2Box: can mega drum be used as the input source?

[hurstaudio1]

I saw a 2box drum it5 for sale and was going to make an offer...I don't know if I will do it though as I don't know if mega can be connected as the input source through the midi in port with proper fu8nction of the high hat and ride for example or if that kind of thing wouldn't work unless the pads were directly connected. Let me know whether this could be a viable sound source for the md.

[jarosz]

According to the DrumIt Five manual: "Vice versa you can use the MIDI IN port to control the module from an external controller or sequencer and thus use it as a sound source only. For this, connect the MIDI OUT of the external device to the MIDI IN of the DrumIt Five"

http://www.2box.se/download/pdf/DrumIt_ ... 2x_eng.pdf

[hurstaudio1]

Excellent. Thank you.

[hurstaudio1]

Actually, just to be clear, I was actually asking not if it was a possibility to connect md physically to 2box, I was asking if I could take advantage of all of my inputs on my md or am I limited to 15 as a hard number?

[hurstaudio1]

Actually i guess what I could do is do midi out from 2box to midi in on md and then midi out from md to superior drummer and use md as an extention to 2box....would that work?

[jarosz]

Actually i guess what I could do is do midi out from 2box to midi in on md and then midi out from md to superior drummer and use md as an extention to 2box....would that work?

That would work too, but IMO it would be better to connect both via usb to trigger Superior Drummer, but then you wouldn't actually use the biggest advantage of 2box which is great samples and open architecture with possibility to import sounds from popular VSTs via third party software: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=izakqZBniv0 - if I could afford to buy 2box I would use it as a drum synth (6 individual outputs + headphones).

With pads connected directly to 2box module you would probably get lower latency (MIDI transfer rate is only 31250 bauds per second which makes 3125 bytes per second, which approximates to around 1000 three-byte MIDI messages per second maximum, 1 ms resolution.

With two separate drum brains you can get into crosstalk issues, because crosstalk is handled only inside the module.

Yamaha cymbals are said to work with 2box, but not perfect with the bell zone: http://www.2box-forum.com/index.php?topic=1303.0

I don't know how is your hi-hat configuration with MegaDrum, but with 2box it's not only configuration, but also hardware difference: 2box sensor is hall effect based.

[hurstaudio1]

If I set 2box settings to be as I like them, then do midi in into the md then set md similar to that of 2box...how will there possibly become cross talk issues? It is really a shame I can't just go midi in into the 2box.

I've packed up my Yamaha drum set. I'm still deciding which hh config I'll use for my new conversion kit, either a vh11 if I really can afford it or a cy8 with an fd8. I'll probably end up going with some roland cy8's for crashes and what not.

I'm really not into fabrication I just want things to work honestly, so would you say this is or is not an ideal set up. I want to be able to take advantage of all the inputs on the md or at least use additional pads which the 2box doesn't support, I was thinking of creating a preset of samples in sd and rendering them for the 2box, and if I add the md to the 2box it would be like an extention of the 2box preset and sd would be the same preset with some additional pads, does that make sense? Before I drop $650 on it I want to make sure I'm not throwing money away.

[hurstaudio1]

I see there is an hh conversion kit for roland style hh's for sale at Jobeky for 95 pounds made by Zourman. This kind of sours the entire deal that I'd have to spend close to another $200 getting the hh to work, over seas shipping plus a $400 vh11, I'm not really digging that idea. Still baffled why there aren't many drum companies in the US doing these innovations. It is way more expensive than it needs to be.

All I'm really wanting from this is to have to not use superior drummer but have a synth I can Velcro to the top of my md which receives midi in and can be programmed with real drum samples...I can't seem to find any such product. Suggestions?

[jarosz]

If I set 2box settings to be as I like them, then do midi in into the md then set md similar to that of 2box...how will there possibly become cross talk issues?

If pads connected to different drum modules are not enough mechanically separated, you might get them into crosstalk. To suppress it you will have to put pads connected to MegaDrum and 2box on separate stands/racks or increase threshold value, therefore loosing some dynamics.

It is really a shame I can't just go midi in into the 2box.

The manual states that you can and that's what I meant I would actually have done if I had both and needed those extra inputs. (considering the limitations of MIDI transfer rate - mostly negligible and possible crosstalk).

I want to be able to take advantage of all the inputs on the md or at least use additional pads which the 2box doesn't support, I was thinking of creating a preset of samples in sd and rendering them for the 2box, and if I add the md to the 2box it would be like an extention of the 2box preset and sd would be the same preset with some additional pads, does that make sense? Before I drop $650 on it I want to make sure I'm not throwing money away.

I guess you are somehow disappointed by difficulties with configuring the hi-hat with MegaDrum, but I still think it's possible and would be reasonable to try it again before making new purchase. With pads and pedal configured properly there would be no need to purchase a hi-hat conversion kit.

[hurstaudio1]

Right I know you can go midi in from mega drum to the 2box, but I'm unclear if 2box would be able to take advantage of all 56 inputs...I'm sure you could put as many samples on the 2box, but I wonder if there are inherent limitations with the naming scheme on samples....so are you saying that I would have no problem utilizing all inputs on my mega drum going midi in on the 2box, as in, md midi out to 2box midi in?

As for the hh, I'm not getting new pads because I am disappointed with md and configuration, I had plans to build a custom kit already and I have no space in this small studio so I had to box up the dtx550k to make room for my stage custom birch. At this point I need to figure out my high hat situation. I really want to use a high hat stand. I'm going to order one from drumnetics which is the one I want yet that limits my options if I understand it correctly, 2box only support this specific hall effect controller and to use a vh11 I need a 95 gbp convertion kit from Jobeky which is like $125 plus shipping internationally it doesn't make it worth it. Or are you saying if the hh configuration is translated by 2box correctly it doesn't matter what hh controller I use connected to md? I don't plan to have any pads connected to the 2box with the setup I'm aiming for, if possible.

So in other words:
If all pads including hh are connected to md, then midi out from md to midi in on 2box will work fine, detecting all 56 inputs?
Or, are the 15 inputs on the 2box hard coded so that 15 and no more than 15 pads can be configured within the 2box, no matter what midi interface is connected to 2box? If this is the case then buying the drum it 5 wouldn't be worth my time.

If I misunderstood you please let me know. The way I took it is that this configuration would not be a logistical setup. I read over the manual for 2box and I really didn't find the answer to my question. With all samples on the 2box, and using the md as a trigger source, I was trying to cut out the middle man of superior drummer.

The only reason I brought up the reverse, I.E. going midi out from 2box to midi in on md was because as I understood it, 2box couldn't support more than 15 inputs. This is what I am asking for clarification on, and, if the high hat situation can be mitigated by just connecting the hh of my choice to md directly rather than 2box.

If you can indeed do this I may reconsider my purchase.