To make it easier whenever the time may come, I've decided to add a sticky here for any suggestions for future updates/development of Virtual Drumline.

Currently on the wishlist:

[b][i]Instruments[/i][/b]
Coming soon...

[b][i]Features[/i][/b]
Coming Soon...

I would like to see environment (i.e. delay, reverb) modelers that would place your percussion scores in stadiums (for marching band) & arenas (for indoor percussion). It would be great to be able to pan your percussion section in relation to the hornline. For example, let's say the hornline was in front of the front hash and the drumline was back field. That creates a specific timbre. It puts more ";air"; into the mix. There are tricks you can do in audio editing software that can simulate this, but it takes forever. It would be great if this were a plug-in or an effects send.

I know, this would add several GBs to the library and create a recording nightmare for Jim. It was fun to hypothesize, though.

Tony Lymon
Hattiesburg, MS

More bass drums, at least 8.  It's not uncommon for pro sport and college drumlines to have that many.

Tony, they have plugins like Altiverb thaltion rt do what you do, and you can easily pay up to $1000 or more for really good impulse-based reverb and delay VSTs like you're describing. Don some research on convolution reverb and you'd be surprised what might be available for a more modest budget.  Asking these guys to add something like that to a library that retails for $200 is like asking someone to give away a Ferrari for $20,000. If you are using a Mac, try taking a look into Digital Performer, which has mic placement capabilities, I believe. With the addition of ReWire capabilities in Sibelius 6, incorporating this sort of stuff into you're workflow is now a realistic option. Great job with Petal this season!

smanning, You could always try loading two separate bassline staves and go into the Kontakt Player 2 and use the tuning knob to create a larger pitch array. Not sure if this would produce what you're going for.

I posted this a while back, but this thread seems an appropriate place to 'stick' it.

Top Snares Anyone?
[url=https://www.tapspace.com/forums/index.php?topic=2664.msg14159#msg14159]https://www.tapspace.com/forums/index.php?topic=2664.msg14159#msg14159[/url]

Needed these sounds at one point in time...

top snares
log drums
spoke
lions roar
cuica
wind machine

As more and more sounds are added to an already fine product, the likelihood of all terminology and even instrument names being unanimously understood is going to diminish. It would be helpful if efforts are made to be more descriptive about the playing techniques, instruments and implements use for the recording of each sample. This would likely be most helpful to non-percussionist musicians using or interested in VDL.

I know it'd be a little hacky compared to the elegance of VDL as it stands, but I'd love to have support for a ";generic sample instrument.";

This instrument would have several placeholder .wav files in its soundbank which you could replace with your own wav files, and then you could notate and fire them from Sibelius.  There are plenty of logistical pitfalls for an approach like this (multiple scores, velocity issues), but with the prevalence of samples in modern composition this would lift the need for a sequencer or overdubbing.  Something to think about.

Thanks Harmsen for setting up this uhh...more official...er thread regarding future updates of VDL!

I started a thread about this a while back (I'm sure there are countless others floating around the forum as well) and the following is a list of the features I requested then, in addition to a couple more suggestions I've come up with since that post.

[list]
[li]RH, LH, and double stop crushes for snares, tenors, and basses[/li]
[li]An extra short crush in addition to the two crush lengths that already exist for snares, tenors, and basses[/li]
[li]Unison sounds specific to basslines with 4, 5, and 6 six drums[/li]
[li]Crescendo and decrescendo rolls for snares that start at the edge and end in the center & vice versa[/li]
[/list]

I'll continue to add more suggestions when I come across something that's currently missing in VDL... but that really is a very rare occurrence. :)

Ok - just so I'm on the record:

A multi for pretty much all of the cymbal sounds. And a ";concert"; multi -- mix of concert snare, BD, Sus, Crash, Tri, Tamb, WB, etc. The generic ";Percussion 1"; part of the band world. Rack B gets pretty close on this one already.

Also tabla and log drums.

The ability to write zone changes for regular and muffled hits in the bassline would be really cool.

I think I speak for many when I say that [i]fp[i][/i][/i] versions of the sustained and crescendo buzz rolls for the batterie instruments would make a great addition to the library!

I've noticed on many occasions within Tapspace itself, mostly I've noticed in Jim's works, is the usage of a log drum.

I think a Log drum would be a nice addition, as posted before me
[quote author=davdrums link=topic=3133.msg16721#msg16721 date=1245821356]
log drums
[/quote]

I have mentioned these before in other topic, but I thought I'd add them here as this seems to be a new venue for these ideas:

World Percussion Combo - Djembes, Dumbecks, Udu Drums, Log Drums, Didge, Pandiero, Tambourim, Surdos, etc. etc. (Basically all things ethnic, but not in the Latin Combo)

Concert Combo - (i.e. Concert Band Instruments 101) - Bass Drum, Snare Drum, Piatti, Sus., Tambourine, Triangle, Woodblock, Temple blocks, Gong, etc. This comes from our commissioning a Jr. High piece by Barry Kopetz and putting it into VDL for the kids. This sort of combo would have been very helpfull.

Sound? - Decrecendo Concert Bass Drum? Mabye?

Much love for VDL and these forums! Everyone has always been really great, thanks so much!
MH

In general, a reorganization of the combo instruments, and maybe some new ones.

For me, I'll typically have one or two aux. players. That said, it would be nice to have the most common instruments as part of one (or two, max)  combo instruments to minimize staff style and program changes. That's the biggest annoyance of writing aux. parts with VDL.

Here's the suggestions: Susp. cymbal rolls, hits, chokes, scrapes; ride cymbal, crash cymbals, concert bass hits and rolls, tambourine, gong rolls and hits, triangle, woodblock, temple blocks, bell tree, wind chimes, cowbell, concert snare hits and rolls.

That covers easily 90% of the stuff most high schools have. If you could fit more in one instrument, maybe concert toms, bongos or congas, or any other very common, often used instrument would be great to have in one easy place.

Anyway, that my biggest request. Some more 'tone' to the bass drum sound would be nice, also.