How to set up the many Drum "Instruments" for finger-playing on the pads

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Tom Auger
Tom Auger Member Posts: 75 Helper
edited October 2024 in Maschine

I love how the Expansions have Groups that are predefined as immediately playable drum kits in Maschine using Pad Mode.

I'm disappointed in all the other drum-kit "instruments" that I have invested in (eg: Abbey Road series) that do not work this way.

I'm looking for the most efficient, fiddle-proof workflow to leverage these awesome kits the same way, or similar. Let's say, as long as I can use the finger-pads to drum I'm happy.

Some really hacky workarounds I've read:

  • resample everything and build your own Group (not a chance)
  • figure out the MIDI-note of each sound and then somehow remap the Keyboard to play the MIDI-note you want on the pad you want (trial-and-error)

For Kontakt-based instruments I was hoping there was a MIDI-learn feature like you have with CC data on your controller, but I wasn't able to get the Learn feature via right-click the way I can in Komplete plugin in my DAW

Any other suggestions?

Best Answers

  • darkwaves
    darkwaves Member Posts: 478 Guru
    Answer ✓

    It's not really trial and error. Most midi drum vsts are going to following the general midi mapping for drums. Maschine is actually not following the standard that's been around for ages.

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/General_MIDI#/media/File:GM_Standard_Drum_Map_on_vertical_keyboard.svg

    Hopefully that link takes you to the image; but that's going to be the general layout for most drum VSTs. They may move some percussion stuff around, but the general layout has been used for years. Wikipedia is listing C2, but it many start down on C1. If I program drums using a kit on my yamaha modx and then just point the midi at abbey road drummer; it's still going to play (mostly) the same drum sounds because both are using the standard layout.

    All that said; I prefer the mapping maschine uses if I'm using pads. I've not set it up (I just drum on my keyboard); but you could:

    1. Load the VST on pad 1.
    2. Set the midi out of pads 2-16 to pad 1
    3. Change the base key of pads 1-16 to the notes you actually want. So if you want it to be similar to maschine's normal mapping, you'd probably want pad 1 to be C1, pad 2 to D1, pad 3 as F#1, pad 4 as A#1, etc.

    Save that as a group. Reload with routing and your "drum map" would already be set. You'd play in pad mode. Use the semitone+/- buttons to adjust the base notes of your pads as needed; but anyone following the standard layout should be in the same ball park.

  • darkwaves
    darkwaves Member Posts: 478 Guru
    Answer ✓
    https://community.native-instruments.com/discussion/comment/166098#Comment_166098
    image.png

    There's also an option to enable/disable +routing when loading on the hardware. I'm not 100% sure if it's needed for this specific use case; but it's not going to hurt anything

Answers

  • darkwaves
    darkwaves Member Posts: 478 Guru
    Answer ✓

    It's not really trial and error. Most midi drum vsts are going to following the general midi mapping for drums. Maschine is actually not following the standard that's been around for ages.

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/General_MIDI#/media/File:GM_Standard_Drum_Map_on_vertical_keyboard.svg

    Hopefully that link takes you to the image; but that's going to be the general layout for most drum VSTs. They may move some percussion stuff around, but the general layout has been used for years. Wikipedia is listing C2, but it many start down on C1. If I program drums using a kit on my yamaha modx and then just point the midi at abbey road drummer; it's still going to play (mostly) the same drum sounds because both are using the standard layout.

    All that said; I prefer the mapping maschine uses if I'm using pads. I've not set it up (I just drum on my keyboard); but you could:

    1. Load the VST on pad 1.
    2. Set the midi out of pads 2-16 to pad 1
    3. Change the base key of pads 1-16 to the notes you actually want. So if you want it to be similar to maschine's normal mapping, you'd probably want pad 1 to be C1, pad 2 to D1, pad 3 as F#1, pad 4 as A#1, etc.

    Save that as a group. Reload with routing and your "drum map" would already be set. You'd play in pad mode. Use the semitone+/- buttons to adjust the base notes of your pads as needed; but anyone following the standard layout should be in the same ball park.

  • Tom Auger
    Tom Auger Member Posts: 75 Helper

    Good stuff @darkwaves appreciate the mini-tutorial!

    For clarity - when you say "Reload with routing" - can you please elaborate on that?

  • darkwaves
    darkwaves Member Posts: 478 Guru
    Answer ✓
    https://community.native-instruments.com/discussion/comment/166098#Comment_166098
    image.png

    There's also an option to enable/disable +routing when loading on the hardware. I'm not 100% sure if it's needed for this specific use case; but it's not going to hurt anything

  • tetsuneko
    tetsuneko Member Posts: 885 Expert
    edited July 2024

    Yeah, +ROUTING option is a godsend, I have it always enabled for my user groups (which often consist of external MIDI targets, which then retain their port/channel info on reload)

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