Equipment > Drum Modules/Machines
Dual zone hihat for Dm10 (kinda)
Trondster:
How to get a working dual zone (or "second") hi-hat for the Alesis Dm10 or Pearl RedBox
The Dm10 does have sounds in the stock sound set for a second zone hi-hat, in addition to the main hi-hat zone. These sounds are limited, but like the "main" bow hi-hat sounds, they are variable with how hard you strike the trigger and how open the pedal is.
What you need is:
- A dual zone cymbal - preferably piezo/piezo. A Surge two or three zone ride (with a Y splitter) will do nicely.
OR:
- An extra cymbal, plus a TS/TS to TRS Y splitter.
- A MIDI cable.
Setup:
- Press the UTILITY button and select MIDI, then OUT and set MIDI THRU to OFF.
- Connect the MIDI cable between the MIDI OUT and MIDI IN jacks at the back of the module
- Plug the dual zone cymbal (or Y splitter) into an available jack - I use Perc4.
- Set the instruments for both the rim and head for the jack to NONE: Press INST, choose INST, select the instruments (Perc4Hd and Perc4Rim for the Perc4 input) and choose NONE for Instrument.
- Set the MIDI notes for the bell of the cymbal to MIDI note #32 and the bow of the cymbal to MIDI note #46: Press INST, select MIDI, scroll to Perc4Hd and Perc4Rim and set the MIDI notes to 32 and 46.
- Select the desired hi-hat instrument for the hi-hat and play away!
If the bow and ride sounds end up being reversed - either swap the jacks if using a Y splitter or just swap the sent MIDI notes for the two zones.
If you use a Y splitter, just connect the two cables from the Surge three zone ride or the two cymbals to the TS ends of the splitter, and insert the TRS end of the Y splitter into the desired extra jack (the Crash, Ride1 and hi-hat inputs aren't recommended).
To avoid "double" notes when playing, you must make sure that only the hi-hat MIDI notes are received by the module - you do not want the MIDI notes from all the other triggers. The easiest way to do this is to change the MIDI channel - by default the module listens and sends MIDI notes on channel 10. Now we will change the listen MIDI channel to for example channel 11, and change the hi-hat notes to that channel:
- Press the UTILITY button and select MIDI, then INPT and set Drum Chan to 11.
- Press INST, select MIDI, scroll to Hi-Hat, Perc4Hd and Perc4Rim and set MIDI chan to 11 for all three. (Note: Hits on the regular hi-hat will sounds twice - you need to set the same channel for the hi-hat, otherwise will the pedal CC messages not be sent.)
You might find that sounds are cut off when you are hitting one zone and start hitting the other zone - this is due to the mute group assigned to the hi-hat. Try switching the mute group on and off (press INST, choose Hi-hat MORE, OTHR and change between MuteGroup "01" and "OFF"), and see what works best for you - if you use a MuteGroup the sounds will be cut off when hitting other zones and using the pedal, but if you switch it off, the sounds will keep ringing in some scenarios - for example will the splash sounds from the pedal keep ringing when you hit the hi-hat. Try both and see what works best for you and your playing style.
You can use a piezo/switch trigger cymbal too, but it won't work quite as well - a piezo/piezo cymbal is recommended.
Mind you - there aren't many different sounds to choose from, but it's fun nonetheless.. Select different Hi-hats for the main Hi-hat instrument, and listen to the second zone sounds stored for each hi-hat. Some are the same across several hi-hats, and others are quite interesting..
You can also use a second cymbal and set it up to MIDI channel #32 and use it along with the regular hi-hat as a secondary hi-hat - instead of two zones on the same hi-hat you can use this as a "secondary" hi-hat.
If you want to do that, you can use a TS/TS to TRS Y splitter to connect your "regular" hi-hat along with a secondary hi-hat into the extra input jack and then you have two hi-hats controlled from the same hi-hat pedal.
I'd recommend using the extra input for the extra hi-hat too - if you use the main hi-hat input you will get the hi-hat sounds twice when striking the regular hi-hat (once for the hi-hat itself and once for the MIDI signal), but only once if you use the extra input - then it's just the MIDI. :)
The handling from hitting the hi-hat and closing it at the same time seems to work bit better when using the ordinary hi-hat input than when using this MIDI trick. But - still! :D
And - DO remember to press STORE in the Utility menu after switching off the MIDI Thru functionality - otherwise you risk shattering your ear drums the first time you strike the hi-hat to test this. Not pleasant - I've tested it. Twice. ;)
Hit the STORE button when editing the instrument and store your changes to the kit as well - and if you want this functionality for all the kits, you have to edit the MIDI notes and channel for the rim and head (and channel for the hihat) and store the changes - for all the kits.
The Dm10 has (as Hellfire uncovered) sounds and functionality for the second zone hi-hat - it's just not available, as he also found that the Hi-hat input jack is hard wired single zone only. Bummer. But - Hellfire found that you can activate the "hidden" second hi-hat sounds by sending those MIDI messages from an external device, for example a Trigger I/O. And thus you can get a dual zone hi-hat from using a dual zone cymbal with a Trigger I/O!
But, I thought - instead of sending the MIDI notes from an external MIDI source I can create the desired MIDI notes from another trigger, and just loop them back to the module by MIDI - and it works great - and even better when Hellfire also showed how to get rid of the double triggering by changing the MIDI channel, as well as controlling the ringing by switching off the Mute Group. :)
I have only got the Dm10 with the stock sounds (which are the same as the Pearl RedBox stock sounds) - I do not know if the Blue Jay sounds library for the Dm10 or the various sounds libraries for the Pear RedBox contain sounds for the second hi-hat zone - try it and see if it works! :)
Thanks to Hellfire - the owner of both Hellfire Drums and DMdrummer.com for the the great idea of changing the MIDI channel to avoid extra double triggering and to disable the mute group - for not to mention uncovering the sounds for a dual zone hi-hat in the first place, and how to activate them via MIDI! :)
Also thanks to zendrumdude for the great Dm10 MIDI map.
Read more here:
http://www.dmdrummer.com/index.php?topic=499.0
http://www.dmdrummer.com/index.php?topic=472.0
http://www.dmdrummer.com/index.php?topic=476.0
http://www.hellfiredrums.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/DM10-Midi-Note-Map.pdf
(And probably several other links - this page is a work in progress..)
Have fun, now! 8)
Cheers,
Trondster
Sharkuel:
So you basically make the DM10 trigger itself. That's genious! :D
But still, and considering that one will use the velocity sensitive swich system created by our dear Hellfire, maybe the swich here works better, to avoid crosstalk and such.
Btw Hellfire, this deserves a sticky. ;)
Hellfire:
--- Quote from: Sharkuel on April 16, 2013, 03:38:51 PM ---So you basically make the DM10 trigger itself. That's genious! :D
But still, and considering that one will use the velocity sensitive swich system created by our dear Hellfire, maybe the swich here works better, to avoid crosstalk and such.
Btw Hellfire, this deserves a sticky. ;)
--- End quote ---
And believe or not I made a section in my advanced DM10 manual (over a year ago) for this very trick which makes reference to the velocity switch system. The velocity switch system was no accident. I did it for this very purpose. :D
This section of the advanced DM10 users manual is available to those with "Top Floor Club" access.
Hellfire:
I hope you don't mind Trondster, but I updated your title so it is more search engine user friendly and made your topic a sticky (because I agree with Sharkuel). ;)
Trondster:
Quite all right - I will update it tomorrow. :)
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