Converting Acoustic Drums to E-Drums

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BenignVanilla

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I recently fell into a free kit, and have it sitting in my studio/home office. They don't sound great, but they look nice. I was thinking, I could put some sort of practice heads on them, so they are quiet, and then add triggers and store MIDI data to be used to trigger samples in Sonar.

Has anyone done something like? What was the cost in gear?
 
It's just a matter of getting triggers and a brain. Used brains are dirt cheap ($100 or less) and there are several choices for triggers.

You can also just get the triggers and record them like you would a mic. Then use drumagog to turn either trigger the samples or turn it into midi.
 
I have an Alesis D4. I think it was the first one in the line. http://cgi.ebay.com/Used-Alesis-D4-...108?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item1c157471b4 I've seen them for around $80 typically.

And then a set of triggers like this: http://cgi.ebay.com/5-Drumdial-Drum...726?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item53e390981e

That's the cheapest way I know of. I'd do that and not use the Alesis sounds - use some VST in your computer. The Alesis would be soley a trigger to MIDI input device. The Alesis sounds aren't bad, they're just where the industry was 15+ years ago.
 
The cool thing about the alesis is you can hear the sounds from the brain as you are playing them. With VST's there is latency and other issues to deal with. It's just easier with the brain.
 
If you already have a multi channel interface, in my opinion the cheapest way to accomplish what you are looking for would be to use as much software and as little hardware as possible. In my case, a combination of mics and Radio Shack piezo elements running into my interface and then to a free MIDI trigger VST plug-in then into my favorite drum sample vst. My PC is not by any means top of the line, but I am able to play with about 220 samples of buffer which on my machine, does not give me any problematic amount of latency.
 
I am in a similar situation. I have an M Audio Fast Track Ultra 8R interface and a set of ddrum triggers. My goal is to be able to record 5 midi triggers through 5 seperate inputs on the 8r, while using the other 3 channels for microphones. Is it possible to record like this? If I purchase a midi interface can i output the signals individually into separate channels on the 8r. Any help would be appreciated!
 
jordanhry said:
I am in a similar situation. I have an M Audio Fast Track Ultra 8R interface and a set of ddrum triggers. My goal is to be able to record 5 midi triggers through 5 seperate inputs on the 8r, while using the other 3 channels for microphones. Is it possible to record like this? If I purchase a midi interface can i output the signals individually into separate channels on the 8r. Any help would be appreciated!
Click to expand...

you've kinda got it all wrong...

triggers>drum "brain">midi out>interface(midi in)>vst in DAW

tl:dr you'll need a midi interface that accepts input signals from your triggers AKA a drum "brain"
 
Triggers sense vibrations and, after doing so, deliver a cue to an electronic device. That electronic device reacts to the vibration (at this point the only sound that is audible, comes from an acoustic instrument.) The electronic device; whether it is a Roland TD9, Alesis DM5, or DAW plug-in, then converts the vibration into an audible sound. Depending on the situation, this sound may still have to be amplified.

Each trigger has an audio output. However; the plug-in and/or "brain" determines the audible sound. If you use that output to multi-track on a DAW it, in theory, works just like midi. It is all contingent upon your DAW or your "brain."
The typical use of triggers is to enhance or supplement an existing acoustic drum sound. I am in the process of exploring trigger options that could be changed with the touch of a button, while playing live.

Check out the Korg Wavedrum
 
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