?

[Pedro]

i dotn understand how to record a ''first guidance track in the first beat of Measure 3'' and why im doing it either?

Hello there devilfish!

Maybe I am explaining me wrong in the tutorial. The way I record things is drums, bass, guitars and vocals. But I usually compose the song in acoustic guitar without thinking the drums. So the guidance track is just to help me coming up with the drums. This way I hear the guitar as I create the drum arrangement and can create an arrangement that fits better in the song. You could skip that step all the way.

Just be sure that you are recording in the exact tempo you are making your drum arrangement. I use the two silent measures in the start of the song so that I can ready myself to play and then start to play when the drums kick in as well.

Just skip the guidance track and first focus on creating the drum sequence, then record what you wish over it.

Also take the time to read page 83 of the manual, it explains how the drum arrangement works in a more detailed way.

Hope this helps.

[devilfish]

Hi,

ok i recorded my 2 guitars parts over a drum rhythm that was playing but i dont know how to record just that one drum rhythm throughout the song.

can you help?

i have 2 guitar tracks recorded but its just playing over a drum rhythm that iosnt recorded.

how do i record that rhythn?

thanks

[64Guitars]

Don't worry about it. Just be happy that it isn't taking up two of your tracks. If it did, you'd only have two left to record guitars, vocals, etc.

When you've finished recording all your tracks, you'll want to mix them all down to a stereo pair so that you can create a wave file from it. You do that by "bouncing" all the tracks down to two (see pages 50-51 of the Micro BR manual). When you bounce your tracks, the drum machine will be included in the mix. Until then, think of the drum machine as a fifth track and be glad that the other four tracks are available for guitars, vocals, etc.

Also, you should read this message for several reasons why it's better to create a simple arrangement to play your pattern instead of just playing the pattern directly in pattern mode.

https://songcrafters.org/forum/index.php?topic=89.msg376#msg376

[devilfish]

Hi,

at the moment i jsut want to export my 2 trakcs + the frum rhythma sa n mp3...just the same drum rhythm all the way throguh.

how do i do this?

i just have 2 guiar track the rhythm playing separately.

i want to save it as an mp3 with the frum rhythm

thanks

[Pedro]

So now you have to follow this procedure:

1.Make sure you are on the first screen. Press Exit and Utility two times simultaneously. You are now on Mastering mode.
2. Press Effects and, using + or -, choose a mastering preset. You can hear the difference real-time by playing the song.
3. Rewind to the beginning. Press Record and then Play. Your song is now being mastered in real time, when it is over, press Stop.
4. A new screen will appear, asking you if you want MP3 or WAV export, choose YES by pressing TR4.
5. If you want to name your song later on PC (which I recommend), just press TR4 again. If don't, press TR3. On the naming screen, you can use + or - to change the characters and right CURSOR to choose the next character. When you're done, press Exit.
6. Press EXE (TR4). It will ask you to confirm. Press TR4 again. It is now exporting.
7. Your song has now been saved in MP3 on the /MP3 folder.

You can now upload your song (2 guitar tracks + rhythm track) to PC.

[devilfish]

Hi,

ok thanks...i have that down...cheers for that.

now i want to create a more complex drum track with fills and different ryhythms but im compeltely stuck n that basic track thing about the metronome you mentioned earlier.

could i have some very simple i9nstructions to ge tme started creating a drum trakc please?

thanks

[Pedro]

Hi,

ok thanks...i have that down...cheers for that.

now i want to create a more complex drum track with fills and different ryhythms but im compeltely stuck n that basic track thing about the metronome you mentioned earlier.

could i have some very simple i9nstructions to ge tme started creating a drum trakc please?

thanks

I really suggest you try to read the manual, starting from page 80. If you dont have the manual you can get it, here.

Also, try to re-read this tutorial starting from step 3.

And pratice this, spend some time pressing different buttons, this always works.

[devilfish]

Hi,

yes im in the process of creating rhythms after reading the manualsd but i need help from step 1 to 3 haha.

i dont get why i need a guidance track...what is it for?

how do i create one as im getting confused by the steps it sasy.

i have selected 4/4 metronome. on step 2 it says this:

''Set your tempo and start recording a first guidance track in the first beat of Measure 3.''

do i start recording  from 0 minutes 0 seconds? when do i stop recording...it says IN the forst beat of meaure 3...why do you start in meaure 3?

then it says:

''This means you will hear 8 "tacks" and will start to play when you hear the 9th "tack" and "bing!" simultaneously. Make sure you follow the music's tempo.''

i dont get why i need this...how does this help? do when ive arranged a drum arrangement do i set it to start on measure 4? or from the beggining (0 mins , 0seconds?)

thanks

[64Guitars]

i dont get why i need a guidance track...what is it for?

how do i create one as im getting confused by the steps it sasy.

i have selected 4/4 metronome. on step 2 it says this:

''Set your tempo and start recording a first guidance track in the first beat of Measure 3.''

do i start recording  from 0 minutes 0 seconds? when do i stop recording...it says IN the forst beat of meaure 3...why do you start in meaure 3?

then it says:

''This means you will hear 8 "tacks" and will start to play when you hear the 9th "tack" and "bing!" simultaneously. Make sure you follow the music's tempo.''

i dont get why i need this...how does this help? do when ive arranged a drum arrangement do i set it to start on measure 4? or from the beggining (0 mins , 0seconds?)

The guidance track is optional. All it means is that you can record your first track of music (rhythm guitar, for example) to the tempo of the metronome so that you'll have some song structure before you start programming the drums. That way, you'll know when the verse ends and the chorus starts, for example, and you can change the pattern in the arrangement at that point, or add a fill. It's just easier to create a good arrangement when you've got some music tracks recorded than it is to create the arrangement first. But you have to record the music tracks at a consistent tempo, so it's important to use the metronome or a drum pattern while recording. The metronome won't be recorded. You'll just hear it while you're playing so you can stay in tempo.

The first two measures are merely a count-in. It's just two measures of the metronome clicking by itself while you get ready to start playing on the third measure. Something like:

    1 - 2 - 3 - 4    1 - 2 - 3 - 4    START

Why not start playing on the first measure? Well, when you press the [PLAY] button to begin recording, the drum arrangement will start right away. But it will take you a second or two to move your hand away from the Micro BR and back to a normal playing position on your guitar, so you'll be out of sync with the drums. Having a 2-measure count-in gives you time to get yourself settled and ready to play when the drums start at the beginning of measure 3.

You may find that a one-measure count-in is sufficient. So you can start your drums and your guitar, etc. on measure 2. It's just a matter of personal preference.

Some songs might start with a drum intro, with the other instruments coming in on the next measure. In that case, there may be no need for a count-in since the drum intro serves the same purpose, allowing you time to get ready to play on the first beat of the next measure. But, if you record some guitar or something before you create your drum arrangement, you have to allow for the drum intro. So, if the drum intro is one measure long, you should start recording your guitar on measure 2. Then later, when you create your drum arrangement, you can start the drum intro on measure 1 and everything else will come in on measure 2. But, if you record your guitar track before you create your drum arrangement, how will you be able to start playing the guitar precisely at the beginning of the second measure? ... Because you'll be listening to the metronome ticking four beats before you start playing on the 5th beat (1st beat of second measure).

But if your song will not have a drum intro, then you'll need a count-in to give you time to get ready to play. Whether it's one measure long or two is up to you. And, if you record some guitar tracks or other instruments before you create your drum arrangement, then you'll need to play the metronome throughout the song so you can play on tempo. Otherwise, you'll never be able to synchronize the drum arrangement with your music.

When your song is finished, you can set the count-in measures of the drum arrangement to P327:BREAK which is silent. Later, when you convert your finished song to a wave file, you can trim off these silent measures on your computer with a wave editor like Audacity or Adobe Audition.