Many productions lean on percussion tracks to add texture, but what if the usual instruments aren’t cutting it? We check out one solution adding some secret spice that can bring intricate percussion layers in a few moves…
Studio Percussion
With a few exceptions, percussion layers exist in almost every finished production. Some percussion parts can be whole sections that sit up front as part of the wider arrangement, however there is another type often hiding in plain sight. Some ‘simple’ band arrangements can comprise of the usual elements of drums, bass, keys, guitar, and vocals, for example, but on record things evolve. Percussion is frequently woven into these arrangements and can add intricacy to even the most pedestrian drum parts.
Many studios will have some interesting percussive toys lying around, although playing them well is not as easy as it looks. Certainly letting any band member loose on percussion isn’t always a good idea as anyone who has tried this might agree…
Doing It With Loops
In the absence of a skilled percussive hand, the engineering producer has the virtual instrument instead. This is still perhaps the easiest way to trigger loops or single hits that can then be quantised to time. For off-grid productions, snapping to existing drum hits instead can help. While some VI’s are primarily drum kit instruments with percussive chops added on, a range of dedicated percussive instruments trade realism for complexity as a compromise.
Using GoranGrooves Handy Drums
In the video we try a way to get exotic percussive layers for a production in just a few moves. Using GoranGrooves’ Handy Drums instruments, we drop its accompanying MIDI straight onto the timeline to get get instant percussive spice and intricacy from the World Percussion instrument. Using two Handy Drums instances (each for drums and percussion), we show how its pre-mixed sounds save time and do the arrangement justice. We then show how pro users can route out of the Handy Drums instrument to mix sounds in the DAW using their usual tools.
Without doubt, GoranGrooves have gone to great lengths to make Handy Drums products hold their own up against the big boys. The instruments themselves sound great as would be hoped, but another highlight has to be their skilful capture. The sounds are crisp, clean, deep, and have excellent stereo imaging to add to the realism, so they do sound great right out of the box. Certainly the percussion instruments offer a great, easy way to add instant exotic twists to any genre. For some, GoranGrooves’ modular approach to their product line will also make an attractive proposition because users only need buy what they need.
All Handy Drums instruments share common features. From the video:
Handy Drums Retro Custom Kit
Distinctive, easy-to-use drum kit plugin for any genre.
Custom-made, one-of-a-kind beech drumset has been sampled in a retro fashion featuring punchy a 70’s sound. This is defined by a short sustain, dry room ambiance, and clearly defined toms that have no ringing or overtones.
Drums: 10″ deep custom-made maple snare drum. 18″ kick drum, single-headed toms with napkins taped to them for an authentic short, ultra fat tone.
Recorded with natural room ambiance and good stereo imaging.
User playable or triggered using GoranGrooves’ MIDI loops and others (sold separately).
Also available in GoranGrooves’ Producer Collection plugin bundle.
Win 7+, MacOS 10.11+ (dual binary), VST/AU/AAX/Standalone.
Storage requirement: 786MB.
Handy Drums World Percussion
Distinctive, easy-to-use percussion plugin combining instruments from several different regions of the world, for any genre.
Recorded with natural room ambiance and good stereo imaging
Includes Cajon (Flamenco model), bongo cajon, mini bongos, udu, shakers, clave, and riveted cymbals played by hand, covering a range of tonalities.
User playable or triggered using Handy Grooves MIDI loops and others (sold separately).
Also available in GoranGrooves’ Producer Collection plugin bundle.
Win 7+, MacOS 10.11+ (dual binary), VST/AU/AAX/Standalone.
Storage requirement: 405MB.
Fully-functioning free trials of all Handy Drums instruments can be downloaded over at GoranGrooves.
Photo by Marco Bicca on Unsplash