E-Drum Recording - the best options

How does the e-drum get into the DAW?

One of the biggest advantages of the e-drum set is that you can record it really quickly, without much fuss and in a quiet environment.

There are several ways to get the drums into the DAW. I'll describe a few ways below. The way I like best is to record the MIDI signals from the drum module, so that you're actually recording only the MIDI notes in the DAW. This gives you extreme freedom later on to change the tracks and experiment with different sounds.

Basically, there are the following possibilities, which are sorted by "degree of difficulty"

1. Audio output from drum module directly via USB to DAW

Most sound modules have a USB output. This allows you to connect directly to the computer. Now install the current drivers of the sound module and then you can directly select the sound module in the recording software and record the audio.

This is what you need for this variant:

1. E-Drumset

2. Soundmodule to the E-Drumset

3. Headphones

4. Computer (PC or Mac)

5. Recording Software

This is a self-made graphic. You are welcome to use it with reference to the source (link to this page).

By the way, it doesn't have to be a full-blown DAW like Logic pro to record. Software that is already on the computer (e.g. Garage Band) or freely available, free software (e.g. Audacity, Soundbrigde, BandLab, ) is also sufficient.

Step by step guide

1. Turn on the computer

2. Using a USB cable, connect the e-drum sound module to the computer's USB input.

3. Launch the recording software application on your computer.

4. Follow the instructions of the audio software to record audio. DAW software usually consists of multiple tracks in a project. All you have to do is select an audio track, choose the name of the sound module as the audio input for the track, "arm" the track for recording, and then press the record button. The exact procedure may vary slightly, but is usually very similar

5. Start playing drums. Visual representations of audio waves are usually displayed for audio recording. This is a clear sign that an audio signal is successfully recorded from the drum module.

2. Analog audio output from drum module via audio interface to computer

You can choose this variant if the sound module of the e-drumset has e.g. no USB output.

This is what you need for this variant:

1. E-Drumset

2. Soundmodule to the E-Drumset

3. Headphones

4. Audio-Interface

5. Computer (PC or Mac)

6. Recording Software

This is a self-made graphic. You are welcome to use it with reference to the source (link to this page).

Here, too, it does not have to be a full-blown DAW such as Logic pro for recording. Software that is already on the computer (e.g. Garage Band) or freely available, free software (e.g. Audacity, Soundbrigde, BandLab, ) is also sufficient here.

Step by step guide

1. Turn on the computer

2. Use audio cables to connect the audio outputs of the electronic drum module to the inputs of the audio interface. Turn up the gain or volume control on the input of the audio interface to ensure that an audio signal is coming in.

3. Connect the USB output of the audio interface to the USB input of the computer.

4. Launch the recording software application on your computer.

5. Follow the audio software instructions to record audio. DAW software usually consists of multiple tracks in a project. All you have to do is select an audio track, choose the name of the audio interface as the audio input for the track, "arm" the track for recording, and then press the record button. The exact procedure may vary slightly, but is usually very similar

6. Start playing drums. Visual representations of audio waves are usually displayed for audio recording. This is a clear sign that an audio signal is successfully recorded from the drum module.

3. Drum Recording via MIDI

The variant I prefer.

MIDI=Musical Instrument Digital Interface, was developed in the 80s to establish a standard language for musical instruments.

Compared to the first two variants, this is a completely different approach. Here audio is not recorded directly, but only MIDI signals, i.e. the software records the following signals digitally recorded via MIDI:

• ON and OFF: when a pad is played

• Pitch or which pad or played notes. Good pads also distinguish the position, where they are played on

• Speed: how fast and strong the pads are played

• Tempo (or BPM, for beats per minute)

• Volume

The minimum setup looks like this:

1. E-Drumset

2. Sound module to the e-drumset

3. Headphones

4. Computer (PC or Mac)

5. DAW

6. virtual instrument (e.g. EZ Drummer 3)

Das ist eine selbsterstellte Grafik. Sie darf gerne mit Quellenangabe (Link auf diese Seite) weiterverwendet werden.

The setup looks similar to variant 1, but now you can't do without a DAW.

The signal path looks like this: The sound module sends the MIDI signals to the computer via USB, in the DAW the MIDI data are recorded in a MIDI track. Now a so-called virtual instrument can be assigned to the MIDI track. Here, various virtual instruments are suitable for drums. The best known are

1. Superior Drummer 3

2. EZ Drummer 3

3. Modo Drum

4. Addictive Drums

5. BFD3

6. Steven Slate Drums

7. Apple Logic X Drummer (included in Logic Pro)

Personally, I use Superior Drummer 3 and EZ Drummer 2. EZ Drummer 2 is the fastest way to get really good results. Superior Drummer 3 is for the pros - here you can adjust almost everything and has an infinite number of settings.

step by step guide

1. Turn on the computer

2. If your electronic drum module does not support MIDI, remove all drum and cymbal pad inputs from the drum module and plug them into the inputs of your MIDI drum module.

3. Connect the MIDI output of the drum module or MIDI drum module to your computer (either via a MIDI to USB connection, a MIDI interface, or via a USB to USB connection if your drum module supports it).

4. Launch the drum recording software or DAW.

5. Now follow the instructions of the recording software to map the MIDI notes to the desired sounds. This can vary greatly depending on the software you are using.

6. Press record button in DAW

7. Start playing drums. When you look at drums on a MIDI track in a DAW, the recording looks very different from an audio recording. It shows a series of discrete notes that correspond exactly to the moment you start playing.

8. After you play, you can tweak or change the MIDI track. DAWs usually offer the option of quantizing the MIDI notes, i.e. aligning them to a grid (you can change the size of the grid, e.g. quarter notes, sixteenth notes, etc.). This allows you to change drum notes so that they are exactly timed.

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Conclusion

Here is a brief list of the advantages and disadvantages of each variant.

Record audio from the module (variant 1 and 2)

Advantages

• Well suited for recording exercise sessions as it requires minimal effort.

• Very easy to do. No need to mess with MIDI mappings in DAW software.

• You get what you hear. If you are happy with the internal sounds of the sound module, you can record it directly like this

Disadvantages

• Most sound modules only have stereo outputs. This means that the audio signals of the drums cannot be split to different tracks on the computer. For practice recordings or rough demos, this is usually not a problem. Some higher-end drum modules, such as the Roland TD-30 have many more outputs.

• You get what you hear. If you're not happy with the sound module's internal sounds, that's a problem. It can be difficult to swap out the individual drum sounds if you are using a stereo output

Record MIDI from module (Variant 3)

Advantages

• More flexibility for the sound. You can change the samples or drum synths later on the computer.

• More flexibility for the drum tracks. MIDI notes can be rearranged or automatically quantized to stay in time.

• Better mixing. As mentioned earlier, most drum modules only have stereo outputs. When recording MIDI, the sounds of individual drum hits can be processed differently, using processing such as EQ, compression, reverb, various effects, etc.

Disadvantages

• MIDI mapping This is not overly complicated, but it can be a bit tedious

• If the sound module you are using does not support MIDI outputs, purchasing a MIDI drum module will incur additional costs.

If you just want to record something quickly, the direct audio output is probably the better, because easier way. It's easy and doesn't require MIDI mapping with the computer's DAW. If you have something more extensive in mind, like using the e-drum set for music productions or professional releases, then I would definitely choose the MIDI variant.

You can even combine both options, then you have maximum flexibility. Higher-end Roland V-Drum modules usually have a USB port that can be used to transfer both audio and MIDI data.