Shop Keyboard Deals, Financing, and More

Yamaha FGDP-50 Finger Drum Pad Controller

Finger Drum Pad with 18 Performance Pads, 8 RGB-backlit Assignable Pads, 48 Preset Drum Kits, Audio/MIDI Over USB, DAW Compatibility, Aftertouch, Velocity Sensitivity, Onboard Recording, Speaker, 3.5mm Audio I/O, LCD Screen, USB Cable, USB Conversion Adapters, and Headphones
$299.99

Earn $15 back in Bonus Bucks OR pay $13/month with 24 month financing*

In Stock!

Add to Cart
Notify me about deals

Ask An Expert

Our expertly trained Sales Engineers are ready to help!

What is a Sales Engineer?
Sweetwater Gear Exchange

Have one to sell?
Check out Sweetwater's Gear Exchange!
Learn More

Most Popular Accessories & Related Items

Yamaha FGDP-50 Finger Drum Pad Controller
In Stock!
$299.99
Add to Cart
Add to list
Back to navigation

This article was Written By

Our Product Research Team

Get to know them!

Portable Finger-drumming Meets Full-power Production

As beat-making becomes more accessible, finger-drumming is a quick, intuitive way for seasoned or burgeoning musicians to get hands-on with their rhythm! Yamaha’s FGDP-50 is an all-in-one recording, composition, playback, and groove-crafting machine dedicated to the emerging world of finger drumming, fully capable of powerful standalone or interoperative use. Each of its 18 performance pads is arranged ergonomically to maximize accessibility while accommodating the distinct workflow needs of working with your hands. Moreover, each pad is equipped to process aftertouch and velocity sensitivity, ensuring you capture every nuance of your performance. You’ve also got eight assignable pads for additional sampling, one-shots, and more to customize your kit. Beat-makers at Sweetwater appreciate the portability-minded design, from its slim form factor and onboard speaker to its rechargeable battery, vivid LCD display screen, and built-in Rec’n’Share feature that lets you instantly record with backing tracks straight to your mobile device. What’s more, your interoperative potential explodes with opportunities when you consider the FGDP-50’s DAW compatibility, MIDI and audio over USB, and the 3.5-millimeter auxiliary input to process, flip, and manipulate samples on the fly. You even get a tone generator for maximum expression, with a dedicated USB-A port to connect to host for uncompromising integration with almost any setup.

Yamaha FGDP-50 Finger Drum Pad Controller Features:

  • 18 performance pads are ergonomically arranged to support the distinct workflow needs of finger-drumming
  • 8 RGB-backlit assignable pads are perfect for customizing your kit with additional samples, one-shots, and more
  • Each pad detects velocity sensitivity and aftertouch for maximum expressivity
  • 48 Preset drum kits range from new- and old-style acoustic drums to cutting-edge and electronic machines to support countless flavors of rhythm
  • 50 additional user-preset slots let you easily build, save, and recall custom kits
  • Vivid LCD screen makes for streamlined navigation that won’t distract during performances
  • Note Repeat function instantly creates tempo-synchronized loops for stutters, rolls, and other rhythmic flare
  • All-in-one, portability-minded design includes a built-in speaker, rechargeable battery, slim form factor, and 3.5mm headphone output to record or compose whenever inspiration strikes
  • Comprehensive interfacing options range from audio and MIDI over USB to extensive DAW compatibility, allowing you to take finger-drumming to nearly any conceptual venue
  • Robust recording includes on-the-fly sampling, as well as audio and MIDI data, ensuring no facet of your performance goes missing
  • Rec’n’Share lets you seamlessly incorporate backing tracks with your performance recordings and instantly save them to your mobile device
  • USB cable and USB conversion adapters are included to guarantee you can get straight to building right out of the box

Warranty Info

Sweetwater's FREE 2-Year Total Confidence Coverage Warranty

Extra peace of mind at no extra cost.

  • Save money with FREE parts and labor
  • Get back to making music with the industry's fastest turnaround time
  • Fix it the first time with our award-winning, factory-certified Service Department
Learn More about Total Confidence Coverage

Free 2-year Warranty

Sweetwater's 2-year Total Confidence Coverage™ Warranty gives you extra peace of mind at no extra cost.

Learn More about Total Confidence Coverage
Tools Icon

Save money with free parts & labor!

Fast Icon

Get back to making music with the industry's fastest turnaround time.

Award Icon

Fix it the first time with our award-winning, factory-certified Service Department.

Back to navigation

Tech Specs

  • Type: Finger Drum Pad
  • Pads: 18 x Polyphonic/Channel Pads, 8 x RGB Square Pads
  • Sounds: 1500 x Voices
  • Polyphony: 64-note
  • Sampling: 100 x User Samples (maximum)
  • Effects: 11 x Reverb, 10 x Chorus, 23 x Variation, 5 x Speaker EQ
  • Analog Inputs: 1 x 1/8" TRS
  • Analog Outputs: 1 x 1/8" TRS (main out/headphones)
  • MIDI I/O: USB
  • USB: 1 x MIcro-B, 1 x USB-A
  • Power Source: Internal Battery, USB 5V Power Adapter
  • Height: 8.77"
  • Width: 8.77"
  • Depth: 2"
  • Weight: 2.42 lbs
  • Manufacturer Part Number: FGDP-50

What Makes Our Sales Engineers Great?

Sweetwater Sales Engineers are a world-class team of experts dedicated to you. Hand selected from across the globe, each brings a wealth of experience and expertise in the world of music gear to provide you with unparalleled service completely free of charge. Friendly relationships, real trust, and the right gear are only a call or a click away!

Back to navigation

Customer Reviews

Write your review
Rated 4.5/5

Brings expressive percussion to my sample-based workflow. Cuts down on production time, too.

I produce downtempo instrumentals with vinyl-sourced samples and a hardware-only workflow. Drum programming has always been a bit of a slog for me, because placing triggers on a grid so often fails to capture the natural motion and intent of a live percussionist. I find myself painstakingly balancing velocities and nudging individual hits this way or that, in hopes of humanizing the arrangement or imbuing it with a groove.

Enter the FGDP-50: after a few months practicing finger drumming on this unit, I am now able to lay down vibrant & humanized rhythm tracks in a fraction of the time I once spent on grid recording.

It's got some 50 unique kits ready to go within 10 seconds of booting up. It has an internal battery and a punchy little speaker, so I can practice in bed or wherever the mood strikes me. I can load its user memory with my own home made sounds, my favorite drum packs, and I can even build "kits" comprised of musical samples, textures and washes.

While this unit has made production a much smoother and more enjoyable affair in the long run, it's also gotten me deep into finger drumming as an artform. Make no mistake, the FGDP is a musical instrument more than it is a drum machine. It is limited only by the skill and creativity of its user. Be prepared to put in work and expect to reap rewards - namely the ability to conjure up lifelike, custom built drumloops in seconds.

The only thing I would change is the file system and configuration process. While the unit sounds and plays fantastic right out of the box, if you'd like to use it to its full potential and add your own unique sounds, you'll be doing a fair amount of menu diving on a two line screen that reminds me of the MC-505.
Music background: Hardware only Producer/DJ/Synthesist/Turntablist
Rated 5/5

Super intuitive and fun.

Right out of the box, after a charge I was playing with out even looking up instructions. I'm used to 90s style drum machines, so maybe that's why this came so easy to me. As others have said, USB-C and stereo L&R 1/4" outs with an additional headphone output would have been better. Built in samples are great… I tend to use the natural sounding ones. I wish it had a simple step-sequencer built-in like my old Roland DR-5. Also, 5 pin midi ins and outs for connecting external gear. But, I knew all those shortcomings when purchasing. I'm short on time these days so having something I can literally just turn on and drum away is great. Speaker sounds good too— really surprised me. I'm using it with a looper pedal and layering other instruments. I haven't messed with importing my own samples yet. Also: BE WARNED: if you have young kids, they will want this for their own. Any time mine see me turn it on, they're all over me wanting to play with it. Haha.
Rated 5/5

Fun pads

I'm really enjoying the FGDP-50. The built-in speaker sounds great, the pads are rather responsive, and all of the default tones are quite nice. There are a lot of very useful options for manipulating the pads in the menus (which are also fairly easy to dive) and the ergonomic layout makes this easy to jam on for a long time.

The only drawback I can identify is the lack of looping on the device. This is easily addressed externally but it would have been cool onboard.

I can see a lot of potential uses for this device and am impressed with the functionality and build quality. If you're in the market for a drum instrument / controller, this will deliver for you.
Music background: Songwriter and musician.
Rated 5/5

Yamaha FG DP 50

As an international Sweetwater customer i always get looked after.
I placed my order 2 months ago and no sooner had it arrived to the Sweetwater warehouse
my Super Sales Engineer Dennis Konicki had it out the door in no time.

I was super pumped to use it in my show over the weekend on Saturday night.
It didnt arrive but it felt like xmas all over again when i saw it near my office door on the Sunday.

Super easy to use and some great sounds.
Although i am not a finger drummer and as an electronic musician i have alot of bases covered this is a great little addition to my setup.
Excellent quality unit.
I will be doing another live performance soon near the beach in my town before the end of January and definitely utilising this piece.

Big shout out to the worlds best online music store Sweetwater and my Sales engineer Mr.Dennis Konicki.


Cheers

Andron Van Es

aka Marvin Nelson
Music background: electronic musician, producer, lover and fighter
Rated 5/5

lots of fun

The stock kits sound great and they included a good variety of kits, and even some eastern/western percussion instruments, also the pads are very responsive. I just power it on and start jamming, battery powered portability, decent internal speaker. You can tell they put a lot of thought into designing this product. Instead of programming drums in a traditional step sequencer I am jamming on the track. Lots of fun to improvise fills and flourishes. Definitely glad I bought the 50 version because it has an LCD screen and additional pads.
Close Close $2,000 Pick Your PRS Giveaway -- input your email address below to enter or click here to learn more.

See giveaway details & rules or check out our past winners!

Success!

Your email, has been entered to win this giveaway. Good Luck!