E-drum experts: HELP ME!
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Sorry for the dramatic subject heading, but I have a pressing problem that I need help with. Last week I posted a comment in this same forum asking whether or not the Yamaha DTX582K e-kit could be used on a PS3 to play RB3. Several of you were kind enough to confirm that, yes, the DTX582K was compatible, so long as I had the right hardware/software — a USB to midi cable cable and a program for the PC called MIDI-OX.
A few days ago I decided to take the plunge and actually buy the DTX582K. I then tracked down the USB to midi cable adapter and MIDI-Ox, and, using a video tutorial provided by FujiSkunk, tried to get things up and running. Unfortunately, I failed miserably. Part of the problem was that MIDI-OX was freezing up on a regular basis, but it also wasn’t detecting the midi-pro adapter, despite detecting both my new drum kit and the USB to midi cable.
So…I was hoping that someone out there in customs land could offer me some advice on how to get my new kit ready for use on RB3. I don’t care if it involves tweaks to the MIDI-OX approach or an all new strategy/set-up — I just want to play RB3 with my new drum kit.
Here’s the equipment I’m using:
– Yamaha DTX582K drum kit
– a brand new (bought it in August) HP PC that’s running the latest version of Windows
– the Mad Catz midi pro adapter
– a USB-to-midi cable
– a jailbroken PS3
Thanks in advance!
Just to make sure you’re connecting everything correctly…
Drums via USB to PC
USB-to-MIDI via USB to PC
MIDI-Ox should be used to route the input from the drums to the output of the USB-to-MIDI
USB-to-MIDI Out to MPA In
MPA via USB to PS3
Just to make sure you’re connecting everything correctly…
Drums via USB to PC
USB-to-MIDI via USB to PC
MIDI-Ox should be used to route the input from the drums to the output of the USB-to-MIDI
USB-to-MIDI Out to MPA In
MPA via USB to PS3
That’s right.
1. I plugged my drums into my PC via a USB cable (type A on one end, type B on the other).
2. The USB-to-midi cable is also plugged into my PC via USB.
3. The midi out part of the USB-to-midi cable is plugged into my MPA.
4. The MPA goes into the PS3 via USB.
I’m pretty sure the cables are all working fine. It might just be a matter of finding a more current midi routing program — one that’s relatively easy to use (I know jack shit about this type of software).
ETA: there are a bunch of midi router programs out there, but I’m curious to find out what ones are being used in this community, particularly among people with Yamaha 500 series drums.
Grats on your purchase! Post some pics when you get it all up and running
I’ll post some tasteful nudes (lol).
Often cheap MIDI<->USB cables won’t work properly because they can only deal with so much data. I’ve bought the same model twice, one of them can’t deal with my MIDI equipment, the other can. I’ve also helped someone else from the C3 community in the Discord server and he had the same issue, the first cable he bought simply didn’t work as advertised.
I would suggest reading reviews and trying to find a USB<-> MIDI solution that looks like is working for pretty much any application.
I would tend to agree with Alternity. It’s been my experience that the cheap USB-MIDI don’t always work properly in all applications.
I’ve used an earlier version of this one successfully.
I would tend to agree with Alternity. It’s been my experience that the cheap USB-MIDI don’t always work properly in all applications.
I’ve used an earlier version of this one successfully.
Thanks for the link. The one I bought cost about half as much as the Roland cable, so maybe I’ll pony up a few extra bucks and see if that makes a difference. By the way, what program do you use as a midi router?
Often cheap MIDI<->USB cables won’t work properly because they can only deal with so much data. I’ve bought the same model twice, one of them can’t deal with my MIDI equipment, the other can. I’ve also helped someone else from the C3 community in the Discord server and he had the same issue, the first cable he bought simply didn’t work as advertised.
I would suggest reading reviews and trying to find a USB<-> MIDI solution that looks like is working for pretty much any application.
Thanks for the advice. I’m gonna invest in the Roland cable Dash mentioned above. However, I’m wondering if you can recommend a good midi routing program for me? There are plenty to choose from, but I don’t know which ones have a good reputation.
If you’re already using REAPER for authoring for example you can use that.
If not, the simple routing software (and diagnosis, since you literally see the data) I usually go for is MIDI-OX.
Okay, so I managed to get my new drum kit working on my PS3/Rock Band. As it turns out, neither MIDI-OX nor the midi cable I bought were the problem. I was thrown for a loop because the video Fujiskunk posted above about how to get an Alesis drum kit to work on RB3 requires a slight alteration if you want to get a DTX502 drum brain up and running. At the 5:27 mark, the author of the video shows you what you’ll need to select in terms of inputs and outputs in the “Midi device” section of MIDI-OX. He tells you to select “USB 2.0-MIDI” and “MIDIOUT 2 (USB 2.0-MIDI)” in the output section. However, when I hooked everything up to my Yamaha kit, only one USB-related option showed up — the one for my USB-to-MIDI cable. But once I selected “MIDI mapper” — which the guy in the video explicitly tells you not to select — I got it working. I’m not sure why this worked, but at this point I don’t really care. I’m just happy that I can now use my new kit to play drums on Rock Band.
Anyway, I’m going to provide some instructions here in case anyone else buys a Yamaha kit with a DTX502 brain in the not-too-distant future:
1. Buy a USB cable that can plug into both the DTX502 brain and a computer (one end will be type B, the other will be type A).
2. Buy a USB-to-MIDI cable. There are a bunch of options here, but I went with a Roland cable that cost around $40 Canadian.
3. Buy a Madcatz midi pro adapter. These things are expensive now, but it’s well worth buying one if you want to escape from the fragile kits that came with the game.
4. Download MIDI-OX (it’s free!) from http://www.midiox.com.
5. Hook up the DTX502 brain to your computer with the USB cable. Make sure your kit is OFF when you’re doing this.
6. Hook up the USB-to-MIDI cable to your computer. Make sure your computer is ON when you’re doing this. Depending on what type of cable you buy, you might have to install a driver.
7. Hook up the other end of the USB-to-MIDI cable to the Madcatz midi pro adapter.
8. Plug the Madcatz midi pro adapter into your PS3. I don’t think it matters whether your PS3 is on or off at this point, but I had it on.
9. Turn on your drum kit. Your PC should make a noise indicating that it’s detected a new device.
10. Install MIDI-OX and fire it up.
11. Click on “Options” and select “Midi devices.”
12. Select the name of your drum kit in the Input section.
13. Select the name of your USB-to-midi cable and “Midi mapping” in the output section.
14. Click OK and you should be good to go.
Unfortunately, these instructions are meant for PS3 owners who run a PC with a recent version Windows on it. I have no clue if this will work for Xbox/Mac owners. You guys are on your own.
I run an Alesis DM6 as well. You pretty much nailed it. I think one of the key steps is firing up Midi-OX last (after everything else is turned on and identified by the PC). I am running an old Toshiba laptop with Windows 7 on it. Every once in a while, I have to monkey with the Midi-OX midi devices e.g. USB1 or USB2. It doesn’t seem to label the inputs consistently (e.g. my kit isn’t “recognized” by name or anything), but usually after randomly changing the settings I can get it to work and it is fine for the rest of the night.
The challenge I am having is some missed notes. Googling has me about to attempt a firmware update on my kit. I’ll follow up if anyone is interested. If that doesn’t work…
Is anyone having awesome long term success with a particular e-Kit. Preferably with midi out?
Once you get it working, the hardest thing to do is setup the sensibility on each pad, and remove cross-talk on every pads if your kit supports it. Sometimes it’s tricky to get right.
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