www.megadrum.info

Why is it that I can't find any configuration documentation that is current? I'm trying to configure 3 zone yamaha drums and cymbals, and everything is from 2009 and references settings that don't exist for me?

I don't think it matters if any documentation is old or not. What matters is it is current/correct or not. Please point me to incorrect pieces of Configuration Documentation from https://www.megadrum.info/content/megad ... figuration and I will correct it.

I tried to follow the instructions on the "Useful posts/links for configuring MegaDrum" section, and none of the documentations I found were consistent with the available options in the Manager FX. Specifically the instructions to setup the Roland VH-11 and the Yamaha XP120. There was documentation that referenced settings that I could only find on the MD front panel, and not in the Manager FX.
Regardless, None of those settings were helpful. I don't know if its because the instructions are from 2009, or whatever. I assumed if I tried the settings in the instructions, I would have been in the ball park, but it was totally unusable. Most of the documents I found when searching the forums are extremely old.

While visiting NY I brought the MD with me to present to a friend as an option for him as he has yamaha dtxtreme pads and roland HH controller.
I spent way too much time just trying to figure out how to get all 3 zones on the yamaha pad, and getting the HH to respond correctly was also extremely challenging. Bottom line, he's not getting a MD Ever, it's just too complicated for him, and I'm starting to think it might be too complicated for me as well. I'm really trying very hard to give this thing a fair shot, but I'm getting more and more frustrated with the entire process.

dmitri wrote:I don't think it matters if any documentation is old or not. What matters is it is current/correct or not. Please point me to incorrect pieces of Configuration Documentation from https://www.megadrum.info/content/megad ... figuration and I will correct it.

I still don't get which bit of the Documentation is not correct.

About, "too complicated/not complicated". It will sound like a cliche and it is a bit off topic (sorry) but it is what happened to me for real.
I started learning kitesurfing this summer in June (in the Poole Harbor if anyone from the UK is interested), the proper way, with instructors, safety instructions and so on. I was sure I would get going in a matter of days, if not hours (I'm a good mountain skier, skater and generally physically fit) and it looked easy. After two day training course (which usually guarantees a water start) two out of 4 learners in our group were able to do water starts and go left and right. I was not one of them. A couple of weeks later took another one-to-one day course, still only face planting, hurt legs and arms. Another month later and another one-to-one day course with a different instructor - not a step closer to a water start. Month later still two more training sessions with yet another instructor - still no luck and I started to think that I was too thick for kitesurfing and I would never be able to do it. Decided to give it another try (it was October already) - and a miracle! Something clicked and it all came together - that day the problem with a water start just wasn't a problem any more! A few sessions later (on my own now) I was doing transitions without sagging into water and going upwind. Now I don't understand what was my problem with water starts. I'm now trying to do jumps - still a bit too advanced for me but I'm getting there. I'm now enjoying every day when I have a chance to go kitesurfing although I still have a lot to learn.

Met a few guys on the spot - many of them beginners and some of the were doing jumps and tricks after just after two-three days of training. Met another guy, very sporty, does windsurfing and wakeboarding but he's trying to learn kitesurfing with instructors for ... 15 years and still not even water starts.

Again, sorry for my off topic mumbling.

so maybe "Not Correct" is the wrong statement. I'm starting to realize that much of the documentation provides instruction using the front panel of the MD and not the Manager FX (i'm still not sure why they don't both provide the same parameters). let's go with "followed steps exactly, and it made no improvement or change at all"
Again, I understand there will be some tweaking involved, I'm a pretty smart guy, and I understand how different sticks and strength and feel will give different people different results. That being said, if I click on a document with the topic " Configuring 3 way Yamaha cymbals/pads, and I follow it step by step and see no change/improvement, then something must be wrong. If the settings suggested are for the same exact brand/model pad/cymbal, then surely the results should be consistent, assuming there is nothing physically wrong with the pad/cymbal.

I don't think it's fair to compare this problem to your kitesurfing analogy. One requires balance and coordination and talent. The other requires education and instructions that are meant for people that have never had to change more than 3-4 different parameters to customize the feel of their Roland/Yamaha/Alesis electronic kits.

With proven steps I can configure MD to do exactly what it should do. You can't simply explain to me how to kite surf and expect that I should Now be able to do it correctly. The only common factor is that it seems it will take me as long to configure my MD as it took you to learn to kite surf lol..

dmitri wrote:I still don't get which bit of the Documentation is not correct.

About, "too complicated/not complicated". It will sound like a cliche and it is a bit off topic (sorry) but it is what happened to me for real.
I started learning kitesurfing this summer in June (in the Poole Harbor if anyone from the UK is interested), the proper way, with instructors, safety instructions and so on. I was sure I would get going in a matter of days, if not hours (I'm a good mountain skier, skater and generally physically fit) and it looked easy. After two day training course (which usually guarantees a water start) two out of 4 learners in our group were able to do water starts and go left and right. I was not one of them. A couple of weeks later took another one-to-one day course, still only face planting, hurt legs and arms. Another month later and another one-to-one day course with a different instructor - not a step closer to a water start. Month later still two more training sessions with yet another instructor - still no luck and I started to think that I was too thick for kitesurfing and I would never be able to do it. Decided to give it another try (it was October already) - and a miracle! Something clicked and it all came together - that day the problem with a water start just wasn't a problem any more! A few sessions later (on my own now) I was doing transitions without sagging into water and going upwind. Now I don't understand what was my problem with water starts. I'm now trying to do jumps - still a bit too advanced for me but I'm getting there. I'm now enjoying every day when I have a chance to go kitesurfing although I still have a lot to learn.

Met a few guys on the spot - many of them beginners and some of the were doing jumps and tricks after just after two-three days of training. Met another guy, very sporty, does windsurfing and wakeboarding but he's trying to learn kitesurfing with instructors for ... 15 years and still not even water starts.

Again, sorry for my off topic mumbling.

lrizzo2001 wrote:so maybe "Not Correct" is the wrong statement. I'm starting to realize that much of the documentation provides instruction using the front panel of the MD and not the Manager FX (i'm still not sure why they don't both provide the same parameters).

Which parameters are described in the Documentation and which are missing in MDMFX? If they are missing, then it is a bug in MDMFX. Please let me know and will correct/implement it.

let's go with "followed steps exactly, and it made no improvement or change at all"
Again, I understand there will be some tweaking involved, I'm a pretty smart guy, and I understand how different sticks and strength and feel will give different people different results. That being said, if I click on a document with the topic " Configuring 3 way Yamaha cymbals/pads, and I follow it step by step and see no change/improvement, then something must be wrong. If the settings suggested are for the same exact brand/model pad/cymbal, then surely the results should be consistent, assuming there is nothing physically wrong with the pad/cymbal.

Please create a separate topic for this (if it is not already created by you) and describe the problem there - I will do my best to help you there.

I don't think it's fair to compare this problem to your kitesurfing analogy.

It depends on which part of my mumbling you read and which you ignored and which you picked up. 2 out of learners who I started with were able to do kitesurfing after hours of training. One guy I met has never learnt it. I consider myself a fairly smart guy and coordinated and it took me months. Do you need to be physically fit and coordinated (talented??!!) to do kitesurfing? Google it and you will be surprised. Is there luck of documentation, training/tips videos for kitesurfing? Tons of it. Do all people do it on the first day? Only some, but most do eventually and much sooner then me. Will doubling of available documentation, training/tips videos will double number of people doing kitesurfing on the first day? I highly doubt it.
Anyway, you can really ignore my kitesurfing example especially so as there is no analogy in it. As I said, sorry for this off topic.

Everything in Red is either missing or called something different in MDMFX

Setting up a Yamaha style 3 zone cymbal
Submitted by dmitri on Fri, 08/05/2009 - 21:47
In the Head/Bow channel set 'DualHead' to Yes.
In the Head/Bow channel set 'Note' to a note desired for the Bow zone.
In the Rim/Edge channel set 'Type' to Switch.
In the Rim/Edge channel set 'Note' to a note desired for the Edge zone.
In the Rim/Edge channel set 'BNote' to a note desired for the Bell zone.
Repeat all above steps for all connected Yamaha style 3 zone cymbals.
In the menu navigate to 'Set All EdgeSw', press Up to change from No to Yes and then press Right. It then will show 'Working'. Now hit a few times edge zones of all connected piezo/switch and piezo/switch/switch (Yamaha style) pads/cymbals. When done, press any button to finish.
In the menu navigate to 'Set All BellSw', press Up to change from No to Yes and then press Right. It then will show 'Working'. Now hit a few times bell zones of all connected Yamaha style 3 zone cymbals. When done, press any button to finish.

dmitri wrote:

lrizzo2001 wrote:so maybe "Not Correct" is the wrong statement. I'm starting to realize that much of the documentation provides instruction using the front panel of the MD and not the Manager FX (i'm still not sure why they don't both provide the same parameters).

Which parameters are described in the Documentation and which are missing in MDMFX? If they are missing, then it is a bug in MDMFX. Please let me know and will correct/implement it.

let's go with "followed steps exactly, and it made no improvement or change at all"
Again, I understand there will be some tweaking involved, I'm a pretty smart guy, and I understand how different sticks and strength and feel will give different people different results. That being said, if I click on a document with the topic " Configuring 3 way Yamaha cymbals/pads, and I follow it step by step and see no change/improvement, then something must be wrong. If the settings suggested are for the same exact brand/model pad/cymbal, then surely the results should be consistent, assuming there is nothing physically wrong with the pad/cymbal.

Please create a separate topic for this (if it is not already created by you) and describe the problem there - I will do my best to help you there.

I don't think it's fair to compare this problem to your kitesurfing analogy.

It depends on which part of my mumbling you read and which you ignored and which you picked up. 2 out of learners who I started with were able to do kitesurfing after hours of training. One guy I met has never learnt it. I consider myself a fairly smart guy and coordinated and it took me months. Do you need to be physically fit and coordinated (talented??!!) to do kitesurfing? Google it and you will be surprised. Is there luck of documentation, training/tips videos for kitesurfing? Tons of it. Do all people do it on the first day? Only some, but most do eventually and much sooner then me. Will doubling of available documentation, training/tips videos will double number of people doing kitesurfing on the first day? I highly doubt it.
Anyway, you can really ignore my kitesurfing example especially so as there is no analogy in it. As I said, sorry for this off topic.

lrizzo2001 wrote:In the Rim/Edge channel set 'BNote' to a note desired for the Bell zone.

I though I explained to you that it is there in MDMFX in viewtopic.php?p=32916#p32916 and then again in viewtopic.php?p=32925#p32925 . Or does it still appear to you incorrect or missing?

In the menu navigate to 'Set All EdgeSw', press Up to change from No to Yes and then press Right. It then will show 'Working'. Now hit a few times edge zones of all connected piezo/switch and piezo/switch/switch (Yamaha style) pads/cymbals. When done, press any button to finish.
In the menu navigate to 'Set All BellSw', press Up to change from No to Yes and then press Right. It then will show 'Working'. Now hit a few times bell zones of all connected Yamaha style 3 zone cymbals. When done, press any button to finish.

Set All EdgeSw and Set All BellSw (along with Firmware ver, Load ROM Kit, Load ROM Map, CurrentConfig, Save Config, Load Config, Save DrumMap, Load DrumMap, Send ConfSysex, Set All Chnnls, Set All Curves, Set All Ccross, Set All Thres, Set All Retrs, Set All MinScn, Set All DynLvl, Set All DynTim) are NOT settings. Did you read their descriptions in https://www.megadrum.info/content/misce ... s-settings ?

Just to add to Dmitri's post, run through the instructions until you get a problem, them post that specific problem. It makes it far easier for those trying to help.

Congratulations on the Kite surfing Dmitri!