Alesis DM5 question

S

Sky Pilot

New member
Does anyone know if you can inport your own sounds into
the DM5, or are you stuck with the stock sounds? (how are the stock sounds?)

The drummer I play with is wanting to get a unit for triggering
sounds live, and I'm trying to help him out. He is looking to snag one off e-bay cheap if possible. Finances is an issue.

Also, what triggering units would you recommend he look into.
He is new to the world of triggering, so this is a huge step for him.

Thanks for any input.
Sky Pilot
 
No, there's no sound import, or ability to add expansion cards. It's a sealed box, that does what it does :)

Don't forget though, that you can use it to generate MIDI trigger information, and from that you can do anything you like -- trigger another synth/sampler or feed it to the PC and use a soft-synth.

The onboard sounds are ok, not much "multisampling" going on, but I've been spoiled by subsequent purchases.

Triggers can be bought or constructed, I made a set up using 27mm piezo transducers (see Radio Shack/Maplin etc), which were glued to AOL CDs (to increase contact area), and then set between layers of mousemat (foam back, fabric face). They are a bit like practice pads, with wires hanging out :) These plug into the channels on the back of the DM5.

I think the triggers from other drums are fairly interchangeable.

Mike.
 
For the price, the DM5's OK. I've got one, and don't have many complaints about it. Like mjbee said, it's a sealed box.

I haven't tried using it as a MIDI front end yet, although I just picked up a Yamaha TG55 and bought Retro as a soft synth. That may be the next experiment.

The built in sounds on the DM5 are OK-they do the job. The cymbals sound a little funky...
 
I've got my own DM5 questions. With any luck I will make some sense, though it's late and didn't sleep much last night. Here goes nothin'. :)

The drummer in my brother's band two bass drums. One is older than the other, so the sounds are always off just slightly. He also has very fast feet, and clarity can sometimes be less than what is desireable. I'm wondering if a trigger system with the DM5 would possibly provide a solution. What everyone is looking for here is a good clean kick sound that is punchy (read "punishing":D.)

Another desireable feature would be a few of those low frequency "bass drops" that you hear in R&B and similar styles, activated from a pad. Does the DM5 offer anything here?

One attraction to the DM5 is that it is pretty well priced, and if it meets the two basic functions I outlined, there's no point in spending more on features that will go wholey unused. Anyone think the DM5 will be what the band needs?

The midi functions are also promising. In the event that the band needs any additional samples they will likely be sounds not to be found on a drum module; a midi sampler may be purchased in the future.

To restate, do people think this solution is viable? Will the DM5 offer the few sounds that are needed? Thanks in advance.
 
complexprocess said:
He also has very fast feet, and clarity can sometimes be less than what is desireable.
Click to expand...


If the clarity is lost because of the poor drum, then you might get away with using the DM5 to replace the kick sound, especially if you muffle the drum up good so it doesn't make much noise (direct). Stick a trigger on the kick drum and experiment with placing and DM5 setup until you can reliably control the dynamics ...

If it's poor technique, the problems will probably get worse, as the DM5 will have a messy signal to trigger off. Then you'll get a badly triggered punchy nice kick. Ummm ...

I don't recall the DM5 having the R &B "drop" you speak of, but it may be I've just never come across it :)

Mike.
 
on the 'bass drop' question - you can get a good one with the 'sonar wave' bass drum, but it's flat as hell, hit it with some reverb and it's nice
 
I had the DM5 for several years and it sucks for live use.
It's got the slowest triggering interface out there, which means there's a delay between the time you hit it and the time you get the signal.

Tell him to save his money and either invest in a Space Muffins 0.0, a ddrum4, or one of the newer Vdrum brains (Ranging in price between $470 or so, and $1,300.00.)

I wouldn't skimp on triggers either, get the top of the line ddrum triggers for at least the kick and snare, and you could use regular "el cheapo" triggers on the toms.


Tim
 
I've been looking into drum modules lately as well. I like what the DM5 offers, but now that Tim said that it sucks for live use, I'm reconsidering. What would you guys recommend for a decent drum module for live use? I think I only need a few inputs. I need at least two for kick and snare, and maybe a couple more for other things like hats or an extra snare. I checked out the ddrum and vdrum modules but those are crazy expensive. Would it be possible to find an affordable module thats sufficient for live use?

RedHeffer
 
DM5 AND PRO ARE GREAT!

i DON'T AGREE AT ALL WITH TIM ON THE DM5 SUCKING. IT IS ACTUALLY QUITE GOOD. MANY PRO STUDIOS USE THE ALESIS DM5 AND PRO FOR TRIGGERING. WE USE THEM FOR MY BAND AND WE HAVE A REALLY FAST DRUMMER...WITH EXTREMELY FAST FEET. IF SET UP PROPERLY THE DM5 TRIGGERING IS NOT LACKING AT ALL IN SPEED. IF YOU WANT TO HERE WHAT THE DM5 CAN KEEP UP WITH IN TERMS OF SPEED LISTEN TO THIS. tHE SONG IS HATELESS VOID...IT HAS HAS LOTSOF 32ND NOTE BEATS AT VERY HIGH TEMPOS AT THE END AND IT DOESN'T HAVE ANY LATENCY ISSUES. WE ALSO USE THE UNIT LIVE, AND OUR DRUM SOUND IS REDICULOUSLY INTENSE. I TOTALLY RECOMEND IT. I HAVEN'T HEARD ANY FASTER DRUMMING ON HERE THAN MY DRUMMER...SO IF IT WORKS FOR HIM IT WILL WORK FOR YOU MOST LIKELY. LATER

http://www.nowhereradio.com/artists/album.php?aid=2111&alid=-1
 
MOREON TRIGGERS!

ONE MORE THING...I TOTALLY AGREE ON NOT SKIMPING ON THE TRIGGERS. BASS DRUM AND SNARE SHOULD DEFINATELY HAVE GOOD TRIGGERS, BUT TOMS SHOULDN'T GET SHIT TRIGGERS...THE ONE YOU MUST ADHERE YOURSELF BECAUSE IF YOU HIT WITH ANY SORT OF POWER CHANCES ARE YOU ARE GONNA LOOSE THE THING. UNLESS OF COURSE YOU DUCT TAPE THE SHIT OUT OF THEM, AND WHO WANTS TO FUCK UP GOOD HEADS WITH DUCT TAPE. ALSO YOU SHOULD USE MUFFLING OF SOME SORT TO GET THE SENSITIVITY DEAD ON. I USE REMO O'S WHEN I WANT TO USE TRIGGERED SOUNDS. THEY WILL DEFINATELY INCREASE YOU CHANCES OF ACURATE TRIGGERING. TRIGGERS ARE THE SHIT...I DON'T CARE WHO SAYS ANY DIFFERENT. HOPE THIS HELPS A BIT. LET US KNOW WHAT YOU DECIDE TO PURCHASE...AND HOW IT WORKS OUT FOR YOU.
 
Analytical Man,

Try a Dm5 against ANY Vdrum or ddrum brain, and you'll see what I mean.

And if you attempt to trigger MIDI from the DM5, there is a really noticable delay.

I was trying to use it in my homestudio to beef up/add attack to my kicks, and the DM5's signals were going onto tape after the regular kicks sound, so there was a noticable lag.(This recording was happening live.)

Now, for some of you guys - that may be fine, but until the triggering interface can deliver the sound as fast as a real drum- I have no use for them.

The ddrum model is almost flawless, and I've played around with the vdrums a little, and haven't noticed any lag with that unit (top of the line one) either.

From people I've talked to that have sold the dm5 and gone to the cheapest Vdrum brain - I was told the difference was like night and day.


Tim
 
The DM5 DOES have a "Bass drop", if you are talking about that "Going back to Cali" boombox electric bass sound...it's up around 80-99 somewhere in the kick settings, where all the electronic drumsounds are.


Tim
 
Lag On Triggering Units

Ok Tim, We obviously used different methods for triggering. And i was in no way trying to start any flaming here. I never trigger, and mic the bass drums...and mix them. I either mic, or trigger...so i can see where you are coming from there. But even live when we use it i don't notice any latency issues...and niether does our drummer...who is anal and hates triggering the drums. I force him to...hehehehe! I mainly use it for recording where i usually trigger everything, and mic the room, and cymbals...so perhaps i have totally missed the latency issue here. I guess it all depends on how you are gonna use it...i agree that the Ddrum, and Roland Modules are by far superior, but to call the DM5 a peice of junk doen't really do it justice. And for the money it is a good peice of equipment, especially for those who want to just trigger kicks or snares. However some of the sounds could use updating...too much 80's-90's verb on alot of stuff. I have also never used it in a midi chain, which brings me to a question perhaps you can answer. I have a drum machine which has the majority of the sounds of the high end roland modules...can i use the DM5, or DM Pro to trigger sounds from it using midi cables connecting the two. I know there is a way, but i have never done it. And if the latency is a problem i will probably just buy a Vdrum module like the TD 10. I am happy with the Alesis i just want more sounds. If you know of any way this can be done let me know.
 
Re: Lag On Triggering Units

Analytical Man said:
Ok Tim, We obviously used different methods for triggering. And i was in no way trying to start any flaming here. I never trigger, and mic the bass drums...and mix them. I either mic, or trigger...so i can see where you are coming from there. But even live when we use it i don't notice any latency issues...and niether does our drummer...who is anal and hates triggering the drums. I force him to...hehehehe! I mainly use it for recording where i usually trigger everything, and mic the room, and cymbals...so perhaps i have totally missed the latency issue here. I guess it all depends on how you are gonna use it...i agree that the Ddrum, and Roland Modules are by far superior, but to call the DM5 a peice of junk doen't really do it justice. And for the money it is a good peice of equipment, especially for those who want to just trigger kicks or snares. However some of the sounds could use updating...too much 80's-90's verb on alot of stuff. I have also never used it in a midi chain, which brings me to a question perhaps you can answer. I have a drum machine which has the majority of the sounds of the high end roland modules...can i use the DM5, or DM Pro to trigger sounds from it using midi cables connecting the two. I know there is a way, but i have never done it. And if the latency is a problem i will probably just buy a Vdrum module like the TD 10. I am happy with the Alesis i just want more sounds. If you know of any way this can be done let me know.
Click to expand...

Nope, I didn't take it as a flaming war.:D:D That was just my experience with it.
I had to delay all the tracks to line up the Mic'd tracks with the triggered ones. It triggered exactly what I played into it-it was just delayed enough so that it sounded like a slapback echo was on the kick drum....when really I probably needed to have it ahead of the tracks-because you always get the "attack before the boom" in the kick sound.

You can indeed use it to trigger MIDI from another soundsource...which is what I was doing, therein is where the major lag in time REALLY shows up.
Try it

For econo uses, it's not bad, but I just wouldn't use it myself.

I have an old ddrum unit (one of the original ones from the 80's) and I wouldn't use that one either....it is very....how can I put this nicely...it's kind of like an old Simmons unit.

I've been toying with E-drums for almost 20 years...I had a Simmons setup (SDS9), a Pearl X-10 Rack(I think that was the model number...it was a rackmount unit, and sounded just like the Simmons did) and finally the ddrum unit when it was hailed as king of the heap in the late 80's. (Think of the band "Europe" - their drummer used this same ddrum system.

I became interested in E-drums, because the drummer from Manowar used a system called "The Drums of Death System" made by a guy named Vince Gutman (the company was caled "MARC Industries") and they were sort of like JL Cooper...a smaller boutique company that specialized in Electronic drums....it had an onboard "Sampler"(EEPROM Blower) and each drumsound was (supposedly) stored across several EEPROMS so that you got more than an 8-bit storage. (we're talking 1985/86 era here.)

The closest thing I've seen to it is the 0.0 Module by Boom Theory/Space Muffins, but I'm not sure if that unit actually allows for Sampling.

http://www.boomtheory.com/Space/index.html

This system allows you to have up to 8 sounds layered per drum, so that when you hit at different velocities, you get up to 8 different sounds.


Anybody who is really interested in E-drums should join "Logiztics Electronic Drums"...a site for people who DIY E-drums.
It costs 20 for a year to become a member, but you'll learn a ton...it was worth it for me.

http://www.electronicdrums.com/


What really needs to be created is an EXTREMELY fast triggering processor, and a Sampling unit all in one-that does not utilize MIDI to convert the triggers signals to trigger the samples...sort of like a Trigger input straight into each Sample bank.

I fully believe that it is the "Trigger-to-MIDI-to-Sound" process that is the real reason for the latency.


Tim
 
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I picked up an alesis dm4 a couple days ago....I'm loving it. I bought a ddrum trigger for the bass and its great so far. I tried making my own piezo triggers....it worked but not good enough for putting on my toms....I guess I'm gonna get the ddrum triggers for both toms too.

Quick question: For anyone who mic's and triggers drums at the same time. I was planning on triggering my bass drum and my two toms....and then mic'ing the snare and cymbals. Will this work ok? Or will the overheads pick up the acoustic sound of my toms and make it into a big mess?
 
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