Roland SPD-S

I loaded the sounds from the original tracks into Pyro audio creator and cut the sections of the tracks i wanted to sample. just play it back from your pc headphone jack to the input jacks on the spds, press the sample button, adjust the level(small nob by the input jack) press the start/stop button and the sound clip together, press start/stop again to stop. follow steps from there to assign.

But what about the surrounding/other sounds on the record. You can never filter those a way perfect. I think its better to find sounds from online sound libraries (like freesound.com and soundsnap.com )

It was here where I found my sounds like the ''Bell'' sound from High Hopes.

I also think its better to have 16bit sound (like on the new DTXM12 witich has great percussion, orchestral AND marching sounds to btw) although you will not hear it that good. You will here the differences and broad sound of a higher bitrate imo.
 
Bonjour,

Je suis Français, alors je vais écrire en français et en anglais ! ;)

Depuis la semaine dernière, j'ai un problème avec mon pad n°5 qui marche mal : il ne répond pas tout le temps, j'ai remarqué que lorsque je frappe doucement, pas trop vite, il répond, mais dès que je frappe un peu plus fort, ou plus vite, il ne répond plus! Également, après avoir frappé le pad n°5, je passe sur un autre pad qui me déclenche le pad n°5! J'ai également essayer de modifier la vélocité,... rien n'a changer.

Savez-vous à quoi cela est dû et comment faire pour réparer ça S.V.P. ???

J'attends vos réponses c'est urgent!

MERCI

--------------

Hello,

I am French, so I'll write in French and English! ;)

Since last week, I have a problem with my pad # 5 is working badly: he does not answer all the time, I noticed that when I knock gently, not too fast, he plays normaly, but when I hit a little louder, or faster, it doesn't play! Also, after hitting the pad # 5, I switch to another pad that triggers my pad # 5! I also try to change the velocity ... nothing has changed.

Do you know why that is and how to fix it please??

I wait your response is urgent!

THANK YOU
 
SPD-S Rocks!

I have been having this problem for a while now:

I create shorter sounds on my CPU such as delayed snare drum sounds (dub reggae style), hand claps with effects, and other short "shots" that I load with delay, distortion, or reverb using Logic 9.

When I load the sounds to the SPD-S via memory card, the card reads "Not Supported".

They have the .wav extension that it requires. I read in the manual that if some sounds are short (mine are all 10 sec or shorter) that they won't load.

Has anyone else encountered this / found a way around it?
 
Not yet.
If you think that the sounds are too short, save them as slightly longer files (silence is OK) and then trim them using the sample editing on the SPD-S. That's definitely not the quickest way to do it but it would work. By the time you get finished it will be the same length as if you did it on your computer.

Is this a card which has worked before? Possibility it's a card incompatibility but if all other sounds have been transferred successfully using this card, then it's a file issue. If the card in general (for any sounds) reads 'Not Supported' or gives other errors, then it's more than likely a card issue.

If it's a file issue:
I would try taking one of the sounds and using different types of software to convert it to WAV. If you have a Mac, you can try Quicktime player, iTunes or Audacity (all free programs). Double check the file settings in Logic when saving (exporting?) to make sure it's the right format of audio. I'm not familiar with Logic but I know DAW's can have different settings for that.
Windows machines have conversion utilities as well including Audacity but I'm unfamiliar with any other.
You can also try saving the file as an AIFF as those should work as well.

I'd review pg. 69 of the manual. If you don't have it, you can download it for free after registering on Roland's website.

HTH

Jim

SPD-S Rocks!

I have been having this problem for a while now:

I create shorter sounds on my CPU such as delayed snare drum sounds (dub reggae style), hand claps with effects, and other short "shots" that I load with delay, distortion, or reverb using Logic 9.

When I load the sounds to the SPD-S via memory card, the card reads "Not Supported".

They have the .wav extension that it requires. I read in the manual that if some sounds are short (mine are all 10 sec or shorter) that they won't load.

Has anyone else encountered this / found a way around it?
 
One question to everyone who use this SPD-S.. what about the sound???
i read that the SPD-S only has 16bit sound-quallity.. that i think is very less
and far away from a professional drum-kit...

what you think abaut the sound-quallity... ireally wanna know, thx.

SPD-S uses 16 bit 44.1 kHz files - that's CD quality.
 
SPD-S uses 16 bit 44.1 kHz files - that's CD quality.

Good point. I feel the SPD-S has pro sound quality for the tasks it was designed for.
If someone is having issues with the sound quality it's more likely the sample itself or that they are hearing it through less then stellar equipment. In that case, better samples and better monitoring/sound gear should be the main targets. You can bring in your own samples to replace any of the ones on the SPD-S and many do.
If you want to step up the sound quality further, you need to look at software based instruments and a DAW interface with high end outputs.

And the questions should be:
1) - Why am I spending that much more money (to get 48k/24bit or higher sound)?
2) - Who does it matter to and can they hear the difference?

Although the SPD-S can be used as an electronic drum kit, I don't believe that it shines in that capacity - nor has Roland positioned it so. If you want a good electronic drum kit then look at the middle to high end V-drums (TD-12, TD-20, etc.). Yamaha as well.

If you want the best electronic drum kit available, buy a Roland TD-20, don't use the internal sounds and trigger DFH Superior 2.0 (or BFD) software using a computer running Pro Tools, equiiped with a Digi 003 and the outputs run through a good PA or straight (virtually) into a Pro Tools session for recording.

IMO the SPD-S is not a professional drum set replacement tool. IMO, any electronic solution, no matter how high the quality, won't be the same as a great drumset with good heads tuned well and played by a professional in an excellent recording environment (good mikes, good mic pres, good room, etc.).
The SPD-S is a great instrument for so many other things. Just watch live videos of acts using loops, background tracks and homegrown samples and you'll usually see an SPD-S next to the drummer or percussionist. You just have to understand the strengths and limitations to use it properly.

HTH

Jim
 
The SPD-S is perfect for what you wish to do.

You can record samples either via line-in, or with a mic, and sounds are recorded as .wav or.AIFF files, which means they can be created on pc via protools, etc.

Its a very durable unit and very easy to use, but one minor drawback is that the expansion cards used are CompactFlash and only accomodate a maxium memory of 512MB. Why is this a problem? Because CF cards are now all 1GB and more, which means 512MB cards can be difficult to find.

If you know what you are doing you can format a 1 or 2 gb Flashcard to work with a SPD-S, only 512mb will be available though
 
If you know what you are doing you can format a 1 or 2 gb Flashcard to work with a SPD-S, only 512mb will be available though


I believe the new 1.20 upgrade allows for higher capacity CF
 
Ok so I am looking at buying an SPDS specifically to trigger backing tracks live. But, I have read that it isn't so great for this as if you have created the backing track with the click track on 1 side (say left) which is being sent to the headphones, it also bleeds the click onto the right side which is going to the PA. Has anyone else had this problem?
Also how much audio can you store on the 512meg cards if it's wav files at 16bit 44.1? And is there a limmit to the lenght of the samples it can take?
Thanks..
 
The 'leakage' issue is discussed on this thread:

http://www.drummerworld.com/forums/showthread.php?t=55844

AFAIK the 1.20 firmware upgrade gives you up to the full 4GB on a 4GB CF card.

Don't know the math for the WAV files. In Windows you can just check the 'Properties' of the audio before transferring to the card. On a Mac it's checking 'Get Info'. I don't think there is any limit to the length of the audio file that you store on a CF Card (up to the capacity it can hold.)

HTH

Jim

EDIT 11-9-10~ My words: AFAIK the 1.20 firmware upgrade gives you up to the full 4GB on a 4GB CF card. Boy was I wrong. The real deal is that you get 512mb whether it's a 1GB or 4GB. 512mb is it. The firmware upgrade just frees you up to use what's more available. Sorry about that. - Jim
 
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Dumb question: can I trigger sound from an external module (like an SPD-20) through MIDI and record them with the Phrase Maker without recording the sounds first into the SPD-S and assigning the samples to the pads? I really enjoy the quantizing feature of the Phrase Maker, but it is a pain (and CF memory consuming) to sample and resample again and again. It would be awesome to trigger via MIDI and sample a performance. Can it be done?
 
Dumb question: can I trigger sound from an external module (like an SPD-20) through MIDI and record them with the Phrase Maker without recording the sounds first into the SPD-S and assigning the samples to the pads? I really enjoy the quantizing feature of the Phrase Maker, but it is a pain (and CF memory consuming) to sample and resample again and again. It would be awesome to trigger via MIDI and sample a performance. Can it be done?

Not a dumb question at all. The quick answer is no you can't.

The Phrase Maker only works within the audio that is already internally stored in the SPD-S. To do what you want to do would mean using MIDI Sequencing - of which the SPD-S has no capability. It won't generate a MIDI note to trigger an external timed note as part of a pattern. Once the 'phrase' is created, it's just another audio loop available only from the audio outs of the SPD-S.

Jim
 
A few years ago I bought an SPD-S and didn't use it much because the sounds it came with are not the best.
I did some searching and found a site that sells a 512 meg CF card filled with killer ethnic percussion, drum kits , and loops. That are all super playable.
It has changed the game for me, I decided to buy 2 more SPD-S units since then, the added polyphony and ability to load setups independently is such a bonus.
I play one unit next to my acoustic kit to have a ton of percussion with me at anytime, and some gigs I play 2 SPD-S and a handsonic to make a real portable and powerful electronic kit. the software update for the SPD-S will allow it to use up to 4 gig cards but still can store a max of 512 megs. It just partitions it that way for use.

Heres a link to that site, I think you will like it.
http://www.majesticmusicproductions.com/products.html
 
Pretty much what I do Shedboy

If you want the best electronic drum kit available, buy a Roland TD-20, don't use the internal sounds and trigger DFH Superior 2.0 (or BFD) software using a computer running Pro Tools, equiiped with a Digi 003 and the outputs run through a good PA or straight (virtually) into a Pro Tools session for recording.

Really depends what pads you like, I got the Yamaha DTXtreme III and trigger Superior 2.0 via Pro Tools for recording. I've owned a TD-8 and TD-10 in the past so not a fan of the rubber pads of Roland

Anyhow you can save a lot of dollars just buying the kit you like rather than the better module..........my Yamaha module is only being used for MIDI in recording.......

But the difference in sounds with Superior Drummer and Roland and Yamaha modules is massive.......

I loved the Yamaha module but man recording with that then Superior drummer is freeways apart
 
Agree spides!....modules are good for using on gigs..but for recording...VST's (like Superior, BFD, etc...) are the only way to go....
 
They are slightly different animals.

The main difference to note is that the SPD-S is a sampling instrument.

This is why you will see this unit in so many different situations. You can sample on the fly or you can import samples - that's any sound that exists in digital format - into the SPD-S via Compact Flash card. Samples can be loops or one shot sounds. Pads, backing tracks, etc. That's what attracts most players to it. That's major flexibility.

The sounds that are on board the SPD-S are OK for some things and not OK for others. I've read reviews and posts that seem to point toward the SPD-30 for better on board sounds but I have no experience with that.

HTH

Jim
 
but cant you save samplings files on a USB and put it in the Octapad and use that as a sampler? :p

If you mean save audio samples on a USB Memory stick or flash drive - I don't think so. I see no custom sample playing capability in any SPD-30 specs or reviews. The manual talks about using USB storage to save parameters like muffling and kit settings. Nothing regarding audio. You can do some customizing of the internal audio with effects and other cool features. But you couldn't say sample your dog barking on the fly or import a sample from another collection via USB memory

I've never used an SPD-30 but I'm pretty sure there's nothing like the SPD-S's ability to use sampled sounds.

Jim
 
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