How Many Using Drum Replacer, and How Do You Use It?

I'll start things off by answering my own question
 
I don't use it very much, but when I do, I really need it. Because I think that the pure TR-808/909 type of drum sound has become trite, I prefer to use loops of acoustic drums, played by a human drummer. While that adds a really cool element, sonically the "fit" isn't always ideal with EDM and hip-hop. Since there aren't any EDM/hip-hop-type Drum Replacer sounds, I developed a set of kicks and snares for that purpose. I've found that by "highpassing" the loop to reduce the kick and using DR to add the EDM kicks, and also layering the snare with something more electronic, I get the best of both worlds - human feel, with important sounds for the genre that provide a better match.
 
There are likely more imaginative applications, but this one has really helped me out.

I've had mixed results with it. As designed, it's pretty good for kick drums, but I like to use it to reinforce any instrument that has a distinctly percussive edge. I wish there were more samples to use with it, but I can't be bothered to compile SFZ files just for that application. It's kind of cool to reinforce a drum sound with a breath sample in a Kate Bush kind of thing.

I had a client project that was a bit of a Pentatonix thing where most or all tracks were human produced.
Being able to take the human beatbox tracks, gate/EQ them then use Drum Replacer to augment the human sound with a touch of 909 type kick was crucial. Worked really well.

 
I wrote out a nice description of different methods I use for DR in another thread you had a few weeks ago, let me see if I can find that one and copy/paste it in here.
 
I use every feature to try and squeeze every once I can out of it. the samples (Chocolate audio samples) I find to be rather decent myself. but some of them are hit or miss.
for example, I love the Zeppelin snare, But the Zeppelin kick is way too boxy.
Same goes for the Motown Kick, I love the kick.. but the Motown snare has an annoying ring to it. A little too authentic for my liking.
 
EDIT: Here's the post I was referring to:
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Drum Replacer Tips+Tricks
So many cool things in drum replacer. Some are not as well known.
 
1- Adding notes: Sometimes you set up the Filter and interval but don't want to tweak it just to catch a few notes.
Simply left click on the lower half of the Drum replacer timeline to add in a note.
 
2- Remove stray notes: As above, sometimes the filter or interval are set, but there's that one defunct note that's like 5 feet away from the real drum hit. Right click on the stem to remove it. Then add in a note using procedure/Step 1.
 
3- Add Velocity's: On custom notes you put in yourself (see Step 1) You can adjust these velocity's by clicking on the stem and holding( on custom note). A number will appear with the Velocity. Dragging up or down changes the value of the notes velocity.
 
4- Using a delayed hit: One can set up replacement hits to be a little early or a little late.
This works perfect on Snare hits. Hover your mouse over the Audio photo and click and hold, Drag right or left.
I find when Stacking drum, giving the second or third snare a little bit of delayed time thickens it up VS. leaving it in perfect time with the previous snare hit.
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We always record real drums and produce midi from it to trigger sounds and mix the two to get better sounds.
 
When Drum Replacer came out I was excited that it would improve or at least be easier to produce the overlay parts or the midi. But I find that I get better midi translation with audiosnap than with drum replacer. Then I can trigger any of the AD2 or SD drummer sounds for the overlay. So I haven't used DR much lately. 
 
I use the method posted here in the past by Lord Tim, where you use an aggressive gate to control audiosnap so it is more accurate. It works very well, but would be nice if there were improvements to AS or DR to make it easier. Trigger AD2 and blend with the real drums and you can really get a great kit sound. I generally don't trigger cymbals or HH, just use the overheads for that and trigger the rest of the kit.
 
gabo

Cactus Music
I used it once and found the sounds provided useless so never used it again. Are you all saying you can add sfz samples like from Sessions drummer library? 
Or even better it will create a midi track?
Sorry I should read the instructions I guess. 

You can load both .WAV and .SFZ files in to Drum Replacer. However, DR will work better with SFZ file because it interprets velocity's within the SFZ file. Where as WAV files are a 1 set velocity. This video might help explain in a little more detail:

 
Importing Addictive drums samples in to DR is a little different. See the video below:

I'm on the lookout for NON drum SFZ files and they seem to be very rare. It would be great if they could tweak the program to allow for a larger selection of compatible sample files.

pwalpwal

ampfixer
I'm on the lookout for NON drum SFZ files and they seem to be very rare. It would be great if they could tweak the program to allow for a larger selection of compatible sample files.

what about the SFZs that come with dim pro, rapture, etc?

 
Good call, plenty of those suckers are scattered around a SONARian's hard drive.

I like the potential of this ... if you have an acoustic track without drums ...
 
Creating Percussion from a Melody with Drum Replacer - Cakewalk Software
https://www.youtube.com/w...5RC3JpnW4geN0MRBvcX4Hj

You know Bill Jackson wrote a utility to expand the sample repertoire for use in DRM Replacer.

It's available in the Software part of the forum in the Sonar Utilities thread.

1. I wish the Dyn (Dynamics) control had an accompanying level control. 
 
Currently the control does slope and level in one and the result is not always what I want.
 
(Note: the Level control sets audio level, not midi level)
 
2. I also wish user inserted notes could be muted, like the detected notes.
 
3. Seeing the midi levels of the notes more easily would also be great. Currently it's necessary to inspect each individually.
The intensity of the marker is clever but not precise enough when comparing markers more than a screen distance apart.

Can't figure out my work with out it!