I'm all for a database of drum patterns - I think that's Ben's intention on the DB website, and I'm sure it will grow steadily as there are more users. There's a similar kind of thing happening on the website for my guitar effects pedal: http://www.digitech.com/patchlib/ where users contribute guitar settings. A mix and match approach would be useful for me - maybe having a subsection of 'fills', 'basic beats' even 'drum solos'.. hm... perhraps not on that last one.... Anyway, It would be a good exersise for a drummer who knows his stuff to put together libraries that go together eg a rock library with sub folders contaning variations and fills/flourishes. I know this is done elsewhere with short samples of drum playing variations that you can sequence together to make a track. see: http://www.e-drummer.net///freeloops.html but the beauty of DB is the ability to tinker with it once its in and make it your own and as you say slap in a neat fill just at the right point.. I'd still like the ability to transcribe an actual song's tab. Its just so much more satisfying than a near approximation. Pub guitarist with a beat box vs authentic sound. Sion
I wanted to throw in my two cents....
I think that the TAB idea is a great one, but it seems that it might require a whole new approach to interfacing the DB software. And that's fine, (if Ben has time to invent it!). But also I understand, as a guitar player, the desire to play along to certain kinds of drum patterns, or maybe even to an exact drum pattern from a favorite song. Maybe an approach would be to create a database of DB files of specific songs created by users themselves. Generally, I'll create a fairly simple & basic rock drum track that I can play along with. Then after fine-tuning the song, I sometimes wish I had the time and/or patience to create some meaningful fills, or drum transitions, etc., that I could add on top of my basic drum pattern. If there was a bank where someone uploaded their (DB) re-creation, say for example, of Springsteen's "Backstreets" (drums only, of course) -- I would find that invaluable!! I'd download it and play along...or maybe even create my own song with that drum pattern. I realize it's essentially a shared loop library, of sorts, albeit with longer and more specific files, but I think it could really generate some creative movement among the DB community.
Just a thought.....
-Patrick