Start Playing with Virtual Drummer!

Before we look at things in more depth, let’s first explore how to play Virtual Drummer, as that may be all you need for now.

Look at the top half of the Virtual Drummer window. It is dedicated to the Drummer’s performance – in other words: What and how your session drummer plays. 

Look at the interactive keyboard first - the left half plays individual instrument, the right half phrases and grooves.

Interactive Keyboard

The basic principle is simple:

• When you press the lower, dark half of keys from C3* upwards, Virtual Drummer will start playing a phrase with the groove – conveniently named like song parts. When you release the key(s), playback will stop.
• The upper, brighter half of the right keyboard lets you drag and drop parts into DAW tracks.
• MIDI notes below A#3 play (and display) individual drum hits.
• By turning up the Modulation wheel, you can smoothly control the intensity of the drummer’s performance. This lets you create crescendos/decrescendos as well as allows you to set song parts apart from each other.

If you know these basic things and can switch presets, you know all you need to start producing with Virtual Drummer.

*C3 is middle C. The MIDI note number is 60. Some DAWs refer to it as C4.