Hi Robert and everyone else!
Just throwing in my 2 cents in to say hello! I’ve been recording bands (and myself) for over 20 years in my 2-room, 24-track project recording studio. I play a number of instruments, but I must confess that drumming has always been a special kind of challenge for me, and never became my thing… coordinating the feet with the hands was just never something I had the patience to learn, despite having a friend’s perfectly good drumset permanently setup in the studio, and also despite being a classically trained pianist and pretty good acoustic guitar player!
However, after seeing the incredible grooves that could be accomplished with mere electronic pads, I became interested in learning how to play that way! I’m no DJ… but I feel this is a skill that could be rewarding for the specific styles of my own composing. We’ll see… but I know that I’m tired of editing loops… it seems that playing what I hear in my head should be faster! All I have to do is to practice and GIT GUD. I can do that.
After a lot of research, I purchased a Nektar Aura, to trigger Cubase VST’s (mostly Superior Drummer 3 and Groove Agent)… and I am very pleased with my purchase, thanks in no small part to your setup video on YouTube. Its truly a lovely gadget… I don’t have to talk myself into practicing it… instead, I just WANT to.
After learning the basic funk groove you posted on YouTube, I have to say I’m now hooked. I’m currently going through the easy stuff, and I look forward to the advanced… not there yet, though.
Anyway, I found your videos imminently accessible, well crafted and informative. You seem to have the technical and musical knowledge, have the chops, and give equal time to many different drumming styles. I hope to grow with you and others on this website. Cheers!