Electric Drum Recording Question

[marcc182]

So, I've got an electric drumset, a Hayman DD10, or other names: Millenium MPS-400, Medeli DD-506 and so on.. I've bought this set so I can record easily for my band, without buying expensive drum mics. So, I've searched some forums, and people say you need some kind of MIDI things. But I thought, it could be easily done with a USB cable and software. How does this work? So I searched for an possible solution, I found a cable. I can't post images so if you want to see what I mean, search ''midi to usb'' in Google Images. With this cable, can I plug it in and record with Cubase? Or must it be done another way? If that's so, can you explain me it, in a way I don't need too much expensive stuff? Thanks for reading!

A noob.

 

[Xdrummer]

Before USB was avaiable MIDI was the standard interface - and everyone needed a MIDI input/output on their computers. After USB cam out, some instruments used USB instead of MIDI. However, as you have already determined - there are MID to USB converters which allow the two types of devices to interface.

In answer to your question, if you interface the MIDI from your edrums to USB on your computer (using the converter) - then yes, you should be able to record to Cubase.

Note: things get a little tricky when assgning MIDI channels. There are 16 MIDI channels that will feed to your USB - so you have to make sure that the drums are sending the signal on the same MIDI channel that Cubase is set to recieve ........ industry standard is to use MIDI channel 10 for drums.

 

[Guitargodgt]

Naw man midi is fucking midi. The "language" of midi hasn't changed. You can read a book from the 80s on midi and it will be just as relavent today as it was then. The only thing that has changed is how many methods there are to get it into your computer.

That said, yes you can use one of those 5 pin midi to usb devices to use your e kits midi out port.

There are 3 that come to mind for cheap:

M audio midisport usb uno
Rolland UM-1EX/UM 1
Yamaha UX16

Also:

You can set cubase's midi/instrument tracks to receive any midi info coming in (ch: ANY) or set it to your e kits output ch (probably 10 like Xdrummer said).


Also *important:

Midi is nothing more than data that "tells" a device or vitual instrument how to act. The midi itself does not contain any sort of sound. Think of it as directions on how a piece of software or hardware should behave. So you have to tell that midi information where to go (either back out to your e kit or directed to a loaded VST instrument inside cubase).

 

[marcc182]

Thanks for all your replies, it helps me alot. I did some more research on this and I came out on a guy who says he records with a jack plugged into the computer from his kit and records with Audacity. This will save me some money. If this is possible, will it give me good quality drums?