New to computer software

[fulrmr]

Ok, first I’m really confused about signal path. What exactly do I need to get from my triggers to the software and back out to my console to play SD2 live? I’ve been racking my brains trying to figure out if I wanted to upgrade to a higher end processor or purchase software. I have an old Alesis D4 and a roland TD-3. Looking really hard at the TD-20. SD2 sounds so much better and seems to be so much more versatile than the modules, but I have no idea how to get started. I know that I need to get a better laptop but other than that I have no idea what other hardware I need. HELP! I really want this software.

DYI Acoustic Pearl Forums 7 piece conversion, 56 Input MegaDrum, Roland TD-3, Alesis D4, AMD Phenom x4 9650 (2.4GHz) Quad Core, 8g RAM,

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[playz123]

If your keyboards already have MIDI then next you need a way to get MIDI from your keyboard into the computer so that it can trigger the drum software….so you require a computer with a MIDI interface…. and a digital audio interface and lots of RAM and, if possible, the computer should be tweaked for music. Then you may wish invest in a host application for Superior Drummer. Finally you would send the audio from the drums out to the audio interface then on to an amp and speakers, so you can hear it. In brief, that is one way to do it. Hope that helps………….playz

PS: “SD2” is the official commercial designation for StormDrum 2 from EastWest. In case you ever post on other forums, best to be aware of that.  It’s slightly unfortunate that Superior Drummer 2 has the same abreviation. I have both so I must be extra careful! 

3.5 GHz Mac Pro, 36 GB RAM, OS 10.12.6, RME Multiface II + HPSP PCIe, Cubase10.0.2, EZDrummer, Superior Drummer 3, All EZXs, Battery 3, Komplete 11, BWW, VoP, Venus, Mars, Most Spitfire libraries, Omnisphere, Trilian, Stylus RMX, Symphobia 1 & 2 etc.

[fulrmr]

No keyboards, just drums with triggers. So.. lets see if I get this. From my edrums to my drum module or trigger I/O. Out of the module (MIDI) to an audio interface or trigger I/O (USB?) to my laptop? Through the Superior Drummer 2.0 software. Out of my laptop via firewire or usb (which is better?) back into an audio interface. Then to my sound board (mixer) and out through the FOH. Do you have any suggestions for interfaces or other hardware I might need. I’m on a budget? The laptop will be my big ticket item.
 
Oh by the way, thanks, I did not know about the “Storm Drum” thing. Never heard of it.

DYI Acoustic Pearl Forums 7 piece conversion, 56 Input MegaDrum, Roland TD-3, Alesis D4, AMD Phenom x4 9650 (2.4GHz) Quad Core, 8g RAM,

[playz123]

Re: “Out of the module (MIDI) to an audio interface”
—No, that would be out of the device you are using > a MIDI interface. You need to send MIDI into the computer to trigger Superior, not audio. C/o the MIDI interfaces at M-Audio for example. But for a MIDI audio interface combined (may be the least expensive option for you), c/o the Presonus FireBox, for example:
http://www.presonus.com/products/Detail.aspx?ProductId=4

Re: “Out of my laptop via firewire or usb (which is better?) back into an audio interface”
—The best digital audio interface performance is first via a PCIe card, then via firewire and in last place via USB. ‘On-board’ audio devices that come with a computer are not recommended, and normally should be disabled.

You may wish to provide information here re on WHICH laptop you plan to use (PC? Mac? O/S? etc.)

EDIT Level 3: please don’t post links to other drum sampler companies… it is OK to talk about them but I’m sure interested parties can use a search engine and we’d like to think being liberal does not mean everything should be permitted 😉

3.5 GHz Mac Pro, 36 GB RAM, OS 10.12.6, RME Multiface II + HPSP PCIe, Cubase10.0.2, EZDrummer, Superior Drummer 3, All EZXs, Battery 3, Komplete 11, BWW, VoP, Venus, Mars, Most Spitfire libraries, Omnisphere, Trilian, Stylus RMX, Symphobia 1 & 2 etc.

[fulrmr]

RE:You may wish to provide information here re on WHICH laptop you plan to use (PC? Mac? O/S? etc.)

Well, I really don’t have any particular brand in mind, however I’ve been looking at a Toshiba Qosmio X305-Q725.
• Intel® Core™ 2 Quad processor Q9000   o 2.0GHz, 6MB L2 Cache, 1066MHz FSB
   • Mobile Intel® PM45 Express Chipset
• 384GB using two hard disk drives;  o Primary drive: 64GB Serial ATA solid state drive
  o Secondary drive: 320GB (7200 RPM) Serial ATA hard disk drive 
• Configured with 4GB PC3 8500 DDR3 SDRAM (both memory slots may be occupied). Maximum capacity 4GB
                                                        
• NVIDIA® GeForce® 9800M GTX, 1GB GDDR3 discrete graphics

   memory, plus up to 1791MB dynamically allocated shared graphics   memory using NVIDIA® TurboCache™ technology.
  o Total Available Graphics memory 2815MB (64-bit version)
• Genuine Windows Vista® Ultimate (SP1, 64-bit version)
• Genuine Windows Vista® Ultimate (SP1, 32-bit version)
( The specs say it has both operating systems ( it actually says “selectable”) unless I read it wrong. I thought that it might be a optional dual boot system because of all the 32 to 64 bit crossover application problems. Sure would solve alot of issue if it does. If not i guess I’ll just get the 32 bit version for S2.0 unless the 64 bit is on it’s way soon)
Ports
• Video o RGB (monitor) output port
o REGZA LINK™ (HDMI-CEC)
o 1080p support
• Audio
o S/P DIF output port (shared with headphone port)
o Microphone input port
o Headphone output port
• Data
o i.LINK™ IEEE-1394
o USB v2.0 – 4 ports with USB Sleep and Charge13
o 3 x USB v2.0
o 1 x eSATA/USB combo port
o RJ-45 LAN port
o RJ-11 modem port
(so this thing has both Firewire and USB. I’m not sure if the firewire is 400 or 800 though. I just want the least amount of latency especially for live performance. Recording is not an immediate issue but will definitely be on the horizon.)

Hey do I need some sort of recording host software to do what I have been taking about (for the live stuff) or are all the applications I need included in the S2.0 software? The laptop alone costs the same as the TD-20 with the new expansion board, but if I can get everything organized I think in the long run I will be more satisfied with the software if I can get a grip how to use it and set it up correctly. I really appreciate all the info your sharing. I’m starting to comprehend the scope of things a little better.

DYI Acoustic Pearl Forums 7 piece conversion, 56 Input MegaDrum, Roland TD-3, Alesis D4, AMD Phenom x4 9650 (2.4GHz) Quad Core, 8g RAM,

[eamon7]

we have already discussed this through e-mail but i’ll post this up in case anyone else is wondering how too.
 
 an alesis i/o for $150 is all you need to get started. you will also need toontrack solo (free to registerd users)which will work as the host. use asio 4 all (free) as the sound drivers and the computers built in soundcard will work fine. this setup will give you a 10 piece kit. i use a dell gx260 pc with 512 ram, 2.3 ghz, and it works fine. no latency. simply plug your alesis i/o into the usb and open toontrack solo. take the output from your pc or laptop and go into the mixing console.
 
   now if you need more than 10 inputs then toontrack solo will not work and they need to fix this cause it sucks that it doesn’t. toontrack solo only supports one input. come on guys. one input? so to use a second alesis i/o you will need something to host the program in a standalone mode. any good recording software that supports ez drummer and sd2 will work. sonar 7 works, but i use mixcraft4 by http://www.acoustica.com hey its $65 and it works great. another nice thing about mixcraft4 is that i can record our drummer playing in the midi mode and when i play it back it triggers sd2. handy for soundcheck or setting up the sound as i don’t need the drummer present plus he can go out front and hear what his drums sound like through the p.a system. you can also globally add effects to the kit besides the ones that come with sd2.  works great.

[Jason Runyon]

Well for many people, their onboard soundcard won’t cut it even with the ASIO4all drivers.  In this case, a dedicated audio interface is the solution. 

If you have a midi interface on your computer (not to be confused with a trigger to midi interface[TMI] such as a drum module or trigger i/o) then one solution is to use a midi merge box.  I bought one for around $60, and it allows me to merge the midi from a ddrum module and a TMC6 into 1 midi send that goes to my M-Audio firewire 410.  Neither module supports midi thru, so this was the only solution I could find.

J

[fulrmr]

The midi merger sounds like the ticket! I was thinking of using one of those to link my TD-3 and D4 together to give me the amount of inputs that i wanted until I could get my TD-20 this summer. I was also thinking of maybe linking two Alesis i/Os together via usb this way and then outputting the signal via midi directly into my FireBox instead of using my D4 just so I could have some updated equipment in my signal path. Then out to my PA. Not sure if this will work though.

DYI Acoustic Pearl Forums 7 piece conversion, 56 Input MegaDrum, Roland TD-3, Alesis D4, AMD Phenom x4 9650 (2.4GHz) Quad Core, 8g RAM,

[fulrmr]

Oh, just an update. I took the plunge. I purchased a desk top instead of the laptop. More bang for the buck. Quad core AMD Phenom, 8 gigs of RAM, 750g hard drive. It came with Vista Home Premium 64bit. (I figured S2.0 will go 64bit eventually) I’m in the process of partitioning and installing a 32 bit os to run S2.0. Not exactly up my alley so I’m moving slow and trying to get all the info I can so I don’t screw something up. The case is small and lite so it won’t be that much of a hassle lugging it around. I figured gamers do it, so why can’t I. Once I get the os on I’ll boot up S2.0 and get it registered so I can start the the next step of my quest.

DYI Acoustic Pearl Forums 7 piece conversion, 56 Input MegaDrum, Roland TD-3, Alesis D4, AMD Phenom x4 9650 (2.4GHz) Quad Core, 8g RAM,

[fulrmr]

Well, so much for moving slow. The Acronis software i used to make my partition ate my pc! I had to order new OS software from HP just to get it back to factory specs. Still waiting for them to arrive. What a nightmare! Never giving up though.

DYI Acoustic Pearl Forums 7 piece conversion, 56 Input MegaDrum, Roland TD-3, Alesis D4, AMD Phenom x4 9650 (2.4GHz) Quad Core, 8g RAM,

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