FAQ The Original Freedrum

How do I play The Original Freedrum?

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How to Play The Original Freedrum

Why is The Original Freedrum playing the wrong sounds?

Are you experiencing an issue that causes the incorrect sound to be played? Or are each of your Freedrum sensors playing different sounds? This can happen because of a few issues:

  1. The drum kit has tilted
  2. The drum kit has drifted
  3. Your sensors are upside down.

Read and follow these steps below. We are working on an update for all of these issues.

1. Hold your drumsticks still for a second

Tilting of the drum kit means that some of the higher-angled hit areas (like the ride cymbal and crash cymbal) have shifted downwards. What will happen is that you will hear a ride cymbal sound when you expected to hear a floor tom sound. This can happen very quickly if you play too hard.

  • Hold your drumsticks still in your hands for one second and the drum kit will correct itself
  • Try to incorporate small pauses in your playing to allow the sensors to be still for short period
  • Try to play a little softer

2. Re-center the sensors by pressing the buttons once

Similar to the previous issue, this issue can cause the incorrect sound to be played. The difference is that it can be that the drum kit has drifted to the left or right. You could hear a hi-hat when you expect to hear a snare drum. This occurs naturally with gyroscopes and we are working on clever ways to prevent it from happening.

  • Point both drumsticks in front of you and press the button once
  • This will re-center both sensors and correct the orientation of the drum kit

3. The sensor is upside down.

We have seen that sometimes customers put the sensors back on upside down. The LED button should always be facing you either if it is on your feet or on your sticks. An easy way to remember is that it should be close to your thumbs when you calibrate them.

How do I reset/reboot a sensor?

On rare occasions you might experience a sensor becoming frozen or unresponsive. You are able to reset the sensor by following the steps below:

  1. Hold down on the sensor button for 7 seconds
  2. The LED will blink once and turn to red
  3. Release the press on the button
  4. The LED should now be responding like normal

Why is a sensor showing a red LED and not responding?

When your sensor is showing a red LED and not responding, it has entered into update mode. This can happen accidentally and is fixable by following these steps below:

  1. Turn off all sensors except for the one showing the red LED
  2. Open the Freedrum Studio application
  3. Do not press the button on the stick
  4. You might get an alert asking you to update. Accept it.
  5. Keep the app open and visible for several minutes

This will update the sensor in the background. Once the update is complete you may need to turn the sensor off and on and then restart the Freedrum Studio application. 

How do I Connect to Garageband on macOS?

Garageband is one of the easiest DAWs to use and an added bonus for macOS users is that it is Free! You can use Garageband to play, record and produce music. With this quick tutorial we can show you how to connect your sensors to your macOS device to play in Garageband.
  1. First we need to connect the sensors using the Audio MIDI Setup on Mac.
  2. Press the Command + Spacebar to bring up the search.
  3. Search for Audio Midi Setup and press enter.
  4. Now that Audio Midi Setup is open go to the drop down on the top titled Windows.
  5. Press Show Midi Studio and it will open it.
  6. Now in the Midi Studio look for the Bluetooth Icon and press it.
  7. Now you will see the Bluetooth Configuration screen.
  8. Now you can turn on your first sensor and wait until it shows up here and press connect.
  9. Once it is connected repeat this step for the rest of the sensors.
  10. Open up Garageband, pick a drum kit of your choice and you are ready to rock!

    How do I Connect to Garageband on iOS?

    Now that your sensors are configured to your liking we can show you how to connect to Garageband. Garageband is one of the easiest DAWs to use and a added bonus for iOS users is that it is Free! You can use Garageband to play, record and produce music. With this quick tutorial we can show you how to connect your sensors to your iOS device to play in Garageband.

    1. Open Garageband on your iOS device.
    2. Create a new song.
    3. Swipe until you find drums and choice Acoustic Drums from the menu.
    4. It will default to the So Cal drumkit. (It is one of the best)
    5. Press the wrench/gear in the top right corncer and you will get the Settings menu.
    6. Scroll down to Advanced and press it.
    7. Scroll down to Run in background and check that off. (This will keep your sensors connected even if the app is not open so you can save battery)
    8. Scroll down to Bluetooth MIDI devices and press it.
    9. Now you will be prompted to allow Garageband to allow Bluetooth devices - please press ok other wise you will not be able to connect your sensors.
    10. Now turn on 1 of your sensors and it will show up in this Bluetooth menu. Press the sensor that says Not Connected next to it and it will ask you to pair the sensor. Press okay and the sensor will connect.
    11. Do this 1 sensor at a time until all 2 or 4 sensors are connected. 
    12. Close out of the menu and get rockin'!

      Why is GarageBand not playing any sounds?

      This can happen when the MIDI Bluetooth connection gets confused between the two applications. Follow these steps below to get sounds playing:

      1. Close both GarageBand and Freedrum Studio applications
      2. Open the Freedrum Studio application
      3. Make sure all sensors are connected
      4. Open GarageBand
      5. It's usually a good idea to go to "Advanced" settings within GarageBand and select "Run in background" and also "Use with music apps”.

      Why are there some drums missing in GarageBand?

      We have had a few people ask about missing drums in GarageBand. This seems to be an intermittent issue with GarageBand. Follow the simple steps below to fix the issue:

      1. Open GarageBand to the drumkit view
      2. Press the arrow in the top left
      3. Select the drumkit icon
      4. Select an alternative drumkit sound

      How do I turn off The Original Freedrum units?

      Very simple, but still frequently asked! Here's how:

      1. Press and hold the LED button.
      2. Release when the LED starts to flash/pulse.

      What should I do if I need help?

      If you need help, we're happy to assist! Click here to shoot us an email and our Freedrum support team will respond to you as soon as possible.