"Electric Percussion" Question

[BDoggWhite]

Hello...newbie here looking for assistance from seasoned veterans.

I am wondering what some of the best programs/devices/software/etc. for 'electronic percussion' and similar effects are used in compositions commonly seen in movie trailers. E.S. Posthumus ("Pompeii"...Spiderman trailer and several others) and Craig Armstrong ("Escape" - The Patriot trailer...Romeo Must Die trailer...."This Love" Cruel Intentions) are artists that would offer good representations of what I have in mind.

If you have any further questions, please do not hesitate to let me know. Thank you for your assistance!

[Audun_Jemtland]

Hey B dogg, I can only think that "stylus" from spectrasonics have that kind of electric drums.(www.spectrasonics.net) I haven't tried stylus but I will have it in my pocession one day. I recently bought something called "adrenaline" which is a plug-in from EASTWEST(PSP-09). I am looking for electric percussion myself. I'll try out adrenaline for you (haven't even installed it yet due to problems with my computer) I'll fire it up and let you know what it's like.

[Per Lichtman]

Unfortunately I'm not to familiar with the trailers in question but electric percussion leads me in one of two very different directions. 1) Some of the very film score like selection in Quantum Leap Storm Drum. You can listen to some of the demo for it at www..com. 2) The analogue drum set style electronic percussion of Mircrtonic (a VST plug-in you can learn more about at www.kvr-vst.com). I'm curious as to whether either of those directions are what you are talking about.

[Rich Pell]

Theres lots of elctronic kits and sound morphing possiblities that come with NI`s Battery.Rich

[Bruce A. Richardson]

Intakt is also a very nice generator of all things electronically percussive. Lots of fun and good sounding options.

[Ned Bouhalassa]

I guess Attack (http://www.kvr-vst.com/get/106.html) was the last real electronic (read synthesis) drum machine, right? Even though the manufacturer has gone under (Waldorf), you can still buy it from some stores.

[BDoggWhite]

Thanks guys.

Per, I do have an interest in StormDrum. I like the sounds on the bombastic drums. To answer your question, I am thinking along that line, BUT....and forgive me for not being able to me more specific, I'm very new to this...I'm also looking for a percussion program that is electronic in it's sound, not that it's just virtual. Here are three aural examples:

1. This Love, Track 2 - Craig Armstrong (http://entertainment.circuitcity.com/Music/Album.aspx?p_id=P++++52463&a_id=R+++341238&prodid=MLNK9627.2)

2. Gravity of Love, Track 15 - Enigma (http://entertainment.circuitcity.com/Music/Album.aspx?p_id=VA++++++++&a_id=R+++514751&prodid=VIR50836.2)

3. Escape, Track 17 - Craig Armstrong (http://entertainment.circuitcity.com/Music/Album.aspx?p_id=P++++52463&a_id=R+++422715&prodid=MLNK6260.2)

If you all could point me in the right direction, I would appreciate it.

Thank you for the other input.

[Per Lichtman]

Ah, a few minutes away from the studio. I'd love to help but unfortunately my browser tells me that all those links are dead. Does anyone else have this problem? Either way, if you could send me some other links I will try to give a reccomendation tommorow night.

[BDoggWhite]

Hmmm...the links just worked for me. If you're still having problems, I'll find a way to get a sample to you.

[Rich Pell]

Hmm. i can`t open the link either...Yea Lee ,Ultrabeat looks amazing. Just too bad u have to run i on a mac with Logic. Damb elitists!! :-)) Rich

[BDoggWhite]

Sorry the links don't seem to work...I was trying to make it easier on you all. If you can spare 2 more minutes, I can tell you how to get to the links. Circuit City's page has clips of each song..it's very nice.

Go to Circuit City homepage. (http://www.circuitcity.com/home.jsp)

Top...search for "Craig Armstrong" under "Popular Music"

Select "The Space Between Us" CD....Track 2...This Love

Back to Armstrong results...."Plunkett and MacLeane Soundtrack"...Track 17..Escape

Top...search for "Pure Moods" under "Album"

Select "Pure Moods Vol. 3" CD....Track 15...Gravity of Love...Enigma

Thank you so much!

[Per Lichtman]

Thanks. I checked your links and it was little bit difficult to make out the percussion because of all the compression artifacts. Nonetheless, it sounded to me like Storm Drum would still be a good bet. Between the rock kits, the big hits and the small collection of electronic sounds you are pretty comprehensively taken care of. Also, the Kompakt player that Storm Drum uses makes it easy to create percussion with a strong mood by sweeping the filter cutoff and experimenting with the resonance.

I wasn't sure what you meant originally but these tracks are much more in the Storm Drum direction than any of the more traditional libraries like DFH, BFD, Linplug RMIV or Battery or even the "synth drum" libraries like Microtonic. As best I can tell from the audio files, I use Storm Drum for stuff like this all the time.

There are a lot of tricks involved in changing the sound of the drums that can help to get the sound you want. I mentioned filtering above but also experiment with the free Degrade plug-in from http://mda.smartelectronix.com/effects.htm
Many times "electronic percussion" is best created by writing the part with rich acoustic patches at twice the tempo you'd like and then simply slowing it down (without preserving pitch or tempo) to %50 speed using the appropriate effect in say for instance Cool Edit/Adobe Audition. When you do this, it cuts out lots of the frequencies and modifies the sound with artifacts that are often desirable.

Also, the loops in Storm Drum Intakt might be helpful. There may not be tons, but there are several useful film score style loops that feature very interesting timbres.

I hope this helps and if it seems like I'm still off track, keep sending me links and I'll try to better understand the sound you are looking for.

[Angus_FX]

If you don't mind getting your hands a little dirty, check out DR-008 from FXpansion ( www.fxpansion.com ) - very powerful electronic percussion module, but a bit harder to get to grips with than your average sample library.

[tob]

I guess Attack (http://www.kvr-vst.com/get/106.html) was the last real electronic (read synthesis) drum machine, right? Even though the manufacturer has gone under (Waldorf), you can still buy it from some stores.

Or check out this killermachine: http://www.soniccharge.com/ :D

/Tobias

[Per Lichtman]

Or check out this killermachine: http://www.soniccharge.com/ :D

/Tobias

Yup, that's what I meant by microtunoic. I keep forgetting that I'm using a nickname. :-)

[KingIdiot]

Stylus, and Dance mega drums one and two

thats all you really need as a starting point IMO when it comes to sample libs, and if you dont know what you're doing. (I still consider Stylus part of this group even tho its MUCH more)

if you're talking actual synth models, then ... the list goes on for ages, andit still comes out to what the hell you do with the sounds afterwards....meaning compression, distortion, other effects and general mixing techs.

Trueth be told, there's no out of the box solution that will cover all bases, mostly because what makes good synth drum sounds is experimentation.

Actually, what the hell am I saying...anything will be a good starting point for electro drums, just so long as you play around with EQ and compression effects....and gating...oh and phasing....oh and reverb....oh wait and

goodnight