External Triggering: Chapter 6
Higher settings are useful when trying to extract drum sounds from tape where other sounds are present; often the snare or kick drum will be louder than other sounds, so setting the threshold above the other sounds will allow the snare or kick to trigger the DM5. However, the higher the threshold, the more likely that the instrument’s full dynamic range won’t be captured and some soft hits to the pad may not be recognized.
Note: The Noise parameter in the DM5 is similar to Xtalk in that the level you set determines whether the trigger will fire on “softer” signals. But there is a difference. The Noise parameter “looks” only at exterior causes of the signal, whereas the Xtalk parameter “looks” at all of the other triggers in the DM5 to determine whether the “soft” signal it is receiving is actually a “real hit”.
•GAIN. This is the signal strength that the transducer is sending to the triggers in the DM5. It’s adjustment is very similar to that of a tape recorder’s Peak meter. With the gain set too low, soft hits may never be recognized. With the gain set too high, you may experience false or double triggering. A properly adjusted gain setting will allow the highest dynamic range for the pad being used. The gain is the most important parameter in the DM5. It must be correctly set for the remaining parameters to work properly, and to assure reliable triggering with the DM5.
TRIGGER SELECTION
There are 12 input triggers with corresponding rear panel jacks. Each is edited independently, so it is first necessary to select a trigger input for editing.
Note: The MIDI note number default settings for the DM5 triggers can be found in the DM5 Factory Drum Set Reference Chart.
Editable parameters are identical for all 12 triggers. With the exception of the Trigger Note Assignments (see page 44), the trigger set up is global for all drum sets.
Ext Trig page 1 shows four parameters, including: Trigger (1 – 12), Note, Gain and Velocity Curve (VCrv).
As with the other screens, the [
] and [
] buttons let you move between the four parameters.
With the TRIGGER parameter selected (circle flashing around one of the 12 triggers), turn the [VALUE] knob to select the desired trigger for editing (1 – 12).
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