Midi with octapad ?

4

412drummer

Senior Member
First I want to start with saying I don't really understand this stuff which is why I am asking and I have searched a little before making this thread I just need a little help on the break down. What I want to do is is use my octapad to (trigger, probably not the right term?) sounds off a computer using midi. What I have been told is that there is a way I could use midi so that when I strike a pad on the octapad it would make the sound that it was linked to through midi. In short I want to be able to pull some sounds or clips off the internet etc.. that are not already on the octapad. I also have been told I could do this with a midi keyboard. If someone could explain to me how to link up midi through the octapad or a keyboard so when I strike the pad or key it makes the sound I want from the computer I would be really thankful.
 
Well, depending on what software you're using in your computer for a library of sounds....

1) Set the Octapad to transmit on a channel (1-16, but traditionally, drum instruments have used MIDI channel 10).
2) Set your computer software to receive on MIDI channel 10, now the two devices are talking to each other (or the computer is 'hearing' the octapad come in on channel 10
3) The sounds you're using in your computer, must correspond to MIDI note number (this will be a number between 0 and 127). So however you do that, pick a sound and assign it to a MIDI note number (for instance, your bass drum sound will land on MIDI note number 35, snare on note number 38, etc.,....)
4) Select a pad on the Octapad (I think you're in edit mode on the Octapad), hit it, and select the Note Number function. At this point you can assign that pad to the corresponding MIDI note number of the sound you want to trigger in your computer.

5) Voila! Now your pad will trigger that sound. Repeat the process of assigning note numbers to pads and sound in the computer to note numbers and you're all set.

NOTE: These days, since there are so many different sounds in a sound module, it is easier to create separate drum kits in the module (like a person would if he had V-Drum sound module, where there can be as many as 100 different drum sets). By using this method, you can create different sets, but you're using the same MIDI note number for each different snare sound (or bass, or tom, etc.,...) Then you can leave the Octapad alone, and just change drumsets by selecting different drum sets from your computer. This allows you to have alot of different sounds, because you're only given 127 note numbers to begin with. There's no way you can assign thousands of sounds with only 127 places to put them!

Good luck!
 
Bo Eder said:
Well, depending on what software you're using in your computer for a library of sounds....

1) Set the Octapad to transmit on a channel (1-16, but traditionally, drum instruments have used MIDI channel 10).
2) Set your computer software to receive on MIDI channel 10, now the two devices are talking to each other (or the computer is 'hearing' the octapad come in on channel 10
3) The sounds you're using in your computer, must correspond to MIDI note number (this will be a number between 0 and 127). So however you do that, pick a sound and assign it to a MIDI note number (for instance, your bass drum sound will land on MIDI note number 35, snare on note number 38, etc.,....)
4) Select a pad on the Octapad (I think you're in edit mode on the Octapad), hit it, and select the Note Number function. At this point you can assign that pad to the corresponding MIDI note number of the sound you want to trigger in your computer.

5) Voila! Now your pad will trigger that sound. Repeat the process of assigning note numbers to pads and sound in the computer to note numbers and you're all set.

NOTE: These days, since there are so many different sounds in a sound module, it is easier to create separate drum kits in the module (like a person would if he had V-Drum sound module, where there can be as many as 100 different drum sets). By using this method, you can create different sets, but you're using the same MIDI note number for each different snare sound (or bass, or tom, etc.,...) Then you can leave the Octapad alone, and just change drumsets by selecting different drum sets from your computer. This allows you to have alot of different sounds, because you're only given 127 note numbers to begin with. There's no way you can assign thousands of sounds with only 127 places to put them!

Good luck!
Click to expand...

Thank you! I am sure this will take a little while for me to figure out but that is what I was looking. And thanks for the tip at the end as well.
 
412drummer said:
Thank you! I am sure this will take a little while for me to figure out but that is what I was looking. And thanks for the tip at the end as well.
Click to expand...

You're welcome!

The end tip was a discovery for me because as drummers, you're basically in one spot all night, so it's ok to have that module next to you to control. However, in my case, I'm playing a wearable percussion instrument, the Zendrum, and in the early days I was using a sound module (Roland R5) that only had 68 sounds! So I could have all 68 sounds used on the Zen and able to switch among set-ups made-up in the instrument, which is cool giving me the ability to roam around on stage. Now I have a Roland TD-10 with literally hundreds of sounds, now I can't venture too far away from it if I'm changing sounds alot. Bummer!
 
Thank you to both of you ! I will defiantly use that link to learn about midi and hopefully be soon experimenting (just gotta get my bro to put the software on my comp he has (been asking him for nearly 6 months...lol)
 
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