Drums are a key ingredient of just about any track you make, regardless of genre (except a capella, ambient, and other beat-less genres, of course!). Here are five Max for Live devices to add some sparkle and groove to your beats.
Palmas
Palmas by SUFI PLUG INS creates rich claps that would take you some time and layering to do yourself. This well-designed device, from DJ/producer, writer, and musician Jace Clayton, has only five parameters: number of hands, synchronization of the hands, pitch, stereo spread and velocity. Don’t let this simple-looking device fool you–you can create everything from Motown to trap claps with this free device.
The Beatdown
The Beatdown by Sonic Faction is a ten-kit, multi-sampled, analog-style Drum Rack with Macros and effect Racks for tweaking the sounds. It also comes with a custom step sequencer that makes it easy to program beats and tweak velocity, groove, and note length from the APC40, Launchpad, or Push. The Beatdown sells for $25.
Drum Synths
Drum Synths, from the free Max for Live Essentials pack, is a collection of 13 synthesized drum and percussion instruments that are great sounding, but also versatile enough to make sound effects, leads, and even bass sounds. These drum synths can produce sounds similar to the Dave Smith Tempest.
In addition to the basic controls for customizing the sound, each instrument also features an advanced panel with 16 parameters that can be modulated based on note velocity–this can add a lot of character to the sounds. Use one of the presets, or start from scratch and program drums with a nice analog synth feel.
Sample Layer
Sample Layer by Tom Cosm is a free utility device that speeds up your drum production, making it easy to navigate through your Drum Rack samples to choose the right sound for each drum. You can select up to six samples to layer, or let Sample Layer choose them for you with its randomizer. Also, each of the six samples can be independently delayed and lengthened for a more natural feel.
For more information on navigating large numbers of samples in a Drum Rack, watch The Last Drum Rack You’ll Ever Have to Make.
Instant Haus
Instant Haus by Alexkid is a free device that generates (you guessed it!) house beats. Instant Haus offers a lot of control with separate kick, snare, hi-hat, and percussion sections. Each section allows you to tweak the pattern, swing, velocity, and note.
While the loop is playing, your keyboard can be used to trigger different combinations of patterns and randomizations to keep the beat interesting. Though it was created for house music, I set a BPM of 92 and found a pattern that was nice for hip hop. Take a moment to check it out!
