Additions to my recording studio/live rig - Happy Birthday to me!



    Is the 2Box really loud? Are you talking about the rubber pads? You can switch those to mesh heads and I think it will be about as loud as the Roland.


    That said, yes, the Roland is very sturdy feeling and triggers well. No complaints so far.


    I'm sure there's a woman somewhere in that tragedy.

    No $#!T Sherlock! LOL Yeah, there's at least one of everything in there, mate.


    Hmm... I thought the 2Box used acoustic-style drums; perhaps it was just the way the units I listened to were set up. It's been a while and my memory must've failed me.


    I did check out everything that's out there, including Behringer and some Italian thing, but not the new Alesis stuff 'cause I did this research a year ago. What I tend to do is once I've made a judgement as to what to go for, I do my best to forget the details of the research. All I know for sure is that the Rolly line won out, followed by, I think, the Yammy stuff. Those old stalwarts shouldn't be underestimated, especially since each has such a long history of R&D and end-user feedback, as well as the thorough durability testing that's synonymous with it.

    Nice gear and congrats to the Voicelive Rack. It's really good once you get the hang of it. I use it pretty much every day. Only downside (imho) is the fact that you can't use a tiny bit of Plate Reverb and a Hall Reverb at the same time. Everything else is great!


    One small hint: Remember to turn down the Aux Input when unused. It adds quite a bit of noise when unconnected. :)


    Have fun, cheers
    Martin

    Quote from Monkey_Man

    No $#!T Sherlock! LOL Yeah, there's at least one of everything in there, mate.


    Hmm... I thought the 2Box used acoustic-style drums; perhaps it was just the way the units I listened to were set up. It's been a while and my memory must've failed me.


    I did check out everything that's out there, including Behringer and some Italian thing, but not the new Alesis stuff 'cause I did this research a year ago. What I tend to do is once I've made a judgement as to what to go for, I do my best to forget the details of the research. All I know for sure is that the Rolly line won out, followed by, I think, the Yammy stuff. Those old stalwarts shouldn't be underestimated, especially since each has such a long history of R&D and end-user feedback, as well as the thorough durability testing that's synonymous with it.


    Lol, well a woman is at the centre of it all ("at the centre of it all" (David Bowie - Backstar)) in the tragicomedy that is my life as well. So I was just hazarding a guess.


    Oh, you can set up the module for use with an acoustic drum kit as well. That goes for any module, just need to attach triggers to the drums. You must have seen one attached to an a-kit.


    But the 2Box kit as a whole either has rubber pads or mesh heads (depending on the country, due to patent issues with Roland). Even if you get one with rubber pads, you can swap them out for the mesh heads yourself. It is quite silent.


    I would avoid the really low end stuff when looking at e-drums, unfortunately, the prices of edits have dipped quite a bit over the years, but it still costs a fair amount to get a realistic kit.


    The 2Box fits comfortably into the high end, imo. Misses out on a couple of features like positional sensing on the Roland and the hardware is not as good, but the ability to load VST sounds on to the module is a big plus.


    Quote from lightbox

    Nice gear and congrats to the Voicelive Rack. It's really good once you get the hang of it. I use it pretty much every day. Only downside (imho) is the fact that you can't use a tiny bit of Plate Reverb and a Hall Reverb at the same time. Everything else is great!


    One small hint: Remember to turn down the Aux Input when unused. It adds quite a bit of noise when unconnected. :)


    Have fun, cheers
    Martin


    Thanks for the tip, Martin!

    Quote from nightlight


    Lol, well a woman is at the centre of it all ("at the centre of it all" (David Bowie - Backstar)) in the tragicomedy that is my life as well. So I was just hazarding a guess.


    You hazard a guess at a hazard, mate.


    Quote from nightlight

    Oh, you can set up the module for use with an acoustic drum kit as well. That goes for any module, just need to attach triggers to the drums. You must have seen one attached to an a-kit.


    Thought so after what you said. Must've been set up that way.


    Quote from nightlight

    But the 2Box kit as a whole either has rubber pads or mesh heads (depending on the country, due to patent issues with Roland). Even if you get one with rubber pads, you can swap them out for the mesh heads yourself. It is quite silent.


    Thanks man. Good to know.


    Quote from nightlight

    I would avoid the really low end stuff when looking at e-drums, unfortunately, the prices of edits have dipped quite a bit over the years, but it still costs a fair amount to get a realistic kit.


    Correct. I've been running Roland brains for years 'though (currently TD-30) as MIDI sound sources, so all I'm really after is a decent e-kit for input. This is why I considered BarfRinger et al 'cause money is an issue, but every time I do this research (every 7 years or so on average), I come to the same conclusion: For triggering it's either Yammy or Rolly.


    Quote from nightlight

    The 2Box fits comfortably into the high end, imo. Misses out on a couple of features like positional sensing on the Roland and the hardware is not as good, but the ability to load VST sounds on to the module is a big plus.


    I imagine that for live use that'd be awesome.


    Seeing as I only want to get MIDI into the 'puter with a realtime-monitoring signal (the TD-30) for later use with either the Rolly brain or VIs, such a feature would be redundant. I expect that for many, other than those needing it for gigging, this would be the case. I'm no expert 'though.


    Thank you for sharing, nightlight, and again, well done on all the purchases!

    Quote from Monkey_Man


    Seeing as I only want to get MIDI into the 'puter with a realtime-monitoring signal (the TD-30) for later use with either the Rolly brain or VIs, such a feature would be redundant. I expect that for many, other than those needing it for gigging, this would be the case. I'm no expert 'though.


    Thank you for sharing, nightlight, and again, well done on all the purchases!


    If you already have a brain, don't waste money on an e-kit!


    Your best option is to get a cheap drumkit (or an expensive one if you'd like) and convert it into a trigger kit.


    All you would need are mesh heads and triggers, all easily available. Some of the trigger sets available online are really handy, just attach them in your drum shell and voila.


    Hook up to your module and you're good to go!


    Thanks for the kind words! I love gear!

    Quote from Monkey_Man

    Thanks nightlight.


    Wouldn't the converted kit be noisy 'though, even with mesh heads? I'm imagining the drum chambers resonating, unlike with an e-kit.


    Then there're the hat and cymbals... and zones. Mic'ing isn't an option...


    You can go several directions with cymbals.
    1) Buy real cymbals and convert them into e-cymbals, using the appropriate muting. These will be the best feeling, but slightly loud.


    2) Go with something like the Gen 16 cymbals. These are pretty cool if you want real-feeling cymbals with your e-kit. I have the older nickel model, but I hear the buffed bronze ones are much better. They come with cool mics that you don't have to fiddle with.


    3) Just use rubber cymbals. These should be easily available. You don't even need Rolands, look for cheaper ones from brands like Pintech that work just as well.




    An acoustic kit with mesh heads would likely be quieter than an e-kit, because the mesh surface is larger. I don't think resonance will be a problem. Lots of people going this route these days.

    Cripes, you're the man, nightlight!


    Thanks mate. I'll keep what you've said for reference when the day eventually comes that I can afford something... after Slate VMS, the completion of my MOTU AVB lay-buy, a vocal booth and finally some plugs...


    EDIT:
    Just on the cymbal thing: Wouldn't I want to be able to take advantage of the zones Roland employs, or don't drum VIs generally use them? I'd have thought that at the very least, bell and edge ones would have been uber-important. I'm guessing that adapted-acoustic cymbals wouldn't be able to use zones, and that the easiest route for this would be the Rolly or Yamaha one, unless, as you suggested, another brand like Pintech is an option.


    I'm already feeling the same merry-go-'round sensation I got the last couple of times I did the research. Whenever I encountered limitations, be they noise, zones, rim triggering, durability, compatibility or whatever, I found myself understanding better why the Rolly gear costs so much.

    Oh man, it gets ever-more convolu-titty-cated... no wonder I give up and start again every so many years.


    Assuming I could save the money over several years (am patient), wouldn't a Rolly kit sans brain be the simplest, best-integrated, most-accurate-triggering, best-looking and quietest option out there, or have I completely missed the boat?


    Thanks again, nightlight.

    Quote from Monkey_Man

    Oh man, it gets ever-more convolu-titty-cated... no wonder I give up and start again every so many years.


    Assuming I could save the money over several years (am patient), wouldn't a Rolly kit sans brain be the simplest, best-integrated, most-accurate-triggering, best-looking and quietest option out there, or have I completely missed the boat?


    Thanks again, nightlight.


    Well, unless you shop second hand, there's no way to get a Roland kit without a brain. You can buy the pads and rack pieces individually, but Roland stuff is unbelievably expensive, if you put together something piece by piece, it will be more expensive than buying a full set.


    You really shouldn't get worried about the idea of putting a kit together yourself, an incredible number of people are doing that nowadays. Do check out solutions like Diamond Drums and Jobeky Drums to get an idea of what an acoustic kit converted to electric looks like. Their prices are on the high side, if you put it together yourself, it will be much cheaper. Check out acoustic kit trigger suppliers like quartz drums to get an idea of how exactly you would have to put the trigger into the acoustic drum.


    It isn't rocket science! :)

    Hey man, the Russians just plunked me into the space ship and taught me to hit the red button; they didn't teach me no steeekin' science! :D


    Once again, Nightlight, I really appreciate all your info. As I said, I'll keep this link, and don't be surprised if I hit you up for more when the time eventually comes to take the plunge. It has to happen one day. I mean, 3 decades of playin' from the keyboards is quite enough already.

    Sure :D


    Just remember, you can't do it all at once on stage! Also, getting gear is easier than actually playing it, as I often find out to my detriment. You might actually still need to Programme after getting all that gear.


    Of course, OTOH, nothing like new gear to refresh one's love for music. You will make a lot of new friends as a drummer!

    LOL


    Thankfully there'll be no live work unless I have to do a Prince and get a bunch of chicks to back me up should a "record company" require it. I'm determined to be a recording artist 'though, both in order to minimise stress (a huge issue for me with PTSD symptoms), and also so that I can maintain full control of all instrumentation, arrangements and so on. A one-stop shop, if you will, although I expect that, if I can afford it, I'd be sending stuff off for mastering as that's a whole new set of tools and skills that I've not yet developed.


    "You might actually still need to Programme after getting all that gear..."


    Yeah, my approach is to let the song ask for what it needs. You know - bring no ego to the table, and you'll hear it. I then go about figuring out how to play, record it, and subsequently I forget what I've done. Keeps the slate clean and helps to avoid repetition. This is why I've never practiced - eliminates comfort-zone riffing etc. I do this for all instruments, although keys and synth parts, along with brass, strings and so on are much easier than guitar, bass, or in future, I imagine, drums, 'cause I can slow everything down, record the data, speed it up and then massage it. I imagine that this'll be what I'll do for the drums too, in which case the massaging will involve not just the usual velocity and timing adjustments, but also ones that help disguise the fact that they were recorded ad a different tempo.


    Should be a whole lot of fun, and I've looked forward to it since I made my own MIDI kit in '92 using wood, rubber practice pads and home-made piezo "sticks" with shrink wrap. I regretted selling it right away, but even 'though the buyer was stoked, I was underwhelmed with its sensitivity, as you might imagine!


    Still would love the integrated convenience and robustness of a Rolly kit. Oh, and by the way, after perhaps dozens of enquiries over the years, I did get an admission by a very-big store's owner that it is possible, whilst "inconvenient" for Roland, to in fact acquire the kit separately from the brain. A top-flight kit would still be out of the question due to the expense, but I imagine that something in the upper-middle area would do just fine. Foregoing the fancy-shamancy "skins" for the next flavour down, for example, would help justify that dreaded 4th tom (floor tom, in my case). IIRC only the top-line models sport 4 toms. Me? I've just gotta have 4; I've always programmed for 'em anyway.


    Enough rambling. Just thought I'd respond to your very-sensible warnings, Mr. 'Light. Thank you once again, brother.


    De nada! :thumbup:

    [quote='nightlight','http://www.kemper-amps.com/forum/index.php/Thread/28429-Additions-to-my-recording-studio-live-rig-Happy-Birthday-to-me/?postID=301980#post301980']Well, it was my birthday on 4/20, so I naturally had to get myself some gear :D


    First up was a mic, an SE 2200a MKIIc to be precise.


    [Blocked Image: http://i1363.photobucket.com/albums/r704/jimmyrage/854C44C5-C18D-49C6-BD65-3395BB7C5523_zpsm6q19adx.jpg]



    Came with the shock mount and a pop filter, which was quite nice.


    How did it sound? I think the question is more like how did I sound haha. After some initial testing, I was like <X , I sound like that? Hahaha


    Made me give up smoking though, wish me luck, guys.



    Next up is something that I think a lot of guys would debate as a necessity in this age of computer magic.


    [Blocked Image: http://i1363.photobucket.com/albums/r704/jimmyrage/E9D173F9-65F7-467E-80D3-B9A6F0C473D9_zpsipoxpm7k.jpg]




    hello, what's that grey thing on the left?


    Hey, it's a Presonus Faderport. Basically a one-channel motorised fader, with transport controls.