A great drum track is vital in contemporary popular music, and recently there has been a trend towards utilising audio loops for the drums for ultra-realism. However, with the outstanding drum software now available, such as EZDrummer or Studio Drummer from Native Instruments, MIDI drum loops actually have many advantages over audio loops.
MIDI drum loops are easy to edit – drum sounds can be switched as you please within the software – and always follow the precise timing set down by your DAW. However, it is difficult to make your own realistic drum parts using a MIDI keyboard. It is very hard to add the ‘ghost’ beats or variation in the way that an experienced real drummer would automatically play, and these elements are what make a drum track come alive. Thankfully all the Groove Monkee drum loops have been recorded by professional drummers and they are not quantised, so they always sound natural and more human.
The Groove Monkee packs are also compatible with all the currently available drum software and all DAWs. Installing the loops for each product is also very clearly explained, and there are short videos to illustrate the process for some packs.
There are currently 32 Groove Monkee MIDI packs available covering a wide range of genres from blues to hard rock, hip-hop to jazz and world music to funk.
You can purchase the packs separately (at time of writing $11.95 each) or there are various bundles available ($49.95) including a Mega Pack containing all 34,848 drum loops ($149.95).
I tested out the loops using Toontrack's Superior Drummer, Addictive Drums and Battery 4. In each case the loops sounded totally convincing and eminently usable straight from the pack. I like the fact that many of the loops are not over-embellished and, because they were recorded by drummers, always sound real.
Each individual groove is clearly labelled and numbered with intros, endings, fills, choruses and verses sorted together. Beats with shuffle rhythms and swing and jazz fills are included as well as rhythms containing a very simple beat. Examining the MIDI data from these grooves in your DAW is an invaluable tool for seeing how parts of the pattern function and is a great way of developing your knowledge when making beats for yourself. In addition, it is very simple to edit any individual Groove Monkee beat to suit your own requirements. For example, if you wanted an extra snare in the bar it's easy enough to click or play one in by working with the pattern in the piano roll/editor.
To purchase any of the Groove Monkee MIDI packs visit www.groovemonkee.com
