Korg Volca Beats - midi mapping

The Volca Beats is a cute but powerful drum.
Perfect for live performance. The sequencer is a bit limited. so midi mapping to an
external sequencer would be useful.
I'm using the Pioneer Toraz Squid as my midi sequencer.

So the volca doesn't start playing the moment you start the Squid
you need to enter the Global function setting.

1. Start the Volca while holding the func key, wait for it to start.
2. press step 6 (the light should go off), press Rec.
    Now the sequencer will not start when you press play in your DAW or your Midi sequencer.
  

  (It looks like the default midi receive channel is 10... the same as the Roland 707 & 909).
       I'm leaving it as it is.

If you wish to change the midi receive channel:

1. While holding down the MEMORY button, turn on the volca beats.
2. Step buttons 1 to 16 correspond to the MIDI channels 1 to 16.
    Press the button that corresponds to the desired channel, and the LED below the
    step button will light up
3. When you have finished specifying the settings, press the  (REC) button.
     The settings will be saved, and the volca beats will be restarted.
     If you decide to cancel the settings, press the  (PLAY) button.


Also in the Global setting
1. Start the Volca while holding the func key, wait for it to start.
2. Press step 7. MIDI RX ShortMessage
     Set  to off (St.oF)
3.  press Rec. to save

There are 10 voices to map

1. kick C2
2. Snare D2
3. Lo Tom G2
4. Hi Tom D3
5. CL Hat F#2
6. Open Hat A#2
7. Clap D#2
8. Claves D#5
9. Agogo G4
10. Crash C#3

 Renaming projects in squid
* use the shift, main knob, Track Button & back button ..
Press shift + press main knob = space.
Shift + back = delete
arrow keys move forward & back
*  shift + Track --- you can rename tracks, change their colour, etc

-------------------------------------
*** The Volca sample  has a different midi implementation to the Volca Beats.
       In the Sample, each voice has its own MIDI channel. ***

Korg MonoTribe - Midi triggering.

The monotribe has two sections:
Synth & Drums

 mY  monotribe has been fitted with midi. I can't remember what kit I used. Sorry. Those were the days before I documented everything in a blog.
It's a very useful synth. So simple.... yet enough for the foundation of a track.
Just 3 drum voices & a mono synth.

Synth: Use midi channel 1

Drums: It’s using the standard General MIDI specification for drums,
which means the Drum section is triggered on MIDI channel 10 using the following notes .

Name    Note number    Note name    GM drum name
BD    36    C1    Bass drum 1
SN    40    E1    Snare dum 2/Electric snare
HH    42    F#1    Closed hi-hat

This works for DAWs like Abelton
-------------------------------------------------------------
Note: your sequencer might be different.
I'm using a Pioneer Toraiz Squid. You'll need to shift the notes up an octave.

Name    Note number    Note name    GM drum name
BD    36    C2  Bass drum 1
SN    40    E2   Snare drum 2/Electric snare
HH    42    F#2    Closed hi-hat

The Pioneer Squid its a revelation for me. Thanks Mitch for the advice. It's allowed me to re-use lots of my old synths & drums in unconventional ways.
----------
Turn off all active steps in the monotribe sequencer, otherwise this will play the moment you start
your external sequencer.
Turn down the noise.

Florian Schneider of Kraftwerk, has Passed Away

Some very sad news.

One of the legends of Electronic music has passed away at the age of 73 due to cancer

I can't stress enough the importance of this man. Along with his group, Kraftwerk, they had a huge influence on the development of electronic music. Their use of synthesizers in the 1970's opened the door to electronic music for the masses.

I saw them back in 2003... Sydney Big Day Out.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gdH7MfT6wJU

Linn Drum - Cooper Midi

Midi implementation for a Linn 2 Drum

My LM 2 uses a JL Cooper midi PCB.

Im using a Pioneer Toraz Squid to sequence.
The default drum assignments are :

Side stick              36 C2
Snare 1                 37 C#2
Snare 2                  38       D 2
*Snare 3             39   D#2
*Bass 1               40  E2
*Bass 2                41      F2
*Crash                 42      F#2                                 
 Hi Hat 1             43    G2                           
Hi Hat 2              44 G#2
*Hi Hat Open      45  A2
 Hi Tom                46     A#2
Mid Tom               47    
  *Lo Tom             48   C3
Ride 1                   49
* Ride 2                50    D3
 Cabasa 1               51D#3
*Cabasa 2              52 E3
Tamb 1                   53
*Tamb 2                 54 F#3
Hi Conga                55 G3
Lo Conga               56 G#3
*Cowbell                57  A3
Claps                       58 A#3

Pioneer Squid - Midi Mapping a Roland TR 707

This post uses a Pioneer Squid.. it triggers the 707 with different notes to a DAW like Abelton.
If you are using the he Roland TR 707 as a MIDI module remember it uses the default midi channel 10.

Tr707 settings:
MIDI triggering will only work in TRACK PLAY mode.
The 707's sequencer must not be running.
The Tempo Mode should be set to MIDI.
You should also select a blank track or the patterns that are programmed in that track
will be forced to run whenever a START command is received from MIDI IN.

To choose another the midi channel on the 707 (other than channel 10)
Shift + Midi + step 1-16

These are the Roland factory settings, (but any of the key numbers 35 - 98 may be assigned to each instrument)
 Mapping note numbers to the actual keys can sometimes be confusing. ... sometimes different companies use different conventions. The notes below apply to the Pioneer Squid.

There are 16 drum sounds on the Roland TR 707 which match the 16 trigger pads on the Pioneer Squid.

These notes are good for a Squid
1. B-1    : Bass Drum 1     (35)* 
2. C-2    : Bass Drum 2       (36)*
3. D-2    : Snare Drum 1       (38)*
4. E-2    : Snare Drum 2       (40)*
5. F2    : Low Tom              (41,43)**
6. B2    : Mid Tom               (45,47) *
7. C-3,D3    : Hi Tom                   (48 , 50)**
8. C#2    : Rim Shot             (37)*
9. G#3    : Cowbell                (56)*
10. D#2    : Handclap               (39)*
11. F#3    : Tambourine           (54)*
12. F#2    : Hi Hat Closed 1      (42.44)*
13. G#2    : Hi Hat Closed 2       (42.44)*
14. A#2    : Hi Hat Open              (46)*
 15. C#3    : Crash Cymbal            (49)*
 16. D#3    : Ride Cymbal               (51)*

1. Start a new project (save & rename 707, etc)
2. Set the midi out channels.
     I've set up the squid to transmit the 16 pads to the drums.
     They are sending midi from midi out 1, channel 10.
3. In the trigger mode (of the squid) press one of the 16 pads and tweak the top
     right Pitch/CC knob until you hear the drum sound trigger.
4. Save project.
5. After you have entered the note values you can rename the tracks
    Shift + track
6. Press the main knob.
7. Save project
     Press Global + Save

Links
+ Pioneers Squid Tutorial Videos
+ Copy & Paste 
+ Projects


 Renaming projects in squid
* use the shift, main knob & back button ..
shift + main knob = space.
Shift + back = delete
arrow keys move forward & back

+ Roland Drum Machine Timeline

+ Roland Index

Ace Tone Rhythm Ace FR 20 - Drum machine

Some pics of the old Ace Tone (Roland) drum.
I think this dates from around 1966.
Its unusual, as its designed to sit on the floor, in a tall, standing upright position.

Ikutaro Kakehashi formed Ace Tone in 1955
He linked up with Hammond in 1964. He then founded Roland in 1972.

He produced lots of drum machines & organs.

There are 4 drum instruments,12 preset pattern buttons and 3 cancel buttons.

You can combine the patterns to make up to 200 variations.

+ Roland Drum Machine Timeline
+ Korg Drum Machine Timeline

Roland Tr 707 - Drum Mapping & Midi triggering

Like the Tr 909, the Roland 707 can be used like a drum module, if you wish to use an external sequencer or a keyboard.
Most of this info applies to the Roland 727 (apart from the MIDI note triggering data)

I've mapped the sounds to a keyboard
A DAW like Abelton will trigger it too

MIDI triggering will only work in TRACK PLAY mode.
The sequencer must not be running.
The Tempo Mode should be set to MIDI.
You should also select a blank track or the patterns that are programmed in that track
will be forced to run whenever a START command is received from MIDI IN.

To Choose the midi channel on the 707
Shift + Midi + step 1-16

These are the factory settings, (but any of the key numbers 35 - 98 may be assigned to each instrument)
 Mapping note numbers to the actual keys can sometimes be confusing. ... sometimes different companies use different conventions. Looks like Roland uses the C3 =60 convention.

      
If you are using a DAW like abelton, these are the correct notes to trigger your 707.
(you will need to pitch your notes up one octave if you are using a Pioneer Squid .
B-0    : Bass Drum 1     (35)* 
C-1    : Bass Drum 2       (36)*
D-1    : Snare Drum 1       (38)*
E-1    : Snare Drum 2       (40)*
G1,F1    : Low Tom              (41,43)**
A-1    : Mid Tom               (45,47) *
C-2,D2    : Hi Tom                   (48 , 50)**
C#1    : Rim Shot             (37)*
G#2    : Cowbell                (56)*
D#1    : Handclap               (39)*
F#2    : Tambourine           (54)*
F#1    : Hi Hat Closed 1      (42.44)*
G#1    : Hi Hat Closed 2       (42.44)*
A#1    : Hi Hat Open              (46)*
C#2    : Crash Cymbal            (49)*
D#2    : Ride Cymbal               (51)*

Let me know if there are any mistakes.

+ Roland Drum Machine Timeline

+ Roland Index