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How to Make a Drum MIDI Track

Musical Instrument Digital Interface is the protocol for transmitting music data across devices and programs. MIDI notes can be used to trigger the sounds of drum samples. Most Digital Audio Workstations come with a sound bank of drum samples. Many DAWs also have onboard MIDI-editing capabilities. In the case of a MIDI drum instrument, each MIDI note corresponds to a different drum sound. Some programs even allow you to assign drum sounds to specific notes. Through this framework, you can create a MIDI-based drum track for use alone or within a larger project.

Things You'll Need

  • DAW with MIDI editor
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Instructions

    • 1

      Open a DAW that is equipped with a MIDI editor. Anvil Studio is one example of a free DAW with MIDI editing capability.

    • 2

      Create a new MIDI track.

    • 3

      Add a drum instrument to your MIDI track. Most DAWs have a built-in bank of drum samples for you to choose from.

    • 4

      Determine what MIDI notes correspond to what drum sounds. If you have a MIDI controller, play the MIDI controller to determine the drum layout. If you do not have a MIDI controller, most DAWs allow you to use your computer keyboard as a MIDI controller.

    • 5

      Click the "Record" button on your DAW.

    • 6

      Play the drum notes you wish to include in your track.

    • 7

      Edit your notes in the MIDI note editor for the MIDI track. The MIDI note editor looks like a virtual piano keyboard with a grid attached to it. You can change the duration and pitch of each note. Here, if you change the pitch of the note, it will alter the drum sound accordingly.

    • 8

      Quantize the track if you want your notes to correspond exactly to the metronome of the track. If you want a human, slightly off-time sound to your drum track, do not quantize it.

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Digital Music

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