faq_connect_edrums_e - DTXMania Wiki - DTXMania

How to connect E-Drums (DTX/DTXPRESS series, Soul Drummer etc)

Outline

1. 1. How to connect E-Drums (DTX/DTXPRESS series, Soul Drummer etc)
      1. How to connect E-Drums to my PC?
      2. How to connect old E-Drums (DTXPRESS etc) to my PC?
      3. I connected my E-Drum to my PC, but it doesn't work well.
      4. Some E-Drum pad can use, but other pads cannot. Why?
      5. Can I use DTX / DTX2 / DTXTREME, DTXPRESS2 / DTXPRESS3 / DTXPRESS4, DTXPLORER?
      6. Can I use YAMAHA DD-55 / DD-50?
      7. Can I use Roland V-Drum series?
      8. Can I use Tony Smith DD-1000, Mederi DD502 / DD602 / DD402KII?
      9. How to Silencing pad-hit sound, to prevent the noise troubles in other rooms?

How to connect E-Drums to my PC?

In 2018, YAMAHA DTX series (DTX402 series etc) can connect to your PC by USB cable, like below;

PC ---- USB cable ---- E-Drum

Please note the type of the USB connector. Usually, E-Drums will use USB type B connector... not type A connector. Please check your E-drums users manual to choose correct USB cable.

How to connect old E-Drums (DTXPRESS etc) to my PC?

In case the E-Drum does not have USB port, you can use MIDI cable to connect E-drums. In such case, usually you can use "USB-MIDI cable" (YAMAHA UX-16, etc) to connect PC and E-drums.

Note: Please do not use too-cheap USB-MIDI cable (under $10). I know there are several "a few dollar USB-MIDI cable" is on sale at Amazon, but I heard several troubles by using such cable. Please check Troubleshooting about it.

To use USB-MIDI cable, at first, connect USB-MIDI cable to PC (USB port) to enable USB-MIDI cable on PC. Maybe, at now, the driver will be installed automatically (via Windows Update) and you don't have to install drivers by yourself. In old days,

• YAMAHA USB-MIDI cable have to install the driver from its CD-ROM media. Connect the USB-MIDI cable first, then install the driver from CD-ROM.
• Roland USB-MIDI cable: Before connecting the cable to PC, install the drivers from CD-ROM. At installing drivers, the installer will show "Now connect the USB-MIDI cable to PC". Then connect the USB-MIDI cable to PC.

After USB-MIDI cable driver has been successfully installed, then connect MIDI-USB cable (MIDI connector) to E-Drum MIDI port. Before connecting, power off E-Drum.

At connecting USB-MIDI cable to E-Drum's MIDI port, please check port name carefully. Usually, USB-MIDI cable has 1 USB connector and 2 MIDI connector. About MIDI connectors, one is called as "MIDI-IN" (or "TO MIDI OUT" etc), and another is called as "MIDI-OUT" (or "TO MIDI IN" etc). We need to connect "E-Drum's output" to "PC's input". So, you need to connect "E-Drum's MIDI-OUT" to "USB-MIDI cable's MIDI-IN (or "TO MIDI OUT" etc)". And also, USB connector is connected to PC's USB port.

One more notice: If your E-Drum can select several output way, please choose MIDI output. For example, DTXPRESS has "HOST SELECT" switch and you should set it to "MIDI".

After all connections are done, power on E-Drum.

Here is a summary;

1. Prepare USB-MIDI cable. (Don't choose cheaper cable than $10.) Power-off your E-Drum.
2. Connect PC (USB port) and USB-MIDI cable (USB connector). USB-MIDI cable driver may need to be installed.
3. Connect USB-MIDI cable (MIDI connector) and E-Drum (MIDI port). E-Drum's port must be "MIDI-OUT", and cable's connector must be "MIDI-IN" (or "TO MIDI OUT" etc).
4. Power-ON your E-Drum.

The key point is "Power on your E-Drums at the final step."

I connected my E-Drum to my PC, but it doesn't work well.

1. At first, run "MidiInChecker2". It is the utility of DTXMania, and it is included in DTXMania's zip file.
   In MidiInChecker2, If the message says "Number of MIDI devices: 0", it means that USB-MIDI cable (or E-Drums ... if you connect E-drums via USB directly) dose not detected by PC. You may need re-install USB-MIDI cable driver, or check connector-port relations, or reboot PC / E-Drum etc.
   Next, hit your E-Drum's pad. If MidiInChecker2 show some logs when you hit the pad, it's OK ... PC recognize your E-Drum correctly....only thing you need is to set correct configuration .... Go to step 4. If you hit pads but nothing is happen in MidiInChecker2, it means MIDI connections fails. Go to step 2.
   
   

   MidiInChekcer2. If you hit pads some texts will show up.
2. Try to power-off your E-Drum, then power-on E-Drum again, then hit any E-Drum's pads and check MidiInChecker2 's windows. If additional texts show up, MIDI connection is established successfully. Go to step 4. If not, go to step 3.
3. Please check MIDI cables connections.Basically you have to connect "E-Drum's MIDI-OUT" to "PC's MIDI-IN", but you may confuse if you uses USB-MIDI cable.
   Just trust me this once and "1. try to connect to another MIDI port of E-Drum." "2. try to connect to another MIDI connector of USB-MIDI cable".
   (Note: you have to power-off your E-Drum & power-on again)
   
   Then hit any E-Drum's pads and check MidiInChecker2 's windows. If additional texts show up, MIDI connection is established successfully. Go to step 4. If not, re-check the steps (1-3).
4. MIDI connection is already established. Next, you need to check whether your E-Drum can use on DTXMania or not. After assigning your E-Drum pads to DTXMania, try to play DTXMania with your E-Drum.

Well done! Enjoy playing DTXMania with your E-Drum!

If still not be able to use your E-Drum, please check below; 　

• Reboot PC. (After reboot, don't forget rebooting your E-Drum.... power off / power on)
• Check E-Drum's tone kit number (tone program number of E-Drum). If you uses DTXPRESS, DTXMania supports kit number 1(Acoustic) and 40(GM std 1). If you can't find that kind of kit number, please assign your E-Drum's pad to DTXMania by CONFIGURATION - Drums - Input Option. See also How to connect E-Drums (DTX/DTXPRESS series, Soul Drummer etc)
• Check the output type of E-Drums. In DTXPRESS, "HOST SELECT" must be set to "MIDI". "PC1" or "PC2" are incorrect.

See also: How to connect E-Drums (DTX/DTXPRESS series, Soul Drummer etc)

Some E-Drum pad can use, but other pads cannot. Why?

For example, "Snare pad and Hi-Hat pad can use well. But Bass-Drum pad and Tom-Tom pads cannot use".

If you use DTXPRESS, check E-Drum's tone kit number. (DTXMania supports DTXPRESS kit number 1(Acoustic) and 40(GM std 1). Other kits may cause the lack of pad detections.)

If you changed kit number but still the issue occurs, then re-check the cable connections between PC and E-Drum.

If E-Drums done not have the tone kit, re-assign the pad by CONFIGURATION of DTXMania.

Can I use DTX / DTX2 / DTXTREME, DTXPRESS2 / DTXPRESS3 / DTXPRESS4, DTXPLORER?

Yes you can use old DTX/DTX2, DTXTREME, DTXPRESS2, DTXPRESS3, DTXPLORER. (Originally DTXMania is designed for the old DTX series (DTX2.0 etc). The app name "DTXMania" represents about it..)

Can I use YAMAHA DD-55 / DD-50?

Yes you can, but you need to re-assign the pad by CONFIGURATION - Drums - Input Option.

See also: How to connect E-Drums (DTX/DTXPRESS series, Soul Drummer etc)

Can I use Roland V-Drum series?

Yes you can, but you'll need the re-assign the pad by CONFIGURATION - Drums - Input Option.

See also: How to connect E-Drums (DTX/DTXPRESS series, Soul Drummer etc)

You'll need some special configurations to VH11/VH12 (the sound module of TD-12). FROM-san (the original developer of DTXMania) encountered some troubles by using TD-12 like that;

1. "Press-on Foot pedal" output not only FootPedal but also HHOpen as MIDI signals.
2. "Press-off Foot pedal" output 1 or 2 HHOpen (s) as MIDI signals.
3. With "Pressing-on Foot pedal to the bottom", when you hit HiHat, HHOpen is output as MIDI signals.

The 3rd one will b improved by these steps below;

1. Push "SETUP" of VH11/VH12. "SETUP" will be lighted on, and SETUP screen will be shown.
2. Push "F1(MIDI)" - "F3(CTRL)". MIDI CONTROL screen will be shown.
3. Push "CURSOR(Up or Down)", to focus the cursor to "HH Note# Border"
4. Push "+/-", "VALUE" to change the border to distinguish HHOPen and HHClose. For example, set it to 80.

# I appreciate your information very well.

Can I use Tony Smith DD-1000, Mederi DD502 / DD602 / DD402KII?

You can use "Tony SmithのDD-1000". (but maybe you'll need to re-assign the pad configurations.) Mederi DD-502 / DD-602 are also OK to use. (of course you'll need to re-assign the pad configurations.)

However, Mederi DD-402KII is not good for DTXMania, because

• No counter measures to its resonances
• 1 pad hit may causes 3 MIDI inputs

# I appreciate your information very well.

How to Silencing pad-hit sound, to prevent the noise troubles in other rooms?

About Pad-hit silencing:

Put a few bath towels to each pads. Many towels cause much silencing. But the sensitivity becomes lower. So you should boost the gain of the sensitivity (if you can configure it by E-Drums)

About Kick-drum silencing: I don't know how to say in English, but some cheap and effective method has been established in Japan ... called as 「タイヤふにゃふにゃシステム」 or 「ディスクふにゃふにゃシステム」.

If you can't choose these ways, then put the bath towel to the receiver? of the beater. And press-off the bass-drums weakly in the night. (You'll see it as the joke, but it's very important silencing method, too)