Using Electronic Drums (Simmons SD7K) w/ Logic

Question

Level 1

8 points

Using Electronic Drums (Simmons SD7K) w/ Logic

Greetings!

I recently purchased an electronic drum kit, the Simmons SD7K. I'd like to use the kit as a midi controller / control surface so that I can use the kit to trigger drums sounds that are contained in Logic; not using the drums sounds that came with the Simmons Drum module.

This is basically what I'm looking for:
Open up UltraBeat and choose Indie Drum Kit, for example.
Use the Simmons Drum Kit to trigger sounds from Indie Drum Kit.
Record the drum performance as a midi recording.

If there's some other way I should be doing this, like using the EX24 instead of UltraBeat, I'm open to suggestions.

I'm new to this and any help is greatly appreciated!!

Thanks!

Macbook Pro, Mac OS X (10.4.11)

Posted on Sep 10, 2008 8:31 AM

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Answer 1

Sep 10, 2008 9:47 AM in response to detchi

Hi D,

Welcome to the forum!

yes, just load Indie drum kit (or Indie kit live) from GarageBand (GB instruments>Drumkits>Indie kit
or EXS24 you have both choices inside Logic, the performance is recorded via midi.
UB 's a drum machine, you don't have to access it to get the sounds you want just load the sounds to an Instrument track.
Peace,
Jorge

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Answer 2

detchi Author

Level 1

8 points

Sep 10, 2008 9:51 AM in response to Jorge Costa

Thanks, Jorge. But that doesn't work when I try it. If I open up UB and select a drum kit, sounds are NOT triggered when I use the drum pads.

I can see midi events are being received because the show up in the control bar. I think I need to map the drum pads to specific midi event/channel but I don't know how.

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Answer 3

Sep 10, 2008 12:09 PM in response to detchi

Hi D,
you've loaded the sounds thru EXS 24 and it didn't play?
If your controller is sending GM (general midi) it should.
If you need to remap the sounds go to edit (inside ESX Up right corner)
In the transport bar it displays what midi note you're hitting
C1-kick, D1 -snare etc. see if those correspond to your controller.
Have a look at the Instruments manual starting on chapter 25 page 391
the info's there.
Peace,

Jorge

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Answer 4

Sep 10, 2008 12:28 PM in response to detchi

Ok looks like troubleshooting.

1) create a software instrument track
2) insert the specific software instrument
3) in the info bar (left side) choose midi channel all

record enable the track!

Do you see incoming events in the transprot bar? Do you see the midi events after recording? Is a midi region created after recording? If you can see the incoming events in the transport bar, logic will record them when you start record.

If midi has been recorded, open the event editor and check the midi events in respect of midi channel.
Most drum modules and drum sounds of multichannel instruments require midi channel 10 by default.

Can you hear the drums when you playback the recorded midi region?
If not, change all the midi channels to 10, try again.
Did you check the settings of your drum pads. Do they send on different midi channels or are they set to midi channel 10?

Do the notes which are sent by the pads correspond to the settings of the synthesizer? Insert a piano instead of the drums and see if you can hear the sound from the piano if you hit a pad.

Eddie

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Answer 5

detchi Author

Level 1

8 points

Sep 10, 2008 5:58 PM in response to Eddie Eagle

Thanks Eddie! I'm getting much closer. I now have my electronic drum kit triggering sounds in logic. Unfortunately, they aren't mapped correctly. For example, when I hit the crash cymbal pad on the drum kit, I hear a snare sound etc...

What I've done so far is create a track using UltraBeat and loaded "Indie Live Kit". I'm not using the ex24 and would like to avoid doing so if at all possible.

How do I map my electronic drum pads to the correct sounds in UltraBeat?? Or do I have to be using ex24??

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Answer 6

Ahrenshof

Level 2

245 points

Sep 10, 2008 8:04 PM in response to detchi

Swapping sounds in UB is real easy(dragging and dropping is one way) and it's well documented in the manual. However, I have a similar problem as you do with the EXS24, I can't figure out how to swap out sounds in kits loaded there(adding a clap sound to a snare rim shot for example(with my vdrums)). No problem in UB.

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Answer 7

detchi Author

Level 1

8 points

Sep 11, 2008 10:33 AM in response to detchi

Ok, guys. I've figured out how to trigger sounds in Logic using the drum kit. I had to open the software instrument I wanted an ex24 and click on Edit. Then I was able to move the relevant samples to the appropriate midi key; for example moving the kick drum sounds to A#1.

Now, I'm having a hard time doing the opposite. If I'd like to use the sounds in the external drum modular and record my midi performance in logic, it doesn't work. I'm recording the midi event properly, as they show up in logic, but they are not triggering sounds.

I create a new track and select external midi device and I see the midi events being recorded but no sound.

What am I doing wrong?

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Answer 8

Eriksimon

Level 6

15,428 points

Sep 11, 2008 10:52 AM in response to detchi

Hi Detchi,

You would make life easier on yourself if you assigned standard key positions (that most softdrums have) to your triggers, like BaDr = B0, C1. Rimshot = C#1. SnD= D2, E2. etc. Then you can easily try out all the different prepreogrammed EXS-, Garageband-, and Ultrabeat instruments, as they generally follow the same templates.

regards, Erik.

M e: E

Message was edited by: Eriksimon

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Answer 9

zipb

Level 1

95 points

Sep 11, 2008 11:31 AM in response to detchi

Look up mapped instrument in the help/manual. By far the easiest way to deal with MIDI mapping.

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