Best practice to record with Logic / SD3 / TD-30

[Erich Parzefall]

I tried a lot and want to know what do you guys think:

Setup:

iMac 2017 / Apple Logic Pro / SD3 / Roland TD-30

Normally I connect my TD-30 via USB with my iMac, configure, take Logic, make a new project, put a mp3 in a track and record my drums as a Midi-Track. Last time I want to separate my Midi-Track to 10 single tracks (BD, HH, Snare….), but whoooo my iMac had really a problem with this tracks. There wasn’t enough power. I think this will all be no more problem when I use the new Apple Silicon M1 (a friend of mine in a studio have it and he says its evil how much power the Mac mini have).

So – to record is it better to go

a) with the single outputs from the TD-30 into an audio Interface
b) record only to one Midi-Track (as I did)
c) separate the whole Midi-Track in Single Instrument Midi-Tracks
d) export the Single Instrument Midi-Tracks to Single Audio Tracks

What is the best way to have the single tracks for recording a song?

Superior Drummer 3 version: 3.2.3
Operating system: macOS Catalina (10.15)

Topic

[Red Gear Music]

When I record drum covers for YouTube, I dump a mp3 of the song onto a track, then I have an instrument patch set up for SD3 already pre-configured to my settings.  I record all my MIDI within the SD3 plugin because I like that midi editor better than Logic’s.  Then within SD3, I route all my individual outputs to separate bus’s (is that the correct word? or is it busses?  :P) that are then sent to Logic on individual tracks for the KD, SD, Toms, etc.  I added some screenshots for visual assistance.   Hope that helps a little.

| redgearmusic.com | instagram | YouTube | Roland Kit |

[Erich Parzefall]

Thanks for this great description. Do you connect your TD-30 via USB or with Midi-Cables?

Superior Drummer 3 version: 3.2.4
Operating system: macOS Catalina (10.15)

[Red Gear Music]

Erich Parzefall wrote:

Thanks for this great description. Do you connect your TD-30 via USB or with Midi-Cables?

Superior Drummer 3 version: 3.2.4
Operating system: macOS Catalina (10.15)

My TD-30 is connected with a USB cable.  I also use a Focusrite 2i2 connected via USB for monitoring.  The audio interface is not necessary but my bandmates connect into this when we jam so it’s right there on my kit, so I use it.

| redgearmusic.com | instagram | YouTube | Roland Kit |

[Bear-Faced Cow]

Although a finger drummer, songwriting with my Maschine controller would be no different than an e-Drum. I take the approach of recording everything into Logic as it has far greater overall arrangement capabilities, allowing me to shuffle parts around en masse using the arrange track, as well as far more extensive MIDI editing capabilities than SD3 (SD3 is great for drums, but Logic has 4 ways to edit MIDI, as well as other functionalities such as transformations and scripting abilities).

As far as

a) with the single outputs from the TD-30 into an audio Interface
b) record only to one Midi-Track (as I did)
c) separate the whole Midi-Track in Single Instrument Midi-Tracks
d) export the Single Instrument Midi-Tracks to Single Audio Tracks

One multi-out instance of SD3 is often enough for me for most drum tracks. Only time I’ve needed another instance was when I was using two different kits (such as the Twisted Kit EZX for effects). Breaking the MIDI track into separate tracks is really not required, but if needed, you can split the tracks with the same instrument (you were doing different instruments, creating a severe load issue). You can edit a single track’s drum lanes using the Step Editor (one of the most overlooked, yet one of the most useful, editors for drums).

I will often take it into SD3 for some final ideas using Edit Play Styles which I will often use to add some cohesiveness to a track.

jord

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Jordan L. Chilcott

Web Site: https://jordanchilcottmusic.com/

[Andrew Payne]

Hi There,

I am an e-drummer and have a similar setup but different components

Dell Precision with 32GB ram / Cubase 10.5 Pro / SD3 / Yamaha DTXtreme 3 / Steinberg UR242 A/I

DTXtreme3 module modified so basically a DTX900 and both this and UR242 connected to laptop via USB cable.

I have a large kit with additional pads/cymbals so I run 5 cymbals, 5 toms, “cowbell” pad and additional snare as well as kick, snare and hats. This is my normal set up for acoustic drums so I have replicated it in my e-drum setup.

I do a lot of (online collaboration) recording and usually use a wav or mp3 track for the “backing” and then record a single MIDI track that also routes audio to separate drum tracks in my DAW which are the multi-track channels for up to 15 different outputs. In Cubase these are routed as “group channels” that can then be bounced to separate audio channels (or I can set up additional audio channels and record directly to these). I also have a “drum bus” group channel that then routes to stereo out. SD3 is a plugin in my DAW. I have a multitude of user kits I use in SD3 (and other SDX expansions) and I do all the work in SD3 to optimise the sound, bleed, channel routings, effects etc before I save these as ready for recording.

I route SD3 channels to 15 or 16 buses and then route these to a separate outputs. I have main stereo output plus an additional 14 or 15 outputs including room, OH, parallel reverb, parallel compression and individual drum channels (kick, kick sub, snare, hats etc) to give me greatest flexibility in mixing. I do basic mixing and level adjustment in SD3 and then use my DAW for the main/final mixing.

Each of these channels in SD3 routes to a separate channel in my DAW. I use multiple outputs in my DAW so that each SD3 channel routes to a corresponding individual track in the DAW.  When I record, a single MIDI track is recorded and “File/Export/Audio mixdown” (Cubase terminology) can be as a final stereo or as a multi track audio.

If I need to reduce CPU load for the actual recording or to enable lower latency without audio gliches, I route all buses in SD3 to main output only and also use 16 bit for the kit. I use a modified project in my DAW for recording with single output only and this still gives me a single MIDI track which I can copy into the full version of the DAW project that has all of the individual multi output tracks set up (and I use full 24 bit for this).

I have attached a few screen shots to (hopefully) show my set up in a bit more detail.

Not saying it is perfect but works well for me. I am no expert in SD3 or Cubase and I am sure there are various (and maybe better) ways to achieve a similar outcome. I am continually learning.

Cheers, Andrew

Superior Drummer 3 version: 3.2.4
Operating system: Windows 10

Dell Precision 7730, i7 6 Core 2.6 GHz, 128GB RAM, 1TB SSD and 3 x 2TB SSD, Cubase Pro 13, SD3 plus a variety of SDX's and EZX's, Orchestral Percussion, EZBASS, RME BabyFace Pro FS and KRK V4 monitors. Modified Yamaha DTX900, DTXPRESS4 and Edrumin10 triggering SD3. Yamaha pads/cymbals and Roland VH-10 HiHat.

[Author]

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