Is my sound module broken?

[Lucas]

I'm pretty sure my TD-3 sound module that came with my Roland V-Compact set is not working correctly but was hoping that if I explain my problem to you pros you could confirm it before I take it in to get fixed.....

I have the midi in/out plugged into a M-Audio Midisport 2X2 in/out and then into my computer and Pro Tools 6.4 LE on my PC laptop. I turned off the local control of the drum set and am able to record on to a midi track through channel ten just fine. The problem is that when I try to feed the midi back to the drumset to access the sounds on channel 10 I get nothing. When I press the "midi thru" button on the Midisport I can hear and use the drumset by itself just fine.

To test the wires I plugged them into my keyboard instead and still used channel 10. The keyboard was rockin' which leads me to believe that the TD3 sound module on my drumset is not recieving the midi signals. What I think is a little wierd though is the fact that the set works fine when the Midisport is set to "midi thru". I would think that this means the midi is just being looped back and therefore the TD3 is able to recieve at least that midi signal.??????

Here's another one... I just plugged my keyboard directly to my drumset and was able to trigger the sounds. What the...??? One other thing that I noticed is that when the drumset is plugged into the midisport the corresonding "in" light flashes when nothing is being played. I tried using my Midisport Uno instead of the 2X2 and it still happened. I also tried unplugging the "in" cable and accessing the sounds.... no go.

This is very frustrating becuase the drumset is nearly brand new and I can't get anything helpful on Roland's website. I hate to be without the module because the sounds are so much better than in my keyboard or computer but if I have to take it in, I guess I will.

Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[ssscientist]

If you can plug your keyboard into the TD-3 and trigger the sounds it's not broken. You just have something hooked up wrong or backwards.

You say you have the local setting on the drum kit off -- does that mean the module or just the drum kit?

[Lucas]

The only controls for the drum kit are on the sound module so I'm assuming they are one and the same. There is only one direction in the manual to turn off the local control. It's good to hear that the module might not be broken but do you have any ideas why I can't get Pro Tools to trigger them? I don't understand why the keyboard will trigger the drums but the midi track on Pro Tools that was created by the drums themselves will not. I'm certain that everything is physically hooked up in order....

[ssscientist]

Are you sure the version of protools that you have is even capable of generating midi? Historically protools has been an audio-only application and I understand that has only very recently changed.

The other possibility is that if you have a midi-capable version of protools there may be a channel discrepancy between the midi channel that protools is transmitting on and the channel the TD-3 is set to receive on. The first clue to this was in your original post when you said you had it hooked up to both the in and the out at the same time --- if the module was both sending and receiving on the same channel this would cause a midi loop that could cause all kinds of problems.

[Lucas]

I'm using a "midi track" on Pro Tools. I'll look into the possibility of a midi loop. Although this doesn't cause a problem with my keyboard........

[ssscientist]

Originally Posted by Lucas

Although this doesn't cause a problem with my keyboard........

That's because you have the local control properly turned the the 'off' position on your keyboard.

Will other midi modules play from protools tracks? If not you need to look at your computer interface/sound card.

The TD-3 may have come from the factory set to send on one channel and receive on another to avoid midi loops...

[Lucas]

Originally Posted by ssscientist

That's because you have the local control properly turned the the 'off' position on your keyboard.

Will other midi modules play from protools tracks? If not you need to look at your computer interface/sound card.

The TD-3 may have come from the factory set to send on one channel and receive on another to avoid midi loops...

My drum local control is set to "off" as well. I do have one more midi module I can test on Pro Tools... forgot about that one. The TD-3 is fixed to transmit and receive on channel 10....

[Lucas]

Hey guys, I still haven't been able to solve my problem. I'm thinking that the sound module is broken somehow.

Anyone have any new suggestions???

[sp_clark]

I use the Magix Studio deluxe sequencer, and also have a midisport interface. In Magix, the DRIVER is different for my keyboard than it is for the midisport. So, I have to CHOOSE the driver i want to use for a particular midi track, and the one I choose is midisport. It does NOT select that one automatically. Once I set that for each track, it works fine. The symptoms you describe are EXACTLY what happens if i forget to set the proper midi driver.

hope that helps.
steve

[Lucas]

Thanks Steve,

Although I think what you're describing is the same as not selecting the right output device in Pro Tools but I don't know where to access anything titled "driver". Any other suggestions. Every midi device I own works fine except for the TD-3.

[alastairk]

Im absolutely no expert. But I had a similar problem with a proteus module in PTLE 5.1.1. And I fixed it this way....

Have you tried this already?

Click on DISPLAY in the bar at the top of the screeen.
Then EDIT WINDOW SHOWS.
The select I/O VIEW so that it has a tick next to it.

Then in the edit window you should have the ins and outs for all your audio and midi tracks.

On the midi track which you want to play back the out will probably be set to Digi001 or 002 or NONE or something. When you click on this you will get a kind of drop down menu choose the port on the 2x2 that you are using and then it will let you choose a midi channel and you pick channel 10.

This is just an idea. I dont really know if it will work but ive got my fingers crossed!

[Lucas]

Thanks alastairk but all that is correctly set-up and I'm sending to channel 10.

[Lucas]

As an update to my still unsolved problem, I played a midi file through Windows Media Player that had data on channel 10 and still got nothing. This should eliminate Pro Tools as the problem. Something going on between my MIDISPORT and the TD-3.

Of course, I've talked to the tech support from M-Audio, Roland, and Digidesign and they all say that their gear is working properly.

Just thought I'd throw out the latest.....

[James Argo]

What if you just turn the local on...?

[Lucas]

tried turning the local on..... still no sound

[Leeking]

the MIDI functionality should be pretty straight forward.

How about reseting the TD-3 to the factory default settings and see if things works...

[Lucas]

Thanks for joining in...... although I've reset the TD-3 so many times that my finger is sore.

The fact that this should be pretty straight forward is even that much more frustrating. I'm convinced after 2 months of bouncing around forums and talking to tech supports that the solution must be hidden in the darkest regions of the midi netherworld......... I've actually pretty much given up on the possibility of getting it to work. I'm just hoping for an explanation of why...

[James Argo]

Is it GM compatible? I mean, if it's not GM compatible, then try channel 1 instead of 10. Channel 10 for drums/percussion is only concept of GM. No need to follow it if it doesn't GM compatible...

Well, several sequencers temporarily set curent active channel to channel 1 for monitoring purpose only -when you record the track-, even though the track was set to different channel (10). So, once you move to another track, then it'll be back to it's original channel (10). If TD-3 doesn't support "conversation" on channel 10, then there won' be no sound... That's why I think you need to set it to channel 1...

Just a thought


Jaymz

[Lucas]

It is GM compatible. I actually have tried setting the output to every available channel as well as checking to see if they might be transposing but still not getting any sound. Interesting info about the temporary channel changing to 1 thing.

[tedluk]

Well, I don't use ProTools so I might not be much help, but it sounds to me as if the problem is either that you don't have the output of the MIDI track set to the MIDI Sport, or you don't have the MIDI Sport configured in ProTools, or some kind of a driver problem with the MIDISport.

I use SONAR and in addition to assigning the output of the track to the correct MIDI interface, you must also have the interface setup in the first place.

I hope that helps.

Good Luck!

Ted