Fame MDP-4000

How long you use it?

This is a notice "hot" because I just bought ...

Did you tried many other models before buying it?

I have not tried other models. This product is manufactured on behalf of a German department store. Its main competitor offers exactly the same model (Millennium DP1000) without pedals ...

+ Features: MIDI, 6 + pads dynamic two pedals (hit-hat and kick) provided ...

Features -: no programming possible for MIDI

Value for money: for what I want to do is more than enough. Alesis offers a similar product for the same price but with only 4 pads. I guess the quality of the latter is still higher.

At the moment I'm happy with my choice, with one caveat that I will detail below.

I wanted to buy a multi pad to trigger samples via electribe ES1 or PC. The Fame permitted but with a programming required on the slave devices because each pad is assigned to a MIDI note that we can not change. In addition, a sysex "program 0" is sent along each time (what an idea!). If you can not filter MIDI data (in the case of SS1), it's boring: a wand and it's automatically the pattern 01 has been chosen ... Still on the MIDI channel 10 is imposed. Logical since "General Midi" is the channel dedicated to drum kit (in the same vein, one can also wonder that note numbers do not follow this standard ... the kick, for example traditionally C0, here is footnote 70, is the D0 ... the rest is mainly an octave below)

After these details that bother me gently (relativize, solutions exist), the rest is pleasant:

- Power supplied
- Plastic housing but still inspires confidence
- The two pedals are metal and appear solid, they respond quite well.
- 30 drum kits (10 preset and 20 preset "user")
- 178 built-in sounds. I assure you, except qqs samples of 808 for example, is frankly very average.
- Other functions untested: 17 pre-recorded beats, metronome ...
- MIDI output, allowing to play with ... the sounds you want!
- Headphone output
- L & R outputs (jacks 6.35)
- A level potentiometer on the rear panel.
- Auxiliary IN "mix" (3.5 jack) to play on an incoming audio signal but I have not tried.
- Small "sequencer" integrated (a track) to record and replay the game and another sequence above, but no loop system (I record, I stop, I press play to start the sequence). I do not know the maximum recording time.
- The pad sensitivity is adjustable but allow moderate finger-style playing. It takes a jerk anyway. With chopsticks, no worries. Not being a drummer, I would not allow me to judge the flexibility and Rendering pads. It takes a little practice but you get to play it properly ... my 5 year old daughter has a good time as well!
- The pads are actually dynamic and thus transmit messages to MIDI velocity (0 to 127). Note that they are a bit noisy.
- Ah yes, the coating rubber pads beautifully retains the dust!