DP Groove #2 linked

FUNK • FUSION • HIP-HOP • ELECTRONIC
Volume #2 • Fall 2003
CONTENTS • FALL 2003
ARTICLES
9 The Man Called VFX
An interview with Tony Verderosa
by Donny Gruendler
18
Volume 2 • Fall of 2003
www.drumpro.com
Sr. Editor/Publisher
George Shepherd
Editor/Content
DrumPRO’s YEAR-END GIVEAWAY!
Donny Gruendler
Building Electronic Drum Pads
George Shepherd
Donny Gruendler
Bobby Borg
Joseph Caputo
Justin Optiz
Contributing Writers
20
with Joseph Caputo
23
Modern Textures, part II
Developing a working Rig
by Donny Gruendler
27
Drum Sequencing 101
by Justin Opitz
29
Music Business School
Featuring “The Musician’s Handbook”
by Bobby Borg
DEPARTMENTS
3
Note from Publisher & Editor
5
Book Reviews
7
DVD Reviews
8
Transcript Reviews
35
Gear Reviews
36
Classifieds
HANDS ON
31
Funk-tastic Bass Drum Patterns
2 DrumPRO GROOVE
Art, Layout & Design
Raymie Chapman
Web Site
Stryder
Xanthus
Collections
Guido
Notations
Created in
Sibelius
Publisher
CDI Publications
P. O. Box 11388
Newport Beach, CA
92658
For Advertising Information, please
contact George Shepherd at:
george@cdipublications.com
(714) 436-1234
Article submissions to
George Shepherd:
george@cdipublications.com
Questions, comments, hatemail
or otherwise, send to:
cdipublications@hotmail.com
DrumPro Groove magazine
is published quarterly
by CDI Publications.
Unless otherwise indicated, all content ©
2003 by CDI Publications. Reproduction in
whole or in part without written permission
of the publisher is prohibited.
Fall 2003
Note from the Publisher
From the Editor
Hello Everyone!
By now, many of you have heard of the passing of Ron
Spagnardi, the founder of Modern Drummer Magazine. Ron,
like many others, was a visionary and an innovator.
Editor & Publisher
of Modern Drummer
RONALD
SPAGNARDI
April 25, 1943 September 22, 2003
Modern Drummer, the “grand daddy” of all contemporary
drumming publications has inspired, educated and gave some
of us the courage to follow a career in drumming.
Some may say that community of drumming has lost one of
its greatest innovators. I donʼt believe that Ron Spagnardiʼs
work and vision has been lost, by any means. Ron has given
the international drumming community a rich legacy and the
resources to evolve into the world of tomorrow. Although, Ron
will be greatly missed, his influence will be seen for many
generations to come. That is true success! Cheers Ron! We all
couldnʼt have come this far without you…
“Carpe Diem”-Seize the Day! Innovation is the product of
enlightenment and enlightenment is the product of courage!
George Shepherd
DrumPRO Magazines
Publisher
www.drumpromagazine.com
Thank you for downloading our second
issue of DrumPRO Groove Magazine.
Although a young publication, we are
confident that we offer the professional
drummer (and novice alike), a new, unique
and broad perspective of contemporary
drumming.
You will notice that within our pages,
many topics are present that normally do
not fall under the banner of “contemporary
drumming”. Our goal is to entertain and
enlighten. So, in addition to the normal
endorsement information and artist
interview features, DrumPRO also offers
a well-rounded series of informational and
instructional articles that relate to todayʼs
current working and recording drummers.
These topics include, not only, playing
various styles and tuning concerns, but
also more modern concepts such as
programming, creating (and dealing with)
loops, sampling, Micʼing techniques and
working with software applications (such
as Pro Tools) both live and in the studio.
Although, many other publications (and
drummers) tend to overlook these areas
of study, we believe that these are the new
fundamentals of contemporary drumming
AND musicianship. Therefore, you will
be able to find all of these subjects in our
pages every issue.
We hope that it will enlighten, enrich
and aid in all of your musical endeavors.
Thank you for reading!
Donny Gruendler
DrumPRO Groove
Editor
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DrumPRO GROOVE
3
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Book Reviews
Drumming in Style
By Gregg Martin
Drumming in Style is the ultimate resource for any musician interested in expanding
their musical and stylistic repertoire. Featuring over 400 grooves, Gregg takes an
in-depth adventure into the styles of: Funk, Rock, Punk, Disco, Country, Reggae,
Shuffles, Blues, Latin, Jazz, Brushes, New Orleans, Swing and Be Bop. Each style
gives nearly 40 examples of the grooves that you may encounter in playing situations.
To learn more, visit www.cdipublications.com Book Retail Price: $19.95
101 Drum Tips “Stuff All the Pros Know and Use”
By Scott Schroedl
It’s official, I could have saved 10 years of mistakes and embarrassing moments if
this book was around went I was getting my start as a professional musician! 101
Drum Tips from Hal Leonard is an invaluable resource for all drummers. Scott
Schroedl explores virtually any possible obstacle that a drummer WILL come across.
From warming up, practicing, technique, time exercises, gig etiquette, studio tips and
tricks, this book has it all! And the accompanying CD gives students 76 demo tracks
plus exposure to 18 different grooves examples that are demonstrated in the text.
To learn more, visit www.musicdispatch.com or call (800) 637-2852. Book and CD
Retail Price: $14.95
Fun When You Drum
By Gary Marshall
Gary’s 24-page book covers the essentials of basic technique, coordination and rock
grooves. This book is great for beginners that want to lay a solid foundation and
get started with easy groove patterns and fills. Fun When You Drum can be ordered
through Gary’s website at: www.funwhenyoudrum.com Book Retail Price £11.99
(pounds)
The Ritter Method
By Chip Ritter
“Stop and rest if you must, but never quit.
Inspiration is our main source of energy, so
gather as must of it as you can.”-Chip Ritter
And this is why we read books, go to clinics, surf the web and play music. Drumming
is not only an art form, but it is a way of living. Chip explains many philosophical
concepts to improve one’s playing and one’s self. There are many drum “gods” and
teachers that we have all looked up to, but how many of these great players have ever
really inspired you to completely change you life or your way of thinking? If you find
inspiration, hold onto it, support it and perpetuate it. Chip’s, Ritter Method, is a great
inspiration and should be supported. The Ritter Method can be ordered/downloaded
through Chip Ritter’s website at: www.chipritter.com Book Retail Price $9.95
www.drumpromagazine.com
BACK TO CONTENTS
DrumPRO GROOVE
5
Book Reviews
Developing Interdependence Vol. 2
By Brent G. Phillips
Some of you may have already heard of this series, but for those of you that haven’t,
you are missing a gem of information. Developing Interdependence Vol. 2 explores
independence and interdependence through a multitude of jazz exercises. Brent
gives over 700 examples in triplets, eighths and 16ths. Fans of Jim Chapin’s Book
Advanced Techniques Vol. 1, will appreciate the complexity and musical application
of these patterns. A must have for aspiring jazz drummers and anyone wanting
to have total control of independence and interdependence. To learn more, visit
www.drumpublications.com Book Retail Price: $20.00
Music Business
Book Reviews
The Musician’s Internet
By Peter Spellman
This great resource published by Berklee Press, explores the wealth of Internet
potential available to the savvy musician. Peter explores various on-line strategies for
success in the music industry. Topics covered include: Net Basics, Getting Started,
Search Engines, Communicating with Fans, Teammates & Customers, Sharing/
Selling/Licensing, Webcasting, Internet Radio, Signing a Deal with On-line/Off-line
Record Labels, Net Career Guidance, Expanding On-line Presence and a ton of Web
Resources. This book is a great help to musicians world-wide. To learn more visit:
www.berkleepress.com or call (617) 747-2146 Book Retail price: $24.95
The Musicians Handbook
By Bobby Borg
Many of us are familiar with the popular music biz book All You Need to Know about
the Music Business by Donald Passman. Here is a book that is destined to become just
as popular. Bobby illustrates many detailed aspects of the music industry in his new
book. Bobby is also a contributing writer to DrumPRO Magazine. One of the things
that set this book apart from other Music Biz books is the author’s point of view- the
working musician! This book is the A-Z resource of the music industry. It belongs on
the in the hands of every serious musician. I don’t want to sound like a salesman for
this book and I have not been prompted to give this text a “good review”, but this is
an awesome book, which we stand behind fully as a definitive resource for the music
industry. To learn more visit: www.watsonguptill.com Book Retail price: $19.95
6 DrumPRO GROOVE
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Fall 2003
DVD Reviews
Tim Alexander
Live Performance and Commentary
All you Primus and Laundry fans out there are in for a real treat. This DVD of
Tim Alexander, filmed at Cutting Hall in Chicago IL, features DRUMS ONLY
performances of many Primus and Laundry songs. These are unaccompanied tracks
that allow you to see and hear every note of Tim’s favorite songs. This DVD also
includes commentary from Tim himself on the development of his grooves. Primus
songs featured include: My Name Is Mud, Here Come The Bastards, Eleven, Jerry
Was A Racecar Driver and Spegetti Western. Laundry songs include: Ten Gates,
What Is Great and Turd Bowlers. For more info on Tim, visit www.timalexander.com
For more info on this DVD, visit www.musicdispatch.com or call (800) 637-2852.
DVD Retail Price: $19.95
Learn To Play The Drumset
By Peter Magadini
This DVD follows Peter’s book by the same name. Peter demonstrates examples
from his book and explains the use of his patterns and equipment. This DVD is a
good resource for students that want to get a basic and quick knowledge of the drum
set. The DVD follows the book so closely that I recommend getting the book if you
plan to purchase this DVD. This DVD is definitely for beginners. Topics Covered;
Hand technique, Quarter & 8th note patterns, simple 8th note & triplet beats and simple
rudiments. For more info on this DVD, visit www.musicdispatch.com or call (800)
637-2852. DVD Retail Price: $19.95
Transcriptions Reviews
Best of BLINK 182 for Drums
Transcriptions by Scott Schroedl
Note for note drum transcriptions for the popular BLINK 182 songs; Adams Song,
Aliens Exist, All the Small Things, Anthem Part II, Dammit, Don’t Leave Me,
Dumpweed, First Date, Josie, Pathetic, The Bock Show, Stay Together for the Kids
and What’s My Age Again. To learn more, visit www.musicdispatch.com or call
(800) 637-2852. Book Retail Price: $17.95
Best of Red Hot Chili Peppers for Drums
Transcriptions by Scott Schroedl
Note for note drum transcriptions for the Chili Peppers songs; Aeroplane, Breaking
The Girl, By The Way, Californication, Get Up And Jump, Give It Away, Good Time
Boys, Higher Ground, Knock Me Down, Me And My Friends, Mellowship Slinky In
B Major, Minor Thing, My Friends, Nobody Weird Like Me, One Big Mob, Right on
Time, Scar Tissue, Throw Away Your Television, True Men Down Kill Coyotes and
Under The Bridge. To learn more, visit www.musicdispatch.com or call (800) 6372852. Book Retail Price: $19.95
Foo Fighters One By One
Full Music Scores, including drums for the Foo Fighters Songs; All My Life, Low,
Have It All, Times Like These, Disenchanted Lullaby, Tired of You, Halo, Overdrive,
Burn Away and Come Back. To learn more, visit www.musicdispatch.com or call
(800) 637-2852. Book Retail Price: $24.95
System Of A Down Toxicity
Transcriptions by Scott Schroedl
Note for note drum transcriptions of the System of a Down Songs; Prison Song,
Needles, Deer Prance, Jet Pilot, X, Chop Suey!, Bounce, Forest, Atwa, Science,
Shimmy, Toxicity, Psycho and Aerials. To learn more, visit www.musicdispatch.com
or call (800) 637-2852. Book Retail Price: $17.95
8 DrumPRO GROOVE
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Fall 2003
The Man
called VFX
Electronic Music Visionary
Tony Verderosa.
by Donny Gruendler
So you think that you know electronic music? Yeah..Yeah… it is all composed of cold, calculated musical
moves and rhythms, AND it is never performed live. It is merely one individual behind a computer desk,
(comprised of software sequencers and samplers) who is clicking, dragging and pointing until his heart is
content! Right? Wrong!
In a scene that is usually dominated by Turntables and a vast array of application software, Tony Verderosa
(a..k.a. VFX) is a breath of fresh air. Rather than drop beats from a turntable or perform by clicking on a
laptop, Tony, a classically trained percussionist, prefers to perform electronic music just like Max Roach and
other drum set pioneers of the jazz era had, from behind a drum kit and live on stage.
Armed with only his electronic drums, samplers and vocoders, Verderosaʼs solo live sets are improvisational
remixes of his own original compositions. Thus, Tony produces melody, harmony, rhythm and sound design
in real-time from a set of electronic drums. All, without the aid of any prerecorded or sequenced material. He
is challenging not only how we deal with and view drumming in the 21st century; but also how to, as a solo
artist, bring live performance to a medium and audience that never embraced it.
I caught up with Tony in NYC where he is currently running his Independent Record Label, producing
remixes and composing tracks for all items under the VFX name.
9
Interview with Tony V
DrumPRO: Where did you grow up?
Tony V: I grew up about 30-40 minutes outside of Manhattan
in a town called Commack (Long Island, NY).
DrumPRO: At what age did you become interested in
Music? In Drumming?
Tony V: I showed interest in music and drumming at the same
time, around age 3 or 4. I was instinctively drawn towards
music and especially the drums...not sure why, but when you
are that young, you don’t second-guess or question it, you
just go with it. Part of the magic of being a kid I suppose.
DrumPRO: What (or who) were some of your early
influences and inspirations as far as music and drumming?
Tony V: My early influences (approx. ages 4-9) were James
Brown, Elton John, Mainstream Radio (Pop music), Tony V
shows that featured bands like The Monkees and the Partridge
Family...essentially anytime I heard music of any kind, I
was inspired. Around age 11 or 12, I started to check out
Aerosmith, Yes, Zepplin, Rush, Kansas, ELP and many other
progressive rock bands. I also had some very cool friends that
turned me on to Return to Forever, Pat Metheny Group, John
Coltrane, Bill Bruford, David Sancious, King Crimson, Terry
Bozzio, Frank Zappa and a host of other amazing artists. In
my later teens, I also went thru a heavy classical music phase
listening to a lot of Tchaikovsky, Debussy, Stravinsky, Varese
etc…
DrumPRO: Did you take lessons when you were growing
up? Were you involved in music at school also?
Tony V: My parents were very supportive. They made sure
that I started taking lessons at a very early age. I had good
teachers from the start but they only allowed me to focus on
rudiments and basic reading skills using a practice pad. Once
my parents determined I was really committed to drumming
and practicing on a pad, they bought me my first kit. I started
by teaching myself how to play basic grooves on this small
kit when I was around 5 or 6. I would set up my drums near
the stereo and try to play along with some records. That was a
really valuable experience...it taught me to train my ears and
figure out the basic mechanics of drumming from an early
age. I eventually started playing in the elementary school
band, junior high band and so on….
DrumPRO: Where did you receive your classical
composition, piano, and percussion training?
Tony V: I had a great teacher named Jack Snyder, who became
my mentor and private teacher when I was around 13 or so. He
required me to become a well-rounded percussionist, not just
a drummer. He started me on timpani, xylophone, marimba
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(2 and 4 mallets) as well snare drum
literature and drum set studies. Jack was
the most influential teacher in NY at the
time. He encouraged me to start playing
in the Long Island Youth Orchestra and
some College Level ensembles. I also
got a scholarship to study and perform
during the summers at USDAN, which
is a summer music camp that I believe
still exists on Long Island. At USDAN, I
was introduced to Leigh Howard Stevens
4 Mallet Marimba technique and a lot of
advanced percussion ensemble literature.
In my late teens, I used to dream about
becoming a percussionist in a major
symphony. In High School, I studied
Music Theory and Harmony with a great
Teacher named Andy Blackett. Andy also
encouraged Piano studies and original
composition. Jack Snyder and my High
Band instructor, Pete Brasch actually
encouraged me to attend Postdam College
(Crane School of Music) in NY for my
4 year music degree. I spent 4 amazing
years at SUNY Potsdam studying with
Percussionist, Jim Peterscak.
www.drumpromagazine.com
DrumPRO: What subjects interested you
in that environment? Did you participate
in percussion, piano and composition all
at once? Or did you go through phases of
interest in each?
Tony V: I always tried to merge my
love of piano, percussion, composition
and drumming…though in High School,
each area was quite separate since I was
still deep into the learning curve on each
instrument. Postdam College (Crane
School of Music) is where I was able to
first start experimenting with merging
all of these interests. Jim Peterscak is the
Percussion Instructor there and he really
encouraged students to find their own
voice. I was fortunate because in many
College Music Programs, students are
completely locked into a fixed curriculum
for percussion studies. Jim encouraged me
to experiment with Electronic percussion,
drum set studies and composition as long
as the basics were being covered such as 4
mallet marimba studies, classical timpani
literature, Wind Ensemble/Percussion
Ensemble literature etc.. Jim also had a
BACK TO CONTENTS
really good grasp on the business side
of music as well, which proved to be
invaluable later in my career. The seeds
for what I currently do with my drum
system today were all planted at Potsdam/
Crane School of Music.
DrumPRO: When did they solidify into
becoming one artistic statement?
Tony V: I suppose everything started to
click with my approach between 198790. I had developed a compositional
style based on triggering melody, bass
lines, chords and other effects from my
drum set in real-time. I was very inspired
by watching Bill Bruford with Crimson
and Earthworks and I wanted to put my
own spin on the concept. He often had
other musicians accompany him on stage
while he augmented the compositions
by triggering single notes per drum pad
to execute melodies and some chordal
structures. I also got inspired by watching
a drummer named Frank Briggs, who at
the time, was performing in a progressive
DrumPRO GROOVE
11
Interview with Tony V
Verderosa has performed and recorded
alongside Coldcut, Underworld, The
Brecker Brothers, Sinead O’Connor,
Philippe Saisse, Dream Theater’s John
Petrucci and Angelique Kidjo among
many others. Furthermore, he is beginning
to achieve a pop culture status, as well,
by appearing in the recent National TV
Commercial called “Tony V’s Mix” for
M&M Mars.
Tony is a featured artist at
www.mixman.com, along with Moby,
Madonna, Busta Ryhmes, Kid Rock
and David Bowie. You can download
interactive version of his tracks, just
search under his stage name of “VFX”.
12 DrumPRO GROOVE
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rock band called 805. They toured and
came thru Potsdam while I was student
there. Frank was also getting deep into the
early electronic percussion systems and
was following a similar path as Bruford.
They were both extremely innovative
and very inspiring to watch…incredible
musicians. I wanted to have a totally
self-sufficient drum system so that I could
perform entire songs/shows in real-time
as a soloist. It was around this time that
I started my relationship with Yamaha as
an artist/endorser/clinician. The Yamaha
system was extremely advanced in terms
of midi-implementation. There is a big
music trade show called the NAMM
show, which takes place every January
in CA. Yamaha called me one day and
said, “We have this new proto-type drum
trigger system called the DTS70. We are
going to fed ex one to you, learn how
to use it and get to California in 5 days
to do some shows at Winter NAMM
….oh…and by the way, the shows will
be 4 times a day and you will alternate
stages with Dave Weckl.”. This NAMM
show actually turned out to be a turning
point in my career. I played 4 shows a day,
triggering 3 different synth modules (and
an Ry30 drum machine for percussion and
drum samples). I had a 5 piece acoustic
kit (triggers on every drum) and about 7
or 8 elec. pads surrounding the acoustic
kit. I was able to stack and layer 5 notes
per pad, which gave me some nice thick
chordal harmonies. When I used the
‘alternate mode’ I could use 5 notes per
drum to create melodies. Alternate Mode
was also incredibly cool on the bass drum
for triggering bass lines. The feeling
of playing a killer bass drum in a great
sound system, layered with 5 synth bass
notes is one of the most amazing feelings
on the planet. We had a packed house
for every show, I was able to perform in
front of some major heavy hitters in the
business… an amazing opportunity for a
young drummer. After one of the shows,
Chick Corea came up to me and asked,
“What the hell are you doing?! How are
you making all of those sounds?” He
really loved the concept of a drummer
triggering synths/melodies/bass lines
live. He is, in fact, a great drummer as
well as a piano player. He was extremely
complimentary. That was a great moment,
to have one of my hero’s at the time,
digging on my approach and my music.
Fall 2003
Interview with Tony V
www.vfxtv.net
Weckl became a friend and mentor around
that time. Dave was very cool in giving
me credit as an inspiration on one of his
solo CD’s called MasterPlan. He based
one of his compositions on my approach
and called it “trigger Happy”. I was also
invited to do many live concerts/clinics
in Japan, Europe, US and Canada around
that time as well as a sound page insert
(an actual vinyl record) inserted into
Modern Drummer Magazine. I also
filmed a video called “Live In Tokyo”
around that time. I was getting fan letters
from Japan from some guy named “Akira
Jimbo”. He said he was a huge fan of my
solo CD “Beatnik Rebel Science” and
really enjoyed my live video. Turns out,
the guy was obsessed with these gadgets
and has gone on to a brilliant career as
a clinician and overall midi-madman.
Amazing drummer and technician, though
in drum articles/interviews and videos, he
never seems to address the lineage and the
people that were experimenting with this
stuff in the early years. He always seems
to mention Steve Gadd, Dave Weckl and
other acoustic drummers as his influences.
It is important for young drummers to
know the history of electronic drumming,
even though electronic drums have not
been around that long. There is a deep
connection between the instrument
makers/designers and the artists that
take the bold step of creating new
music with these instruments. I could be
wrong here, but I don’t believe he has
properly acknowledged (in print at least
), his actual influences with respect to
triggering/elec drums and so on. As far
as I can trace it back, without Bruford,
there is no Frank Briggs, no Tony V and
so on. Bruford’s work with electronic
percussion in the 80’s and early 90’s was
absolutely essential to the development
of the movement. Pat Mastellato is also
doing some amazing work these days
with Crimson, in fact, he belongs in the
early development stages, as well, since
I remember hearing him live in the late
80’s and early 90’s triggering lots of cool
samples. I am sure there are now hundreds
of young, up and coming drummers who
are about to blow the lid off of the entire
movement based on the artists mentioned
www.drumpromagazine.com
above. That will be inspiring to witness.
Just part of the evolution of the drum
set. I think the drumming community is
pretty well covered on chops and double
bass drum technique. We need more
artists to join the electronic movement,
drummers who are primarily motivated
by composition and sound design. I have
certainly not seen that well represented
in Drum Festivals with the exception of
the Montreal Drum Festival. Those guys
in Montreal are way ahead of the curve.
Modern Drummer Day? You would think
electronic percussion is a dead issue with
those guys. Kind of sad. They had a
moment 10 years ago when they brought
in Michael Shrieve and David Beals as
an elec duo. I thought that would be a
regular theme and elec. percussion would
be properly represented each year, but no
go. If you are not hip to “Future Man” Roy
Wooten from Bela Fleck, watch out. This
guy is way ahead of the curve, developing
new techniques and more recently
inventing new instruments such as the
“Royel”. Roy has that key element that
inspired me to listen and study all of the
guys I mentioned above. Roy is a forward
thinking individual, an artist, a composer,
a musician, not just a percussionist/
drummer. He is always reaching for
something new. That is the place you need
to be as an artist, constantly evolving. This
era is in many respects, the technology
driven, logical extension of “Drummer
as Artist/Band Leader” movement, which
was started years ago by drummers like
Max Roach, Elvin Jones, Roy Haynes,
Buddy Rich, Louie Bellson and others.
The notion of Drummer as leader and
recording artist, not just a sideman…that
is what is about for me.
ELECTRONIC MUSIC:
Your Concepts and Equipment...
DrumPRO: Coming from your classical
and traditional background, how did
you eventually become interested and
immersed into the sampling and electronic
music culture?
Tony V: I suppose the answer lies in my
desire to find new sounds and also my
BACK TO CONTENTS
desire to try new techniques and styles.
I was getting a bit bored and jaded
triggering just synthesizers and layering
in some congas and drum samples. Most
of music until that point fit into the “Jazz
Fusion” category. I was really ready
for something completely different by
around 1995-96. I became very inspired
by listening to many of the DJ’s and
Producers making “electronica” at the
time. It was a new sound and captured my
imagination. It was also mostly driven by
extreme beats and sampled grooves...very
captivating for a drummer.
DrumPRO: This is a scene that is
dominated by artists that utilize vinyl,
turntables and groove boxes. Since these
musicians borrow their material from
older (usually obscure) records and then
sample, chop, manipulate and scratch or
sequence their compositions in fixed time
thereafter, how did you formulate the
idea that you could also incorporate these
various compositional techniques onto an
electric drum set and use a percussionist’s
perspective?
Tony V: That is a great question. That
really gets to the heart of what I am
trying to achieve live with my electronic
drum/sampling system. Electronic music
producers are simply taking slices of
samples and pieces of loops to create
new grooves and compositions. I had
already been triggering samples, vocals
and loops for years on my drum set. I just
got a bit deeper in to the sound design
aspect of techno/breakbeat culture and
started triggering these elements live
and also began performing in specific
venues that catered to that sound and
audience as well. Adding a drummer’s/
percussionist’s perspective can give a
performance another dimension...you get
that live remix thing happening where
people don’t quite know what to expect
next. I just wanted to bring a sense of
live improvisation to techno and drum
and bass. It is very challenging to say the
least. I also think people enjoy watching
someone reach up and strike a vocal
sample or breakbeat with a drum stick…it
is something totally new to them since
they are accustomed to watching DJ’s spin
records. It brings a visceral quality to live
electronic music…a traditional musician’s
DrumPRO GROOVE
13
Interview with Tony V
Tony V: Absolutely!
DrumPRO: Are all of your grooves,
harmonic and rhythmic concepts,
sampling, and chopping techniques used
in your compositions performed live (in
real time) on your CDs?
Tony V: Yes, though some of the
compositions on CD were recorded to a
hard disk system rather than tape. I use the
computer for convenience and recording
when needed. It is still a powerful tool for
sound design and composition. I might
spend 2 days just creating new sounds
in my computer or in my RS7000 before
I map out each sound in my sampler to
trigger live.
approach to digital music. People still
enjoy watching live musicians. It keeps
me motivated because I might lose my
mind just spinning a record for an hour,
I need to be hitting things and grooving
live…that is what I do. That keeps me
inspired.
DrumPRO:
Do you feel that this
“real time” method of performance/
composition has many more advantages
than traditional sequencing?
Tony V: It has some advantages since I
can essentially map out each component
of my record on many drum pads and
triggers, it gives me some more flexibility
on stage to remix. It also places a lot of
“Human Element” and “non-perfect”
timing back in to the sounds and grooves.
I am responsible for all of the critical
timing issues that produce the feel, not the
computer sequencer.
DrumPRO: Does this also make it
more powerful for expression and
thus adaptable into your idea of a live
performance medium?
Tony V: It makes it a very personal and
powerful means of expression for me.
Might be different for others. I have
enjoyed the hell out of live ColdCut shows
and they use 2 Laptops. It all depends on
the artist. It is a very personal approach
and I am still re-defining where I am going
with it. I am starting to incorporate more
triggering of “show-control” features
such as mapping full motion video to
each drum as well as lazers, robotics and
lighting effects in real-time.
DrumPRO: Furthermore, you have also
incorporated a songwriter’s perspective
into your percussion remix process as well.
Where in this equation, did incorporating
melody and harmony come into play?
Tony V: I approached my Jazz Fusion
compositions in much the same way as
I would approach a remix live. I just
comes down to making good choices
musically no matter what the style is.
On the technical side, there are many
similarities. I might use a very different
palette of sounds to create melodies than
I did 8 years ago.
DrumPRO: Given your educational
background, you obviously feel that
drummers should learn about harmony
and theory.
DrumPRO: What are some of your
favorite pieces that you have written and
performed live or on CD?
Tony V: My favorite compositions from
the Jazz Fusion days are from my Solo CD
“Beatnik Rebel Science”. I am really fond
of “Squeet” and also the Duet I did with
Michael Brecker called “SleepWalking”.
You can listen to both of these on my
website. (www.tonyverderosa.com) On
my Live Electronic Music Videos, I am
really happiest with the Vocoder Improv.
And One by One.
DrumPRO: Why?
Tony V: Sleepwalking and Squeet
represent the most extreme examples of
triggering chords, bass and melodies live.
They were really challenging to perform in
real-time and I love the recording quality
and attitude on that record. On the VFX
Live Electronic Music Videos and CD’s, I
am happy with the sound design elements
and the way the grooves are generated
from the pads live. One by One really
gives me a chance to stretch on acoustic
drums, soling over a really nasty sounding
vamp. The Vocoder track is just way too
much fun to perform live. I am actually
turning my voice into a synthesizer in
real-time, creating harmonies, bass and
melodies with my voice. People really
seem to respond that compositional
approach live.
DrumPRO: Ultimately, you see yourself
Interview with Tony V
not only as a drummer; but also as a
complete artist, composer, producer and
remix D.J. Does the pseudonym VFX
comprise all of these facets of your artistic
self then?
Tony V: I use the VFX moniker to address
the Hard-Core electronic music side of my
personality.
DrumPRO: Is that why you chose to call
your art VFX rather than Tony Verderosa?
To signify the difference between a
drummer/sideman and a full fledged
multifaceted artist?
Tony V: In a sense, yes. VFX would
signify a merger between all of my diverse
interests as an artist. That pseudonym
brings together the artist, composer,
producer, drummer and remix D.J., all
Tony
Verderosa
in action!
under one banner.
DrumPRO: So when you do work
with outside artists, whether it’s Sinead
O’Connor or John Petrucci – Do you
approach the project from Tony V the
sideman/drummer or VFX?
Tony V: I don’t really think in those terms
when entering a project. I just try to bring
all of my creative elements to the table to
make the artist happy.
DrumPRO: With all of the various
elements in your music, you must hope
that you are pushing the art form of
drumming forward.
Tony V: I think that is for people that
buy my CD’s, videos and attend my live
shows to decide. I am just doing what I am
compelled to do as an artist.
DrumPRO: Do you hope that with
your music, a young student drummer
might grow up and develop into a hybrid
drummer that involves not only traditional
rudimentary concepts, but also sampling,
looping and remix techniques?
Tony V: I think that will be inevitable. If
kids are surrounded by this technology, it
will just become part of the basic language
and skill set...as basic as the rudiments.
That is where it is headed.
DrumPRO: Thus, if a young (non
electronic savvy) drummer is reading
this interview and is now excited about
learning this new genre – what steps
Interview with Tony V
should he or she take to learn this music?
Any suggested music to listen to?
Tony V: Kraftwerk, Edgar Varese, Clara
Rockmore, John Cage, Pierre Schaeffer,
Brian
Eno,
SquarePusher,
ORB,
Underworld, Chemical Brothers, Luke
Vibert, Sven Vath, Richie Hawtin, Goldie,
DJ Shadow….there are so many cool
artists out there.
DrumPRO: Concepts to learn about
– MIDI, etc.?
Tony V: You can learn online and I
also cover many of these topics in my
new books and videos published by Hal
Leonard.
DrumPRO: One piece of gear that could
get them started into this world?
Tony V: Yamaha DTXpress II or a
Yamaha RS7000 Sampling Remix device.
Or a cool computer with Cubase SX and
Wavelab software…also Sonic Foundry’s
Acid.
DrumPRO: For those readers who are
techies and use electronics in their setups
– Could you please describe each piece
of gear you use and how it fits into your
16 DrumPRO GROOVE
compositional/ arrangement process?
Example: Rs7000 used to chop samples.
Where harmony is created, signal chain
etc.
Tony V: RS7000 is used to generate
unique loop ideas and to slice musical
elements into smaller, easy to trigger
components. It is one of my primary
writing/production tools. The Yamaha
A5000 Sampler is used Live to trigger
each sample, loop fragment, vocal phrase
and breakbeat. This unit is the heartbeat of
my live system. Some guys are trying to
push me to use a laptop but I am a big fan
of hardware-based samplers. I can depend
on these for a live show, plus there is no
latency issue when triggering which I
still feel with many laptop and computer
based samplers. I use the O1V 96 to Mix
all of my modules live on stage, a Yamaha
Mu100R as a synth module and vocoder
for live performance, Cubase SX and
many waves plug ins and softsynths to
create new sounds on the computer which
I later trigger live, the Motif 8 as my main
midi controller in the studio and Yamaha
Electronic drums (DTX 2.0, DTXxtreme
IIS) to trigger all of my sounds live
(triggers and pads). My compositions
and arrangements generally take place
as experiments that I work out live on the
kit until it ‘feels’ right. I get inspired by
a set of sounds and just keep writing and
arranging. I can capture these experiments
into Cubase or ProTools to evaluate the
ideas…and then refine them from there.
The creative process of writing and
composing is constantly evolving. There
is no right way or wrong way to approach
this. Just let it flow and go with your
instincts.
DrumPRO: While we are still on the
subject of equipment, How did the VFX
signature series cymbals come about w/
Sabian?
Tony V: Sabian was looking to create a
cymbal line that reflected all of the new
styles of techno and drum n bass that were
emerging at the time. They approached
me to become a signature artist, we set up
my entire live remix system in the factory
(Meductic, NB Canada) and literally
created cymbal effects right there in the
BACK TO CONTENTS
factory as I was playing tracks. It was
one of the coolest and most innovative
things I have ever seen a music company
pursue. Sabian is truly ahead of the curve
in every respect…great people, great
company. I am really pleased with the
new instruments we created, especially
the V-wave and Distortion Hi Hats.
DrumPRO: Is that the same process that
materialized with your Pro Mark Techno
Stick too?
Tony V: That is exactly correct. Promark
is another forward thinking and very artist
friendly company. The Tony Verderosa
Techno Stick evolved in much the same
way.
DrumPRO: Since you are a long time
Yamaha endorser (both drums and digital
instruments) and so highly regarded in the
electronic music field - what role do you
play in terms of R&D with Yamaha?
Tony V: I have always had a tight
relationship with the engineers in Japan
that design these instruments. Over the
years, I have been tapped to create sample
libraries for each elec. drum system and
also grooves, songs and patterns for
electric drums and sampling groove boxes
such as the RS7000. I have been to Japan
many times working right along side the
designers/engineers. They are always very
open to new ideas for software functions
and sound elements. Brilliant and creative
guys at Yamaha in Hamamatsu, Japan.
OTHER VENTURES...
DrumPRO: In addition to developing
product lives for Sabian and pro Mark
– You have also produced a series of VHS
tapes for Hal Leonard. Tell us a little about
them.
Tony V: Hal Leonard is distributing a
series of 3 books and 3 videos that I
produced that deal with Electronic Music.
The first book is called “the Techno
Primer” and it is an introduction to all
of the various styles, production tools
Fall 2003
DrumPRO: Do these learning tools help
beginning electronic drummers? Or can it
also shed light on the subject for seasoned
veterans as well?
Tony V: A Tony V Commercial that
features a drummer playing live and
triggering piano, vocals and breakbeats
live on camera the entire time? I am
still amazed that it actually happened. It
doesn’t get any cooler than that. Twix was
one of those bizarre things that can happen
when you are playing live. I was doing a
show in NYC at the Public Theater (Joe’s
Pub). I had invited down many friends in
the Film and Tony V Industry. Someone
from a Big Ad Agency (Grey Worldwide)
was in the audience and just flipped out
over the concept. They emailed me this
cartoon of me performing live in a Tony
V commercial for Twix. They have used
many artists in past years from the Dave
Mathews band, Usher, Anastacia, ‘Lil
Bow Wow…I was pretty flattered to be
in that mix of artists. Twix campaigns are
known for being very wild. The whole
process was a blast. They asked me to
“just be me”…to totally go for it live on
camera. We did a full day of shooting
on a large sound stage in LA, recording
my entire performance live, in real-time,
to Pro Tools on the set. The footage was
brought back to NYC for editing. I think
the creative folks at Grey did an amazing
job. They also asked me to place my name
in the music of the commercial and then
went on to place “Tony V’s Mix” on the
bottom of the commercial as it plays. It is
airing all over the world and has been a
real blessing for my career. There seems
to be a new convergence of the record
Industry and “Madison Ave” and I am
really lucky to be one of the artists at the
forefront of that movement. I also got a
chance to meet Rahzel from the Roots and
DJ Rap. They are both amazing artists and
it was fun working with them as well.
Tony V: I think my educational series is
perfect for players at every level. They
were designed with that in mind….and
since these topics are so new, they apply
to all levels and age groups.
DrumPRO: With what already seems like
a full and well rounded career – what is
next for Tony Verderosa and VFX. Maybe
some sleep?! – you are a busy guy!
and artists that have been involved with
Drum n’ Bass, House Music, Breakbeat
etc…That is required reading for anyone
that is interested in this music. I also
have another one coming out called “The
Drummers Guide to Loop Based Music”
which is again, a very detailed study of
each style, transcriptions of grooves,
analysis of my entire live elec. remixing
approach and much, much more….
(Interviews with Zach Danziger, Jo Jo
Mayer etc..) There will be a third book
called the “Techno Play-along series Vol.
1, that will provide some really cool beats
and songs to practice to.
DrumPRO: How does it enhance the
video series?
Tony V: My video series provides a stepby-step guide to setting up and exploring
Live Triggering/Remixing and performing
live electronic music. There are 3 Videos:
a 2 Part Educational Series and also 3rd
video called “Live in NYC” which is
just a 70 minute concert. All of the tapes
have tons of live performance/concert
footage. It is simply a detailed view
of what my system and approach is all
about. The books go much more into the
history of each style, transcriptions and
provide many examples on the enclosed
Interactive CD. Each CD that comes with
the books includes Sonic Foundry Acid
Express, some loops and video examples
extracted from my 3 videos.
DrumPRO: WOW! You have a full
composing and performing career, a line
of VFX percussion products by Sabian
and Pro Mark and a series of instructional
materials. When did you have time to
cross over into T.V.’s pop culture with the
Twix commercial?
BACK TO CONTENTS
Tony V: I think I am going to take a
deep breath and get ready for some new
live shows, a new solo CD and whatever
else comes up. It has been a wild ride,
just trying to enjoy each moment and
each project! Thanks for inviting me
to share some ideas with your readers!
I am happy to take questions online.
They can email me directly here:
wazup@TonyVerderosa.com
r
e
nt
the DrumPRO
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16 strand heat-treated wire snare
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Support DrumPRO By $10 Pledge and
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giveaway.
Building
Electronic
Drum Pads
First, you’ll need some the raw materials. All together,
the parts for each pad should not cost more than about
$25!
Build a performance friendly
instrument and learn a little bit
about electronics.
by Joseph Caputo
Electronic Drumming has arrived as a major field in
the percussion world. With high-end electronic drum
sets priced upwards of $5,000 though, it can be a
challenge to get involved in this aspect of drumming.
However, with a few standard tools and some cheap
Radio Shack components, you can get started building
your own electronic pads and save yourself a lot of
money. This process involves some simple soldering,
so anyone under the age of 18 should do this with
adult supervision.
Before you start building pads, you may want to
find a drum module. You could buy a brand new
module for $600 to $1,500 or you could go online
to ebay.com and probably find a great, used, Alesis
DM5 for around $100-150. I purchased my first
module (a DM5) used on ebay four years ago and it
still works. If you start building your pads without a
module, you probably won’t be able to test them to
see if they work!
- 1 Remo practice pad (as pictured) $14
- 1 large metal coffee can lid (as pictured) $3
- 1 piezo transducer (part no. 273-073A) $1.50
- 1 RCA phono jack (part no. 274-634) $1.50
- 1 spool speaker wire $5
- 1 standard soldering iron
(these often come with solder)
- 1 coil of solder (electronics grade)
- 1 large flathead screwdriver
- 1 drill, bits 1/8 -1/4?
- 1 pair scissors
- 1 roll Duct Tape or bottle of super glue
- Safety glasses
Be sure to get the same model of practice pad that
appears in the photos. As for the coffee can, medium
to large cans of Folgers, Maxwell House or something
similar will do (any small thin circular metal will
work). Keep the top metal lid. The piezo, RCA jack
and soldering gun, if you don’t already have one,
are available at Radio Shack. Look in the electric
components section.
The first step is to open the practice pad. Take out all
of the screws and place them somewhere where they
will not get lost. When you disassemble the pad, you
will find a few more ingredients. There are the plastic
casing pieces, of course, drumhead, a thin piece of
clear plastic and a piece of foam. Using scissors or a
box-cutter, slice the foam lengthwise so that you can
sandwich the foam around the coffee lid.
20 DrumPRO GROOVE
BACK TO CONTENTS
Fall 2003
Building Electronic Drum Pads
other side. Be careful! The solder will occasionally
break if stress is put on it. Now, you can solder the
other ends of the wires to the piezo. It does not matter
which direction the signal comes from, so you can
solder either of the two wires to each other.
The basic component inside of every electronic
percussion instrument is the piezo transducer. This
little device is, in essence, the drum. The piezo
senses stick impact and vibration and sends a signal
accordingly. This means that when you hit the pad, it
will detect the attack velocity, which is translated into
volume.
Now, it’s time to drill a hole in the base piece of the
practice pad for the phono jack. If anything, drill
your hole too small, because you can always make
it bigger. But, if you drill too large a hole you might
have to drill a new one and most people would not
prefer the Swiss Cheese look.
Soldering time! Soldering irons get EXTREMELY
hot, so be very careful. Also, you will quickly find
that soldering takes finesse and care. A final warningsolder is made of LEAD, so wash your hands between
uses and keep it away from kids. Plug the iron in and
set it on a NON-flammable surface to heat up. (While
you wait, you can cut some wire.) With the scissors,
cut two, 6-inch, lengths of wire. Strip one-half inch
of the insulation on both ends to expose the wire. Put
on your safety glasses (sometimes hot solder will
shoot off of the iron, so protect yourself) and ready
the RCA jacks. You will notice that you need to get
four items to meet and touch at one point; the iron, the
wire, the jack and the solder. You can hold the jack
and wire together by bending the wire through the
eye-hole of the jack. This will, hopefully, keep these
pieces steady. Hold the solder to the contact point of
the wire and jack. Then using the iron, touch the tip to
the solder. If you’ve done things correctly, there will
be a little piece of metal solder holding the wire and
jack together. If not, try again.
Now, do the same thing with the other wire and the
screw-on nut attachment of the RCA jack. When you
have soldered both of these pieces, you can thread the
main jack and wire through the hole you drilled in
your practice pad. Then, screw the RCA nut onto the
www.drumpromagazine.com
Now, the RCA jack should be connected to the piezo,
through the hole in the pad base. Some simple steps
will finish this project. First, you’ll want to glue or
Duct Tape the wired piezo to the coffee can lid. This
will widen the contact area for the pad, giving the
performer a larger range of volume and playability.
Now, you can slide the lid and piezo between the
sliced pieces of foam. Reassemble the practice pad.
Most drum modules accept 1/4 inch cables, so you
will need an RCA to 1⁄4” cable to attach your pad to
any module. The module must then be attached to an
amplifier of some sort, so you will be able to hear
it. Fine-tuning for the pad’s sensitivity can be done
inside of the drum module. Now, you should be able
to hear your pad.
Congratulations, you have entered the field of
electronic music and you have something concrete to
show for it.
BACK TO CONTENTS
DrumPRO GROOVE
21
Modern Textures: Part II
Developing a Working Rig
A guide to successfully integrating loops, samples and its various
hardware into your live drumming arsenal.
By Donny Gruendler
rom Eminem to Sheryl Crow, loops and programmed
Fgrooves
are all over the airwaves. These textures are
not only growing in popularity; but they are also
becoming the “norm” among listeners and musicians.
In order to stay current and keep working as traditional
acoustic drummers, we must incorporate these
electronic elements into our daily musical endeavors.
In the long run, we should be able to coexist as working
drummers, samplists and drum programmers.
In Part 1, we discussed the paramount concept that
technology is here to stay and why we need to utilize
electronics within our drumming repertoire. We also
studied the basic vocabulary needed to maneuver in
the electronic world and the three technical working
methods of triggering sound effects, playing to
prerecorded sequences and manually triggering all
timed elements to a click track.
Now that we have these basic concepts under our belt,
we can take what we have learned and develop it into
a live working rig and situation.
First off, we need to assign a MIDI channel to both
your trigger interface and drum machine. Midi
channels are essentially addresses. In order for each
device to communicate with one other, they need to
be set to the same address/MIDI Channel. (There are
16 different MIDI channels/addresses available, and
each is usually used to connect your interface to a
different sound source.) In this case we only have one
sound source (the drum machine), so set your trigger
interface to send on MIDI channel 1 and your drum
machine to receive on MIDI channel 1.
Secondly, we must select the drum samples that we
want to use and find out their corresponding MIDI
note numbers. (Remember, MIDI operates on the
premise that each musical note or sample corresponds
to a number). For now let’s choose familiar tones such
as a Bass Drum, Snare and Closed Hi Hat and assume
that they are in GM (General MIDI) format. Example:
Bass Drum is #36, Snare is #38 and closed H.H. is
#42.
General MIDI (Partial) Drum Layout
Triggering Various Samples
and Sound Effects
As stated in last months article, triggering various
samples/effects within your playing is by far the most
simple to accomplish. This is because most sound
effects are “not timed” and therefore, a click track will
NOT be needed to sync up with them.
Scenario 1
We will begin with a fundamental setup that includes a
trigger interface and a drum machine. (Make sure that
your MIDI cable is connected from the MIDI OUT of
the trigger interface into the MIDI IN of your Drum
Machine.)
www.drumpromagazine.com
BACK TO CONTENTS
C2
C# 2
D2
D#2
E2
F2
F#2
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
Bass Drum
Side Stick
Snare
Clap
Elec Snare
Low Tom
Closed H.H.
DrumPRO GROOVE
23
Modern Textures Part II
Thirdly, let’s go into the Edit/Assign menu of our
trigger interface (such as a DrumKat). Match your
pad of choice with the corresponding MIDI number
(a.k.a.drum sample.) Now assign Pad 1 to MIDI note
number 38/Snare. When you hit pad 1, you should
hear your drum machines snare sound.
Example: Pad1 = MIDI Note D2=38
Custom Drum Layout
C2
C# 2
D2
D#2
E2
F2
F#2
Scenario 2
This set up almost identical to the last except that in
this case a digital sampler replaces the drum machine.
Remember, a sampler is a type of synthesizer, which
derives its samples from digitally recording sounds,
and then stores them in computer memory. There are
three major differences between the drum machine and
our new sampler scenario. This setup is not limited by
the sounds present inside a factory-preset device. We
may now (1) Create/record custom samples from
any source, (2) Assign our custom made samples to
custom note numbers (straying from the General MIDI
layout) and (3) Create patches/programs that have
more detail than a normal drum machine by including
multiple samples of each particular sound.
Electronic Instrument manufacturers
agreed to a world wide standard layout
for certain specified sounds - they called
this the General MIDI (GM) standard.
Here is the General MIDI Drum Layout
present on most modern drum machines
manufactured today. C2-36 reads as - C
(pitch on the piano), 2 (2nd octave on
piano) and 36 MIDI note number.
24 DrumPRO GROOVE
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
Scream voice
Bass Woofer
Electric Snare
Cabasa
909 Bass Drum
Car horn
EFX H.H.
Performing to Pre-Determined
Sequences
This section is going to assume that you already have
a working knowledge of a basic drum machine and
how to operate it. This method is similar to playing
with your favorite CD. After the initial rehearsing,
this method sounds extremely full and is very low
maintenance. All you have to do is play to the prerecorded tracks.
Simple Sequence
This working method builds upon the previous
drum machine scenario. You are essentially going to
program a drum machine pattern/beat and play with
it while on your acoustic kit. This drum machine beat
is basically a stripped down-simple version of a prerecorded backing track.
Example: While in 4/4: Program Bass Drum (MIDI
#36) on beats 1 & 3, Snare (MIDI # 38) on 2 & 4, and
Closed Hi Hat (MIDI # 42) on all 8th notes.
BACK TO CONTENTS
Fall 2003
Modern Textures Part II
Complex Sequence
In this instance you are going to take the simple sequence ideology a couple steps further and add, not only
another groove/section to the prerecorded sequence, but a couple one measure rests too. Since the music you
will be playing to has a set form (it is pre-recorded) and during the measures of rest, you will need to play along
with (and program) a click track.
Remember preceding Simple Sequence Example?
Play/program the previous groove for 7 bars. The 8th measure will be a one-measure rest with an underlying
quarter note click playing.
Now create a new pattern with the Bass Drum on beats 1& and 3&, Snare on 2 and 4, keep closed hat on all 8th
notes.
Then, put it into another 8 bar format (7 bars of the new groove – one bar of rest w/ click).
Then combine this example w/ sequence 1 and turns into a 16 bar form.
Now, this example is starting to resemble a “real-life” backing track that has sections and transitions, which
you might play along with on a job. You can even combine this method of working with the previous triggering
sounds method.
Another option to either free up your drum machine memory or not bring it to the gig at all, is recorded your
music onto a DAT machine or Mini Disc player. Both of these formats are extremely reliable. They will not skip
during stage vibrations and the only thing you need to do, besides groove to the tracks, is press play!
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DrumPRO GROOVE
25
Modern Textures Part II
Manually triggering loops
and loop fragments
Dealing with the Click – P.A. Issues
With this strategy, in addition to grooving with each
loop, you will also be responsible for triggering/
playing each and every one of them. On the positive
side, this technique allows for the most improvisation
and there is no set structure.
This system incorporates some elements that are
present in each of the previous working methods.
Thus, you will still need to:
- Assign a MIDI channel to both your trigger
interface and sampler
- Select (and/or record) the drum loops that you want
to use
- Assign them to MIDI note numbers
- Enter the edit/assign menu of our trigger interface
- Match your pad of choice with the corresponding
MIDI note number of each drum loop
Because each loop/sample you will be triggering is at
a specific tempo, you will need to have a click track
running to keep you in sync with these timed elements.
Your click can be generated from a metronome, drum
machine or a DAT/Mini Disc player.
Example: Let’s assume that your loops are at 90 bpm.
Start your click at 90 bpm and groove. Now, trigger
your timed loops that are also at 90. YOU WILL BE in
sync with them. This is the concept!
All right, we now comprehend how to work, create,
and play within each of the three methods. The next
major hurdle deals with how to send our sounds/
loops/grooves to the house P.A. system WITHOUT the
audience hearing our click track.
The theory is relatively simple. Any stereo drum
machine, sampler or DAT/Mini Disc Player is
essentially a two-track entity. There is a right side
channel and a left side channel to the stereo field and
we can use this to our advantage. While you work
with any of the sounds/samples/loops, always pan
them to the left channel in the stereo field. While you
work with the click track, always assign it to the right
channel of the stereo field. Then, when it is time to
send your signal to the house P.A. – ONLY send the
left (loop) channel. Now, you will be the only person
to hear the click track because it is on the right side
of your headphone stereo mix and it is not being sent
to the house. Thus, your loops will be in your left
earphone and the click on your right one.
These are the basic concepts needed to implement
and utilize electronics into your drumming repertoire.
Remember, using these techniques in conjunction with
acoustic playing can be an extremely adventurous
and rewarding experience. After working with these
effective loop/sample methods on a daily basis, not
only will your time improve, but also your sense of
form will deepen and your new programming skills
will grow exponentially. As always, immerse yourself
in this new world and enjoy it. Relax, be patient and
do your homework
In the Part 3, we will discuss how many
pro drummers use these techniques and
the gear they use to accomplish it.
Until next time….
26 DrumPRO GROOVE
BACK TO CONTENTS
Fall 2003
D
R
U
M
SEQUENCING
By Justin Opitz
101
IN THE BEGINNING
It used to be that a PC’s primary
purpose was for word processing
or games. PCs neither had the
power nor the flexibility to handle
the steep system requirements of
digital audio applications. In those
days, musicians were forced to use
either multi-track tape recorders
or go to studios, both of which
cost hundreds if not thousands of
dollars.
samples and some advanced MIDI
editing.
Within the past 3 years, PCs
have become powerful enough to
handle professional digital audio
applications such as Cakewalk,
Cubase, Digital Performer and
ProTools. Today’s musicians no
longer have to rely on expensive
external recording hardware or
studios to write, create, produce
and mix their music. With a
computer, an audio interface and
the right software, musicians can
now produce semi-professional
home recordings that can be
found in stores, web sites and on
MP3.com.
GETTING STARTED
The goal is to produce realistic
drum tracks without recording an
actual drummer. Now there are
multiple ways of approaching this,
but most musicians will be using a
host application (MIDI sequencing/
Audio recording software) in
conjunction with the drum sampler
plug-in/software.
So, now that Johnny Guitar Player
has all the recording equipment
he needs in his room, he can start
producing professional recordings
right? Wrong. Do you think
Johnny has the recording space to
mic and record a full drum kit? No.
So how is Johnny going to record
the drums for his album? He’s
not. He is going to sequence them
with professionally recorded drum
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WHAT IS NEEDED
• Computer
• Drum sampler
plug-in/software
• Drum samples
• MIDI sequencing/Audio
recording software
• MIDI controller
(optional)
The MIDI controller will be used
to input the notes into the host
application. MIDI controllers range
from drum machines and drum
pads to keyboards and synthesizers.
Basically, any MIDI device that
can be played as an instrument, can
be used to send MIDI information
to the host application. From there
the MIDI information will be
stored in a MIDI track for playback
and editing. During playback, the
MIDI info is sent to either the
MIDI sound generator (found in
almost all standard soundcards)
or to another playback source
depending on the settings the user
BACK TO CONTENTS
chooses. In this scenario, we would
send the info to a drum sampler
plug-in that works within the host
application. The plug-in expects
MIDI information in order to
trigger assigned cells loaded with
the drum samples. Once triggered
via MIDI, the samples playback
through the output of the host
application.
MIDI
Unless you have been living in
a bomb shelter for the last two
decades, most of you know what
MIDI is. But just to recap, MIDI
stands for Musical Instrument
Digital Interface. MIDI does not
contain any audio information.
MIDI is a common language
understood by MIDI devices. The
info sent from the MIDI controller
to the host application will contain
pitch, note on/off, velocity (attack)
and duration (sustain) as well as
bank, patch, channel and system
exclusive data (sysx).
THE PLUG-INS
There are two main factors that
contribute to the quality and
realism of the sequenced drum
tracks: The quality of the sampler/
samples and how well the MIDI
info was edited to best represent
realistic drumming.
Drum sampler plug-ins come in
many varieties. The basic function
of the drum sampler is to play an
assigned sound when triggered
via MIDI. More advanced drum
samplers are velocity sensitive
meaning the higher the velocity
and the harder the attack, the louder
the sample will playback. The most
advanced samplers allow the user
to load multiple samples into the
same cell and map them so that
DrumPRO GROOVE
27
Drum Sequencing 101
they respond to certain velocity
ranges. Other advanced features
include filters, envelopes, crossfading and multiple outputs.
MORE IS MORE
Generally when it comes to music,
less is more. When it comes to
trying to recreate realistic drum
tracks, it is better to have more
options. If you plan on downloading
a free VSTi drum sampler, then the
outcome will be disappointing. If
you spend a few hundred dollars on
a quality sampler and samples, you
will be closer to having realistic
drum tracks. What you buy is what
you get. For example: rock, metal,
jazz, etc. I recommend a multisampler with multiple outputs. For
pop, rap, hip-hop, and electronic
music, a velocity sensitive plug-in
will do fine.
THE SAMPLES
Doing a simple search on an
internet search engine for drum
samples will yield a multitude of
results. When looking for samples
there are a few things to keep in
mind. First and foremost is the
format of the samples. Most host
applications can handle .wav
(native Windows audio format),
AIF (native MAC audio format)
and MP3. I recommend either .wav
or AIF as these are uncompressed
28 DrumPRO GROOVE
audio formats that will best
represent the original recording.
The other sample formats are
less common but are still used
by professionals. REX format
samples are a proprietary format
used within Reason. There are
also many individual formats used
for specific plug-ins. Just make
sure that the samples you plan to
use are compatible with your host
application and drum sampler
plug-in.
The second factor to consider is
whether you plan to use one-hit
shots (i.e. one snare hit), Acidized
loops (.wav files with tempo
and key sensitive embedded
information) or standard sampled
material. If you want total control
of the groove and style then you
will probably want to use onehit shot samples as you can then
completely compose your own
drum tracks. Acidized loops are
pre-composed loops that are usually
categorized by tempo and then by
style. They allow less freedom but
also do not require that you fully
compose the drum track, rather,
you would piece together loops.
I will talk more on this in another
article. Standard samples require
that you listen and extract sections
of the music that you want to use.
This requires some advanced audio
editing knowledge.
ADVANCED MIDI EDITING
Keep in mind that MIDI is simply
numbers fed from one device
to another. In most sequencing
applications there is a screen
available to view all the important
aspects of the MIDI events and
will allow the user to modify this
info. For drum sequencing there
BACK TO CONTENTS
are three main parts to a MIDI
note that we will deal with: Pitch,
Velocity, and Time. Pitch obviously
refers to the note value whether it
is C4 or F#3. Pitch is important in
telling the drum sampler plug-in
which cell to activate and which
samples to play. For example, the
right kick drum will be assigned to
respond to MIDI note C4 and the
left kick drum to B3. As mentioned
earlier, velocity sensitive drum
samplers will play a sample louder
or softer depending on the MIDI
note velocity. You wouldn’t want
a drum track where the hi-hat
has the same volume every time
it is played. Instead you would
compose a drum track with accents
or grace notes according to the
assigned velocities. Time is simply
the location where the MIDI events
occur. Usually a MIDI note’s time
info is in the M: B: T (Measure:
Beat: Tick) format.
Both Velocity and Time are
important in making the difference
between sounding sequenced and
sounding realistic. No human
drummer can hit with the exact
same attack or play in precise time.
This is what I call the human-factor.
Some sequencing applications
even have an editing command
called Humanize that makes slight
adjustments in note placement to
represent the variations in tempo
and timing of a real drummer.
RECAP
This is just a brief explanation of
the components and techniques
used in creating realistic sounding
sequenced drums. In future issues,
we will go into detail about using
the techniques and how to use and
edit the sample for more realism.
Fall 2003
THE MUSIC BUSINESS SCHOOL
By Bobby Borg
POTENTIAL REVENUE SOURCES & GROUP
PERCENTAGE SHARES: THE SONG
Once a group has been signed to a record label, it is extremely important for
them to understand the various revenues that may become available to them,
and more importantly, the determination of how the money will be divided
between the members. Why is this so important? In the words of Mick Jagger,
“There is nothing like money to break up the band.”
Revenue sources may include record advances, recording fees, record royalties,
video royalties, live performance monies, merchandising revenues (i.e.,
income from the sale of T-shirts and hats), and music publishing royalties. In
this edition of Drum Pro Magazine, we’ll cover music publishing. Publishing
is perhaps the most valuable of these revenue streams and the focus of our
discussion. A successful song can earn hundreds of thousands of dollars long
after the band has parted ways. So how are percentages in a song divided?
Divisions in a Song
Under copyright law, when two or more people collaborate on writing a song,
and each writer contributes either musically or lyrically or in both ways, the split
is “pro rata” (an equal share of the composition), unless there is an agreement
between the writers that stipulates otherwise. A musical contribution includes
the melody, and any pre-existing riff or groove that becomes an integral hook to
the song (for example, the bass line in Queen’s “Another One Bites the Dust”
by John Deacon or the drum intro to Led Zeppelin’s “Rock and Roll” by John
Bonham).
When groups spend hours together in rehearsal, experimenting with song
arrangements, tempos, and instrumentation, a certain percentage of their songs
may initially be divided among all members, allotting a larger share to the
songwriter(s). For instance, one group composed of four members allotted 12.5
percent of every song to each member in the band. The remaining 50 percent
per song went to the member(s) who contributed to the music and/or lyrics.
Often, when it is each member’s unique performance that shapes the band’s
signature sound, the band simply divides all of the compositions equally. For
example, guitarist Stone Gossard and vocalist Eddie Vedder wrote most of Pearl
Jam’s songs, yet the band originally split the percentages in its compositions
equally—each member (five in total) received 20 percent. However, as the
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BACK TO CONTENTS
Bobby Borg is
the author of
“The Musician’s
Handbook: A Practical
Guide To Understanding
The Music Business,”
which is scheduled for
release in May 2003
by Billboard Books.
For more information,
visit his website at:
http://
www.bobbyborg.com
E-mail:
bborg@earthlink.net
Write: Bobby Borg,
P.O. Box 18564,
Beverly Hills, CA
90209.
Pre-order Now at
Amazon.com:
http://www.amazon.com/
exec/obidos/tg/
detail/-/0823083578/
qid=1045873450/sr=1
DrumPRO GROOVE
29
Music Business School
A musical
contribution
includes the
melody, and
any pre-existing
riff or groove
that becomes an
integral hook
to the song (for
example, the bass
line in Queen’s
“Another One
Bites the Dust”
by John Deacon
or the drum intro
to Led Zeppelin’s
“Rock and
Roll” by John
Bonham).
30 DrumPRO GROOVE
group became more successful and vocalist Eddie Vedder was recognized
as “the star” or “the man,” essentially becoming the only irreplaceable
member of the group, the band wanted to keep him happy. The group
allotted 36 percent of each song to Vedder, and 16 percent went to each of
the other three members of the band. In any case, division shares in your
songs must be indicated to the record company before the release of your
record. As you will see below, this is extremely important!
Revenues You May Earn
When you share in a percentage of the compositions, you are entitled to
special monies from the record company for every record that is sold.
These monies are called “mechanical royalties.” Mechanical royalties,
which are licensing fees the record company pays to you for using your
songs on a record, are different from record royalties and are typically
not used by the record company for recouping recording costs. As of the
year 2002, the statutory mechanical license rate is $.08 (i.e., 8 cents) per
composition per CD. However, the record company typically negotiates
a lower rate for new bands at 75 percent of statutory ($.06 or 6 cents). If
there’s four members in a band, dividing the composition equally, that’s
2 cents per song. Mechanical royalties are one of the more immediate
sources of income related to record sales. Statements are sent out to you
four times yearly compensating you for each record sold.
In addition to mechanical royalties, you’ll also receive royalties from
public performances of your compositions on radio (assuming that these
compositions are played regularly), and television, including MTV and
VH1. These are called “performance royalties.” Performance royalties
are paid out after joining and registering your songs and percentage shares
with one of the major performing rights organizations: The American
Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP), Broadcast
Music Incorporated (BMI), or The Society of European Stage Authors
And Composers, now simply known as (SESAC).
Secondary publishing income may include “synchronization fees,” for
the use of your songs in film and television, and “print” royalties, for the
use of your songs in sheet music and music books. Again these monies
should be divided according to each members share of a composition.
In cases where a publishing agreement has been signed with a music
publishing company, an organization that specializes in collecting
royalties world-wide and exploiting musical compositions in a variety of
mediums, a specified percentage of the income is designated between the
“publisher” and “the writer.” The publisher offers an advance, recoupable
from future earnings, which again should be divided between the writers
in proportion to their individual shares in a song.
BACK TO CONTENTS
Fall 2003
Funk-tastic
Bass Drum Patterns:
Part 2
By George Shepherd
In Part 1, we explored the creation of funky grooves by layering ten highhat patterns against 32 sixteenth-note bass drum patterns. If you played all
of them, you would have practiced 320 new grooves (10 x 32).
Now, we will study the relationship between triplets and 8th notes as demonstrated in the 2:3 polyrhythm. The
bass drum patterns in this study use a combination of triplets, 16ths, 8ths, quarters and quarter note triplets.
You will begin to recognize these rhythms almost immediately because of their frequent use in R&B, HipHop and Funk music.
Realize that the triplets will only line up with the 8ths on the 1, 2, 3 and 4 of each measure.
Refer to the following example. The Bass Drum pattern must feel even through the groove.
This next example demonstrates the 2:3 feel in
bass pattern #5.
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DrumPRO GROOVE
31
Funk-Tastic Bass Drum Patterns
Part 2
Hi-Hat Patterns
32 DrumPRO GROOVE
BACK TO CONTENTS
Fall 2003
Bass Drum Patterns
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Funk-Tastic Bass Drum Patterns
Part 2
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DrumPRO GROOVE
33
Funk-Tastic Bass Drum Patterns
Part 2
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You too can be a DrumPRO friend! Just contact us at:
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Fall 2003
Gear Reviews
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DrumPRO GROOVE
35
CLASSIFIED ADS
Writers and Authors!
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Do you have a unique drum book, story
idea or philosophy that could change
life as we know it? CDI Publications
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DrumPRO Magazine and CDI
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Fall 2003
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DrumPRO GROOVE
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