I need a beat!

[Harpo]

Hi All!
I need to buy something to trigger my BFD Drum module, and the Roland V-Drum set-up is a bit beyond my financial means right now.

I was wondering if someone could reccomend a "drum machine" with pads that would not send me back into the dark ages of the dreaded mickey mouse "casio" drum kit (I'm sure they've come a long way by now, but I'm sure you know what I'm saying).

If anyone can give a some names of specific hardware, and maybe your experience with them, that wouold be awesome.

Thanks so much,

Harpo

[JrummerJ]

Something like this might work.

http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/ControlPad/

[Buddha Studio]

I recently purchased the Alesis Trigger i/o from Sweetwater and also a couple of Roland drum triggers, Snare drum, kick pedal, hi-hat, just to get basic beats programmed into my computer using BFD and Toontrack's DFH Superior.
I soon found that the triggering was similar to using a full Roland V-Drum kit and saved a ton of money by not having to buy the Roland brain module.

However, after spending some time using the Korg PadKontrol to trigger BFD and DFH Superior, I think I will be selling all of the Roland and Alesis gear. I do miss playing the drums with sticks but, once a little practice time is put in on the PadKontrol, the options are much better and the playing style can get to be very fluid. Making edits or overdubs is much easier now that I do not have to climb back behind a full V-Drum kit.

If you really want to use sticks and something like the Alesis Control Pad or the old-style Roland Octo-pad does not do it for you, plus the prospect of triggering drums with your fingers does not sound like fun, here is another option: Get the Alesis Trigger i/o and then use acoustic drum triggers to get the drums sounds playing in BFD. Your acoustic drums will provide the trigger signal, the Trigger i/o will do all the converting to midi and then BFD will provide the sounds.

[jordanh]

On my Korg MicroKontrol it has some velocity sensitive pads which are pretty nice, and made me really want to buy the Korg PadKontrol. The PadKontrol is really nice especially since it has a xy pad that you can assign to a whole lot of stuff (like flam, rolls, or anytihng really since its just midi). BUT---

Now AKAI is coming out with the MPK49 soon which is a nice midi controller with MPC style pads build in so I will probably get that once it comes out. But if you are just looking to trigger sounds from the computer, then I would SERIOUSLY consider either the Korg PadKontrol or the Akai MPD24 which is their midi mpc-style drum pad triggers...