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Frequently Asked Questions

What are the minimum system requirements for Zendrum Studio?

Windows

  • Microsoft® Windows 10 and above
  • 1GB of RAM (4GB recommended)

Mac OS

  • Apple Silicon or Intel processor
  • High Sierra and above
  • 1GB of RAM (4GB recommended)

Which Zendrum models are supported?

All "Z4" or later Zendrums are supported. This includes the original Zendrum (ZX), the Laptop (LT), the EXP and the Zap and Zip as well as all the Z4 based "Melodic" models such as the ZMF.

The Z4 series was released in 2009. Earlier series (such as 3.0 Zendrums) are not supported, though earlier Zendrums that have been upgraded with a 4.0 or greater board will also work.

Which drum modules/VSTs are supported?

The current list of supported interfaces is as follows:

  • 2box
  • Addictive Drums
  • Alesis DM Pro
  • Alesis DM5
  • Alesis DM10
  • BFD2
  • BFD3
  • Battery 3
  • E-MU Protean
  • EZ Drummer The Classic EZX
  • EZDrummer
  • General MIDI
  • Infinite Instruments
  • Kontakt 2
  • Ocean Way Drums
  • Pearl Redbox
  • Roland HandSonic 15
  • Roland TD-3
  • Roland TD-5
  • Roland TD-6
  • Roland TD-7
  • Roland TD-8
  • Roland TD-9
  • Roland TD-10
  • Roland TD-12
  • Roland TD-20
  • Roland TD-30
  • Simmons SD1000
  • Simmons SD5X
  • Simmons SD7
  • Simmons SD7PK
  • Simmons SD9K
  • Sonic Reality iMap
  • Studio ProFiles
  • Superior Drummer
  • Yamaha DTX 700
  • Yamaha DTXplorer
  • Zendrum TRS 2.0
  • Zendrum TRS

Don't see your module listed?
Not all drum modules need custom mappings. Units with built-in pads, as opposed to external triggers, or units that primarily function as drum machines will utilize General MIDI and not need extra support. Examples of these are the Roland SPD series, the Yamaha Multi Pad and the Alesis SR series. For units such as these, simply choose "General MIDI" as your module type.

If you own an unlisted module that you feel could benefit from a custom mapping, please let us know!
We'd be happy to add support for it.

What MIDI interfaces are known to be compatible?

Any MIDI device should be able to send basic MIDI messages to Zendrum Studio (Note ON, Program Change, Change Controller, etc) however not all devices are fully standards compliant when it comes to handling SysEx (System Exclusive) messages. This is not meant to be an exhaustive list, but here are some devices that are known to work or not work with Zendrum Studio and/or the Zendrum.
Please contact us if there is a device you know of that should be added to either list.

Known working devices

  • Zendrum STOMPBLOCK
  • ZDS Shifter
  • All M-Audio devices
  • All Presonus
  • All MOTU
  • iConnectivity mio
  • Roland UM-ONE

Devices known to have problems

  • Alesis USB MIDI Cable
  • LogiLink USB to MIDI In-Out Adaptor
  • VicTsing USB IN-OUT MIDI Cable Converter

Suspect devices

(These are items that have unconfirmed reports of problems.)
  • Focusrite Scarlett 18i20
  • Native Instruments Komplete Audio 6
  • Emagic Unitor 8

How do I get my settings from the computer to my Zendrum, and vice-versa?

The instructions here deal with connecting Zendrum Studio directly to your Zendrum. You may also import and export SysEx data to disk and use a third-party SysEx tool such as MIDI-OX for Windows or SysEx Librarian for MacOS. To begin, make sure you have your computer properly connected to your Zendrum. You'll need three (3) MIDI cables in total: 
graph LR
  A[Zendrum] -->|in| B(Brick);
  B -->|in| C(MIDI Interface);
  C ---|USB/Firewire| D[Computer];
  C -->|out| A

FROM Zendrum --> TO Zendrum Studio

  1. Connect your Zendrum to your computer (using a MIDI to USB/Firewire cable, or audio interface for instance).
  2. Within Zendrum Studio, select MIDI > Receive SysEx from the main menu.
  3. On your Zendrum, navigate to "Ed" (Exclusive Dump) using the scroll buttons and press "+". This will transmit your settings to Zendrum Studio.

Your settings have now been transferred from your Zendrum to your Zendrum Studio project.

FROM Zendrum Studio --> TO Zendrum

Note that this feature is not available in the trial version.

  1. Connect your Zendrum to your computer (using a MIDI to USB/Firewire cable, or audio interface for instance).
  2. Ensure that Zendrum Studio is connected to your MIDI interface (the button in the toolbar will be green).
  3. From the "MIDI" menu, select "Transmit SysEx".
  4. On your Zendrum, navigate to "Er" (Exclusive Receive) using the scroll buttons, and press "+" to put it in receive mode.
  5. Back in Zendrum Studio, click the "Transmit" button.

Your settings have now been transferred from Zendrum Studio to your Zendrum. Be sure and commit the changes on your Zendrum by going to "Sd" (Save/Discard).

TIP: After you've connected the MIDI out device using the above steps, you can simply press Cmd+T or Ctrl+T to perform a "quick transmit".

Further details on importing and exporting SysEx data can be found in your Zendrum manual.

My Zendrum freezes while uploading SysEx to it and/or never completes.

The Zendrum is not 100% compatible with all MIDI interfaces, and some are more problematic than others when it comes to sending and receiving SysEx data.

Basic Troubleshooting:

First and foremost, make sure you have your cable connections sorted out. In addition to the normal cable running from the MIDI Out port of the Zendrum to your Merge Brick, you will also need a cable running from the MIDI Out port of your MIDI interface to the MIDI In port of the Zendrum.

NOTE: the majority of reported problems during SysEx upload turn out to be caused by an incorrect or missing cable connection. Please double-check your setup before continuing.

Q: When you first initiate the dump, does the activity light on your Zendrum flash?
(note, there are a couple of different lights on your Zendrum that can flash. The activity light is the smallest one, and the same one that flickers whenever you tap on the trigger pads)

Yes, the activity light flashes.

This indicates that your MIDI connection and software are set up correctly. What is likely happening then is that the SysEx software is sending data too rapidly for the Zendrum to decipher. You should try slowing down the transmission speed. How this is done is dependant on the software package.

Here are some settings for popular SysEx packages: *

Sysex Librarian (Mac): On the Preferences screen, set the "Transmit Speed" to about 80% and try again. You may need to lower it even further if your hardware is still causing trouble.

MIDI-OX (PC): From the main menu, select "Options" and then "Configure Buffers". For "Low Level Output Buffers" change the "Size" to 128 and the "Num" to 32.Restart your Zendrum and try again.

* Note: Zendrum Studio does not have any such settings as it relies solely on the device drivers to perform the SysEx transmission, therefore having properly installed and configured drivers for your MIDI interface device is paramount to success.

No, I do not see the light flash.

This indicates that the Zendrum is not seeing any input signal at all. Things to try:

  • Verify that you have a MIDI cable connection from the MIDI OUT of your hardware to the MIDI IN of your Zendrum.
  • In your SysEx software, verify that the selected or "mapped" MIDI port/device matches the hardware device you are using.
  • Verify that no other opened applications are using the MIDI ports.
  • Verify that your Zendrum is using a "wired" connection and not the internal wireless (if present).

Restart your Zendrum and try again. If the problem persists, then that MIDI interface is likely incompatible with your Zendrum.

Please consult your Zendrum manual for full instructions on sending/receiving SysEx data. Further troubleshooting is beyond the scope of this document.