Question about MIDI/reccomend controller, please help...

[tchen]

I've never understood MIDI (or taken the time to do so). However, I have this old Roland TD-5 drum module and a bunch of pads. I was thinking it'd be nice if I could find some small, cheapish controller/sequencer to hook the module up to, so that I could have a drum machine type thing that I could program with out having to use all those big pads.

It's all kinda over my head. But could someone point me in the right direction? Thanks!

[fiddelerselbow]

So you want a Sequencer?

[tchen]

i guess so... i'm not even totally sure what that is. i've never ventured into midi/electronics world. but yeah i'm looking for a way to set up some kind of drum loop or pattern.

[Dr. Sherman Sticks M.D.]

arturia beatstep?

[rfurtkamp]

By the time you deal with the 2 decade old Roland interface (which is an art form to configure most of the time), and pay for an external sequencer and learn to program it, etc....I'd just look at getting a modern standalone machine. That unit is just a drum sound source (the heart of an electronic kit) from what the Roland site says - unless you're absolutely stuck on having those particular drum sounds available (and they're not included in later units, which I have no idea if they are or not).

To do what you want, you're going to need a sequencer or drum machine of some type (that may or may not include pads or entry method itself, so you may need an external MIDI controller at that point), and get all the devices to successfully talk to each other.

Do you like to program multi-fx on guitar? If not, you're going to HATE this.