Would you consider this... cheating?

I'm in a band, but so far it's just myself and my guitarist. We have been looking for a drummer for months and months with no luck. We've only had one drummer for an actual audition, and he just didn't work out.

In our music, we use alot of programming (eg. synths, electronic drumkits) so I was already considering using a laptop onstage, but i'm thinking that instead of continuing my search for a drummer, I just use pre-recorded drums and use my laptop as my drummer ;)

Do you think this is cheating?? has anyone done this themselves and found any huge problems, or has it worked out amazingly?

And I think I just posted this thread in the wrong section. Woops. Sorry :S

No, Bands have been using sample drums for YEARS, as far as I know as far back as the early 80's or late 70's. I forgot what the most popular drum sample pad out there that most major bands and Rap artist use.

Of course it isn't. Many bands do it.

I forgot what the most popular drum sample pad out there that most major bands and Rap artist use.

To answer the OP, I don't think using prerecorded drums is cheating. The thing I would be concerned about is whether it will make the music sound too static, and whether it will limit your ability to make the structure of a piece flexible -- if you're the kind of band that might just jam out for an undetermined number of repetitions at the end of a piece, for example.

The Akai MPC series? Of course, those don't come preloaded with any samples, I think.

To answer the OP, I don't think using prerecorded drums is cheating. The thing I would be concerned about is whether it will make the music sound too static, and whether it will limit your ability to make the structure of a piece flexible -- if you're the kind of band that might just jam out for an undetermined number of repetitions at the end of a piece, for example.

Yeah that's one thing that i've thought about... but most of the songs are really structured, and i've got demos of almost all of them so generally we don't do anything different to what is already planned :)

Does anyone know much about how to trigger backing tracks with a keyboard? Most of the songs don't have a rhythm track all the way through, and I don't think a click track going through the pa would be very nice haha.

I've researched ear pieces but they are jsut wayyyyyy expensive (for me).

The only problem with programmed drums for rock is that you can't amp up the intensity or change up the son midway... In essence, you can't rock out as hard.

But if your music isn't that way, then by all means. There's even grindcore bands that use drum machines.

There's even grindcore bands that use drum machines.

Check out Korn's "Coming Undone" ...

HARD HARD sound but the drums were doubled/replaced with tweaked samples, save one measure after the first chorus.

It's possible. It's easy. What would be even easier is to play the whole song from a CD.

What I'm saying is, poeple come out to see the magic of people creating music on the spot. Live and alive, so to speak. With every prerecorded bit in the song some of that magic dissapears. I'm a bass player, and there's little as inspiring as a drummer hitting it hard and having a good time.

Keep on looking. Because watching somebody fiddling around with a laptop is reserved for a commuter train.

There's no such thing as cheating in music.

...Except when you copy something out and claim it's your own ;)

Meaning, this isn't cheating

Plus you don't have to worry about drummer maintenance. Feeding him, washing him, giving him his daily beating. Yep, your almost worry free with a computer. ...

.... crash...lifeless...daily beatings...

There's no such thing as cheating in music.

I like that.

No one will want to see you play live...but it's not cheating. It's really hurting you more in the end. People like to see drummers.

That's ridiculous.

It depends on the people.

Well, what audience are you going for?

The average person in terms of a rock band will want a drummer.