Drum Pads in ST4 - how to get them to work?!

[JoeGBradford]

Hi - I think this is my first post here so hope you can help

I've been delving deeper into ST4 and trying to link up my Roland APro 800 controller to midi functions in ST4 which I host in Cakewalk by Bandlab (previously Sonar). After a bit of fiddling I managed to get my rotary controllers working with the macro controls. What I can't seem to be able to do is get anywhere with the Virtual Pads in ST4! There doesn't seem to be anything about these, apart from a casual mention that they exist in the manual!

I've loaded a drum kit into midi channel 1 in ST4 - I can play a kick drum with the leftmost virtual pad on screen but I can't get anything to play on the other pads and I don't see a way to assign my Apro 800 controller pads to the pads on screen

I've tried the remap button and looked all over to see if there is anything in the edit screen or elsewhere but I must be missing something!

The drums work as expected if I play the controller keyboard

I'd really appreciate some help before I tear the rest of my hair out

[DarkStar]

Hello JoeGBradford and welcome to the forum.

Good question.

It's obvious now that I have found it. (I've never used them before).

By default each pad is assigned to a different Part (which seems silly to me). Anyway, click on the Part number above the pad to select it and change the number as needed.

And the note below is the mapping to your MIDI keyboard. You can change them too.

You probably have to save the instrument (or the Multi) to keep the mappings.

[DarkStar]

Having said that I cannot see what [Remap] does, with that enticing red flashing pad.

One thing though: if you assign some pads to one Part and other pads to another, then those key presses from your keyboard will be routed to the assigned Part. So you can have a sort of multi-channel keyboard.,

[JoeGBradford]

Many thanks for the welcome and the prompt response. I think I've got what you mean and I'll give it a try when I am back on the PC later

[JoeGBradford]

Well that was going well - I changed the part on the second pad to Part 1 and sure enough it played the correct percussion........... but then I changed Pad 3 to Part 1 etc and then every time I pressed Pad 1 (or any other Pad) it triggered all of them! As I can't seem to link them to my controller pads either I my just have to use the keyboard to play the drums!

[JoeGBradford]

Ah I spoke too soon. By random engaging of the remap in ST4 and the ACT control on my keyboard I appear to have programmed the pads and they work properly with the pads on my controller. Not sure whether I could do it again but at least I know it is possible

[DarkStar]

I cannot get F1 from my keyboard to trigger Pad 4. F#1 does trigger it though???

In fact several pads wee not triggered correctly by the notes assigned to them. I'm very confused.

[JoeGBradford]

Ah I didn't check everything correlated to the keyboard sounds - just shut it down for the night but will have a look tomorrow. Thanks for helping me get this far anyway!

I've made a template file with the mappings and this seems to have kept them when I have used it to save and open new files from it. I need to get into understanding saving presets in ST4 - I don't want to risk overwriting anything!

I think my APro 800 must be the most un-intuitive controller and the manual is unfathomable which is why after years of owning it I have only just got round to trying to map the 8 pads on it!

[DarkStar]

Looking at the ST3 User Manual it may be that the pads are permanently mapped to specific MIDI trigger notes (but I cannot find what that map is) and the Note number shown below each pad is the note generated when the pad is triggered.

Perhaps anyone who has used this can chime in?

[DarkStar]

.... Waiting for info from Support about how the Virtual Pads work.

[JoeGBradford]

Thanks

[JoeGBradford]

No news from Support yet presumably?

[DarkStar]

'Fraid not.

[JoeGBradford]

Maybe they don't know either

[JoeGBradford]

I cannot get F1 from my keyboard to trigger Pad 4. F#1 does trigger it though???

In fact several pads wee not triggered correctly by the notes assigned to them. I'm very confused.

I've just been back into ST4 for the first time since we were discussing this. The pads I have assigned are triggering the right sounds in accordance with their keyboard equivalents so not sure what is happening with yours.....