Drum programming/sequencing software for Mac?

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Does anyone know of a good, relatively easy program I can use for drum programming and sequencing for Mac, preferably one I get can get for free (one way or the other)? I'm recording at a friend's on Mac Cubase, so no Acid or Fruity Loops for me, and I've heard Reason and Garage Band have their downsides.

― Jordan (Jordan), Monday, 19 July 2004 02:30 (twenty-one years ago)

what sound are you going for?

― cutty (mcutt), Monday, 19 July 2004 02:57 (twenty-one years ago)

I think the drum machine on Reason is the best (only) thing it's got going for it. It's the easiest and most intuitive software drum machine I'm aware of (though if anyone's got a suggestion for a better, stand-alone drum machine, I'm all ears), and comes with a pretty damn adequate selection of kits. What I do is create some loops in Reason, export a totally dry version of them into aiff files, and then load them into my recorder/mixer/sequencer (Tracktion) for (duh) sequencing as well as mixing and vst manipulation, etc. But I'm not expert, and I'm figuring all of this stuff out on my own, so my method may be less that optimum. Works, though...

― Matt L.C. (flightsatdusk), Monday, 19 July 2004 03:17 (twenty-one years ago)

I'll be sampling my own drumming mostly, but I guess I'm going for a Prefuse/Telefon Tel Aviv's first album sort of thing.

(x-post, thanks for the tip!)

― Jordan (Jordan), Monday, 19 July 2004 03:19 (twenty-one years ago)

Reason's drum machine is awesome.

― latebloomer (latebloomer), Monday, 19 July 2004 03:26 (twenty-one years ago)

I would like to second the asking of this question. Also, I wouldn't mind paying for a program, if it's priced affordably and comes with a high reccomendation.

― Al (sitcom), Monday, 19 July 2004 03:35 (twenty-one years ago)

If you like Cubase, try Cubasis: it's a bargain, especially if you buy it on Ebay. It's a cut-down version of an earlier Cubase VST version.

― Jez (Jez), Monday, 19 July 2004 09:51 (twenty-one years ago)

If you can get a copy of SR-202, do so. It was free with Computer Music magazine, and may still be available on one of their cover CD's. It's my weapon of choice. Battery comes next.

― Jay Vee (Manon_70), Monday, 19 July 2004 15:16 (twenty-one years ago)

Argh, why are there two versions of this thread?

Oh, is one for PC and one for Mac? I'm confused.

Reason is pretty much optimised for Mac. I didn't realise that you could use it on a PC until my friend installed it last week.

Never used Garage Band, I'm not bothered about it, either. I'm not crazy about Cubase, as stated on the other thread. I only ever use it for recording through a line in, all my sequencing is done in Reason. (Apparently, they will play nice together, actually, but I haven't figured out how to do this yet.)

― Ma$onic Boom (kate), Monday, 19 July 2004 15:25 (twenty-one years ago)

Succesfully putting drums together from scratch in Cubase is like kicking shit uphill whilst doing a handstand.

― Gribowitz (Lynskey), Monday, 19 July 2004 15:25 (twenty-one years ago)

Doggiebox is the only standalone drum sequencer for the Mac that I've found even remotely useful, but it may be too chintzy for any serious recording work.

― Nick Mirov (nick), Monday, 19 July 2004 16:15 (twenty-one years ago)

i program all my drums manually in digital performer. that's the way i approach it as a real drummer.

― cutty (mcutt), Monday, 19 July 2004 16:25 (twenty-one years ago)

A good, cheap and very easy to use sequencer is Tracktion, which is now from Mackie. If you are sampling loops of your own drums and would like to chop them up then I would recommend Phatmatik Pro which runs inside Tracktion (or pretty much anything else bar Reason) as a VST instrument.

for more information on this kind of thing a good resource is http://www.kvr-vst.com/ Do some searches there and you'll find a ton of info. The regualars aren'a as friendly as ILMers but they're a fuck load more friendly than most of the exceptionally touchy people who usually hang around computer music forums.

― Raw Patrick (Raw Patrick), Monday, 19 July 2004 16:28 (twenty-one years ago)

you can port Reason into Cubase SX using ReWire (included w/ both programs).

― sherm, Monday, 19 July 2004 17:24 (twenty-one years ago)

If you can get a copy of SR-202, do so. It was free with Computer Music magazine

I've got a spare if you want it, foc. Mail me if interested

― Jez (Jez), Monday, 19 July 2004 17:42 (twenty-one years ago)

Succesfully putting drums together from scratch in Cubase is like kicking shit uphill whilst doing a handstand.

No doubt. I spent three hours trying and failing to properly loop eight bars, until a friend came over and showed me a better way. It got done in an hour, but I don't think I'll be doing that for many more tunes.

― Jordan (Jordan), Monday, 19 July 2004 18:31 (twenty-one years ago)

It used to be a breeze in Cubasis when they had Channel 10 set for drum notation. Though I only got that working on a cheapo old Poland D5/10/20.

Do multimedia programs still come seperate for Mac/PC these days?

― Mr Noodles (Mr Noodles), Monday, 19 July 2004 18:57 (twenty-one years ago)

four years pass...

i know there's crazy software for sequencing and making insane beats but all i really want is the equivalent of my dying alesis hr-16 drum machine that sounds really stiff and drum machine-like and is easy to program. i've tried various shareware drum machines but nothing seems that usable. does this exist? are there any specific recommendations? or should i man up and pay $300 for reason so i can go KICK SNARE SNARE KICK SNARE?

― n/a is just more of a character....in a genre polluted by clones (n/a), Friday, 12 December 2008 21:32 (seventeen years ago)

tapping on the keys w/ microphone on?
actually kind of my favorite snare sound right now for serious

― siskin/skulls, Friday, 12 December 2008 21:35 (seventeen years ago)

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