E-DRUM TECHNOLOGY ➜ why THE ultimate off-the-shelf DEVICE does not exist and why only VST-e-drumming remains for the highest demands 👉

Fri Apr 19, 2024 3:01 pm (Last edited: Wed May 29, 2024 12:05 pm)
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E-DRUM TECHNOLOGY ➜ why THE ultimate off-the-shelf DEVICE does not exist and why only VST-e-drumming remains for the highest demands 👉


Where is the off-the-shelf device (as a self-contained unit) that convinces everywhere (trigger quality and trigger features, sound, latency, stability, durability, appearance, price,...)?

Why THE DEVICE does not exist and unfortunately won't be available in the foreseeable future
and
why only VST-e-drumming remains for optimal workflow, simplicity, comfort, speed, possibilities, much better editing options for the results and of course for the highest e-drumming demands.

The aim is to arrive in 2024 in a technically and sonically elegant way!
Reduce stress, reduce complexity! Improve results. Have more time to make music!



"Why THE DEVICE does not exist and unfortunately won't be available in the foreseeable future" :

Well, the answer is quite simple:

There is nothing that is on par with the Roland digital pads (snare , hihat , ride) trigger quality and trigger features. They are needed for highest e-drumming demands. Period.
+
There is nothing that is on par with Toontrack Superior Drummer in terms of sample pool details and the humanizing engine (velocity layers , round robins) and, of course, also the choice of libraries (SDXes) providing those details is one of a kind. This exact engine and choice is needed for highest e-drumming demands. Period.

So, THE DEVICE had to be a Roland e-drum module that provides SD3 and the option to load all such expansion packs. I don't see this coming in the foreseeable future.

This is Point 1 ! as VST-e-drumming can of course combine the Roland digital pads with SD3.


The only thing that is still missing in e-drum technology (on the "getting VST-e-drums closer to the original acoustic drum kit" side) : digital mesh pad Left/Right distinction (and Toontrack have to implement left and right recorded drum samples ; some other drum sampler manufacturers like NI Studio Drummer / Abbey Road Drummer already provide them!)


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Point 2 :

And as a further strong benefit of VST-e-drumming : advanced engines can easily be applied when playing VST-e-drums 😊 .


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About the "non-nerdy, Basic Thing" and why no one can tell me it’s too difficult or too expensive for them :


option 1 : (starting point for highest demands)

Roland TD-27 / 50(X) + the digital pads

MacBook (if you want to go with a tablet-like machine (no heat: no fans = no noise) : used M1 'MacBook Air' if you want to keep costs low)

Toontrack SD3


option 2 : (if you can do without the digital pads -- still relevant for high demands : the eDRUMin trigger device)

a (used) Roland mesh kit like TD-11 / -17 (with the center-hotspot-free❗️ PDX-8 (PDX-12 / PDX-6) pads) and one 3-zone ride cymbal pad (so a CY-13R should be part of the kit) and a VH-10/-11 or an FD-9 - hihat system (tip: avoid a "CY-5" for the hihat pad when using an FD-9 contoller pedal)
(you can resell the Roland modul and thus save additional money when using an eDRUMin10 !)

an eDRUMin10 trigger device

optionally a 12" Drum-Tec Diabolo3 pad (or a 14" Drum-Tec Pro3 Snare) for a hotspot-free, yet PositionalSensing-capable* Snare. (*Positional Sensing is a feature that I would focus on for the future: SD3 strongly benefits from it ; but also already relevant for EZ3 snare drum. -> PS does not work with Roland TD-11/-17 pads and modules).

Toontrack EZ3 / SD3
or for all who want to keep it super simple (who have a computer allergy / hate to install / adjust /optimize a drum sampler software) : GoranGrooves 'Handy Drums' (since there is not much to adjust)


Btw, if you just don't want to deal with any (computer/e-drum) technical stuff at all, you can outsource the whole issue through affordable support and sit down at your made / customized / optimized e-kit and start playing.

For the "non-nerdy" thing: this should then make usable acoustic drum sound e-drumming possible without any further purchases.


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"Why only VST-e-drumming remains for optimal workflow , simplicity , comfort , speed , possibilities , much better editing options for the results ,..." :

An important point! (Point 3)

When I consider how fundamentally intuitive and logical the "Reaper" DAW behaves (e.g. in terms of VST e-drum recording , editing options for recorded drum midi and subsequent output of drum audio ("stems" or stereo sum) , drum audio routing and editing options , play-along music/video , convenient drum practice on possibly slower, time-quantized music loops , etc.), I know immediately that I have to go for VST-e-drumming, because nothing else can even come close to matching its performance and convenience ( ➜ in terms of "workflow, simplicity, comfort, speed, possibilities and the much better editing possibilities of the results)


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Conclusion :

So basically VST-e-drumming is able to combine 3 important points, and that's the reason to rely on it ❗️

😊


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