drums question

[lestat]

is it possible to use drum software on the computer and send it out via midi to a digital 4 track (mrs-4)? if so, what software is recommended?




thanks,
lestat

[AlChuck]

Does the digital 4-track in question have

(a) an on-board synth or drum machine that can play sounds in response to MIDI messages?

(b) a MIDI In port

If both A and B are true, then yes. Otherwise, no.

[knightfly]

No digital 4-track I've ever seen can record MIDI. they can only sync to it, most of the time only as the master. This means that either a hardware or software sequencer could follow the 4-track, so that the audio tracks from the 4-track would play back in time with the MIDI information from the sequencer. You would then need either extra inputs on the 4-track's mixer to input the MIDI tracks (as audio, not MIDI) or you would need an external mixer.

You could record the drum info as audio, by playing back the software drum tracks and recording the sound card output into a track or 2 on the 4-track.

the other downside of "syncing" the sequence to the 4-track is that it takes one audio track for the timecode. So now you have only 3 audio tracks to sync with the sequence from the computer.

[AlChuck]

I don't think digital 4-tracks have the limitation of using up one of your tracks in order to synch.

From the product description at zzounds.com:

"The MRS-4 links with the new Zoom MRT-3 RhythmTrak. The MRS-4 receives signal directly from the outputs of the MRT-3 and is synchronizes via MIDI clock."

From that I assume that the MRS-4 has no on-board MIDI sounds. I looked at the stuff about the MRT-3 RhythmTrak and it has MIDI In, so it can slave to the MRS-4. If it can, so can any other drum machine.

So if the MRS-4 has MIDI In and out, you should be able to synch it to a computer sequencer as readily as to a drum machine.

[knightfly]

good catch - change that # of audio tracks back to 4...

[lestat]

ok, cool. thats what i thought but i am new to this.

what software would you recommend that would make this happen?



thanks again,
lestat

[knightfly]

Since I don't use any soft synths as yet (need faster computer, not here yet) I'll just "bump" it so it won't disappear before someone who uses soft drum sounds can chime in... Steve

[lestat]

thanks.


does anyone have any ideas?

[knightfly]

It might help if you list what computer (specs please) and software (if any) you already have, including what sound card...

[lestat]

right on, i have a 1.3mhz, 512mb ram, sound blaster 512 with midi support. i have no software related to this question.




lestat

[TexRoadkill]

I'm not a soft synth user either but Fruity Loops seems to be a popular drum machine program.