To Midi Or Not

Is MIDI drumming still drumming, or is it removed from the art and skill of percussion? This is something Bill McCarthy has been pondering.

- Bill McCarthy

THIS IS DEFINITELY the big question and an often contentious topic when musicians talk about the future of drumming and recording practices. Many old school musicians still continue to “beat the drum” when discussing the always-evolving electronic drum industry. There are many professional drummers out there who still think that nothing can come close to the real thing. To be specific, the argument is that only acoustic drums or cymbals that vibrate and subsequently resonate sympathetic frequencies are “real”, while triggered samples are phoney. I am not so sure that this is the case anymore. Toontrack, Steven Slate Drums, BFD and other VST plug-in developers have put a lot of research and development into sample libraries that, in my opinion, have changed the game forever. I believe there are a couple of challenges when considering recording drums in both the acoustic and electronic realms. Budgetary constraints from both the drummer and project stakeholders are usually the first hurdle. Few recordings these days have budgets for days of studio time, high-tech equipment and recording engineers, and VST sample libraries are used more and more.

Another challenge is the significant investment a drummer needs to make in a great-sounding drum kit. A professional drum kit, microphones and a room that allows for a quality recordi