Mixing A Full Song with SD3: Part 1 - Replacing Drums w/ Tracker

In this video, Mike demonstrates how to use the tracker function within Superior Drummer 3 (SD3) to replace acoustic drums with a more modern and organic sound. He starts by showing the original recording of a song called 'Passengers' and explains the limitations of traditional drum replacement software. Mike then guides viewers through the process of loading SD3, using the core library, and adjusting settings to recognize and replace the kick, snare, and tom hits. He also addresses the challenges of distinguishing between different drum hits and manually correcting any false triggers. After capturing the MIDI performance, Mike shows how to fine-tune the drum performance and explore different sample packs to achieve the desired sound. The video concludes with a comparison of the original and the new drum performance, highlighting the flexibility and potential of the tracker feature in SD3.

Takeaways

• 🎬 The video is a tutorial on using the tracker function in Superior Drummer 3 (SD3) for replacing acoustic drums with software drums.
• 🕰️ The presenter, Mike, apologizes for the long gap since his last video and introduces the topic of the tutorial series.
• 🔍 The tracker feature within SD3 is highlighted as a drum replacement tool, which is often requested by viewers.
• 🎶 Mike demonstrates the process by working on a song called 'Passengers,' which has a pop-country-Americana style.
• 🎧 The original drum recording is critiqued for its straightforward nature and areas that could be improved with software replacement.
• 📈 The importance of using the correct audio tracks for the software to recognize and replace the drum sounds accurately is emphasized.
• 👂 The software listens to specific frequencies to recognize different drum hits, such as kick and snare, and can create a MIDI file from the performance.
• 🎹 Manual adjustments can be made to the MIDI data after the initial capture to fine-tune the drum performance.
• 🚫 The presenter discusses the challenges of replacing hi-hat and overhead cymbals due to their complex frequency responses.
• 🔧 The threshold for sound detection can be adjusted to ensure accurate MIDI note creation for each drum hit.
• 🔄 The presenter shows how to use the MIDI editor to make further adjustments to the drum performance after the initial capture.

Q & A

What is the topic of the video?

The video is about mixing a full song using Superior Drummer 3 (SD3), with a focus on replacing acoustic drums with the tracker feature within the software.

Why is the tracker feature in Superior Drummer 3 useful?

The tracker feature is useful because it allows users to replace real acoustic drums with virtual ones from the SD3 library, capturing the performance and dynamics of the original drum recording.

What are the challenges when using the tracker feature to replace drums?

The challenges include accurately capturing the different drum hits, especially when there are similar frequency curves like with toms, and distinguishing between different cymbals and hi-hats.

How does the software recognize drum hits?

The software recognizes drum hits by listening to the specific frequencies that are most prominent for each instrument, such as the kick or snare drum.

What is the purpose of the mix knob in the tracker feature?

The mix knob is used to blend between the original drum recording and the new sample from the SD3 library, allowing the user to fine-tune the replacement process.

What is the benefit of having a MIDI file after using the tracker feature?

Having a MIDI file allows the user to manipulate and edit the drum performance, change the drum sounds, and apply further processing to the drum tracks.

What is the first step in using the tracker feature?

The first step is to load the original drum tracks into the software and select the appropriate microphone recordings where the instrument is most noticeable.

How can the user adjust the threshold for recognizing drum hits?

The user can adjust the threshold line in the software to determine which hits are recognized as drum hits and translated into MIDI notes.

What does the software do once it has captured all the MIDI information?

Once all the MIDI information is captured, the software allows the user to export the MIDI performance, which can then be edited and fine-tuned in a MIDI editor or directly in Superior Drummer.

How can the user fine-tune the drum performance after capturing the MIDI information?

The user can go into the MIDI data and make adjustments such as correcting individual hits, changing velocities, and applying humanization to make the performance sound more natural.

What is the advantage of using direct microphone recordings for drums?

Using direct microphone recordings allows for a cleaner and more controlled sound, which can then be enhanced with the software's processing and sample library.

Outlines

00:00

🎵 Introduction to Superior Drummer's Tracker Feature

The video begins with the host apologizing for the long gap since the last video and introduces the topic of the day: the tracker function within Superior Drummer, a software used for mixing music. The host explains that this feature is akin to a drum replacement tool and outlines a plan to create a series of videos demonstrating a start-to-finish mix using Superior Drummer, starting with the tracker feature. The current song 'Passengers' is presented as the project for this tutorial, with the host noting preliminary steps taken such as setting region markers and basic panning, but no further processing has been done yet.

05:02

🔍 Loading and Using Superior Drummer's Tracker

The host proceeds to load an instance of Superior Drummer, selecting specific tracks from the original recording to use for the drum replacement process. The focus is on using the kick and snare microphones, emphasizing the importance of using the most prominent recordings for accurate frequency recognition by the software. The software's ability to recognize and replace individual drum hits is demonstrated, with the host showing how to adjust the mix knob to hear either the original or the replaced drum sound. The process of creating a MIDI file after capturing all the hits is also explained, allowing for further customization and replacement of the drum sounds.

10:03

🎚️ Adjusting Thresholds and Capturing Toms

The video continues with the host adjusting the threshold for the snare to ensure only the intended instrument's hits are captured and converted into MIDI notes. The process of capturing Toms is discussed, noting the challenges due to their similar frequency curves, and how the host manually corrected any false triggers by listening to the track and using the trigger function. The host also addresses the floor tom's difficulty in being distinguished from the kick drum due to their low tuning and the bleed from the kick into the floor tom microphone.

15:04

📍 Fine-Tuning the Drum Performance

After capturing the drum performance, the host describes how to fine-tune the MIDI data for a more natural and less robotic sound. This includes adjusting individual hits, changing symbols, and aligning the performance to match the original recording's dynamics. The host emphasizes the ability to edit the MIDI performance extensively, allowing for a more humanized and customized drum sound. The video segment ends with a comparison of the original drum track and the new MIDI performance, highlighting the potential for further enhancement.

20:06

🚀 Exploring Sample Options and Wrapping Up

The host briefly explores different sample options within Superior Drummer, noting that they have not yet decided on a specific sampler pack. They experiment with different presets, including the core library and additional packs like 'Rock Foundry' and 'Last Week 1971', to demonstrate the versatility and customization available. The host concludes by expressing enthusiasm for the tracker function's potential to help musicians worldwide breathe new life into their acoustic drum performances. The video ends with a teaser for the next set of videos, which will cover the full mixing process using Superior Drummer.

Keywords

Tracker Function

The tracker function is a feature within the software Superior Drummer 3 (SD3) that allows users to replace acoustic drums with software-generated drum sounds. It works by analyzing the frequency response of recorded drum hits and matching them with corresponding samples from the software's library. This is central to the video's theme of demonstrating how to mix a song using SD3, starting with the drum replacement process.

Superior Drummer 3 (SD3)

Superior Drummer 3 is a software drum module developed by Toontrack that emulates the sound of a drum kit. It is used in this video to replace the original drum recordings with more modern or stylistic drum sounds. The software's advanced features, such as the tracker function, are showcased as the presenter walks through the process of replacing drums in a song.

Drum Replacement

Drum replacement is the process of taking the original drum recordings in a song and substituting them with new sounds, often for the purpose of achieving a different tone or style. In the video, the presenter uses SD3's tracker feature to replace the recorded acoustic drums with virtual ones, which is a key part of the song mixing process being demonstrated.

MIDI File

A MIDI (Musical Instrument Digital Interface) file is a type of file that contains information about musical notes, timing, and other performance data, but not the actual audio. In the context of the video, once the tracker function has identified and replaced the drum hits, it creates a MIDI file that can be edited and manipulated to fine-tune the drum performance before applying new drum sounds.

Velocity Layers

Velocity layers refer to the different levels of force a drummer might use when striking a drum, which can affect the volume and tone of the hit. SD3 uses multiple velocity layers to create a more realistic and dynamic drum sound. The video emphasizes the importance of these layers in achieving an organic feel when replacing drums.

Direct Microphones

Direct microphones are mics placed close to individual drums to capture their specific sound. The video script mentions using direct microphone inputs from the kick and snare for the tracker function to recognize and replace these drums accurately within the mix.

Threshold Line

The threshold line in the context of the tracker function is a level setting that determines which drum hits are recognized and replaced by the software. Adjusting the threshold is part of the process to ensure accurate detection of drum hits, as demonstrated when the presenter fine-tunes the snare and tom recognition.

Humanized Function

The humanized function is a feature that adds variability to MIDI performances to make them sound more natural and less robotic. In the video, the presenter discusses using this function to adjust the velocity and dynamics of the MIDI drum performance to better match the original recording's feel.

Sample Packs

Sample packs are collections of drum sounds that can be used within a drum software like SD3. The video script includes a discussion about the variety of sample packs available and how they can be used to change the sound of the drums once the MIDI performance has been captured and edited.

Mixing a Song

Mixing a song involves adjusting the balance, tone, and spatial placement of each element in a recording to create a cohesive final product. The video is a tutorial on how to approach mixing a full song using SD3, with a focus on replacing drums as the first step in the process.

Overhead Microphones

Overhead microphones are placed above the drum kit to capture the sound of the cymbals and the overall drum ambiance. In the video, the presenter discusses how to use the tracker function to replace the sound of cymbals captured by overhead mics, which is an important step in achieving a clean drum replacement.

Highlights

Introduction to using the tracker function in Superior Drummer 3 for drum replacement.

Explanation of the benefits of using Superior Drummer 3 over traditional drum replacement software.

Demonstration of how to use the tracker feature to replace acoustic drums with Superior Drummer.

Importance of using the most prominent instrument recording for the software to recognize frequencies effectively.

Process of loading original tracks into Superior Drummer and using a single kick and snare microphone recording.

Adjusting the threshold line to ensure accurate MIDI conversion of drum hits.

Challenges in distinguishing between similar frequency curves of different toms.

Manual adjustment of MIDI information to correct false triggers by the software.

Technique of using overhead microphones primarily for capturing cymbals in the mix.

Exporting the MIDI performance from Superior Drummer for further editing and customization.

Fine-tuning the drum performance post-capture to align with the original recording's dynamics.

The ability to change individual MIDI notes to match the desired drum sounds after performance capture.

Utilizing the humanized function to add variability and avoid a robotic drum performance.

Comparison between the original drum track and the new Superior Drummer performance.

Flexibility of choosing different sample packs and presets post-MIDI capture for diverse sound options.

Endless possibilities for drum sound customization once the MIDI performance is captured.

The tracker function in Superior Drummer 3 as a progressive feature for musicians worldwide.

Anticipation of future videos showing a complete mix using Superior Drummer 3.