padpimps The DownBeat Kit Operation manual
Table of Contents
Overview 3
The Articulations 5
The Mic Mixes 7
The Vintage Mix 8
The Seventies Mix 8
The Modern Mix 8
Install: MPC X, Live & Akai Force 11
Install: MPC Software 13
MPC Renaissance & MPC Studio 15
MPC Expansion: What’s Inside? 17
Cycle Kits vs Velocity Switching Kits 17
Sound Patches 18
Demo Sequences & Patterns 19
Preview Loops 21
Legacy MPC Information 23
Legacy Program File Formats 23
Further Resources 25
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Overview
The Downbeat Kit features a fully multisampled 1963 Ludwig Downbeat acoustic
drum kit, with 24 different articulations recorded over multiple dynamic levels
using 12 positional mics. All sounds have been mapped to MPC programs and
are compatible with all MPC models ever made, as well as the Akai Force.
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The Downbeat series is famed for its unrivalled colour, tonal projection and
chunky, warm vibe. Perhaps the most famous proponent of Ludwig Downbeat
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series was The Beatles’ Ringo Starr, who is often seen pictured with a set
sporting an 'Oyster Black Pearl' finish (ours was the Champagne Sparkle).
The full kit was recorded at MU Studios, Sheffield, UK and consisted of the
following 8 unique instruments:
•Kick: 1963 Ludwig Downbeat Kick Drum 20” x 14”
•Snare: !1965 Ludwig LM400 Supraphonic 5x14 snare drum
•Rack Tom: 1963 Ludwig Downbeat Rack tom 12” x 8”
•Floor Tom: 1963 Ludwig Downbeat Floor Tom 14” x 14”
•Hi Hat: Meinl 15" Byzance Hi-Hat Medium
•Crash: Meinl 18" Byzance Medium Crash
•Crash: Meinl 20" Byzance Medium Crash
•Ride: Meinl 22" Byzance Medium Ride
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The Articulations
Most instruments are provided with a number of different articulations to reflect
the many ways the instruments can be played by a drummer - for example the hi
hat has six articulations; a closed hat (centre hit), closed hat (edge hit), fully
open, half open, pedal open, pedal closed.
In total there are 24 unique drum articulations, each recorded with up to 4
different dynamic levels and with up to 4 round robins to capture the natural
timbre variation of the original kit. The articulations we recorded are as follows:
1. Snare Centre – snare hit in the dead centre of the skin
2. Snare Edge – snare hit to the edge of the skin
3. Snare Rim – the skin and snare rim hit together simultaneously
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4. Snare Cross Stick – tip of the stick rests on the skin, shaft brought down on
the rim, creating a dry click sound.
5. Snare Flam – Quick double snare hit
6. Snare Drag – very short snare roll
7. Snare Multiple Bounce – stick allowed to bounce up and down on the skin,
producing a long, mellow snare roll.
8. Snare ‘Stick on Stick’ – one stick laid across the skin, the other strikes the
stick to produce a fat, bead snare sound
9. Snare ‘Wires Off’ – Centre skin hit with snare wires disabled (no rattle)
10. Floor tom – centre hit of floor tom
11. Rack tom – centre hit of rack tom
12. Ride Bell – hit on the ‘bell’ on the ride cymbal
13. Ride Centre – hit at the centre of the main portion of the cymbal
14. Crash 18” – centre hit of an 18” crash
15. Crash 20 – centre hit of a 20” crash
16. Crash 18 Choke – Short cymbal hit, produced grabbing and holding the
cymbal immediately after hitting it.
17. Hi hat closed edge – edge hit of a closed hi hat
18. Hi hat closed centre – centre hit of a closed hi hat
19. Hi hat Open full – hitting a fully open hi hat
20. Hi Hat half open – Hitting a half open hi hat, creates more of a ‘sizzle’
21. Pedal hat closed – played by engaging pedal without striking the hat
22. Pedal hat opening - disengaging the pedal from fully closed while striking
the hat to capture a more dynamic ‘opening’ hat sound.
23. Kick Isolated – Kick drum recorded in isolation to the rest of the kit
24. Kick (with kit bleed) – kick recorded with the rest of kit present so snare
rattle and vibrations from other instruments are present
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The Mic Mixes
The kit was recorded using a combination of 12 different microphones; Electro-
Voice HM7 (Kick), Yamaha Sub Kick Mic (Kick Sub), Sure SM57 (snare 'over'),
3 x AKG C414 (snare 'under, rack & floor toms), 2 x Neumann KM 84
(overheads), 2 x Coles 4038 (additional ribbons), Neumann U87 (room mic 1),
AKG PCC170 (room mic 2)
Having mics in so many different positions gave us the flexibility to create
multiple ‘mic mixes’ in post-production, each one using different permutations
and combinations of these microphones to give very different kit sounds.
The included mixes do not feature any additional FX or processing, the difference
in sound is achieved entirely by selecting different mic stems for mix down.
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The Vintage Mix
This is a classic 2 microphone mono mix that consist of two ribbon mics placed
directly at the front of the kit, with one mic near the kick drum, the other nearer
the snare. The resulting mix gives a distinctly early 60s/late 50s vibe, with less
emphasis on the hats and cymbals (as to be expected by the lack of overheads).
The Seventies Mix
This is a classic 4 mic mix often used in 70s funk, with two narrowly panned
overhead mics (placed above the left and right cymbals), a ‘close’ snare mic and
a close kick mic. The resulting mix produces a very fat, dry and direct sounding
kit.
The Modern Mix
This one uses 10 mics (all the microphones bar the vintage ribbons), with a close
kick mic, a dedicated kick ‘sub’ mic, snare ‘over’ and ‘under’ mics, two widely
panned overheads, two tom mics and two room mics. This produces a more
contemporary drum sound which is very open, detailed and more ‘live’ sounding.
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The Kit LaYOUT!
Each mix consists of 24 articulations mapped to the pads in an MPC program in
a finger-drumming friendly layout which follows the same fundamental layout
used in the other kits in this series. For 16 pad MPCs, Bank ‘A’ contains what we
feel are the ‘core’ articulations for the kit:
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Bank B contains the 8 secondary articulations:
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