Help and advice please

[lodgerwright]

I've had my 56 input Megadrum for some weeks now. Apart from connecting all the pads/triggers(see picture)Installing the Manager and connecting the interface to my PC I've yet to hear any sound when I hit a pad.
I watched the video which is supposed to explain how to get started but I just don't seem to be able to understand it.

I also downloaded the guide to setting up using the built in screen.
This didn't help much either.
I had the idea of editing this guide. Spacing the text to make it easier to read and taking photo's of every screen to integrate into the text and hoping it may help others too. ( I was going to attach the pdf but it's too big even though I compressed it to 1.74Mb)
I spent a few hours with my SLR pointing at the screen in the dark to avoid reflections.Scrolling through every screen.

I hoped familiarising myself with the terminology whilst I was editing might help.
I'm still completely lost though.
i know this unit will do what I need it to do if only I could understand the process.

That is, allow my mixed set of pads and cymbals to trigger a variety of software. EZdrummer, Grooveagent, and an assortment of Native instruments stuff. Plus melodic programs I'd love to be able to trigger, percussive and otherwise.

I'm really struggling though.

I have an issue with numbers which doesn't help. Dyscalculia. The numerical equivalent of Dyslexia.
I've been muddling my way through successive editions of Cubase for years and I must be missing out on many features due to my 'condition.
Although I have developed a way of using the program that others would probably find laughable.
Some technology has been sitting in my studio unused for a while now though because of my difficulties. A Behringer Multi foot-pedal which I bought to interface with Guitar Rig has yet to to be used after five years.
I bought a book on midi which may as well have been written in hieroglyphs for all the sense it made.
I was using an Alesis DM10 previously and although that was slightly simpler. I still couldn't get to grips with some aspects of it.

Can anyone point me towards a complete idiots guide to the Manager in particular? Please bear in mind that things that may seem quite simple to you may be very complicated to me.

Any help would be appreciated.

[dmitri]

Hm... where to start.
Do you have at least some understanding of MIDI protocol?
Do you know about MIDI Note On (and MIDI Note Off) messages? Do you know about MIDI Channel and Note number in the MIDI Note messages?

[lodgerwright]

Thanks for replying.

To be honest, regarding your questions, no.
Despite the fact that I've been using midi for years, I could never figure out how it worked. So far I haven't had to know. As long as I've selected the right instrument from a drop down list in a virtual instrument for example. It's just worked.
I see a list of midi channels, but almost always choose Omni. My approach to most of the programs I have is probably not the way they were intended.
Groove agent for example. I have various kits that I like the sounds and patterns from so i'll load a kit then drag parts and individual sounds into whatever project I'm working on and chop them up copy, paste.. whatever gets to the drum pattern I want. I've never used any of the functions within groove agent as they're a mystery to me.
Most Vsti's I have come with so many usable presets I don't have to know how to program them.

I've managed to record several albums using my unorthodox methods so far. But as drums were my main instrument for many years ( got my first kit in the early 70's) Sometimes it would be much easier to just play a part rather than 'assembling' it . Which was my reason for buying the Megadrum

I mentioned I bought a multi-pedal controller ages ago and haven't worked out how to use it. Same with a mini Akai pad controller It's been sitting on my desk for years. I got it to 'quickly' tap in Rhythms. No such luck though. I couldn't figure out how to assign individual drums to it.
I have a mental block on these sort of things. I know it must seem pathetic.
I should know by now that if something isn't 'plug and play' then I won't be able to use it.

This interface appears to be the perfect solution for the things I'd like to do with my 'kit' though. So I really must learn how to use it!!!!

[dmitri]

At this point the best advice/hit I can give is that a MIDI Note number set in MegaDrum config for a specific input must match a MIDI Note number for a specific drum sound in VSTi.
Some VSTi's also have a "learn" function where you choose a drum sound in VSTi and then hit a pad/cymbal and VSTi automatically assigns the MIDI Note number based on the received MIDI.