TD-3 / TD-6 Sound Module Mapping

[Sir PuttsAlot]

I have a quick question and apologize in advance if the question is silly as I'm a v-Drum novice. I downloaded and skimmed through the owners manuals really quick but didn't see this explained or explained in any depth. Since I don't have a Td-3/Td-6 yet, I can't test this to verify. What are the capabilities for mapping sounds to zones/triggers for these units?

Assume I'm using the run-of-the-mill entry level Roland Pads (PDX-8, PD-8, CY-8, etc) and I create a user defined kit. Is it possible to assign any of the Instruments to any of the Zones?

Say I want a Closed HH Sound when Closed, can I assign a Tambourine for when it's open or even getting further away from reality, a Tom?

What about the different zones on the pads? Say I want a Bright Snare for the drum, but I want a cowbell for the Rim?

It's not that I would every really setup a kit like this, I'm just curious what the capabilities are with either of these two entry level sound modules. It wasn't clear to me that if I set my HH to "H03 Dark HH" and the edge to "H04 Dark HH Edge" if the Open/Closed is automatically part of the setup or do I have to setup the kit in both positions? Same thing with assigning sounds to both the Bow and Rim of Cymbals.

[BarT]

Is it possible to assign any of the Instruments to any of the Zones?

Yes.

Say I want a Closed HH Sound when Closed, can I assign a Tambourine for when it's open or even getting further away from reality, a Tom?

No, the modules always use a variation of the same sound for open and closed. But they do send different MIDI notes for open and closed so you could do that with software and samples.

What about the different zones on the pads? Say I want a Bright Snare for the drum, but I want a cowbell for the Rim?

Yes, no problem.

It wasn't clear to me that if I set my HH to "H03 Dark HH" and the edge to "H04 Dark HH Edge" if the Open/Closed is automatically part of the setup or do I have to setup the kit in both positions?

The open/closed is automatically part of the hi-hat sounds on all Roland modules, so you just set one sound (which for hi-hats is really a group of sounds) for each zone.

Same thing with assigning sounds to both the Bow and Rim of Cymbals.

Those are independent sounds so can be as different as you like.


Bruce

[saku]

you can set any trigger to be anything..so your kick could trigger cow bells, the rim of the snare a kick sound, and the rim of tom1 a sitar drone.. the open and closed hihat sounds are a different matter, you can map anything to the hihat, but I am not sure how the footpedal then affects it...I dont think it is possible to map one sound for a closed hi hat and then another for the open, rather the open/closed CC only affects the assigned sound...

[Sir PuttsAlot]

Thank you very much for the quick reply's, I think I see the big picture. So any sound to any trigger, with the limitation that the HHO/HHC will be subsets of the same mapped sound.

No, the modules always use a variation of the same sound for open and closed. But they do send different MIDI notes for open and closed so you could do that with software and samples.

So, here is a different question on the relationship between the Mapped Instrument and the MIDI Signal Out. Using the default settings, the HHO is 46 and HHC is 42. Can I change the MIDI out HHO to something else like 38 (which I believe is the default for snare). So while my TD-3 Sound Module will play HHO into my Headphones, it will send snare through the MIDI out?

[saku]

Midi is not a sound, it is only a note number. When the hihat sounds in your headphones, that is the internal sound engine assigning a hihat sound to that note number...ie. the pads sent a midi number to the sound engine...that same midi number is sent to midi out, but you can assign any sound that the VST allows you to..ie, when you send the midi out, your computer, or a midi sound module of some sort, accepts that Midi note via its Midi in connector...and you can have ANYTHING on the other side, a drum programme, a synth programme, whatever...and thus assign whatever THAT programme/sound module allows you to.

[BarT]

So, here is a different question on the relationship between the Mapped Instrument and the MIDI Signal Out. Using the default settings, the HHO is 46 and HHC is 42. Can I change the MIDI out HHO to something else like 38 (which I believe is the default for snare). So while my TD-3 Sound Module will play HHO into my Headphones, it will send snare through the MIDI out?

In most cases changing the note number on a module will also change the sound produced by the module. On some modules (TD-3 and TD-6 included) changing the open hi-hat note number also changes the closed and pedal note numbers. If you have duplicated note numbers only the lowest trigger input number sound can be produced. It can quickly become very confusing, so changing note numbers on a module is probably only advisable for very rare specific purposes.

Bruce