Roland SPD-SX and Reaper

[ImagineVP]

I'm struggling with trying to get my Roland SPD-SX Sampling Pad and Reaper to work. (Fairly new to both.) Anyone here use this combination of hardware and software? Not sure if I need an audio interface (like the Focusrite Scarlett/solo) or if I can just go into my laptop Reaper machine directly with USB, but I'm not having any luck at all even after watching the midi related videos.

My end game is to record midi drums/signal sent from my Roland to Reaper to eventually send to my bandmate who uses Logic Pro for the final multitrack build. He will take my midi file(s) and use a drum program like BFD or something on his end. We are wanting to use Reaper as the common denominator for our 5 individual DAWs to collaborate on new music and update files and projects amongst us.

I would also like to eventually use my Hart Dynamics E-Kit too, but I'm currently running 2 Roland TD-8 brains for my very extended e-kit which would only complicate things for me more at the moment. Baby steps.

Any Roland/Reaper users out there with any useful pointers in the right direction or walkthrough videos out there somewhere would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks all.

PC Windows 7 Pro 64 bit
Intel i7-3630QM 2.4ghz
24gb ram

[solger]

Welcome to the Reaper Forums!


What operating system are you using in this case?


According to the specs and manual it's possible to transmit both MIDI and Audio via USB.
The necessary steps would look something like this:

1. Check if you need to install a USB driver for the SPD (which can depend on your operating system): https://www.roland.com/global/suppor...dates_drivers/
2. Set the USB MODE on the SPD to AUDIO/MIDI (page 19 and 63 in the manual: https://static.roland.com/assets/med.../SPD-SX_OM.pdf)
3. Enable the MIDI Input of the SPD entry under Preferences > Audio > MIDI Devices: https://www.reaper.fm/videos.php#3kY75JnmlNk
4. Set up a Track (with the SPD as MIDI Input)

Besides the SPD manual, you can also find some general hints here: https://www.sweetwater.com/sweetcare...x-setup-guide/

[ImagineVP]

I have made some progress... I have the Roland recognized, I get input signal, I can record midi... I just can't hear anything going in or out. If I put a wav file on a new track, I can hear that just fine. just not the midi. ugh. I remember seeing something regarding this on one of the tutorial videos, but for the life of me I can't find it again. double ugh

[solger]

Originally Posted by ImagineVP

I have made some progress... I have the Roland recognized, I get input signal, I can record midi... I just can't hear anything going in or out. If I put a wav file on a new track, I can hear that just fine. just not the midi...

Did you already insert a virtual instrument plugin onto the track in order to generate audio from the incoming MIDI?

Here's a video showing the steps using Reaper's own ReaSynth plugin: https://www.reaper.fm/videos.php#BvSC-6qq1vs

[ImagineVP]

Still nothing. When I first got the Roland SPD-SX recognized, I created a new track, selected the Roland, armed the track then drew the thing with the pencil for a midi track. I somehow in my troubleshooting I got it to work and heard the drums through Reaper... but with a 1/2 a second delay. In my efforts to address the delay, I did something to lose the sound... and I've never got it back. I could be wrong, but I don't even think I paced a VTI on the midi track and still heard drums when striking the pad. I've tried so many things though, I'm probably wrong.

I feel once I get past this, I should be fine with the midi basics as there are many midi specific videos to re-watch. Ideas?

A walkthrough for an E-drum kit and or sampling pad for midi playing/recording would be great if there's one I missed that walks through this setup. Thanx

[solger]

Originally Posted by ImagineVP

Still nothing. When I first got the Roland SPD-SX recognized, I created a new track, selected the Roland, armed the track then drew the thing with the pencil for a midi track. I somehow in my troubleshooting I got it to work and heard the drums through Reaper... but with a 1/2 a second delay...

OK. Assuming you're using the built-in audio device of your computer in Reaper (although the same applies to external audio devices/interfaces, as well):

In your other thread you mentioned changing buffer size from 2 x 1024 to 1 x 512 (which would indicate that you tried something like WDM, WaveOut or DirectSound - using those might make it difficult to achieve low latency values)
The recommended audio systems under Windows are WASAPI and ASIO.

I'll suggest to try using WASAPI first.
If you want to try using ASIO and your built-in audio device doesn't have its own dedicated ASIO driver: a possible option to try is ASIO4ALL: http://www.asio4all.org/

In both cases (WASAPI and ASIO) start with a sample block size of 512 samples. Then try how low you can go (256, 192, ...) without getting audio dropouts or glitches.

I feel once I get past this, I should be fine with the midi basics as there are many midi specific videos to re-watch. Ideas?

A walkthrough for an E-drum kit and or sampling pad for midi playing/recording would be great if there's one I missed that walks through this setup. Thanx

The setup steps mentioned in post #2 are basically the same for every MIDI input device (E-Drums, Sample Pad, MIDI-Keyboards, MIDI-Controllers). Exceptions are usually specific drivers and/or settings which can vary depending on the MIDI device (and are usually found in the corresponding MIDI device manuals) - like steps #1 and #2 for the SPD.

Besides the MIDI video I linked in post #2, you can find more MIDI (controller) related videos here:

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QV9WkY4Zy_I
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LmEy49PH9p8
• https://www.reaper.fm/videos.php

... I created a new track, selected the Roland, armed the track then drew the thing with the pencil for a midi track...

As a side note:

Keep in mind that recording the MIDI from a MIDI Device (SPD) and drawing the MIDI notes by hand (in a MIDI Item) are two different things.
The same applies to triggering a drum/synth plugin via a (drawn or recorded) MIDI Item in comparison to triggering the plugin directly via the MIDI Device.

I could be wrong, but I don't even think I paced a VTI on the midi track and still heard drums when striking the pad. I've tried so many things though, I'm probably wrong.

Where are the headphones/speakers (used for listening) currently connected to?

[ImagineVP]

I have headphones in the Roland to confirm a drum sound is played when I hit a pad. From there, I go into my laptop via USB. I have speakers hooked p to my laptop and hear my audio from there.

I installed the ASIO for All and still, no sound with or without the ReaSynth added to the track. Actually, with the ASIO selected, when I arm the track massive feedback happens.

[solger]

I installed the ASIO for All and still, no sound with or without the ReaSynth added to the track. Actually, with the ASIO selected, when I arm the track massive feedback happens.

Can you please post a screenshot ** of how the current settings under Preferences > Audio > Devices look like?
And can you maybe also post a screenshot which show how the (MIDI) Track is currently set up? Or save a little example project and attach the .RPP project file to a post?


** Since the maximum image size for post attachments is limited, the quickest option is to upload the screenshot to imgur.com/upload and then attaching the link to a post.


By the way: did you also already try using WASAPI?

Originally Posted by ImagineVP

I have headphones in the Roland to confirm a drum sound is played when I hit a pad. From there, I go into my laptop via USB. I have speakers hooked p to my laptop and hear my audio from there.

OK. Just for the sake of completeness:

Keep in mind that these are two different signal chains: audio output from the SPD itself (1) vs. audio output from a plugin triggered by the MIDI of the SPD (2)

1) SPD - > Audio Output > Headphones
2) MIDI Input (from the SPD) -> Reaper Track -> Drum/Synth Plugin -> Audio Output to speakers (laptop)

Another possible signal chain would be to record the Audio Output from the SPD (which you are currently hearing in the headphones) into Reaper:
3) Audio Output (from the SPD) -> Reaper Track

I hope this makes the difference between the signal chains a bit clearer (if it wasn't already).

[ImagineVP]

I watched her tutorial, downloaded the drum VST and got that working. Problem is, when I hit my pads, I get a signal but no sound. I hear drums only when clicking on the virtual drum kit within the VST portion of the plugin. My brain is fried for today. I'll watch her videos later and see if it gets me going. I will be back I'm sure! =P
Thanks again!

[ImagineVP]

I watched a few more tutorials that have touched on where I'm now hung up with no sound when I hit my Roland SPD-SX pads. I get a signal, but no sound. I have sound when hitting the virtual drums in the VST plugin, but not the pad. I also noticed that the color of the VU meter in the track are thin yellow lines when I hit the SPD-SX and are thick red lines when hitting the virtual drum kit in the plugin. Don't know what that's about... because I'm a noob. Still can't find a tutorial on using drum brains like the Roland TD series or sampling pads like the SPD-SX with Reaper.

I can record midi something with the pads... what it is I don't know because it doesn't pay any sound on playback either. Keep in mind, regular audio files payback fine with sound. I'm just having issues with midi.

Also, I still don't know if I need an audio interface... or since I'm a drummer using midi input, do I need one at all? I play a little guitar too so I suppose if I ever wanted to record any basic guitar tracks, I would need one at that point... but for now, do I for just trying to record my drums through midi? Thanx

I did try WASAPI and my system said nope.
I am trying to do your chain #2 of "2) MIDI Input (from the SPD) -> Reaper Track -> Drum/Synth Plugin -> Audio Output to speakers (laptop)"

[ImagineVP]

progress... don't know why, but my Roland is not sending audio from each pad I hit, even though it shows a midi signal when hit. This may be part of my issue since I have been hitting the same pad while testing during my troubleshooting growing pains. All pads send a signal when hit, but only a few pads send/play an audible sound. The sound that I do hear from my laptop are not the same sounds/samples I hear from the headphones plugged directly into my SPD-SX. Me thinks this is a mapping issue on the Reaper side... now to rewatch a bunch of videos that address midi mapping I guess.

[LugNut]

Hi,
If using USB from spd conneted to computer , then the spd is the audio interface. So connect your speakers/phones to the SPD.

[ImagineVP]

Yes, that gives me my SPD audio over my speakers, but of course, my laptop speakers are what the rest of the audio comes from. I guess I could hook up my PA mixer with the laptop out on one ch and the SPD's audio out on another ch and then my SPD USB hooked up to my laptop to record the e-drums' midi. I would have thought I would have been able to hear my SPD's midi input on my laptop through the Reaper mix. I still think I'm missing something.

[funkydrum]

Hello ImagineVP,


Started as a complete Newby to MIDI, I worked through the setup of Roland SPS-SX and Reaper and finally got it working as I wanted.

A month has gone after your last post. Still help needed?



Cheers Funkydrum

[GoodWassabi]

Good day all. I’m posting to this older thread as it appears to be close to a question I have. How do I assign each pad on the Roland SPS-SX to a separate track in Reaper? Maybe I’m approaching this the wrong way but my idea is to have my drummer use the Roland and capture his performance, then assign a kick drum sample voicing to the track he was using for kick, snare to snare track, etc. Open to suggestions if there is a better, more efficient way to accomplish my goal.

[b2001]

Sounds like you want to capture the midi performance.

Is there a way in the sps to assign each pad to a separate midi channel? If so, you can set separate tracks in reaper for each pad with the sps as midi input AND the specific midi channel on a specific track for the specific pad.

I have done similar with a boss dr880. It has drums and bass, drums on midi channel 10 and bass on midi channel 4 so i can capture midi performances of bass and drums on separate tracks.

[GoodWassabi]

Hey B2001 yes capturing the midi signals from his performance is exactly the idea. I’m just getting into the midi world so I have the concepts of what it can do but still learning how to execute the idea. Conceptually it seems like I would have to have each pad separate to be able pick a sample to use for the different parts of a drum kit. I’m not clear when I see the midi channels in Reaper if that’s the opportunity to assign the pads to each of those channels and then select that midi channel when I setup the track input. You reference channel 10 was for the drums. How did you assign the parts of the kit to the midi signals the DR880 sent?

[b2001]

Page 67 of the spd-sx manual tells you how to set the midi channel for each pad. Obviuosly, select a different midi channel for each pad.

In reaper, create a track for each pad. On each track, right click on record button for track and select the spd-sx device as the input midi device. Continuing to the right from that selection will be a dropdown of midi channel to select.

Select a unique midi channel for each track corresponding to what you set up in the spd-sx.

Record arm each track, record, and play. Once done each track should have recorded midi. In order to hear while playing either monitor thru headphones from spd-sx or from reaper (will have to have put a vsti on each track)…

[GoodWassabi]

Thank you B! Exactly what I needed! I sent this over to my drummer and he found the reference in the manual. We’ll work on it this week and hope to have some music made very soon! That’s what it’s all about!