How To Play VST Sounds On Pro Tools Keyboard?

[Aedryan Methyus]

Hello all,
I'm trying to get Drumkit From Hell 2 sounds to play on the little keyboard in Pro Tools LE and create drum patterns on the grid, etc. I can't figure out how to get the Pro Tools LE keyboard to play any sounds. When I click on the keys all I get is the track height selector menu. Everybody says to alt + click on the keys and when I do I still just get the track height selector menu. When I use the pencil tool to fill in squares on the grid no sound plays back either of course. I have DKFH 2 loaded on an instrument track as a VST instrument and I can hear the drums fine when I click on the keys in the DKFH interface and i'm getting signal in Pro Tools.

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks,
Aedryan

[filosofem]

Aedryan Methyus

If your running DKFH in VST format, you all need a VST to RTAS Wrapper. Doesn't DKFH use RTAS?

...and just as a side note does it support multiple outputs?




filosofem

[Aedryan Methyus]

Heya Filo,
Right now I am using VST to RTAS Adapter v1.0.5, but i'm thinking I may not even need it. I've been actually trying to figure out whether my DKFH 2 does indeed include an RTAS version of the plug-in or not. Do you know how I can tell? You'll have to pardon my ignorance, because I am brand new to PC based studio software and Pro Tools both.

Either way, DKFH 2 and Pro Tools seem to be communicating fine. I just can't figure out how to even click on the keys on the keyboard in Pro Tools without that menu popping up, let alone how to play sounds on it. Any suggestions?

Edit: Oh, and yes, DKFH does have multiple output options. Also, I did finally find a file that named "Drumkit From Hell 2RTAS.dpm" in the Digidesign/DAE/Plug-Ins directory, so I would assume it's safe to say it does have an RTAS version of the plug-in or did the wrapper create that file? Either way, how do I load DKFH into Pro Tools and be able to play the drum sounds on the keyboard?

Thanks,
Aedryan

[filosofem]

Aedryan

I've been actually trying to figure out whether my DKFH 2 does indeed include an RTAS version

Have a look on their website, I had a look myself, but doesn't seem to be listed in the format list.

DKFH does have multiple output options.

In the Mix Window of Pro Tools
Create ten (or the number of tracks you require) Instrument tracks
Hold Shift+Alt and click a Instrument track fader
Insert DKFH into the first Instrument track and route the Kick drum to this track via the Instrument View controls.
Do this for all the tracks that you require to create your drum sounds.

In the Edit Window of Pro Tools
Select Track Height>Single Note>Octave 1>Note C1 in the first Instrument track
Select Track Height>Single Note>Octave 1>Note C# in the second Instrument track
Select Track Height>Single Note>Octave 1>Note D in the third Instrument track
Keep doing this until you reach A1 with is ten tracks or until you reach the end of your tracks that you require for your drum sounds.

Now if you have achieved your routing correctly
Use the Pencil tool and click in C1 the first Instrument track (which should be named Kick or something of the like) and you should hear the Kick drum.
Same for the second Instrument track using the Pencil tool click in the track and if you have your first Snare routed to this track you should hear the Snare hit. The same for all of the tracks, each having their own drum sound.

And you don't need to record arm your tracks, but if you do Hold Alt or Shift (I forget) and record arm. Also Alt+K for Input Only Monitor mode, otherwise you will hear nothing.



Hope this helps.

I don't use DKFH, but this is how a lot of folks here set their drums up. Once you have figured out the routing, which isn't that hard, you should find this setup very handy for editing and setting your triggers.




filosofem

[Aedryan Methyus]

Hey thanks a lot, bro. I'm pretty much following ya here, except for a one thing....

Insert DKFH into the first Instrument track and route the Kick drum to this track via the Instrument View controls.

What do ya mean by "via the Instrument View controls"? Where do I find that at?

Thanks again, Filo. Very much appreciated!

- Aedryan

[filosofem]

Aedryan

What do ya mean by "via the Instrument View controls"? Where do I find that at?

Views in the Mix and Edit Windows

Instruments View


Not a problem.




filosofem

[Aedryan Methyus]

Ok, I did everything you said and I get the idea, but i'm still not hearing anything, neither at the time I fill in the grid with the pencil tool (in real time) nor when I play back. I even tried routing the drum sounds, so they corrosponded to the exact locations they show up at on the the DKFH interface's keyboard (bass drum E3/snare C3, etc (is that what you're supposed to do?) and i'm still not hearing anything. I'm pretty sure they're routed correctly, because when I click on each instruments name on the instrument track in the mix window I can see it switch to that sound on DKFH's interface. However, it doesn't do that when I click on each instument track in edit view.

Any other suggestions?

Thanks a million!

- Aedryan

[Aedryan Methyus]

Hey Guys,
In order to hopefully give you guys a more clear understanding on my problem, here is a detailed breakdown of the steps i'm now taking to try and create patterns in Pro Tools LE with DFH 2 and the problems i'm having:

In the Mix Window of Pro Tools:
1) I create 2 stereo instrument tracks "in Ticks" (i've tried selecting "in Samples" as well). Which one SHOULD it be?
2) I bring both of the instrument track's volume faders up to 0db.
3) I Insert DKFH 2 into the first Instrument track by selecting Insert Selector A/Multi-Channel Plug-in/Instrument/PSP Drumkit From Hell (stereo). Now, I also have the option of scrolling down to "Other" instead of "Instrument" and selecting "VSTW Drumkit From Hell (mono)". What is the difference between PSP and VSTW and which one SHOULD I be selecting? I do not see anything called RTAS Drumkit From Hell in these options.
4) After the DFH 2 interface pops up I load a "quick loads/metal kit" into DFH 2. At this point I am able to press keys on the keyboard in DFH and hear the DFH voices fine and signal is showing up for each of the instrument tracks in Pro Tools.
5) I leave the bass drum selected on the DFH interface.
6) I repeat the above steps for Instrument track 2, only I leave the snare drum selected on the DFH interface for this track.

* At this point I can take turns clicking on Instrument tracks 1 and 2 and I can see the DFH interface switching back and forth between the bass drum and snare accordingly. However, it doesn't switch back and forth like that when I click on each instument track in edit view. Should it?
* Now, I switch over to the Edit Window in Pro Tools.

In the Edit Window of Pro Tools:
1) I select Track Height>Single Note>Octave 3>Note E3 in Instrument track 1. I select this, because it is the key that corrosponds to the bass drum's location on the keyboard on the DFH interface.
2) I select Track Height>Single Note>Octave 3>Note C3 in Instrument track 2. I select this, because it is the key that corrosponds to the snare drum's location on the keyboard on the DFH interface.
3) I select the Pencil Tool and fill in squares on the grid next to each of the Instrument tracks.

The Problems:
I don't hear any sounds in real time as i'm filling in the squares on the grid and when I hit play on the transport I don't hear any playback. Additionally, there is no signal showing up for either of the instrument tracks during playback either.

Another HUGE problem i've found with DFH 2 in EVERY sequencer software I was able to get it to work with is, there are TONS of drop offs in sound and glitches any time notes are either close together or overlapping. I mean, with something just as simple as one, single measure with only the bass drum, snare and the ride going in 4/4 time you won't hear half of the notes 99% of the time. I am only running about 756mb of RAM right now and I realize I need at least 1gb, but again, i'm only talking about not being able to playback one simple measure with just the bass drum, snare and ride cymbal without tons of glitches. Besides upgrading my RAM, what else am I going to need to do to correct this? I just can't see 250 more mb of RAM making that big of a difference once I start trying to write complete drum tracks with toms, fills and crashes, etc for 4 - 6 minute long songs.

If you guys could help me solve these 2 main problems it would be a huge step towards me getting my drum tracks going, so I can move on to my next set of Pro Tools related nightmares.... LOL

Thanks,
Aedryan

[spkguitar]

You need to make sure the MIDI outputs of the instrument tracks are assigned to the DFH.

You need more RAM.

It is recommended to put the samples on a separate physical drive of their own.

[Aedryan Methyus]

HA! Sweet! You're the man, SPK! All I had to do was set the midi output to DFH and it worked! However, when I click on the Midi Output Selector it says, "PSP Drumkit From Hell 2 1 (no channels activated)". Even after having selected it it says the same thing, only there is a check mark next to it now. What does this mean?

Thanks again, man!

- Aedryan