Tascam MSR-16 --> Tascam Midiizer --> Cool Edit Pro 2.0 reading MTC --> Boss DR-670
-MD
Have no experience with any from the "chain/list".
Except I used to have few years ago Dr-660, which I'd guess is similar to 670 (?). Also I never cared to "master" this machine as a user, never learned how to program it etc., I even had no patience to read through that thick book-manual
. I simply used to use it from time to time as a midi drum-sound module.
What I remember doing though was this. If my memory is not completely corrupted, you can play the drum machine's pattern (or programmed song), while MIDI out from the machine connected to midi IN of computer software midi-sequencer (I was and am Cakewalk user), and record the midi-track in your software. Then you connect the MIDI out from your computer (sequencer program) to MIDI IN of the Dr-660/670 , and play back the recorded midi track, and so this way now your drum machine is simply "acting" like a sound module for your midi-track. You get the same pattern/song as you would play the machine as you "normally do".
Now, why I am telling you all this ...heh heh
Since you've asked about
"if anyone thinks it would just be easier to have my computer trigger the drum machine".
I don't know if "easier" would be the right word here. This would depend on what's easier for you - to "simply" program your drum-machine and then "hit play", or would it be easier for you to deal with computer software based sequencer.
Since I was pretty comfortable with Cakewalk it sure was easier for me.
The cool thing is, that you are completely "free" to program your song (drum pattern(s)) any way you want, and have all the "tools" awailable what ever your midi-sequencer software provides, and then you can save your "drum tracks" as midi-files (or your sequencer-program project files).
OK, now, let's say, you've got that part going. So, let's say, now you program your midi tracks on your computer midi-sequencer and using your drum machine as sound-module. The next thing is to sinchronize your computer sequencer to your Midiizer.
If I knew midiizer or cooledit (which I don't) I could tell you how to do it in details, but I can't. But here's general idea.
If I understand correctly, you have MTC out from midiizer. That would mean, that your midiizer will be "master" and your software sequencer will be "slave".
I used to sinchronize akai digital recorders via MTC to Cakewalk (as midi sequencer) all the time. The way it works: midi out from "master" to midi IN of your computer sequencer, then you need to know how exactly set your software to "slave" to MTC. See Cooledit guide or ask someone who knows that software. So you set your sftware to "slave" to a "master" via MTC. When you do that, you software may get into some sort of
"waiting for START mode", so then you press play on your master machine (that will be MSR - through- midiizer), and maybe after a short period of time you computer sequencer will start playing, in sinch with MSR, and it will be playing the midi-track, and your drum-machine will be acting as a sound-module (midi synthesizer).
Now there's one detail here.
For such set up you'd need to connect MIDI OUT from computer interface to MIDI IN of the drum machine. You don't need to have MIDI OUT from machine to MIDI IN of the computer interface for playback.
Then you'd need to connect MIDI out from Midiizer to MIDI IN of the computer inteface. BUT! I don't know if you also have to connect MIDI OUT from computer back to MIDI IN of midiizer? I think you have to, but I have no clue, really.
So if you do have to connect you midiizer "both way" with the computer midi-interface, then this would mean that you would need at least two MIDI ports interface for your computer, so you use one port for sinchronizer and the other port for your drum-machine (sound module). Now I may be wrong on that one, but I always used to use "dedicated" midi-port for MTC.
What computer midi/audio interface do you have?
ok, I gotta stop here
frankly, this midi blah blah gives me acid reflux