Help me configure my cymbals please???

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Help me configure my cymbals please???

Postby visy » Sun Jun 10, 2018 7:20 am

I have a megadrum32 built by dmitri and I have managed to get my mesh head toms and snare pretty good using this forum post:
viewtopic.php?p=20543#p20543
I have 3 main areas of trouble/questions.

1. Dual Zone Cymbal configuration.
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I have Jobeky dual zone cymbals and I'm a little bit stuck as to what the correct process is for configuring dual zone cymbals in megadrum. Do I configure the bow trigger using the same steps as the mesh head post above?
What are the recommended steps for configuring the edge inputs?

2. 3 zone ride configuration.
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I started to follow the forum post below but got stuck at the step......"Set All EdgeSw' option to auto-set Threshold on Aux1 Rim and Aux2 Rim"
This might be a stupid question, but where the hell is this option located in MegaDrumManagerFX??? I cannot find it.

3. Hihat config
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Now this is where I'm the most confused. I have a Jobeky hi-hat and GoeDrum hihat controller and dont even know where to start.
Do I configure the bow edge the same as any other dual zone cymbal first and then configure the pedal/controller?
Would the GoeDrum controller be configured the same way as a Roland VH-11 similar to this forum post?
viewtopic.php?f=3&t=2082
Next bunch of questions relate to the pic below:
Image
What would be some good starting point settings on the Misc tab for my setup?
Can someone please explain how Levels and Notes tabs should be configured?
below is what notes EZ Drummer has for my hihat.
Image
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Re: Help me configure my cymbals please???

Postby visy » Sun Jun 10, 2018 10:43 am

Ook. I think I have answered a couple of my own questions.
visy wrote:1. Dual Zone Cymbal configuration.
----------------------------------------------
I have Jobeky dual zone cymbals and I'm a little bit stuck as to what the correct process is for configuring dual zone cymbals in megadrum. Do I configure the bow trigger using the same steps as the mesh head post above?
What are the recommended steps for configuring the edge inputs?

Yes. I configured the bow zone exactly the same as my mesh heads and it work fine.
I then changed the Head/Bow type to Dual or 3 way Yamaha and followed the steps in this post.
viewtopic.php?f=4&t=2559#p26776

Dual zone cymbals now work great with choke working aswell.

I'm still a bit stuck with my 3 zone ride and HiHat though.
visy
 
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Re: Help me configure my cymbals please???

Postby dmitri » Sun Jun 10, 2018 12:03 pm

visy wrote:2. 3 zone ride configuration.
-------------------------------
I started to follow the forum post below but got stuck at the step......"Set All EdgeSw' option to auto-set Threshold on Aux1 Rim and Aux2 Rim"
This might be a stupid question, but where the hell is this option located in MegaDrumManagerFX??? I cannot find it.

It's not a setting/option so it is available only from the front panel controls. Or ignore this and you just adjust Edge Threshold and 3rd Zone Threshold.

What would be some good starting point settings on the Misc tab for my setup?

Start with default MegaDrum settings.

Can someone please explain how Levels and Notes tabs should be configured?

Please read https://www.megadrum.info/content/hihat-pedal-settings and if something is not clear please be more specific what is not clear.
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Re: Help me configure my cymbals please???

Postby visy » Sun Jun 17, 2018 5:18 am

I started to tackle the hihat cymbal first as I want to get the goedrum hihat controller working.
I set the Type to foot controller as EZDrummer supports CC4 messages.

Am I supposed to see CC4 messages in the midi log?
Right now I dont see anything.

I have attached my pedal settings but I'm unsure as to what I need to change to be able to see CC4 messages.

Is there any guide I can follow on how to setup a hihat controller with EZ Drummer? What step do I do first...second...third etc....

Also do I need to fill in levels tab if using CC4 messages?

Oh and one more question, HiHat input is currently set to 2 which is the default. Is this meant to be the input number that the hihat cymbal is plugged into? The module I got built has hihat pedal in input 1 and hihat cymbal in input 3.
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Re: Help me configure my cymbals please???

Postby dmitri » Sun Jun 17, 2018 9:10 am

1. Labels in blue colour means that the settings are not in sync with MegaDrum.
2. If use CC4 for pedal positions you can ignore all level settings except Low and High Levels. You also have to set all Pedal Notes equal to Notes of HiHat cymbal. Chick and Splash Notes must be set to a note which don't produce sound on your soft synth.
3. You enable Alt Input. Did you also set the Pedal impedance switch to the high impedance position (switch is down) - default position is Low impedance (switch is up).
4. You enables Soft Chicks and New Algorithm. They make no difference when using CC4 for pedal positions as chicks and splashes are generated by your soft synth.
5. First jack is for a HiHat controller, second jack is for input 1 (Kick by default), third jack is for inputs 2/3 which is a HiHat cymbal by default.
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Re: Help me configure my cymbals please???

Postby visy » Sun Jun 17, 2018 8:09 pm

Ignore the blue I just did not have the megadrum plugged in when I took the screenshots.

The settings I have were loaded from the pad library so here is what I did.
1. Set pedal impedance to low (switch up), disabled alt input, disabled soft chicks and new algorithm (I did this as I'm assuming its a default setting) and enabled Auto levels.

I can now see CC4 messages in the raw midi log but it doesnt seems to make much of a difference in EZ drummer.
What I get now is the chick sound when pressing the pedal but the same sound whether the hihat is open or closed.
If I have the pedal down and hit the hi hat should I get a different not in the midi log than if I hit the hihat with the pedal open??? Right now they are both the same.

I'm a bit frustrated at the moment as I still have no clear direction on how to configure this hihat controller. What is the process???? What setting to you dial in first, what do you do second etc etc.

as per my first post there is info on how to do this with mesh pads but the hihat seems like a dark art at the moment. I'm using common gear and software. Sureley someone else has used it before me????
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Re: Help me configure my cymbals please???

Postby visy » Mon Jun 18, 2018 8:14 am

Another question. What relevance is hatsTrig in EZDrummer 2?

Is this what note EZ drummer is listening for to determine whether the hihat is hit?
Is this hatsTrig used in conjunction with the hihat controller to determine what midi notes to play?

If so should I be setting this note somewhere in MegaDrumManagerFX??
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Re: Help me configure my cymbals please???

Postby ignotus » Mon Jun 18, 2018 9:33 am

Try this:

1.- Make sure high and low levels for the pedal let you get the full range out of it. Fully press the pedal, take note of the raw reading (should be shown on the screen) and set low level slightly higher. Release the pedal, take note of raw reading and set high level slightly lower.

2.- In the hi hat pad settings, set a note for bow and another for edge. Now, in pedal notes, set all bow notes (open, half open, etc) the same as the pad bow note. Do the same for the edge.

3.- Set chick and splash notes in pedal settings to a note that doesn't trigger anything in EZdrummer (or to 0 if you don't use quick access).

4.- Now, in EZdummer, click on 'learn' for 'hatstrig'. There should be a 'trig' setting for bow and edge - I don't know as I'm not familiar with this VST but it's like that in Superior Drummer 2. When you click on 'learn' for the edge, hit the edge, and the same for the bow. If it doesn't have a 'learn' function, find out which note it expects for these functions and set them in the module as per point 2 above. 'Hatstrig' is for using CC messages; by assigning a note to that parameter, the VST knows that it has to apply CC variations to that note when triggered.

It *should* be working now.
If it ain't broken... fix it until it is.
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Re: Help me configure my cymbals please???

Postby visy » Mon Jun 18, 2018 10:52 am

ignotus wrote:Try this:

1.- Make sure high and low levels for the pedal let you get the full range out of it. Fully press the pedal, take note of the raw reading (should be shown on the screen) and set low level slightly higher. Release the pedal, take note of raw reading and set high level slightly lower.

2.- In the hi hat pad settings, set a note for bow and another for edge. Now, in pedal notes, set all bow notes (open, half open, etc) the same as the pad bow note. Do the same for the edge.

3.- Set chick and splash notes in pedal settings to a note that doesn't trigger anything in EZdrummer (or to 0 if you don't use quick access).

4.- Now, in EZdummer, click on 'learn' for 'hatstrig'. There should be a 'trig' setting for bow and edge - I don't know as I'm not familiar with this VST but it's like that in Superior Drummer 2. When you click on 'learn' for the edge, hit the edge, and the same for the bow. If it doesn't have a 'learn' function, find out which note it expects for these functions and set them in the module as per point 2 above. 'Hatstrig' is for using CC messages; by assigning a note to that parameter, the VST knows that it has to apply CC variations to that note when triggered.

It *should* be working now.


Thank you. this is exactly the kind of info I needed.
I did get it working, not perfect but working, by using some of the settings posted here:
viewtopic.php?f=3&t=2809&start=0#p30504

Your answer puts it all into context though so I will do what you suggested to refine my settings and get it working better.
I'm going to have to go with the default hatsTrig notes though as unlike superior drummer, EZDrummer2 does not have a learn function.
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