>>Conventional drum machine arrangements put the bass drum in the
lower left corner, high hats in the lower right, cymbals on the upper
row and toms/claps, etc in the middle. This makes it easy to remember
which sounds are rare, but is not necessarily the most efficient
arrangement playing them live.>>
I play live drum machines using Korg ESX , ER Flame Six in a Row and Handsonics,
each have VERY diferant layouts.
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the korgs are all in a single row, in which case I have the following personal splits
Bass Drum 1 - Snare1 - BD2 - Snare2 - Crash - Clsd HH - Open HH - Perc 1 - Perc 2
this lets me use the right hand for the full kit...middle finger to play the hats open and closed, I can extend my pinky to grab percussion, and bass and snare are always under the thumb and index finger...if i want the second kit group i just contracct the hand slightly and if i need a crash i use the cymbal finger moving it left off the hats. ----its a nice layout for me and leaves me my left hand for tweaking ( which does mean i play cross armed but thats just how i developed, i cant articular with my left hand as well.
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the Flame is mega intuitive and has 3 groups of 4 buttons each set in a square configuration
i have a similar overall layout but use two hands on this.
middle square is 2 sets of open and closed hats closed on the left open on the right
left hand square is two bass drums on the upper and lower left and two snares right
right hand square is three percussive elements laid out in a high sound right low on left format but with my trusty crash top right for easy access.
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My Handsonic is very custom to how I play, it is very diferant to the "Smith" way of setting up (look on youtube for his) althogh I took large instiration from his ideas.
I have my bass drum on the center note, I then have closed and open hats on the two big front pads ( this way I can hit them with the side of my hand and the BD at the same time , I have the snare on the main upper right pad (3 oclock) so my right hand can alternate between hi hat hits on the two bottom pads and the snare top right...
then around the 10 "rim" elements I have an unusual variation... I have my crash top middle for very easy access then moving from there around the right side top, I alternate between a" high " element such as a clap, then a "tick" element such as a shaker, tambourine or hi hat, then another "high" then another "tick " .... wilre moreing round the left hand top I go "low" element such as bass or floor tom, then "tick" and so on....
in playing this means I have my main "KIT" in the center, and as I improvise I can hit to the left with the left hand anytime I want to add a low end variation and slap out with my right hand to the right if I want some thing to replace the snare.... and at the same time i can spread my fingers wide for more layers or variations or I can keep a double finger width to hit a "main sound " such as a clap..whilst also maintainng the 16ths on a "tick " element so the hi hat rhythm is uniterupted.
Thats my setup anyway.
