Exacty how would I hook up a drum machine to the PSR-550.. I went to our local music store today and checked out the new Zoom MRT-3, and wow what an awsome little piece it is too... I'd love to sync this up with my 550.. I think doing this will satisfy my desire for better drum kits to record with. I completely understand how to hook it up from the MRT-3, but how would I set up my 550 to trigger it without triggering the keyboards preset styles.. I know you're supposed to be able to just use the start and stop button on the PSR, but how do I bypass the presets so that I can just use the drum machine for the drum tracks?

Thanks,
Squeak

Thought I'd bring this back to the top.. I don't want to end up buying a drum machine and having to return it because it won't sync up properly..

[This message has been edited by squeak_D (edited 08-25-2002).]

Wow! hasn't anyone tried to hook up a drum machine to their PSR's...?

I'm waiting for anyone who knows this to answer. I am too in thr process of combining drum machine to any latest arranger (as a possibility) 'cause I am giving up on great dance/techno drum kits on any arranger. Genesys sounds very interesting but I'm sure it has no more than 5 dance/techno drum kits (I hope I'm wrong).

So please, anyone out there who've done hooking up drum machine with an arramger?

NewYorker,
This is what I was told by one of the forums junior members. I am wanting to hook up a drum machine to my PSR-550 and what he said was to go under functions to select midi and set the the accomp to "out", and connect the midi out of the PSR to the midi in of the drum machine and I should be able to use the start and stop button on the keyboard to control the drum machine. This sounds like the correct way to do it, but my question is that if you set it up this way what happens to the internal styles on the keyboard..?? If I set accomp to out, and use the start button to trigger the drum machine, will it play the drum machine and the currently selected style on the keyboard?

[This message has been edited by squeak_D (edited 08-26-2002).]

I think it'll use the sounds of the drum machine but the patterns of whatever is on arranger. This is my guess.

See, I think arrangers weren't meant to be used this way and that's why there is no literature on that. I know there is gotta be done something; either we gonna see Triton or Motif type of synths converted into arrangers (Oh boy can anyone fulfill my dreams?) and we won't need extra drum machines or sounds ‘cause Triton has awesome stuff for a full production OR there should be a full document AND technical capabilities on how to use ANY external sound modules and to incorporate all that into your arranger.

That's why arrangers so limited and that's why they are still not considered as PRO.

Or Yamaha and Co.: HOW ABOUT TO INCLUDE 300+ drum sounds? Or put them all into an expansion card?

It's not that difficult and it's about time to move on from $100 toys like they used to be long time ago and get on a PRO track. The current price on the new arrangers and their capabilities do not make them PRO. No matter how Yamaha and Co. is trying to convince the world by their names (9000Pro). By the way still no arp?

I went to see psr2000 a few weeks ago and found... ONLY 1 DANCE DRUM KIT!!!

Wow, what a progress! They think 2 would be too much!!! I need 100 of them! Geez.

[This message has been edited by New Yorker (edited 08-26-2002).]

I'm glad that someone brought this subject to my attention, because I was wondering the same thing!

First of all, I own a Yamaha PSR740 (which Yamaha and the SynthZone donated to my family and me! ) and I was wondering if it was possible to connect a drum machine to it, in order to record complex drum rhythms to the onboard sequencer. However, the PSR740's style recorder is simply amazing, but a drum machine could enhance the overall "tone" and complexity of the rhythms.

So, if anyone has the answer, can you hook up a drum machine to the Yamaha PSR740 or other PSR arranger keyboards? Is this possible? If not, it is okay with me since the PSR740 already comes with the onboard style recorder (which is awesome!)

However, I can understand why you are frustrated that this important feature has been neglected from so many arrangers....and I believe that it is absolutely necessary for a keyboard to have the capability to connect with a drum machine.

Again, this is a good discussion and I am looking forward to hearing some responses! See you around everyone and have a nice day,
Ryan

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Squeak, if you want the drum machine to play it's own patterns in sync with your arranger,just hook up as shown above,and that will work. However, if you want to use the drum patterns in your arranger with the drum sounds from the drum machine-------well, I don't think so,but I would love to be wrong about this!
.I do understand your desire to get Zoom-quality drums for your psr550 and I wish you the best,but I fear that the answer is replacing the 550 with something else with better drum kits.That was my solution. Again, I hope that I am wrong and some midi-master can show us all the light!
Bill

BillE,
Thanks for the response.. What I was wanting to do was not sync the zooms patterns with the patterns on the PSR-550.. I wanted to just sync the two together and use the start button on the PSR to trigger only the drum machine without the internal styles playing along with it.... If this insn't possible then maybe we should start hounding Yamaha to add this feature to their arrangers... We shouldn't be limited to just using the drums kits and styles on the keyboard.. They should allow us to bypass the internal kits and styles and sync up with a drum machine if we want to.. Hell all the synths do this flawlessly, even the ones that have preset patterns.....

[This message has been edited by squeak_D (edited 08-27-2002).]

Squeak,

There may be more to this than I can help you with depending on what your drum machine will do, and what you want it to do. On the PSR8000 with my old Yamaha RX5, I can get the patterns of the RX5 to play simply by setting the Sync feature to MIDI. connect MIDI out of the keyboard to MIDI in of the drum machine. Then I have to turn the acmp volume all the way down on the keyboard, so I don't hear both drum patterns. The RX5 also has bass, guitar and brass sounds, etc. If those sounds are in a pattern, they will play, but they will not change chords from the 8000, whether or not I have the accompaniment turned on. I can start/stop the song from the PSR, and I can change the tempo. Thats it. Let me know if I can help more.

Midnite
Midnite

Hmmmm.. You may have just answered the question.. Turning the accomp volume down all the way would also do the trick on my PSR-550.. Have you used the drum machine in record mode? Were you able to record songs and have the RX5 sync up properly?

WOW! just had a thought! Would this actually work.. Say you wanted to record a song and use the drum machine for the drum track.. I doubt the PSR's are set up to allow you to replace track 9 or 10 with a drum machine in record mode, but is it possible to record a simple 1 measure of say the high hat from the keyboard... Then completely drop the volume to that track... Now when you record other tracks pressing the start button should trigger the drum machine, and with the track volume completely down you won't hear the keyboards drums Am I making sense on this one?

[This message has been edited by squeak_D (edited 08-29-2002).]

Squeak,
Isn't there a metronome function on your psr 550?? If there is, I bet you can trigger the tempo/start button from there...

Note:
Just ordered the machine drum

Freddy,
Yeah there's a metronome which can be turned on and off... I'm still curious to know if the way I suggested in record mode would actually work.. Wow you are so lucky to be getting that drum machine... If you don't mind I'd love a user review on it if you get a chance....

I came upon this similar situation 6 or 7 years ago. I wanted to utilize the Roland R8's sounds through my T3. Unfortunately it meant "mapping" one unit to the other, which was a real pain in the **s. Completely buggered up my T3's internals. Got it fixed and never tried it again.

Squeak,
will do.

---
Leon,
I own an R 8 (including 12 rom cards)since it came out (1985). There's no problem connecting hardware/hardware, but the R 8 is very tricky hooked with more as one device and even more with a PC.
The R 8 was one of the reasons I bought a midipatchbay to have better control.
(which I still consider the best buy I did ever anyway.)
And the R8 can send sysx (amazing for a 1985 machine) on any channel
But to do this you have to select the channel and press a button. It won't send automatic.
One of the main problems are the not so clear manuals , which I would say need a lot of knowledge of midi first before you understand what they are talkin' about.

Fortunately the two button factory reset usually works flawlessly..

Squeak,
Did you get the email that was fowarded to me and you from Steve at Yamaha Tech.Support today? I sent him an email this morning asking them to please help you. His email stated that he didn't see your name or email in any Yamaha file regarding your asking for help. He asks that you contact him and he will do his best to assist you. Please let me know if you got his email. I gave him your email address from these posted messages. I hope it it correct.
George Kaye
Kaye's Music Scene
Reseda, California

George,
Yeah I got the email Thanks so much too.. I wrote back to him, because I wasn't exacty sure what he wanted me to do.. I wasn't sure if he wanted me to try and repost my question on the solutions network page or ask him directly. I've posted several questions on the solutions network and haven't gotten a reply back to any of them.. Odd they're not getting my emails.. After I send them the screen says my request was sent, but then I don't get a confirmation email from them... He hasn't gotten back to me yet so hopefully he does today...

Squeak,

I can't remember trying this exact thing with the RX5 but it sounds like you can get your drum track recorded using the method described. I know I'm able to record patterns on the RX5 from the keyboard, by hitting the keys. Should work.

Midnite

Squeak,

Question 1.. does the 550 support midi sync ? Does the drum machine support midi and midi sync ( and will it act as a slave device ? )?
If the answers to these are yes.. problem solved. I have used several schemes to sync my Jammer pro drums to my arrangers and or internal soundfonts / samples. They all work flawlessly.

There are several different schemes i can think of for you ( especially since you have XG works ) . Typing them here won't necessarily be fruitful because I don;t know what else you have there. If you have a program like Yahoo messenger that allows voice conference, perhaps we can hook up and I can talk you through it. Email me if you'd like and we can set it up

When the first arranger came out that had drums good enough for me to eliminate the external drum machine, I was one happy camper. It used to be an essential component. As I recall the Technics PSR2000 was the one that finally had acceptable drum sounds. Before that I used a procession of drum machines, including several Yamahas and a couple of Alesis. However, all I did was trigger the stop and start from the keyboard and use patterns I created in the drum machine. They were timed to work with bass patterns and guitar and/or piano strums from the keyboard. I basically created styles in which there were no drums. By doing it this way it was quite easy to keep the number of styles down to a manageable number because just a few bass patterns work with a wide variety of drum beats.
What the arranger offered was fills, breaks intros and endings. When the external drums because expendable,I never looked back. The less gear to carry around, the better.
I suppose it could still be done the same way: take existing styles, eliminate the drums and midi to the drum machine.
Too much work and bother for questionable benefit, IMHO.
DonM

Do you know how to record on track 2 of the psr-550 and play it back with track 1 to make a complete song.cus when i record on track one it works and in rehersal for track 2 track 1 plays while i pratice for 2 and track 1 plays as i play but when i save track 2 it does show up on the track 2 button and it wont play with track 1 can you help me please?

Just make sure you set that track to record. Can't remember the exact steps off hand, but you use the same method that you used for recording track one. Make sure you select track two, and set it to record. If you don't set that track to record all you're doing is playing along with track one. I've actually made this mistake a few times in the past. I got so ahead of myself when recording something and went through the entire piece just to find out I forgot to set the current track to record.

Squeak

I have a Boss DR-3, I love the drum sounds, very natural compared to both my P-250 and GEM CD2. I use it in my studio, and live on gigs. I use MIDI IN on the drum machine to trigger both drum and bass sounds. This works great!

Doc-Z

Hey Doc-Z, I'm sure as you can see this was an old post I brought up a while back. I too own the Boss DR-3. It's a great drum machine. Boss did a good job with this unit. I absolutely love the kits on this machine. My only dislike on the unit is I would have preferred longer samples with the open hi hat. The preset hi hats aren't bad, but I think the samples should have been just a tad longer. I use my Boss DR-3 every day. Not just with my keyboard, but also with my guitar as well. I also have a Zoom MRT-3 drum machine. Not completely up to par with the Boss, but a great drum machine for the price.

Squeak