• SONAR
  • What's the best drum plug for sonar? (p.2)
2012/08/18 08:11:28
twaddle
I also think although it might be a little more than your immediate needs your needs will almost certainly evolve and become more complex over time as you begin to want better sounding drums.

So with that in mind I would strongly recommend you have a good look at the current deal at fxpansion for their BFD Eco.
You can get it until the end of this month for the no brainer price of £32 (Normally £69) but you also get a free Rock Legends kit (normally £37) from Platinum Samples who make samples of the very highest quality.

BFD Eco is very easy to program but if you wish you can go much deeper too.
2012/08/18 08:48:41
Guitarhacker
chudson


Hi all
tough question I know so let me try to narrow it down a little. By Best I mean........

  1. sounds great
  2. easy to use
  3. easy to programme quickly for a non drummer
  4. has the ability to closely approximate a human drummer

  
Jamstix   www.rayzoon.com  does all 4 items mentioned above.  


#1 It has many kits and....as far as kits go... it also has the ability to use kits from other drum programs. I have a few drum synths and can use the kits from those synths in JS. 

#2  try the demo. once you set it up and learn how it works it is pretty freaking easy to use ....see the next point


#3.... no programming involved, no dragging in loops, just choose a drummer from the list for his unique style, select a master style to have the drummer play, and select a kit and simply start playback and your drummer will play it automatically.

#4 it has limb control.... no 4 armed drummers. It calculates the pattern to be played and determines if there is enough time for the drummer to hit the cymbal and then move to the snare..... if not.... it doesn't play it. It also knows a real drummer could not hit the snare the cymbal and 2 toms at the same exact time..... This feature can be turned on or off. 


You can edit the track it creates to place fills and accents where needed or tell the drummer to re-compose a bar... bars... or the entire song. Best drum synth invented for the non drummer in my humble opinion. 


get the demo and try it.






2012/08/18 18:25:48
Brando
Guitarhacker

  
Jamstix   www.rayzoon.com  does all 4 items mentioned above.  


#1 It has many kits and....as far as kits go... it also has the ability to use kits from other drum programs. I have a few drum synths and can use the kits from those synths in JS. 

#2  try the demo. once you set it up and learn how it works it is pretty freaking easy to use ....see the next point


#3.... no programming involved, no dragging in loops, just choose a drummer from the list for his unique style, select a master style to have the drummer play, and select a kit and simply start playback and your drummer will play it automatically.

#4 it has limb control.... no 4 armed drummers. It calculates the pattern to be played and determines if there is enough time for the drummer to hit the cymbal and then move to the snare..... if not.... it doesn't play it. It also knows a real drummer could not hit the snare the cymbal and 2 toms at the same exact time..... This feature can be turned on or off. 


You can edit the track it creates to place fills and accents where needed or tell the drummer to re-compose a bar... bars... or the entire song. Best drum synth invented for the non drummer in my humble opinion. 


get the demo and try it.

+1000 for Jamstix. I am waiting for the smoke to clear on the 64 bit version which is in beta now. (Have it  but have not installed it) But the 32 bit version has always worked well for me in SONAR using either Bitbridge or JBridge.
I also have EZ Drummer, but really always go back to Jamstix. There are a wide variety of add-in packs which are reasonably priced and excellent.
The Jamstix brain can also drive any VSTi drum sampler you want to use directly if you are particularly fond of something else. Ralph, the developer is the most accommodating and helpful developer I have ever seen anywhere. Bar none.
I have seen some criticism in these forums from people saying they have heard tracks created with Jamstix that were too busy, or off the beat, etc. I have heard many drum tracks that fit that description made with something other than jamstix too, including all of the big boys. It still gets down to the talent and skill of the user.
What is (IMO) the coolest thing about Jamstix is (not withstanding Herb's comments that you don't need to) that you can take any MIDI loop and import that as a groove into the Jamstix brain, and have the drummer of your choice using the kit of your choice adding his particular characteristics to it. Not always what you expect (or want) - but it is phenomenal if you use loops and a beat slicer that outputs MIDI - I use Izotope's phatmatik pro for this. So you get a loop going - slice and output the MIDI, then import the MIDI clip into Jamstix as a groove, and Voila! Jamstix plays right along with your loop in the style you've chosen - drummer/kit etc. Great for techno/industrial/EDM/Dubstep where you want the realism of real drums and a "real" drummer layered or augmented with loops. Also, great if you are doing your own arrangements and have a MIDI clip of the drum track.
Very customizable, or not - depending on the user's preference.
I suggest anybody thinking about a drum sampler visit the Rayzoon website and read the forum and play with the demo. 
2012/08/19 06:09:29
twaddle
I looked at jamstix and tried their demo.
I don't really need drum replacement and if I want to change my drums I just load up a different kit in either BFD Eco or BFD2.  
Apart from drum replacement I don't see what it can do that Addictive Drums or EZdrummer cant do and it seems to do a lot less 
than BFD Eco which is currently $50 cheaper plus you're getting a free platinum samples kit which normally costs $59.

I looked at the demo last night and thought oh great I can use it to drive BFD Eco or BFD2. But it had problems with BFD2.
Then I wondered why I would ever want it to drive another drum program? Doesn't seem that I would gain anything and I would just be using more resources for nothing.
Am I missing something?

Jamstix basic is $99. BFD Eco with free rock legends kit from platinum samples $49. 

You do the math 

Steve


2012/08/19 13:00:31
stevec
BFD Eco with free rock legends kit from platinum samples $49.

 
Just installed it last night, and so far, liking it very much. 
 
2012/08/19 14:30:30
twaddle
stevec



BFD Eco with free rock legends kit from platinum samples $49.

 
Just installed it last night, and so far, liking it very much. 
 

Glad to hear it Steve
Let us know if you have any problems or are in need of advice.
Or get yourself on the Eco forum, though to be honest you'll probably get quicker advice on here as it's pretty quite usually.
Unless of course you need to speak with the bakers 


Steve
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