Is it Posible to Trigger Drum Sounds on Elec Drum Kit w/o Seperate Module?

You need the module, because it's the module that takes the trigger signals from the pads, and converts them into MIDI information which you can record in Logic. So even if you don't use the module's onboard sounds, you still need the module.

But yes, this MIDI information can play sounds using third-party instruments or sample content in Logic, which will generally give you a better sounding result. If you really want to go the whole hog, and have a powerful computer, then an instrument like DFH Superior or BFD will let you play a "real" kit from the pads of your drum kit, and should sound great...

I don't quite "get it."

With drum pads I can trigger the 25 slots in Ultrabeat....assign the notes on the drum pad from C2 up to C#4.

Was that the question?

Try this on for size. I think you only get 5 inputs for 5 drums total, but thats good for a high hat, snare, bass, crash, and tom. Could always get 2 of them and expand your set.

To answer your question, NO, you don't absolutely need the drum module itself.

http://www.americanmusical.com/Item--i-ROL-TMC6-LIST

With drum pads you can trigger ANY note in ANY SW Instrument.

As Bee Jay said earlier "You need the module, because it's the module that takes the trigger signals from the pads, and converts them into MIDI information which you can record in Logic. So even if you don't use the module's onboard sounds, you still need the module."
I don't know if there are modules that can do that without producing sound, or if there are MIDI drumkits in which the sounds and the MIDI interface are separate. If it exists, then your original question can be answered yes, if the MIDI and soundmodules for electric drumkits are always together in one box, the answer is no.

There are some dedicated Drum/percussion Software Instruments that can deliver (much) more than Ultrabeat or EXS drumkits can. BFD is one of them, Toontrack EZdrummer is another. Here are 22 examples:
(copypaste this entire link:)
http://www.kvraudio.com/get.php?mode=results&st=adv&soft[]=i&type[]=3&type[]=31&f[]=au&osx=1&free=1&com=1&sf=0&receptor=&de=0&sort=1&rpp =100

regards, Erik.

Message was edited by: Eriksimon

I don't know if there are modules that can do that without producing sound,

Yes, you can get trigger-to-MIDI boxes that just contain the interfacing without containing a sound module.

"if there are MIDI drumkits in which the sounds and the MIDI interface are separate. If it exists, then your original question can be answered yes,"

I'm glad we cleared that up. Someone might buy an Alesis Control Pad USB/MIDI Percussion Pad Controller, or better; or a Korg padKontrol, or better and when you smack these things they make no soound...they send out MIDI musical notes and/or MIDI messages.

Um...the musical notes on Ultrabeat are actually start with C1 -- like many other drum software.

I remain impressed with Ultrabeat. It strikes me as a 'frigging fantastic drum machine to the max.'
Of course my only other experience was the drum machine in Reason Adapted.

But you're getting more than Ultrabeat...you're getting Logic (Express) 8 and it's a high quality (24bit/192Khz), flexible, fun, intuitive and accurate place for music arrangement and editing, imo. And also has a regular synth and you can add .aiff and .wav and other file formats for additional sound samples.

The video demo on the EZ drummer site uses Logic.


I like the sound and simplicity (and sound adjustments) of Battery 3 for playing drum with my drum pad and I can load is .wav sound samples into Ultrabeat and use it's drum machine and 'sound shaping' features.

I'm not sure what "way more," other programs can do but I'm interesting in learning about it all.

Now that I read this again, I realize it would be absolutely weird 😀 if there weren't... I'm sometimes overcautious in my statements.

So why did you tell the OP he needed a (sound)module then...? Semantic error?

I read it as "Should I get a full elec. drumkit, the ones with the sound module, when I only want to use the sounds from Logic, or just get some pads".

Given that you cannot but any commercial drumkits that do not contain a sound module (eg Roland or Yamaha do not make drum kits these days that come with everything except sounds that you play with your computer), so I was making the point that yes, he will need a kit with a module, rather than just buying some pads expecting to plug them into the computer.

(For less drumkit-like options, like the Roland Octapad, the cheap Yamaha MIDI pads or the DrumKat etc then it's more feasible to get a pad/trigger system without any sounds, but for full drum kits currently available, they all come with a sound generator.)

In the past, you could buy trigger to MIDI interfaces, such as the Simmons TMI/MTM, and Roland and Yamaha did trigger boxes. There was even one for the Akai S900 sampler, called the ASK90. They are not so common today - the Roland one linked to above is one such device, and if you are not buying a full kit, then a bunch of pads with one of these modules will work. (It's still a module doing the trigger to MIDI bit, with the computer playing the sounds via the MIDI info generated.)

So my point was that yes, in order to trigger sounds, he will need a kit with a module, and in this day and age it means paying for sounds you don't plan on using.

Hope that clears it up.

Bee Jay wrote:
Hope that clears it up.

It did. Thanks.