Exacty how would I hook up a drum machine to the PSR-550.. I went to our local music store today and checked out the new Zoom MRT-3, and wow what an awsome little piece it is too... I'd love to sync this up with my 550.. I think doing this will satisfy my desire for better drum kits to record with. I completely understand how to hook it up from the MRT-3, but how would I set up my 550 to trigger it without triggering the keyboards preset styles.. I know you're supposed to be able to just use the start and stop button on the PSR, but how do I bypass the presets so that I can just use the drum machine for the drum tracks?

Thanks,
Squeak

Thought I'd bring this back to the top.. I don't want to end up buying a drum machine and having to return it because it won't sync up properly..

[This message has been edited by squeak_D (edited 08-25-2002).]

Wow! hasn't anyone tried to hook up a drum machine to their PSR's...?

I'm waiting for anyone who knows this to answer. I am too in thr process of combining drum machine to any latest arranger (as a possibility) 'cause I am giving up on great dance/techno drum kits on any arranger. Genesys sounds very interesting but I'm sure it has no more than 5 dance/techno drum kits (I hope I'm wrong).

So please, anyone out there who've done hooking up drum machine with an arramger?

NewYorker,
This is what I was told by one of the forums junior members. I am wanting to hook up a drum machine to my PSR-550 and what he said was to go under functions to select midi and set the the accomp to "out", and connect the midi out of the PSR to the midi in of the drum machine and I should be able to use the start and stop button on the keyboard to control the drum machine. This sounds like the correct way to do it, but my question is that if you set it up this way what happens to the internal styles on the keyboard..?? If I set accomp to out, and use the start button to trigger the drum machine, will it play the drum machine and the currently selected style on the keyboard?

[This message has been edited by squeak_D (edited 08-26-2002).]

I think it'll use the sounds of the drum machine but the patterns of whatever is on arranger. This is my guess.

See, I think arrangers weren't meant to be used this way and that's why there is no literature on that. I know there is gotta be done something; either we gonna see Triton or Motif type of synths converted into arrangers (Oh boy can anyone fulfill my dreams?) and we won't need extra drum machines or sounds ‘cause Triton has awesome stuff for a full production OR there should be a full document AND technical capabilities on how to use ANY external sound modules and to incorporate all that into your arranger.

That's why arrangers so limited and that's why they are still not considered as PRO.

Or Yamaha and Co.: HOW ABOUT TO INCLUDE 300+ drum sounds? Or put them all into an expansion card?

It's not that difficult and it's about time to move on from $100 toys like they used to be long time ago and get on a PRO track. The current price on the new arrangers and their capabilities do not make them PRO. No matter how Yamaha and Co. is trying to convince the world by their names (9000Pro). By the way still no arp?

I went to see psr2000 a few weeks ago and found... ONLY 1 DANCE DRUM KIT!!!

Wow, what a progress! They think 2 would be too much!!! I need 100 of them! Geez.

[This message has been edited by New Yorker (edited 08-26-2002).]

I'm glad that someone brought this subject to my attention, because I was wondering the same thing!

First of all, I own a Yamaha PSR740 (which Yamaha and the SynthZone donated to my family and me! ) and I was wondering if it was possible to connect a drum machine to it, in order to record complex drum rhythms to the onboard sequencer. However, the PSR740's style recorder is simply amazing, but a drum machine could enhance the overall "tone" and complexity of the rhythms.

So, if anyone has the answer, can you hook up a drum machine to the Yamaha PSR740 or other PSR arranger keyboards? Is this possible? If not, it is okay with me since the PSR740 already comes with the onboard style recorder (which is awesome!)

However, I can understand why you are frustrated that this important feature has been neglected from so many arrangers....and I believe that it is absolutely necessary for a keyboard to have the capability to connect with a drum machine.

Again, this is a good discussion and I am looking forward to hearing some responses! See you around everyone and have a nice day,
Ryan

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Squeak, if you want the drum machine to play it's own patterns in sync with your arranger,just hook up as shown above,and that will work. However, if you want to use the drum patterns in your arranger with the drum sounds from the drum machine-------well, I don't think so,but I would love to be wrong about this!
.I do understand your desire to get Zoom-quality drums for your psr550 and I wish you the best,but I fear that the answer is replacing the 550 with something else with better drum kits.That was my solution. Again, I hope that I am wrong and some midi-master can show us all the light!
Bill

BillE,
Thanks for the response.. What I was wanting to do was not sync the zooms patterns with the patterns on the PSR-550.. I wanted to just sync the two together and use the start button on the PSR to trigger only the drum machine without the internal styles playing along with it.... If this insn't possible then maybe we should start hounding Yamaha to add this feature to their arrangers... We shouldn't be limited to just using the drums kits and styles on the keyboard.. They should allow us to bypass the internal kits and styles and sync up with a drum machine if we want to.. Hell all the synths do this flawlessly, even the ones that have preset patterns.....

[This message has been edited by squeak_D (edited 08-27-2002).]

Squeak,

There may be more to this than I can help you with depending on what your drum machine will do, and what you want it to do. On the PSR8000 with my old Yamaha RX5, I can get the patterns of the RX5 to play simply by setting the Sync feature to MIDI. connect MIDI out of the keyboard to MIDI in of the drum machine. Then I have to turn the acmp volume all the way down on the keyboard, so I don't hear both drum patterns. The RX5 also has bass, guitar and brass sounds, etc. If those sounds are in a pattern, they will play, but they will not change chords from the 8000, whether or not I have the accompaniment turned on. I can start/stop the song from the PSR, and I can change the tempo. Thats it. Let me know if I can help more.

Midnite
Midnite