What Will I Learn?

• You will learn how to create a new instrument within and existing drum kit.
• You will learn how learn how to load your own sound samples into an instrument as a component.
• You will learn how to combine multiple components into an instrument to create a multi-layered sound.

Requirements

To complete this tutorial learners will need to have the following:

• The software application Hydrogen installed

Difficulty

This tutorial is at an Advanced level. It is strongly advised that learners complete the previous tutorials in this series before attempting this tutorial.

Description

How to Create a New Instrument

In Hydrogen we can have numerous instruments within one drum kit. Most drum kits have a kick drum, snare, hi hats, etc. Hydrogen allows us to also add instruments of our own. You may have a unique drum or aux percussion sound that you want to include, this is easy in Hydrogen.

Go to the Instruments pull-down menu at the top of Hydrogen and choose Add Instrument. This will create a new instrument in the Pattern Editor.

Next make sure Instrument Rack is selected in the top right of Hydrogen. This will open your Instrument Rack window. In this window click the Instrument Tab at the top and you will see the settings for your new instrument. You can use these setting to make adjustments to this new instrument.

Loading Costum Sound Samples into New Instruments

Hydrogen allows us to load new sound samples into existing instruments or into new instruments that we have created.

Click Layers and in the middle of the window choose Load Layer. This will open a browser window which will allow you to find a sound sample of the sound you want to include as your new instrument. Click open and this will load your sound sample into your new instrument.

You can now use that sound sample in the pattern editor as your new instrument.

You will want to consider what file format you are planning to use with your instrument. I recommend using WAV files. I have a tutorial on the difference in compressed and uncompressed audio files as they are using in Audacity, but the same principles apply here.
https://steemit.com/utopian-io/@buckydurddle/audacity-tutorial-8-and-17-of-25-exporting-mp3-and-wav-files-and-metadata

Adding Multiple Sound Samples into One Instrument

Instrument sounds in Hydrogen can be made up of several sound samples all playing at the same time. This is done by adding multiple "Components."

Let's assume you have an instrument selected in the Pattern Editor to which you would like to add another sound Sample. In the "Layers" tab of the Instrument Editor window you will find a small pull down menu arrow. Click this and choose "Add."

This will add a new component to the instrument. Give the new component a name and click Open. Next choose Add Layer and choose a new sound sample you want to use and click Open. Now the instrument has two sounds with play at the same time. Very cool.

I encourage you to spend time experimenting with Hydrogen to get used to composing your rhythms. You can make some unique and exciting rhythms by exploring how these rhythmic divisions interact. Be sure to save your work often and keep your beats in an organized folder.

Hydrogen is an open source application, which means that it is free for everyone to use. Please consider going to the developers' website and show your support for the project - http://www.hydrogen-music.org/

I hope you enjoy this tutorial. If you have any specific questions for me feel free to leave it in the comments of this post and I will do my best to get back to you with an answer.

Cheers,
@buckydurddle

Video Tutorial

Curriculum

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Learn Hydrogen Series

If you would like to learn how to use the open source drum machine Hydrogen, then have a look at these tutorials:
Hydrogen - UI Layout & Basics

Hydrogen - How to Make Beats

Hydrogen - Beat Shaping Tools

Hydrogen - Rhythmic Resolution

Hydrogen - Pitch Shifting

Hydrogen - Effective Beat Making

Hydrogen - Song Editor, ADSR, Importing DrumKits from Respositories

Hydrogen - Humanize (Velocity, Timing & Swing)

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Learn Helm Series

If you would like to learn how to use the open source software synth Helm, then have a look at these tutorials:

Helm Introduction Video

Helm 1st Oscillator Video Tutorial

Helm 2nd Oscillator Video Tutorial

Helm - Cross Modulation

Helm - Arpeggiator

Helm - BPM Metronome

Helm - Reverb

Helm - Delay

Helm - Mixer

Helm - Feedback

Helm - Distortion

Helm - Stutter

Helm - LFO

Helm - Amplitude Envelope

Helm - Keyboard Response A

Learn Audacity Series

If you would like to learn how to use the open source sound recording and editing software Audacity then have a look at these tutorials:

1 How to Create a New Audacity Project

2 How to Open or Import Audio Files in Audacity

3 What are Audacity Tracks

4 Audacity Transport Controls

5 How to Save an Audacity Project

6 How to Record

7 How to Set Input Volume Levels

8 How to Export MP3 and WAV Files

9 How to Select and Delete Sound

ACTIVITY 1 - My First Recording

10 How to use Undo and History in Audacity

11 How to Use the Zoom Tools

12 How to Use the Time Shift Tool

13 How to Use the Change Pitch Effect

ACTIVITY 2 - Make Your Voice Sound Like a Chipmunk

14 How to Use the Fade In & Fade Out Effects

15 How to Download Sound Samples from the Internet

16 How to Use the Amplify Effect

17 How to Edit Metadata

18 How to Multitrack Record

19 How to Use a Click Track

ACTIVITY 3 - Multitrack Recording in Audacity - Beatbox

20 How to Make Silence

21 How to Use the Change Tempo Effect

22 How to Use the Equalization Effect

23 How to Reverse Sound

24 Stereo Mono

ACTIVITY 4 - How to Mess Up a Piece of Music

25 How to Remove Vocals from a Recording

SETUP - How to Install the LAME Encoder

Logo - http://tytel.org/helm

Logo - https://www.audacityteam.org/

Logo - http://www.hydrogen-music.org/hcms/

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Posted on Utopian.io - Rewarding Open Source Contributors

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