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Re: Aerodrums - BS or Viable Practice Option?

Posted: Thu Sep 26, 2019 4:19 pm
by Ringowig
Thinking about it Wolfgang...yes i have shared a kit with myself by transferring over the folder from my old netbook just as you described :-)...its really easy.
I have ordered a camera stand so looking forward to not having to alter my settings quite so much. I have been using the 10'' snare as my practice 'kit' snare...you have given me aln idea to record my practice pad and make my own element files...:-)
Agree with the 'able to play softer with better control' statement...its a revelation after Aerodrums practice.

Regards

Re: Aerodrums - BS or Viable Practice Option?

Posted: Thu Sep 26, 2019 4:44 pm
by Wolfgang
Ringowig wrote:Thinking about it Wolfgang...yes i have shared a kit with myself by transferring over the folder from my old netbook just as you described :-)...its really easy.
I have ordered a camera stand so looking forward to not having to alter my settings quite so much. I have been using the 10'' snare as my practice 'kit' snare...you have given me aln idea to record my practice pad and make my own element files...:-)
Agree with the 'able to play softer with better control' statement...its a revelation after Aerodrums practice.

Regards
If you want to try my pad, it's a 40 layers sample with a quite good dynamics curve and costed me some hours of tweaking and testing. It would be nice if it could be useful for someone else than just me. I’m thinking about to share it here in the forum.

Re: Aerodrums - BS or Viable Practice Option?

Posted: Thu Sep 26, 2019 4:46 pm
by Ringowig
Thats very kind of you..i would love to try your pad!

Re: Aerodrums - BS or Viable Practice Option?

Posted: Thu Sep 26, 2019 8:55 pm
by Ringowig
Wolfgang you could maybe offer a download with the option of a Paypal donation?..even if it went to charity or just to you for a drink for your time & dedication?..just a thought anyway.

Re: Aerodrums - BS or Viable Practice Option?

Posted: Thu Sep 26, 2019 10:09 pm
by condordontsurf
Richard wrote:If the small rectangular performance indicator in the top left corner of the drumming screen is green (and reads 125 FPS) then everything is working optimally. If it is red then your computer is not performing well enough to keep up with Aerodrums. If the performance indicator is green but you still experience latency while drumming, this would indicate an issue with your audio device setup.
I understood that condordontsurf had his problems being in 3D mode, so he wouldn’t see the performance indicator.
condordontsurf wrote:I am using Aerodrums on a Mac mini, so moving drums around is pretty frustrating, at least with the 3d software.
For testing performance problems I start Aerodrums 3D in windows mode and place the two windows that I can see the performance indicator behind the 3D window. I can confirm that it can be very hard to move drums around in the 3D mode if you are running on a low-spec computer, I destroyed some kits like this. Just in going to the menu button elements will glue on my sticks and more I try to fix, worse it gets.

@condordontsurf
condordontsurf wrote:Would you guys be willing to share any of the kits you have made? I try sometimes to move drums around and then it just gets too frustrating. I know it is my slow computer.
I have no problem sharing a kit, but I don’t think it’s a good idea, you won’t be happy with it. Like Richard says, you should find out if you have performance problems. If your computer isn’t capable to run Aerodrums 3D, I would consider to use the 2D mode. Better having something less beautiful but more useful. Have you already tried to run Aerodrums 3D on a second computer or the Android/Ipad/Iphone App connected by network to your Mac mini?[/quote]



Yes, Wolfgang is like Aerodrums Jedi Knight. I have been following his responses, since I first got them. He understands everything.

I have just never had much luck with the moving drums around, either on the computer or using the iPad to do it. It just becomes a mess. I was just interested in trying out some different kits that maybe others have made. Aerodrums are awesome, but some nights I can get frustrated with the placements. Also results do tend to vary depending on what program I am using (i.e. logic, addictive drums, Steve slate, etc) when it comes to sensitivities. I wish Aerodrums had more configuring of the sounds in the actual program, like pitch etc. I did play the actual drums inside the Aerodrums software for the first time in a long time (generally use midi programs), and I was like wow these really respond well. I just don't like some of the sounds. Yes I know, I can add my own but like moving the drums around it can get messy quickly.

Re: Aerodrums - BS or Viable Practice Option?

Posted: Thu Jan 02, 2020 2:57 am
by rainsoul
i just got mine recently and just used them twice. so take my opinion with a grain of salt. I am not a highly advanced level drummer but I did mess around with an acoustic kit for around 3 months some years ago. Just taught myself some basic beats and stuff like that. So I know what playing a "real acoustic kit" feels like. I have played the guitar for around 8 odd years and played and performed with friends etc.

I have been window shopping aerodrums for some time and I wasn't really sold on it, as I felt maybe its just a gimmick or over marketed toy with no use for any student drummer or musician. And when I finally got it, my initial impression was meh but I encourage you if you do get it to sort out the following things before passing an opinion:

1) Latency: Have a pc or laptop and a sound card which is capable of running aerodums with the best possible latency. you don't need an expensive soundcard just the right one. But your pc should be "decent".
2) sound quality: Have good headphones in combination with a soundcard which can produce a fair sound quality so the drums samples you hear, sound realistic and immersive.
3) Do read the manual, the online one (which is more detailed), and mess around and tweak the settings for drum placement as well as drum sensitivity and volume of the drums relative to each other. The default basic kits were kind of hard if not impossible to play with their positioning and i was also not blown away with what i was hearing as well as the dynamics. But after messing around with the settings and reading the manual and watching some youtube videos, I was able to dial in some setting which made a HUGE difference in my experience. You are selling yourself short if you don't do this.
4) I am still considering a soundcard and headphones combination to improve my sound quality and latency and will report on my results later. But overall After the above issues sorted, I was kind of blown away with the experience. I mean after getting used to the whole air drumming situation (give yourself 2/3 days to get used to it as it can feel a bit alien at first), I sometimes forgot I was not playing an actual kit and just hitting thin air with my sticks. The ability to play dynamically is the key ingredient which adds to the immersion and the realism in my opinion. If it was just one static sound for each drum, it would probably have a more toy drum felling to it. I was so immersed that I just played till 3/4 am at night on my second session.
5) You also get the ability to record and control the level of each drums (via initial setup) in a matter of seconds, as well as playing along to music at a low volume.
6) As a learning tool: There are various aspects of learning music and learning an instrument. And one of them is technique. Hitting a physical object with a stick and not hitting anything is different and don't believe anyone who tells you others wise. However. using the rebound with the palm of your hand (as demonstrated in one of the videos on this site), you can have a proxy for the feel of a rebound from hitting a physical drum. And it works quite well, and if you can master playing with very little rebound, playing with full rebound of an actual drum head will take some adjusting, but it will actually be easier, that is why some drummers practice with pillows because their rebound property is very low. Its kind of like training with weights. When you do the same thing without weights, it will feel like a walk in the park. I actually found the "air drum sticking technique" quite intuitive and natural, albeit different. And was able to play pretty fast rolls with it, in short bursts, maybe with some training I can get more endurance. Do get frequent rest while practising and do not train if it hurts to avoid serious rsi injuries.
7) The why don't you get a cheap electronic kit or just practice on a practice pad argument: Bear in mind an electronic kits (most practice pads for that matter) are not completely 100 percent "silent", yes it is no where near as loud as an acoustic kit. But you are still banging a physical object with a wooden stick, and sometimes quite hard. So you certainly can't practice with an electronic kit with other people in the room, or someone sleeping in the same room as you without disturbing them. And if you want to play at an odd hour, lets say late at night, depending on the structure of your house and the walls of your room, sound "can" or could possibly travel to other areas of the house. I don't know about other countries but the houses in uk have paper thin walls and even if you sneeze people can hear you from the outside (slight exaggeration) but its true. So if you really want to practice drums with literally zero sound, then aerodrums or a product based on similar technology is pretty much your only option
8) Finally there is lot more to drumming then just honing your sticking technique, being able to play in time (probably the most important ingredient of music and for many musicians probably the most difficult skill to master), learning and practising the various rhythms, understanding and using dynamics, developing limb independence, etc etc are also essential topics that every drummer needs to learn. And this tool can allow you to practice all those things with a high degree of realism.
9) Don't get me wrong this product is not perfect, nothing is, and I personally feel it is a bit pricey for what it is and the bright light can be super annoying sometimes, but all things considered, it is an A grade innovation and a very good practice tool (given you understand the differences and similarities between this and a real drum set) and practice intelligently. For someone like me for whom noise is a big issue, even the low amount produced by an electronic kit, this is pretty much the only option. And furthermore, it is extremely portable. Essentially its just 2 reflectors and a camera, you can set it up and move it anywhere you want. So that is an added bonus.

Hope my long rant will be useful for anyone considering aerodrums or new to aerodrums. Thanks