How do I connect V-Drums to computer by MIDI?

Akuma

Junior Member
I have a Roland V-Drums TD 4-KX2

I want to connect it to the computer via MIDI but I have no idea how to do it.
I have not found a single page nor video not tutorial that explains how to do it.

What is MIDI?
How does it work?
What do I need?
How can I connect it to the computer?
What programs do I need?
Can I play the drums and record them to the computer?
Can I do this using the samples from the TD4? How?
What are VSTs? How do I use them? What do I need to make them work?
What are samples? How do I use them? What do I need to make samples work?

It baffles my mind that they are *NO* tutorials or pages that answers these questions what so ever.
Google V-Drums MIDI if you do not believe me - the only thing you will find are forum threads that are +3 years old that make little ot no sense

Please direct me to where these questions can be answered.
Thanks
 
Re: How do I connect V-Drums to computer by MIDI

Right.

i) MIDI stands for Musical Instrument Digital Interface. It was standardised in 1983 by a group of companies all agreeing to use the same standard for communicating between electronic instruments. MIDI is simply a series of numbers (data) that tell an external device (e.g. a computer) which notes are being played, on which instrument, when and how loudly. It's a very simple system. I suggest reading the Wikipedia article on MIDI.

ii) On electronic drums, a sensor (called a piezo - won't go into the details) picks up your playing and turns it into an analogue electrical current. This is in turn passed onto your electronic kit's 'brain' (I prefer 'module') and converted into the MIDI data. The stronger the playing, the stronger the current from the piezo and the higher the 'velocity' data number is (0-127) on the converted MIDI data. The MIDI data then triggers the sounds on the module (or external device).

iii) If you want to use MIDI data in recording drums (e.g. using virtual instruments), you will need to output the MIDI signal from your TD-4 into a computer. There are plenty of MIDI interfaces out there that will take the signal from your drum kit and allow the computer to read the MIDI data.

iv) You will need some kind of DAW software and the associated virtual drum software. There are plenty of good packages out there. Superior Drummer, BFD2, etc. DAW software depends on platform (e.g. PC or Mac). I use a Mac with Cockos Reaper, which is a very good-value DAW platform that works on both Mac and PC. Before I used Reaper, I used Logic Pro and there are other DAW platforms out there like Cubase and Sonar.

v) If you want to record the sounds from the drum module, then you can ignore all of the above. All you would need then is some form of stereo input into the computer (many come with a basic jack input) and the associated cables to plug into the audio output from the TD-4. Recording that onto a computer can be achieved using a basic wave editor like Audacity without the need for a complex DAW.

vi) VST is one of the formats of what are generally called 'virtual instruments'. Virtual instruments are just that. Computer-based sound packages. There are other formats, e.g. AU (on the Mac) but VST is a more common format. Remember, VSTs are virtual instruments but not all virtual instruments are VST-based. If you want to use virtual instruments, you open your DAW software, select the MIDI input (your drum kit - but it won't be labelled as such - it'll be easy to find in the MIDI input menu of your DAW package) and then open the virtual instrument, e.g. BFD2 or Superior Drummer.

vii) Samples are quite simply, 'samples' of real, recorded sound. These are often used in virtual instruments. For instance, in BFD2, the 'snare drum' options will be real, recorded snare drums that have been filed and stored in a particular format to work within the virtual instrument. It is also possible to use samples without virtual instruments. If I were to record my voice and use a snippet of it in a composition, I have effectively 'sampled' my voice.

I hope that helps.
 
Re: How do I connect V-Drums to computer by MIDI

I have Cubase v5.1
I have a MIDI-USB cable.

How do I record the drums in the programs?
They are literally a million different options for MIDI and I have absolutely no idea what to do.
It feels like one needs to have a professional degree in music production in order to figure out which buttons one should click on!?


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I tried making a new MIDI track and when I record - nothing happens.
I tried entering all kinds of MIDI options - nothing happens

What should I do?
 
Re: How do I connect V-Drums to computer by MIDI

Does your version of Cubase come with a manual? I would suggest looking up selecting interface devices.

I'm not hugely familiar with Cubase. I haven't used it regularly since 2005. I do also have a degree in Music Technology but that doesn't mean that I know all of the answers, I'm afraid!

This might help:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ljC7RU4FPrA

Replace USB input with your MIDI cable and replace the keyboard with the drum kit. Off the top of my head, percussion is usually assigned to MIDI channel 10 - but I haven't used MIDI inputs for percussion in a long, long time.
 
Re: How do I connect V-Drums to computer by MIDI

My Cubase does come with manual but it mentions absolutely nothing about connection a Roland V-Drumkit to CuBase nor how to make it work with external samples nor how to make it work with its own samples.

I have managed to make the program react to the drumkit but I am not getting any sound what so ever. Any ideas what is wrong?
 
Re: How do I connect V-Drums to computer by MIDI

There won't be any mention of the V-Drums in the manual. Manuals are rarely that specific unless the device is specifically designed for the software.

If you have MIDI input, now you need to assign sounds to the different parts of the MIDI input. There are plenty of tutorials on YouTube on how to do this.
 
Re: How do I connect V-Drums to computer by MIDI

I thought I didn't need samples, I thought you said I could use the ones off the TD4?
Though I would have absolutely no idea what so ever how to do that
 
Re: How do I connect V-Drums to computer by MIDI

I am confused.

I've read posts saying that I can record MIDI using the samples that is already inside the TD4 so that I don't need VSTs.

I want to be able to record me playing the drums to the PC. That's what I want nothing else. When I use the audio-port it sounds like garbage.
 
Re: How do I connect V-Drums to computer by MIDI

Ok.

I've put a long post on your other thread. You weren't clear about what you were trying to do.

If you're having problems recording the audio output from into your DAW you need to read the manual and read about basic digital audio theory. It's not difficult, it just requires some work and patience.
 
Re: How do I connect V-Drums to computer by MIDI

I read this and it gives me some comfort. I've tried recording from a TD12 via midi and an Audio interface into my Mac using Logic software.

Dude, if only. I gave up. What I wanted to do was to record each pad separately.

Davo
 
OK, so if you want to record your drums into the computer ( audio, the actual sounds of your kit) , plug your main outputs of your kit into your interface. No interface ? Get one. Recording MIDI has almost nothing to do with audio.
 
Re: How do I connect V-Drums to computer by MIDI

I am confused.

I've read posts saying that I can record MIDI using the samples that is already inside the TD4 so that I don't need VSTs.

I want to be able to record me playing the drums to the PC. That's what I want nothing else. When I use the audio-port it sounds like garbage.

You need a decent audio interface with the l and r outputs (on the e kit) connected out to inputs on the audio interface.

Are you just using the audio jack on your computer to record into? Then it will most likely sound bad. Built in audio jacks are for headphones really. They aren't much use for recording. You need a decent interface for that. Something like an M Audio Fast track pro, which is very popular, good quality and inexpensive.
 
I know this is an old thread, but so may people new to MIDI and DAWs need to get off their arses and LEARN. There are so many free online tutorials out there on just about every aspect of MIDI and Digital Audio, and there have been for years.

Even with all the help given to this guy, if he does not just sit down and experiment and learn the basics, it is not gonna happen. "What is MIDI?" just blows me away.

Anyway, Roland and third party Roland compatible equipment and software manufacturers have always had a wealth of information about MIDI and their products.

For Vdrums... here is one of the best and simplest....

http://www.rolandus.com/blog/2014/06/26/play-anything-with-your-drum-set/

I hope it helps someone else with Vdrum anxiety.
 
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