DigitalDuck

Ok, basically I need a decent drums audio application to add drum effects (and loops) to an existing recording. However, it has to be able to work off of mp3's and wavs not just MIDIs. I was looking at the Fruity Loops products, but it appears that you can export them as mp3s and wavs, but they work off of midis first. You would think it would be easy to use wav files to do the editing off of ...any ideas would be really appreciated...thanks!!

dadaluholla

I used to use Cool Edit Pro to loop my drums, and then you could just record right over them on a second, third track, etc, and do a mix down whenever you were ready, and export it as a Mp3 or Wav file. However, I haven't used it in a long time, and I'm currently looking for a new multi-track recording program similar to Cool Edit...and hopefully something cheap.

Ky-Fi

I'm more of a songwriter than a tech-head, so I'm not sure if I completely understand what you're looking for--but I use Cakewalk (I have Music Creator, I think their Sonar is does it the same) with Beta Monkey Drum Loops---those are wav files, not Midi, and I don't think it does any MIDI conversion. I just import the drum loops into Cakewalk, and they're imported as "Groove Clips" (I think they're also called acid loops?), which means they adjust to whatever beats-per-minute (and key) you have set in that project. So if I wanted to add wav drum loops to an existing recording, I think I would just need to know the beats-per-minute of the existing recording, and then import the wav loops to cakewalk and edit until you're satisfied.

DigitalDuck

Here is what im looking for..I already have a song that I wrote and recorded..now I want to add drums to it somehow so since my songs is in mp3/wav format I cant use a program that only works in midis but exports in wavs etc...it has to start as a wav and have drum loops that you can choose from and manipulate..

Ky-Fi

Hmm...ok....I guess I would need to know how you recorded it---is it some sort of multi-track recording, where you would have, say, vocals, guitars, keyboards, etc. all on different tracks, or is it just a single stereo track (for instance, if you just sang and played guitar at the same time and recorded it onto a single stereo track)? Or in other words, are you currently working with multi-track recording software (like Cakewalk Sonar/Music Creator, Ableton Live, Cubase, etc) or did you just make a simple wav recording via a microphone with one take?

I'll assume it's the latter, and that you've got a single stereo wav track of your song. In that case, you could use one of the multi-track recording programs that I listed (Cakewalk Music Creator is fairly cheap). You would import your current song with no drums onto one of the stereo tracks. Then, you could import drum loops from a CD (like Beta Monkey's Cds: http://www.betamonkeymusic.com/ ) onto another stereo track. Then after you're done, you would mix down the drums with your original song onto a single new stereo track, and then export it to wave, mp3 or whatever.

But, did you record your original song to a drum machine, or metronome? Because if you didn't, it might be very difficult to match up those sampled drum loops to your song.

DigitalDuck

Hmm...maybe I can elaborate as well..it was a song that I wrote and recorded in a studio in town unfortunately it is now on a single wav track. So basically im just trying to add drums loops to the 2nd verse of an mp3/wav. I guess I thought that I could add a loop but simply slow it down or speed up to match the timing signature of the original track. All I need is a trap snare sound or a light drum...it shouldn't be too hard to just find an effect and repeat it or find the right loop and match it to track... Im looking into cakewalk now...

Ky-Fi

Ok, then I think what I described should probably work. You will indeed be able to slow down or speed up the drum loops (although it might take a bit of effort to get it to exactly match the tune.) But, you need to make sure the drum loops are "acidized" (all the Beta Monkey cds are). That means that they will work with the Cakewalk program's ability to allow you to speed up or slow down the loops and edit the loops together easily. I think there are older drum loops on the market that are not acidized, and those don't give you the same flexibility.

DigitalDuck

Awesome Ky-Fi, thanks for your input..Im looking into Cakewalk now..

Ky-Fi

Cool. I usually lay down the drum track first and then work from there, but I think you'll be able to do it your way, as well. Here's a better explanation of what "acid loops" are:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acid_Loops