Alternate Mode DITI User guide

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DRUM INTELLIGENT TRIGGER INTERFACE
DITI is the world’s most powerful Trigger to MIDI Interface from Alternate Mode.
With 24 Trigger inputs, a large drum set can be MIDI converted with ease. The DITI is the first interface
of its kind to power and convert FSR drum triggers to MIDI. Products like the inHEAD™ and onHEAD™
from Aquarian DrumHeads are designed to work right out of the box with the DITI for unprecedented
dynamic range and control.
With 1024 A/D converters built in, the DITI will capture your playing dynamics unlike anything else. Each
input can be TRAINED to play within your own personal performance style. Special Interaction Training
ensures no false or double triggering, a problem plaguing other trigger to MIDI interfaces.
The DITI can convert piezo triggers, dual zone piezo triggers, membrane switch triggers, cymbal choking
cymbals, and multi zone cymbals as well. The DITI can detect pad pressure on FSR pads allowing for
dampening, and Continuous Control data being sent. The DITI also has a continuous controller input for
hi hat. If all of this wasn’t enough, the DITI incorporates some of the legendary features of the drumKAT,
allowing for Alternate Note Modes, Velocity Shifts Modes , Note Shift Modes and much more.
The DITI has built in KIT TYPES that can store THOUSANDS of programs from the most popular drum
modules on the market. You simply call up your favorite sound module, and it’s presets are preloaded.
You can also create your own Kits and even create your own CHAIN so that you can make your own
Song List of Presets.
Perhaps the most interesting feature of the DITI is that the controller stores “profiles” of the various drum
triggers on the market. Simply plug in the trigger, identify what you plugged in, call up one of the pre
programmed Kits (for your favorite drum module or vst soft synth) and your done. But unlike a forced
default, you can learn to tweak to the finest detail to get the DITI to respond to your every desire.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
DRUM INTELLIGENT TRIGGER INTERFACE 1
DITI START UP GUIDE 5
THINGS TO KNOW WITHOUT READING THE REAL MANUAL 7
CORE FEATURES OF THE DITI 9
ONLINE TRAINING VIDEOS 11
PLUGGING IN YOUR TRIGGERS 13
EDITABLE FACTORY KITS AND REINITIALIZATION 13
EDITING BUTTONS 15
ARROWS 16
DISPLAY 18
LED AND TRIGGER INPUTS 18
EDIT MODE 20
MIDI CHANNEL 21
MIDI NOTE NUMBER 21
SPECIAL DITI FUNCTIONS 23
MIDI VELOCITY RANGE 25
DAMPEN MODE 27
GATE TIME 28
SUSTAIN 29
PAD CONTROL MODES 29
ASSIGNING FSR TRIGGER SWITCH 33
SETTING UP AN FSR PAD OR FOOTSWITCH 34
ASSIGNING SOUND FUNCTION 34
SPECIAL KIT FUNCTIONS 38
HIHAT SELECT 39
FOOT CONTROLLER 42
EDITING KIT NAMES 44
VOLUME CONTROL 44
PROGRAM CHANGE 45
BANK CHANGE 45
UNDERSTANDING KITS 46
GLOBAL SCREENS 47
PAD TYPES 49
INPUT TYPES 55
MEMBRANE SWITCH 60
CYMBAL CHOKING AND DAMPENING 63
POSITION SENSING 65
FSR FOOT SWITCHES 66
GAIN CONTROL 70
THRESHOLD 73
MASK TIME 73
DYNAMIC CURVE 74
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DITI Start Up Guide
If your not going to read the manual
(at least) READ THIS
We understand that you might not want to read the manual. We understand. It's also true that we've
earned the reputation of having great products, but with a steep learning curve. No argument there either.
The DITI is different...kinda....It still has all of the complexity of our MIDI Controllers (and more), but we've
made an attempt to greatly reduce the pain and suffering we have inflicted on our customers. How you
might ask?
The DITI is about around three basic concepts, KIT TYPES, PAD TYPES and TRAINING. The KIT Type
defines what drum module you are using, the PAD TYPE defines what you’ve plugged into each input.
TRAINING is process of teaching the DITI how you play on those pads and also learns and corrects false
triggering.
KIT TYPES. Simply scroll through the list (up or down arrows) of KIT TYPES on the top line of the
display until you see the name of the Drum Module or Virtual Synth that you are using. Hit ENTER and
the DITI is ready to go. On the second line of the screen, you will see the first 50 Kits in sequential order
(called SOUND PROGRAMS) that are preprogrammed in the drum module that you just selected. Just
use the Left and Right Arrows to scroll through the kits. It is possible to change the order of this list of
Sound Programs and build up your own CHAINs.
PAD TYPES. A Pad Type is simply the name of the trigger pad that you are plugging into one of the
DITI's inputs. After you plug in the trigger pad, you simply scroll through the list of Pad Types until you
find the name of the product that you are using. The names can be very specific like onHEAD™ or
inHEAD™ or altZONE, etc. They are also generic names like “piezo drum trigger”, etc. When you tap on
the ENTER key, the magic happens. The DITI loads in all kinds of critical information about the pad. The
gain structure, threshold settings, mask time settings..... on and on. It even loads in a response curve
designed for that trigger. By performing this one simple task, the DITI took the tech out of the instrument,
because all of the parameters are set and ready to go . Of course you can edit and save each factory
PAD TYPE or you can make your own User Pad Type as well so that you can fine tune the trigger’s
performance to your exact liking.
TRAINING
After you call up your drum module in the KIT TYPE and assign the proper PAD TYPE for each input, you
have the opportunity to TRAIN your pads. Training teaches the DITI how you like to play. It asks you to
play your softest, and then you hardest hit and figures out how
to maximize the dynamics of the pad within this performance range. This feature alone has a tremendous
impact on how the pad plays. This has been a staple feature on all of the KAT controller line since 1984!
Every KIT TYPE stores the TRAINING results on every input. This means that you can have different
feels and dynamic range on each KIT TYPE
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So to review the concept and keywords with a bit more info….
PAD TYPE. When you call up a PAD TYPE, all of the settings relating to how the trigger will function are
automatically loaded in. This includes settings for both the A and B input of that trigger input on the DITI.
The PAD Type contains the INPUT TYPE which defines the function of the input… it tells the DITI what it
expects to “see” on the input… FSR, piezo, membrane switches, etc. It also loads in the gain, thresholds,
mask time settings etc.
There are Factory PAD TYPES and USER PAD TYPES with the same name. If you edit a Factory PAD
Type and make a change and hit ENTER, the DITI copies that PAD type with your changes and puts a “u”
in front of the PAD Type Name. Now you can go back and forth between the Factory PAD Type and your
edited one to make comparisons. There are also 50 User Types that you can create from scratch.
PAD TYPES are Global in nature. Once you create a PAD Type, they can be used in every Factory or
User Kit. The selected Pad Type will have the same function with all of its parameters from kit to kit.
This means that when you use or adjust a PAD TYPE, all Kits will that use this PAD Type will have the
same changes automatically . This can save you lots of time because once you set up a PAD TYPE for a
particular pad, it can be used on any trigger input or any KIT without further adjustments.
You can restore a User PAD TYPE to its original Factory Setting simply by holding down the ENTER key
for several seconds when the cursor is blinking on the u.
Even though KITS will share the same PAD TYPE settings for a particular drum trigger, each KIT stores
its own TRAINING for that Input. This gives you the maximum flexibility when creating your own setups.
KIT TYPE
A KIT TYPE is a collection of the PAD TYPES that are selected for each input. Every KIT on the DITI can
have a different collection of PAD TYPES.
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A KIT Type also stores the MIDI note numbers, MIDI channels, gate times, etc that are used for each of
the inputs. Kit Types also store other important pad functions such as a Program Change and KIT Name
and much more.
There are tons of PRESET KIT TYPES that are predefined for most of the drum modules on the market.
These will have the name of the drum module as its name. As soon as you hit Enter, the DITI loads in the
note numbers needed to access the drum modules sounds.
If you edit any of these settings, the DITI will automatically remember your changes. You will know that
you are working on an Edited Factory KIT TYPE because there will be a (+) character after the KIT
number on the far right of the first line of the display.
You can restore a KIT TYPE back to the original factory setting simply by holding the the ENTER key for
several seconds
Most drum modules have many sound programs (kits) in them. You can access them simply by using the
left or right arrows on the DITI. You will see the name of the sound programs on the DITI as well as the
drum module.
When calling up each of these sound programs, the DITI sends out a program change to the drum
module so that its kit name matches the DITI’s screen. If you change the program number in the Kit, the
DITI will also change the name of the sound program. This gives you the ability to create your own
CHAINS….. kits in the order you want.
Note numbers assigned to the KIT TYPE do not change when changing the KIT Types Sound Programs
(drum modules kits). One set of MIDI Channels, notes numbers, etc for each KIT TYPE
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There are also 50 USER KIT TYPES, labeled 1 thru 50. You can create your own Kits from scratch.
USER KIT TYPES do not have these drum kit programs associated with them. The user determines what
the PAD TYPES and note numbers are for each of the DITI’s inputs.
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For some folks, that might be the extent of technology knowledge needed to get up and running on the
DITI.
In reality however, there might be some tweaking that you would want to do. Now before you say, “here it
comes”, let me explain.
There are two really powerful features in the DITI that separates itself from all the other MIDI trigger
converters on the market and from the normal tweaks that are in drum modules.
The DITI has the ability to LEARN how you play so that the full dynamics of the sound module are within
your defined soft and hard hits. When you TRAIN a trigger pad, meaning when you “teach” the DITI what
your soft and hard hits are, the DITI then takes the 127 levels of MIDI dynamics and spreads them inside
this range of velocity. Cool yes? This important feature was first introduced by KAT INC back in 1985. It
has been used ever since.
The other important DITI feature is its AUTOMATIC INTERACTION MATRIX. The DITI has the ability to
examine each input individually when a pad is struck so that it can eliminate crosstalk with other triggers,
and false triggering within itself. This is a very powerful feature.
Of course if you are not happy with how the DITI trained your pads or Interaction Matrix, you can go into
the Global Screens and tweak to your hearts content!
So now that this is out of the way, below is a list of the bullets needed to perform the tasks necessary to
do all that was explained above. Perhaps your manual reading ends here.....BUT....you might want to
explore the real manual. The DITI can do so many amazing things. We'll list some of them AFTER this
TO DO LIST. Enjoy
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