I wonder if anybody has created midi files via a finger drum machine for use in BB?
I’m a guitarist and love the BB but sometimes struggle with finding the beats. Even though the song finder and this forum are fantastic, sometimes I think about writing very specific beats (for my chord melodies) via BBMO - then I fire it up and remember why I’m a guitarist….
Anyway,
This looks interesting, at 14 minutes…… tap out the beat into DAW, modify it a little for BB? export the beat. Might be more intuitive than writing the midi from scratch.
I like your idea. but although yamaha seems all into the layout of this finger drum machine , there are also people with a different opinion about it. see this link Yamaha FGDP – Best Finger Drumming Pads Or Waste Of Money? . And like you wrote you are a guitarist, so I think you will also struggle with this drum machine.
Very good point and interesting take from the link. I suppose which ever way I go - to create or modify my own beats is going to require some effort on my part.
I’ll have to weigh up the required effort (and cost of any gear) v how many times I need a new or specific beat. Which in reality is not very often….
If you have a store nearby where you can try a number of input device, i recommend you do so. They vary greatly in the effort needed to trigger a note, and/or the sensitivity of pads at interpreting midi velocity. Roland makes a hand drum unit that is very good, but it is quite expensive. My son has one of those. My midi keyboard, from Nectar, has a drum pad section, but those are hard to trigger. It would be easier to map a kit to keys. The Maschine from Native Instruments works well, but again, it comes at a price. I have not seen the Yamaha units in person.
I have been thinking the same but using my midi keyboard to record the drums
So far I have not done that, but instead I have just modified existing beats. I have made a 3/4 version from the Ballad 2 (in 4/4) and some 4/4 I made into 2/4 But I believe I could use the same method to do 4/4 that accents the chord changes
The benefit of that method is that the pieces themselves are well made and I just need to paste them together
Thanks Phil, I have a little Korg keyboards with pads on - as you mention they can be hard to hit consistently. No stores near me that might stock such things but a great suggestion so next time I’m in London or Liverpool - I’ll check out the big music shops.
Thanks Aapo, I have modded a couple of files on BBMO, so maybe that’s the area to channel my energies - was considering if ‘pads’ might be quicker. Probably would be from scratch, but as you say the BB provided patterns are pretty solid and make a good start point. Appreciate the reply.
But I believe I could use the same method to do 4/4 that accents the chord changes 
