Author Topic: Wow - AD2 is freaking amazing  (Read 2339 times)

Wow - AD2 is freaking amazing
« on: August 18, 2017, 01:55:14 PM »
Ok - newcomer to the VST area. I cannot believe how good the sounds are from AD2, an better dynamics. Really amazing, put it on my old Macbook Pro and USB direct to the Alesis and I cannot detect any latency. I used to see people post about using VST's with the Alesis, but couldn't figure out why. Figured the on board sounds were good enough. Was I mistaken. How cool!

Offline Dartanbeck

Re: Wow - AD2 is freaking amazing
« Reply #1 on: January 20, 2018, 10:07:42 PM »
So, let's say I'm not recording, just playing live at gigs and rehearsal. Do I still need to run AD2 through a DAW, or would the Stand-Alone work fine for that (like, still give me my midi map stuff, etc.,)

Loving my DM10X Mesh - now it's time to graduate to using a VST setup, I think.
Alesis DM10X Mesh - Laurin Drums & Cymbals - Strike Module
Dartanbeck.com Digital Artist

Offline Dobly

Re: Wow - AD2 is freaking amazing
« Reply #2 on: January 21, 2018, 06:00:49 AM »
I use AD2 on stage and run it as the stand alone. In it's setting it sees my DM10 module as the input midi device.

Offline Dartanbeck

Re: Wow - AD2 is freaking amazing
« Reply #3 on: January 21, 2018, 09:38:37 AM »
Sweet! Thanks!
It's a little daunting getting into this whole VST thing during these initial steps. Any help is always appreciated!
Especially living in the sticks where there are no friendly, knowledgeable music stores! LOL
Alesis DM10X Mesh - Laurin Drums & Cymbals - Strike Module
Dartanbeck.com Digital Artist

Re: Wow - AD2 is freaking amazing
« Reply #4 on: February 13, 2018, 08:52:22 PM »
Hey whats the AD2??

Re: Wow - AD2 is freaking amazing
« Reply #5 on: February 14, 2018, 08:42:46 AM »
Addictive Drums 2 - a VST / Stand-alone program that can provide alternate drum sounds triggered via your Pads and Alesis brain via USB into your computer.

Offline Dartanbeck

Re: Wow - AD2 is freaking amazing
« Reply #6 on: February 14, 2018, 07:43:30 PM »
So, when using things like Addictive Drums, Ez, etc., what do you folks use for extra sounds, like latin percussion and such. Do you either just not use them or do you have to get another VST package or can you also use internal sounds at the same time?
Alesis DM10X Mesh - Laurin Drums & Cymbals - Strike Module
Dartanbeck.com Digital Artist

Offline Dobly

Re: Wow - AD2 is freaking amazing
« Reply #7 on: February 15, 2018, 12:43:40 AM »
So, when using things like Addictive Drums, Ez, etc., what do you folks use for extra sounds, like latin percussion and such. Do you either just not use them or do you have to get another VST package or can you also use internal sounds at the same time?

I use AD2 exclusively for my main drum sounds. I don't use the audio outs on he DM10 at all.

If I need other sounds I get them on my Sample Rack. I don't do much 'latin' ;)

Offline Dartanbeck

Re: Wow - AD2 is freaking amazing
« Reply #8 on: February 16, 2018, 07:14:14 PM »
If I need other sounds I get them on my Sample Rack. I don't do much 'latin' ;)
I don't either. But the DM10 has so many sounds available through MIDI ad the pads.
My band just started playing Two Tickets to Paradise. I just groove up the beat a bit to make up for the lack of bongos. Well in a brainstorm, I guessed that I could record the bongo part to a Sequence, then tied a trigger to Start/Stop the SEQ.

I was right. Not only that, I can edit the timing even after I record my part, so I can adjust playback speed if I want. Since it's all just MIDI, the actual samples don't increase/decrease in pitch in doing so. Kinda freaking cool!

In this example (2 tickets) the bongo part is so similar throughout the song, I can get away with one or two measures on a loop. So in my quick test, I just made a new kit with the bongos' voices on my tom rims (I'll do it using MIDI Keyboard on the ACCOMP track once I get a MIDI cable). So for it to work live, I'd need to store that kit and also store it as the default kit for that SEQ. Even that is an excellent and easy solution to fill out empty spaces of a small band!

On the same token, but perhaps even better*, we can connect a MIDI controller to access the keys, bass, etc., sounds and their note ranges and record directly to SEQ, and then use the same Start/Stop trigger. We'd just need to set the correct SEQ before we start playing.

* The "better" part being that we don't have to actually have the voices assigned to the kit, since it's being recorded as ACCOMP from a MIDI controller, so it just records notes, velocity, and which voice it's being played on. When playing back DRUM SEQ, the sounds MUST sill be assigned where they were played or whatever they've been changed to will play instead.

I've discovered that we can change the Drumkit after selecting a SEQ, and then STORE the SEQ again to change the default kit for the SEQ.

An example being SEQ 1. I Stored the default Jalapeno SEQ to the last User SEQ to save it, the overwrote SEQ with a new SEQ that is entirely blank for both ACCOMP and DRUM tracks, then set the default kit to my main LIVE kit. So now when I power on my DM10, my Kit is loaded and ready to play!

In the above example, where I mention that we must have the DRUM voices used to make the SEQ assigned where they were, I wonder if we used the extra MIDI notes to record with, but didn't have the MIDI triggers connected during playback, if that would still trigger the correct sounds in the SEQ. Not sure I'll even come to need that, since I could just use my Keystation 88 Pro to record whatever I want as an ACCOMP - as long as I don't need both ACCOMP and DRUM parts recorded.


Anyway... I find it amazing how powerful the original DM10 module is as a live solution.
Alesis DM10X Mesh - Laurin Drums & Cymbals - Strike Module
Dartanbeck.com Digital Artist