I've been playing around with this program for a minute and wanted to share one feature that has been particularly helpful: Real Drums.
One of the biggest complaints about drum machines are the fact that they don't sound human. They provide such precision of rhythm that they sound artificial. They don't have the "groove" that a human adds to the mix. practicing to drum machine patterns are helpful, but they don't provide the opportunity for the bassist to converse with the drummer, which for me, is the heart of pocket playing.
Real Drums solves this problem by substituting the drum machine patterns with recordings real drummers. I won't pretend to understand the science behind it, but I can say that it works.
I picked a musical style and and typed in a chord progression. Once the song generated, I muted all the instruments, except the drum track. After listening, i had the option to keep the track or create another variation. After I was satisfied, I specified where the changes were, and the program created drum fills for the transitions. When I was done, I had a fully developed drum track, but I wasn't done yet. This is the awesome part: I then converted the drum track to a real track. So instead a lifeless, computer generated track, I had a drum track that sounded like real drums, because they were made with real drum recordings. More importantly, the fills and transitions had a "human" feel to them. And to put it over the top, the more I let the loop play, I heard variations in the patterns.
The point? I now have a way of practicing along with a drum track that varies in a way that allows me to develop my skills "dialoguing" with the drummer. And it works because since these "samples" were recorded by real drummers, I now recognize what our drummer is playing and can answer him in a way that is compelling. You the look you get when the drummer likes what he heard, which pushes him.
Sorry for the long path to the end, but I am really excited for the possibilities and potential of this program. If you are looking for something to spice up your playing, check out Band in a Box. Once I figure out how to upload, I will post a before and after track, so you can hear what i am hearing. Okay, back to the lab!
