The Steel Guitar Forum

Can anyone recommend a drum machine that has PRE-RECORDED tracks that is suited for classic country music (mainly rim shots and hi-hats)? I've tried a couple of different units and neither one knew what a rim shot was. Jim Sampson

Kawai GB-2

I am sure there are country figures in there - but if not, you can certainly program some in there. Its not the hippest sounding thing in the world - but for practice, its a really useful tool. I am not sure they even make it anymore, I had one ages ago when I was a kid learning how to play guitar, and I have a feeling they can be had cheap on ebay.

just googled it - looks like they have a new model the GB-4

good luck!

I got mine from Billy Cooper at Coopers Music in Virginia. Although you still have to program it for each song, Billy has done a lot of work (canned chord programming) to make it really simple to do. I've actually used it on recordings as the background (as he and Buddy Charlton have also done) and it sounds a little mechanical but actually good.

Tks Tim and Dave for the info but I guess I didn't word my question properly. I would like to know if anyone knows if there is a drum machine that is currently made that has pre-recorded tracks of rim shots and hi-hats suitable for the old classic country music that all you have to do is dial in the track and set the tempo. I am capable of programming a drum machine, I just don't want to. I have a drum machine now that has some tracks suitable for the shuffle type country music but nothing suitable for the 60's type tear jerker. Jim Sampson

I dont know any drum machines that have country specific patterns but maybe someone else does. I'd be really surprised if such a thing existed.

This is not a stand alone machine, its software, but I'm looking forward to the release of this product:
http://www.toontrack.com/ezx.asp

you can certainly do a lot with software - there are plenty of expensive and even freeware drum samplers that if they do not have pre-recorded country sounding drums in there, you can add them.

also, don't forget about the trusty old Akai MPC series - you can hammer out any feel on those pads with the quantization off. Same as software, you can sample any sound you want and make a kit.

sorry to muddy this up with a question but I was wondering if you can take software midi patterns and transfer them into a hardware drum machine thru the midi IN?

If so , you could purchase midi patterns from Beta Monkey..I think its $29.99 for the country set?

I have transferred entire midi songs and also selected patterns into my Boss DR-880 over the Midi interface. In this case Boss provides a software driver that allows you to use the USB interface to download to the DR-880. In fact you can have the DR-880 just play the patterns and record them onto a track on your recorder. Setup properly, the DR-880 starts recording when the midi in clock starts playing so you get exactly what is played on the midi track.

In fact you can take ANY midi song, turn off the bass part (the DR-880 will ignore all the other tracks) and record the whole song as one pattern. You'd be amazed at how good many mediocre sounding midi drum tracks sound when voiced by the DR-880.

Once the patterns are in the DR-880, you can change the tempo, drum sets, etc.

I have quite a few tear jerker country patterns programmed into my DR-880 including rim shots, starts, stops, endings, jumps on different beats, non repeating tracks with misc. high hat and cymbal hits. See the tabs on my site to hear some of these. On my list of things to do is to write a tutorial offering some of these tricks and patterns.

After about a year of programming a drum machine, two things happen. You build up a huge library of usable patterns suitable for almost any song. You also begin to listen to the drum parts on records and gain the ability to quickly program them into your machine. All of this knowledge makes you into a better steel player who pays attention to what other players in the band are doing and how it all fits together to make a cohesive sound.

Hard work! Same comments apply to listening to the bass guitar parts and playing those yourself.

Greg

Thats great, thanks Greg (and btw thank you for all the excellent tutorials nad tabs!! It is MUCH appreciated!)

So Jim (if he wanted to stick with a hardware drum machine as opposed to going to software) could buy midi patterns from places like Beta Monkey and transfer and then string em together to make "songs" or "tracks". He could also use say BIAB midi files of whole songs, and just solo export the drum midi tracks that way he'd have entire tunes..shuffles, waltzs, train beats, you name it. I know there are people who sell BIAB country song bundles.

personally, I am the worlds worst drummer and I do not enjoy programming drums. Thats why i really dig the drag and drop midi files of ezdrummer and the kits sound just amazing. Even with that tho, there is still programming to be done, cymbals, extra snare hits etc.