drum editor note names, how?

[xxiii]

I can't figure out how to actually name notes in the drum editor. following the manual, I made sure the instrument had a patch selected, but this still does not result in an editable name field. Even selecting one of the built-in kits (GM Rock Kit or GM Percussion Kit), still only shows the note in the "name" field.

I've tried several instruments, including MOTU ones, and it appears its just not possible to utilize the name field.

I tried "Save Drum Kit" and made a new drum kit to see if that would make it editable, but still nope.

I also tried assigning the track to a MIDI device group, and that also doesn't work.

What am I missing?

DP 11.04

[bayswater]

I haven’t tried the DE in DP 11, but in earlier versions you have to create a MIDI Device in DP and have that in operation to make and keep drum names.

[CharlzS]

The only other thing that you might have missed is that after assigning a device group, you have to option-click the name field to edit.

[xxiii]

Ah, thanks.

That seems to have worked, although considering you can just click in the pitch field right next to it, or the comment field to edit those, this seems odd. Mentioned in step 4 on page 469. it must have gone in one eye and out the other. I'm going to blame that on the other fields working when you just click in them though.

I'm guessing the entire column is really a drop-down menu (not just the arrow on the right), and that's why (you have to option-click)? (This being the reason isn't obvious when its disabled, as it has been most of the time I've been trying to get this working.) I was also thinking the dropdown would give me a rename option, but it was disabled. I gather it has to do with pitched percussion though?

Well, actually, I only get the "you can't do that" sound when I click on the arrow itself, not anywhere else in the field, so I'm going back to "this seems odd".

I would have also thought there would be a rename pitch option in the context menu, but there is only a rename track, which doesn't work (although I tried option-click on the track name, and that does work).

It still won't let me edit it if I use an instrument and select a patch (but I get a popup telling me I have to either select a patch or use a device group). Not sure how its deciding the selected patch isn't a drum-kit (if that's what its doing).

Still not sure why I'm not getting any names (other than name=pitch) when I select one of the built-in kits (though it populates the list with what I assume are the appropriate notes for that drum kit).

[CharlzS]

I’m guessing we’re looking at old code in the Drum Editor. They’ve been adding and updating a lot of stuff lately, but that’s most likely low priority. It doesn’t get much action in the forums either. When ever you find clicking or double clicking doesn’t allow you to edit something, go with option/alt-click.

[bayswater]

Ah, thanks.

That seems to have worked, although considering you can just click in the pitch field right next to it, or the comment field to edit those, this seems odd. Mentioned in step 4 on page 469. it must have gone in one eye and out the other. I'm going to blame that on the other fields working when you just click in them though.

I'm guessing the entire column is really a drop-down menu (not just the arrow on the right), and that's why (you have to option-click)? (This being the reason isn't obvious when its disabled, as it has been most of the time I've been trying to get this working.) I was also thinking the dropdown would give me a rename option, but it was disabled. I gather it has to do with pitched percussion though?

Well, actually, I only get the "you can't do that" sound when I click on the arrow itself, not anywhere else in the field, so I'm going back to "this seems odd".

I would have also thought there would be a rename pitch option in the context menu, but there is only a rename track, which doesn't work (although I tried option-click on the track name, and that does work).

It still won't let me edit it if I use an instrument and select a patch (but I get a popup telling me I have to either select a patch or use a device group). Not sure how its deciding the selected patch isn't a drum-kit (if that's what its doing).

Still not sure why I'm not getting any names (other than name=pitch) when I select one of the built-in kits (though it populates the list with what I assume are the appropriate notes for that drum kit).

In one eye and out the other. Aristotle would have liked that.

My understanding is this was built for hardware drum machines that came with, or used a standard midnam or similar file. I've not been able to get it to work with a more current drum VI. (I.e, setting up drum names -- the edit function works fine). Even loading up the built in GM map when using a VI that conforms hasn't worked.

Not sure I understand your point about renaming pitches, but note that the function here is to map names to pitches, not to rename the pitches. It's not about pitched percussion, just the MIDI note used to trigger a drum.

While I have been able to create a Device and edit and save the names associated with the pitches, I've never found a reliable way of access those names in another project. Logic has this down, having editable pitch names as a general feature, and letting you show only notes with events in the editor.

Hope I'm wrong. I'd like to be able to use the DE to map out the libraries I use regularly, and access it for new projects and template. If anyone can do this reliably, please post how you do it or a reference to how it is done.

[xxiii]

I may have worded it badly. I realize we're just assigning a name to a pitch. But its a "name" field, and it has a value in it already, which I tend to think of as renaming if I want to change it.

On the pitched percussion part: (quoting from the manual):

The Drum Editor has several powerful features that let you work with pitched percussion of this kind as well. In a case like this, you can treat each note separately as usual, or you can use the Drum Editor’s grouping feature to treat several pitches as one instrument.

At one point, I'd loaded something where that dropdown actually worked, and it let me choose from four notes, which ended up changing both the pitch and name field. then the next time I dropped it down, it only let me choose from 3 things, and so on (the previous values disappeared). I'm assuming (without much evidence) that this has something to do with the pitched percussion/grouping feature, I didn't really investigate that as I'm not really interested in it at the moment, and was still trying to figure out how to change the name. (In short, I guess I don't really know what the dropdown arrow in the name field is for, skimming the manual again, it doesn't seem to get referenced anywhere).

[xxiii]

While I have been able to create a Device and edit and save the names associated with the pitches, I've never found a reliable way of access those names in another project.

Are you talking about the "save drum kit" thing after you've edited them? and they don't show up in other projects?

The manual says this:

Editing note names in the Drum Editor note list also modifies their name in the list Digital Performer, so the change will be reflected across all your Digital Performer projects.

But I found that confusing. Is "list" some sort of DP concept that I've missed (as opposed to the usual meaning of list), and there is one named "Digital Performer"?

[bayswater]

While I have been able to create a Device and edit and save the names associated with the pitches, I've never found a reliable way of access those names in another project.

Are you talking about the "save drum kit" thing after you've edited them? and they don't show up in other projects?

The manual says this:

Editing note names in the Drum Editor note list also modifies their name in the list Digital Performer, so the change will be reflected across all your Digital Performer projects.

But I found that confusing. Is "list" some sort of DP concept that I've missed (as opposed to the usual meaning of list), and there is one named "Digital Performer"?

I think that applies if you are using a .midnam file for the device or some other patch name file (like the files created by Cherry Picker). Generally, that would work with a hardware device like a DM5. IIRC, there was some convention where you could define a drum set using the 127 (128?) spaces that would normally be a patch list if you were using MIDI channel 10. Rather than contain a list of patches a synth could access, it listed all the drum samples a drum machine could access.

Using that, the names would show up in all your projects the same way as the patch list for a synth would show up if you used that facility. But like the patch list, it would be specific to the particular MIID device. In the same way that you can't manage the sounds in a VI with the patch list function in the Track Window (for example by sending a Program Change message to pick a new instrument in Kontakt), I don't think you can manage the Drum names in a Drum VI using the note name facility in the Drum Editor.

Again, if someone can point to something that says otherwise, I'd be happy.

[dewdman42]

I'd like to figure out of the Midnam thing would work...one of these says I will try that.. I guess for now the only way is to import MIDI device groups, so save a DP project that has just the one MIDI device group in it that has the drum map defined with names. Then you can import that one MIDI device group from that dedicated DP project whenever you need that drum map. yea?

[bayswater]

I'd like to figure out of the Midnam thing would work...one of these says I will try that.. I guess for now the only way is to import MIDI device groups, so save a DP project that has just the one MIDI device group in it that has the drum map defined with names. Then you can import that one MIDI device group from that dedicated DP project whenever you need that drum map. yea?

You’d think so. But I haven’t been able to consistently reuse the drum name map in a new project, even when using the same MIDI device with the same MIDI device name. Loading the saved map of note names just gives the MIDI Note names, and not the drum names created in the earlier project. In my case I tried to set up names for a drum set on a DM5 without success.

[dewdman42]

hmm, sad to hear. I will try a test later.

[bayswater]

hmm, sad to hear. I will try a test later.

Please do. If you can get it working, I’m all ears.

[rentadrummer]

I'm using an older version of DP so some of this information may no longer be applicable, but here's a thread from several years ago with a discussion about setting up the Drum Editor. I only track drums, and have been using the Drum Editor and the same template for so long, I'm not even sure I'd remember how to start from scratch. Hopefully this helps, or at least gives you some ideas.

viewtopic.php?f=1&t=34408

[bayswater]

Thanks Ron. I’ll read it and see if I can consistently create a usable drum map. If I can I’ll post a tip.