Pro Tools M-Powered 8 & Superior 2.1 Start-up

[Eric Shults]

Just got PT 8 and Superior 2.1 set-up and was wondering if someone could point me in the right direction on detailed instructions on how to get this to work in Pro Tools?
First off, I am using a Hart electric drumset with the Roland TD-3 module. My whole purpose in buying this set software is to use the superb sounds off of Superior instead of the entry level Roland TD-3 sounds while recording my bands music. I would appreciate any info you guys can give to make it easier. Being a rock drummer, I do not know a whole lot about midi. I am using a Fast Track ULtra 8R interface from M-Audio.
The manual for Superior says to select my drum TD-3 module from DVD 1- I opened up DVD 1 and I cannot find it. So I am a little confused.
 
Thanks in advance for your time.

Topic

[Brad]

Hi;
   So can you tell me how far you have gotten in your setup? Product installed, created a session with SD2 on an instrument track. Just don’t want to go over information you already know.

Mac Studio M1 Max, RAM 64 GB, 1TB Drive, OSX 12.x/13.x and Windows 10 (VM)
DAW: Studio One 5/6, Pro Tools Studio
DTX Express III (Extreme triggers), Nektar LX88
OWC Thunderbay Mini (4 X 1TB Sata SSD), Express 4M2 (4 X 2TB M.2 SSD), Envoy Express (1TB M.2 SSD)
Presonus Quantum, Faderport & Faderport 8
Black Lion Sparrow Mk2 A/D, FMR-RNP-RNC, MIDI Xpress 128, BM5A, KRK VXT4, Equator D5
2020 Macbook Pro 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD Audio(mobile rig)

[Eric Shults]

I have gotten all installed. That’s it! I know how to insert on a track like any other plug in. I want to record me playing on a song and then come back and pick sounds for the bass drum, snare etc while also being able to control the drums in the mix for example if I want to make the kick louder or ride cymbal I can.
I am trying to figure out where EZ Player Pro comes into play. I have an idea as it has to do with midi but that’s it.
I also understand I am supposed to connect the midi out of my module to the midi in on my Fast Track Ultra 8R. I know that’s how you get it in to Pro Tools….some I know but some is very confusing to me.
 
Thanks in advance for your help.
I REALLY appreciate your time.
 
Look foward to learning more from you.

[Brad]

I’ll get infront of my rig and do a walk-thru this evening… (day job so much gets in the way)  😉

Mac Studio M1 Max, RAM 64 GB, 1TB Drive, OSX 12.x/13.x and Windows 10 (VM)
DAW: Studio One 5/6, Pro Tools Studio
DTX Express III (Extreme triggers), Nektar LX88
OWC Thunderbay Mini (4 X 1TB Sata SSD), Express 4M2 (4 X 2TB M.2 SSD), Envoy Express (1TB M.2 SSD)
Presonus Quantum, Faderport & Faderport 8
Black Lion Sparrow Mk2 A/D, FMR-RNP-RNC, MIDI Xpress 128, BM5A, KRK VXT4, Equator D5
2020 Macbook Pro 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD Audio(mobile rig)

[Eric Shults]

Brad,
 
Thanks for being so kind. I am so excited to get this from you.
 
Hopefully someday I can help you out.
 
Appreciate Bro.
 
My wife will be so glad that I can leave her alone now. I’ve been getting her Brain as mixed up as mine LOL!!!
 
I’ll be looking for it.
 
Thanks again
Eric

[Brad]

(sorry this was a little late… planning my wife’s birthday today)
So by saying you want to record yourself and then select which pieces of a kit ultimately used, I assume you want to record MIDI trigger by your kit and then tweak the samples used by SD2 (and be able to punch in a little here and there to tidy things up)…

I’m not sure which platform you are using Mac or PC; (please update your profile, btw, it helps us help), so I must assume as well you have been able to able to get to the point to you can create a MIDI track with your TD-3 as input. If not we can go through that although there’s plenty of information here and at DUC about getting a MIDI device connected to PT.

For SD2 I will go through the basics, I won’t get into multiple outputs and such at this point.

So starting a new session;
– Create a stereo master fader
– Create a stereo instrument track (rename SD2)
– Create a MIDI track (rename TD3)
– Create a mono instrument (EZplayer)
– Set “View > Mix Window View > Instruments” (make sure is has a check next to it) This will display a section above the track inserts to setup I/O for instruments.
– Set “View > Mix Window View > Insert A-E” (to display the first set of inserts). If you’re not sure about these; deselect and see how the screen changes and then reselect, these are your insert points.
– (on TD3) in the MIDI input selector pull down select your TD-3 device (slide over and make sure it says all channel)
– (on SD2) in the first insert position “Multi-Channel plug-in > Instrument > Superior Drummer Multiout (Stereo)”, there should be a nice graphic drum kit now…
– (on SD2) in the “Midi Input Selector” this is the section on the channel strip above the insert, there should be a button (pulldown), which displays “all” Pull down TD-3, slide to the right and make sure “all channels is highlighted”
– If the brain on your TD-3 kit is turned on, hit the snare drum and see if the levels on SD2 react. (they should)

Quick tutorial on EZPlayer; (and I am assuming the MIDI libraries are in their default locations)

– (on EZPlayer) select the first insert point, “plug-in > Instrument > EZPlayer (mono)” Nice EZPlayer graphic should be displayed.
– (on SD2) in the “Midi Input Selector” this is the section on the channel strip above the insert, pull down “EZplayer out 1” > “all channels”
– (on SD2) arm the channel to record
– In the EZPlayer graphic select a groove to preview and you should hear it through SD2.
– You can drag and drop the grooves to (SD2) and they will play by triggering the PT transport
– You can assemble entire performances in EZplayer… more than I can cover here for sure

This is enough to get you started, I haven’t covered a lot here, just the basics… there’s multi-channel routing and using the mixer in SD2 that you will discover gives you unlimited flexibility.

Let us know how you get along…

Mac Studio M1 Max, RAM 64 GB, 1TB Drive, OSX 12.x/13.x and Windows 10 (VM)
DAW: Studio One 5/6, Pro Tools Studio
DTX Express III (Extreme triggers), Nektar LX88
OWC Thunderbay Mini (4 X 1TB Sata SSD), Express 4M2 (4 X 2TB M.2 SSD), Envoy Express (1TB M.2 SSD)
Presonus Quantum, Faderport & Faderport 8
Black Lion Sparrow Mk2 A/D, FMR-RNP-RNC, MIDI Xpress 128, BM5A, KRK VXT4, Equator D5
2020 Macbook Pro 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD Audio(mobile rig)

[Eric Shults]

Thanks Brad. I am going to try this late today. What does Easyplayer have to do with this set-up? Just for midi purposes only right?
 
Thanks again. I’ll post after I try.
Eric

[Brad]

Yes, unlike EZDrummer which has a built-in browser, SD2 requires an external way to preview MIDI grooves. EZPlayer drives the MIDI notes and control data, triggering SD2 samples (in simple context, in reality it does much more).

Mac Studio M1 Max, RAM 64 GB, 1TB Drive, OSX 12.x/13.x and Windows 10 (VM)
DAW: Studio One 5/6, Pro Tools Studio
DTX Express III (Extreme triggers), Nektar LX88
OWC Thunderbay Mini (4 X 1TB Sata SSD), Express 4M2 (4 X 2TB M.2 SSD), Envoy Express (1TB M.2 SSD)
Presonus Quantum, Faderport & Faderport 8
Black Lion Sparrow Mk2 A/D, FMR-RNP-RNC, MIDI Xpress 128, BM5A, KRK VXT4, Equator D5
2020 Macbook Pro 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD Audio(mobile rig)

[Eric Shults]

Brad, everything worked just as you said. AWESOME stuff Bro. So let’s go to the next step. Now I have “learned” all my drums and cymbals and everything works great. My next question is when I strike my drums or cymbals live, I still hear the sounds from the TD-3. I didn’t record anything – I ran out of time – but when I do tomorrow on Sunday, how will I replace the sounds from the TD-3 with the sounds of Superior 2.1? I am starting to grasp this thanks to you. Your an asset to this community! Am I looking to do this on the Pro Tools track you had me set up for – Midi, the Track for Superior , or EZ Player track?
Also when I record tomorrow do I arm the Midi, Superior and EZ player track for record in Pro Tools or just one or a combination of these?
 
I am getting there. I have printed out all your instructions so far. LOL!! I know this is sooooo basic to you…and I apologize in advance for the newbie issues. I feel like a 3 year old asking all these silly questions…but rockers don’t do midi LOL.
 
I sincerly hope I haven’t taken away from your wife’s birthday weekend.
 
Eric

[Jason Runyon]

Hi,

First off, all you need to record the midi is to have a midi cable going from the out on the TD3 to the in on your interface.  You don’t need any other cables going to or from your module.  You should be monitoring with headphones or speakers from your interface, not the drum module.  Also, you won’t see “TD3” as an option under the midi source, you should just see Fast Track, and you can select a specific midi channel or All.  The Audio output should be set to your interface outputs that have speakers connected, or you can use headphones.

Also, question for Brad.  Why does he need a midi track, a mono instrument, and EZplayer at all if he is the drummer playing the drum parts?  My understanding is that EZPlayer is for dragging and dropping the midi grooves and building a drum track, something a non drummer would want to do…..for the most part.

I’ve never used so many tracks just to record a drum part in PTs.  All I do to record with S2, is create a stereo instrument track, insert S2, record arm and go.  You can listen to the samples from S2 while playing, rather than the TD3 sounds.  Once you have the midi performance complete, you can go in and tweak until your hearts content in the S2 mixer including switching drums, FX, panning, all that after the midi is recorded on the instrument track.

J

[Brad]

Well I’ll tell you, I’ve played drums for about 40 years now… dragging and dropping someone else’s grooves just seems easier once in a while, especially if I’m composing… (then again I don’t just play drums either). He also asked about EZPlayer so I thought a quick how to was in order. And yes, I don’t have the audio cables from my DTX connected as well, it’s all MIDI. Again I make my own libraries of fills, grooves, and whatever and preview them in EZplayer. Different workflow, different approach man.

Anyway, this is my approach when using a mix of pre-programmed grooves that I may augment on the fly with my own. Gives me the flexibility I need when I’m building. Interesting comment about not seeing TD3 as a MIDI device as in AMS you have the option of naming devices, which show up in the pull down list, for example DTXIII is a MIDI device I have configured in AMS that shows up in PT.

However as Jrummer pointed out, you won’t be recording the audio from your TD3, you will be tracking MIDI events which drives SD2. So if you have it set up according to my long winded reply, then you arm the MIDI track and record MIDI events. Again as Jrummer pointed out you could simply setup one SD track with the MIDI input set to all instead of setting up a separate MIDI track (this is just my workflow)…

To use EZplayer (for working with the Nir Z,etc grooves) you would still need to setup a separate mono instrument track.

Mac Studio M1 Max, RAM 64 GB, 1TB Drive, OSX 12.x/13.x and Windows 10 (VM)
DAW: Studio One 5/6, Pro Tools Studio
DTX Express III (Extreme triggers), Nektar LX88
OWC Thunderbay Mini (4 X 1TB Sata SSD), Express 4M2 (4 X 2TB M.2 SSD), Envoy Express (1TB M.2 SSD)
Presonus Quantum, Faderport & Faderport 8
Black Lion Sparrow Mk2 A/D, FMR-RNP-RNC, MIDI Xpress 128, BM5A, KRK VXT4, Equator D5
2020 Macbook Pro 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD Audio(mobile rig)

[Jason Runyon]

That is cool.  I’ve never used EZPlayer personally, but thanks for explaining.

J

[Eric Shults]

Guys, I didn’t mean to start something on here…just trying to LEARN!!! So I don’t use EZ player at all? So I just record on the stereo instrument track, insert SD2, set to midi all and start drumming?Then I can come back and change the sounds, Effects etc??
 
Thanks again.

[Jason Runyon]

You didn’t start anything, no worries. I wasn’t trying to have an attitude or anything with Brad and he explained how EZPlayer fits into his workflow, all is cool.

Basically that is it. You don’t need EZPlayer at all unless you are going to drag and drop midi grooves rather than playing them yourself. After the midi is recorded and you are happy with the performance, then you can go back in to S2 and switch kit pieces, mixer settings, mic bleeds, and on and on. Get the sound you are happy with and then bounce it down to a stereo audio track. That is about the simplest method, but you can get more complicated and route each drum or groups of drums to their own tracks, lots of possibilities.

Actually, what I would recommend is to download the free host by toontrack called Solo, if you haven’t already. Set up your kit there, save a preset that you like, and then load that when you open S2.1 in PTs and you’ll be ready to go. Just make sure to NOT have the CC offset option checked in Solo as Pro Tools doesn’t have that magic little option. You need to get the kit playing good without that and then it will work just the same in PTs.

J

[Brad]

Nothing started really.. everyone has their own way of doing things, mine is one, someone else has a way that works for them… it’s all good. I have a number of MIDI instruments over a couple of interfaces, that’s why I don’t set up like that. But if you have just the one, yeah, like JrummerJ shows you, keep it simple.

Mac Studio M1 Max, RAM 64 GB, 1TB Drive, OSX 12.x/13.x and Windows 10 (VM)
DAW: Studio One 5/6, Pro Tools Studio
DTX Express III (Extreme triggers), Nektar LX88
OWC Thunderbay Mini (4 X 1TB Sata SSD), Express 4M2 (4 X 2TB M.2 SSD), Envoy Express (1TB M.2 SSD)
Presonus Quantum, Faderport & Faderport 8
Black Lion Sparrow Mk2 A/D, FMR-RNP-RNC, MIDI Xpress 128, BM5A, KRK VXT4, Equator D5
2020 Macbook Pro 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD Audio(mobile rig)

[Eric Shults]

It all worked like a charm. Brad you da man! Now since I recorded my keyboard player, (who starts the song and now lives out of state) I just have to figure out how to keep his keyboard track on a certain tempo…we recorded on tempo 63 but I am now hearing that me – the drummer is off or he is off by some. Know how to fix a tempo on a keyboard track so I can add my drum tracks now?
 
Elastic Audio is another learning process.

[Author]

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