xpand2 drum set samples

[tonyK]

Hi everyone. I have a stock version of pro tools 8 le, which comes with xpand2. I'm wondering if there is a drum set i can use there so that i can map my keyboard keys to individual drums. I don't want to use their drum loops and I don't want to record each drum instrument separately. I want to C2 to be a kick drum, E2 to be a snare, F#2 to be a hi-hat, etc. Thanks!

[filosofem]

Xpand!2>Part>Category>024 Drums

[tonyK]

thanks filosofem, however when i choose one of those options under 024, i get an entire keyboard of hi hat sounds, snare sounds, kick sounds, etc, but I need the keys C2-C3, for instance, to give me an entire range of drum set sounds so I can "play" a drum set with those keys. Is that available and I am just missing it? Thanks.

[filosofem]

Use 'Menu'.

[mslinn]

Originally Posted by filosofem

Use 'Menu'.

I have the same problem, but the terse message "Use menu" does not help me. How to do this?

[unkJE]

Originally Posted by mslinn

... How to do this?

... by setting up 4 Instrument Tracks ...

Excellent Video:
Pro Tools First Tutorial (Part 4) – Xpand!2 Virtual Instruments
https://youtu.be/eCmk1vk9aKw


Control Automation with Encoder – set to 4 Encoders to CC111, CC112, CC113, CC114.

Right-click on any LEVEL Fader – select Learn MIDI CC.


… how to do even more with one instance of Xpand2 by using automation
https://vimeo.com/channels/protoolse...usive/37422751

[Top Jimmy]

Originally Posted by mslinn

I have the same problem, but the terse message "Use menu" does not help me. How to do this?

Load a full drum kit via the plugin preset menu at the top of the plugin window rather than using the selector menus in the 4 individual sections. The plugin preset uses all 4 sections to create a whole drum kit set of sounds available for playing via a single MIDI channel. All the sounds you wish to play may not be within a single octave, but they aren’t hard to find.

[mslinn]

Top Jimmy, thanks for helping out.

I have a Roland HandSonic HPD-15 drum, not a keyboard. It has 14 pads, which emit MIDI notes from C3 to D4. Somehow I need to map those pads to Xpand2. I would prefer to leave the MIDI notes emitted by the HPD-15 as they are, and instead map them to 4 sounds of the XPand2 patch I am using at the time.

As a Windows user, I was able to install VMPK, a virtual keyboard, and loopMidi, a virtual MIDI cable, to explore all of the available sounds on XPand2. That worked quite well. When displayed on a Dell P2418HT touch-sensitive monitor, I was able to play chords by 'playing' the virtual keyboard. However, as a drummer, I want to play a drum, not a keyboard.


Maybe Bome MIDI Translator Pro can do the translation, but it seems complicated to set up. Is there an easier way to map the HPD-15 drum pads to specific XPand2 sounds?

[albee1952]

The better way is to not use Xpand2 and move to a drum-specific VI. I can highly recommend Addictive Drums2, EZDrummer2 and Superior Drums3. They are all very capable(much better than Xpand2) and will allow for more "real drummer" sound due to the multiple samples. While I am not positive that the first 2 options allow midi remapping, I know that SD3 does(I suggest watching some demo videos on all 3 to get a deeper look). Xpand2 is fine for making a drum track for fleshing out a song, but if you want the end result to sound like a drummer(instead of a machine), then Xpand2 is not the right tool for the job

[Top Jimmy]

Originally Posted by mslinn

Is there an easier way to map the HPD-15 drum pads to specific XPand2 sounds?

Not that I know of. Since Xpand doesn’t have a way to move sounds to different notes, the only way to do it is to change the notes sent by the drum pads or use a translator. Personally I would just change the notes on the pads.