Alesis Performance Pad Reference Manual
  1. Manuals
  2. Brands
  3. Alesis Manuals
  4. Drums
  5. Performance Pad
  6. Reference manual

Alesis Performance Pad Reference Manual

Percussion pad controller and drum machine
Hide thumbs Also See for Performance Pad:
Table of Contents

Advertisement

Quick Links

See also: Quick Start Owner's Manual
REFERENCE MANUAL

Advertisement

Table of Contents
loading
Need help?

Need help?

Do you have a question about the Performance Pad and is the answer not in the manual?

Questions and answers

Related Manuals for Alesis Performance Pad

Summary of Contents for Alesis Performance Pad

  • Page 1 REFERENCE MANUAL...

  • Page 3: Table Of Contents

    CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION 1.1 WELCOME TO THE PERFORMANCE PAD DRUM MACHINE! 1.2 GROUND RULES 1.3 IMPORTANT: HOW TO COMMUNICATE WITH THE PERFORMANCE PAD 1.4 10 STEPS TO INSTANT GRATIFICATION (SETUP AND CHECKOUT) CHAPTER 2: RECORD SETUP 2.1 PAGE 1: SELECT THE QUANTIZATION VALUE (QUANTIZE SELECT) 2.2 PAGE 2: SELECT THE SWING VALUE (SWING SELECT)

  • Page 5: Chapter 1: Introduction

    Patterns and Songs, this data can be saved permanently to MIDI System Exclusive storage devices. The Performance Pad also includes a library of preset rhythm Patterns prepared by professional drummers for those who want to start creating Songs in the fastest and easiest way possible.
  • Page 6 8 beats, then immediately jump back to the beginning and continue recording through all 8 beats again. The Performance Pad will remain in record mode, and continue to loop, until you press STOP or switch over to Perform mode.
  • Page 7 Often the default is "whatever was selected last." Example: If the Performance Pad was in Pattern mode and Pattern 23 was selected when you turned off the Performance Pad, the next time the Performance Pad powers up it will be in Pattern mode with Pattern 23 selected.
  • Page 8 The data entry buttons include number entry buttons (0-9) and up arrow (increment, or INC) and down arrow (decrement, or DEC). The latter increase or decrease parameter values on step at a time. • Volume knob (on back of Performance Pad). This knob regulates the volume of the entire unit.
  • Page 9 • Swing. In Compose mode, shows the current swing rhythm, expressed as a percentage (or OFF if swing is off). • Play/Record. If the Performance Pad is playing and in Compose mode, this will say RECORDING. If the Performance Pad is playing and in Perform mode, this will say PLAYING.

  • Page 10: 1.3 Important: How To Communicate With The Performance Pad

    (4)—to prevent confusion with Song steps or step edit mode. 1.3 IMPORTANT: HOW TO COMMUNICATE WITH THE PERFORMANCE PAD 1.3A The INC/DEC Buttons The two small buttons with the up arrow and down arrow symbols (next to the number keys) are called the INC/DEC buttons respectively.

  • Page 11: Steps To Instant Gratification (Setup And Checkout)

    2. Leave the MIDI OUT jack (rear panel) disconnected for now. 3. Plug the Performance Pad's AC adapter into the wall. The smaller plug inserts in the 9V AC Power jack on the back. 4. Turn on the rear panel On/Off switch, then turn on the amplifier.
  • Page 12 PATTERN BEAT 001 USER PRESS PLAY PLAYING TEMPO PERFORM 9. Try the following: • Enter a two-digit number between 00-49 using the number keys, then press PLAY. • Press the INC (up arrow) button to select the next higher-numbered Preset Pattern. It will play at the end of the current Pattern.

  • Page 13: Chapter 2: Record Setup

    CHAPTER 2: RECORD SETUP Several parameters are often adjusted prior to recording a Pattern, such as metronome, Pattern length, etc. General instructions are: 1. Press the RECORD SETUP button. 2. Use the PAGE (up and down) buttons to select different "pages" of functions; the display's lower right window shows the page number.
  • Page 14 KEYPAD NOTE VALUE DISPLAY NOTE NAME QUARTER NOTE QUARTER NOTE TRIPLET EIGHTH NOTE 1/12 EIGHTH NOTE TRIPLET 1/16 16th NOTE 1/24 16th NOTE TRIPLET 1/32 32nd NOTE 1/48 32nd NOTE TRIPLET 9, 0 1/384 384th NOTE Quantization shifts your playing to the specified beat while you play, so choose the desired value before playing out your rhythms.

  • Page 15: Select The Swing Value (Swing Select)

    PAGE 2: SELECT THE SWING VALUE (SWING SELECT) The display shows SWING SELECT; the Swing window shows the swing value. SWING SELECT SETUP RECORD PAGE SWINGOFF Enter the desired swing percentage with the INC/DEC or number buttons (1 = 54%, 2 = 58%, 3 = 62%, 4-0 = Swing Off).

  • Page 16: Enable Click (Metronome) And Set Rhythm (Click Select)

    PAGE 3: ENABLE CLICK (METRONOME) AND SET RHYTHM (CLICK SELECT) The display shows CLICK SELECT; the Click window shows the click's rhythmic value. CLICK SELECT SETUP RECORD PAGE CLICK Enter the click value with the INC/DEC or number buttons (1 = quarter note, 2 = quarter note triplet, 3 = 8th note, 4 = 8th note triplet, 5 = 16th note, 6 = 16th note triplet, 7-0 = Click Off).

  • Page 17: Add/Remove Beats From Pattern End (Length)

    (quarter notes). Enter the desired length with the INC/DEC or number buttons (this must be a three digit number; enter leading zeroes if necessary). To prevent accidental length alteration, you must press PLAY before the Performance Pad will store the new Pattern length. The display shows CHANGED LENGTH for as long as PLAY is pressed.

  • Page 18: Add/Remove Beats From Pattern Beginning ('Start)

    "feel" of a piece. This only affects already- recorded parts. 1. The Performance Pad should be in Pattern mode and stopped. The display says OFFSET, which will be 00/384 (no offset). 2. Press the pad to be offset (as confirmed by the display). If you don't select a pad, offset affects the entire Pattern.

  • Page 19: Step Mode Recording (Step Mode)

    PAGE 8: STEP MODE RECORDING (STEP MODE) The display shows STEP MODE? This is your "gateway" to step editing, which provides detailed Pattern editing and recording. To enter the step editor, press PLAY. The display now shows the beat and sub-beat. If a drum event exists on this beat/sub- beat, the display will also show the drum pad that played the event and the event volume.

  • Page 20: Name The Pattern (Name)

    The following sections summarize the step edit options. 2.8A Add a New Drum to a Step Use the PAGE buttons to select the step where the drum is to be added. Press the pad that corresponds to the sound you want to add. That drum, along with its volume (how hard the pad was struck), will be recorded into the displayed step.

  • Page 21: Chapter 3: Playing Back/Recording Patterns

    3.1K. 3.1B Perform/Compose Modes The Performance Pad doesn't have a record button. Instead, press PLAY to start the Pattern, then select either Perform or Compose mode (as selected by the PERFORM/COMPOSE button).
  • Page 22 The tempo range extends from 20 to 255 beats per minute. Tempo can be changed while the Performance Pad is stopped or running. There are two ways to set tempo. • Before initiating Pattern play, tap the STOP button several times at the desired tempo.
  • Page 23 • If you change your mind or select the wrong Pattern, you can select a new Pattern number at any time before the next Pattern begins. • If you press STOP before the next Pattern begins playing, the Performance Pad will stop and remain on the currently selected Pattern.
  • Page 24 FILL button on beat 4 but hold it down past beat 8. The A Fill Pattern will play the last 4 beats, then the Performance Pad will return to the A Main Pattern. Fills cannot start on the downbeat since a Fill, by definition, starts at some point into the Main Pattern.
  • Page 25 Compose mode, pressing the footswitch will switch a Main Pattern over to its associated Fill. The Fill will continue playing until you press the footswitch again, at which point the Performance Pad will revert to the associated Main Pattern. 3.1K Using Fill to Create Repetitive Drum Hits As mentioned earlier, the FILL button performs two different functions.

  • Page 26: Erase Functions

    Pattern will remember the Drum Set assignment, name, and length. 1. The Performance Pad must be in Pattern mode and stopped to allow erasing a Pattern. 2. Enter the two-digit Pattern number to be erased with the number or INC/DEC buttons.

  • Page 27: Copy Functions

    Pattern to another Main Pattern. 3.3A Copy, Append, and Double Patterns 1. The Performance Pad should be in Pattern mode and stopped. 2. Select the Pattern to be copied. 3. Press and hold the COPY button, and keep holding it down until step (6). The display says COPY TO PATT.
  • Page 28 See section 8.3: Sound Stacking. 1. The Performance Pad should be in Pattern mode and stopped. 2. Select the Pattern containing the drum part to be copied. 3. Press and hold the COPY button, and keep holding it down until step (7). The display says COPY TO PATT.

  • Page 29: Chapter 4: Creating Drum Sets

    CHAPTER 4: CREATING DRUM SETS The Performance Pad's 8 pads can be assigned to various drum sounds, with different levels, tuning, panning, triggering mode, and output jack assignment. Each set of pad parameters is given a number and collectively are called a Drum Set; each A and B user Pattern can have its own Drum Set assignment.

  • Page 30: Assign Sounds To Pads

    DRUM SET PAGE You can assign any of the Performance Pad's sounds to any of the pads, or to more than one pad. Each individual Drum Set can have its own drum sound assignment. To assign a sound to a pad: 1.

  • Page 31: Set Pad Stereo Position (Panning)

    4.8) or do more assignments by striking another pad to select it, then assigning the pan position. Background The Performance Pad has two pairs of stereo outputs. Drum sounds can be assigned to either pair of outputs (Page 7), and be placed anywhere within the stereo field of the assigned outputs via the pan function.

  • Page 32: Set Triggering Mode (Asn Mode)

    The Performance Pad can play up to 16 voices at a time, so it's possible to run out of voices if you play a flurry of notes and have lots of pads in the Multi assign mode. If 16 sounds are playing and you ask the Performance Pad to play another one, the sound that's closest to finishing its decay cycle will be "stolen"...

  • Page 33: Save Drum Set (Save Set)

    PAGE 8: MANUAL DRUM SET OVERRIDE (SET MODE) The display says SET MODE. Use the INC/DEC buttons to select PATT (each Pattern uses its assigned Drum Set) or MANUAL (the Performance Pad will retain the currently selected drum assignments regardless of which Pattern is chosen).

  • Page 34: Chapter 5: Song Mode

    Song steps, delete Song steps, etc. The Performance Pad holds up to 100 Songs, and each Song can contain up to 254 steps. Each step holds either a Pattern number or Fill. Each Song remembers the tempo at which it was last played.
  • Page 35 You need not start a Song from the beginning each time; in Compose mode, a Song can start at any Song step. 1. Make sure the Performance Pad is in Compose mode, even if you don't plan to record anything.

  • Page 36: Real Time Song Creation

    Song step with its Pattern number every time it repeats. 7. In addition to selecting different Patterns, you can press FILL at any time. The Performance Pad will remember where you pressed FILL. As in Pattern mode, pressing FILL will automatically transition to the B Pattern if the A Pattern is currently playing (and vice versa), or will continue playing the same Pattern if the FILL button is held past the end of the Fill.

  • Page 37: Manual Song Creation

    DEC button to return to a previous step and change its Pattern. 5.3B Add a Fill 1. With the Performance Pad in Song and Compose modes, select the step where the Fill is to be added. 2. Press and hold the FILL button.
  • Page 38 5.3E Delete a Step 1. The Performance Pad should be in Song and Compose modes. 2. Use the INC/DEC buttons to select the step number to be deleted. 3. Press and hold ERASE. The display says ERASE STEP? 4. While continuing to hold ERASE, press PLAY. The step is deleted, and all subsequent steps are automatically re-numbered to reflect the deletion of the inserted step (e.g., what used to be step 06 is now step 05, what used to be step 07 is now...
  • Page 39 5.4I Copy a Song to Another Song (or to the End of Another Song If That Song is Not Empty) 1. The Performance Pad should be in Song and Perform modes. 2. Select the Song to be copied with the number or INC/DEC buttons.

  • Page 40: Chapter 6: Midi Setup

    If the Performance Pad is acting as a drum machine and provides the master clock to a MIDI system, select OFF so that other devices don't respond to the MIDI note data.

  • Page 41: Chapter 7: Utility

    CHAPTER 7: UTILITY ABOUT UTILITY The Utility Menu allows you to save the Performance Pad Pattern, Song, and Drum Kit data to MIDI system exclusive storage devices and check how much memory is left on the Performance Pad. General instructions are: 1.

  • Page 42: Chapter 8: Applications

    Enable the slave's Song Position Pointer if it is available. 3. Press PLAY on the Performance Pad. The slave units should start at the same time, and progress at the same tempo. If the slaves respond to Song Position Pointer, you can start an Performance Pad Song at any point, and after a few seconds the slaves will catch up and synchronize from that point on.

  • Page 43: 8.2 Strategies For Assembling Patterns And Songs

    8.2 STRATEGIES FOR ASSEMBLING PATTERNS AND SONGS Ideally, you should be able to translate your inspirations into tangible form with a minimum amount of effort. The following tips and techniques help speed up the process of creating Patterns and Songs. 8.2A Create Fills Quickly with the Copy Function Many times a Fill will simply be a variation on another Pattern, but with a few minor differences to add variety or serve different musical purposes.

  • Page 44: 8.3 Understanding Rhythmic Notation

    8.3 UNDERSTANDING RHYTHMIC NOTATION Measures A piece of music is divided into smaller units called measures (also called bars), and each measure is divided into beats. In the Performance Pad, each beat is further sub-divided into 96 sub-beats. Rhythmic Values for Notes With a measure written in a 4/4 time signature, there are 4 beats per measure, and each beat represents a quarter (1/4) note.

  • Page 45: Midi Implementation Chart

    MIDI IMPLEMENTATION CHART Function Transmitted Recognized Remarks Basic Default 1-16 Channel Changed 1-16 0-127 Note Number: True Voice 0-127 Note On 1-127 Velocity Note Off After Touch Ch’s Pitch Bend Program 0-127 Change True # System Exclusive MIDI out only Song Pos System Song Sel...

  • Page 46: Sound List

    SOUND LIST 1 Honst Kik 50 Hi Honest 100 Lo Chrome 150 Hi Room Tm 200 Hi Timbli 2 Honst A 51 Honst Sur 101 Dyno Hi Sn 151 Md Room Tm 201 Md Timbli 3 Stab Kik 52 Lo Honst 102 Shot Room 152 Lo Room Tm 202, Lo Timbli...

  • Page 47: Preset Pattern Tempos

    PRESET PATTERN TEMPOS (110-130) (80-90) (125-135) (100-110) (135-145) (90-95) (125-135) (135-150) (115-125) (110-120) (100-115) (120-130) (100-120) (105-115) (100-120) (55-70) (95-115) (100-115) (130-145) (90-100) (110-130) (135-150) (120-130) (120-130) (130-140) (120-140) (95-110) (120-140) (115-135) (70-90) (70-90) (105-130) (115-140) (115-135) (120-140) (95-110) (115-130) (110-120) (90-110) (130-140)

  • Page 48: Key Features

    KEY FEATURES 8 natural feeling, velocity-sensitive drum pads Built-in professional drum machine so you can record and play back your own beats 50 Preset / 50 User drum kits with 233 sounds assignable to any pad Built-in rhythm patterns to complement your playing Large LCD display with easy-to-navigate interface Dynamic Articulation stereo samples with reverb and ambience for realistic playing...
  • Page 52 www.alesis.com...

Table of Contents

Save PDF