Using real snare samples with a Roland TD-50X

Another eDrum Nerd tip! Most newer drum modules allow you to add a sub-voice to all your pads. For my snares’ sub-voice, I would typically assign an additional internal snare sound or sound from the internal ‘element’ library. In this video, I’m showing off my latest fave thing to do: adding real snare samples as my sub-voice to add realism and character to my snare sound. Only a few modules in the market today allow you to add ‘round-robin’ multi-layered samples to your module. Roland modules, as of this video, cannot do that. They only accept one-shot samples. When you add one-shot samples to snares and especially Toms, it typically creates that annoying ‘machine-gunning’ sound, because every time you strike the pad, you cut off the samples’ sound and fire it again. BUT, I’ve found that by assigning samples to the sub-voice of snares (and kicks), AND by slightly lowering the volume of the sampled sub-voice, the machine-gunning is hardly noticeable. Give it a shot (pun intended).

[Gear for this clip] Roland TD-50X, Vater sticks, DW 5000 Hat & Kick Pedals, Audio Technica Headphones, Zoom L-12 mixer into a Zoom Q2n4K.

Instagram: @dennisagresti
Thanks for listening!