So I finally decided to try to make a decent set of maps for VSL Jazz Drums. Most of it is going pretty smoothly. Here are a couple samples straight out of Dorico of what I’ve got for the sticks kit so far. Aside from the snare rolls, it sounds reasonably ok without even dynamics added, and definitely no lane tinkering has been done:
Blakey-ish
Elvin-ish
Has anyone else made a map for this before? Here’s where I’m stuck:
I can’t figure out the snare roll mapping. If I set up the G#3-B3 rolls as I did the other instruments, nothing plays back. It looks like there needs to be a keyswitch to determine length but no matter what I do, I can’t get this to play back. The rolls in the above audio are just the regular rolls which sound crummy with obviously no dynamic contour at all. I’d love to be able to figure out the cresc and dim rolls if anyone has advice with this.
Likewise, I’m at a complete loss as to know what to do with the matrix switches. Does anyone else have these programmed? I’m not even quite sure how to use these.
I’m happy to share the maps once everything is done. I’m gonna dive into the brush kit now, but the snare roll mapping is really bugging me. If anyone has done this already and has any advice, I’d really appreciate it!
Got some help on the FB group. For anyone else using this library, the key was to use CC7 for dynamics and then the regular roll will play correctly. Here’s the Elvin-ish example again with the roll playing a crescendo.
(I notated it in 9/8 to avoid a gazillion tuplets, but it’s a 3/4 groove)
Maybe this isn’t the right forum to ask this, but I got almost everything set up for the VSL Jazz Drum Brush map, and just realized I don’t think I’ve really ever seen snare brush stuff notated before. It’s always just text like “stir” or “time.” Have any drummers here actually seen this stuff written out? The Map is already done, but I’m not sure the best way to set up the Kit. Or should I just set it up for ease of playback for mockups and use a different staff for notation? There are lots of notational problems here, like what to do if the right hand is playing time on the snare, and the left is playing swishes. Anyway, if anyone has ever seen brush stuff actually notated before, I’d value any input!
Thanks! That seems good for just snare brush work, but they’ve taken over the hi-hat line for the right hand snare notation. That might confusing for a whole kit.
I was searching some more and found this video of Hutch demonstrating it. They took over the high tom line for the right hand here. I guess there’s no way around repurposing one staff location or another as right and left hands are going to require separate notation.
No I don’t think so.
I studied drums with Ed Thigpen some 40 years ago, but can’t say I remember too much about brushes notation. Probably no real standard way of notating it.
Jesper
I remember his S-hook and Zorro, brush strokes though.
Oh wow! I never got to see him play, but the Sonny Stitt Sits in with the Oscar Peterson Trio recording is a desert island album for me. He sounds great on all those Oscar records!
He sure does, I studied with him for 4 years at Malmö academy of music.
Actually studied classical percussion, but we had Ed in Jazz drums. He lived just across the water in Copenhagen for many years. He moved back to USA for a while, but back to Copenhagen again. We did a 2 month tour in the USA together with Malmö Percussion Ensemble back in 77. Great times.
Great pic!!! I actually recorded an album in Malmö in 2005 (I think) with David Berger’s band. We were on tour, had a gig at Fasching in Stockholm, then drove through the night after the gig straight to the studio. He somehow managed to get a CD out of us even though we were all exhausted. Can’t remember the name of the studio though, but I seem to recall it was near the water and we could see Copenhagen. I’m not sure if they didn’t have enough headphone mixes for a big band or Dave just wanted to try it acoustic, but the reeds and brass recorded without headphones. The great Dennis Irwin was on bass and I don’t think I could hear him at all at the session which made solos a bit tricky. Anyway, if you’re interested here’s one of the tracks from that date I took the alto solo on.
Fantastic, sounds great, This the studio? http://bernostudio.com/kunder/
Never recorded there but I know most of the people on the list.
Left Malmö for Copenhagen in 84.
