how to record MIDI drums onto separate editable tracks?

Question

how to record MIDI drums onto separate editable tracks?

Hello, this is my first post and I am a Logic amateur so please excuse if I don't have all the lingo down. I am transitioning from a Roland VS. I usually play drums dynamically using an OctaPad with kick pedal and then go back and edit/dub each drum as the song I'm writing or arranging eventually requires. That way the drums have my (barely!) human feel. I used to use a drum machine as the sound source. I am wondering how to do this in Logic using MIDI from the OctaPad and the inherent sound sources. Separating the Ultrabeat or EX drum machines by note pitch seems to yield basically all one mega track that is sort of but not completely split and not dubbable (it says there is no input when I try to record into these).

Do I need to set up a separate instrument/track for each drum (that would be 9 Logic drum machines) for simultaneous (and then later, if I needed, individual) recording? Will that even work? I thought there would be more elegant way to do it than that. Also I worry that method may be taxing on the computer. I have searched a lot online and don't seem to find this particular question answered. Please forgive my clumsy way of explaining the issue. Can anyone comment/help? Logic 9 latest, MacBook Pro, Ensemble.

Logic Pro

Posted on Nov 13, 2012 10:14 AM

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Answer 1

Ahrenshof

Level 2

245 points

Nov 13, 2012 4:35 PM in response to blueislandbridg

Demix By Note.

You can then create new duplicate tracks from the "de-mixed" tracks(the +sign with the little square with lines in it) and then "copy" the demixed tracks and "paste at original location" to those new tracks. Then delete or mute the original track(s). (The original "de-mixed" tracks are not actually independant. If you mute or solo any track, they all mute or solo, for example)

The usual response from experienced people is to use a multi-out instance of the instrument(EXS24 or Ultrabeat) though...

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Answer 2

Nov 14, 2012 12:11 PM in response to Ahrenshof

Thank you, yes, I tried both of those approaches. However, as I recall they do not result in a set of tracks that allow me to independently punch in say a new fill on the snare for example. The demixed tracks or their duplicates do not seem to accept input. It has been suggested that a separate MIDI channel for each drum would help; however, my old OctaPad transmits on one MIDI channel only. If I was playing one drum at a time I would simply make a track for kick, one for snare, etc. But to play the entire kit at once onto separate tracks has me stymied. Could I play 9 EXSs at once, each recording to one track and each with all instruments but one deselected?

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