Roland TR-707 with Beatstep Pro problem

[eagleman]

Hi!

I have a Roland TR-707 that I would like to control from my Beatstep Pro. I just cant get it to make sounds over the pads or program it on the Beatstep other than a basdrum and a snare sound. All the other sounds seems to be missing. I have set the TR-707 to the right sync mode S-m and to the same midi channel 10. Worried that the TR-707 midi function could be broken. If I program everything from the TR-707 every sound is working as it supposed to.

Is there someone else who has connected the Beatstep Pro to a TR-707 who could guide me? 

[gbravetti]

If you can trigger BD and SD the only thing that can be wrong in what concerns to configuration could be the MIDI notes you are sending to the device. Try to monitor if the right notes are going out.

Good luck!

[menegass]

from manual:

The MIDI triggering of external equipment / instruments is very limited. It can only be used in track play mode, and triggered notes can be no longer than the length of the original 707 instrument’s length. This should not be a problem if you intend for short triggers, but forget about sweeping strings and such.

How to do it:
1.   Enter track play mode with the 707 not running.
2.   Press and hold down (SHIFT), press and release (MIDI CH) and then, whilst still pressing (s.) (SHIFT), press (INSTRUMENT/GUIDE). Finally, release (SHIFT) and press (START).

Now your external equipment should be triggered by the patterns (notes) instead of the 707. If there’s no sound, repeat step 2 once more. This is to set the 707 to MIDI transmit mode #2. Remember that only whilst in MIDI transmit mode #1 will the 707 play its own sounds.

Chart by order:              Chart by note:
G-2   : Bass Drum 1      G-2   : Bass Drum 1
C-3   : Bass Drum 2      C-3   : Bass Drum 2
D-3   : Snare Drum 1      Db3   : Rimshot
E-3   : Snare Drum 2      D-3   : Snare Drum 1
F-3   : Low Tom      Eb3   : Handclap
A-3   : Mid Tom              E-3   : Snare Drum 2
C-4   : Hi Tom              F-3   : Low Tom
Db3   : Rim Shot      F#3   : Hi Hat Closed 1
G#4   : Cowbell              F#3   : Hi Hat Closed 2
Eb3   : Handclap      A-3   : Mid Tom
F#4   : Tambourine      Bb3   : Hi Hat Open
F#3   : Hi Hat Closed 1   C-4   : Hi Tom
F#3   : Hi Hat Closed 2   Db4   : Crash Cymbal
Bb3   : Hi Hat Open      Eb4   : Ride Cymbal
Db4   : Crash Cymbal      F#4   : Tambourine
Eb4   : Ride Cymbal      G#4   : Cowbell

NOTE: Since Hi Hat 1 & 2 are the same on the 707, both trigger note F#3.

[hardware 408]

Hi, I have an old roland drum machine as well, and was wondering if all my drum voices were being hit by the BSP kind of like you described. I love BSP but having to connect it to the computer to make changes to the midi configuration is the worst.

i can imagine it saved some complexity in the hardware design, but its awful.  If i want to change to control a different drum machine i have to go to the computer and run a usb cable and be online, yuck.

 I find that I am not willing to do that, and fortunately most of the drum machine sounds map to the pads already, so i just leave it haha.  I guess you have to commit a BSP to controlling a sepcific device before you are really free from the PC and then youre stuck with it.

Another challenge, which is not a BSP issue, is knowing what pads are going to hit what device voices. Like if i have a roland drum machine or a yamaha drum machine, one pad is going to be a snare and on the other box it might be something else. So im not sure how I will get comfortable with undefinaed mystery pads.

[megamarkd]

You'll find that after GM came out, the drum instruments on drum machines will be mapped pretty much the same on all of them.  Before then there was a general convention, but it wasn't until after GM did it become gospel, so to speak.
That said, the 707's mapping is nowhere near the GM specs......
After doing remaps on many drum machines with two-line lcd screen, as much as I hate computers for music, it's nice to be able to do things quickly, even if I need to take the BSP out of the studio and into the computer room.  It's way quicker and easier than trying to remap my RY30.