Anyone got an Alesis DM5?

Module is one part of a problem.
I've got Alesis DmPro and I believe that the only difference between the two is that DmPro has a slot for a PCMCA memory card and Dm5 doesn't. Though I use Roland TD20 for triggering in conjunction with my eDrums, I remember that DmPro has wide variety of settings for triggers like sensitivity, response curves, crosstalk elimination and others.
It also depends on your eDrums or triggers for accoustic drums. I've got some stuff from Pintech and some drums & cymbals from Roland V-Drums line. As I played accoustic drums for more than 15 years I loved the look of the Pintech - as they weren't so small as Roland. But when it comes to quality, nothing beats Roland. They are probably the best. But I never tried the Hart Dynamics...
If you want to trigger dfhs or BFD in real time (I did not try UltraBeat or others), you will have issues with latency probably - in case you want to trigger a plugin from Logic. Better use Plogue Bidule for it:
http://www.plogue.com/index.php?option=content&task=view&id=21&Itemid=35

If it contains DM5 module (or other - it can be very simple MIDI module) than why can't?

The signal flow is:

Stick hits the eDrum trigger->triggers the Drum Module ->

/-> Drum Module plays sound (can be turned off)
-----
\ -> Drum Module sends information via MIDI (can be used to trigger the sound from plugin plugged in DAW or Bidule or Standalone-if capable of recieving MIDI information)

I own a DM5 myself. I don't understand what you mean by having it trigger a software drum module like BFD. It outputs both audio and midi notes, if that helps.

The DM5 can be triggered by any audio source, whether it's a drum pad or an audio track. You can adjust the sensitivity and it tracks that. I think it has 8 trigger inputs.

I've used it to replace badly recorded acoustic drums at times, but there will be a little latency (you can slide the replacement track back a few milliseconds), and you have to make sure the audio tracks are clean and/or gated.





Dual 2.5Ghz 2004; 2.5GB RAM Mac OS X (10.4.8)

Latency:

Hit a pad. Pad detects a hit and outputs the voltage and control info down a cable to the module. The module recognises an event, works out what to do with it, and generates a MIDI event. That goes down the cable to your MIDI interface, which detects an event, and sticks it in a buffer. The DAW comes along and sees there's an event in the buffer, works out what to do with it, and triggers the appropriate sound from the audio instrument, which gets passed to the audio interface during the next audio buffer period.

All of that takes time - hence, latency. You can see that the path to the module to generate audio is much shorter than the path to the DAW to generate audio, which is why the computer version will feel more sluggish - something (good) drummers are particularly sensitive too.

If you've just got one of the drunk drummers, they'll probably not notice... 🙂

Yes, the trigger input takes a control voltage input and has to assign a midi velocity value to it.

The midi note number and sample assigned to the trigger should already be configured in the DM5.

If you're simply doing midi in > midi out (a drum pad outputing midi, for instance), then there won't be any noticeable latency, but if you're going trigger in > midi note out (to another program), your drummer will probably comment that it feels sluggish.

When I've replaced tracks using the triggers, I end up having to slide the replacement track back until it lines up with the original audio. I didn't bother to measure the latency, though.




Dual 2.5Ghz 2004; 2.5GB RAM Mac OS X (10.4.8)

Iwiliam, you wrote:
"I own a DM5 myself. I don't understand what you mean by having it trigger a software drum module like BFD. It outputs both audio and midi notes, if that helps."

By triggering a software drum module I mean (and I believe the others too) the possibility of realtime playing eDrums while hearing the sound of BFD (or other plugin like dfhs or Ultrabeat) instead of the sounds from internal DM5 module soundbank. It should be possible to set the DM5 to "local off" or similar mode, which will deactivate the internal sounbank. But with proper MIDI path setting, you should be able to hear sounds from BFD (or other plugin).
But due to the latency (Bee Jay - what a brilliant explanation, indeed 🙂 , I recommended to use Bidule instead of triggering the plugin inserted in Logic.

On the other hand, your tip about triggering the DM5 sounds by audio tracks is interesting - it meaans to route the f.e. snare track to D/A and to appropriate trigger input on drum module. Funny, I never thought about it. This is a hardware kind of a Drumagog thing.

The DM5 can be triggered by any audio source, whether
it's a drum pad or an audio track. You can adjust
the sensitivity and it tracks that. I think it has 8
trigger inputs.

I've used it to replace badly recorded acoustic drums
at times, but there will be a little latency (you can
slide the replacement track back a few milliseconds),
and you have to make sure the audio tracks are clean
and/or gated.

I am sorry, but that is method is clumsy at best.

Use the audio to midi function in logic. Now change the note that Logic spits out, to the 'correct' mapped note that triggers the appropriate sample.

Here is another tool http://www.drumagog.com/

I am not sure what this thread is so long....

The pads trigger specificed midi notes, therefore the DM5 can send midi to logic. Usually they 'default' ouput midi mapping will be GM drum kit, and you can immediately trigger Ultabeat, DFH, etc... It's a drum module. It can send midi to Logic. It's no more complicated than that.

I would suggest the td-3, or td-6v (for the snare rim and dual cymbal positioning sensing for roland pads). If you're not needing these, then it doesn't matter.

Be sure to get electronic pads that feel right. Or you can trigger from an acoustic kit via these.

I am sorry, but that is method is clumsy at best.

Well, I wasn't the one who wanted to use the DM5. It IS clumsy and a bit sloppy. However, IF that's what you have and you want to use it, that's the way the triggers were intended to be used. The input triggers were designed for acoustic triggers installed on live kit, or for triggering from an audio track, not for midi drum pads. Drumagog or Digi's Sound Replacer are more modern methods of doing drum replacements.

If you're using a midi drum pad, why would you even bother with a DM5 trigger input? The midi drum pad output, as midi notes, would simply be recorded into Logic like any other midi note, and that midi track can then trigger any drum module, internal or external. You should be able to assign the correct midi note with the pad.


Dual 2.5Ghz 2004; 2.5GB RAM Mac OS X (10.4.8)

very simple answer

yes, I do it some times the pads are assigned different but you can change them on the dm 5 or on bfd.

suprised with some peoples lack of basic knowledge on this forum.


hope that helps

Gary

I could have misunderstood sondod, but I thought he just asked "Can an alesis electronic drumset trigger UltraBeat, DFH, BFD, etc..".

You are talking about replacing recorded audio with triggering Ultrabeat (i.e., use the audio track, not the electronic drum pads to trigger samples). In this case, I still think the "audio to midi" is a better alternative. Also, only the kick, snare, toms are going to be useful. The overheads, or ambient mics are going to be a mess. In that case, drumagog is the answer.

Maybe I've misunderstood something, or perhaps everthing.

suprised with some peoples lack of basic knowledge on
this forum.

I think there was probably a miscommunication.