Hi All,
I currently have a Yamaha DTXplorer E-drum set, X3 Producer and an Alesis QS6.1 keyboard.  I am having a difficult time creating and using drum maps with Session Drummer 3, Addictive Drums and Superior Drummer.  I have recognized that the MIDI out settings of the E-drums are locked and cannot be changed.  The snare and kick drums both need to be changed in order to trigger the corresponding snare and kick drums on the DAW.  Sounds simple, right?  It is not working that way.  All I want to do is simply trigger drums from the DTXplorer to the DAW and hear it.  I have the Garrigus book "Sonar X3 Power" and he talks about drum maps as if you would already know about them.  Should I create a bus or buses prior to inserting the soft synths?  I would like to use a simple drum map that I could use on Session Drummer, Addictive Drums or TT1.  Can anyone direct me to a clearly described way to create a drum map that will allow me to use the DTXplorer to trigger X3 Producer VSTs.  If you need any additional information on my setup, don't hesitata to contact me.  My ultimate goal is to be able to wake up in the middle of the night, turn on X3 and put down a quick drum track and go back to bed. 
 
Thanks,
 
Kevin

Hi Kevin,
Drum maps are a necessity when trying to do what you're doing with softsynths which do not follow standard GM drum mapping.
 
a Sonar Drum Map is simply a tool to map the input MIDI message (note number) to a different output MIDI message (note number) which will allow you to send a kick note on, for example only, note 27 and output it to note 32 for Superior Drummer.
 
Drum maps are extremely useful, but also tedious to edit and have not been updated since their inception.
 
toontrack has a users area where you can download drum maps already set up by users for EZD and Superior.  log into your account there and go to the user area and you should find the drum maps you can download.
 
then you'll need to open the drum map window in sonar and load the drum map for EZD or Superior from the download you just did. 
 
now, you'll need to verify that the input from the DT Explorer maps correctly to the output for Superior already in the map.  you'll need to use your DT Explorer manual which should have the mapping for MIDI in it.  verify each note going into the drum map corresponds to the correct sound you're expecting to hear, if not, you'll need to edit the drum map to show the correct input for the DT Explorer.
 
I have a tutorial on my website which deals with drum maps.  I can't get to it from work, and I don't remember exactly which one it is.  it's either:  http://www.beaglesound.com/EZD_Tutorial/EZD_Tutorial.htm
or maybe it's http://www.beaglesound.com/TTS-1/index.html
 

A few resources
http://forum.cakewalk.com/FindPost/2497481
https://streamworksaudio.com/swa-complete-sonar-x2/ part 21
http://www.blades85.com/music/sonar/88-specific-topics/79-sonar-drum-maps (a pre-X series version of SONAR is used but the video starts with a blank drum map and an e-drum kit which may be helpful. The Drum Map process is the same in the X series).
 
If I needed to swap just a few pieces of a kit around, I would start with an existing drum map and change the I/O assignments as needed. SD3 is very close to the supplied SD2 drum map. TTS-1 uses the GM map. An AD map is here http://forum.cakewalk.com/FindPost/2899224
 

I hope that you have better luck with the DTXplorer's MIDI implementation than I did.  I upgraded the unit to a DTX 500 and that was equally completely broken.  Regardless of MIDI note assignment, have you tried recording anything at all yet, just to see if the MIDI works properly?  
 
As a quick work-around (prior to creating a drum map), what you could do is monitor the drums you're playing via headphones so you hear the right instruments, record the MIDI then transpose the recorded notes so that they play the correct drum instruments in Sonar.

Beagletoontrack has a users area where you can download drum maps already set up by users for EZD and Superior.  log into your account there and go to the user area and you should find the drum maps you can download.

 
Hi, I'm a new Sonar user but I want to say that there WAS a part of the user area where you could download drum maps, but that ceased to exist with their new layout. I am in in need of a drum map for Metal Foundry. I just make the midi clips with my mouse (or sometimes my drum pad that I barely use) and definitely need something to tell me where each note is.

Vern, I sent you a PM

I was not aware that they removed the user area.
 
I would be happy to make a place on my website available for drum map downloads of the ones I have, but I don't have all of them.

Beagle
I was not aware that they removed the user area.
 
I would be happy to make a place on my website available for drum map downloads of the ones I have, but I don't have all of them.

They didn't remove the user area, actually. They just removed the section with the drum maps.
 
You should really consider making space somewhere on this wonderful tool we call call the internet, because there's several people asking for drum maps on the Toontrack forum. I would imagine that there's more on the internet that need them.

Vern C

Beagle
I was not aware that they removed the user area.
 
I would be happy to make a place on my website available for drum map downloads of the ones I have, but I don't have all of them.

They didn't remove the user area, actually. They just removed the section with the drum maps.
 
You should really consider making space somewhere on this wonderful tool we call call the internet, because there's several people asking for drum maps on the Toontrack forum. I would imagine that there's more on the internet that need them.

Ok.  I'll do that. 

I have not tried to record to see how MIDI notes from the DTXplorer to the DAW and out via Drums shakes out.  At this time, only the MIDI Notes of the snare and kick from the e-drums are not standard and cannot be changed.  I figured that with the drum map, I could accept the e-drum's MIDI notes and change the MIDI out notes.  I am going to spend a little extra time this weekend and see what happens.  I don't know what is worse, the fact that I assumed that a midi settings would be "industry standards" or that a major instrument manufacturer would purposely not implement all standard midi settings.
 
Thanks for everyone's continued input.  If I get a satisfactory resolution, I will surely share it!