Is cross-talk really an issue with this device? The answer is that it depends. You may have to avoid using the particular problematic pads if you’re looking for a lot of sensitivity in your playing. Otherwise, it might be fine.

Also new to the Pro is a desktop app that enables full control of your unit, so you can assign samples to pads, apply effects and so much more without having to deep dive through endless menus and button pushes.Prepping for your next gig has never been easier.Switching between kits when using only the internal sounds is very fast, so that’s something else to keep in mind. Sensitivity: As a drummer, I do not think the SamplePad Pro measures up enough in terms of detecting subtlety, in comparison to the high-end Roland and Yamaha models. For example, if you play fast double-stroke rolls or rudiments with ghost notes, it just feels a little clunky to play. Still with us? Okay, let’s get into it. With the exceptional high quality we’ve come to expect from Nord, the 3P displays a vast array of sonic capabilities. It has 200 sounds and a large variety of modulators, oscillators, reverbs, filters and various other FX on-board. You can use these to alter specific aspects of each sound and save them as your own in one of the 400 available banks. There is also a sequencer app for iOS, called Nord Beat, which will make beat-makers and producers feel at home. Multipad’ is a catch-all term for pads that include multiple functions and quite literally: multiple pads. Each multipad will have different qualities and functions; for example the Alesis Strike MultiPad has a large library as well as 32GB of space for uploading your own samples.

When compared to options from Roland or Nord, some of the on-board sounds are a little unsophisticated, and we experienced some awkwardly long loading times when switching between functions. While this is not too much of a problem at home, this could potentially waste precious seconds on stage. A percussion pad will not allow you to import samples, however it will be loaded with - as the name suggests - a multitude of drum and percussion sounds, along with tools to colour and manipulate them. If a sample pad is an electronic Swiss Army Knife, think of a percussion pad as a thousand drum kits in a box. Capture every subtle nuance of your performance with SamplePad 4’s four velocity sensitive pads - whether it’s drum sounds, loops or one-shot melodics, this performance pad guarantees maximum expressive capability! Superior Sound Content Please note that this extended warranty is currently only available on products sold within the UK, EU or EEA, and is subject to the terms and conditions as detailed on the extended warranty certificate provided. The SPD::One Wav is perhaps the most useful - albeit slightly more costly - of the group. It has 4GB internal storage and 12 assignable slots, meaning you can use this as a fully functioning, fully customisable sample pad. Overall, these are nifty little pieces of gear, despite the relatively high outlay.The emergence of hybrid drumming – that is merging acoustic and electronic drums to enhance and expand your sound – has meant everyone from bedroom players to pro drummers are looking for electronic elements to add to their kits. Some opt for an array of triggers or individual pads positioned around the kit, whereas others prefer a more economical approach in terms of space, convenience and affordability. That’s where the best electronic drum pads in this guide come in. Please also note that every pad on your kit is assigned a midi note that may need to be changed to trigger the right sample in the program you are attempting to use. Your user guide will have more information on changing the midi notes for your individual kits, but you may need to go to the program's manufacturer to find out what those midi notes are. Samples may be layered by assigning any two sounds to one of the four pads. The layers may have different trigger thresholds, for example there's potential for fat- sounding samples depending on velocity. Hands On Right-out-the-box, SamplePad 4 doesn’t disappoint. Preloaded with a built-in library of the 25 most commonly requested percussion and electronic drum sounds, mapped across 10 ready-to-play kits, SamplePad 4 offers immediate creative potential from the get-go! Customise your Sound In 3 Easy Steps Both connections have their positives and negatives and it's important to do your own research before you try one or the other- an interface will probably cost as much as a good drum plugin that is on sale; the real difference being that Midi notes can be edited and quantized for mistakes and mixing, whereas you get you get what you get from your audio output and you will need to do your mix of the drums before you begin recording.

I recorded live hits from one of my acoustic drum sets and loaded samples of that onto this device. It worked fairly nicely, though I wasn’t amazed when using an external hi-hat controller.To the untrained eye, the Pro model looks an awful lot like the standard SPD-SX, but there have been some significant cosmetic and performance enhancements that have earned it the ‘pro’ moniker. Firstly - and most obviously - are the customisable LEDs for each pad, which make it easier to navigate the pads in low stage light, and help you more easily identify which samples have been assigned to which pad. However, as most of the intense inputting work will be at home pre-gig, when editing pad parameters, naming samples etc, it's not something you would have to do in a live situation. The SamplePad 4 is extremely easy to use. Load your choice of samples onto an SD card in the correct

Let’s say you’re importing a snare sample to your sample pad. In terms of dynamics of playing a snare drum, think of two velocity layers as two different volume hits. If you're not sure whether to upgrade your SPD-SX, or whether you spend the extra on the SPD-SX Pro, our comparison piece will help answer all your key questions. Also, when it is hooked up to a computer, it works great and is everything you could hope for. I had no cross triggering or false triggering, it was solid and reliable. Hooked up to Ableton, it was incredibly useful. To get started you're going to need an Audio Interface. Depending on the interface this may also require a driver, so please consult the manufacturer of the interface for more information. A sample pad will allow you to trigger on-board sounds or ‘sampled audio’ - along with files you’ve recorded or uploaded yourself - and integrate them into your setup however you see fit. Pre-loaded kits can often be erased to make space for your own bespoke sounds.With the SamplePad's easy-to-use interface, you won't be rifling through endless submenus and categories to find the sound your looking for. Simply strike the pad you want to change, dial to the sound you want and you're done. If you discover a great combination of sounds you want to keep together, simply designate it as a kit and the SamplePad will save it for easy recall anytime you want. Features Solution home Alesis Support Alesis | Getting Started Alesis Drums | Connecting your Kit to a Computer Here atMusicRadar, we are experts in our field, with many years of playing, creating and product testing between us. We live and breathe everything music gear related, and we draw on this knowledge and experience of using products in live, recording and rehearsal scenarios when selecting the products for our guides.