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[Spectacle]

ORIGINAL: Scott

Computers are weird…

Indeed. Trashed the cookies on Safari, and now it loads up properly. Any idea why that would happen? I’ve never had that occur with any website ever.

[Spectacle]

ORIGINAL: Scott

Have you tried deleting cookies?

I’ll try this. But, interestingly, the site did not work on either Safari or Firefox, but it DID on Google Chrome. Weird, isn’t it?

[Spectacle]

The exact same thing just happened to me, as well. On Safari. Any attempt to get to Toontrack.com gives me this: “The page cannot be displayed because an internal server error has occurred.” The forums work, though.

[Spectacle]

To answer the original post and purpose of this thread: For the harder-hitting, more modern ska-type stuff, I’d suggest going through the Avatar sounds that come with Sup 2.0. For more traditional reggae sounds, either C&V or vintage rock (or even Funkmasters). In each case supplemented by the EZX Latin Percussion on x-pads.

[Spectacle]

I don’t have S1, but C&V sounds great, and works wonderfully in S2.0.

The only complaint is much longer load times for non-S2.0 samples like C&V, since they don’t take advantage of Toontrack’s new file compression. It takes a minute for a full 1.3 GB kit instead of ten seconds with a similar-sized 2.0 Avatar kit. But that’s no big deal. I just click on my kit or project, and then go pour my coffee, come back and play.

Enjoy your new set-up!

[Spectacle]

I have the Yamaha DTXpress IV Special kit, and I use it every day with S2.0 and C&V, and it is fantastic. I love the rubber pads – so expressive. Snare and toms are just amazing, and I like the natural swing of the cymbals — especially the three-zones. I also like the hi-hat being on a real hi-hat stand like this. It feels totally like playing an acoustic hi-hat.

When you set it up, just put your Yamaha brain’s trigger setup on SP Dyna (SHIFT+ DRUM KIT –pg. 14 of the manual), and you’ll have all the expression you need. And I’ve had no problems with crosstalk at all. Hi-hat settings, if you want to adjust them, are detailed on pg. 16 of the manual.

If you have trouble with hi-hat mapping for some reason, the numbers you should be assigning are 22, 26, 42, and 46, or however you like to play. And I made a user kit on the brain’s kit #51 or 52 so that I could assign different pads to different cymbals in S2.0.

But for me overall, the kit was just plug-n-play. And for S2.0 and C&V, I go MIDI out from the kit’s brain to the MIDI in of my Alesis ControlPad (giving me 8 more pads just to the left of my hi-hat). Then the kit and ControlPad go through USB straight into my Mac, and Logic Studio is my DAW. Really an amazing combination.

Best of luck with it!

[Spectacle]

ORIGINAL: Rogue

You may have to create a user preset before this option is available…

Yep, same thing happened to me, but I figured this out after a second. Created a user preset, then the option was available and it worked no problem.

[Spectacle]

I did buy it actually, a month or so ago. I got it for much cheaper even than the street price, though, and I even have a no interest for a year deal with $20 minimum monthly payments, which was pretty important for me, since I’ll be getting a big payment next summer, but things are a bit tight until then.

I’ve been really happy with the kit actually. I’ve played the DTXtreme III as well, and while the pads are bigger (and you can assign the tom rims separately), I haven’t noticed any real quality difference. The DTXpress IV Special is as sensitive as I could possibly imagine. And the brain is quite good for quick praticing — but I almost always play S2.0, C&V, or EZX kits with it, though, and it is amazing with them. I run MIDI out from the DTX brain into my Alesis ControlPad, and then USB from that into my MacBook Pro, running Logic Studio. So I’ve got the kit with 50 different assignable MIDI kit set-ups, plus 8 more pads with 20 different assignable MIDI kit set-ups. So I can trigger everything S2.0 has to offer. And I love these heads so much more than the various mesh heads I’ve tried. I know it’s probably a personal choice thing, but for me these Yamaha rubber heads are the way to go. Better even than the “real-feel” of mylar heads (a la RET), or acoustic kits with triggers.

Sound and space were also key issues for me, so anything that is the size of a full acoustic kit, or makes any more noise than my very quiet e-kit now does, would have been impossible.

But thanks for the good suggestions. I’ll totally keep those things in mind for the future.

[Spectacle]

Thank you sir. Much obliged.

[Spectacle]

I’m on a Mac here. Where does this file go? I’m not sure where “Presets > MIDI > Manage” is itself located.

Thanks.

[Spectacle]

I’ve finally settled on:

Yamaha DTXpress IV Special

For my needs, it appears to be the best combination of price and performance. And the module sounds aren’t bad at all, when I just want to do a quick practice session without firing up the computer set-up.

Thanks for all your advice everyone.

[Spectacle]

ORIGINAL: fignewton

If you already have a kit around, why not try mesh heads with external triggers?
I pulled out a couple toms from my kit and tired it for a live show and works really good.  I am also using Pintech Pads and actually had better reponse using EZDrummer than i did when i used Pintech with my Roland module.

And thanks fignewton. Generally a good idea.

But I’ll still need my acoustic set for gigging. So I can’t turn it into a modified e-drum set at home.

[Spectacle]

Except for the fact that the TrapKat wouldn’t fulfill any of my needs.

I need to be keeping up my acoustic playing chops and the feel of drumming. I already have an Alesis Control Pad for MIDI programming. I need actual drums.

[Spectacle]

And here’s an example of a guy doing something along the lines I’m looking for, though with a different controller than the Alesis Control Pad:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VL3mqGZIDgA&feature=related

As he explains in a post on there, he’s going Control Pad >> MIDI in of e-drums module >> MIDI out of module >> MIDI interface >> Mac/PC.

The module is a Roland TD6.

[Spectacle]

What about if I run the module MIDI out into the MIDI in on my audio interface?

Right now I have two audio interfaces on my MacBookPro: my Alesis i/O 26 going into one FW400 port, and my POD X3Live is going into one USB port. Each one has a MIDI in and a MIDI out. And each of these works simultaneously with my MIDI piano, Control Pad, and DAW controller each plugged into a hub on the other USB port (all working fine at the same time in Logic 8).

[Author]

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