Recommendations for good & affordable drum samples?

[jackpf]

Hi all,

I find that im often getting stuck with regards to percussion. I cant afford a drum machine, and I generally end up putting dull hihats and claps in my tunes which just sounds repetitive and boring.

Does anyone have any suggestions for cheap drum sample packs? Or maybe good sources or suggestions on how to get nice percussion that gels well together?

Just an example of the sort of sound I'm going for - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jaCpM2IsEdk

Cheers,
Jack

[rktic]

http://www.drivenmachinedrums.com/

[PixelKind]

http://www.drivenmachinedrums.com/

+1 on Driven Machine Drums

Also Wave Alchemy Synth Drums is really good

[arkos]

Goldbaby has a bunch of free drum samples on his site. And for the quality you get with the paid stuff it's dirt cheap imo.

http://www.goldbaby.co.nz/freestuff.html

[Senko]

Good old recording of random sounds through whatever means necessary. Unorthodox, but who cares

[willemb]

I find the thought of buying samples unorthodox, not making your own!?

[Barfunkel]

I find the thought of buying samples unorthodox, not making your own!?

I get your point if we're talking about synthesized drums, but how about acoustic drums? If someone wanted to, say, recreate the sound of an old dusty breakbeat, he'd had to invest TONS of time and money into it. Even if you could emulate the sound of vintage processing ITB, you'd still have to buy a really expensive vintage drum kit, a microphone collection, required preamps and have some kind of space where to record all that. A bit too much for hobbyists, maybe even for many professionals.

[dubdub]

Not just for acoustic drums. Good luck getting something that sounds like Goldbaby's 808/909 samples without thousands of dollars in vintage hardware and processing equipment. I've even heard artists that have a real 808/909 say they use his samples in interviews, because they don't have that processing equipment and know-how.

[Senko]

Just depends what you're going for. Loads of free samples out there that are quality.

[The_G]

Not just for acoustic drums. Good luck getting something that sounds like Goldbaby's 808/909 samples without thousands of dollars in vintage hardware and processing equipment. I've even heard artists that have a real 808/909 say they use his samples in interviews, because they don't have that processing equipment and know-how.

Goldbaby offer a bunch of samples for free as well.

[Hades]

Hi all,

I find that im often getting stuck with regards to percussion. I cant afford a drum machine, and I generally end up putting dull hihats and claps in my tunes which just sounds repetitive and boring.

Does anyone have any suggestions for cheap drum sample packs? Or maybe good sources or suggestions on how to get nice percussion that gels well together?

Just an example of the sort of sound I'm going for - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jaCpM2IsEdk

Cheers,
Jack

Listening to your example, I think it's important to realise that you won't get drums like the ones in that track by just loading some samples in your sampler.
It's also the EQ'ing, using compression, making sure the mix is very clear,...
Maybe that will be a lot more what you need to work on than just buying another sample pack.

btw : if your hihats or claps sound repetitive and boring, you should work on better automation.

the basic hi-hat in that track is for example made from noise, and he changed the length to keep it interesting,
then there's your typical open hi-hat on top.
the clap sounds really standard, so nothing special there either.
...

anyway, no time to go through that whole track, and I'm absolutely no specialist for percussion anyway.
What gels it together ?
I think they are almost all tuned nicely together.
Tuned percussion always sounds better. Especially in tracks where percussion is pretty much all there is in the track.
Also, I think he uses a big ass spacey reverb on a send, there's at least this background thing there from the start and if you watch closely you can even hear it change a little bit with the kick at the very beginning of the track.
Maybe that also helps to gel it all together ?
Plus some compression ?

I wouldn't buy another sample pack, I would work on making what you have sound better.

[msl]

Wave Alchemy are always top quality, I have two friends that make samples for them.


.

[Wiu]

A good 75% of the samples I have are from Computer Music and Future Music magazines. You get a bit of everything from them really. Not bought an issue of either for ages, but I'm assuming they still give away a cover DVD with software and samples.

[Hyle]

Goldbaby's classic drum machine samples (808 & 909) are very very good. Probably the best.

The question is: we still need 808s & 909s?
Record everything you have at home... or, just destroy samples and fuck with audio with the beautiful Ableton Sampler and play them like an Mpc with the Drum rack...
The Ableton standard library is perfectly fine if you have some creativity.

You can have godly kicks just stomping your foot to the floor and record it.
"Drum-machine-y" percussion sounds completely bored me.
Think about it before investing some money in something like a sample pack.

[terly]

There is some interesting stuff here: http://samples.kb6.de/downloads.php - all free, not at all comparable to wave alchemy or goldbaby samples, a lot of them are kinda noisy or weirdly recorded, but if you are getting "bored with dull sounds" it might be worth a try.

As for trying to get percussion like the track you posted, it's a matter of getting the reverb/space right, and switching things up now and then. Each percussion element has its own timbre - for example, the off-beat hat has some lower frequencies, sort of like a clap. There is a shuffled shaker fill that contrasts the straight pattern and a straight clap fill that happen sometimes. A syncopated ride pattern adds some energy here and there. The main thing for this type of track is to avoid having all the percussion happening all the time. You have to leave space.

[modem808]

What DAW are you using?
A lot of DAW's come with great samples like the 909 drum rack in Ableton Live.

[dommminic]

A good 75% of the samples I have are from Computer Music and Future Music magazines. You get a bit of everything from them really. Not bought an issue of either for ages, but I'm assuming they still give away a cover DVD with software and samples.

I've got a subscription for Computer Music magazine and you get some pretty decent samples on a monthly basis. If you get the electronic subscription it’s pretty reasonably priced.

[Críoch]

I like the Wave Alchemy Drum Tools.. I have the 1st one. Also that Analog Synth Drums pack.. Pricey.. but they're good.

They also have a Free 909 Pack.. which I think is wicked. Can seriously recommend it!

http://bedroomproducersblog.com/2012/03 ... e-alchemy/

Another pack that I have & use a lot is a very old one from Computer Music or Future Music. Its called 'The Sound Of BCM'. Have it years.

Don;t know anything really about it.. but man, its got absolutely fucking everything you could need (says the guy who still buys the odd sample pack haha).. but I guess I agree with the Free sources being excellent. There was a Vince Watson (I think) VIP pack there a year or 2 ago with CM. Really cool sounds - as expected.

[Sey]

You can get cool drum samples from the mattias fridell sample pack, it's cheap (like 10 or 12€) and efficient.

I also often find interesting samples to process on freesound.org

[jackpf]

Cheers for all the suggestions, think I've figured out that its not my samples that are the problem, it's the way im using them that ends up sounding a bit stale.

Sidechained eq, compression, grooves and effects have helped me get a bit more of a natural sound now.

Cheers!