M25: How To Assign The Drum Pads

Introduction

The Rockville M25 allows you to assign each of its drum pads to a specific drum sound or MIDI note, making it easy to customize your setup for any DAW or virtual instrument. This guide walks you through how to edit and assign MIDI notes to the pads so they trigger the correct drum sounds.

Step 1: Enter Drum Pad Editing Mode

1. Press and hold the Drum Setting button.
   • All drum pads will light up, indicating edit mode.
2. Each drum pad is controlled by a corresponding knob:
   • Knob 1 → Pad 1
   • Knob 2 → Pad 2, and so on.

Step 2: Assigning a MIDI Note to a Drum Pad

Each drum sound is assigned to a specific MIDI note number. To find the correct note:

1. Refer to a MIDI Note Key Chart.
   • Example MIDI mappings for most DAWs:
     • Kick Drum → C1 (MIDI Note 36)
     • Snare Drum → D1 (MIDI Note 38)
     • Hi-Hat → F#1 (MIDI Note 42)
2. Use the MIDI Keyboard in Your DAW
   • Open your DAW’s MIDI keyboard to see which notes trigger drum sounds.
   • Press each note to identify the sound (e.g., C1 = Kick, D1 = Snare).

Step 3: Assigning a Kick Drum to Pad 1

1. Find the Kick Drum MIDI Note:
   • According to the chart, C1 (MIDI Note 36) is the Kick Drum.
2. Assign MIDI Note 36 to Pad 1:
   • Hold the Drum Setting button.
   • Turn Knob 1 to set Pad 1 to MIDI Note 36.
   • Release the Drum Setting button.
3. Test the Pad:
   • Tap Pad 1 to confirm it plays the Kick Drum.

Step 4: Assigning a Snare Drum to Pad 2

1. Find the Snare Drum MIDI Note:
   • According to the chart, D1 (MIDI Note 38) is the Snare Drum.
2. Assign MIDI Note 38 to Pad 2:
   • Hold the Drum Setting button.
   • Turn Knob 2 to set Pad 2 to MIDI Note 38.
   • Release the Drum Setting button.
3. Test the Pad:
   • Tap Pad 2 to confirm it plays the Snare Drum.

Step 5: Assigning More Drum Sounds

• Use the same method to assign other drum sounds.
• Example MIDI note assignments:
  • Pad 3 → Hi-Hat (F#1, MIDI Note 42)
  • Pad 4 → Open Hi-Hat (A#1, MIDI Note 46)
  • Pad 5 → Tom 1 (G1, MIDI Note 43)
  • Pad 6 → Tom 2 (A1, MIDI Note 45)
  • Pad 7 → Ride Cymbal (C#2, MIDI Note 49)
  • Pad 8 → Crash Cymbal (D#2, MIDI Note 51)

Step 6: Assigning Drum Pads in Bank B

• Press the Bank B button to switch to a second set of pad assignments.
• Follow the same process to set different drum sounds for Bank B.
• This is useful for expanding your drum kit (e.g., adding percussion, effects, or extra samples).

Conclusion

Customizing the drum pads on your Rockville M25 allows for a more efficient and personalized workflow. Whether you're using Logic Pro X, Ableton Live, FL Studio, or another DAW, this method ensures your drum pads trigger the exact sounds you need.