Hey All,
It's been a looooong time since I've posted here, but I've been using my DM10 again and have discovered some methods I thought I'd share.
Before I start, please note that I like realistic sounds from my e-drums. Like, close your eyes and it's an acoustic kit (but with a volume knob!)
That being said, one thing I've never liked about e-snares is the soft-to-loud consistency. The "curve" going from soft to loud on an acoustic drum is NOT the same between the "drum head/shell" sound and the "snares" sound. To achieve this effect on the DM10, here's what I've done:
1) Set up your favorite snare sample as Layer A, and "Piccolo 1" as Layer B
2) Change the filter type of both sounds to HiPass. Set the "velocity>filter" setting to a large NEGATIVE value (say, -99 to -70 or so.) and set the Layer A filter value itself to a lower medium value, like somewhere between 20-50. Set the Layer B filter higher... Maybe 40-70.
3) Don't go overboard with the "velocity>level" setting- expecially on Layer B. Maybe 60-70 or so on Layer A and 40-60 on Layer B. (This is because the snare buzz sound is louder in the overall snare sound mix at lower volume hits.)
4) Use the Level setting to "mix" the two sounds to your liking. If you do it all correctly, changing the balance between the sounds will be very similar to adjusting the snare strainer on an acoustic drum.
What this does is makes your e-snare behave more like an acoustic drum. The fact that all the DM filters default to LoPass baffles me. That's not how real drums work! If you hit a drum very softly, you hear the "tick" of the stick attack and snare buzz first, and the depth of the tone emerges as you play louder. That's exactly how a HiPass filter operates.
By the way, these same filter ranges really improve the realism of toms, cowbells, cross-stick, timbales, and more. Using the filter to create the soft-to-loud dynamic range is so much more realistic than only using the velocity>level setting.
Also, copying these settings for Layer B (Piccolo 1) to Layer B on toms and bass drum, with lower level and higher filter settings, can create an extremely realistic sympathetic snare buzz effect, which I really prefer in my jazz kits. Pay attention to your acoustic kit to see which drums excite the snares more than others, and mimic it with your Level settings. Also, remember to pan the layers to different locations... The Floor Tom panned R25, snare buzz at L05, for example.
Yes, I know... Some players HATE snare buzz, and see its absence as a bonus on e-drums. Me? I like the realism. And, make a second kit in the next kit location, with a snares-off snare sound and no Layer B on any drum, and now your "kit up" button acts like turning your snare strainer off. You can even turn snares on and off mid-song using this method!
I hope that helps someone!
Jer