Digital diagnostics, techno troubles, glitches in your Gizmos; they're all in a day's work for The Mix medical department. Send your queries to: The Help File, (Contact Details) 4AF

Top tips

QIt must be said that the most unfortunate victim in any band has to be the poor drummer. For it is we drummers who have to depend on our girlfriend's car to get us, and our kits, from one gig to another. We constantly have to fight for existence against the dreaded 'drum machine', which let's face it, is a lot cheaper than an average kit with decent cymbals.

Still, I have discovered something to give a dying breed a glimmer of hope. If you happen to own an Alesis D4, instead of paying out a lot of dosh on the pick-ups, head down to your local discount store and pick up a pair of cheap mini headphones (they're about £1). Cut the stereo jack off, replace it with a mono jack, and hey presto! You've got an instant drum trigger.
Colm Connelly, Dublin, Ireland.

AWas that a question? Are drummers a dying breed? I'm a little unclear on how you use your drum trigger, but I now know why most drummers don't have girlfriends. Shame on you, wrecking her luxurious interior with your cymbals. RB

Patch up your differences

QI'm rather new to MIDI, and there are many things unclear to me, especially the task of connecting stuff together. My set-up consists of a Korg M1, an Atari ST (running Cubase), Tascam mixer (with MIDI muting), Roland DR660, Yamaha MT 120 4-track, Alesis Quadraverb Plus, and a Smart Sync. What is the best way of connecting these together? It gets annoying when I have to repeatedly change the configuration for sync'ing to tape and so on. Perhaps a MIDI merge would be the solution? Help!
Daniel Smith, London.

AA programmable MIDI patchbay would definitely solve your routing problems. Set up your gear as shown in the accompanying diagram, then set up programs on the patchbay so that the input to the patchbay from the appropriate device is routed out to the right destination. Striping the tape on the multitrack, for example, would be accomplished by routing the output from the smart sync into the patchbay, and then on to the tape machine. Models to choose from include the Akai MEP60, Roland A880 or Anatek SMP16/32. RB

At sea on a PC

QI am a songwriter (although some would say otherwise), using a 2.5Mb Atari with MIDI Studio Master (a phrase-based sequencing package) to write music with. I also own a Kawai K1, Yamaha TG100, Fostex R8, Tascam 208M mixer, plus a few other bits and bobs.

My problem began when I bought a PC (a 486 66MHz with 8Mb of RAM and a 270Mb hard disk), in spite of the obvious advantages of speed and storage space. I know less about sampling and hard disk recording than Sweeney Todd knew about hairdressing. What I am considering is selling my eight track, mixing desk, and Atari, to concentrate on the facilities available with the PC. As I am recording acoustic instruments and vocals as well as synths, I am looking seriously at the Tascam 488MkII (any chance of a review?), or some hard-disk recording set up. I would very much welcome some advice, as I don't want to find I've made a boo-boo.
G Paul Avery, Essex.

AHard-disk recording is definitely the current buzz. Many of us are currently considering the change-over from portastudio or multitrack recording to some form of direct-to-disk recording, and find themselves in much the same position. It's quite a steep learning curve, and you'll also be concerned about ditching your old technology and finding yourself stuck up some kind of technological gum tree. You could ditch your eight track and mixer and do all of the recording and mixing from your newly acquired PC, but as you record live vocals and guitars, you might experience difficulties getting them all onto the computer at one time. Similarly, ditching your Atari means learning a new sequencing package, and sync'ing that up to the PC's D-to-D software (not as simple as it should be!).

If you look in any modern recording studio that runs computer-based sequencing and disk recording, what you normally find is an Atari running Cubase, sync'ed via MIDI or SMPTE time code to a PC or Mac. This would be the ideal way to use your current equipment. You could run something like SAW on the PC, and continue with your current sequencer, leaving you with the option of upgrading your sequencing package once you've mastered the direct-to-disk software. Don't ditch your desk in favour of computer mixing, you need the insert points and EQ on that, not to mention the effects sends and returns and buss routings.

The question of whether to retain your multitrack is a moot one. Some people like to keep them in a digital recording set-up, to record vocals and the like on, prior to dumping the results onto the computer in sync with the other elements of a mix. Others prefer to run the whole mix from their desk into the computer, or build up tracks within an eight track direct-to-disk set up. If you're anxious about losing a set-up you feel comfortable with, then hang onto your Fostex and work with that, using the PC for your final mixdown stage, until you become comfortable with the computer set-up. Then, decide which route you want to follow. Excellent as the 488 MkII is (see our review in the March issue of the mix), it would seem a retrograde step to add that to your current set-up. RB

Cheese sticks

QI am an ex-drummer who sold his drum kit and became a recording enthusiast with the money. I now have a MIDI studio with, amongst other things, a Korg M3R and an Emax sampler as my major sound sources. Now I want to pick up the drum sticks again, but I can't face divorcing myself from the great drum samples I have. So, my question is: Are there any drum pads that, via MIDI, will trigger the drum sounds on either the Emax or the Korg? I do mean pads that I can sit down and play, rather than a single module of pads (like the Roland Octopad).

If such a thing exists I wonder if you could tell me if they are available new or second hand, and approximately how much they'd cost. If you can't help, are there any retailers that can help? I shall continue to subscribe (even if you don't help) to your fab magazine and will always worship you as gods, although I will be a bit cheesed off.
Alistair Edwards, Byfleet, Surrey.

ADrum pads to trigger your samples? Nae problem. After something of a hiatus during the early 90s, electronic percussion EB appears to be back with a vengeance, with a sizeable range of products from the likes of Simmons (inevitably), Roland, ddrum and (lately) Korg.

You don't mention the kind of set-up you're looking for — whether it should ape the layout of an acoustic kit, or whether it need only provide a range of 'surfaces' which, when struck will send out the necessary MIDI message(s) to trigger your samples. So I'll briefly cover both options.

In terms of a complete system, Simmons have virtually everything you could need with their range of pads and hardware which may be bought individually and combined to form the kit of your choice. Add to this a control unit (to turn the trigger signals from the pads into MIDI data) such as the ADT, and you'll have a highly sophisticated system with a high level of parameter control. The ADT system actually includes a, 'stick response learning' feature, which is capable of memorising your playing technique on any surface to which bugs may be attached, and also allows the response of any one pad to be universally applied across the rest of the kit. It's an intelligent system, and a must for anyone used to playing acoustic drums.

Roland offer a similar set-up, using a combination of pads as part of what they refer to as their Total Drum System. Again, you can pick 'n' mix using the standard PD-7 pads, the KD-7 bass drum pad and the ED-7 hi-hat pad — though the basic off-the-shelf kit comes as a five-piece system. The controller for the Total Drum System, the TD-7, actually includes 512 internal sounds, in addition to supplying MIDI output data to trigger other modules (your sampler, for example). You'll have to decide whether you want these. If not, the Simmons system might be the better option. Alternatively there's a Roland TD-5 system which I haven't personally used as yet, but it would be certainly worth investigating.

Obviously, when choosing between various products from different manufacturers, price comes into play, but unfortunately this is an area where I'm afraid I can't be of much help. Well I could, but it would be limited to quoting the RRPs of these systems, and in the drum world, these seem to be pretty meaningless. The Simmons ADT, for example, though carrying an RRP of £499, has been regularly advertised at under £250! So you need to check out current prices for yourself; shopping around can save you a considerable amount in this particular branch of music technology.

If you're feeling particularly flush, and you consider pad feel and stick response to be of overwhelming importance, check out the Swedish ddrum range of pads, which are generally acknowledged to offer the best playing surfaces of all (at a price). Simmons also have their Hexahead range, for those with glass wrists. If money is more of a problem, why not consider buying a second-hand kit from the many that are advertised each month in One Careful Owner — in which the readers' ads from our sister magazine Rhythm are reprinted. Worth looking out for would be Simmons SDS8, SDS9, SDS1000 and SDS2000 kits, the Roland DDR30 system, and the ddrum2 Model 4.

If this all sounds rather confusing — and believe me, this is only a small cross-section of what's available — why not wait till next month, when I'll be presenting the first in short series outlining the rise, fall and resurrection of the electronic drum. It will culminate in a complete rundown of every major product — past and present. NL

Digital pickle and mushy PCs

QIf this confusion in my mind expands any further I'm going to have to pickle my brains in a jar, before they explode. The reason for this confusion is that I'm a novice, beginner, and seeming failure in the digital sound world. I have had an ambition for ages to write music like that of my favourite artists. I could have gone into mixing and followed in the steps of Sasha and John Digweed, amongst others, but I felt I had a more creative purpose. A friend of mine said that if I was to do this, I'd have to use some serious equipment, and not just an Amiga 500.

My budget is quite high for starting out (about £1,000), and believe I need to buy out of this a sequencing program (I already own a 486 PC), sampler, effects unit, and a mother keyboard. I can already feel myself reaching out for the pickle jar.
Giles Orford, Chesham, Buckinghamshire.

ASadly, a thousand won't be grand enough to equip yourself with a brand new sampler, sequencer, mother keyboard and effects units and, if you did manage to get all of the above, it certainly wouldn't leave any change for a mixer to patch them all into.

The first thing you should look at is acquiring a sampling soundcard for your PC. The AWE32 is about the best on the market, without spending a fortune. This will provide you with a bank of sounds which you can use in compositions. Obviously you will then require a sequencing package such as Cubase or Cakewalk. Wave for Windows is another starter's piece of software, which will allow you to sample into the PC and place those samples on the AWE card for access by the sequencer. This will also provide you with digital effects with which to process your sample. If you go for a relatively inexpensive master keyboard like the Goldstar GMK49 (as reviewed in the March issue of THE MIX), you may even have enough change out of a grand to buy a copy of SAW, a d-to-d recording system with which you can add effects to your recordings. This little lot will provide you with all you need to produce finished recordings, the only thing left is for you to inject a little creativity. RB

Crest of a wavestation

QThank you for your advice in the January issue regarding my control (and record) parameters within the maze of pages of the Wavestation. You suggested that I use the MIDI Mixer in Cubase. Where can I get mixer maps for the Wavestation, and the Juno 106? Will the Roland W30 respond to similar manipulations?

Since Christmas I have heard about external MIDI controllers such as the JL Cooper Fader Master, and the Peavey PC 1600. I am still curious to hear what the 'wise men' of THE MIX have to say about these gadgets. Can you give me any info on this subject?

Finally, I am currently lusting after Cubase Audio for the Falcon, but I'm not sure exactly what RAM and hard disk requirements are needed. Can you give me any clues on what I need and how I can get one cheaply!? Many thanks.
Julius Aitken, London.

AIf you have a CD-ROM drive or know a friend who has one, check out track 1, where there resides a mixer map for the Juno 106 from my own collection. Unfortunately, I do not possess a map for the Wavestation, but I am reliably informed one exists, and is given away with Cubase Score on the Mac. If you call Cubase's distributors Harman on (Contact Details) they should be able to provide you with one.

With regard to remote MIDI controllers, look out for reviews of both the products you mention in forthcoming issues of THE MIX. Cubase Audio on the Falcon needs a minimum of 4Mb of RAM to function, but that does not allow you to time-stretch or access any of the digital processing functions, and the maximum 14Mb is highly recommended. The internal 65Mb hard drive is sufficient for storing your programs, but an external drive of at least 240Mb is needed to record onto. Digital recording in stereo at 44.1 kHz uses approximately 10 Mb of disk space for 1 minute of sound, so the bigger the better. RB

Completely cakestand

AI recently bought a copy of THE MIX and noticed that your reply to Colin Clyburn (about Cakewalk and the SC88) didn't really address the problem of setting variation banks within Cakewalk. Having wrestled with this myself, perhaps I could offer this help.

The only way I know of selecting variation tones from Cakewalk is to go to the point in the track where you want the instrument change, and open the Event List (right mouse button). Press the insert key three times to insert three new events, and then edit them as follows:

Change the first new event from note to controller (double-click on the event type from the dialogue box), then change the the first value to 0, and the second to the variation bank you want (for example, 8). Do the same to the second event, but change its values to 32 and 0. Change the third new event to a patch change, and select the patch you want from your list. Note that the control numbers 0 and 32 always have to be sent as a consecutive pair.

I hope this helps, as I lost a lot of hair trying to get this to work at first. Roland manuals are so easy to understand (sarcastic grin).
Mark Harrop, Leeds.