Hello,
I just switched to Dorico Pro 5 + NotePerformer and I’m working on a percussion project which includes a log drum. Since the instrument is not included in the software, I was going to just create a custom instrument based on wood blocks using Edit intrument definition. However, I’d also like to give specific playback to the log drum, maybe by pitching the wood blocks an octave lower, or loading a sample, but I don’t know how. Would that be possible in any way?
My first thought was to try low marimba notes.
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If you have the full Kontakt instrument, it looks like you could use this free set of samples:
You’ll need to learn a bit about how to add a new VST instrument in Play mode, load the log drum sample into Kontakt, and then set up a percussion map, but it’s all doable.
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Woodblocks tuned lower wouldn’t have the right resonance. Agree with Derrek that a marimba would be closer. In addition to the free log drum mentioned above, for lower notes as well I really like this VST - Giant Bass Tongue Drum | Soniccouture (same thing as a log drum)
I have actually used two different ones for ranges in a composition, creating custom instruments called Log Drum and Bass Log Drum respectively. I duplicated a Marimba as my starting point and adjusted the staves accordingly.
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Dear all, thanks for your suggestions. I think that using marimba notes is the way to go. Now, how can I treat a marimba as an unpitched instrument and manually link pitches with notes on the staff? E.g. I’d like F4, A4, C5, E5 (written notes) to sound like G2, A2, D4, F4.
I’m having a hard time understanding what you mean since the second part of that still sounds like it would require a pitched staff, using a pitched instrument to play pitches (since also a log drum is a pitched instrument)… but if I am understanding you correctly you are looking for a transposition of sorts? I am not sure of whatever VST you are using, but some will have a setting where you could re-tune the instrument so that it’s entirely transposed. Others, such as Kontakt, have a scripting section where you should be able to filter & convert midi notes, in other words so when you play F4 it always plays G2 etc.
Forgive me for my unclarity, here is what I mean: those 4 specific notes, that will be on an unpitched staff, should be linked with those 4 sounds (the notes of the instrument I have), so unfortunately I can’t just transpose the whole instrument up or down. As requested by my percussionist, I have to treat the log drum as an unpitched instrument.
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See the following project:
Log Drum.dorico (544.1 KB)
The Log Drum player holds a percussion kit containing four different Tenor Drum instruments arranged on the spaces of a five-line percussion staff:
The different Tenor Drum instruments produce the desired pitches using a custom Log Drum percussion map:
In play mode, the Log Drum is assigned the marimba sound using the Default expression map and the Log Drum percussion map.
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Thank you so much, that’s precisely what I was looking for!
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