First time here. I've always recorded real drummers. Even back in Midi drum days triggering Akai sampler using Samples I recorded, assigned to notes and with 4 slots for increasing velocity hits. ( No looping of cymbals etc.) And have just now tried to use Session drummer 2.

I'd like to have some patterns for my own writing at home. But, I'd REALLY like to replace the Session Drummer sounds with real drum sounds from kits that I have recorded. Then tweak patterns, which I can do in Piano roll. I already made a file w/ various drum sounds

Is this possible or even reasonably easy? Prefer not to spend weeks. Thanks.

well have a look at the existing kits.. there is an SFZ file related to them and the obvious samples.. use that as a starting ground. You can click on the sample in the instrrument to replace it IRC.  make a copy of an exsisting kit and work from there, is how I'd approach it.

as for the patterns they are midi files.. so you can open them in the sequencer no problem.

I wouldn't say it's simple.. but I wouldn't say it's complex either. it's a case of "once you get the hang of it"

If I can elaborate on Fog's method.  Open the SFZ file for one of the kits and substitute the name of your prefered file w/in the kit.  Save the SFZ file w/ the samples - although I'm not sure how SD organizes itself.  Just copy its methodology.  SFZ basically tells the synth where to look for which sample to play on what key.  In DimPro and Rapture the sfz file is saved above the samples themselves, but SD might be different.

When you open the your new kit your samples should be mapped to the right drums.

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Thanks to both of you. When I 'programmed' my Akai, I had 4 'slots' in which I loaded a soft hit, little harder, Harder and Smack the crap out of it. This was for Vel changes. I noticed the SD drums change sound as you click lower to higher on the pad. Is that actually sample change or an envelope opening up...? In other words, should I expect any change on my samples clicking lower or higher in the drum pad?  Thanks again.

P.S Is Session Drummer even the best for what I need? Should I use a different soft synth? Since I really don't know any of them, learning curve is expected. I'd hate to learn one just to find I'd learned the wrong one. I haven't really used any synths since the Electro Comp in the early '70s and the Serge in the late '70's.

what you said about the akai.. it's the same with SD also or with other samplers etc.. it's got 3 hit points.. low / mid / high on the icon ,but you can do more in the sfz itself

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-VpzlysXQzE

might be an interest watch if you haven't seen it.

Thanks, I've seen the videos a few times and it all seems simple. Please bear with me. I'm confused. 1stly,I don't know what I use to open the sfz files. I found them, but don't know what to open them with.

When I opened SD2, I have 8 audio trax and the SD track and one to load the midi files on the Left side of the 'clips pane'. ( I never use the 'console' view, because I have a console and everything- up to now- is available on the Left side of the clips pane)

I have put my Drum sounds in the same folder as "Tight dry room' and found the sounds to load them in the Pads in the Drummer interface, and did so. 

I then changed the out puts under each pad ( 1-8). I also changed the individual Inputs from the drop down menu on the left side of the clips pane using Session drummer 2 individual inputs. ( R=1, L=2, R-3, etc ) Then w/ the Output drop down menu I chose my outputs to my MOTU outs ( I have 24) which feed my Harrison console so it should show up on rails so I can eq, compress, aux to verbs. I then 'saved' the set up to the 'save' window on top of the SD2 interface, calling it 'T1".

Obviously I'm missing something as some of the sounds disappear. Others show on different 'trax' than I expect based on the I/O I have set.

In other words, I'll have the hi tom on ch 4 under the pad, on the drop menu I'll have SD2 #4 on the input and pan R so the output goes out the R of out 3-4 of sonar to my motu ch 4 which feeds my ch #4 on my console. Where I should hear it. I don't.

I've also achieved vapor lock. I'll take a break. Help is appreciated.

Note pad or any other word like program will open SFZ.  There are a couple of free programs out there that can help, but nothing graphical.  SFZ is  text-based.  check the developers forum, they have a bunch of sfz info there.

Can't answer anything about the akia.

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