TAIKO THUNDER Development Blog — Part 7: MIDI Grooves for Instant Gratification
Sonica Instruments has included MIDI grooves as an integral part of our Virtuoso Japanese series libraries since we moved to the NA editions (editions with NKS / Native Access support). The Groove Browser lets you easily preview and adjust MIDI grooves and export them directly to your DAW. However, in this blog post about the development of TAIKO THUNDER: The Ultimate Collection, we want to draw your attention to the grooves themselves — namely, the MIDI phrases.
Converting real performances to MIDI data
The 1,400 MIDI grooves included with TAIKO THUNDER were created based on real performances by two taiko percussionists.
The percussionists were Ryutaro Kaneko, who also performed on the library’s sampling sessions, and Masayuki Sakamoto, who assisted Roland in developing the electric TAIKO-1 instrument. Because they performed using the TAIKO-1, we were able to capture all the nuances of their performances, including their hit positions, as MIDI data. We then converted the MIDI data to the TAIKO THUNDER format to create MIDI phrases that faithfully recreate the actual feel / groove and sound variations of their performances.
The included MIDI grooves were created in the Standard play mode. This means grooves for taiko instruments use CC #16 / CC #17 messages to specify the hitting position. After finding the groove that best matches your idea, you can simply drag it into your DAW and with a few quick edits have your finished track.
The grooves cover nearly every playing technique and style. They include oroshi, where the first beats are hit at full force and then gradually taper off in intensity — patterns which are very hard to input in a way that sounds like a real performance, all kinds of drum rolls, phrases from traditional o-hayashi festivals, and modern improvised playing styles. Improvised phrases have been recorded at various tempos. It’s interesting to note how different tempos create different nuances with each instrument.
The MIDI grooves are organized by instrument, but that doesn’t mean you have to play the grooves on that particular instrument. For example, it’s a fun experiment to play Ohhira-daiko MIDI grooves on an Ohdaiko or a Nagado-daiko. Don’t be limited by the instrument name on the groove.
The library also has multiple-performer ensemble patterns as well as patterns of a single percussionist playing multiple taiko instruments arranged like a drum kit. Unfortunately, these patterns are not included in the Groove Browser due to structural limitations.
TAIKO THUNDER is packaged both with single-instrument KONTAKT patches and with kits, as Multi Instruments, that have various taiko instruments. By putting together kits and samples intended for ensembles, you can easily recreate a powerful taiko ensemble right in your DAW.