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**MPCman** · 12-16-01, 02:57 AM

Originally posted by algorhythm:
How is the response? How big are the pads?
How good is the external input function (I want to plug a kick trigger in there . . .)?

I think the response is similar to the PD-21 and PD-31 pads. If that's true the response is absolutely horrible, you get pain in your wrists after 15 minutes. Somebody please correct me if I'm wrong!

The pads have the same size as the modern octapads, the SPD-11 and 20.

The external inputs are for footswitsches, not for kick triggers...

You'd better save money for a used SPD-11 I think.

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http://mpcman.flappie.nl

**puttenvr** · 12-16-01, 03:19 AM

The response is even more plastic (stiff) than the Roland pads MPCman mentiones. Those pads had a kind of soft rubber. The old Octapads have not. The newer SPD Octapads have.

I don't know much about the first Octapad (PAD 8), but the Octapad II (PAD 80) has 6 external inputs for kick triggers and other pads. Perhaps you should get one of these. It has more MIDI functions as well than the PAD 8. Octapads are perfect if you already have the sounds (like you have the Alesis DM5). The Roland sounds from those days aren't better, so I wonder if it is more value for money. Only a SPD 20 - which is more expensive - has decent sounds. So an old Octapad is always cheaper and more flexible.

**MPCman** · 12-16-01, 12:41 PM

Originally posted by puttenvr:
The response is even more plastic (stiff) than the Roland pads MPCman mentiones. Those pads had a kind of soft rubber. The old Octapads have not. The newer SPD Octapads have.

I don't know much about the first Octapad (PAD 8), but the Octapad II (PAD 80) has 6 external inputs for kick triggers and other pads. Perhaps you should get one of these. It has more MIDI functions as well than the PAD 8. Octapads are perfect if you already have the sounds (like you have the Alesis DM5). The Roland sounds from those days aren't better, so I wonder if it is more value for money. Only a SPD 20 - which is more expensive - has decent sounds. So an old Octapad is always cheaper and more flexible.

I think algorhythm means SPD-8 with PD-8. I think it's not the same as the PAD-8, but came out after the Pad-80 and before the SPD-11.
I'm not sure though.

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http://mpcman.flappie.nl

**jrcel** · 12-16-01, 02:10 PM

Why don't you get a used Drumkat, it's a better box.

**puttenvr** · 12-16-01, 03:30 PM

Originally posted by jrcel:
Why don't you get a used Drumkat, it's a better box.

.... and more expensive

**captainbk** · 12-16-01, 05:07 PM

I am using my old Yamaha DD11 via a midi out to trigger my TD6....it works great and has 8 pads. The newer version , the DD55 has seven pads and, two pedal switches and a ton of other features for ~$250.....might be worth looking into.

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The Captain

**jrcel** · 12-16-01, 08:13 PM

You can get a used Kat on Ebay for as low as $250 for a Drumkat, and for $150 for a DK10.

**algorhythm** · 12-16-01, 08:15 PM

ok - it sounds like the octapad is not the way to go . . .

i want a strict trigger, no sounds.

the drumkats look NICE . . . but they are significantly more expensive.

I guess I will keep on looking, and save more money in the meantime. I might just build the trigger box and hook it up to the DM5 and use it's trigger>midi convertors to trigger one of my 2 other samplers . . . It depends on whether I have more motivation or money :LOL:

**algorhythm** · 12-16-01, 08:53 PM

Originally posted by MPCman:
I think algorhythm means SPD-8 with PD-8.

nope - i meant PAD-8. spd-8 has sounds in it; the octapad (pad-8) is strictly a trigger.

**Stoovey** · 12-30-01, 02:56 AM

Roland SPD-20: $680 or so
DrumKAT DK10: $440 (direct from Alternate Mode)

And the DK10 is much more responsive and has more features. That's the way I'm going...

**Jay Storey** · 01-14-02, 02:27 PM

Ok I used to own one, and then bought a Drumkat and it was like going from a Pinto to a Porsche 911.

Ironically the reason why I didn't buy the Drumkat to begin with was I thought "hey that company might not be around in the future, whereas Roland stuff will be"

I imagine there is virtually no parts or support by Roland for the Octapad these days (V drum fans take note) whereas you can get any model of Drumkat upgraded to the latest model, provided you want to spend that much.

Anyway you asked about the Octapad:

1. Playing surface is really hard, a real wrist breaker.

2. Programming values are really coarse, like 1 to 8 for velocity, etc.

3. There are trigger ins, they work pretty good, I used to use a kick trigger, in conjunction with some Roland triangular cymbal pads as my E-Kit in the late 1980's

4. The piezos blow out, count on that. If you buy a used Octapad, be sure to check it thoroughly, chances are that one or two are going bad.

5. The thing did not handle crosstalk from external triggers at all very well, I used to have a helluva problem with my cymbal pads triggering toms on the Octapad. This was because the whole shebang was mounted on one heavy duty Tama double tom stand.

Sometimes it worked fine, other times you would hit a cymbal crash and hear a bunch of tom notes (toms were assigned to triggers on the Octapad). Sometimes you could just shake the stand and the toms would trigger.

To this day I still don't know why it was just the toms and not some other drums on the pad like the snare or hi-hat sounds.

6. No way to dump your programming efforts into an external midi device

So at this point have I convinced you that an Octapad isn't that great?

I bought mine new for about $475 in 1987, and then sold it in 1993 for around $200, that was pretty decent.

I think as a simple triggering device it would work ok for $50 - $100, but if you want something far better that is upgradeable, has a real display, etc. I would look into a used Drumkat.

One thing I can say about the Drumkat is that the people that sell and service it are great, and the fact you can upgrade the thing is really refreshing.

Roland just wants you to sell your old gear at a loss and buy new gear.

Jay Storey

p.s. Sorry for the anti-Roland bias, I actually own a lot of roland gear and really like it, but their gouging price policies with the Vdrums really irk me.

When I finally get around to buying an E-Kit I can guarantee I will going Hart...I have a couple of their products and they work really well and the service is first rate.

Originally posted by algorhythm:
I have searched the site, and the net for that matter, regarding the infamous Octapad. Surprisingly, there is very little info on it.

Well, I want one! (I think). So I need to know more about it before parting with the cash - BTW - I have a DM5 and custom kit, and am looking for the octapad to trigger my ES-1 drum machine-sampler . . .

How is the response? How big are the pads?
How good is the external input function (I want to plug a kick trigger in there . . .)?

thanks for any links, or direct replies!

peace!

**algorhythm** · 01-14-02, 09:21 PM

thx, i'm gettin' a drum kat

**algorhythm** · 01-15-02, 07:24 AM

if anyone could comment some on the drum kat's sequencer, I would really appreciate it ;0 !

**jrcel** · 01-15-02, 08:10 PM

On the Drumkat 3.5-3.8, it's pretty limited to 8 motifs{patterns in katspeak} and they are limited to specific lengths. In the Turbo, there are 30 and they can be up to 96 bars in length each. There are a number of ways to access these patterns, Event Slice{tap in Rolandspeak} star/stop start/continue, or by using specific note lengths, 1/4 1/8 1/16/1/8 triplet 1/16 triplet. External sequencers may also be accessed in all ways except Event Slice which has to be an internal sequence{Turbo} as far as I can tell. The Drumkat is an amazingly powerful machine designed to control anything with a midi port. All CV# are supported, 8 note per pad/input each with it's own midi channel number, stack, alternate, random, Melodic multiple,alt eta...........velocity switching, note shift, gate shift, hatnote etc.......polyphony is on a per pad basis and is selectable. 128 note alt on the Turbo, midi routing via 2 sets of midi in/out, you could even plug a TD-10 into the kats midi in and access the Drumkat's ability to all this amazing stuff. I've had mine since '95 and have had it upgraded four times, I love the thing, I will never sell it.

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