Alternate Mode DITI User manual

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 our HybriHEAD™ and
HybriPAD™ are designed to work right out of the box with the DITI for unprecedented dynamic range and
control. Our new jamKAT, jamKAT’R and HybriKIT are multi-pad FSR pad configurations that are
preprogrammed on the DITI, offering the most powerful drum controllers ever made.
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 many of the legendary features of the drumKAT,
allowing for Alternate Note Modes, Velocity Shifts Modes , Note Shift Modes, Advanced Pad Linking,
Transpositions and much more. There is also a special mode called SWITCHED BY, that alters the note
on a pad if it detects pressure on another.
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 all of the sound modules
presets will be preloaded as Sound Patches. You can also create your own Kits and Sound Patches and
even create your own CHAIN so that you can make your own Song List of Presets.
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As new drum modules and soft synths from other manufacturers become available, new KITS can be
downloaded from our SYSEX Database from our website. This keeps the DITI modern and current.
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 STARTUP GUIDE 5
Pad Types
Kit Types
Training
THINGS TO KNOW WITHOUT READING MANUAL 9
CORE FEATURES OF THE DITI 12
ONLINE TRAINING VIDEOS 14
DITI ORGANIZATION 16
EDITING THE DITI 18
The Interface - 18
Editable Kits and Reinitialization - 19
Plugging in Your Triggers - 20
The Four Edit Buttons - 22
The Arrows - 23
The Display - 24
LED's and Trigger Inputs -24
The Edit Button - 26
MIDI Channel – 27
Note Number Slots -27
aFREEZ, aRST1, aRST2, aRVRSE
Special DITI Functions -29
Transpose Modes -31
MIDI Velocity – 32
Dynamic Override -34
Dampen Mode -36
Gate Time -37
Roll Mode Gate Mode
Velocity Gate Gate Mode
Pad Control Modes – 39
Note Shift Mode – 39
Velocity Shift – 41
Slot Shift
Positional Sensing - 42
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Assigning FSR Trigger Switch - 43
Pressure Control - 44
Sound Function – 45
Pad Linking – 50
Link Toggle - 50
Hihat Select – 51
Foot Controller – 53
Patch Names – 55
Auxiliary Patch Changes – 57
All Notes OFF Command -57
MIDI Equalizer -58
UNDERSTANDING KITS and KIT TYPES 58
Reinitialize a Single Kit
GLOBAL SCREENS 60
Pad Types – 61
Important Pad Type Tips – 65
Importing and Exporting Pad Types -65
Train Override – 66
Thresholds – 67
Input Types – 68
Membrane Switch Trigger Pads -72
Slots in Switch Mode -73
Membrane Swithes – 75
FSR Dampen – 75
Piezo Dampen – 75
Input Type = Continuous Controller 76
Positional Sensing -77
Input Type = Hat Controller -79
eHAT 2 Pedal – 80
Input Type = Pressure Controller -81
Gain Control – 82
Tips for Setting Gain – 84
Threshold - 85
Mask Time – 85
Dynamic Curve -86
Curve Listings -88
Dynamic Range – 90
Program Change Receive 93
Reinitializing the DITI -94
Data Dumping System Exclusive -91
Copy Current Kit -93
DISPLAY Notes/Numbers
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Copy Input 93
Copy Pad -93
Copy Pad Type – 94
MIDI Merge – 94
Scan Count – 95
Interaction Control – 95
Envelope Duration – 97
Interaction Level – 97
Envelope Threshold -98
Multi Zone Triggers – 101
Remote Editing Controlling Editing via the Trigger Pads
Using the PMCP footswitch for Kit Advance and Kit Backwards
INTERACTION MODE SCREENS 102
Interaction Mode – 102
Train Envelope – 102
TRAIN MODE SCREENS 103
Train Mode – 103
Train Minimum Maximum Dynamic – 103
Train Mode Screens -105
Training Hihat Pedal 107
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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 the 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. When you see
your favorite module, the DITI is ready to go. If you don’t see your drum module, go to our website and
download our every growing list of KIT TYPES.
http://www.alternatemode.com/DITI/diti_downloads.shtml
Here you will be able to download new KITs, Pad Types and All Memory Dumps.
On the second line of the screen, you will see the first 50 Kits in sequential order (called SOUND
PATCHES) 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 PATCHES
and build up your own CHAINs to create your order of sounds.
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.
Because there can be so many PAD TYPES, it is possible to IMPORT PAD TYPES from our website,
mentioned above http://www.alternatemode.com/DITI/diti_downloads.shtml
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
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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 can store the
TRAINING results on every input. This means that you can have different feels and dynamic range on
each and every KIT. There is also a default Training for every PAD TYPE so that the work can be
automatically set for you. The choice is yours.
So let’s 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 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 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 in the PAD Type Screen
KITS will share the same PAD TYPE settings for that particular drum trigger, and this also includes a
dynamic training that’s part of the the PAD TYPE. Every pad in every KIT however can OVERRIDE the
Training settings of the PAD TYPE and can store its own TRAINING for that Input. This gives you the
maximum flexibility when creating your own setups.
KITs
A KIT 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. Kits are made to work with specific drum and sound modules, and the KIT names reflect
what module they are designed to work with.
There are tons of PRESET KITs 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 module’s sounds.
Because there are so many different sound modules on the market, we decided to have a database
available on our website where you can instantly find the sound module you want, and download it to your
computer. Then you can send a SYSEX file to the DITI (via SysEX Librarian - Mac or MIDOX -PC). The
DITI will automatically overwrite the current active kit, even if it is a Factory Kit.
http://www.alternatemode.com/DITI/diti_downloads.shtml
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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 patch. This gives you the ability to create your own
CHAINS….. kits in the order you want. The DITI also sends out 4 ADDITIONAL (Auxiliary) Bank,
Program and Volume Change Commands on any MIDI Channel when you first load in your KIT TYPE.
Each KIT also stores up to 8 Controller Number Settings. These settings give you lots of control for
setting up a multi channel Kit setup.
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
There are also 33 USER KIT TYPES, labeled 17 thru 50. You can create your own Kits from scratch.
USER KIT TYPES do not necessarily have pre assigned Sound Patches associated with them. The user
needs to determine what the PAD TYPES and note numbers are for each of the DITI’s inputs. User KIT
TYPES still allow you to attach up to 50 Sound Patches by using the Left and Right Arrows
IMPORTANT TIP
At Alternate Mode, will fill up these 33 User KITs with our favorite gigKAT Kits to be used with the
HybriKIT, jamKAT or jamKAT’R. In Edit Mode if you hold down the Enter pad for several seconds, the
existing kit information is reinitialized, and the Kit is preset with a General MIDI Setup.
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KIT PAD TRAINING
Every KIT can store your TRAINING of Soft and Hard Hits for each input. The KIT stores your soft and
hard hit settings, but not the envelope and interaction settings. These are Global.
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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 1984. It
has been used ever since. The original “KAT mallet Controller had only 8 levels of dynamics. The
drumKAT and malletKAT have 256 levels of dynamics, The DITI…..1024 levels of Dynamics.
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!
Another thing to remember is that the DITI allows you to combine different trigger pads from different
manufactures. No other interface allows you to combine FSR, Switch Pads, !and Piezo’s all in one box8
and in any combination in any of the DITI’s Kits.
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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THINGS TO KNOW
WITHOUT READING THE REAL MANUAL
This is our “MINI MANUAL”
less than three pages
●Start by using the Up or Down Arrows to find the name of the Sound Module (the KIT) that you
plan to use.
When you do this, the DITI loads in the note numbers and kits (sound programs) into Play Mode.
The next thing to do is to assign what triggers you are plugging into the unit. Remember every Kit
in the DITI can have its own arrangement of PAD TYPES, that is the name of the trigger product
itself. So assign the KIT first, and assign the PAD TYPES.
●Once the trigger pad is plugged in, manually use the Left and Right Arrows to find the correct
trigger input that is the PAD TYPE (the name of the trigger that you are using) Each jack has an
A and B channel. There is an AUTOMATIC function on the DITI that will jump to the trigger pad
(yes automatically) that you are editing, but this function works best after the basic training is
performed. The Automatic Trigger detection function is designed to work when you are editing
your KIT settings like channel and note numbers, etc.
●If you are using FSR Trigger Pads or Heads, after you plug it in and assign the PAD TYPE to the
Trigger Input, press on the TRAIN button TWICE. The DITI quickly analyzes the threshold on the
inputs and adjusts them automatically. This also happens every time you turn on the DITI. It
reads the inputs and adjusts its thresholds.
●Use stereo 1/4” jacks (TRS) if you are using FSR trigger pads. If you use mono jacks, they will
only work on piezo triggers, and you can only access the TIP of the signal. (that's the A Input).
You can purchase a stereo 1/4” male to 2 mono female adapter to access both Inputs on the
input jack.
●Use stereo ¼” jacks if you are using Membrane Switch pads. These are the dual zone variety of
triggers that have a piezo in the center of the drum, and a membrane switch on the edge (rim),
bell or both.
●Notice that the inputs on the DITI have names on it. BD = Bass Drum, SD = Snare Drum etc. By
using the appropriate input for the trigger, you will eliminate the need to set the note number for
the sound module because it will be automatically assigned when you call up the KIT. You can
however, plug whatever trigger you want into any input, and assign any MIDI note number to it.
●The HiHAT Foot Controller must be plugged into pad number 7. It is a designated input for the
foot pedal. You can use a mono 1/4” cable as the A input is reading the pedal variation.
●The HiHAT trigger pad is usually plugged into Input 8 or Input 9. There are several HiHAT Modes
which include Controller Numbers, HATNOTEs modes or general MIDI HiHAT. When you
selected the sound module KIT, the correct HiHAT setting was selected. If you are creating your
own, you will need to decide which mode works for you.
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●To Edit a Trigger Input, press the GLOBAL Button. Now match the input number (that you are
editing) by using the Up or Down Arrow Keys. Hit Enter. You can also try striking the pad if the
DITI is set to AUTOMATIC . If it doesn't jump to the input number, its because the input PAD
TYPE doesn't match. Go there manually
●Use the RIGHT Arrow to jump to the PAD TYPE Screen. Then use the Up / Down Arrows to find
the name of the trigger pad you have. If you don't know, or if you are using your own DIY trigger,
set it to “piezo”. Hit Enter
●Play for awhile...... Get used to the pads. You may notice that you are not entirely satisfied with
the response of a trigger pad. Now its time to TRAIN.
●Tap on the TRAIN Button. It will ask you to hit the pad you want to train. Do that. Then it will ask
you to hit the pad hard...... don't kill it..... just play the pad with your normal hard hit. Each time
you do that, the DITI will show you the MAXIMUM value it saw. When you feel good about that,
hit ENTER.
●Now the DITI will ask you to hit the pad soft. After you do that, hit ENTER. Start playing again.
Notice how much better it plays.
●If you notice that there is some interaction between pads, then it might be necessary to do the
INTERACTION TRAIN. Press the Interaction Button, tap on the pad you are training. Hit the pad
and WAIT two seconds. Do it one more time, then press on the INTERACTION button again.
Your interaction should be mitigated to satisfaction.
A Note Regarding FSR Trigger Pads
All FSR Trigger Pads need a stereo input. There are several different ways that they can be
plugged into the DITI.
Special Versions of the inHEAD™ and onHEAD™ from Aquarian as well as FSR trigger pads from
Alternate Mode such as the altZONE™ or triZONE™ can plug directly into the DITI without any
conversion boxes (inBOX™).
You will notice a DITI DIRECT label !on the trigger identifying that the trigger pad is ready to
connect directly to the DITI. That is because the wiring is set to TIP/RING, meaning that the DITI uses
the tip for the A Input as the trigger and the Ring or B input as the power source for the FSR.
Aquarian normally sells these FSR inHEAD and onHEAD triggers with a TIP/Sleeve configuration. These
triggers are designed to plug into the inBOX™, a device that converts the FSR into voltage, making
these triggers compatible with the various drum modules on the market today. If you already have one of
these triggers, you can purchase a simple conversion cable available from Alternate Mode converts the
tip sleeve to tip ring making it ready for the DITI.
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