Alesis DM5 User Manual
Overview: Chapter 4
DM5 Reference Manual
23
C
HAPTER
4
O
VERVIEW
B
ASIC AND
D
EFINITIONS
T
HE
V
OICE
Each time the DM5 receives a MIDI or acoustic trigger, it plays a voice. A voice is a
sound-generating element with several variable parameters: Drum sound, tuning,
volume, output assignment (the voice’s audio output can go to either one of two sets
of stereo outputs), panning (the voice’s audio output can be positioned at any of the
seven positions available within the stereo field of the chosen set of outputs), and
MIDI note number.
sound-generating element with several variable parameters: Drum sound, tuning,
volume, output assignment (the voice’s audio output can go to either one of two sets
of stereo outputs), panning (the voice’s audio output can be positioned at any of the
seven positions available within the stereo field of the chosen set of outputs), and
MIDI note number.
Each voice is velocity-sensitive: the harder you hit a drum pad (or the [PREVIEW]
button) or the higher the velocity value of the MIDI trigger, the louder the drum
sound assigned to the pad will play. Thanks to the DM5’s Dynamic Articulation™
scheme, the timbre (tonal content) and pitch will often change as well, just like “real”
drums.
button) or the higher the velocity value of the MIDI trigger, the louder the drum
sound assigned to the pad will play. Thanks to the DM5’s Dynamic Articulation™
scheme, the timbre (tonal content) and pitch will often change as well, just like “real”
drums.
The Voices have been organized into 8 Voice Families for easy access (Kick, Snare,
Hat, etc.).When assigning a Voice to one of the 61 notes in a Drum Set, you first select
the Voice Family and the a Voice from within that group.
Hat, etc.).When assigning a Voice to one of the 61 notes in a Drum Set, you first select
the Voice Family and the a Voice from within that group.
R
ANDOM
V
OICES
One of the Voice Families, called “Random”, has a unique collection of Voices. Each
Voice within this Family includes a sampling of various other Voices from the other
Families . When playing a “Random” voice, a different sample of the same Voice
“type” will be heard each time it is triggered. This creates a very complimentary
“human” element, just as a real drummer may not play the same drum quite the
same way two times in a row or more.
Voice within this Family includes a sampling of various other Voices from the other
Families . When playing a “Random” voice, a different sample of the same Voice
“type” will be heard each time it is triggered. This creates a very complimentary
“human” element, just as a real drummer may not play the same drum quite the
same way two times in a row or more.
A
BOUT THE
E
DIT
B
UFFER
Whenever you select a Drum Set, all parameters associated with the Drum Set load
into a temporary memory buffer. As you edit the Drum Set, changes are made to this
temporary version rather than the original Drum Set.
into a temporary memory buffer. As you edit the Drum Set, changes are made to this
temporary version rather than the original Drum Set.
This is important for two reasons:
•
If you don’t like the results of your edit, you can always revert to the original
Drum Set.
Drum Set.
•
If you do like the results of your edit, you must save the buffer’s contents. It can
overwrite the original Drum Set data, or be written to a different Drum Set.
overwrite the original Drum Set data, or be written to a different Drum Set.
If you select another Drum Set, the data in the edit buffer will be overwritten with
the newly-selected Drum Set’s parameters.
the newly-selected Drum Set’s parameters.