Yamaha DTXpress/DTXplorer/DTXtreme

If you have Cakewalk 6.x or higher (or any other MIDI sequencer that supports SoundFonts) and a SoundBlaster AWE32 or higher soundcard, you can come pretty close to replicating the TR-808 and many other great, vintage analogue kits (remember the LINN drum machine...), plus you can expand the DTXpress voice and kit list exponentially.  Its the closest thing to uploading your own sound samples (which you can also do, in a way, with this set up).

Here is what I did:

1. Go to HammerSound and download some drum SoundFonts.  Here is the link to the drum SoundFont section:

http://www.pvv.ntnu.no/cgi/thammer//soundlink.pl?action=view_category&category=Drumkits+and+percussive+kits

2. Make sure your DTXpress' MIDI connections are working.

3. Fire up Cakewalk and patch in one of the drum kit SoundFonts you downloaded.

4. Pick a Cakewalk track and set it to channel 10, and map it to the SoundFont.

5. Set the track to RECORD (note: you don't actually have to start recording), and highlight the track.  The DTXpress pads should now be trigging the instruments from the SoundFont!

6. If you stay in Cakewalk, you can record your patterns as MIDI sequences.  Or you can start your digital audio app, hit record, switch back to Cakewalk and start playing the kit (to capture as digital audio vs. MIDI sequence, which is what I prefer, too).  

I've had great success with this.  I found a Pearl kit SoundFont somewhere on the net and its just incredible using the DTX and getting a great Pearl sound.  

The response from the kit is also excellent.  Rarely can I discern any delay between hitting the pad and hearing the SoundFont instrument on the PC.  And you can also use Creative's Vienna software to create your own SoundFonts from new or existing samples.  

So if you are a home recording enthusiast, this is great way to expand your DTXpress almost limitlessly and at very little cost.  I bet you can get both a SoundBlaster AWE card and a workable version of Cakewalk for less than a $100; SoundFonts are free.  I just picked up a SBLive card for $99 and can load up to a 32MB SoundFont file on my 64MB RAM system.  I also use Cakewalk Home Studio 7.0.    

There are drawbacks, to be sure.  I would imagine that this loop would be pretty useless for live performances (unless you plan on bringing your PC to the gig :^)  Also, I often have to change the GM instrument assignment on the DTX brain to get things to work properly (i.e., sometimes you'll hit the snare and hear a tom-tom, so you have to change the snare instrument number on the brain, else edit the SoundFont and change the instrument number on the snare to the correct value).  Not a show stopper, but a nuisance. 

I'm curious, is anyone else using this kind of setup and if so, what are some of the better drum SoundFonts you've found?

Anyway, hope this helps.

Kind Regards,
 
Joe Stallings
(First time poster, but long time ONElist subscriber!)

Great tip!! I NEVER thought of doing that! Can't wait to go home and try
it. 
	Cheers!

		Chris

On 8 Feb 2000 joestallings@... wrote:

> From: joestallings@...
> 
> If you have Cakewalk 6.x or higher (or any other MIDI sequencer that supports SoundFonts) and a SoundBlaster AWE32 or higher soundcard, you can come pretty close to replicating the TR-808 and many other great, vintage analogue kits (remember the LINN drum machine...), plus you can expand the DTXpress voice and kit list exponentially.  Its the closest thing to uploading your own sound samples (which you can also do, in a way, with this set up).
> 
> Here is what I did:
> 
> 1. Go to HammerSound and download some drum SoundFonts.  Here is the link to the drum SoundFont section:
> 
> http://www.pvv.ntnu.no/cgi/thammer//soundlink.pl?action=view_category&category=Drumkits+and+percussive+kits
> 
> 2. Make sure your DTXpress' MIDI connections are working.
> 
> 3. Fire up Cakewalk and patch in one of the drum kit SoundFonts you downloaded.
> 
> 4. Pick a Cakewalk track and set it to channel 10, and map it to the SoundFont.
> 
> 5. Set the track to RECORD (note: you don't actually have to start recording), and highlight the track.  The DTXpress pads should now be trigging the instruments from the SoundFont!
> 
> 6. If you stay in Cakewalk, you can record your patterns as MIDI sequences.  Or you can start your digital audio app, hit record, switch back to Cakewalk and start playing the kit (to capture as digital audio vs. MIDI sequence, which is what I prefer, too).  
> 
> I've had great success with this.  I found a Pearl kit SoundFont somewhere on the net and its just incredible using the DTX and getting a great Pearl sound.  
> 
> The response from the kit is also excellent.  Rarely can I discern any delay between hitting the pad and hearing the SoundFont instrument on the PC.  And you can also use Creative's Vienna software to create your own SoundFonts from new or existing samples.  
> 
> So if you are a home recording enthusiast, this is great way to expand your DTXpress almost limitlessly and at very little cost.  I bet you can get both a SoundBlaster AWE card and a workable version of Cakewalk for less than a $100; SoundFonts are free.  I just picked up a SBLive card for $99 and can load up to a 32MB SoundFont file on my 64MB RAM system.  I also use Cakewalk Home Studio 7.0.    
> 
> There are drawbacks, to be sure.  I would imagine that this loop would be pretty useless for live performances (unless you plan on bringing your PC to the gig :^)  Also, I often have to change the GM instrument assignment on the DTX brain to get things to work properly (i.e., sometimes you'll hit the snare and hear a tom-tom, so you have to change the snare instrument number on the brain, else edit the SoundFont and change the instrument number on the snare to the correct value).  Not a show stopper, but a nuisance. 
> 
> I'm curious, is anyone else using this kind of setup and if so, what are some of the better drum SoundFonts you've found?
> 
> Anyway, hope this helps.
> 
> Kind Regards,
>  
> Joe Stallings
> (First time poster, but long time ONElist subscriber!) 
> 
> 
> 
> --------------------------- ONElist Sponsor ----------------------------
> 
> Want To Be Showered With Kisses?
> Visit eGroups Valentine Gift Guide
> <a href=" http://clickme.onelist.com/ad/SparksValentine9 ">Click Here</a>
> 
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
> 
> Community email addresses:
>   Post message: DTXpress@onelist.com
>   Subscribe:    DTXpress-subscribe@onelist.com
>   Unsubscribe:  DTXpress-unsubscribe@onelist.com
>   List owner:   DTXpress-owner@onelist.com
> 
> Shortcut URL to this page:
>   http://www.onelist.com/community/DTXpress
> 
>

Joe.
Nice tip. I've been using SoundFonts for YEARS but
never thought of triggering them with the kit.
I've got a load of excellent drumfonts - Tama, Yamaha
(!), V-Drums etc. If you like, I can put them up on my
website.

You're right about the MIDI note numbers, though. If
they're not pure GM soundfonts, you'll get kicks on
tom pads, cymbals on kick pads and the like.
Having said that, I noticed the other day that when I
recorded the DTXpress to MIDI (for a laugh), the
standard GM MIDI kit was all over the place. The kick
and snare get pushed out on Notes 98 or 99 instead of
35 and 38. All the other toms and cymbals are OK, but
I had to re-map the kick and snare. Did you find this?
__________________________________________________
Do You Yahoo!?
Talk to your friends online with Yahoo! Messenger.
http://im.yahoo.com

This is a good tip, Joe . .

I did the same (with even more ease), by using Drum sample sounds in the
GigaSampler.
Then trigger them by my e-dum pads (my DTX is just some days old, but it
should work the same).

GigaSampler is great, 'cause one can use ANY AKAI format sample, and/or
make them yourself (out of SoundFont f.e.).

The possibilities are great, for home recording use.

regards,

Mels from Holland.