Using the TD-17 with a DAW

Record Your Drums via USB (Audio + MIDI)

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What Is a DAW?

A Digital Audio Workstation (DAW) is software for recording, editing, and producing music — examples include:

Ableton Live

Logic Pro X

Cubase

Reaper

FL Studio

Pro Tools

The Roland TD-17 can connect directly to your computer via USB and send both audio and MIDI signals into your DAW — no extra interface required.

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What You Can Do with the TD-17 in a DAW

Record your actual drum performance as audio

Send MIDI notes to trigger VST drum plugins (like Superior Drummer, Addictive Drums, EZDrummer, etc.)

Quantize or edit your playing after recording

Layer your playing with samples or loops

Record multi-track MIDI data for each pad

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Step-by-Step: Setting Up the TD-17 with Your DAW

Step 1: Install the Roland USB Driver

Before anything else:

Visit Roland’s official website

Search for TD-17 Drivers

Download and install the driver for your operating system (Windows or macOS)

This allows your computer to recognize the TD-17 correctly as an audio + MIDI device.

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Step 2: Connect the TD-17 to Your Computer

Use a standard USB Type B to Type A cable

Connect from the USB Computer port on the back of the module to your computer

Turn on the TD-17 after connecting

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Step 3: Configure DAW Settings

In your DAW’s audio and MIDI settings:

Set TD-17 as:

MIDI input device

Audio input device (if recording module sounds)

Set sample rate to 44.1kHz (TD-17 native rate)

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Working with Audio

Option 1: Record TD-17 Audio (Module Sounds)

Create an audio track in your DAW

Set its input to “TD-17”

Arm the track and press record — you’ll get your drum module’s sounds (exactly as you hear them)

Note: The TD-17 sends audio in stereo via USB — not separate tracks for each pad

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Working with MIDI

Option 2: Record MIDI to Trigger VST Drums

Create a MIDI (Instrument) track

Set input to “TD-17 MIDI In”

Set output to your drum VST plugin (e.g. Addictive Drums)

Record your performance

You can now edit, quantize, or change sounds after recording

TD-17 uses standard GM (General MIDI) mapping, but you can remap inside most VSTs if needed.

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Bonus: Monitoring While Playing

To hear your drum VST without delay (latency):

Use low-latency audio driver (like ASIO on Windows or Core Audio on Mac)

Set buffer size to 64–128 samples

If needed, monitor using the TD-17 headphone jack while sending MIDI only to your DAW

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Summary