The point of this website/program:
You enter a string of rudiment names (from this list),
separated by spaces, set a few of the other options
and then push the button to create and listen to a MIDI file translated from your text.
Also, if you go to the More Info page, I explain how to define and use your own rudiments to make bigger patterns.
Multiple voices are now supported!!! See this page for how to do this.
How this differs from most other "Drum Machine"-type applications:
This is the only application I've seen, outside of full-blown MIDI editing software, that
allows you to mix note types. The other programs/apps lock you into the idea of (for example)
32 32nd notes that you either turn on or off. This is fine if you like to stick to one note type or sub-division
in your patterns.
Most rudimental drummers prefer to mix note types in their patterns. That's what I've done
with this program. This has been designed to handle any mixture of note types as long as it all fits within the given time signature.
You're able, if you're so inclined, to actually define, using a scripting language, your own rudiments.
Flams are supported as well as the ability to widen or shorten your flams.
You can choose Intro and Transition Patterns, set the number of repeats, the start tempo and the amount to change the tempo per repeat.
Check out the EXAMPLES page for exercises that can be pasted into the "Drum-Speak" textbox
(and which are also great tutorials).
ENJOY!
Factors that affect sound quality
Almost all sound cards support MIDI. However, different sound cards synthesize MIDI drum instruments in different ways.
Therefore, the better (i.e. more expensive) the soundcard, the better it should be at MIDI synthesis.
Some of the new, cheaper soundcards support such concepts as wavetable synthesis, which is a good thing, but only the more expensive ones do it well (you knew that was coming, didn't you?)
WinModems (and sometimes PCI modems)
These modems seem to cause the playback to get "choppy" on slower computers. This is probably because they operate using your computer's CPU (the main 'chip') to handle some of their processing
and therefore the time-sensitive playback of sound (and probably video, too) is affected whenever the modem is in use.
MIDI Plug-in
I've noticed that both "Windows Media Player" and "WinAmp" have a hard time playing the MIDI files. So I strongly recommend that you
download Crescendo which works well.
SoundFonts
I Can't stress this strongly enough! If you have a Soundblaster card capable of loading soundfonts, I strongly
suggest that you go here to get the Marching Percussion Soundfont and then be sure to add SET DEFAULTS=MARCHPERC2.SF2
to your scripts so that will automatically adjust the voices to suit.
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