DR-770 and ProTools

[Dunwoodyfan]

Hi All,

I am a complete newbie. I’ve been scouring these forums and the rest of the internet for days trying to solve my problem. I found a very detailed and lucid post from 2003, but it—or at least my implementation—didn’t work

I have a DR-770 drum machine that I would like to use in PT, but I am unable to get any audio. I connected the 770 to my Mac mini via the MIDI ports on the 770 to a USB connection on the mini. I used a FORE connection cord.

I created a MIDI track with All for the Input. For the output, I created a stereo Audio track. The Audio track input is the 770 MIDI, and the output is A 1-2.

I get a strong MIDI signal but nothing on the audio. At one point, I thought there was something wrong with the 770, but I plugged directly into a monitor and was able to hear the sound.

I also tried to just send the output of the 770 to an audio track in PT. It didn’t work, but I have no idea why not.

Any suggestions out there?

[Darryl Ramm]

Welcome to DUC.

If you look around on DUC you'll see this basic question has been answered many times.

Just connecting an audio track to a MIDI track does not create audio. MIDI contains no audio data, you have to feed the MIDI you record into a physical external instrument or within Pro Tools you need to feed it into a virtual instrument (VI)

The easier way of working with virtual instrument in Pro Tools is to use an instrument track, not a MIDI track. And insert a VI plugin on that track. Start by getting the Mini Grand VI to work... that's the universal simplest VI in Pro Tools.

If you want to record the Audio out of the 770 then that has nothing to do with MIDI, you need to connect a line level output(s) from the 770 into a line level input(s) in an audio interface and select that input(s) as the input to an mono (or stereo) audio track.

Probably the best way to get started is find a tutorial about working with VIs or audio on YouTube.

[Dunwoodyfan]

Darryl,

Thank you, brother. Yes, I have found at least 10 threads on the topic, but I was still unable to make it work.

All I wanted to do was the get the audio from the 770, and I was just able to do it. You mentioned that I need a line signal, and I had read that drum machines send out a line signal. Your comment made me think it wouldn't hurt to make sure, so I activated the mic pre and was able to both monitor the output and record the 770.

I am incredibly grateful.