Midi interface for DFHS or BFD

[JrummerJ]

So, I got my e-kit all set up and I have been curious about triggering from one of the software packages available like DFHS or BFD.

I have a Dell P4 PC and currently have a midi cable that connects to the joystick port of the sound card.

My question is: To use one of these softwares will I be able to use the existing midi cable/sound card setup I have, or will I have to pick up a usb/firewire to midi interface?

Also, will these programs eat tons of resources on a PC?

Thanks,
J

[Damo]

The Roland TMC-6 may do the job for you, or pretty much any MIDI-USB converter.

[JrummerJ]

Well, the Roland TM-6 is a trigger to midi converter, my module will do that for me. What I need to know is if I spring for BFD, will it work the way I have it set up now, which is with a joystick to midi-in and midi-out adapter from the sound card.

[Butnutz]

BFD needs a host program that can run VST or RTAS instruments in real time(several are available for free or little cost). It also happens to be a RAM HOG.

[interceptor]

I use DFH2 through Cubase SX2

I take the midi in/out from my Roland TD5 (old I know) and plug it into the joystick port on my soundcard (and the audio out into the mixer). I then play the drums in using the Roland and record it in Cubase. I then select DFH2 in the vst instruments and on the midi channel.

The problem with mine is that the TD5 pretty much plays the drums in as general MIDI so in order for it to work in DFH2, I have to move the hi-hat, toms and cymbal hits to different notes on the stave. It's really hard to get the right instrument eg. there are about 7 notes for open hi-hats with each note having several samples assigned to those notes.

[Butnutz]

I use DFH2 through Cubase SX2

I take the midi in/out from my Roland TD5 (old I know) and plug it into the joystick port on my soundcard (and the audio out into the mixer). I then play the drums in using the Roland and record it in Cubase. I then select DFH2 in the vst instruments and on the midi channel.

The problem with mine is that the TD5 pretty much plays the drums in as general MIDI so in order for it to work in DFH2, I have to move the hi-hat, toms and cymbal hits to different notes on the stave. It's really hard to get the right instrument eg. there are about 7 notes for open hi-hats with each note having several samples assigned to those notes.


thats not general-MIDI, that is multi-velocity sampling/triggering.
whats should be happening is that depending on how hard you hit a pad/trigger, the sampler should trigger one, multiple, or ALL of the samples for that particular instrument. Since the TD5 doesnt support multivelocity triggering, you are basically SOL. This kind of thing usually needs to be defined by the user as well.

[interceptor]

thats not general-MIDI, that is multi-velocity sampling/triggering.
whats should be happening is that depending on how hard you hit a pad/trigger, the sampler should trigger one, multiple, or ALL of the samples for that particular instrument. Since the TD5 doesnt support multivelocity triggering, you are basically SOL. This kind of thing usually needs to be defined by the user as well.

please see the "pretty much general midi" comment in my post meaning that all the notes recorded on the stave from my TD5 are in similar positions to the GM kits in DFH2

[Butnutz]

please see the "pretty much general midi" comment in my post meaning that all the notes recorded on the stave from my TD5 are in similar positions to the GM kits in DFH2

General MIDI is a protocol, just like BINARY. Something cannot be "pretty much general MIDI." It either is or isnt, just like something cant be both a 1 and a 0, it has to be only one of them.
General MIDI, to be precise, is a standard for certain patches, note values, MIDI bit and byte information(how the binary is encoded, and what each value corresponds to), and other things such as velocity, expression controllers, etc...
General MIDI, AFAIK, is not multi-velocity.

[JrummerJ]

So, my question still hasn't been answered. Will the joystick to midi cable work or do I need a usb midi interface or a pci-based interface?

[Butnutz]

depends on the software, or you might have to set it up in the windows control panel under sound options as a "MIDI input device" be sure to enable all channels in this window, if it gives you the option.

Most applications will allow you to use any MIDI interface without a problem, including protools(which wont let you use any other 3rd party hardware). Try it and report back. if you have a problem, im sure someone here will be able to help you figure it out.

[JrummerJ]

Thanks Butnutz.

Well, I really don't have any recording or midi software on the computer to speak of, but it does let me transfer sounds to my Ddrum module through this. I have never used the input part of the midi cable, since sending samples to the module is pretty much all I do at this point.

Is there any reason to believe that it wouldn't work?

Also, could you explain a little more about BFD/DFHS and what programs would act as a host? Do you have to have a host program if you are not recording and only want to trigger and hear back the samples? I thought that these programs came with software that allows them to be used stand alone?

Thanks!

[interceptor]

General MIDI is a protocol, just like BINARY. Something cannot be "pretty much general MIDI." It either is or isnt, just like something cant be both a 1 and a 0, it has to be only one of them.
General MIDI, to be precise, is a standard for certain patches, note values, MIDI bit and byte information(how the binary is encoded, and what each value corresponds to), and other things such as velocity, expression controllers, etc...
General MIDI, AFAIK, is not multi-velocity.

you are the pedantic one aren't you?

again, read my last post where it was referring to the GM kits in DFH2, do you use that yourself? If not then shut up

Stop trying to sound like you are the all knowing studio guru, I was describing my setup in the best way possible that the original poster could understand.

So you're saying that there aren't specific notes in a stave that equate to GM notes then?