DM LITE - Computer drum ALESIS - Free user manual and instructions

USER MANUAL DM LITE ALESIS

User Guide (English) Support For complete system requirements, compatibility information, and product registration, visit the Alesis website: alesis.com. For the latest information about this product, visit alesis.com/dmlitekit. For additional product support, visit alesis.com/support. Quick Start Connecting the Drum Module

Selecting a Kit To select one of the module's 10 preset Kits, do one of the following:

• Press the Variation Button so it is lit red, and then press the 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5 Button to select Kit 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5 (respectively).

• Press the Variation Button so it is lit green, and then press the 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5 Button to select Kit 6, 7, 8, 9, or 10 (respectively). The Kit number will appear in the display. Once you have selected a Kit, you can select others by repeating one of the steps above or by using the – and + Buttons. Playing the Pads If your electronic drum kit has velocity-sensitive pads, this drum module will play sounds of varying timbres depending on how hard you hit the pads. Try hitting the pads with different amounts of force to experiment with the different sounds produced by the module! Note: The hi-hat sound will vary based on the position of the hi-hat controller pedal:

• Open hi-hat: With your foot off of the pedal, hit the hi-hat pad.

• Closed hi-hat: With your foot pressing the pedal all the way down, hit the hi-hat pad.

• Pedal close: Press the hi-hat pedal all the way down without hitting the hi-hat pad.

• Splash: Quickly press the hi-hat pedal all the way down, and then release it immediately. Learn more about using the drum module in the Using the Module section of this manual. Connect the cable snake here (using the two screws to secure it), and then connect the 1/4" ends of the cables to their res

Features Front Panel

1. Power Button: Press this button to turn the

drum module on. Press and hold it for 2 seconds to turn the drum module off.

2. Display: This area shows values and text

relevant to the drum module's functions and operation.

3. Volume Knob: Turn this knob to adjust the

volume of the Main Outputs and Phones Output.

4. – / + : Press either of these buttons to

metronome ("click") on or off. See the Using the Metronome (Click) section for more information.

6. Start/Stop Button: Press this button to

start or stop playback of a Pattern. See the Playing Along With Patterns section for more information.

7. Pattern Button: Press this button to enter Pattern Mode. Press both this button and the Tempo

Button simultaneously to use the Built-In Drum Coach. See the Playing Along With Patterns and Using the Built-In Drum Coach sections for more information.

8. Tempo: Press this button to enter Tempo Mode, and use the – and + buttons to adjust the

tempo. Press both this button and the Pattern Button simultaneously to use the Built-In Drum Coach. See the Using the Metronome (Click) and Using the Built-In Drum Coach sections for more information.

9. 1-5/Variation Buttons: Press any one of these buttons to enter Kit Mode and select a Kit. When

using the Built-In Drum Coach, you can use these buttons to select an exercise. See the Using Kits and Using the Built-In Drum Coach sections for more information. Rear Panel

1. Power Jack: Use a power adapter

(included, 9 V, 500 mA, center pin-positive) to connect this jack to your power outlet.

2. Cable Snake Connector: Connect your

cable snake (included) here, and connect the cable snake's cables to your kit's triggers (drum pads, cymbal pads, and pedals).

3. Main Outputs: Use standard 1/4" mono

cables (not included) to connect these outputs to your monitor, amplifier, or PA system. Adjust the volume with the Volume Knob on the top panel.

4. Phones Output: Connect standard 1/8" stereo headphones (not included) to this output. Adjust

the volume with the Volume Knob on the top panel.

5. Aux In: Use a 1/8" stereo cable (not included) to connect an external audio device (smartphone,

CD player, etc.) to this input.

6. USB Port: Use a standard USB cable (not included) to connect your computer to this port,

allowing you to send and receive MIDI messages to and from your computer. See the Using MIDI section for more information. SLOW GOOD FAST

12345VARIATIONPATTERNVOLUMECOACHTEMPOSTART/STOPCLICKDRUM MODULE

Using the Module Using Kits Selecting a Kit To select one of the module's 10 preset Kits, do one of the following:

• With the Variation Button lit red, press the 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5 Button to select Kit 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5 (respectively).

• With the Variation Button lit green, press the 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5 Button to select Kit 6, 7, 8, 9, or 10 (respectively). The Kit number will appear in the display. Once you have selected a Kit, you can select others by repeating one of the steps above or by using the – and + Buttons. Adjusting Kit Volumes To adjust the volume of each separate Kit:

1. Do one of the following:

• With the Variation Button lit red, double-press the 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5 Button to select Kit 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5 (respectively).

• With the Variation Button lit green, double-press the 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5 Button to select Kit 6, 7, 8, 9, or 10 (respectively).

2. The display will show an L ("level") and the volume level (00 – 32). Use

the – or + Buttons to set the Kit's volume level. (The default volume level is 28.)

3. Wait for 4 seconds. The drum module will automatically save the new

setting. Playing Along With Patterns Selecting and Playing a Pattern To select one of the 30 preset Patterns:

1. Press the Pattern Button to enter Pattern Mode. The button's LED will light up, and

the display will show the current Pattern's number.

2. Use the – or + buttons to select a Pattern. (You can hold down the – or +

buttons to scan quickly through the list.)

3. Press the Start/Stop Button to start the Pattern's playback.

4. Play along to the Pattern!

5. Press the Start/Stop Button to stop the Pattern's playback.

Adjusting the Pattern Volume To adjust the volume of each separate Pattern:

Using the Metronome (Click) You can use the built-in metronome ("click") to help you keep time while practicing with the Built-In Drum Coach or with Patterns. You can change the metronome's tempo (speed), volume, sound, and time signature. Turning the Metronome On or Off To turn the metronome on or off, press the Click button. Adjusting the Metronome Tempo To adjust the metronome's tempo (speed):

setting. Adjusting the Metronome Volume To adjust the metronome's volume:

setting. Changing the Metronome Sound To change the metronome's "click" sound:

1. Press the Click Button and 1 Button simultaneously.

2. The display will show CL ("click") and the number of the sound (CL1 –

3. Wait for 4 seconds. The drum module will automatically save the new setting.

Changing the Metronome Time Signature To change the metronome's time signature:

1. Press the Click Button and 2 Button simultaneously.

Changing the Metronome Interval To change the metronome's note division (the note value it measures with each click):

1. Press the Click Button and 3 Button simultaneously.

setting. Using the Built-In Drum Coach The Built-In Drum Coach contains five different exercises to help you develop and improve a sense of tempo, accuracy, or stamina: Beat Check, Gradual Up/Down, Rhythm Change Up, Follow Me, and Drum Mute. To use the Built-In Drum Coach, press the Pattern Button and Tempo Button at the same time. Then, press the 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5 Button that corresponds to the exercise you want to do. The display will show which exercise you have selected.

Using Beat Check This exercise evaluates your sense of time and how accurately you play along with the metronome. To use Beat Check:

1. Press the Pattern Button and Tempo Button at the

same time, and then press the 1 Button.

2. Set the metronome's time signature and interval

(described in the Using the Metronome (Click) section).

3. Press the Start/Stop Button to begin.

4. Hit the pads in time with the metronome. The six LEDs of the 1-5/Variation Buttons indicate how

accurate (how "on time") you are.

• When you are right on the beat, the 3 and 4 Button light up.

• When you are slightly off the beat, the 2 or 5 Button will light up.

• When you are off the beat, the 1 or Variation Button will light up.

• When you are completely off the beat, no buttons will light up.

5. Press the Start/Stop Button to stop.

Using Gradual Up/Down Gradual Up/Down evaluates how quickly you can play while still maintaining accurate time. To use Gradual Up/Down:

1. Press the Pattern Button and Tempo Button at the

same time, and then press the 2 Button.

2. Set the metronome's time signature and interval

(described in the Using the Metronome (Click) section).

4. Do one of the following:

• Press the 1 Button to select G-1 Mode. In this mode, the tempo automatically decreases or increases by 5 BPM every 4 measures, depending on your accuracy.

• Press the 2 Button to select G-2 Mode. In this mode, the tempo automatically decreases or increases by 1 BPM each measure. (The starting tempo is your metronome's current setting.)

5. Hit the pads in time with the metronome. The six LEDs of the 1-5/Variation Buttons indicate how

accurate (how "on time") you are.

• When you are right on the beat, the 3 and 4 Button light up.

• When you are slightly off the beat, the 2 or 5 Button will light up.

• When you are off the beat, the 1 or Variation Button will light up.

• When you are completely off the beat, no buttons will light up.

6. Press the Start/Stop Button to stop.

Using Rhythm Change Up Rhythm Change Up helps you practice changing rhythms while still maintaining accurate time. To use Rhythm Change Up:

1. Press the Pattern Button and Tempo Button at the

3. Press the 1, 2, or 3 Button, or use the – and + Buttons to select a rhythmic progression,

shown below: P-1: P-2: P-3:

4. Press the Start/Stop Button to begin.

5. Hit the pads in the rhythm you selected (above) and in time with the metronome (the starting

tempo is your metronome's current setting). The six LEDs of the 1-5/Variation Buttons indicate how accurate (how "on time") you are:

• When you are right on the beat, the 3 and 4 Button light up.

• When you are slightly off the beat, the 2 or 5 Button will light up.

• When you are off the beat, the 1 or Variation Button will light up.

• When you are completely off the beat, no buttons will light up. The display will show your score:

Using Follow Me Follow Me helps you practice identifying different drums by their sound and memorizing drum rhythms that use the entire drum kit. In this exercise, a drum loop will repeat, alternating between (1) the drum pattern itself and (2) a metronome track of the same length during which you play the drum pattern yourself. To use Follow Me:

1. Press the Pattern Button and Tempo Button at the

3. Use the – and + Buttons to select the drum pattern you want to

5. When you hear the drum pattern, try to

learn which pads are being played and when. During the metronome track that follows, play the same drum pattern in time with the metronome. For reference, the display will show the current beat. The six LEDs of the 1-5/Variation Buttons indicate how accurate you are.

6. Press the Start/Stop Button to stop.

Using Drum Mute Drum Mute lets you silence certain parts of various drum patterns, allowing you to play freely and create your own parts over the rest of the drum pattern. To use Drum Mute:

1. Press the Pattern Button and Tempo Button at the

3. Use the – and + Buttons to select the drum pattern you want to

4. Press one or several of the 1-5/Variation Buttons to select the sound or sounds you want

• 5: Crash and ride cymbals

• Variation: Percussion

5. Press the Start/Stop Button to begin.

6. Play freely along with the drum pattern you hear. The drum pattern will not include any

sounds you muted in Step 4, allowing you to create your own part.

7. Press the Start/Stop Button to stop.

Automatic Power-Off To save energy, the drum module will power off automatically after 30 minutes of no activity. If you do not need this feature, disable it by powering off the drum module, and then pressing and holding the Start/Stop Button while powering it back on. PoF will appear on the display to confirm the feature is off. Note: After powering off, this feature will be re-enabled. Repeat the procedure above to disable it each time you power on the module. PATTERNCOACHTEMPO

Using MIDI About MIDI MIDI (Musical Instrument Digital Interface) is a standard way in which certain electronic musical devices can communicate with each other. When two MIDI devices are connected, they can send/receive MIDI "messages," "data," or "information" over either a 5-pin MIDI cable or a standard USB cable (depending on the available ports on the devices). In the case of the DM Lite module, you can connect its USB port to a USB port on your computer with a standard USB cable (sold separately). All MIDI messages will travel to and from your computer over this connection. This allows you to do one of two things:

• Use an electronic drum kit connected to the drum module to trigger sounds on an external MIDI device (e.g., a sequencer, your computer if you use software that can receive MIDI notes, etc.). See Triggering Sounds on an External MIDI Device later in this section.

• Use an external MIDI device to play sounds in the drum module. See Using the Drum Module as the Sound Module later in this section. Triggering Sounds on an External MIDI Device PHONESOUTPUTAUX IN USB L/MONO MIDI INVOL MIDI OUT R L R L USB

1. Using a standard USB cable (not included), connect the drum module's USB port to a USB port on your

2. If you are triggering sounds in software, skip to the next step.

If you are triggering sounds in an external MIDI device, make sure that device is connected to your computer (either directly via USB or through a USB-MIDI interface).

3. Set the active track of your MIDI software, sequencer, etc. to Channel 10, and start recording.

4. Play your electronic drum kit. The MIDI information will be sent to your computer, sequencer, etc. See

the Trigger MIDI Notes section of this manual's Appendix for a list of the MIDI notes sent out by each trigger.

1. Using a standard USB cable (not included), connect the drum module's USB port to a USB port on your

2. If you are using software to play the drum module's sounds, skip to the next step.

If you are using an external MIDI device to play the drum module's sounds, make sure that device is connected to your computer (either directly via USB or through a USB-MIDI interface).

3. Set the the active track of your MIDI software, sequencer, etc. to the desired channel (1-16).

Note: Channel 10 of the drum module is reserved for drum sounds.

4. Play your sequencer or other external device to hear the drum module's internal sounds.

5. See the Presets and General MIDI (GM) sections of this manual's Appendix for lists of the available

• Variation: Percussioni

• Variation: Percussion

Technical Specifications Kits 10 preset kits; 5 General MIDI (GM) kits Sequencer 30 Patterns; 12 "Follow Me" patterns Resolution 192 ticks per quarter note Maximum Polyphony

• Specifications are subject to change without notice.alesis.com