clued out

[badassmak]

In my neverending quest for electronic drums, I have decided to try and work out some through the use of MIDI.

I am really new to the world of MIDI first off.

Specifically, what I want to do is to program a beat into my boss dr 600, run it into cubase sx via my soundblaster midi port, recording a midi track. Then I just want to replace the crappy sounds from my drum machine.

Is this possible? Are these really dumb questions?

I have figured out how to ensure that the right inputs and outputs are selected, but I cant get it to do much in the way of different sounds. For the most part its still the same drum machine sound, or if i change the drum map or output, i get a cheesy piano sound.

I know that the drum machine isnt the best choice for a controller but its all i have. I think this scenario would really work well if I could just change the crappy sounds.

Anyhow, thanks for your time.

 

[AlChuck]

Yes, it's very possible.

With what you have, you could record the MIDI data from your drum machine, then route it to the Sound Font player with some good drum Sound Fonts loaded up. Or you could route it to a softsynth drum machine like Battery, or out the MIDI interface to any external module or sampler.

 

[badassmak]

Ok here goes again. I don't have soundfonts (I'm pretty damn sure of this I went looking around and stuff), and from what I see it is gonna cost money (which I dont have).

its a soundblaster16

Maybe Im wrong ? ...

I may have made a little bit more headway in that to use drum sounds only I have to make sure it is set to channel 10 right?

I am using cubase sx, because my n-track is to unstable for midi i am finding (to prone to crashing).

Maybe I should be posting this in the cubase forum too, but I dont wanna sin and crosspost .

Basically I am still geting either the cheesy piano, or the generic drum sound. I am going for more of a "heavy" sounding kit.

One thing I did notice, is that all the drum maps are vastly different...ie, the kick is never in the same spot from map to map, so depending on the map when I switch it, it might be playing a kick or it might be playing a woodblock, triangle, flute or whatever.

Ever use a flute to keep time ?...

Even still, throught the changing of the maps, if I manually put notes into the drum editor (for example whereever the kick exists), all the kicks sound the same.

 

[badassmak]

Image showing how its setup initially

 

[badassmak]

then I change the drum map to a rockdrumkit

 

[badassmak]

And the only noticable difference is that when I open the drum editor, all the parts of the drum are moved around. So when I take my little drumstick Icon and begin placing beats manually in the kickdrum row, it sounds exactly the same. I thought it might have been the drummap I loaded so I tried lots of other ones to but to no avail.

What am I doing wrong?



















Thanks again BTW!!!




Signed : The Ass...

 

[James Argo]

Drum map wont give you anything if you don't have either soft synth (Software based synth / sampler) or external MIDI device to gain better sound. It's just route inserted notes to certain re-deffined key of particular given synths Drummap changes those notes value to match the assigned devices. The devices then make the sound triggered by the notes. SBPCI 16 is not supporting soundfonts as I consider. You're gonna make it somewhere if you consider to replace it (even it's brother SB Live! will be alot better as it supports soundfonts. Better card preferable). Otherwise, use any available softsynth (or soundfonts player eg. LiveSynth Pro, VirtualSampler, etc...). I don't use Cubase, so I don't have a clue about compatible softsynths available.


Hope it helps

Jaymz

 

[badassmak]

ahh crap, that was kinda my sneaking suspicion about the sb16 . I'll keep this in mind for later, thanks anyways.

 

[mbuster]

I've been kind of dealing with the same problem. I'm finally sick of the sounds in my drum machine, but I'm so used to programming the damn thing I dont want to get rid of it. So now I'm experimenting with actually recording the MIDI data from the machine instead of separate audio tracks. I hate it. I haven't found anything yet that sounds any better than what I already have, and most sounds are even worse. What I want are some realistic drum samples I can trigger with my pads. I just don't know where to look, I guess.

 

[badassmak]

Yea, I hear ya totally. I find programming the sounds on my drum machine to be by far the easiest as well as fun (drumming with my fingers, ya know?), but the sounds are just not cutting it. I've been looking at pcdrummer for quite some time now, as it is a self contained drumming program, where you can use whatever .wav file you've got or can find for sounds.

My problem is a severe lack of funds right now, basically I won't even be affording guitar strings for a while, let alone another soundcard. (I've already got three running on this puter anyhow).

However if the soundcard is the root of my problems, then most definately down the road I'll be getting one better suited for midi purposes.

 

[James Argo]

However if the soundcard is the root of my problems, then most definately down the road I'll be getting one better suited for midi purposes.

That's it And regardless to any attribute attached to Creative's SB Live! / Audigy / Audigy 2 cards, either of them realy good yet cheap for regular average MIDI work