EZDrummer2 and HiHat control

[Prime Mover]

Curious, one of the weird downsides to EZD1 is that you can only use CC HiHat control from the Solo app and not the plugin. I always prefer to use the plugin, but I play on an Alesis DM10, so this is problematic. Along with the other new features of EZD2, this might tip me over the edge, but obviously it’s such a specific request (though I do see a lot of people complain about it), that of course Toontrack isn’t listing those kinds of changes on their new feature list. Anyone at Toontrack able to confirm whether this new feature is in? I’d love to see a complete new features list for EZDrummer2.

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[Olof Westman]

Are you thinking about e-drum use? I.e. a MIDI note mapping that suits the default mapping of your e-drum brain. CC-control of the hihat has always been available in the EZXs.

Olof Westman - Toontrack
Coder

[Prime Mover]

Yes, but only through the standalone “Toontrack Solo” app. Since I primarily work out of a DAW (MOTU DP8), this is more than a little problematic. I’d like to be able to process drum outputs separately, and have the benefit of working all in one environment, I can’t do that through the standalone. I’ve currently got “Toontrack Solo” setup so that I can use eDrums, but the workflow is stilted at best (no fault of Toontrack). I have to use Soundflower to return the audio to DP8, and so far I’ve only gotten it to work with one stereo audio track, and not on independent busses. If there’s some way of gaining eDrum control within the plugin version of EZD, then PLEASE let me know, but all the literature and posts I’ve read so far suggest otherwise.

[Olof Westman]

There will be something in EZ2 that corresponds to what you do in Solo to make e-drums work. It is a bit more detailed and more similar to the e-drum presets in S2. >If there’s some way of gaining eDrum control within the plugin version of EZD… >…all the literature and posts I’ve read so far suggest otherwise. EZ1 has a fixed MIDI mapping so you have to change the mapping of your e-drums in order to hit the hatsTrig articulation. And even then your hihat pedal CC values may not have a suitable range and, err, linearity. We recommend S2 for e-drummers. There you can change the MIDI mapping and tweak the CC-response of the hihat.

Olof Westman - Toontrack
Coder

[Prime Mover]

It’s not that I’m having trouble with the response curve or any of the settings. At least within Toontrack Solo, it feels great. But in EZD plugin, CC4 flat out doesn’t work AT ALL. The DM10 has a internal response curve settings that are very customizable and realistic (so not necessary for me to have those settings in EZD or SD). Maybe I’ll wait till May 6th and caught up $100 for EZD2. I definitely want to get SD2 some day, but I can’t budget for that right now. If there’s any work arounds to get the EZD plugin to map CC4 to hi hat, I’m not afraid to write a Max/MSP plugin, or do some programing to do some manual remapping, but I don’t know what the mappings currently are so that I can translate to them. What exactly is the process that Toontrack Solo is doing? I may be able to simply use a remapping plugin within DP8. However, it strikes me that EZD Plugin only can receive individual notes, which means that it doesn’t have a wide range of samples. But strangely, inside Toontrack Solo, CC4 seems to be able to trigger a nice gradation of open/close samples… How can I trigger those samples within the EZD Plugin? They must be there!

[Olof Westman]

> But in EZD plugin, CC4 flat out doesn’t work AT ALL. CC1 and CC4 both control the openness of the hihat. That is not where the problem sits. However, you need to send the ‘hits’ on your hihat to the correct MIDI note that is ‘CC Variable’. Take a look at the MIDI layout in the help menu of EZdrummer. It may actually not include this articulation depending on how old that pdf is. Some user has assembled lots of MIDI mappings here: https://www.toontrack.com/forum/tm.aspx?m=97524 Look for the hatsTrig, hatsTipTrig and the like. >…gradation of open/close samples… How can I trigger those samples … There are many articulations available for hihats. They vary a little from library to library but a typical set is : Tight Close Open 1 Open 2 Open 3 Open 4 You should be able to spot those in the MIDI layouts in the EZdrummer help menu and in the collection in the link above.

Olof Westman - Toontrack
Coder

[Prime Mover]

That’s it! Thank you. Of all things the DM10 does NOT allow you to remap the HiHat (it does everything else but Hat, Crash, and Ride). HOWEVER, I was able to find a slick little workaround in Digital Performer. I created a Custom MIDI Map and used a midi insert plugin on the MIDI track to remap Bb1 to F#-1. So the drum track may contain Bb1 (what the DM10 puts out), but by the time it’s received by EZD it’s been remapped to F#-1 (EZDs hatsTrig), and it does this in real time so it works if I’m playing live or playing back the track. Neat! Thanks again, this solves all my problems. I was originally under the impression that the EZD Plugin simply didn’t read the CC4, glad I was wrong.

[Olof Westman]

Glad to be of help!

Olof Westman - Toontrack
Coder

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