Mr. Bryce to the cashwrap: what hihat pedal/controller for DMPro?

[Chip McDonald]

I know, it sucks supporting a product for a company you're not with anymore... but if you're feeling charitable....:

 

I'm thinking about getting a DMPro, but it's extremely unclear as to 1) what hihat pedal lets you do what with it...

 

2) Am I to understand you can get both an open and closed sound, and also a pedaled sound as well?

 

3) The CV feature lets you do mapped open-gradations?

 

4) Also - the assignable reverb can be discretely bussed to a separate out, right?

 

5) With the "Soundbridge" software, what sample rates does it support or rather, what is the optimal file format to use with it? The output DAC's are 20 bit, right?

 

6) Is there some site that has optimized settings for different pads (for instance Pintech)...?

 

ASIDE: I think the popularity of the SR16 stems from it's simple step programming operation, although it's a pain to get the menu to go there... and the pads were remarkably responsive, although a friend has one whose pads are much more "linear" responding than mine. It was also a "tidy" size.

 

I don't know what company you're with now, or even if they do drum machines... but here's a Big Idea that I wish all drum machine manufacturers should do:

 

What counts is a pad for kick and snare. Big pads. A drum machine should have two pads that are much larger than the rest for that purpose alone, perhaps large enough to hit with a stick, make the rest secondary... Yeah, some people will "play" a drum machine with the hat and ride, but for the most part the functionality is having the kick and snare going; a pair of dedicated pads, perhaps "better" in a linear sense would be a big selling point I would think. If Alesis/Numark/whoever would release an SR-17 it would be cool to have the DMPro brain (including sample playback capability ala DMPro) and two larger "improved" pads for snare and kick... Sell it for what the SR16 went for - that would be the new Akai for the next 10 years. They're obviously going to hit a dip in the road with the obsolescence of the SR16 if they don't have something really cool to replace it soon....

[Dave Bryce]

Whats a cashwrap?

 

I'm thinking about getting a DMPro

Do it. Theyre amazing

 

but it's extremely unclear as to 1) what hihat pedal lets you do what with it...

I use the one that came with the DM Pro kit. It was made by Hart Dynamics . The Roland FP-7 will also work, or you can just contact Hart and buy theirs .

 

Am I to understand you can get both an open and closed sound, and also a pedaled sound as well?

There are four sounds that can be triggered with a pedal/pad combination:

 

1) hit the pad with the pedal open = open hat

2) hit the pad with the pedal closed = closed hat

3) step on the pedal foot-closed hat

4) release the pedal = hats opening

 

You can substitute any sample you want for these events, of course

 

The CV feature lets you do mapped open-gradations?

Not from a sample point of view, thats for sure. Maybe it controls the filter I dont remember.

 

Also - the assignable reverb can be discretely bussed to a separate out, right?

I believe so.

 

With the "Soundbridge" software, what sample rates does it support or rather, what is the optimal file format to use with it? The output DAC's are 20 bit, right?

Yes, they are. SB will let you use and AIFF or WAV sample up to 16 bits.

 

Is there some site that has optimized settings for different pads (for instance Pintech)...?

Hart Dynamics has this to say dont know about anyone else.

 

I don't know what company you're with now, or even if they do drum machines....

ADAM Audio. Only speakers no drum machines.

 

Hope that helps for more detailed questions, I imagine whats left of Alesis must have a tech support facility

 

dB

[Pim]

Originally posted by Chip McDonald:

3) The CV feature lets you do mapped open-gradations?

Logic dictates that with the matrix modulation it is possible to map the pedal to the decay of the sound.

 

But I don't have a DM Pro so I 'm just guessing! What an illogical thing to do, guessing....

[synthetic]

There's an instrument that hasn't been very sucessfully synthesized: hi hat. I've been listening to a lot of Police lately (they just released their entire catalog on SACD ) and you just can't get the nuance that Stewart Copeland performs on the hi hat with a sampler. Not even close. It's not just 0 and 1, closed and open. Sampling is the wrong technology for this instrument, maybe physical modeling will fill the gap someday. I've actually considered buying a hi hat for drum tracks, maybe someday when I have a house.

 

Back on topic now. I had a DM Pro and for some reason it didn't excite me at all. I thought all of the drum sounds were very cold and sterile. I acually preferred the D4 module for drum sounds, although that's also gone now. YMMV, listen to one before you buy.

 

Funny, when I was younger I really liked the clean, digital sound, but as I get older I appeciate the analog sound of Neve preamps, tape satuation, and big fat drums. Or maybe it's that Stewart Copeland could make a baking sheet hit with a wooden spoon sound like a million dollars. (Boy I just can't stay on topic today, huh?)

 

-jl

[Chip McDonald]

Originally posted by Dave Bryce:

ADAM Audio. Only speakers no drum machines.

Dur... Duh. I knew that, sorry.

 

Thanks for the info, I suppose I'll try the Epedal.

[Chip McDonald]

Originally posted by synthetic:

you just can't get the nuance that Stewart Copeland performs on the hi hat with a sampler. Not even close.

That's exactly what I was thinking - it's not a matter of open/close, it's everything in between and volume differences of each.

 

That's why I asked in another thread about using a Pintech cymbal controller, at least the bell zone might give you a little more variation.

 

I'd like to hear Copeland try to do everything he does in "One World" on the hat with a trigger...

 

My solution is probably going to be to buy a real hihat. The only reason I'm doing the electric kit is because I'm afraid a kick is going to wake the neighbors at my usual working hours (9pm-3am..)

 

Back on topic now. I had a DM Pro and for some reason it didn't excite me at all. I thought all of the drum sounds were very cold and sterile. I

 

Welll.. at this point it's my cheapest option. I'm thinking about getting Drumagog and replacing sounds anyhow.

 

Funny, when I was younger I really liked the clean, digital sound, but as I get older I

 

I've always hated it, but "!!!!"...

 

Actually.... I think I'm on to a secret in that I've been "reamping" my drum machine sounds back into an actual room and using that for ambience. Goes a long way to nullifying the "coldness". I'm not a fan of digital reverb at all, but (and this is based on completely unfounded non-empirical non-Nika approved theory) digital reverb on top of a digital sample *that contains an ambient sound* = "cold". It's probably worse if that sample's ambience is actually digital produced as well. I might speculate that digital reverbs (older ones perhaps) "hidden" artificial linearity combined *again* with another reverb's artificial linearity exacerbates the effect. The "Chip's SPX90 through an SPX90" theory...

 

Stewart Copeland could make a baking sheet hit with a wooden spoon sound like a million dollars.

 

I'm absolutely sure he could.

 

He did great sans snare on the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame show... MAN... I LOVE his playing!!!! Matt Cameron is the only other guy that plays like that, spontaneously creative but doesn't lose the context... BRILLIANT!!! AHHHG!!! ALL HAIL STEWART COPELAND!!!! BOW BEFORE THE MASTER!!!

 

(sorry, I had a King George Moment there...)

 

Man, hasn't anyone ever heard "One World"??? I command all of you to go listen to that tune, right now!!!! Everyone!!! Go!!! Now!!!

 

[Jeff Klopmeyer]

Man...Stewart Copeland is God. I'm convinced of it. I'dd lost my faith in Stewart but have (after watching him on last night's Hall of Fame induction) returned to the Church of Copeland, where I will bow and give thanks every day.

 

Nothing will give you that sound except Stewart and a real hi-hat. Accept it and move on.

 

- Jeff