What drum modules allow importing user sounds?

Diggler · Newbie Alert Joined: 25 Oct 2006 Posts: 4

I'm looking for a drum module that allows you to hook up to a computer and download user samples so that we can incorporate different drum kits sounds and sound effects that don't come on the factory unit.

What modules can do this?

kuniggety · Posted: Wed May 21, 2008 9:14 pm Post subject:

Some of the more expensive ones allow you to do this (look at Roland's TD-12 and TD-20 modules and Yamaha's II and III Extreme modules). The general idea is that if you want to use external sounds, then you'll have it hooked up to and triggering a computer. Most modules only have a built-in midi sound generator.
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Diggler · Newbie Alert Joined: 25 Oct 2006 Posts: 4

I figured that is the reason... we want to keep setup simple though. I have a sampler and could MIDI from a simpler module to trigger the sampler, but that's another link in a chain. I'd prefer to download what we need, have it in one module and not have to complicate setup during a show and add another link that could break.

We experimented with triggering computers before and the latency we experienced made it impossible to use... I know we could buy a more expensive sound card or laptop but again it's something else to go wrong during a show.

I'll look into the modules you listed, thanks!

kuniggety · Posted: Thu May 22, 2008 3:24 am Post subject:

What were the specs on the laptop you were using? Musicians have been triggering sounds on a laptop for years now (notably Apple's laptops but Windows ones work just as well). The key thing is hard-drive speed, ram, and not running so many effects that your processor peaks. It could just be timing issues... some motherboards don't time very well with usb and firewire devices. I think that's why Apple's are so popular... it's kind of a hit and miss with others.
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Diggler · Newbie Alert Joined: 25 Oct 2006 Posts: 4

The laptop was something like 1.8GHz, 1G RAM, Vista, every unnecessary process turned off. The interface was a MIDIsport USB box... I'm sure that the problem was with USB latency. I even downloaded software that faked ASIO and it didn't help.

We're using the same laptop now for a lighting controller (as well as the fact that it's my primary computer) with no issues.

We use the sampler as a hand-held device for certain songs now... it may be better in the long run (after looking at the prices of the modules listed) to get another sampler to dedicate to the drums, and utilize the midi interface of the module. I work with computers all day, and would trust the reliability of a solid-state sampler to a laptop any day of the week though. Plus it's dedicated to a purpose and shouldn't change from gig to gig unless we specifically do something to it, rather than a laptop that is in continuous use both in the band and out.

styles2281 · Posted: Thu May 22, 2008 4:14 am Post subject:

A decent module that can do that is the Alesis DMPro. You'll have to spend the money and get a card for it, and the sampling program that corresponds to the card. The module itself isn't bad, though.
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