Drum machine probs

davylee

Hi guys, I've bought a DR - 670 boss drum machine recently and have recorded about 10 tracks on it altogether with both drums and bass. I now need to get those tracks off the drum machine and onto my laptop as the memory is full on the DM. I bought a midi to usb connector but when I bulk dump from the machine I can't find the tracks on the computer. I downloaded the free trial version of FL studio but it didn't work as you need to pay for it to avail of all the features. I now have band in a box(full version) but it seems the only external instruments you can use with it are everything but a drum machine, unless I'm missing something. If anybody could help me with this I would greatly appreciate it as I'm at a loss at this stage and am getting frustrated.

madtheory

A bulk dump saves the memory contents of the drum machine, so that you can back it up, and wipe it to start again.

What you need is a sysex loader a.k.a. librarian, there are a few available for the PC, but I'm a Mac user so I don't know the names. Google is your friend

A quick MIDI lesson:
sysex= System Exclusive- MIDI messages that work only with a specific make and model of MIDI device. It's used for memory backup, as we've seen, and also for computer based editors, where you can use the big computer screen to edit instrument settings more easily than from the front panel of the device itself.

System Common= MIDI messages such as note on/ off, velocity, modulation etc. which are available to all MIDI devices regardless of make and model.

davylee

thanks very much for the reply, I really appreciate it but unfortunately it doesn't really help me, it's my first time dealing with this kind of equipment, I'm just used to playing live instruments, I've googled what you said, but am still none the wiser, but thanks again for your help.:)

madtheory

OK... this seems to be the best sysex loader:
http://www.midiox.com/

Send the bulk dump into that, save it on your PC, burn it to data CD for safe keeping, wipe the drum machine and start again.

Does that make it easier?

PaulBrewer

Davy,

I've a feeling there are wires being crossed here -

Am I right in saying it's a playable format of the song you require ie an Mp3 or Wav that could be played from a CD for example?

A Midi Sys Dump won't help there I'm afraid.

davylee

PaulBrewer wrote: »

Davy,

I've a feeling there are wires being crossed here -

Am I right in saying it's a playable format of the song you require ie an Mp3 or Wav that could be played from a CD for example?

A Midi Sys Dump won't help there I'm afraid.

Yeah that's exactly what i'm trying to do. I'm still having trouble with what software if any i need to do this??

davylee

madtheory wrote: »

OK... this seems to be the best sysex loader:
http://www.midiox.com/

Send the bulk dump into that, save it on your PC, burn it to data CD for safe keeping, wipe the drum machine and start again.

Does that make it easier?

Yea but i need the files in audio format and that's where i'm getting caught you know

madtheory

So you need to make an audio recording of the drum machine. Connect the drum machines outputs to the audio input of the PC, so you'll probably need a lead with a small stereo jack on one end, and two large mono jacks on the other end. You'll probably also have to figure out how to set the sound card to be line level, 16 or 24 bit (that's better), 44.1kHz. If it's set to mic level you'll get a very distorted sound.

As for software, Audacity is free and easy to use. Reaper is kind of free, and more powerful, but a little more difficult to use.

PaulBrewer

davylee wrote: »

Yeah that's exactly what i'm trying to do

Ah right.

davylee

thanks paul and madtheory for the help and advise, have downloaded audacity and am having another stab at it now,i might need to ask ye something else in the near present:) sound