There are many plug-ins available now, notably Steven Slate's Trigger and WaveMachine Labs' Drumagog, that are designed specifically for the purpose of using one drum recording to trigger another.Įven drummers may have something to gain from investing in a software recreation of their instrument of choice. Even if you've recorded a kit yourself, you may wish to enhance the sound of your own recordings by layering them with samples that may have been recorded with a little more finesse. Software drum instruments aren't only for those who don't have a kit or room to play them in, however. Indeed, once you've programmed or played in your desired drum performance, the mixing experience will be similar to that of balancing a professionally recorded drum kit! Trigger Happy If you prefer to mix using your own favourite plug-ins and processors, however, there's always the option of outputting each mic to a different channel in your DAW. So, whether you want a tight sound derived mostly from close mics, or a reverberant sound coming predominantly from overheads or room mics, you're bound to be catered for. The space and equipment required to record a full drum kit live can often be prohibitive - but with the current generation of software drum instruments, it's possible to get extremely high-quality results without having to put up a single mic stand!Most such software packages also include their own complex mixing environments, so that you can adjust the level of each individual mic in the drum balance. In essence, what they've done is to set up quality drum kits in top studios with high-end gear and desirable acoustics, sample them in great detail, and build software that allows you to trigger those samples in your DAW.

The latter problem is often overcome by using multiple microphones - sometimes more than one on each drum - but we don't all have a large collection of suitable mics.įortunately, software designers have come to the rescue, offering a variety of products that allow you to achieve professional-sounding drum tracks without even stepping away from your computer.

Drum kits are without a doubt one of the trickiest instruments to record, especially if you're trying to record them in a home studio! Not only are they large and loud (which rules out the idea completely if you're working in a box room), but they are also very complex, radiating sound in all directions in a very unpredictable way. With today's sophisticated virtual-instrument technology, it's never been easier to create realistic drum performances in your DAW.

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