Uploaded April 2026 | Updated September 2026, 3 hours ago
Grab Indie Drums! somervillesounds.com/indie-drums
Most programmed MIDI drum tracks give themselves away in the same handful of ways. In this video I walk through 6 mistakes I hear most often, and how to fix each one so your drums sound like a real performance instead of a copy and paste loop.
What I cover:
00:00 - Why most MIDI drums don't sound right
00:21 - 1. Stop copying and pasting. Play every hit
01:09 - 2. Vary your velocities (especially on hi-hats and fills)
03:09 - 3. Don't lock everything to the grid
04:22 - 4. Build your foundation with kick and snare first
06:38 - 5. Get the hi-hat detail right (closed, open, foot, articulations)
08:11 - 6. Make your drums live in the same room as the rest of the track
10:41 - Keep it simple. Study the drummers you love
Drum library demoed in this video: Indie Drums by Somerville Sounds. We also make Soft Drums and Mallet Drums, all recorded with real performances and full mic control so you can blend them into any track.
Grab Indie Drums! somervillesounds.com/indie-drums
Most programmed MIDI drum tracks give themselves away in the same handful of ways. In this video I walk through 6 mistakes I hear most often, and how to fix each one so your drums sound like a real performance instead of a copy and paste loop.
What I cover:
00:00 - Why most MIDI drums don't sound right
00:21 - 1. Stop copying and pasting. Play every hit
01:09 - 2. Vary your velocities (especially on hi-hats and fills)
03:09 - 3. Don't lock everything to the grid
04:22 - 4. Build your foundation with kick and snare first
06:38 - 5. Get the hi-hat detail right (closed, open, foot, articulations)
08:11 - 6. Make your drums live in the same room as the rest of the track
10:41 - Keep it simple. Study the drummers you love
Drum library demoed in this video: Indie Drums by Somerville Sounds. We also make Soft Drums and Mallet Drums, all recorded with real performances and full mic control so you can blend them into any track.
