Alesis E-Practice Pad QUICKSTART GUIDE

E-PRACTICE PAD

ELECTRONIC DRUM

PRACTICE PAD

QUICKSTART GUIDE

::: ENGLISH ( 1 – 3 ) :::

USER'S MANUAL

::: ENGLISH ( 4 – 7 ) :::

MANUAL DE INICIO RÁPIDO

::: ESPAÑOL ( 8 – 10 ) :::

GUIDE D’UTILISATION RAPIDE

::: FRANÇAIS ( 11 – 13 ) :::

GUIDA RAPIDA

::: ITALIANO ( 14 – 16 ) :::

KURZANLEITUNG

::: DEUTSCH ( 17 – 19 ) :::

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INTRODUCTION

Welcome to the Alesis E-Practice Pad! This digital drum is a fun way to learn and practice the drums. Included are 65 drum sounds and 60 songs and exercises, all designed to make you a better drummer. It feels great and gives you a full range of dynamics from the lightest touches to the loudest accents. Here are several features you'll come to love about the E-Practice Pad:

y 65 different drum sounds y Metronome with six sounds, adjustable time signatures and subdivisions

BOX CONTENTS

 E-Practice Pad  Power Adapter  Quickstart Guide  Safety Instructions &

Warranty Information Booklet

y 60 practice games and exercises y Natural feel and performance with full dynamic range y Headphone jack for silent practice or amplifier output for playing with other musicians y Mountable on standard 8mm cymbal stand or snare stand y Recording and playback for listening to your playing y Runs on batteries for portability or on wall power with included power adapter y Expandable with optional bass drum and hi-hat pedal

Please refer to this manual to take full advantage of E-Practice Pad's numerous features, and have fun playing!

Sincerely, The People of Alesis

CONNECTION DIAGRAM

Kick Drum Pedal *

(footswitch; 1/4” mono

Hi-Hat Control Pedal *

(footswitch; 1/4” stereo; optional)

Hi-Hat Cymbal Pad *

(1/4” mono; optional)

Power (or 4 AA batteries; not included)

Headphones or Monitors

(1/4” stereo)

WARNING: Only put on your headphones or turn on your monitors AFTER turning on the E-Practice Pad.

Cymbal Stand (standard 8mm

threaded mount; optional)

* To purchase these accessories, visit alesis.com

TOP PANEL FEATURES

1. VOLUME – Adjusts the volume level.

2. START / STOP – Starts or stops the metronome.

3. RECORD – Enters Record Mode.

4. METRO – Press this button to select metronome settings or change the pad sound.

5. TEMPO / TAP – Press this button to enter Tempo Mode, then use the VALUE +/- buttons to adjust the

tempo. You can also press and hold this button for three seconds then tap the button (four times) to the beat of the new tempo you wish to enter.

6. BEAT INDICATOR – These LEDs flash in time with the quarter notes of the pattern being played. The

red LED flashes on the downbeat of each bar.

7. LCD – Displays the current parameters and other operations.

8. VALUE +/- – Decreases or increases the value of each parameter.

9. TRAINING – Enters Training Mode.

10. GAME / TIMER – Enters Game Mode when pressed. Hold down this button to enter Timer Mode.

11. PAD – Strike this single-zone pad with a drumstick.

12. METRONOME SPEAKER – This speaker plays the metronome sound only unless headphones are

connected to the rear panel.

REAR PANEL FEATURES

1. HEADPHONES – Connect a set of 1/4" headphones to

this input.

2. HI-HAT INPUT – Connect an optional hi-hat cymbal

trigger pad here with a 1/4" mono cable to use as a hihat trigger while playing.

3. HI-HAT CONTROL INPUT – If you connected a hi-hat

trigger pad to the HI-HAT INPUT, connect an optional footswitch here with a 1/4" stereo cable to this input to use both "open" and "closed" hi-hat sounds.

4. KICK PEDAL INPUT – Connect an optional footswitch here with a 1/4" mono cable to use as a bass

drum trigger while playing.

SIDE PANEL FEATURES

1. DC INPUT – Connect the included power adapter here, then

connect the adapter to wall power.

2. POWER SWITCH – Turns the E-Practice Pad on and off.

LCD FEATURES

1. BEAT COUNT – Displays the count of the current beat (1-9).

2. BEAT TYPE – Displays the number of beats the metronome will count. (See BEAT under CHANGING

PARAMETERS.)

3. BEAT CHECK – When playing along to a pattern, the closer the lit arrows are to the center, the more

accurate your timing is. When "GOOD" is lit, the timing of your strokes is accurate.

4. MODE INDICATOR – Displays the currently selected mode: Tempo, Record, Score, Timer, or Game.

(See OTHER MODES.)

5. GAME OK ICON – In Game Mode ("GAME2"), "OK" will appear when your score is greater than 60,

indicating the pattern will change to one of greater difficulty.

6. PARAMETER DISPLAY – Displays the current parameter values (tempo, score, etc.).

7. METRONOME NEEDLE – Moves left and right in time with the current tempo. During the "Balance"

exercise, this area becomes a meter, measuring the force of each hit of the pad. During the "Count" exercise, this area becomes a meter, indicating the time remaining or the number of hits remaining. (See TRAINING MODE.)

8. GAME NOTE DISPLAY – While in Game Mode, horizontal bars on the left and right edges of the LCD

will prompt you to hit the pad. (See GAME MODE under OTHER MODES.)

9. RHYTHM INDICATOR – Displays the current rhythmic figure. (See RHYTHM under CHANGING

PARAMETERS.)

10. TRIGGER ICONS – Indicates the available triggers you can use while playing and when they are

struck. A snare drum icon (representing the pad) will always be shown. If you have connected a hi-hat or kick drum trigger, these icons will be displayed.

11. TAP ICON – Displays after the TEMPO / TAP button is held for three seconds. Strike the pad four

times at the tempo you wish to enter.

12. BATTERY LEVEL – Indicates the remaining battery life of the E-Practice Pad.

USING THE E-PRACTICE PAD

CHANGING PARAMETERS

Press METRO to select a parameter to adjust: Beat, Rhythm, Click Sound, Click Volume, Pad Sound, or Metronome. Keep pressing METRO to toggle through these options. An arrow on the left edge of the LCD

will appear to indicate the selected parameter. Press VALUE +/- to increase or decrease the value of the parameter.

Note: After pressing METRO, you can also turn the metronome on or off by pressing START / STOP.

BEAT

Select any of the following beat combinations. The metronome will count beats based on this number, and the selected beat will be displayed in the BEAT TYPE area of the LCD.

0 – 9 3+4 5+4 6+7 8+7 2+3 4+3 5+6 7+6 8+9 3+2 4+5 6+5 7+8 9+8

Examples:

y If you select "4," the metronome will mark the downbeat (with the red LED and a different "click" sound)

every four beats.

y If you select "5+6," the metronome will mark the downbeat (with the red LED and a different "click"

sound) every five beats then six beats.

RHYTHM

Select any of the following 24 rhythmic figures. The selected rhythmic figure will be played on every beat counted by the metronome. The exceptions are the clave figures, which are played across two bars (as opposed to every beat). The RHYTHM INDICATOR of the LCD will display the current rhythmic figure.

CLICK SOUND

Select any of six sounds to serve as the metronome "click." The number of the selected sound will be displayed in the PARAMETER DISPLAY area of the LCD.

1. Metronome

2. Claves

3. Sticks

4. Cowbell

5. Voice Count

6. Electronic

CLICK VOLUME

Adjust the metronome volume by selecting a setting from "0" (off) to "4" (loud). The volume level will be displayed in the PARAMETER DISPLAY area of the LCD.

PAD SOUND

Select one of 65 sounds for a pad or attached trigger. To do this, strike the pad or trigger, then use VALUE +/- to select a sound. (See the PAD SOUNDS section for a list of available sounds.)

TRAINING MODE

E-Practice Pad's Training Mode contains a set of exercises designed to help you improve your speed, stamina, and accuracy as a drummer. This section outlines how to use the different Training Mode features.

To enter Training Mode, press TRAINING then use the VALUE +/- buttons to select the type of exercise, which will be indicated by an arrow on the right-hand side of the LCD. Available exercises include: Beat Check, Balance, Pattern, Follow Me, Gradual Up / Down, and Count.

To begin each exercise, select it, then press START / STOP. Press it again to end the exercise.

BEAT CHECK

Beat Check is actually more of a setting than an "exercise." It is always enabled regardless of what other exercise is selected.

While playing, Beat Check measures the accuracy of your strokes. If you see arrows on the left (pointing to the right), you are striking the pad "behind the beat" or slightly slower than the actual tempo. If you see arrows on the right (pointing to the left), you are striking the pad "ahead of the beat" or slightly faster than the actual tempo. When the "Good" icon in the center is displayed, your strokes are accurately timed.

Use the VALUE +/- buttons to increase or decrease the tolerance of Beat Check (how "strictly" it measures your accuracy). The higher the number, the stricter the Beat Check will be. The levels are as follows:

L-1: Quarter note (easier timing) L-5: Sixteenth notes (easier timing) L-2: Quarter note (more exact timing) L-6: Sixteenth notes (more exact timing) L-3: Eighth notes (easier timing) L-7: Sixteenth note triplets (easier timing) L-4: Eighth notes (more exact timing) L-8: Sixteenth note triplets (more exact timing)

BALANCE

This exercise measures the differences in dynamics (i.e. force and, therefore, volume) between different strokes, especially between your left and right hands.

In this exercise, the metronome needle acts as a "meter" to indicate the force of each hit of the pad while the BEAT CHECK meter acts as a "force check": the "GOOD" icon means a stroke is of equal force to the previous one. If it is a heavier stroke than before, arrows will appear to the right (pointing left) to indicate you should hit the pad with less force. If it is a lighter stroke than before, arrows will appear to the left (pointing right) to indicate you should hit the pad with more force.

PATTERN

This exercise helps familiarize you with different rhythms. The metronome will play through a series of four rhythmic figures constituting a pattern (pictured here). Each rhythmic figure is played for two bars before moving to the next one. The current rhythmic figure will be displayed in the RHYTHM TYPE area of the LCD.

FOLLOW ME

This exercise improves your familiarity with rhythmic figures and sense of timing without a metronome. The metronome will play a rhythmic figure for one, two, four, or eight measures. For the following one, two, four, or eight measures (respectively), the metronome will be muted while you play the rhythm yourself. This cycle will repeat until you stop the exercise.

This exercise has four levels of difficulty:

F-1: one-measure cycle F-2: two-measure cycle F-3: four-measure cycle F-4: eight-measure cycle

GRADUAL UP / DOWN

This exercise helps improve your stamina and timing by gradually increasing the tempo of a rhythmic figure then decreasing it to the original tempo. This cycle will repeat until you stop the exercise.

Assign the original (minimum) tempo of the exercise before beginning by pressing TEMPO / TAP and using VALUE +/- to adjust the tempo. Assign the maximum tempo of the exercise during the exercise by pressing TEMPO / TAP when the exercise has reached the highest tempo you want. The rate at which the tempo increases is as follows:

G-1: The tempo will increase/decrease by 1 BPM each beat. G-2: The tempo will increase/decrease by 1 BPM every two beats. G-3: The tempo will increase/decrease by 2 BPM every eight measures. G-4: The tempo will increase/decrease by 5 BPM every eight measures. G-5: The tempo will increase/decrease by 5 BPM after every eight

measures you play correctly.

COUNT

This exercise has two modes to help improve your speed. After selecting "Count," toggle through all available options with the VALUE +/- buttons.

Fixed Time: You can select a fixed amount of time – 15 seconds, 30 seconds, or 60 seconds – to hit the pad as many times as you can. After a one-measure count-in, the designated amount of time will be represented by the metronome needle "meter" (as time remaining). The number of times you hit the pad will be counted and shown at the top of the LCD.

Fixed Hits: You can select the number of times you need to hit the pad – 200 times, 500 times, or 1,000 times – while you are being timed. After a one-measure count-in, the designated number of

times you need to hit the pad will be represented by the metronome needle "meter" (as hits remaining). The amount of time you take to hit the pad for the designated number of times will be shown on the LCD.

After you are done with either of these exercises, you may press VALUE +/- to exit the exercise or START / STOP to repeat it.

"BPM" is a stands for "beats per minute" or the number of quarter note beats that occur in one minute, which designates the tempo.

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