Drummer vs Drum Machine: Which Is Right for Your Recording?
Updated: Oct 7
Drummer vs drum machine is a question that comes up a lot when producing a song. Both can work brilliantly, but they bring very different things to a track. If you’re just starting to write a song, you often want something quick and simple that doesn’t interrupt the creative flow. You want to get the ideas out of your head into your DAW or onto the paper! But when you’ve done that and got the song more or less together how do you look at getting it sounding even better?
Sometimes it’s not just a case of sounding better but also FEELING better.
Drum machines are great at being consistent. They’re machines so their timing is always right down to the millisecond! And because they’re machines they also hit at the same velocity every time.
Of course you can add in different velocities to give more feel but they will play the pattern you’ve told them to play.
Put a drummer in the song and tell him to play a groove and record the part. It’s going to sound completely different! Not every hi-hat note will be played at exactly the same velocity. Those subtle differences create dynamics within the groove, and they interact naturally with what the kick and snare are doing. Those relationships also change throughout the song. It’s these small nuances that give a groove its feel. Those little nuances are what give a groove its feel. A good drummer will also respond naturally to the other instruments, helping the whole track feel more connected. The performance may not be mathematically perfect in the way a drum machine can be, but those tiny variations are often exactly what make the music groove.
Don’t get me wrong drum machines are great at what they do and for certain genres they’re the best choice but sometimes to make the music groove we need the inconsistencies that only a human can add!
Give your track the feel of a real drummer.
I record custom acoustic drum parts remotely from my UK studio, tailored to the song and delivered as professional multitrack stems ready for your mix.
Whether you already have a clear drum direction or want me to bring ideas to the track, I can take it from demo to finished drum performance. Find out more about my Remote Drum Recording service.
ABOUT MARK
Mark Midwinter is a UK session drummer specialising in studio, live and remote drum recording. With more than 35 years of playing experience, his approach is centred on groove, feel and playing what serves the song.
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