Getting with Started the

guide to Apreliminary playingcreating: and rPattems oSongs oDrum Kits
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guide A preliminary

@1990 Alesis Corporation

GETTING

STARTED WITH TTIE SR.16
can The SR-15 be used on many levels,from simply playing presetPattemsto cratint your own complex polyrhythms in odd time signatureg' As a restrlt, thele are two rumuals. s This mini-manual will acquaintyou with a few of the SR-16 most important functions. Many as musicianswill only need b know as much about the SR-16 is presenbd in this-manual. Tte couNe that explainsevery aspectof the sR-16. RefermceManualis a completeself-teaching manual at sornepoint to urderstand iust how much power thele is ln Pleaseread the reference this deceptively simplelooking liftle box. First, here are a few basicfactsabout the SR-16. BUTTONS AND WINDOWS
or The UplDown arrow butbns (to tlre right of the 0 and 5 number buttons) incnease decase valuesrrspectively. Pressonly one button at a time. "windows" that inforrn you of the SR-16 status. If the instructions s The display has several mmtion that a particular word should or should not show up in a particular window, checkthe proceeding. window to seewhich is the casebefor,e
WHAT THE THREEMODE BUTTONSDO
Thereare three mode buttons that selectbasicoperational modes. Thesebuttons toggle between the two options (pressfor one option, pressagain for the other option)' betweentwo banks of drum setsand rhythm Patterru, herct ald PRESET/USER:This selects s User. Presetdrum setsand rhythm Patternsare pernunently etchedinto the SR-16 little sllicon brain and cannot be altered. User drum setsand rhythm Patternscan be programrrcd, erasd, and otherwise edited by the user. PATTERN/SONG: ln Pattem Mode, you can play back (and with User Pattens, reclDrd) individual rhythm Pafterns. Theseare uzually fairly short---say,4 to 16beab-and form the basicelemmts of a Song. In Songmode you createa'Plaflist" of Patterns,which plays various Patbrns in the desiredorder. PERFORM/COMIsE: In the caseof either Pattem or Songmode, Perform mode is designed for playback,and Composefor recordlng. DONT PANICT
lf you're stuck in a situation and you don't know how b 8et out of it, Pressthe STOPbutton.

Hook It Up!

As you hook up the SR-16the rrclurneconurolon should be dl the )lour power amp ard the SR-16 waydown,ard ponm toboth unitsshould beoff.
3 nugthe ACadapercord inb the 9VAClrckand the adapEr itseu into a convenientwall socket.
2lflouhaveacoupleof footawitclres,plug tlreminb the Start/Stop ard Count/A/B/Ftll Fcks.
1 Phgr/4"rmno cords from the rnainoutputs to a ste!oamp. For rnono amPs,use either rnain outpul

4 n"ott*

on/off switdr -. so that the
switch latches in t}te"in" position.

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oooc]oe
5 Tapthepads to heardrum soundsas you. (to step 6)
.adiust thevolunr cpntrolfua comfortable lishdng level.

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Check Out Some Patterns
for The SR-16 a library of presetpa.ttems all kinds of mwia-rock, blues, has reggae,fusiory R&8, rap, country, even polka. Many musicianswill find the groovesthey needhere and will not have to worry about programming their own programs until they becomemore familiar with the SR-16'
Song 1 f tn" airpt"ys upperright windowshows
Pressthe PATTERN/SOiIG button onceto selectPattern mode. (Prssingthis button "toggle 'between Songand Pattem rnodes.)
2 If tn" airpt"y's upper right window shows button pressthe PRESET/USER USER, to selectPrset Pattems. Ttresarc selecd if the display's upper right window doesnot stow USERand thedisplay's upper le{t shows a pattem narne(Rock 1, Blu6, etc.).
3 fo.u" tt " UPIDOIVNI arrowbuttons
bselectaPatterrL You can also enter a pattern
number(@49) with the Numberbuttons. Singledigit Patterns require a 'leading zero" (e.9.,07,A,03, etc.l

O O O O O E

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t:]O-O

4 PressPLAY to start a
pattern, STOPto stop it. Whma Pattem reaches ibmd,itwill loopback to thebeginningand you play again uzless stop it or chooseanother pattem (describedlater). 5 Speeaup ttre bmpo by pressingthe TEMITO/UParow button (pressonceto speedup by one BPM, press and hold to s@ up rapidly). Use the TEMI''O/DOWN anow button in the samrnannerto slow down the tempo.
Playing Sequencesof Patterns
EachPatternnumber, Presetand ueer, indudes A and B "subpatterns." The preset A and B vaniationscomplementeachother. For example,in a Rock pattern, A crouldplay the verse,and B the chorus. ln fact, you may constmct many songsjust by switching back and fbrth betweenthe A and B variations. You're not limited b using A and B variations of a partioilar pattern number; you can also call up other Pattem numbers,and lfteir A and B variations, which will play as soonas the cunnt Patternhas played through.

1 augi" by *t*ting a Pattern and pressing PLAI as decribed on the previous page, The upper right window shows the selectedPattern number and whether the A or B variation is selected.The display's upper left line normally counb eachbeat of the selectedPattem as it plays" 3 Experiment with switching betweenthe A and B variations. Listmto how the patterns sourd, and observehow the display keepsyou inforned of what's happening.
2 If an A Patternis playing, press the B buttron(or pressA if a B Patternis playing). The alternatePattem will begin playingas soonas the cunentlyselectedPattem reachesits md. Until thathappens, the display will show the narneof the Pattern you selecEd(a.g,NDCI PATTOIB). After an alternate Patern ticks irl the display's upper right window will show the PatErn number and whether it is the A or B variation.
4 You can c.ll uP a diffwnt Pattem numberif deired. hesstheLJP/DOWN

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arrow buttons to selecta Pattem or enter a Pattem number (&49)withthe numberbuttons. Singledigit Patterns require a "leading zero" (e.9.,01,02,03, etc.)

E r"-l

ol clftrto

5 The new Patbrn

will play the same variation (A or B) as what's already selected. To choose
a different variation, pressA or B
before the current PatFrn has finished playlng.

Fun With Fills

EachA and B variation also includesassociad Ftll Patterns,which can play expressive transitions betweenthe A and B variations. You can push a button to have a Fill take over from its associated rnain Pattern and hansition to the alternatePattern. 3 Prouth.FILLbt tott again. Adiffetent fill will transition from the B pattem back into the A pattern. You can selecta fill at any time the rnain pattem is play'ng.
2 ftu*t "rd t"t""se the FILL button
while the main A Pattem is
(preferably somewherearound beat 4 or so). You'll hear a tasty drum fitl that teadsright into the associated B pattern (asconfirmed by the display).
1 O"git byrutoting* APattem then prcadngPl.Alas describedpreviously. Theupper right window shows the Paftern selected number and should confirm that the A variation is selected. The display's upper left line counts each beat of the selected Pattem as it plays.

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d'6doorl

T]OODC]D

4 Fills do not always have to be tansitional Pattems. Supposean A Pattern is plaflng. If you pressthe FILL buttoq a fill will start-but this time, keep the FILL button held down until after the fill has finished plaflng. This cancelsthe transition to the alternate pattern (in this example,the A patFrn would continue playing).

Createand Erasea Song

The SR-16can remernberthe order ln which you selecEdPatterns,whldr variations were selec{ed, ard when you selectedfills. Recordtngthts information in the SR-16 Songmode s cneaFsa cDmpleESong. @in with the SR-16stopped.

3 n"*tttn"PnRrcRM/
1 Sd."t Sotg trrod". 2 ff* ai"phy opper ldt should say EMPfi SO.IG. If not, pess the Up or Down butbns until an efirpty sonlg selected. is 4 Cbe aPatunftrsog$ep 1byenuiqga FatEn nrriber and A or B rrariafnn This$epcan bea Flll if pu p'tts Hll abng with Aa B. Us PatFns stnuH rst beelecEl for mw. If Us appecsred to thePatErnrlttnberlor erteredin tc uppe left wirdow, prese PRESEVUSERbslect STEP 01, Prcs. END COMPOSEbutton until the display's lower middle shows COMPOSE.The displaywill show STEPO1 the and contentsof the @, whidr is currently END (to indicate that the songisempty).

5 hessPLAY.

The Pattern specifiedin step (4) above will start playiry. 6 Choo*Putt" ",AandB variations, and Fills as decribed in the previous page. Eachselectionwill be remembetedas anotherSongstep,and the SR-16 will also rernernberthe exact instant you selecteda Fill. Ifyou don't specif a new Pattem, every timea pattrn repeatsit will add a new song steP. 7 Whun you'* finished creatint the Song,pressSTOP. 10

E r--t

8 ton""ryo*Song,press PERrcRM/COMPO6E Perform to select nrode. Thenpress PLAY.
9 If you like the Song great! The SR-15will rememberit. Entering the Songnumber in SongandPerformmode will call up theSong.
fo erasett e Song you must have the Songrlecbd. Tl SR-16should be stopped and in Perform rnode. I,ressERASEard while holding tt down, pressPLAY. The Songwill be erased.

Footswitch Control

Now that we have the basicsdown, let's invesdgatesomelive pedorrnanceoptions using footswiEh conbol. firis is particularly useful if you're plalng along with Pattemsand Songson tlre pads and can't use your hands to punch butbns. As slrown under H@klt W!, therc are two iack for footswitdres (Start/StoP and Count/A/B/Fill). Always plug thesefootswitdes in beprcturning on Power. Either normally open or norrnally cloeedtypes (the two rrost cornrnonfootswitdr typec) can be used; the SR-16 determineswhidr kind is in use during Powr-uP. Here'show to use the footswitch6.

SetTempo

must be sbpped. Beforeplaying a Songor Pattern,tap the Count/A/B/Fill ittck The SR-16 will averagethe time between taps and footswitch severaltimes at the desired tempo. The SR-16 derive a tempo, the display will update the tempo with eachtap. TaPPingthe STOPbutton actomplishesthe samercsult as tapping the Count/A/B/Fill footswitch.

Start a Song or Pattern

When the SR-16is stopped,pressingthe Start/StoP footswitch is equivalent to pressingPLAY. when the sR-16is running pressingthe start/stop footswiEh is equivalent to pressingsToP.
Initiate a Fill When Playing Patterns
In Perform mode, the C-ount/A/B/Fi[ foobwitch duplicaes the FILL butbn function when playing Patterns.
Cancel a Transition From A to B, or B to A' Patterns
Wlren you initiate a Fill, an A Pattem will transition to a B pattern (or vicevelsa) when the Fill has finistred playing. However, you can cancelthis transition if desired. We ve already explained how to do this with the front panel FILL butbn. However, you can also use the Count/A/B/Filt footswitch. If you pressthe footswitch before the fill has finished plalng and hold it down until after the fill has played (i.e,past the downbeat of the next PatErn), the SR-16 \,yill rtum to the original MainA or B Pattem.
Extend a Song Step When Playing Back a Song
In SongPerform mode (i.e,during song playbac$, pressingand holding the Count/A,/B/Fill footswikh until past the end of a Sont Stepwitl causethat sbP to rPeat. This is great if the soloist wants b take a ftw rnore bars.

Record a Pattern

The SR-16offers very flo<ible and musical recordingopions. This iust gives a tasteofwhafs available* sur to checl out the reference manual for more inforrnation. 1 f m" airpt ys upper right window showsSONG, pre*s the PATTERN,/SONG button oncto selectPattem rnode. (Pressingthis button "toggles"betweenSongand Pattem modes.) 2 f t}r. airpt"ys upper right window doesnot show USER,pressOrePRESET/USER buttor to selectUser Patterns, Unlike PtsetPaftems, you can record into, and edit, User Patbrns.
3 fn"t t"PfnfOnU/
COMIOSEbutton until the display's lower middle shows COMPOSE.

4 Pres.s Up,/Down the

arrow butbns until you find an EMPTY PATTern,as slrown on the display. You can also mter a Pattern number (0G49)with theNumber buftons, and/or selectan AorB Paftern.

OOOc)6.@

O O O C ] O E

5 PrssPLAY to start

recording. You will probably hear a metronomeclick. When a PatErn reaclres its end, it will loop back to the beginning so you

can do overdubs.

(-')(--looC]

fIDDCf f]DDC]O

7 If you make a mistake,pressand
hold down the ERASE button.
5 ehythepads. The SR-16 will shift your playing to the nearstrhythmic value shown in the lowerleft comer of the quantize window. Referto the rnain rnanual for information on changingquantization.
If you pressa pad while holding dovrn ERASE, any notres played by that pad that occrr between the tinc you pressand release the pad, will be erased.
8 o"1'1 prs"t tttaLyoy ca: play difficult passages slowing down rh tempo, playint the by part, then speedingback up again.

Createa Drum Set

has UserDnm Sets Ihe Thisisanoomple of a frnrtbn with multiplepages. SR-15 50Pr6ct ard 50editable AfterprcssingtheDRLJMSEfbu$on, Qroupaofsomds)whictrcanbeassignedtoanyofthelmPattems. (drumsound, tuning, uPbuttonselcts adifferr*kind of panmeter prrssofIheTEMPO,/PAGE each Tapthepadbbeedibd,thanantatherrlvpanmeFvalrrwiththeI,JPIDOWN,aIrcw,or volumq,etc.) Aftereditingthepad(s),Press Toedttmorepads,tapamthrFdardenteranewvalrr. numberhrttons. be should sto@' LJP tlE TBTPO/PAGE h*bn to ace$ tl nod tne of paranetd. TheSR-16

L n."onuuSrf.

Sdect a number from fi149 with the number buftons, and PresetorUs wtth the PRESET/USERbuton heset Drum Setscan only be savedto User locations. 2 Pru*t th" TSMPO/PAGF UP to clnoee Page2 (seedisplay lower right), where,rou can assigndiffennt drum sourds b different pads. Pttss the pad tobeassigned ttren use theUp/Downor numberbuttons to selectone of theavailable sourds (a 3digit numberdon't forget leading zeroesif rEccsary).

ooooo@ clooocl9

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OC]OC]OO

similar b step2, preseIheTEMFO./PAGELJPbuton 3 ftr" -"ot* b droose Page3, where you can assigndifftrent lwels for eachpad. Tap a pa4 then use the UP/DOtfitI or number butbns to selectthe level, as shown on the display. button 4 n " t*t trer similar to step 3, prccsthe TEMFO/PAGE LJP o ctroosePage4 where yur can assigr thepanning fureadt pad. Tap a @, thm use the LP/DOWN buttons b selectthe pan positioo as shown on the dispLay. 5 fn a manner similar b step4, pressthe TEMPO/PAGE UP button o clroosePage5, wherc you can asdgn the tuning for ah pad. Tap a pad, tlren use the uP/DOITVNor nurnberbutbns to slectthe tuning, as shown on the display. 6 To savethe new Drum Setparameus, presethe TEMPO/PAGE uP button three tirnes b ctrooe Page8,wher,e1ou can savethe drum st ParanEtemyou've selected.If yur had sdected a hesetDrumSeCyourclrargeswillbe savedinthe likenumbered User PLAY to savg or DRUM SETto back out. Dnrm Set(or mter a differcnt number). Pnesg 7 f pu presseaPLA! pressDRUM SETto rturn to nornral operatbn.

Use the SR-16as an ExpanderModule
(Note Thb tutorial requireesonr krnwledge of MIDI. Seethe MIDI supplernentin -the referencernanual if 1ou need b know rnre abort MIDI.) Tho* with electronicdrum pads or a gequencer use the SR-16 a tone can as modulq where dffferent.drums wiU sound in responseto different MIDI notes receirred the sR-16s MIDI fuL You mugt run a MIDI cablefrom the gequencEr at or elec{ronicdrum sefs MIDI out b the SR-15 MIDI in s The SR-16has a special'exparder module" nrode that asdgru a specificMIDI noE to eadr pad of a setof 10 User Drum Sets. The durt in section6.9of the rcference manual shows which MIDI note triggers which pad of which Drrm Set. Assign sourdsto eadr pad of thesedrum seteas decribed in the prvious page, The-SR-16 should be stopped.

1 n rurrAPf SEruP.

Usethe LJP/DOIMII b selectOrnni rnode or a specificMIDI dunnel br Polynrode.

2 Itess the TEMPO/PAGE

UPbutton

b choose Page 2 (see

display lower righO. Prese theUParrcwbu so that Drum ln is on (ia,, the SR-15reeives MIDI notedata).

ODf]C:]OC]

3 n" -"or,o similar to step Z, presethe TEMpO/PAGE LJpBUTION Uue tirnes to clroosePage5. ttess the Down Anow button so that the Clock ln isOff (i.c,,the SR-16ignoresMIDI syncluonization &td. 4 Ir, " *"oner sirnilar to step 3, preesthe TEL,iPO/PAGELJpBUTII)N ttue E. hressthe Down Atrow btrtton so that OrcprgChnE !a1 !g 6gotl"g" is Off (i^c,,the SR-15ignoresMIDI prognm drange data). 5 n a manner simttar b srep4, pr$ the TElvlIO/pAGE LJpBUTION to fte g$1 P3ee9, Pness Up Arrow bumonso that rhe Note Map shows DflXB, D10'19,etc. 6 t*tg:now set up as an epander nrodute. prssMIDI SEf,Upagain T* bextt MIDI setupnrodeard retumto rornul operatbn

ALESIS D4

Reference Manual

CHAPTER 1 - INTRODUCTION

1.0 PRINCIPAL FEATURES... 1 1.1 RETURN YOUR WARRANTY CARD NOW!.. 2 1.2 HOOKUP/INSTANT GRATIFICATION... 2 1.2A Installation... 3 1.2B Hook Up Audio (rear panel)... 3 1.2C Hook Up MIDI (rear panel)... 3 1.2D Hook Up External Triggers (rear panel).. 4 1.2E Hook Up Power (rear panel)... 4 1.2F Turn On Power... 4 1.2G Select Drum Sets... 5 1.2H Audition Different Drum Sounds.. 5 1.2I Assign Drum Sounds to Particular MIDI Notes. 7 1.3 BASICS AND DEFINITIONS... 7 1.3A The Voice.... 7 1.3B About the Edit Buffer... 8 1.3C About Defaults... 8 1.3D MIDI Note Range... 8 1.4 ABOUT THE USER INTERFACE... 9 1.4A Function Buttons... 10 1.4B Cursor Buttons... 10 1.4C Multi-Page Functions... 10 1.4D Editing Parameter Values.. 11 1.4E The Store and Note Chase buttons.. 11 1.4F The Preview Button.... 11
CHAPTER 2 - DRUM SET MANAGEMENT
2.0 SELECTING DRUM SETS.... 12 2.1 STORING/NAMING AN EDITED DRUM SET... 12 2.2 RECALLING FACTORY DRUM SETS... 14
CHAPTER 3 - FUNCTION BUTTONS
3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 3.7 3.8 3.9 NOTE CHASE/DRUM NOTE SELECTION.. 15 VOICE..... 15 TUNE.... 16 MIX.... 16 OUTPUT.... 17 DRUM SET.... 18 EXT TRIG.... 19 GROUP BUTTON.... 19 MIDI BUTTON.... 20 COPYING A NOTE'S PARAMETERS TO ANOTHER NOTE.. 20
CHAPTER 4 - MIDI FUNCTIONS
DRUM SET ROOT NOTE... 21 MIDI CHANNEL SELECTION.... 23 MIDI THRU/OUT SELECTION... 23 PROGRAM CHANGE ENABLE... 24 CONTROLLER ENABLE... 24 PROGRAM CHANGE TABLE.... 26 SAVE DATA VIA MIDI... 26 4.6A Save to DataDisk... 28 4.7 RECEIVE DATA FROM ANOTHER MIDI DEVICE... 28 4.7A Load from DataDisk... 29 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 4.6
CHAPTER 5 - EXTERNAL TRIGGERING
ABOUT TRIGGER PARAMETERS... 32 5.0 TRIGGER SELECTION... 36 5.1 TRIGGER NOTE SELECTION... 36 5.2 TRIGGER VELOCITY SELECTION... 37 5.3 TRIGGER PARAMETER SELECTION... 40 5.7 TRIGGER GAIN SELECTION.... 43 5.8 FOOTSWITCH MODE... 44 5.8A Understanding Hi Hat Pedal Mode... 45

CHAPTER 6

MIDI SUPPLEMENT... 47 6.0 MIDI BASICS.... 47 6.1 MIDI HARDWARE.... 47 6.2 MIDI MESSAGE BASICS... 48 6.3 CHANNEL MESSAGES... 48 6.3A Voice Messages.... 48 6.3B Mode Messages.... 50 6.4 SYSTEM COMMON MESSAGES... 51 6.5 BOOKS ON MIDI... 51 6.6 VIDEOS ON MIDI... 51

CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION

Thank you for purchasing the Alesis D4 Drum Sound Module. The D4 provides over 500 high-quality drum/percussion sounds (many of them in stereo), that use the same drum recording expertise responsible for making the SR-16 and HR-16 standards in the music world. And thanks to Dynamic Articulation, which triggers different samples according to velocity, the D4s sounds have a realism and presence that make these sounds stand out in any track or performance.

1.0 PRINCIPAL FEATURES

Over 500 Sounds. Sounds include: 99 kicks, 99 snares, 55 cymbals, 92 toms, 76 percussion sounds, and 80 effects. 48 kHz Sample Rate and 20 Hz-20 kHz Bandwidth. The D4's high sample rate and full bandwidth insure maximum audio clarity from each sound. 12 acoustic trigger inputs. Drummers can trigger D4 sounds with conventional drum pads as well as MIDI pads. Studios can trigger D4 sounds from existing taped drum tracks to replace taped sounds with the D4s high-quality drum sounds. Older drum machines with individual outputs can be revitalized by using them to trigger the D4 sounds instead of triggering the drum machines internal sounds. Full MIDI implementation. The D4s master volume responds to MIDI controller 7, allowing for smooth fades and easy changes in overall dynamics, as well as to other important MIDI controllers including pitch bend. Program change commands can call up different Drum Sets. Simultaneous MIDI/trigger operation. Notes can be triggered by MIDI and/or triggers simultaneously. Trigger to MIDI conversion. Triggers received by the D4 are converted into MIDI note data that appears at the MIDI Out/Thru connector. Single rack space size. The D4 fits conveniently into a single rack space. 21 programmable drum kits. Assign different drums to different MIDI notes (or triggers) to create a kit, and recall individual kits with Program Change commands. A footswitch, when pressed, can increment from one drum kit to the next. Multiple outputs. The D4 offers four outputs, which are arranged as two stereo pairs. Any sound can be sent to either stereo pair (and panned to any of seven positions in the stereo field). However, these can also serve as individual outputs if you pan a single sound hard left or hard right so that it appears over only one output. One possible application is to use one stereo pair for a mix of drum sounds, and the other stereo pair as two individual outputs for specific drum sounds that may need separate processing.
Velocity-sensitive Preview button. Audition sounds at the D4 itself, so you dont have to go back and forth between a controller and the D4 when making drum kit assignments or checking out sounds. Headphone jack. This is excellent for practicing, or for creating drum kits while other activity is taking place in the studio. Hi hat pedal footswitch. This lets you incorporate a footswitch to create very realistic hi hat effects. Note chasing. You can select a note for editing or previewing based on the most recently received MIDI note or trigger input. Drum sound editing. Vary tuning, mix, and panning, as well as assign drums to groups for special effects (such as hi-hat sounds that cut each other off, or cymbals that restrike).

1.1 RETURN YOUR WARRANTY CARD NOW!
Your warranty will be in effect and you will receive product update information only if you send in your warranty card.
1.2 HOOKUP/INSTANT GRATIFICATION
This section describes how to hook up the D4, select Drum Sets, and audition different drum sounds. For more detail on these and other operations, refer to Chapters 2-5.

MIDI THRU/OUT Jack

Main Output Jacks

Footswitch Jack

MIDI IN Jack

Trigger Jacks

Aux Output Jacks

1.2A Installation

For most applications the D4 should be installed in a rack frame so that you can tap the Preview button without causing the unit to slide around. The D4 generates very little heat so it is not necessary to leave an empty space for ventilation above or below the unit.
1.2B Hook Up Audio (rear panel)
1. Turn down the master volume control of your monitoring system, PA, mixer, instrument amp, etc. 2. Turn down the D4s front panel volume control. 3. Connect the D4s Main stereo outputs to a suitable stereo monitoring system or mixer. 4. The D4s Aux jacks can provide additional outputs for selected drums. To use these optional outputs, patch them into your monitoring system or mixer. 5. To monitor via headphones, plug them into the front panel Phones jack. If you monitor only through headphones, it is not necessary to hook up the Main and/or Aux outputs.
Note: The front panel volume control simultaneously sets the level of the Main, Aux, and Headphone ouputs.
1.2C Hook Up MIDI (rear panel)
MIDI commands can trigger the D4s drum sounds, select different Drum Sets, and control the overall level.
1. Connect the MIDI Out from the source of MIDI data (sequencer, MIDI drum pads, trigger-to-MIDI converter, keyboard, etc.) to the D4s rear panel MIDI In. 2. To distribute the MIDI signal present at the D4s MIDI In to other units, connect the D4s MIDI Out/Thru to the other units MIDI In. MIDI Out has other applications, as described in section 4.2.
1.2D Hook Up External Triggers (rear panel)
The D4s drum sounds can be triggered by non-MIDI electronic drum pads, audio signals from tape, drum sounds from other drum machines, etc.
1. If youre using a hi hat pad, connect its output to rear panel trigger input 1. 2. Connect up to 11 more pads to any of the remaining 11 rear panel trigger inputs.

1.2E Hook Up Power (rear panel)
1. Locate the AC adapter and check that the AC adapters INPUT spec (printed on the adapter label) uses the correct voltage for your part of the planet. 2. Insert the AC adapters smaller plug into the 9V AC Power jack on the D4s rear panel, and plug the AC adapter itself into a source of AC power. Use only the AC adapter supplied with the D4; use of any other AC adapter will void your warranty.
Note: To prolong the AC adapters life, unplug it when not in use (turning the D4s power switch to off is not sufficient to disconnect the AC adapter from AC power). Alesis recommends plugging your AC-powered devices into a switched barrier strip, so that turning off the barrier strip turns off power to your gear.

1.2F Turn On Power

1. Turn on the D4s front panel On/Off switch by pushing on it, then turn on your monitoring system. The D4s LCD should light to indicate that power is being received.
Caution: It is always good practice to keep your monitoring systems level all the way down until all units feeding it have been turned on. Although the D4 doesnt make noise on power-up or power-down, other units may not operate in an equally polite manner.
2. Turn up the D4s front panel volume control about halfway. Turn up the monitoring systems volume control to a low level to prevent blasting your amp and speakers. After the D4 starts making sounds, adjust the monitoring system levels for a comfortable listening level.

1.2G Select Drum Sets

1. After turning on power, the LCD will show a sign-on message. If the LCD does not light, check your power connections. 2. Press the Drum Set button; its LED will light. The LCD will show a Drum Set number on the upper line and the Drum Sets name on the lower line (similar to the example below).
DRUMSET 00 Standard Stuff
3. Trigger D4 notes via MIDI or acoustic triggers. Different MIDI notes (within the range of 36-96) or triggers should trigger different drum sounds. 4. Turn the Data wheel clockwise to select higher-numbered drum kits or counterclockwise to select lower-numbered drum kits. Each click calls up a Drum Set. You cannot select a Drum Set number lower than 00 or higher than 20.

1.2H Audition Different Drum Sounds
Drum sounds are organized as Banks of individual drum sounds. Available Banks are:
Kik (Kick) Snr (Snare) Cym (Cymbals and hi hats) Tom (Tom toms) Prc (Percussion) Efx (Effects)
1. Press the Voice button, and its LED lights. The display shows a MIDI note number on the top line and the name of the currently selected drum sound on the lower line. Heres a typical screen:
NOTE: 038 D1 Snr/25: Piccolo This example shows that the sound will be triggered by MIDI note 038, belongs to the Snare (Snr) Bank, is the 25th sound of the snare Bank, and is named Piccolo. Note that the 25 is underlined. An underline (cursor) indicates that a parameter is available for editing. The cursor may be moved to edit either of the two available parameters in this page. In this case, you could choose a different snare sound with the Data wheel. If the cursor was under Snr, then you could choose a different Bank.
2. Tap the Preview button to hear the sound shown on the LCD. Since this button is velocity-sensitive, harder taps will give a louder sound. If you dont hear anything, and youre tapping the button with sufficient force, check your audio connections and volume levels for your monitoring system and D4. 3. To audition other drum sounds within the selected Bank, check that the cursor is under the drum number. If not, use the cursor buttons to move the cursor under the instrument name parameter in the lower half of the display. 4. Rotate the large Data wheel. Each click of the knob will call up a new drum sound, until you reach either the highest- or lowest-numbered sound within the Bank. Tap the Preview button to hear the selected sound. 5. To audition other banks of sounds, press the left cursor button so that the first character of the Bank name is underlined, as in the following example:
NOTE: 038 D1 Snr/01: Raw Hide
6. Use the Data knob to change Banks. The drum sound number will reset to 01. To listen to other sounds within the Bank, repeat steps 3 and 4 and tap the Preview button as needed.
1.2I Assign Drum Sounds to Particular MIDI Notes
1. Press the Voice button. 2. Use the cursor buttons to place the cursor under the MIDI note number on the top line. 3. Rotate the Data knob and select the note to which you want to assign a particular drum sound. 4. Select the desired Bank and drum sound as described in section 1.2H, Audition Different Drum Sounds.
NOTE: It is important to note that your MIDI controller (keyboard or drum pad controller) must have its MIDI note numbers assigned to the corresponding set of note numbers which you have selected for the D4. You now know how to select Drum Sets, Banks, and individual sounds, as well as how to assign sounds to MIDI notes. However, there is much more to the D4. The next part describes all of the D4s editing features in detail. Please read the entire manual at some point to understand the D4s many capabilities.

2.2 RECALLING FACTORY DRUM SETS
The D4 includes 21 factory-programmed Drum Sets that are useful in a wide range of applications. To recall one of the factory Drum Sets:
1. Press and hold the Drum Set function button. While holding this button, press the Store button. Release both buttons. The display shows something like:
RECALL ALESIS SET 01 INTO 01
2. The cursor will be under the Drum Set to be recalled. Use the Data wheel to select the desired Drum Set. As soon as you select a Drum Set, it will be loaded into the edit buffer (and overwrite any existing edit buffer datacareful!) so you can play some notes and make sure its the right set. 3. Press the > cursor button to select the destination Drum Set number for the recalled Drum Set. 4. Use the Data wheel to select the desired destination memory slot. To recall all of the original factory Drum Sets, press the > cursor button one more time. 5. To complete the operation, press the Store button. The display will confirm that whatever you selected has been stored.
If you change your mind and want to cancel the recall process, press any of the eight Function buttons before pressing Store a second time. Note: Remember that recalling a Drum Set overwrites the edit buffer contents. If you cancel the recall operation by pressing one of the eight Function buttons, any Drum Set you recalled will remain in the edit buffer but Drum Sets 00-20 will remain unchanged. This can be useful for auditioning the various preset Drum Sets. Also note that if you are concerned about overwriting data you want to keep, save the D4s memory first, as described in section 4.6.
CHAPTER 3: FUNCTION BUTTONS
The function buttons allow you to edit Drum Set parameters on a fairly detailed level.
3.0 NOTE CHASE/DRUM NOTE SELECTION
The Voice, Tune, Mix, Output, and Group buttons all require selecting a particular drum note for editing. The top line of each of these screens shows the note that is being edited. For example, the Voice selection screen shows: NOTE: 054 F#2 Kik/01: Big "O" There are two ways to select the drum sound to be edited or previewed: Place the cursor under the note and turn the Data wheel to select a different note. The D4 has a function called Note Chase. When this button is enabled, an incoming MIDI note or trigger will select the note to be edited. This makes it easy to change the same parameter for all drums; call up the editing function (voice, tune, mix, etc.) and select various drums by playing their associated keys. The display will read out the note name and MIDI number. Note Chase can also be used as a piece of MIDI test equipment to determine the note number of an incoming MIDI note. This will only happen if the sending device is on the same MIDI channel as the D4 and if the sending note is within the note range of the currently selected drum kit. Also, whenever the D4 receives a signal to play one of its sounds (via either trigger or MIDI input) the Note Chase LED will flash.

After editing a note's Voice, Tune, Mix, Output, and Group parameters, you may wish to copy these settings to another note number. This can be useful for setting up chromatic tunings for adjacent keys.
1. Press and hold the Note Chase function button. While holding this button, press the Store button. Release both buttons. The Store LED will light and the display shows something like:

COPY 036 C1 TO 042 F#1

2. The cursor will be under the destination note number. Use the Data wheel to select the note. 5. To complete the operation, press the Store button. The display will confirm that the source note's settings have been stored to the destination note. To copy the source note's setting to additional destination notes, simply repeat steps 2 and 3 until finished.
NOTE: this function only affects the drum set data in the edit buffer. In order to make these changes permanent, you must store the drumset as described in section 2.1.
CHAPTER 4: MIDI FUNCTIONS
This function contains five pages of parameters. When you first press the MIDI button, it calls up the first page. Pressing the MIDI button again calls the second page, pressing it again calls the third page, and so on. If the fifth page is showing and you press the MIDI button again, it will revert to the first page. Remember that you can also use the cursor buttons to go from one page to another by cursoring past the parameters on the current screen. For more details, see sections 1.4B and 1.4C. In the rest of this section, well assume you know how to select the appropriate page.

4.0 DRUM SET ROOT NOTE

1. The first page is the Drum Set Root Note screen, which says:
DRUMSET ROOT NOTE: 036 C1 This sets the lowest note in the window of 61 consecutive MIDI notes, from MIDI note number 36 to 96, to which the D4 will respond; when the root note is altered, all drum note and trigger assignments move in parallel. Example: If the root note is changed from 36 to 35, then all notes will be triggered by a note one value lower than the existing assignmente.g., what was triggered by note 96 will now be triggered by note 95, what was triggered by note 72 will now be triggered by note 71, etc. Unlike other MIDI parameters, this value (0-67) is stored as part of a Drum Set and can be different for each Drum Set.
2. Turn the Data wheel to select the desired Drum Set root note.

Non-Registered Parameter LSB (0-127) This works similarly to controller 98 but the controller value selects the Least Significant Byte of the parameter to be controlled. Reset All Controllers (0) Any value sent for this controller resets volume to maximum, pitch bend to zero, and restores all non-registered parameters to their default values. Pitch Bend Sending a pitch bend command prior to triggering a note or group of notes will change the pitch of the notes being triggered. Pitch bend messages sent while a drum sound is playing have no effect on the sound. The amount of pitch bend range depends on the sound youve called up, and can deviate by more than the amount allowed by the tuning function.
1. The bottom line of the third page shows the Controllers status. Example:
2. Make sure the cursor is under the Controllers status.
3. Use the Data wheel to select a status of On (the D4 responds to controller messages) or Off (the D4 ignores controller messages).

4.5 PROGRAM CHANGE TABLE

1. The fourth MIDI page shows the Program Table. Example:
PROGRAM TABLE 000 = 00 The lower left, three-digit number represents the incoming Program Change number. The lower right, two-digit number represents the D4 Drum Set that will be selected in response to the displayed Program Change number. To edit the Program Change table:
1. Place the cursor under the incoming (left) MIDI Program Change number. 2. Use the Data wheel to select the desired Program Change number. 3. Press the > cursor button to move the cursor under the D4 Drum Set number (right). 4. Use the Data wheel to select the desired Drum Set to be called up in response to the specified Program Change number. 5. Repeat steps 1-4 until the table is edited as desired.

4.6 SAVE DATA VIA MIDI

The D4s memory requires power to save data, so when the power switch is off, the memorys contents are normally backed up with an internal battery. However, it is vitally important to back up whats in the D4s memory! A mechanical problem (surge on the power line, a quick zap of static electricity) or operator error could alter the data in memory. Save your data whenever youve done enough work on something that you wouldnt want to lose that work. If possible, make two backups, and store the second backup in a different physical location from the primary backup. The D4 converts its program data into a special type of MIDI data, called System Exclusive or sys ex data, that can be sent over MIDI. This data can go to another D4 or to a MIDI system exclusive storage device, such as the Alesis DataDisk, a computer running System Exclusive storage software, or a musical instrument capable of recording System Exclusive data. Either way, your data is backed up. To allow for running several D4s in the same MIDI setup, System Exclusive data is channelized. In other words, if you save the data over channel 1 to a DataDisk, when you read back data from the DataDisk the D4 must be set to channel 1 (or Omni,

which receives all channels) to retrieve this data. Its a good idea to include the channel assignment in the System Exclusive file name to prevent possible confusion. To back up:
1. Connect the D4s MIDI Out to the MIDI In of the other D4 or system exclusive storage device, such as the DataDisk. 2. Select the fifth MIDI page, Sysex Backup. With the Sysex Backup page selected, the Store LED will light. 3. Use the Data wheel to call up one of the four available types of data for backup (figures in parenthesis give the approximate amount of memory required by each type): Edit Buffer data (500 bytes) Trigger Setup data (50 bytes) Program Table data (150 bytes) System (All) data, which includes Drum Sets, trigger setup, program table, and MIDI assignments (8Kbytes) 4. Press the Store button. The display will say SENDING SYSEX DATA OUT MIDI. to confirm that data is being sent. The sys ex receiving device should indicate that it is receiving data.
After the transfer is complete, the D4s LCD reverts to the Sysex Backup page. Note: The MIDI Thru function is disabled while Sys Ex is being transmitted.

4.6A Save to DataDisk

Heres an example of how to save D4 MIDI data to the Alesis DataDisk.
1. Connect the D4 MIDI Out to the DataDisk (DD) MIDI In. 2. Insert a formatted disk into the DD. If the disk is not formatted, insert it in the drive and press the DD Format switch. When the DD display says FORMAT DISK?, press DO/YES. When the display says ARE YOU SURE? press DO/YES again. 3. Press the DD Receive button. The display says RECV ONE SYSEX: WAITING FOR DATA. 4. Press the D4 MIDI button (if you are not already in the MIDI function) and select the Sysex Backup page. 5. Select the type of data to be saved (System, Edit Buffer, Trigger Setup, Program Table).
6. Press the D4 Store button. The D4 display says SENDING SYSEX DATA OUT MIDI and the DD display says RECEIVING Alesis D4 to indicate that data has been received. 7. To prevent future confusion, name the DD file using the DD NAME function.
4.7 RECEIVE DATA FROM ANOTHER MIDI DEVICE
The D4 will automatically load D4 system exclusive data present at its MIDI In. Therefore, there is no associated function since reception can occur at any time that a sys ex storage device or another D4 sends data through its MIDI Out into the D4s MIDI In. The D4 is compatible only with D4 system exclusive data; for example, you cannot load system exclusive data from another drum device into the D4. The following describes how to load data from the Alesis DataDisk; other system exclusive storage devices work similarly, but please refer to the owners manual for your particular device to find out how to set it up to send MIDI sys ex data. Note: When loading the Edit Buffer via sys ex, be sure and save the Drum Set before changing to another Drum Set. Otherwise, the data will be lost.

The D4 now offers five user controllable trigger parameters. These are:
VCURVE. This represents the velocity curve, or the sensitivity of the trigger input. There are eight separate curve tables, 0 through 7. Using these settings it is possible to adjust the D4s' triggers to accompany a wide variety of playing styles, and to help compensate for sensitivity variances between different brands of drum pads and triggers.
The lower the setting, the less sensitive the velocity curve and the higher the setting, the more sensitive. For example, a pad using a setting of 7 will reach a MIDI velocity of 127 with just a moderate strike. For a pad whose VCURVE setting is 1, only a very hard hit would generate such a velocity. For average type of play (striking pads with velocities ranging from very soft to very hard) the default setting of 4 is ideal in achieving the full range of sensitivity which corresponds to MIDI velocities of 1 through 127. Note: Curve 0 is named "Unassigned". The function of this curve is explained fully in section 5.2 "Trigger Velocity Section".
XTALK. (Crosstalk). Sometimes hitting one pad will cause a nearby pad to false trigger or "crosstalk". This is generally due to stand vibrations which can affect the other pads. These vibrations send signals to the nearby pads which can cause false triggering. The XTALK adjustment acts as a suppression control.
A higher value adjustment equals greater suppression of the signal, a lower value equals less suppression. Therefore, the higher the value setting, the less likely the nearby pad (or drum) will trigger from stand or head vibrations. This is how it works: First, you strike a pad and the D4 triggers its sound. Shortly after this hit the D4 receives a secondary, "softer" signal from a nearby pad. Before the D4 will play this softer signal, it will scan the other inputs to determine whether this was a legitimate hit, or simply a vibration from a stand or head. It does this by comparing the level of this soft signal with the threshold level set in the XTALK parameter. If this secondary signal level is greater than the allowable threshold level, the D4 will trigger its sound. If the signal is less than the allowable threshold level, the D4 will ignore it. By adjusting the crosstalk level to a higher value, you set a higher threshold for the signal to exceed, and reduce the ability of a pad (drum) to crosstalk. The following chart shows a scenario with a properly adjusted XTALK level.

This chart represents three signals which are "seen" by the D4. Signal 1 is a legitimate hit from the snare pad. Signal 2 is the Tom 1 pad, but it is not a hit. It is the pad being triggered by stand vibrations from the first snare hit. Signal 3 is a second "real" hit from the snare pad. As you can see the XTALK threshold is set at a value of 30 (represented by the dotted line). The two snare hits (signals 1 and 3) both register well above the XTALK threshold. However, the tom (signal 2) registers too soft (at 20), and is correctly ignored by the D4. If the XTALK level had been set at an improper value (in this case lower than 20), signal 2 would exceed the XTALK threshold, and the D4 would have triggered the sound. This illustrates how proper adjustment of the XTALK parameter will result in the elimination of this "interaction" between the pads.
DCAY. This parameter represents the signal decay time, or the amount of time between once a pad has been struck and triggers, to when it will trigger again from another hit. This is one of the more tricky issues of triggering. Here's why:
When hits are spaced 2 or more seconds apart, the first signal has plenty of time to decay completely, making it easy to determine the second signal as an actual hit. However, when playing quick, repetitive hits it is much more difficult to determine where one hit ends and the next one begins. To further complicate things, some drum sounds (especially acoustic drums) take a long time to decay. During this period, part of the decay can be interpreted as another closely-spaced hit. This is where the DCAY control comes in. The DCAY control adjusts the time and threshold of the signal decay making it possible for the D4 to correctly determine whether closely spaced signals are "real" hits or just decay.
Selecting a higher DCAY value (long decay times) will allow for the most reliable triggering but may miss quickly repeated hits. Lower DCAY values (shorter times) will respond to quickly repeated hits but may be more prone to false triggering. Experimentation with these levels is necessary to achieve the proper results. Example:
This chart simulates the waveform of a snare drum hit. The first big point in the signal is the actual hit, the rest of the waveform is all decay. Since the DCAY time threshold is adjusted too low, the DCAY level curves off too soon allowing a second point, during the signal's decay, to exceed the threshold. Once this happens the D4 will trigger the sound.

5.1 TRIGGER NOTE SELECTION
Each trigger can be assigned to any MIDI note number, which is associated with a corresponding drum sound (programmed according to the instructions in section 3.0). Trigger note assignments are recalled as part of a Drum Set whenever a new set is selected.
1. The first Ext Trig page shows three parameters. Example:
TRIG:02 VCURVE:4 NOTE: 036 C1
2. Place the cursor under the Note parameter. 3. Turn the Data wheel to select the note that will be assigned to the selected trigger input.
5.2 TRIGGER VELOCITY SELECTION
The velocity sensitivity of each trigger input can be adjusted to accompany a wide variety of playing styles, and to help compensate for sensitivity variances between various brands of drum pads and transducers. For example, a hard hitting player might have a difficult time in playing the softer velocity sounds available in the D4 due to the high impact of most of his hits. Using a lower VCURVE setting (1 - 3) would require a much harder strike to generate a full MIDI velocity of 127, and make it much easier to obtain the more "subtle" velocity sounds when playing the drum pad. When using a higher VCURVE setting (5 - 7) the opposite applies, or a much softer hit would generate a MIDI velocity of 127.
1. While in the first Ext Trig page, place the cursor under the VCURVE parameter. Example:
2. Turn the Data wheel to select the sensitivity value desired to suite the style of play, or the pads being used. The default setting of 4 is the "median" velocity curve. For average play (hits ranging from very soft to very hard) this curve gives you the full range of sensitivity which corresponds to MIDI velocities 1 through 127.
Note: The setting of 0, Unassigned, is selected by rotating the Data wheel fully counterclockwise. This is a special case VCURVE setting which allows a trigger input to contribute to the D4s master suppression threshold. However, it will not trigger any sounds or MIDI note messages. In certain circumstances this setting can help suppress false triggering on the other inputs. Example: Suppose three drum pads are mounted on a single drum stand while set up on a noisy stage. Normally, a higher XTALK setting would be used to eliminate interaction between the pads, and a high NOISE floor setting would be selected to reject the high level of ambient noise and vibration. In certain cases with crosstalk and noise floor settings too high, softer hits might become rejected because the D4 assumes that they are noise. Instead of compromising between the two parameters, there are two methods which can improve this scenario.
Method One: 1. First, attach an inexpensive contact transducer to the center of the drum stand and plug it into a D4 input. 2. Next, go to the VCURVE page under the EXT TRIG function and select the VCURVE setting of 0 (Unassigned) for this trigger. 3. Go to the next page and set the XTALK, DCAY and the NOISE levels all to 00. This low level will allow the maximum amount of noise and stand vibrations to be detected by the D4. 4. Press the EXT TRIG button again to get to the GAIN page showing the bar graph meter display. Using the meter, adjust the level to select a "hotter" than usual GAIN setting. Since in this case the gain is effected only by the the stand vibrations, a very strong signal is needed to maximize the trigger's performance. 5. Now as the stage vibrates, or when other signals trigger the drum stand transducer, the suppression function will note this signal and determine that any softer signals coming from the other three pads must be crosstalk. Also, if the suppression function sees a soft signal from the three main pads but little or no signal from the drum stand transducer, it will assume that the pad signals are valid hits and trigger the D4 sounds. Method Two:

5.5 TRIGGER DCAY CONTROL SELECTION
If a pad or drum "double triggers" when it is struck, it may be necessary to adjust the DCAY level. This is evident when shortly after the initial strike to a pad, a second trigger from the same pad is generated, or it "double triggers". Note: With certain pads it may not be necessary to adjust this parameter. In that case, skip this section and go on to 5.6 Noise Control Selection).
1. After selecting the desired Trigger whose decay level needs to be set, place the cursor under the DCAY parameter. Example:
2. Turn the Data wheel to select the desired level of decay suppression necessary to stop the pad from double triggering. (00 is minimum, 99 maximum) This level will depend on your current set up, including the mounting configurations and the type of pads used.
When triggering from acoustic drums, the factors involved are staggering. Not only do the type and size of drum make a big difference, but things such as; if the drum is single or double headed, the tension of the head(s), the muffling, and the trigger placement all play very important roles in getting good results and proper "tracking" of your play. For more detailed tips and suggestions in these areas please refer to Tips On External Triggering From Acoustic Drums, included in the D4 literature package.
5.6 TRIGGER NOISE LEVEL SELECTION
When in a high noise floor level situation such as playing live on a stage with bass cabinets nearby, it may be necessary to adjust the NOISE parameter level. If your situation does not necessitate the need to make these type of adjustments, skip this section and go on to 5.7 Trigger Gain Selection.
1. After selecting the desired Trigger whose noise level needs to be set, place the cursor under the NOISE parameter. Example:
2. Turn the Data wheel to select the desired level of suppression necessary to stop the pad from false triggering. (00 is minimum, 99 maximum) Stage noise and rumble, the stability of drum risers and platforms, volume, and crowd vibrations are all factors in choosing the proper level.
Remember: In keeping potential problems to a minimum, it is always a good idea to try to keep some distance between your pad or drum kit, and nearby speaker cabinets (especially bass cabinets). Whenever possible, try to aim them so they are not facing directly towards your set up. Also, avoid unsteady drum risers and hardware.
5.7 TRIGGER GAIN SELECTION
To compensate for differences in transducer outputs, the gain for each trigger can be set independently.
1. The third Ext Trig page shows two parameters. Example:

TRIG:01 GAIN:50

As with the other screens, the cursor buttons move between the two parameters. The Trig parameter is identical to the one on the first two Ext Trig pages, and allows you to select different Trigger inputs for editing.

2. After selecting the desired Trigger whose gain needs to be set, place the cursor under the GAIN parameter. 3. Turn the Data wheel to select the desired amount of gain (00 is minimum gain, 99 maximum gain).
4. To aid in the adjustment of this parameter, strike the pad or drum whose transducer is plugged into the selected input. The lower LCD line will turn into a bar-graph meter that shows the peak strength of the transducer signal. Adjust the gain so that a powerful strike results in the meter reaching the right-most side of the display, and a period appears to the right of the GAIN number. This period indicates that the input is reaching it's full dynamic range. When a trigger's gain is properly adjusted, the period will appear only on the strongest hits.

5.8 FOOTSWITCH MODE

There are two footswitch options, Hi Hat Pedal (which lets a footswitch act like a hi hat pedal) and Drumset Advance (pressing the footswitch increments the Drum Set to the next higher number; past 20, it wraps around to 00 again). You can use either a normally closed or normally open momentary contact footswitch. Plug it in to the rear panel footswitch jack before powering up the D4; on power up, it will automatically sense the footswitch polarity and calibrate itself accordingly. If your footswitch seems to respond backwards, turn off the D4, make sure the footswitch plug is fully inserted into the footswitch jack, then turn power back on.
1. Select the fourth Trigger page, which shows:
FOOTSWITCH MODE: HI HAT PEDAL
2. Use the Data wheel to select the desired footswitch function. 3. When Hi Hat Pedal mode is selected, the External Trigger has two more pages. The fifth Trigger page shows the MIDI note number that the footswitch will trigger when it is pressed. 4. The sixth Trigger page shows the MIDI note number that Trigger Input #1 will play when that pad is hit while the footswitch is held closed.
5.8A Understanding Hi Hat Pedal Mode
This is a feature for hardcore drummers. Its a little complicated, but hang in there the D4 finally gives you a way to get truly realistic hi hat effects with electronic drums. An acoustic hi hat produces three main types of sound: Open hi hat. The pedal is up so that the upper and lower cymbals do not touch. Striking the upper cymbal causes it to ring until it is struck again, or until the pedal begins closing. Foot closed hi hat. This is the sound generated by pushing down on the pedal; it is not initiated by hitting the hi hat with a drum stick, but by the sound of the upper cymbal striking the lower one. Closed hi hat. Once the hats are closed (pedal down), then striking the upper cymbal with the drumstick produces the closed hi hat sound.
To replicate these individual effects:
1. Patch a drum pad (the hi hat striking surface) into D4 Trigger input 1 and a footswitch (for opening and closing the hi hat) into the footswitch input. Hi Hat Pedal must be selected for the footswitch mode. 2. If it isn't assigned already, assign an open hi hat sound to the note triggered by Trigger Input 1. 3. Press the EXTERNAL TRIG button until the display shows the Footswitch Closing note. This is the note that will be played when the footswitch is pressed. If it hasn't been assigned already, assign a closing hi hat sound to this note. This will give the hi hat a realistic closing sound, as opposed to an abrupt switch from an open sound to a closed sound.