using / busy complicated drum breaks ..

[dee bee one]

some of the drum loops i've been using lately have been a lot 'busier' than typical 'classic' d'n'b breaks ..

for example amen has hits on the 1/8th and rolls on the 1/16ths (if you get what i mean) but the break i have got at the moment has a hit on every 1/16th and a lot of these have elements of kick drum in there ..

the overall effect being that when you pitch it up to the region of 170bpm (slowest i really wanna go is 167) what was quite nice funk break sounds really mental and actually sounds more like 200bpm ..

so what ways do you use of giving the break a bit of space and making it sounds slower ..

i've used techniques like lowering velocity on some hits or filtering some bits etc pretty successfully in the past but just curious what else would work ...

[Macc]

1) Filtering below 180 Hz out of non-kick hits is essential in breaks like the ones you are on about. Starts to sound like heavy metal when you have 'duh duh duh duh duh duh duh duh' every 16th. No drummer would play that (except metallers). Standard practice, really.

2) Judicious prgramming. Of course it depends on the tempo of the break, but using 16ths (ie the dude played them as 16ths) as 8ths CAN be done if the tempo is not too far above 110 or so. Just use the old fw>rev loop on those samples and when you get it right you can get an 8th note single hi hat out of what was a 16th. All depends on the original tempo though.....

3) More judicious programming - ie drum playing theory..... At jungle speed it is shit when you have more than one or two 16th kicks in a loop IMO. Makes it sound too manic. Nucleus - Flim Flam does it tooooo well.... Also watch your left right left right, the more realistic it is the better it will sound (wellll, it does tome anyway).

4) Choice of break - choose a more relaxed break if you want a relaxed beat! You can't really take a busy break and make it chilled, but I won't patronise you. Oh I did

[Macc]

Oh, and velocity - 99.9% of the time I don't touch velocity...... The drummer played it and you are stuck with it. Using a reduced-velocity loud hit to make a smaller 16th just sounds shit to me - it just sounds like a loud hit turned down, not a softer hit.

Drum progging, picky as fuck totally human or stfu elitist massive say 'so what?'

[john doe]

Drum progging, picky as fuck totally human or stfu elitist massive say 'so what?'

so what!

[dee bee one]

4) choice of break - choose a more relaxed break if you want a relaxed beat! you can't really take a busy break and make it chilled

there's nothing you can't do with a break

[dee bee one]

Oh, and velocity - 99.9% of the time I don't touch velocity...... The drummer played it and you are stuck with it. Using a reduced-velocity loud hit to make a smaller 16th just sounds shit to me - it just sounds like a loud hit turned down, not a softer hit.

not being a drummer i'm not really fussed about what the drummer intended (i.e. when he was drumming a funk break at 90bpm he certainly didn't intend me to speed it up to 170!!) ..

but some breaks just don't work at 170 without a bit of messing around .. reducing the velocity gives you a bit of space and makes it less in your face (imho) of course

[Macc]

not being a drummer i'm not really fussed about what the drummer intended (i.e. when he was drumming a funk break at 90bpm he certainly didn't intend me to speed it up to 170!!) ..

but some breaks just don't work at 170 without a bit of messing around .. reducing the velocity gives you a bit of space and makes it less in your face (imho) of course

PLAY DRUMS OR STFU

(note, this IS a joke).

[iNSiGHt]

Personally, i am into using the breaks in real time and cuttin them over seperate tracks as they were miked in the first place. Obvious problems with phasing may occur but the beats can sound heavier and more realistic if that's what ur going for. It's also easier to play with what the original drummer has done due to the restrictions tightening up the beat that tempo increasing does.
Also helps with gating and creating ur own vibe...but can be more work in regaining the original feel.
Again this is all obvious, no patronising meant, just what i like.

Good cutting...