MIDI Tracks to Drum Machine

[M Offutt]

I'm going to try to be as detailed as possible in this post. I'm not sure that what I want to do is even possible. I am trying to send a Midi track to my drum machine to use the voices from the drum machine back into the recording.
My set up is as follows

ProTools LE 5.3.1
Digi 001
Alesis SR-16 (Drum Machine)
Guitar Pro 4.0
Windows XP

that is pretty much an overview. What I am doing is downloading GP4 tracks and exporting the MIDI tracks. I then import the MIDI tracks into ProTools. I can play the MIDI tracks through the built in synth on the PC and send that audio back to the session no problem. What I would like to do is send the percussion track to the SR-16 and record back the voice from the SR-16.

I am a MIDI idiot at best so I'm not sure this is even possible. I also do not know if the SR-16 can even do this, but it does have MIDI plugs on the back so there has to be something going on there.

Currently I have the MIDI 'out' on the Digi 001 going to the MIDI 'in' on the SR-16. Then the regular 'out' from the SR-16 into a mixer and back into the Digi 001. There does not seem to be a way to send the MIDI to the drum machine that I can see. If anyone has done this, or knows how to do it, or knows that it can't be done, any information you could provide would be greatly appreciated.

Thanx,

[DigiTechSupt]

On the output tab of the midi track, select 'Digi 001' and the channel you want that midi data sent down to the SR-16, which should trigger the SR-16. Currently you probably have the output set to the internal sound card.

[M Offutt]

Ok great. Now if I have the MIDI cable running from the MIDI 'out' what channel is that?

Do I need to assign a channel to that and if so where would I do that?

[jstunner]

OK, this is easier than you think.
Once you have your midi cable connected to the devices, you need to do a few things.
Most importantly connect at least one of the audio outs from the SR-16 to an input on the 001!
Next create a midi track and an Aux track(or audio if you prefer). Set the Aux track to the inputs of the SR-16 so you can hear the sound. Set the midi track to all channels out, or if you'd like set it to any channel you'd like, but you'd have to go into the MIDI set up on the SR-16 to receive on the channel you want. I have mine set to channel 10. Next add some notes to the midi track. Keep in mind that SR-16 can be set up for any note you want to trigger the particular pads. I have mine set to global midi notes, so C1 will be kick, D1 will be snare etc. I think that's the default setting anyway for the SR-16. once you have your notes on the midi track you can pretty much press play and you'll translate the midi to sound. I personally use one midi track per note/pad so it makes things easier to edit. You can always you the select all feature and merge paste to create a "master" midi file if you need to save space.

Hope that helps,
Good luck!

[M Offutt]

Thank you, I'll give it a go as soon as I get home today.

[Skyflash]

Also, make sure you have "note in" switched on in the midi menu of the SR-16.
You also may need to have "note out" switched off so you don't get the dreaded
midi-loop-from-hell thing going

[M Offutt]

Thank you very much, works like a charm. I'm going to have to get used to programming my pads because I am downloading others MIDI tracks but it sounds great.

The tip on the note in was good because I would have missed that and been frustrated as hell.

[cruisemates]

M offutt...

I am also doing this now and loving it. I just posted this on another thread here:

I have it set up like this. After programming my entire song on the SR. I set the SR-16 so it is ready to play the song I have programmed into it, and start PT with send clock data enabled. The SR will sync up to PT automatically and I can just start recording my other tracks. I just have the SR permanently connected to line-in 5-8, which I bring up on aux tracks. Sounds punchy, and I can EQ and reverb the snare separately. (or you can assign them to audio tracks & record the drums if you want, but I find they sound punchier of you use the module to play the drums all the time).

If I want to record the midi information (just in case you lose the drum part on the SR) you just go Midi out from drum machine to Midi in on PT (you only need to do this once) to record the midi part, once it is recorded, hide & disable the midi track.

I find it very easy to program the patterns on drum machines, and since PT syncs the drum machine automatically, I can re-program a pattern anytime I want to and it will play the revision immediately. (at some point, once a drum pattern is finalized you probably want to re-record the midi so you have a record).

The beauty of it is it is an outboard device, which means it uses almost NO computer resources at all.