A r t i c l e : I s u s i n g d r u m t r i g g e r s c h e a t i n g ? |
This is a question I see on the internet everywhere from drumming forums to comments on youtube videos. Its a question I've been asked a few times too, and it often turns out that most people when asking dont actually know what drum triggers really do. Many people seem to think its some way of having all the bass drums come out from one stroke, or having two notes come out with one hit or something along those lines, so I feel that the question deserves a thoughtful response here.
First, lets look at what triggers actually do, or rather, don't do. They do not play notes that you don't play (technically this could be made possible, but that is not why I or any other drummer I have met use them). All they are doing is taking the hit of the drum - your hit played when you play it - and using this energy to generate a sound electronically instead of mechanically. All that is different is that the sound that comes out is not necessarly the sound of the drum you have hit, and it would also be true to say that the sound is not the sound that would come out at the intensity at which you have hit the drum.
Why trigger then?
For a number of reasons. Most speed metal drummers use triggers on the bass drums for the simple reason that at the speeds they are playing at, there is physically not enough time for the beater to leave the drum skin and return to it with sufficient force to generate a loud sound, if you're pedalling away at say 16th notes at 200bpm+. Thus they find that when the drumming goes very fast, the volume of the playing goes down. This is not good :) Using a triggered bass drum ensures a consistency in the sound between the slower passages when you may like to give the kick drum a good kick, and faster passages when there simply isnt the time to give it a hefty whack between strokes. It makes the song sound more even.
One alternative to using triggers to get over this problem is to use a compressor on the bass drum sound - that is to say that after it has been miked up, a compressor can look at the intensity of the sound and regulate the volume - make the lighter strokes seem louder by boosting the signal electronically or something along those lines. This mechanism is actually used by some drummers both you and I know in very sizeable bands.
So is this cheating? Lets define cheating. Cheating is getting from A to B by breaking the rules. Who makes the rules? You as an artist. It is also important to remember that you are essentially an entertainer - that is your job and you have a crowd to entertain. They want to hear the songs played as well as possible in most circumstances! This for me is what it boils down to, what do they want to hear or what do you want them to hear? As long as that end product is reached, it really doesn't matter how you go about it, because you make the rules. And if you do find a way to 'cheat' you won't be happy with yourself, that is certainly not good.
Playing triggered drums is also an art - there is no slap some triggers on and off you go at 200bpm when you couldn't before. Setting them up is often a tedious and tricky procedure. Getting the sensitivity right can take time. Personally, I think it is harder to play a triggered bass drum than one that isnt. But used well i believe they can add a great deal to the sound of a band particularly if you're playing speed metal with a lot of very fast double bass drum passages.
Another reason for using triggers is that frequently in smaller venues drums won't be miked up well. A lot of venues only have one good bass drum mic, and if you play two bass drums (as I far prefer to do over using a double pedal) its often a headache for the sound man to get it sounding good. I also remember plenty of smaller venues where the sound man just didnt have a clue what he was doing too, and have in the past found that just giving him a 1/4 inch jack output and saying 'here's the bass drums' or 'here's the bass drums and toms' will give the drums a great sound.
I would however, suggest practicing without triggers too, and ensuring that you are not relying on them un-necessarily - for example, playing with a lighter stroke than you would otherwise because you don't need to, that will not be good for your playing at all.
Triggering Snare Drums
Recently I've been toying with this idea too, mainly because I've been throwing a few gravity blasts into my playing of late, and this generates a lower volume of snare hit. Gravity blasting is a tricky thing to get sounding clear a lot of the time, plus I like to use a few hefty rim shots when I can and really give the snare a good solid whack. Gravity blasting just can't generate the same volume. I've not tried triggering the snare as yet, and to be honest I am hoping not to, I love the sound of my Pearl Ultracast as it is!
So my answer? Triggering drums is not cheating, but it is down to personal preference. It is a tool used towards a very definite end, and it still requires practice. That said I would much prefer my own sounds to sampled ones. I have to say Im quite interested in the compressor idea too though - getting my own set of mics on the kit permanently and using compressors on the sounds before lining out to the sound desk. But either way, I believe it boils down to the basic fact that we have the technology, its all there to be played with and used to your advantage if you so wish. Finally bear this in mind: if you can't play an acoustic kit not triggerd, you're not going to be able to play a triggered one either, and this you will soon notice as every out of time hit you make comes out right where you played it but digitally enhanced for maximum volume!
And, as a final note, if you can do the best for yourself, the best for your band, and walk offstage proud after a show.. that's all you need to do, because that's your job.