Recording Drums with an Electric Drum Set
Why Record Drums Using Electronic Drum Kits?
There are several good reasons why you might choose to record drums using an electronic drum kit instead of an acoustic one. Let’s break down the most important advantages:
- Much quieter: Ideal for home or project studios where volume is a concern.
- Flexible sound editing: You can often change the drum sounds after recording.
- Easy mistake correction: Especially with MIDI, fixing timing or missed hits is simple.
- No need for microphones or acoustic treatment: Save time, money, and hassle.
But how does it actually work?
Essentially, there are two main ways to record electronic drums: Audio recording and MIDI recording. You can either record the sound directly from the drum module’s outputs, or capture the MIDI notes in a digital audio workstation (DAW) such as Logic Pro, Cubase, Reason, or Pro Tools.
1. Recording Audio Directly
This is the most straightforward method. Simply connect the audio outputs of your drum module to your interface, mixer, or recorder, and start playing. You’ll be capturing the exact sound of the module.
Important:
Because you’re recording the final audio, you won’t be able to change the drum sounds afterward — so make sure you’re happy with the kit you’ve selected on the module.
If your module has multiple audio outputs and your setup allows multitrack recording, take advantage of that. Record kick, snare, and toms separately so you can mix and adjust each sound independently later.
2. Recording MIDI for Maximum Flexibility
This method gives you full control over the sound and performance — even after recording.
What you need:
- A computer with DAW software (like Logic Pro, Cubase, or Pro Tools)
- Virtual drum software (e.g. Superior Drummer, EZdrummer, Addictive Drums, or BFD3)
- A MIDI-capable drum module (most modern kits support MIDI over USB)
- A reasonably fast computer for smooth performance
MIDI doesn’t transmit audio, but rather performance data — like which pad was hit, how hard, and when. The drum plugin in your DAW converts that data into realistic drum sounds.
Setup:
- Connect your e-drum kit to your computer via USB or MIDI cable
- Install any necessary drivers (macOS and Windows often detect drum kits automatically)
- Create a MIDI track in your DAW
- Assign the drum plugin to that track
- Set the input source to your drum module
Note: Some drum modules use General MIDI (GM) layouts, while certain drum plugins use proprietary mappings. Most plugins allow you to switch to GM mode for compatibility.
Find all the essential drumsoftware here
Recording and Editing
Once everything’s connected, record your drum part using any kit you like. The final sound can be chosen or fine-tuned later — even replaced entirely.
You can also play to a click track without worrying about mic bleed, since no microphones are involved. Turn it up as loud as you want in your headphones.
Not happy with the take? Just delete it or create a new one. MIDI gives you total freedom to experiment, fix mistakes, quantize, or tweak dynamics long after the performance.hetzelfde trucje nog een keer, net zolang tot je een goede take hebt, of dat je in de verschillende opnames genoeg goed materiaal hebt om van de verschillende takes 1 goede te maken.
Kleine foutjes zijn meestal simpel te corrigeren, sleep een te vroege bassdrum gewoon een aantal milliseconden naar achteren of verwijder die foute cymbal. Er zijn op dit moment in het opname proces nog erg veel zaken te veranderen en te verbeteren, terwijl je bij een akoestische opname vrij weinig meer kunt verschuiven en wissen.
English Translation and Refined Version:
Now the fun part begins: choosing and mixing your drum sounds. Most kits within virtual drum software are already professionally mixed and sound great right out of the box. Still, you have a lot of control — from adjusting virtual mic positions to selecting different drum and cymbal sizes, tweaking reverb and compression, and more.
The best part?
You can do all of this after the other instruments have been recorded, so you can perfectly tailor your drum sound to fit the overall mix.
