HELP - MT Power Drumkit 2 Install Problems

[gvdv]

Hi,
I have been trying to get the free MT Power Drumkit 2 plug in to work with Reaper 5.211 /X64, and cannot get it to work.

I would really appreciate some help.

I have read some other posts about this on the forums, but am either not understanding fully what to do, or the problem is not anything to do with me.

The installation instructions for Power Drumkit 2 specify copying two files to the 'FX' folder (Program Files - Reaper(x64) - Plugins - FX), but this does not do the trick.

I found one post which said that PDK2 should run as a standalone, but that does not work for me.

If I go to Options - Preferences, the folder listed for VST's is Program Files - VST3

I did not have a VST3 folder under Program File, so I created it, and copied the two PDK2 files there; when I go back into Reaper (open it again after copying the files over), the files are in the VSTi folder.

In the several ways and locations that I have tried to install PDK2 I have got to the same screen in which one has to enter the given 4 digit 'Computer ID', as the 'Installation Key' for PDK2.

Entering the Computer ID never works, though.

I would really appreciate some help for this.

Also, am I right in thinking that the folder to which one installs VST's should be the one named in Options - Preferences, as I described above?

Thanks.

gvdv

[typhonj]

Hi.

I don't know where the info of installing it straight up into Reaper's program folder is coming from but this is not where it goes.

Here is this taken striaght out of MTPDK pdf manual.



You'll surely have to, first, set you VST plugin folder in Reaper.
'Main Menu' -> 'Options' -> 'Preferences' -> 'Plugins' -> 'VST'

If it is already set just put the two files in that folder

Hope this gone help

[gvdv]

Hi typhonj,
Many thanks for your reply.

I am having some problems getting this to work, and getting other plugins which I have downloaded to appear in my VST folder, even after going through the simple process you (and others) describe with all of these files.

Will keep you posted and might ask for your help again.

Thanks,
gvdv

[typhonj]

See this thread;

http://forum.cockos.com/showpost.php...19&postcount=6

That question was asked no later than the day before yours

[gvdv]

Originally Posted by typhonj

See this thread;

http://forum.cockos.com/showpost.php...19&postcount=6

That question was asked no later than the day before yours

Thanks. Yes, I was aware of the semi-colon functionality and pointing to the folder in which the VST's are stored, but I cannot get this to work.

I do not have access to Reaper right now, but will post more about this in the next couple of days.

Thanks once again,

[gvdv]

I am still having no success in getting MT Power Drumkit 2 to work.

I have Reaper 'pointed' to the two MTPD2 files required (in the same folder as all my other VST's, all of which work), but I keep getting an 'Invalid' message when I enter the 4 digit code that MTPD2 produces and asks me to enter.

Anyone have any ideas?

Thanks.

[Goldreap]

Perhaps you already know this, but just to clarify:
When you (first) open MTPD2 you'll see your computer ID displayed in an activation window.
Enter that ID in the box on the download page on the site.
Press the 'Generate Activation Key' button (on the site).
Enter the code in the original activation window.
(The computer ID is NOT the activation code.)

[gvdv]

Hi Goldreap and typhonj,
Many thanks for your help with this, and sorry that I dropped out of contact without thanking you and acknowledging your help.

Finally got the MT Power Drumkit 2 to work.

It turned out that there were two things that were going on:
1. I misunderstood the activation process - Goldreap, thankyou for clarifying that I actually had to enter my computer ID on the download page on the PowerDrumkit site - I found your advice about this, and the post in the following link helpful in this respect http://forums.acoustica.com/bbs/viewtopic.php?t=16388

2. For some reason, the MTPDK 2 plugin would not work until I added the
MT-PowerDrumkit.dll and MT-PowerDrumkit-content.dll files to my FX folder, rather than to my VST folder, which is one level above the FX folder.

Thanks for your help with this.

Now, I can hear the kit and/or loops when I load them as an instance after pressing FX, but I cannot hear them when playing back the track.

So, any advice about this would be appreciated.

All the best,

[gvdv]

Hi,
You will have to forgive me because I am new to using Reaper as my main DAW, and also new to using MIDI plugins, so am making slow progress with this.

I have got MTPDK2 working in that I can open MTPDK2 using the FX button, load it (as a VSTi), and add 'loops', 'styles', and 'grooves' to the MTPDK2 window, and from there I can add these to a track in Reaper.

I am not sure if I should be able to record into a Reaper track from MTPDK2 when I am in 'Drumkit' mode, so would appreciate an answer to that question.

Also, when I go into drumkit mode and click on each individual instrument in the kit, everything seems to be OK, except the kick drum, which is giving a very quiet, un-kick-drum-like 'pat' sound.

Can anyone advise me about how I can map (is this the right term?) a deeper, more kick-drum-like sound to the kick drum?

[Nowhere Man]

Originally Posted by gvdv

...
Also, when I go into drumkit mode and click on each individual instrument in the kit, everything seems to be OK, except the kick drum, which is giving a very quiet, un-kick-drum-like 'pat' sound.

Can anyone advise me about how I can map (is this the right term?) a deeper, more kick-drum-like sound to the kick drum?

Unless you use a drum replacer, which is probably a little too complicated for you at this point, you'll need to give the kick some balls using EQ.

First, to make sure this works as I describe, download a MTPDK .RTrackTemplate from the stash. There are two of them there, not sure if one is better than the other (I made my own) so you may want to download both and delete the one you don't like:

https://stash.reaper.fm/v/24493/MT-Po...RTrackTemplate

https://stash.reaper.fm/v/22198/TRACK...RTrackTemplate

Next, you'll need to copy them to REAPER's TrackTemplates folder. In REAPER, go to the Options menu and near the bottom, click on Show REAPER resource path in explorer/finder. In that path will be a subfolder named TrackTemplates. copy/move the files you downloaded from the Stash to this folder.

Start with a New project and then right-click the empty space in the TCP and choose Load track from template. You will get a list of available track templates - choose one of the MTPDK templates.

There should be a track labeled "Kick" or "Bass Drum" or such, click that track's FX button. Click the Add button and load ReaEQ.

I'm not sure if there is a ReaEQ preset for kick drums to use a starting point or not, but even if there is you should learn how to use ReaEQ. Watch this video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cix4K9ACzEo

After you have the kick drum sounding to your liking, select all the tracks in the drum folder and save them as a track template by going to the tracks menu and choose Save tracks as template. This way, you won't have to do this all over again the next time.

[gvdv]

Hi Nowhere Man,
Sorry for not responding to your post.

I finally have everything up and running properly in MTPDK2 - after I had posted here that things were working, they stopped working, but now everything is running smoothly.

For others interested in downloading, and getting MTPDK2 to work properly, and/or for those who may be new to MIDI and who want to understand it a bit more, I would suggest the following posts and videos:

http://forum.cockos.com/showthread.php?t=190437

Jane, from Music Repo, has two excellent videos about using VST drums in Reaper, with one of them being devoted to how to download MTPowerDrumkit 2 and getting it to work (I think that she mentions the same website I did, but I am not sure).

I suggest watching this video first (because she corrects a mistake she made in the first video).

This video is called, 'Reaper Tutorial: Create MIDI Drum Tracks with FREE MT Power Drum Kit VSTi', and can be found here
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JZe-CKu2G-o

Finally, Jane's other video, 'How To Program A Drum Track In Reaper With MIDI', can be found here
https://www.youtube.com/watch?annota...&v=bpk6LT5WTcQ

I am just delving into this myself, and am really enjoying it (on a related subject, although not VST, I bought 'Ringo Goes Indie' AUDIO drum loops the other day for $15 here
https://www.thelooploft.com/products...rums-session-8 )