New Toy -- Suggestions?

[The Bear Jew]

OK... as Wewus used to say -- Hello. I'm an idiot. Actually, I'm just a technological idiot. However, I'm TRYING to learn some stuff. Specifically, I just bought a lil' sampler. It's the Boss SP-303 (also known as the "Doctor Sample." Thus far, I've just kinda been jerkin' around with it, just trying to make it work, gathering samples (got a great one of my wife yelling at me), etc. I like it a lot. However, what I really wanna use it for is to create intros and interludes for my band's live performances and to trigger sound effects during songs. So... in light of this, I have questions: 1. Can I trigger the patches with some kind of midi pedal or will I be stuck working this thing by hand? I'd rather run it with a pedal if possible. 2. Assuming there are pedals that can either be purchased or made to do this, does anyone have a suggestion as where I can find one and how much they might cost? That's all. Wow... look at me... asking for help. I think that's the first step to recovery or something.

[Jeebus]

Grab a sequencer, sequence your sampled stuff and send a click out to your drummer. Make him lock down to that click, and rest assured that he will never stray.

[Franknputer]

It's ok, Erik...we're here for ya... Near as I can tell, there is no MIDI on this thing - at least no mention of it in the stuff I can find. Is there a MIDI jack on it? If not, and if there's no "trigger" input for just a switch pedal, then I think you're stuck with your fingers.

[The Bear Jew]

OK... maybe I should specify.... I don't plan to use this sampler to do stuff with beats. Rather, I wanna use to to make noises and trigger sound effects in real time. In other words... I wanna play my sampler like an instrument, so there's no need for me to have it synched with the drummer, as I'd be playing the samples manually along with him, instead of him having to play with the samples. Does that make sense? The back panel has a "MIDI In" thingy... could I put a pedal of some ilk into that?

[The Bear Jew]

erm... help?

[Franknputer]

Well - if there's a MIDI jack in it, then there's most likely no reason you couldn't get a fairly simple MIDI footpedal to trigger it. Maybe even do bank/sample select...depends on the facilites the thing allows, but that's pretty basic stuff for MIDI. Anybody got suggestions for a MIDI switching pedal?

[Tedster]

I knew someone who used to have a little Casio sampling keyboard. It had a little demo loop that would play this silly quasi-classical piece...and of course, being the idiots we were, producing all sorts of embarrassing noises for the sampler to use while playing that tune. But the funniest one hands down was when someone had a porn video and sampled some chick moaning in pleasure, and played that tune back with that chick vocalizing it. :D So, sample a bunch of women's orgasms from various porn videos and use that.

[Alndln]

[quote]Originally posted by The Tedster of Christmas Present: [b]sample a bunch of women's orgasms from various porn videos and use that.[/b][/quote]I agree.And if that Boss thing doesn't have midi do some finger exercises,it'll come in handy.

[Wewus432]

Eric, there aren't many MIDI foot controllers out there. I'm looking at the SweetWater catalog and they've got the Roland FC-200 which has 16 MIDI foot switches, so you could trigger 128 sounds in banks of 16 I guess. I think that would do what you want. It's $358.00, kind of pricey for a bunch of switches.

[The Bear Jew]

Holy crap, Wewus... That's fucking expensive. I can't believe there isn't a relatively inexpensive way to do this. What the fuck is wrong with these manufacturers? SOMEBODY MAKE THIS PEDAL FOR ME!

[Sylver]

Eric, see if you can find a used guitar prosessor with a foot pedal. Some of the older ones like the Digitechs(I think the 2112 or something) has midi and can act as a controller. You might be able to pick one up cheap, now that modelers are all the rage.

[Franknputer]

Fuck that. You don't need that much control over that thing. Look at [url=http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=7266&item=931870967]this.[/url] I bet that this would do the trick - a way to select, and a trigger. That's all you need. **********************UUUUHHHHHH***************** OK - I looked at their site - this is a program changer, basically. So I don't know if it can be rigged to fire the sample - although in theory it could, as it's generally just tying a control number to a command. ??????????????????

[Tom Capasso]

Erik, I know less than you do about this stuff. Build a box that will hold the thing in one place, and build arms sicking out of it that would actuate the buttons you need to push. Put big springs on the arms, so you have to press these arms down with real force. Then you and #5 can "El Kabong" the arrangement at the appropriate point in the song. Seems more in keeping with your stage presence than just "tapping a pedal" - what - are you going soft or something ??!??! Good luck finding a real answer... Tom

[Alndln]

[quote]Originally posted by Tom Capasso: [b] and build arms sicking out of it that would actuate the buttons you need to push[/b][/quote]Yeah,what were you thinking,all of us scientists with degree's in robotics are doing that nowaday's.

[not Cereal]

just use a simple midi keyboard. they are cheap, yu dont need a fancy one. i have an akai s2000 (sampler) that i use in a band to do just exactly what you describe, trigger sound effects. yes, there are the porn girls on there :D set up your samples for different keygroups (place the samples on each midi note) and reach over and press the note when you need to. i use a yamamaha :thu: dx21 (junk) to trigger the sampler. you could probably find one for $20, i found mine in the trash. the dx21 really are terrible, they are not even velocity sensitive. yur supposed to play it with this tube thingy in yer mouth for breath control but i have never found the controller for it

[Sylver]

[quote]Originally posted by Coaster: [b] i use a yamamaha :thu: dx21 (junk) to trigger the sampler. you could probably find one for $20, i found mine in the trash. the dx21 really are terrible, they are not even velocity sensitive. [/b][/quote]Hey, I used to have one of those. The cheapo version on the DX7. It was good for what it was at the time. Used to be, you could only get velocity sensitive boards for big $$ back in the day.

[not Cereal]

did you have the breath controller? the yamamaha website says the keyboards came with one, but i have never seen one.

[Sylver]

Nope. That's BS. I got mine new, and didn't get one. They were extra. Like $100 I think. F that!

[The Bear Jew]

Hmmm... [quote] Build a box that will hold the thing in one place, and build arms sicking out of it that would actuate the buttons you need to push. Put big springs on the arms, so you have to press these arms down with real force. Then you and #5 can "El Kabong" the arrangement at the appropriate point in the song. Seems more in keeping with your stage presence than just "tapping a pedal" - what - are you going soft or something ??!??! Good luck finding a real answer... [/quote]Damn, Tom... you been smoking crack? A fucking robot? Whoooo... Easy on the egg nog, homey. Man, I don't really want to work this thing myself at all, but using a pedal seems to be the only way I can make this happen onstage unless I get our drummer to trigger the samples someho. This would mean he'd be stuck using the sampler only between songs, and not mid-song. I'd really like to have our roadie/merchandise girl run the samples for us, but I think it might be more responsibility than she really needs. She has a lot of stuff to watch while we're playing -- she has to keep an eye on our lights, my guitar, the drums, the bass, etc. Having her stuck with the sampler somewhere would be bad. I definitely don't want a keyboard onstage -- I hate keyboards, and they look like crap onstage anyway. Besides, a keyboard would be just one more thing for me to break. If I could use a midi pedal of some kind, it'd just sit in front of me and take up a little real estate. It'd be inconspicuous. I could cover it with duct tape, and it'd look just like the rest of my gear. Why is this sample-triggering pedal so elusive? It should be SO easy to make. Dammit. I wish I knew more about this shit.

[Wewus432]

Like some people said you CAN use any cheap midi keyboard and assign each pad to a key, but I guess you want foot control to be less obvious and so you don't have to take your hands off of the instrument you're playing. The least expensive option is that Midi mouse controller that Mr. Kemp suggested. That would work and then you'd have to keep a cheat sheet out of which pad was assigned where. Good Luck Zeus, I mean Eric.

[The Bear Jew]

Yeah, a keyboard onstage would fuck with the "rock" aesthetic that we like. Not to mention that it'd take up space both onstage and in the van. I WILL find a solution to this. Mark my words. I may have to train my turtle to hit the triggers, but this WILL be handled.

[The Bear Jew]

Hank... That sounds like it might actually work. However, I think I might be a little too wussy to try that stuff right now, since I just bought this sampler. I think I will probably try one of your suggestions soon if nobody else can come up with a better plan.

[Wewus432]

OR if you played without shoes on you could play the correct key with your big toe. Hey Eric, sorry about that Zeus thing. I really do know that Zeus was Greek, just a little spaced right now. You're not going to fire me from the band for being stupid are you?

[The Bear Jew]

Wewus, Playing barefoot sounds like some hippie bullshit to me. Fuck that. Did I mention that my moronic mother-in-law bought me a fucking tie-dye shirt for x-mas? Stupid whore. Man, I hate her. My wife and I bought her a really expensive sculpture and some jewelry. I got a fucking ugly tie dye. What's your street addy, Wewus? I'll send it to ya -- the shirt, not my mother-in-law. That would just be mean. Anyway, I get ya on the spaced out thing. After two days of holiday bullshit, I'm kind of out of it as well. So if I fired you for being stupid, I'd be a real hypocrite, wouldn't I?

[Wewus432]

Oh my gawd, I can't believe someone gave you a tye-dye, I can just see the look on your face when you opened that. :D I think your wife needs to explain to her Mom that you're not a hippie.

[The Bear Jew]

nah... my wife needs to plan an icepick in my mom-in-law's neck for ruining her fucking childhood and scarring her brothers for life. Did I mention she got me a tie-dye?

[Roto]

[quote]Originally posted by The Tedster of Christmas Present: [b]I knew someone who used to have a little Casio sampling keyboard. It had a little demo loop that would play this silly quasi-classical piece...and of course, being the idiots we were, producing all sorts of embarrassing noises for the sampler to use while playing that tune. But the funniest one hands down was when someone had a porn video and sampled some chick moaning in pleasure, and played that tune back with that chick vocalizing it. :D So, sample a bunch of women's orgasms from various porn videos and use that.[/b][/quote]I had an Casio SK-1 and did the same thing. But I was 10 and had an excuse for being so immature :D