Can the pads be triggered via external midi/foot controller?

Forum for Roland FA-06/08
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miden
Posts: 149
Joined: 05:17, 15 January 2008

Can the pads be triggered via external midi/foot controller?

Post by miden »

Just wondered if the pads can be triggered in any other ways apart from pressing them?

For example via a MIDI Sysex command, or even a footpedal? I am going through the MIDI Implementation charts as I write this, so I may even find the answer myself. But any contribution is welcome :)
fuxoft
Posts: 52
Joined: 14:30, 15 May 2014

Re: Can the pads be triggered via external midi/foot control

Post by fuxoft »

In the Sample Pad track (number 16 by default, can be changed), the 64 samples are mapped to standard keyboard keys (it's often easier to play them this way than to press the Pads, and also the keys are velocity sensitive!). So I guess sending standard MIDI notes to Channel 16 should also trigger them but I haven't tried it myself.
miden
Posts: 149
Joined: 05:17, 15 January 2008

Re: Can the pads be triggered via external midi/foot control

Post by miden »

Thanks, that does sound feasible...I will investigate further.
geeman
Posts: 100
Joined: 17:45, 31 January 2014

Re: Can the pads be triggered via external midi/foot control

Post by geeman »

miden wrote:Just wondered if the pads can be triggered in any other ways apart from pressing them?

For example via a MIDI Sysex command, or even a footpedal? I am going through the MIDI Implementation charts as I write this, so I may even find the answer myself. But any contribution is welcome :)
Hi to all here,

Have been using an Arturia Beatstep to trigger my FA-06 pads and it works great. Very small footprint (I made a shallow sliding drawer to house it directly under my FA-06). The 16 pads of the Beatstep are velocity sensitive and they light up when struck. Adding velocity to the FA's pads is very handy for playing percussion samples.

There's a nifty sequencer on the BeatStep, too, so I am told. So nifty that I haven't yet figured it out! But being slightly thick about MIDI I haven't dived into the manual. Right now I'm restricted to just triggering Bank 1 of my FA, but maybe triggering the remaining FA Banks might be possible for the MIDI experts?

The other aspect of using the Beatstep, (my opinion), is that it places the pads right in front me, rather than my having to shift body position whilst playing the FA.

Prior to using the BeatStep to trigger the FA's pads, I was using the Akai MPX8 (just eight pads). That was okay, but to my mind, as far as the feel and velocity are concerned, the BeatStep is a keeper.

I regard the small price of the BeatStep as one of my better FA add-on investments. :-)

Hope this might be useful for somebody.
billjv
Posts: 3
Joined: 14:55, 26 August 2018

Re: Can the pads be triggered via external midi/foot control

Post by billjv »

This thread has been extremely helpful! I love hearing that triggering the pad sounds can be done on the keyboard as well, and that when done that way the sounds are touch sensitive! Why the pads aren't to begin with is a mystery only Roland can answer. Probably came down to keeping the cost down. :(

Anyway, that is really, really good news considering I'd read other posts about the issue of the pads not being touch sensitive and wondered if the sounds would be if they were externally triggered by a touch sensitive source. And, I have a Beatstep Pro already, so that will work perfectly! I JUST ordered my FA-08. It will arrive in a couple of days. And this is one of the first tricks I'm going to try!
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