How do I properly map my electronic drums to GarageBand?

Question

Hello,
I have a set of Yamaha DTXplorer (DTXPL) midi drums, and have a problem using them with the majority of samples for GarageBand.
The biggest issue is that the Snare Drum doesn't seem to be mapped from the drum set to the software instruments. (Hitting the snare doesn't produce any sound). The other drum parts seem to work fine, just not the Snare Drum.
Is there any information on how to map my drum set to be completely in synch with GarageBand standards?

Answer 1

Mapping DTXPLORER MIDI using GarageBand
Here is the (hopefully) definitive guide for getting a Yamaha DTXPLORER (a.k.a. DT-Explorer, DTXPL) electronic drum set to connect to Apple's GarageBand via MIDI.
SYMPTOM: When connecting DTXPLORER to GarageBand using MIDI, the snare drum is silent and the bass drum triggers a sort of snare roll instead of a bass hit.
PROBLEM: The DTXPLORER (for whatever reason) sends out the snare note on G2 (key 31) and the kick note on A2 (key 33). This is a non-standard MIDI key mapping for these instruments.
SOLUTION: Remap the snare and kick MIDI notes using the freeware app MidiPipe from SubtleSoft (http://homepage.mac.com/nicowald/SubtleSoft/) to the standard GarageBand MIDI keys using the following steps:
(Note: These settings were tested using GarageBand 3.0.2 and MidiPipe 1.4.1.)
1. Connect your DTXPLORER via MIDI to GarageBand and verify that GarageBand can record the drum sounds.
2. Close GarageBand.
3. Launch MidiPipe. You will create a Pipe that looks like this:
Midi In
Key Mapper
Key Mapper
Midi Out
Do so by dragging the appropriate components from the Tools column to the Pipes column in the appropriate order.
4. Once you've assembled the pipe (with the components in the correct order listed above), configure the settings as follows:
Midi In:
- Midi Input: (Your USB or FireWire MIDI device)
- Options: check "hijack"
Key Mapper (kick drum):
- Key In: A2 (33)
- Key Out: C3 (36)
- Options: UNcheck "Solo selected "Key In""
Key Mapper (snare drum):
- Key In: G2 (31)
- Key Out: D3 (38)
- Options: UNcheck "Solo selected "Key In""
Midi Out:
- MIDI Output: MidiPipe Output 1
- Options: UNcheck "Pass Through" and UNcheck "Use Note Off Velocity"
5. Choose File: Save As and save your pipe to a memorable location. You will need to retrieve this file every time you wish to record your drum set using GarageBand.
6. Relaunch GarageBand and attempt to record your drum set. The snare and the bass drum should now be mapped correctly!
Note: If you have having difficulties with the pipe and would like to verify that the key mapping is taking effect, add a "Keyboard" component to the pipe after the "Key Mapper"s. That will give you a visual representation of which key is being triggered for each drum pad.
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