TASCAM 2488 and MIDI

  • Thread starter Thread starter Zaphod B
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Zaphod B

Zaphod B

Raccoons-Be-Gone, Inc.
I just popped my MIDI cherry last night. :eek: (Actually, it felt good, and I didn't even bleed! :D )

Can y'all believe that at the age of 52 (and after over 35 years as a musician) I had never actually used a piece of MIDI gear before? Go ahead, laugh, I can take it. :o

Here's the deal. I got a TASCAM 2488 earlier this year and I got tired of dealing with the built-in drum pattern synthesizer. So last weekend I bought a Boss DR-670 drum machine.

These two units seem to integrate seamlessly. The 2488 generates the tempo based on the tempo map you define, and the CD-670 responds accordingly.

For those of you that haven't done this yet on your 2488, here's how:


--Attach a MIDI cable from 2488 MIDI OUT to DR-670 MIDI IN
--Create a new song
--Via the 2488 SYNC/MIDI menu, set the following parameters:
----SOURCE = INTERNAL
----FRAME SET = 30
----OFFSET = 00.00.00.00 (this is used for incoming clock only, so it does not apply here)
----GENERATOR = CLOCK
--Via the 2488 SYNC/MIDI menu, set the tempo map and time signature.

Turn on the DR-670. Pressing START / STOP / Rewind on the 2488 transport controls will control the drum machine. The DR-670 will respond whether it is in the "Pattern Play" mode or the "Song Play" mode. The DR-670 will play at the tempo defined in the 2488 tempo map (whatever tempo was defined in the drum machine is overridden).

I'm still trying to work out how to have the drum machine begin after the beginning of the song. Probably I'll have to create some emply measures.

I'm sure that this is really basic to most of you guys, but it's new to me and I thought I'd share. :)
 
I'm also curious to see if I can get the drum machine synced up to songs that I've already recorded with the internal pattern generator. Based on the odd timing anomalies that I've reported elsewhere, I suspect it may be a challenge.
 
Last night I successfully synced the DR-670 to the 2488 in a song that I had previously recorded with drum patterns from the 2488's tone generator.

Worked like a charm - the timing synchronization was spot on. I was concerned that I might encounter the same timing drift that I had observed with the 2488's click track. But no prob!
 
Great! I don't use MIDI any more because I record real drums now. But for a few years I was quite the MIDI guru (or so I thought)...I wonder if there is a way to go MIDI out of your BOSS into MIDI in of the 2488 to access sounds from the TG of the TASCAM. I'm sure the BOSS has a full library of sounds, but it might give you access to a few more. As much as I think the Drum Machine section of the 2488 is terrible, the actual drum sounds aren't bad at all.
 
I agree, RAMI - the 2488 drum sounds are good, and the patterns are good. The interface makes using the patterns a lot like searching for a needle in a haystack, though. And while you can use any available pattern with any available drum kit, the patterns and kits themselves cannot be edited.

The Boss DR-670 can act as either MIDI slave or master according to its documentation. It is also capable of doing bulk MIDI data dumps and loads. (Whatever that means.)

The 2488 can also act as either a master or slave.

I guess the problem would be in trying to map the 2488's kits and patterns in some way to make them accessible for control by the Boss.

At any rate, the Boss has 200 preset patterns and 64 preset drum kits. Any of the patterns or kits can be copied to user memory and fully edited. (200 user slots for patterns, 64 user slots for kits.) And you can create patterns completely from scratch either in real time (by playing it on the keypad) or by doing note-for-note programming. So for the time being I'll be concentrating on the Boss - it's made the percussion part of the process actually fun, rather than a chore!
 
Hey Zaphod, that is cool, I've never messed with MIDI and that's the first time I've seen a "how to". I'll have to try that. I have an Alesis drum machine, wonder if it will work the same. Not to change the subject, but Dr. Who is closing the Tascam forums site?
 
Yeah that is cool. I keep telling myself I'll get around to midi funtions on the 2488 but never do. I do use midi a lot to develop backing tracks for live work but never have for recording.
 
fenderdude said:
Hey Zaphod, that is cool, I've never messed with MIDI and that's the first time I've seen a "how to". I'll have to try that. I have an Alesis drum machine, wonder if it will work the same. Not to change the subject, but Dr. Who is closing the Tascam forums site?
Click to expand...
fenderdude, I would think that if the Alesis has standard MIDI compatibility then it would work just fine.

And yes, it looks like Dr. Who is having to shut down the TASCAM forums. :(
 
And the reason is?....??./

Zaphod B said:
fenderdude, I would think that if the Alesis has standard MIDI compatibility then it would work just fine.

And yes, it looks like Dr. Who is having to shut down the TASCAM forums. :(
Click to expand...

WHY? :confused:
 
A couple of things to try:

Does the Boss drum have the ability to send midi notes out? The Alesis does, I assume the Boss would also. Turn that on, but.....

If your Boss drum machine has the ability to, turn off it's midi clock send so that it does not send midi timing data out of its midi out port. It will be slaved to the 2488.

Then connect a midi cord from Boss midi out to 2488 midi in. 2488 midi will have to be set to TG.

Then if you can get your Boss to send or "echo" midi notes out when it plays, and if the 2488 will receive those midi notes coming in, then if - for example - you match the Boss kick drum note being sent out with the 2488 kick drum note it expects to receive, I would guess the Boss would be able to play drum tracks using the 2488 drum sounds.

might be worth a try....
 
Sorry to see you go.

Zaphod B said:
"Why" to which statement? :confused:
Click to expand...

Why would Dr. Who shut down the Tascam forum? I for one am sorry to see that happen. However, sometimes I thought that there were more user problems than there were solutions from Tascam techs. Only MO. :o
 
BMWerks, he shut down because of the $$$ cost of maintaining the site. Dr. Who was not getting any financial support from TASCAM, and it apparently just got too expensive.

If you'll surf over to the TASCAM forum site, Dr. Who has a statement posted that the boards will be back up by Dec 14, and he's asking for contributions. I'll be sending one his way shortly.
 
Thanks Zaphod B, Senior Member, for responding.

"Dr. Who was not getting any financial support from TASCAM"

Pitty. Really. As it might seem that it's Tascam who would most benefit from those forums. No?
 
BMWerks said:
Pitty. Really. As it might seem that it's Tascam who would most benefit from those forums. No?
Click to expand...
Yes, you'd think so - it takes a lot of the heat off of their infamously crappy customer support.

No matter. Hopefully the boards will be back up and running before too long.
 
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