Roland FD-7 Hat Controller w/ Soft/Samplers?

[Marzuki Grinage]

I spoke with Roland today, they say that you can only use a V-Drum or other Roland Module to play back any more than just a simple open and closed Hi Hat using the FD-7 Pedal!

 

I'm wondering if anyone has had success communicating the Controller Messages from the FD-7 Hat Pedal to a Software/Sampler (closed, open and everything in between)?

 

My set-up consists of a Roland TD-7 Kit and Logic on a Mac. It would be great to have more options than the Hat/Cymbal sounds in my TD-7 without the V-Drum being my only option.

 

Thanks!

[Allan Speers]

You spoke with the wrong guy at roland.

 

I talked last month with the guy who heads the V-Drums design team. I can't find my notes right now, and haven't yet tried this myself, but the basic idea is this:

 

the roland hats pedal (via the TD-7 or TD-10) sends out a continuous control message (cc #4, I THINK) as it comes down. It starts at "0" and ends at 127 when fully closed.

 

You can easily assign open and stick-closed sounds, of course, but you then want to assign the cc message to a RELEASE ENVELOPE in your sampler. (ta-da!) -That's basically the key to the whole thing.

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I've been thinking about this now.If this works, there may be a way to get even fancier, but only if your sampler will allow it (most probably won't)

 

Here's my theory:

 

Have a third sample, which is a SLIGHTLY closed hit. you must REMOVE THE ATTACK PART OF THIS SOUND!!! Have this sample triggered by the cc#4 at value 2 or 3. thus, the sound changes to the semi-closed wash as you start the pedal downward.

 

Instead of cc#4 shortening the RELEASE envelope, perhaps shortening the SUSTAIN envelope would better give that throaty sound (maybe not.) maybe

On samplers with built-in eq, try adding a small eq spike somewhere aroun 2-5K with lots of resonance. have cc#4 ALSO boost the eq amount, or if possible just the amount of resonance (I'm on a roll now.... can't wait to try this.) Get it? when you close REAL hats, the upper mids get accentuated a little.

 

Last: have cc#4 trigger the foot-closed sound when it gets to value 127.

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There is also a polyphonic PRESSURE control-message sent when you grab the cymbal. Assign this to a "choke" sound, or to a more "instantly shortened" envelope.

 

None of the above will likely work on most samplers, but it may be possible on giga, the ESX, or some of the other new breed of soft-sampler (Sample Tank, mach-5, etc.) If you get any of this craziness to actually work, please let me know!