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DAW| How To| MIDI Drums
Getting started with MIDI Drums For FREE With REAPER and SSD 5.5
Description
MIDI drums are practically virtual drummers that you can program to play anything. With MIDI drums you are able to get a drum track to your recordings without actually having to get a drum kit, drummer and recording equipment.
Technology has got to the point that MIDI drum software can sound so realistic that, when mixed well, it’s hard to tell whether it’s digital or actually played with a real set and player.
Although the majority of MIDI drum software costs, there are some amazing free alternatives to get you started with.
This article will walk you through how you can get started with free MIDI drum software.
Step 1: Get a DAW
Firstly, you’re going to need a Digital Audio Workstation (DAW). A DAW is software which you use to record, edit and produce audio files. If you don’t already have a DAW I warmly recommend REAPER.
Go to https://reaper.fm to download a free, fully functional 60-day evaluation of the software.
If (and when) you decide to buy a license for REAPER, it’ll only set you back 60 dollars which is ridiculously cheap compared to other DAWs. Don’t let the cheap price fool you; REAPER is one of the most versatile and capable DAWs around.
REAPER also has a phenomenal amount of tutorial videos that’ll teach you the ins and outs of the software. I suggest you start with “Why REAPER” and the “Intro” video to the “This is REAPER 6” tutorial series.
Step 2: Download Free MIDI Drum Software
Once you’ve set up your DAW and are familiar with basic functions such as loading up VST instruments (tutorial on how to do it in REAPER below), it’s time to download your free MIDI drum software.
I warmly reccomend Steven Slate Drums (SSD) 5.5 Free, which is a fully-functioning, never-expiring demo of the famous SSD 5.5.
REAPER has a fantastic tutorial on how to install SSD 5.5 Free and use it with REAPER:
Step 3: Jam out to MIDI drums
Voilà, that’s basically it! SSD 5.5 Free has some awesome pre-installed grooves to get you started with. However, I strongly reccomend you download the JJ Groove Packs which are free MIDI drum groove packs that feature grooves from some of my favorite bands.
JJ Groove Packs are fully compatible with SSD 5.5 Free and each pack includes instructions on how to integrate them with the groove player in the SSD 5.5 Free interface.
Let me know what you think
Thank you for reading! I hope you found this article useful.
Please let me know what you think about this article and the JJ Groove Packs.
Any input from you will help make this site better.
Happy jamming, composing and recording!
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FAQ
MIDI drums are practically virtual drummers that you can program to play anything. With MIDI drums you are able to get a drum track to your recordings without actually having to get a drum kit, drummer and recording equipment.
A DAW (digital audio workstation) is software which you use to record, edit and produce audio files.
Steven Slate Drums (SSD) 5.5 has a fully-functioning, never-expiring demo – SSD 5.5 Free.
I warmly recommend this free MIDI drum software as it sounds awesome and is very versatile.
You can download it from their official website https://stevenslatedrums.com/.