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ALESIS
DM5
Reference Manual
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INTRODUCTION Thank you for purchasing the Alesis DM5 18 Bit Drum Module. To take full advantage of the DM5’s functions, and to enjoy long and trouble-free use, please read this user’s manual carefully. HOW TO USE THIS MANUAL This manual is divided into the following sections describing the various modes of the DM5. Though we recommend you take time to read through the entire manual once carefully, those having general knowledge about drum modules and MIDI should use the table of contents to refe
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2 DM5 Reference Manual
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Index CONTENTS 1: SETTING UP.................................................................................5 Unpacking and Inspection.......................................................................................5 AC Power ..............................................................................................................5 Line Conditioners and Protectors.................................................................5 About Audio Cables .....................................
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Index Ext Trig......................................................................................................31 Group........................................................................................................31 MIDI..........................................................................................................32 Copying a Note’s Parameters to Another..................................................................32 5: MIDI FUNCTIONS ...............................
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Setting Up: Chapter 1 CHAPTER 1 SETTING UP UNPACKING AND INSPECTION Your DM5 was packed carefully at the factory. The shipping carton was designed to protect the unit during shipping. Please retain this container in the highly unlikely event that you need to return the DM5 for servicing. The shipping carton should contain the following items: • DM5 with the same serial number as shown on shipping carton • AC Power Supply Adapter • This instruction manual • Alesis warranty card It is important to
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Chapter 1: Setting Up ABOUT AUDIO CABLES The connections between the DM5 and your studio are your music’s lifeline, so use only high quality cables. These should be low-capacitance shielded cables with a stranded (not solid) internal conductor and a low-resistance shield. Although quality cables cost more, they do make a difference. Route cables to the DM5 correctly by observing the following precautions: • Do not bundle audio cables with AC power cords. • Avoid running audio cables near sources
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Setting Up: Chapter 1 MIDI HOOKUP If you are using a MIDI keyboard or sequencer, connect its [MIDI OUT] to the DM5’s [MIDI IN]. If you have another MIDI device you wish to control from the same keyboard or sequencer, connect the DM5’s [MIDI OUT/THRU] to the other device’s [MIDI IN]. This also requires that you turn the DM5’s MIDI Thru parameter on. To turn on the MIDI Thru parameter: Press the [MIDI] button. The [MIDI] button will light. ` Press the [ ] button twice to select the Thru para
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Chapter 1: Setting Up EXTERNAL TRIGGERS HOOKUP Plug all of the triggers you will be using into the rear panel jacks. Since the triggers are interactive, the DM5 needs to “see” all of the signals simultaneously. Therefore, you should make sure that all triggers are connected before you begin editing the External Trigger parameters. Use the table below as a guide for connecting your trigger inputs. The trigger default note numbers correspond to these drum sounds. If you are using a Hi-Hat trigger,
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Your First Session With The DM5: Chapter 2 CHAPTER 2 YOUR FIRST SESSION WITH THE DM5 POWERING UP After making your connections, turn on the system’s power using this procedure: Before turning on the DM5’s power, check the following items: • Have all connections been made correctly? • Are the volume controls of the amplifier or mixer turned down? • Is the volume of the DM5 turned down? ` Turn on the [POWER] switch on the DM5 front panel. Upon power-up, the DM5 will recall the last selected Drum
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Chapter 2: Your First Session With The DM5 WHAT’S A DRUM SET? A Drum Set is a stored configuration of drum sounds and their parameters. This setup of drum sounds and parameters can be stored so that you can get back to it instantly. When you select a Drum Set, all of its sounds and parameter settings are recalled to recreate the original kit. The DM5 provides up to 21 internal Drum Sets. A Drum Set contains 61 notes. Each note is assigned a voice. Each voice is an actual digital recording, calle
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Your First Session With The DM5: Chapter 2 CHOOSING VOICES IN A DRUM SET In this section, we will choose Voices for a Drum Set. There are many other parameters of a Drum Set we may wish to edit, however. Refer to Chapter 4 for more information about editing. There are 61 possible notes in a Drum Set. To select a note, turn on the [NOTE CHASE] button (it will light). Now, whenever you play a note on your MIDI keyboard, the corresponding pitch will be displayed. When you want to edit a particular
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Chapter 2: Your First Session With The DM5 STORING AN EDITED DRUM SET Once you have made changes to a Drum Set, you will need to store it; that is, if you want to keep the changes you have made. The internal memory is designed to hold up to 21 (00 – 20) Drum Sets. Once you store over an existing Drum Set, the previous Drum Set that was stored in that location is gone forever. However, you can recall any of the 21 original factory preset Drum Sets at any time (see below). Press [STORE]. The [S
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Connections: Chapter 3 CHAPTER 3 CONNECTIONS MIDI MIDI is an internationally-accepted protocol that allows musical-related data to be conveyed from one device to another. See the MIDI Supplement in Appendix B if you are not familiar with how MIDI works. The MIDI connections on the DM5 provide three different functions. To trigger the DM5 from a MIDI control device (keyboard, drum pad, guitar or bass controller, sequencer, etc.), connect the control device’s MIDI OUT to the DM5’s [MIDI IN]. The [
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Chapter 3: Connections EXAMPLE 1: USING A MIDI KEYBOARD The DM5 may be “played” from a MIDI keyboard (or some other type of MIDI controller) by connecting the keyboard’s [MIDI OUT] to the DM5’s [MIDI IN]. This is illustrated in the diagram on page 17. This connection requires that two MIDI parameters be set to your satisfaction: MIDI Channel and Root Note. MIDI Channel Once connected, you will need to set the MIDI channels on both your keyboard and the DM5 so that they match. You can choose any
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Connections: Chapter 3 EXAMPLE 2: USING A MIDI SEQUENCER The DM5 can be used with a MIDI sequencer in one of three ways: • As a sound module which is “played” by the sequencer (MIDI In only); or, • As a controller, sending MIDI notes (generated by the external triggers) to the sequencer to be recorded (MIDI Out only); or, • As both a controller and a sound module (both MIDI In and Out). As described in the previous sections, you will need to set your MIDI Channel and Root Note parameter’s in the
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Chapter 3: Connections Local Mode The Local parameter determines whether or not the external triggers will “play” the internal voices of the DM5 or not. The triggers will generate MIDI note information when played, which can be recorded onto a MIDI sequencer (as long as the DM5’s MIDI Thru parameter is turned off; see page 17). In this situation, you may want to have the sequencer “echo back” the information it receives from the DM5 and consequently play the DM5’s voices for those notes (the seq
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Connections: Chapter 3 EXAMPLE 3: USING TWO OR MORE DM5 MODULES The DM5 provides 16-note polyphony, which means at any single moment, up to 16 different Drum Voices can be triggered at once. This polyphony is “shared” by all 61 notes in a Drum Set. So, although you have 61 different Drum Voices available to you, a maximum of 16 can be played at the exact same time. Once a Drum Voice is finished playing back, polyphony is restored so another Drum Voice may be played. If, however, the DM5 receives
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Chapter 3: Connections EXTERNAL TRIGGERS The DM5 has twelve trigger inputs designed to accommodate the most widely used drum pads and other triggering sources. It’s triggering mechanism is an advanced Signal-to-MIDI converter which incorporates five user controllable parameters. Trigger parameters are independent for each of the twelve inputs, and the set up is global for all Drum Sets. The five types of user controlled parameters are: Gain Gain. This is the signal strength that the transducer
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Connections: Chapter 3 To setup the external triggers: Plug in all of the triggers you will be using. Refer to the chart on page 8 as a guide for connecting your triggers. ` Press the [NOTE CHASE] button to turn the Note Chase feature off. The [NOTE CHASE] button’s light should be off. Note Chase is a feature that automatically displays the most recently struck pad, enabling you to easily “move” around the kit for editing purposes. However, the active trigger should always be select
