scudMan
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« on: April 07, 2008, 03:45 PM » |
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Hi guys- I'm a working and touring NY drummer, and I NEED YOUR INPUT- so please take a quick read and POST!
I play venues anywhere between 250 and 3000 people or so. For sake of consistency and much more efficient setup, I've switched from playing out my full acoustic DW kit to a sort of "hybrid" kit- consisting of a Roland TD-6 "Tour" V-drums kit, which I also combine a 10x6 DW collectors snare along with a set of K/Z 13" hats and a cowbell. The Hats, Snare AND CowBell are mic'd using just ONE simple beyer mic, attached to the HH stand. The snare itself is mounted on the V-drums rack. It's a TIGHT setup- it's FAST and works great.. now the bad news:
The bad news is the TD6 brain is just not advanced enough- I can compensate for the sound quality etc SOMEWHAT with EQ (I monitor the system for myself through a QSC H112i powered wedge- it's 500w and puts out like a bastard!) However in general, the TD6 brain has mediocre sounds built in AND does not offer a whole lot of flexibility in terms of OUTPUT FLEXIBLITY, NOT in terms of having truly finite adjustment of individual sounds, patches etc... In short I WANT A BETTER BRAIN!!!
-- I HAPPEN to own a Alesis DR-Pro Brain- which I USED TO USE with a DrumKat on the road, about a decade ago... CURRENTLY I DO NOT USE THE ALESIS BRAIN- IT IS SITTING COLLECTING DUST..
My Questions:
1) I want to upgrade my brain
a - Do I buy a TD10 or TD20 brain??
b - Do I buy a Td8 brain? Is it actually worth the upgrade from the TD6, or not?
c - Do I get rid of the Roland brain ALTOGETHER- and start simply using my DM Pro brain and forget any of the roland brains??
2) What are the actual pros and cons of using the Alesis brain over ANY of the Rolands?
3) Does anyone know off hand, the key feature differences of Alesis VS. Roland- and why to use one over the other..
THanks all- for your input. I really need your help o this- so thanks for helping me out!
scudMan!
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Showguy
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« Reply #1 on: April 07, 2008, 05:01 PM » |
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Since you're using Roland pads, I'd stick with a Roland brain. The Alesis sounds are great, but I've had nothing but trouble with the way it triggers. I've got a TD8 that works and sounds fine; I've had no personal experience with the TD10 or 20. You might want to check out one of the electronic drum forums like Vdrums.com (I'm not sure if that name is correct.)
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scudMan
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« Reply #2 on: April 08, 2008, 12:44 PM » |
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Sorry- this is not the answer I was looking for.. thanks tho
anyone else: The TD8 is generally NOT what I want function wise- it would be between the TD10 and TD20 brain, versus the Alesis.
Anyhow- looks like I'll upgrade to a very worthwhile TD10 or 20 - just wanna find the best deal and the closest, so I don't have to travel far to get it..
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diddle
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« Reply #3 on: April 08, 2008, 07:18 PM » |
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anyone else: The TD8 is generally NOT what I want function wise- it would be between the TD10 and TD20 brain, versus the Alesis.
If the TD-8 is not what you want then you probably wont like a TD-10, either... I've owned both and consider them about the same, "function-wise". With the TD-20 you get a "somewhat" more realistic snare sound... that's about it in my opinion. |
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Showguy
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« Reply #4 on: April 09, 2008, 12:21 AM » |
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Sorry- this is not the answer I was looking for.. thanks tho
 ?? Only those with the right answers need reply? |
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eardrum
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« Reply #5 on: April 09, 2008, 10:10 PM » |
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I would recommend that you use a TD10 or 20 but not limit yourself to their sounds only. You can download kits others have created from some of the forums and if you get some of the software available, you can also use Midi to trigger samples. Check out some of the discussion elsewhere on the site... For example.. http://www.drummercafe.com/component/option,com_smf/Itemid,2/topic,22306.0/highlight,toontrack |
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Nathan
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« Reply #6 on: April 11, 2008, 01:34 PM » |
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I second Eardrum's opinion. TD-10 or TD-20. If it's a TD-10, try to get one with the TDW-1 expansion board already installed.
Check out vexpressionsltd.com for Sample sets for all the roland drum brains. I really like their stuff.
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Music is The Best!
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Audball
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« Reply #7 on: April 11, 2008, 10:23 PM » |
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NOTE: Your title is asking for "pro advice", and I'm just a hobbyist, nevertheless:
The VExpressions LTD stuff are not sample sets - they're tweaked presets using the built-in sounds of the module (I own/use 3 of their collections and a TD-20, BTW). If you don't have the time or desire to fiddle endlessly with the brain, they're a fantastic bargain - and you DO get "better sound" (IMO) over the stock setup, as they've tweaked compressor, reverb settings, etc. From what I recall, only the higher-end Yamaha modules (and I think the brand new "middle of the line" Roland TD-9) can actually download samples into their internal memory.
If you truly want a "sample set" with a Roland module, you'll want to go with a sampler library and playback engine that runs on a computer (DFHS, BFD, etc.). Most folks I know using such a solution like it quite a bit over using built-in module sounds; however, it's not as "rugged" a solution, as you have to schlep around a computer/laptop, extra cables, etc., which may not be something you want to deal with for gigs.
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Nathan
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« Reply #8 on: April 12, 2008, 02:03 PM » |
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Right, they're not sample sets. "Preset packs" would probably be a better thing for me to call them.
You can use the midi connection to transfer those preset settings to all of the different modules, but only the TD-20 has the flash card functionality.
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Music is The Best!
~f.z.
I'm a hot toe picker.
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lopan
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« Reply #9 on: April 13, 2008, 07:08 PM » |
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My Questions:
1) I want to upgrade my brain
a - Do I buy a TD10 or TD20 brain??
b - Do I buy a Td8 brain? Is it actually worth the upgrade from the TD6, or not?
c - Do I get rid of the Roland brain ALTOGETHER- and start simply using my DM Pro brain and forget any of the roland brains??
2) What are the actual pros and cons of using the Alesis brain over ANY of the Rolands?
3) Does anyone know off hand, the key feature differences of Alesis VS. Roland- and why to use one over the other..
THanks all- for your input. I really need your help o this- so thanks for helping me out!
scudMan!
I use a Roland TD-20 with V-Expressions kits. The stock kits that come with Roland modules aren't very useful for playing out. The TD-20 has a better feature set than the older TD-10 and it has eight direct outputs to send to the sound board. The only Alesis products I've used were a pair of DM5 modules. They pale in comparison to the Roland products because they have fewer sounds and dynamic capabilities. One thing you may want to consider is what are you going to use if your module has problems? You may want to hang onto that TD-6 as a backup unless you can play a whole show with just a snare, hats and cow bell  |
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