FAQ

What makes Slam Tracks different from other MIDI loop providers?

Simple: our grooves are played live by actual drummers on e-drums or triggered from acoustic drum performances, not programmed on a grid by someone clicking in notes with a mouse. The playing makes musical sense because it’s actually what a human would conceive and play. Sometimes when non-drummers program drums (yeah, you know who you are!) they just are so beyond what even the best drummers can muster. So, with Slam Tracks, you get real musical sensibility as well as actual human timing, dynamics, and feel.  Call us crazy, but all these nuances make drum tracks sound like a real drummer playing drums instead of a drum machine.

Plus, we only do metal, hard rock, and punk. We’re not trying to be everything to everyone. We’re trying to be the best at what we do. We’ve been at this years, and we know these genres inside and out (and doing our best to keep up with the new generation of metal players. Every groove in our library is “all killer, no filler” and born from years of playing and listening experience.

Do you offer loops for Country, Jazz, or Pop?

No. We stick to what we know and love: Metal, Hard Rock, and Punk. We focus exclusively on aggressive, high-energy genres because that’s where our expertise and passion live. If you need smooth jazz grooves or country shuffle patterns, you’re in the wrong place (nothing against those styles, mind you, just not what we’re after with this Slam Tracks project).

Are these MIDI loops or Audio loops?

These are MIDI files. This gives you total control to change the drum sounds, tempo, and arrangement without losing quality. Want to slow that heavy power metal groove beat down to doom speeds? Go for it. Need to add or delete a few kick drum hits for something that fits your riff better? Easy. MIDI gives you flexibility that audio loops simply can’t match.

If you want the full story on why MIDI dominates for lots of modern rock and metal production, check out our blog post on MIDI vs. Audio Loops.

What exactly does “non-quantized” mean and why does it matter?

“Quantizing” means snapping MIDI notes to a rigid grid so everything lands exactly on the beat. It makes drums sound robotic and lifeless. We don’t do that.

Our drummers play the grooves live, and we capture them exactly as performed. Sure, it ain’t perfect with all the natural push and pull, slight rushing on fills, or laying back on certain beats. But, that’s what most would call “feel,” and it’s what makes the difference between drums that groove and drums that sound like a metronome.

But, ultimately, it’s your call. You can quantize our grooves yourself if you really want or need to (your session, your rules). But, we give you the real thing as a starting point and what you do for there is on you.

Who records these grooves?

There are a bunch of reasons (i.e., money) why we don’t name the drummers behind these MIDI drums. But, they’re definitely pro drummers who actually play in metal, hard rock, and punk bands (and whose music you likely know). They’ve done the tours, tracked albums, and know what works in heavy music. They understand the vocabulary, dynamics, and intensity these heavier styles of music demand. It’s always been easier to find the right players, pay them and record them, and we are move ahead happy and entangled (kinda sounds seamy, but it’s actually pretty tame and professional).

How many grooves are in a typical pack?

It varies by collection, but most packs contain between hundreds of individual MIDI grooves, including variations, fills, and transitions. We list the exact count on each product page so you know what you’re getting before you buy.

Which Virtual Instruments (VSTs) are compatible?

Our MIDI loops work with all major drum virtual instruments, including:

• Toontrack (EZdrummer, Superior Drummer)
• XLN Audio (Addictive Drums)
• Steven Slate Drums (SSD)
• FXpansion BFD
• Any General MIDI (GM) compatible drum instrument

Basically, if it’s a reputable drum VST, our grooves will work with it. We use industry-standard GM MIDI mapping to ensure compatibility across the board. As new virtual instruments come out, we’ll do our best to update the drum maps for the different MIDI drum packs.

How are the drums mapped?

We follow the General MIDI (GM) standard drum mapping. This means Kick is on C1, Snare on D1, Hi-Hat on F#1, and so on. This makes our grooves “plug-and-play” for virtually all drum software without needing to remap anything.

Many drum VSTs use GM mapping as their default, so you can literally drag a MIDI file into your DAW and start hearing results immediately.

Can I use these in my DAW (Pro Tools, Logic, Ableton, Cubase, FL Studio, etc.)?

Yes. Any DAW that supports MIDI tracks and MIDI “drag and drop” will work perfectly with Slam Tracks. That includes all the major players:

• Pro Tools
• Logic Pro
• Ableton Live
• Cubase/Nuendo
• FL Studio
• Studio One
• Reaper
• And pretty much any other DAW you can think of

MIDI is a universal standard. If your DAW can’t handle MIDI files, you’ve got bigger problems than finding drum loops.

What if I use a custom drum map?

No problem. Since these are MIDI files, you can easily transpose or remap notes within your DAW’s MIDI editor to match any custom kit layout. It might take a few minutes to set up the first time, but once you’ve got your mapping sorted, you’re good to go for all future grooves.

Do I need expensive virtual drums to use these?

Not necessarily. While premium drum VSTs like Superior Drummer or Steven Slate Drums will give you the best results (especially for metal production), you can absolutely use our MIDI grooves with more affordable options like EZdrummer or even some of the free drum plugins available online.

The groove is the groove—the MIDI data is the same regardless of which virtual instrument is triggering the sounds. Better drum samples will sound better, but the performance quality is baked into our MIDI files.

Can I edit the MIDI files?

Absolutely. That’s one of the huge advantages of MIDI. You can edit velocities, move notes around, delete hits, add hits, change the timing, quantize (if you must), transpose to different drums—whatever your production needs. The files are yours to manipulate however you see fit.

Want to turn a verse groove into a pre-chorus by adding some tom hits? Go for it. Need to adjust the kick pattern to lock tighter with your bass line? Do your thing. MIDI is infinitely flexible.

What BPM are the grooves recorded at?

Here’s the beautiful thing about MIDI: it doesn’t matter. The grooves are recorded at the tempos that make the most musical sense for the drummers (the BPMs given in the file folders are the native tempos, where the drums were actually performed), but because they’re MIDI files, you can use them at literally any tempo without any quality loss or audio artifacts.

That 120 BPM groove can become 60 BPM doom sludge or 220 BPM grindcore insanity with a simple tempo change in your DAW. The performance integrity stays completely intact because you’re working with note data, not stretched audio. Of course, it doesn’t always make musical SENSE to do some of the things we just suggested in our example, but we trust you’ll know what sounds right to you musically.

What file formats will I receive?

You’ll receive standard .mid (MIDI) files in a .zip archive. Extract the zip file, and you’ll have individual MIDI files that you can drag directly into your DAW or load into your drum virtual instrument.

MIDI files are tiny (usually just a few kilobytes each), so downloads are fast and they won’t eat up your hard drive space.

Are Slam Tracks royalty-free?

Yes. Once you purchase a pack, you have a perpetual license to use the MIDI files in your commercial or private music productions without paying any additional royalties or providing attribution. Make albums, sell beats, license to film/TV, stream on Spotify—whatever. No additional fees, ever.

Can I use these on client projects or work-for-hire?

Absolutely. Use our grooves on as many client projects, work-for-hire gigs, or commercial productions as you want. Whether you’re producing for another artist, scoring a film, or creating content for a brand, you’re fully licensed to use Slam Tracks grooves in that work.

The license follows you as the purchaser. You can use the grooves in any professional (or non-professional) capacity  you wish.

Do I need to credit Slam Tracks in my releases?

No. While we always appreciate a shout-out (and we’re not gonna lie, it makes our day when we see “drums by Slam Tracks” in YouTube or Bandcamp credits), it’s not required. Use our grooves however you want without any attribution obligation.

Can I resell the MIDI files?

No. You bought these grooves to use in your music, not to flip as your own product. Use them in as many songs, albums, or client projects as you want—that’s totally fine and completely within your license.

But don’t try to repackage them and sell them as “your” MIDI library, sample pack, or loop collection. That’s not cool, and it’s specifically prohibited in the license agreement. These grooves are for making music, not for reselling as a competing product.

Can multiple band members or producers share one license?

The license is for individual use, meaning it’s tied to the purchaser. However, if you’re collaborating on a specific project (like your band’s album), it’s fine for you to share the grooves within that project context. You bought them, you’re using them in your production, your collaborators are working on the same project.

What’s not cool: buying one pack and distributing it to five different producers who are all working on separate, unrelated projects. That’s effectively redistribution. If multiple people want to use Slam Tracks independently across different projects, each person should purchase their own license.

Use common sense and be decent. That’s all we ask.

How do I receive my MIDI files after purchase?

All products are instant digital downloads. After checkout, you’ll receive an email with your download links, and you can also access them immediately via your Slam Tracks account dashboard. No waiting, no physical shipping, no delays. Buy it, download it, start using it.

What is your refund policy?

Digital downloads are instant and non-returnable. Once you’ve got the files, you’ve got them. That’s just the nature of digital products.

That said, we’re not jerks. If you have a legitimate technical issue (files won’t download, they’re corrupted, they’re not working with your setup, etc.), contact us and we’ll sort it out. We want you to actually use what you buy, and we stand behind our products. We’re not going to leave you hanging if there’s a real problem.

I lost my files or my computer crashed. Can I re-download them?

Yes. Simply log into your account on our website to access your purchase history and re-download your packs at any time. Your purchases are tied to your account permanently, so you’ll always have access to what you’ve bought.

Hard drives fail. Computers crash. Life happens. We’ve got you covered.

In fact, we have, on more than one occasion, restored customer purchases from at least 10 years ago. As long as we’re in business (and we don’t plan on going anywhere), we’ll have that backup you need.

Do you offer bundle discounts?

We occasionally run promotions and bundle deals. But, honestly, we try to price everything fairly so deals are even really necessary. I guess we stole a page out of the Apple or Walmart pricing model. Set a price (or worth paying) and leave it at that.

I’m new to MIDI drums and feeling overwhelmed. Where should I start?

Start with one of our core collection packs that covers multiple styles within your preferred genre (Metal, Hard Rock, or Punk). These give you a broad range of grooves to experiment with without breaking the bank.

Then, spend some time just dragging grooves into your DAW and playing with them. Adjust tempos, swap drum sounds, edit velocities. MIDI isn’t nearly as complicated as it seems once you start actually using it. The learning curve is pretty gentle, and the payoff is huge.

If you’re still stuck, shoot us an email. We’re happy to point you in the right direction.

I’m having trouble importing MIDI files into my DAW. Help?

Most DAWs make this pretty straightforward—you usually just drag the .mid file directly onto a MIDI track or into your arrangement window. However, the exact process varies slightly by DAW.

Quick tips:

• Make sure you have a MIDI track created (not an audio track)
• Make sure your drum VST is loaded on that MIDI track
• Try dragging the MIDI file directly into your timeline/arrangement
• If drag-and-drop isn’t working, try using File > Import > MIDI

If you’re still having issues, email us with your DAW name and version, and we’ll help you troubleshoot.

The grooves aren’t triggering the right drums in my VST. What’s wrong?

This usually means your drum VST is using a non-standard MIDI mapping. Most modern drum instruments use General MIDI (GM) mapping by default, but some have custom mappings or multiple mapping options.

Solutions:

• Check your VST’s settings for a “MIDI Mapping” or “Key Mapping” option and switch it to “GM” or “General MIDI”
• Consult your VST’s manual for its MIDI note mapping chart
• Use your DAW’s MIDI editor to remap the notes to match your VST’s layout (only need to do this once, then save it as a template)

Still stuck? Contact us with your VST name and we’ll help you get it sorted.

How do I contact support?

Use our contact page or email us directly at info at slamtracks.com. We’re real people who actually respond to emails, usually within 24 hours (unless we’re in the studio or out playing, in which case it might take a day or two, but we will get back to you).

When contacting support, it helps if you include:

• Your order number or email address used for purchase
• Your DAW name and version
• Your drum VST name and version
• A clear description of the issue you’re experiencing

The more info you give us, the faster we can help you solve the problem.

Do you have video tutorials?

We’re working on building out a tutorial library covering the basics of working with MIDI drums, importing grooves into different DAWs, and getting the most out of Slam Tracks in your productions. Check our blog and resources page for the latest product info or educational content.

In the meantime, most DAW manufacturers have excellent documentation on working with MIDI, and there are tons of YouTube tutorials covering MIDI basics for specific DAWs.