Sequencer Megababy Drums- Creating Drums in Reaper

Sequencer Megababy Drums

Creating Drums in Reaper

For this tutorial on Sequencer Megababy Drums I will be using:

Reaper and Sequencer Megababy to create Drum loops.

Dope VST CM – Available with Computer Music Magazine. Buy a copy now and download for free plus loads of other great plugins. Link

You can buy the full version here

Installing VST from Exe

Install VST from dll

Free Drum VST

First things first – this is from the ground up – it is a tutorial for the absolute beginner so there maybe steps you already know – please skip sections as required.

Section 1: Set up Track and plugins

Start up Reaper:

Add a Track.

There are two ways.

Go to the menu bar and look for Track it is next to Options.

addtrack1

Left Click for drop down menu.

The first option is to add Insert new track and then add plugins afterwards.

Add Track2

The second option is to Insert virtual instrument on new track…

Insert Virtual Instrument

The first option is the way we will go.

Insert new track

To the left of your Reaper Screen you should now see something like this:

Track View

Look for the fx button.

Track ViewFX

Left click fx

FX screen1

In the left side column look for JS folder – left click to highlight…

FX screenJS

In the bottom left hand side look for filter list 

FX screen1filter list

Type in seq as I have done above.

FX screen1seq_megababy

Now you should see some options in the right side box…

Highlighted in blue in the above image JS: MIDI/sequencer_megababy

This is the plugin you will use to create Drums with Sequencer Megababy.

In the image below is the version I use, is is a different skin but is fundamentally the same.

FX screen1seqmegababyNM

Double click – JS: MIDI/sequencer_megababy

You will now see this window…

sequencer_megababy1

Shut this down and go back to your Track

Track ViewFX

Click fx as before…

addDRUMS

Right Click on All Plugins

FX - All plugins

Go to Filter list

FX screen1filter list2Type in the name of your VST/AU drum program – in this example DopeVST

FX screen1filter list3

Double Click to load.

Go back to track.

Track ViewFX

Click fx

Your plugins should look like this.

FX

sequencer_megababy should be before DopeVST(your drum plugin) as shown above.

Double click on sequencer_megababy

sequencer_megababy1

You can make this window bigger by hovering your mouse over the bottom right hand corner and whilst holding down the left button on your mouse drag it it to a size you feel comfortable with…

Sequencer Megababy Drums - Resize Screen

Sequencer Megababy Drums - Drum Maps

 

seqbabyDRUM MAP1

For this tutorial I am using a Drum Map note names file that I created…

It will help when showing the 4 elements of our drums. This is entirely optional.

To get it and install click DopeVST drum map

seqbabyDRUM MAP

This is your screen without the Dope Drum Map installed.

C1 = Kick

D1 = Snare

E1 = HiHat

F1 = Misc

If you’re not sure Right Click over C1 to audition the sound. You can do this for any of the notes on window…

In the following example I have loaded a drum map to name the relevant instruments…

Sequencer Megababy Drums - Drum Maps - Named Notes

Below I have used my note map…

seqbabyDopeDM

<———————————->

Section 2 – Programming Sequencer Megababy Drums

Sequencer megababy is divided into blocks and rows.

The rows are your kit sounds(see above)

The columns are the beats – the default setting is one bar or four beats.

Sequencer Megababy Drums - Sequencing Beats

Above I have highlighted the 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th beat.

These are crotchet beats.

In 4/4 time we have 4 crotchet beats to the bar.

Take a look at the row where the kick is located.

seqBaby-beats_kick

This is the C1 note.

Let’s add four kick drum beats on the 1, 2, 3 and 4th beat of our grid.

Using the left click on your mouse click on the rectangle to match row and column.

See below.

Sequencer Megababy Drums - Loop Sequence

To remove use your left click again.

Press space to play back.

You should have something that sounds like the example audio below.

Let’s go a little further, we will now add snare.

This time we are going to have kick on the 1st and 3rd beat and snare  on the 2nd and 4th beat.

First delete the kick on 2nd and 4th beat using your left click

Find the snare on the far left column. the note would be D2

Sequencer Megababy Drums

Now add a snare on the 2nd and 4th beat again using your left click

Sequencer Megababy Drums: Adding Snares

 

You may have to audition the sound by using your right click as it may not be D2

Let’s add hihat the note should be E2 again if is not then you will need to find it by auditioning notes on the far left column using right click on your mouse…Sequencer Megababy Drums

Using left click add hihats on the 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th beats…

Sequencer Megababy Drums - 1/4 Beats Quarter Notes

Let’s get more interesting…

In-between each beat we have three blue rectangles.

Sequencer Megababy Drums - Subdivide the Beat

These are where we can subdivide the beat – this allows us to do an awful lot of variants. In a bar of 4 beats we can have 16 divisions.

Count all the columns, you should find that there are 16.

Let’s look at something called 8th – we will use the hihat for this.

Sequencer Megababy Drums - 8th Beats Eighth Notes

Using your left click add hihats to the columns highlighted in green…

Sequencer Megababy Drums - Hi Hats

 

 

1 Comment

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  1. This is the most excellent explanation I have ever followed , even a 2 year old will be able to understand this method, GREAT!

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