Level-Up Your Songwriting Creativity with Loudstakk Metal MIDI Drum Grooves

black box depicting a male drummer playing an electronic drum set, action shot with sticks in the air, with text on the box saying Metal Midi Grooves and Loudstakk, the company's name. — Loudstakk Metal
MIDI Drum Grooves

Over 1,000 Grooves played by a real drummer!

Allllllrrriiiiggghhhttt, everyone! Today, we’re diving into a new (to some) tool that’s quickly becoming one of my favorite songwriting hacks: the Loudstakk Metal MIDI Drum Grooves pack.

If you’re like me—a guitarist who loves writing riffs but doesn’t have the chops (or setup) to record a live drummer—you’re going to want to read this!

Before we dive in, I want to give a shoutout to Ron over at Loudstakk for sending me this MIDI pack to try out. Consider this a sponsored post, but as always, all thoughts and opinions here are 100% my own. Let’s get started!

Why MIDI Drum Grooves Are a Game-Changer

Let’s get one thing straight: MIDI grooves are not a replacement for real drummers. Nothing beats the feel and energy of a live performance. But let’s face it—most of us don’t have access to a world-class drummer or a high-end drum recording studio. That’s where MIDI grooves come in.

Using a pre-made groove pack like Loudstakk’s allows me to skip the tedious process of programming drums and focus on what I love most: writing riffs. It’s like having a solid drummer on standby, ready to jam whenever inspiration strikes.

Writing with Loudstakk Metal MIDI Grooves

Here’s how I use the Loudstakk MIDI Groove pack in Logic Pro (but if you’d rather watch a video on the process, check this out):

Load the Grooves: I open the file browser in my DAW (Logic Pro), navigate to the folder where I saved the Loudstakk MIDI files, and browse through the endless groove options.
Drag and Drop: With just a quick drag-and-drop into my drum plugin track, I’m ready to roll. The grooves are pre-mapped for popular virtual drum plugins such as EzDrummer 3 that I am using, so setup is a breeze.
Customize with Fills: Want to spice things up? Drop in some fills to add energy to your transitions. Whether you need a fill at the beginning, middle, or end of a groove, it’s as simple as dragging it into place.

This workflow lets me focus on writing guitar and bass parts without getting bogged down in drum programming, and it’s a total game-changer for my creativity.

What Makes Loudstakk’s Grooves Special?

The Loudstakk grooves aren’t just random drum loops—they’re written and performed by the owner Ron, a real live drummer! This means they feel authentic, and they’ve even taught me a thing or two about better drum programming.

By studying how these grooves are structured, I’ve learned how to write more dynamic fills and grooves myself. It’s like a masterclass in drumming, baked right into the MIDI files.

Customizing MIDI Grooves to Fit Your Sound

One of the biggest advantages of MIDI is its flexibility. Here’s how I tweak the Loudstakk grooves to make them my own:

Adjust Velocities: Boost the kick velocity for a punchier beat or lower the snare for a more subtle groove.
Add Ghost Notes: Sprinkle in ghost notes on the snare to give your drums a more intricate, “djenty” vibe.
Rearrange Sections: Combine grooves and fills to create unique arrangements tailored to your song.
Steal the kick midi notes and paste them onto your Bass Guitar MIDI instrument track to really “lock-in” the kick and bass.

Whether you’re using these grooves as-is or modifying them to fit your project, they’re an insanely versatile tool that adapts to your workflow.

MIDI Grooves Are Not Cheating—They’re a Tool

Let’s address the elephant in the room: Is using MIDI grooves “cheating”?

In my opinion, abso-freaking-lutely not. As I have said before, MIDI grooves are simply another useful tool in a songwriter’s toolbox. Drum machines and pre-programmed grooves have been a staple of music production for decades, and they’re not going away anytime soon.

MIDI grooves help you focus on creativity and speed up your workflow, and that’s what matters most to musicians like me who are focused on writing the best music they can.

So, how would you use the Loudstakk Metal MIDI Grooves pack? Whether you’re jamming at home, writing your next riff, or demoing a full song, this pack is a must-have for any guitarist or songwriter looking to take their music to the next level.

Grab your copy of the Loudstakk Metal MIDI Grooves pack and start writing your next banger today. And don’t forget to let me know how you’re using it—I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments!

Level-Up Your Songwriting!