Pro Tools: Programming Realistic Drums Explained

If you're tired of dealing with the hassle of finding a good drummer and/or trying to record great-sounding drums, this course is for you! Pro Tools guru Thomas Cochran will show you how to get professional-sounding drum tracks in Pro Tools - all without miking a single drum! You'll learn all about programming beats, patterns, and fills, including plenty of techniques for added realism, as well as tips on MIDI editing, processing, and mixing. After this drum programming course is through, you'll be ready to add a killer drum track to your very next song using everything you've learned. These drum programming videos are designed for Pro Tools users wanting to get pro-sounding virtual drums.

Getting Started

• Programing a Basic Beat (13:50) - To start off the course, we see how to craft a simple beat a starting point to make more complex grooves. This helps add realism and makes sure that parts are playable by a real drummer.

• Velocity, Dynamics & Timing (14:43) - Learn how to add velocity as well as how advanced MIDI editing features like the quantize menu can add realism to drum parts. This lets you quickly make parts sound real using the built-in features in Pro Tools.

• Ghost Notes (14:59) - Next, we take our simple drum loop and add subtle note variations to level up the authenticity. This process makes our MIDI feel as though it was played by a real drummer.

• Drum Fills (06:35) - Discover how to program realistic drum fills, which add variation and help transition between song sections.

Advanced Drum Libraries

• Humanizing Features in the Plugin (09:06) - Next, we see how different types of drum libraries can unlock more advanced drum grooves. This video shows how Addictive Drums 2 from XLN Audio lets you quickly create complex drum parts without the need to manually program in sections.

• Using MIDI Groove Presets (10:59) - After covering the basics of Addictive Drums 2, we'll use the features of the plugin to quickly customize the part. The MIDI is added into the sequencer and customized with the advanced Pro Tools MIDI features to fit our loop.

Mixing & Drum Demo Loops

• Multi-Output Drums (08:43) - Learn how to properly route multi-output plugins in Pro Tools. Demonstrated here with Addictive Drummer and Kontakt Drums, this process unlocks more options for mixing your drums to make them sound more realistic.

• Using Multiple MIDI Tracks (07:15) - See how multiple MIDI tracks can all be mapped to one drum instrument in Pro Tools. This lets you split up your different hits onto different MIDI tracks to stay organized in more complex arrangements.

• Rock & Alternative Example Pt. 1 (09:34) - This video shows how to program realistic-sounding alternative rock drums, covering the arrangement, theory, and adjustments needed to make the drum parts feel real.

• Rock & Alternative Example Pt. 2 (09:52) - Next, we finish up the drum part and briefly talk about how to mix the loop for added punch.

• Realistic Hi-Hat Top Loops (15:30) - Learn how to program authentic-sounding hi-hat top loops, which are great for use in any style - from dance to modern pop. We also look at using Pro Tools plugins for processing to make it sound fuller.