fun little bugger
I bought one of these last week (Actually for FL).
It’s a 16 pad USB controller. Works very good in FL
for putting together some nice sounding drum sequences
without having to program them in. Yes, I know you can
do it on a keyboard - but this is more ‘drummy’.
Anyway thought I’d try it with N-drums and wow - it
works very nicely. You have to hit the learn button for
a couple of the N default pre-sets. But after that, you
are good to go. A lot of possibilities (just like
Campbell Soup).
Hey seven, that looks cool - and only $99 at Musician’s Friend!
I’m tempted but have a question: I have less than a miniscule amount of knowledge of MIDI - how easy/hard is it to set-up? If I understand it correctly this device just triggers sounds to selected MIDI channels - is it complicated to do the routing? From the time I take it out of the box until I am able to use it to record a drum track in n how many more hairs will I pull out of my scalp? (If you take my meaning.)
(Forum won’t let me edit my previous post)
Actually seven, I think you can disregard my question(s). A review at Sweetwater says there are no plans to produce Vista Drivers for it and I’m sorta stuck with Vista now.
Thanks anyway - looks like a great little device.
Darn you seven!
You got me riled up about that device and I went ahead and ordered a Trigger Finger from sweetwater.com for US$149.00.
Maybe we can compare ‘notes’…
Bill - I saw that one too - was thinkin’ 'bout ordering it - did you check on the Vista situation?
Let me know how it works.
It was easy as pie to set up.
I think I made things harder by putting in
a USB2.0 card (which I needed anyway for ext. disk)
Anyway, no probs at all with XP.
Plug MPD into USB - It shows up as a input device.
Select it and ‘BAM’ you can bang on the bongo’s
like a chimpanzee. Evidently there are two input (i.e. connector) modes
USB and MIDI - With MIDI you have to use an ext. power
adapter (which is NOT included with the unit). However
I’ve just been using the USB mode and it works fine on
my slower machine here in crime free Wash DC. I still havn’t
figured out how to assign the controller slider. Well I haven’t
really tried yet. And yes - at $99 bucks not too shabby.
Also there are 2 banks you can switch between - but have not
gone there yet. Now here is the cool thing, and this in no
way is meant to 'dis N. But in FL you can select a FPC (Fruty Pad
Controller) load up or create your own kit, start recording
a loop (I turn off the snap to make it sound like I have no
talent as drummer - which is true). Then just start with your
kick pad, (make sure you have merge midi button selected) then
add your other percussion sounds by just tapping out say the
hi-hats and build your groove (all velocity sensitive) no editing
vel graphs and such. Open the piano roll as you are doing this
and you can quickly delete (right click) anything that was not
quite right (the loop is still going) kind of like real time
editing. I’m sure you can probably do the same thing in N-drums,
but I was just so happy with the way things worked out in FL
that I did not explore the possibilities in N. It’s really
solved my age old problem (as a guitar player) to get a drum
groove that’s in my head out quickly so I can focus on my
guitar ideas.
Poppa -
M-Audio’s site has Vista 32-bit drivers available for download for it so I don’t think there will be a problem. Also, in their FAQ they mention that both XP and Vista will install Microsoft drivers for it if you don’t have the M-Audio ones and the Microsoft ones work fine they just don’t handle one or two esoteric things (like having the device available to multiple programs at once). So it looks promising.
US$150 at sweetwater.com + free shipping to the US (the guy discounted the FedEx shipping to $10 for me - I think because I mentioned Bill Oxner!)
seven - sounds like you’re having a blast. I hope I’m as pleased when my unit gets here.
Bill - how’s the trigger finger? I’m ready to get a drum controller.
(quote)
US$150 at sweetwater.com + free shipping to the US (the guy discounted the FedEx shipping to $10 for me - I think because I mentioned Bill Oxner!)
Hey Bill Clarke:
I think they took pitty on you for buying from Amazon and only if you promise not to do that again…
Sorry…
Lesson Learned…
I promised SweetWater you wouldn’t do that again…
Sorry Again… I’m just being SMART…
Hi Gents:
That MIDI Pad Controller…
Is it touch sensitive?
Is it worth all they say it is…AND…
Can do?
Is it sensitive enough to be hit with the ends of say pencils?
Can it be loaded with samples?
or Can the MIDI product be triggered to substitute the end product with samples? Say…
Drumulator 
?
Maybe, I should take a look at this thing for myself instead of asking questions that I don’t know about or understand.
The only MIDI Drum stuff I have and never really understood how to use properly for drum fabrication is an HR-16 and an MT-8 8-Track sequencer combination setup… It looked like a set-up that was so easy looking to Master…
If I remember correctly, I worked on it for about two months and created a set of drum tracks for a project…
After that project came to completion I set it aside and that’s all I managed to produce from that Drum/Trigger Bench…
Bill…
Sorry guys -I’ve been somewhat remiss at this forum.
The Trigger Finger arrived the NEXT DAY after I ordered it - no GST, no extra charges - what a treat.
I haven’t done much with it because I’ve been swamped with other things but Vista recognized it and installed the drivers without a hiccup. I booted it up and tested it and it seems to work fine. Yes Bill, the pads are pressure sensitive.
I’m sure it will prove to be a valuable addition, I just haven’t had time to really put it through its paces. In fact, tomorrow (Monday February 11th) afternoon I’m getting on a plane to the Dominican Republic for some long overdue R&R and I’m not even planning to take my laptop with me. The resort advertises that it has High Speed Internet and I counter, ‘So what?’ I ain’t planning on touching a computer until I’m back in the cold snowy North.
(It’s been really bloody cold here for a l-o-n-g time.)
So, I think for $150 it looks like a good deal - I think the deal seven got on his rig is even better if you aren’t stuck with Vista but if, like me, you ARE stuck with Vista then the Trigger Finger looks to be the next best deal and you can’t go wrong with sweetwater.com - those guys treat me like a prince. Just be sure to mention Bill Oxner when you call 'em!