Okay, hear me out. I love the FGDP-50 layout. I love the pad sensitivity on the Maschine MK3. So… experiment time:
Buy two ESI Xjam units (the MK3 is sadly too big for these shenanigans), flip one 180°, and place them side-by-side. That gives you 32 pads in a 4×8 grid—which, with a little squinting, starts to resemble the FGDP-50 layout. Then map your kit accordingly: extend the snares across multiple pads to create a horizontal bar, place toms underneath the snares… you get the idea.
A few questions for the hive mind:
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Is this completely bonkers?
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Could this work smoothly with Addictive Drums 2?
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Would I need to merge the two controllers into a single virtual MIDI device, or is there a simpler way?
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Any gotchas I’m not seeing (latency, duplicate notes, velocity curves, etc.)?
Thanks for humoring the experiment!
—David
PS Heck, maybe one doesn’t even have to flip the second 180 degrees. It’s not like the two hands need to share pad real estate with that many pads available. A bit of distance may actually be a boon from an ergonomic standpoint.
I did it! It rocks! 
Here’s a brief video demo-ing it. 
It really seems like a best (better?) of both worlds: great two-handed layout, similar to the Yamana FGDP models, with more sensitivity (ala Maschine MK3).
-David
2 Likes
Nice!! Yeah that works. The smaller pads kind of lend themselves a little better to those finger rolls as well. Great setup.
After a week with the dual-Xjam setup… I’m sold.
After a week of experimenting with this 2×Xjam layout, I can happily say that—for me—it really is the perfect blend of the FGDP layout and the sensitivity of better pads. I’m planning to stick with it and commit the exact mappings/layout to muscle memory.
Highlights:
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The pads really are more sensitive—you notice it immediately compared to the FGDP.
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If you love the FGDP layout, this feels nearly identical.
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It’s fairly inexpensive (just over $200 total) assuming you already have your computer and drum software. (FGDP-30/-50 still win on price if you need true standalone use.)
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Assuming you lug a laptop everywhere (as I do), this setup is surprisingly travel-friendly—both Xjams are small and light.
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While the pads aren’t as big as the MK3, that’s actually often a boon: finger rolls are effortless, and with six horizontal pads for the snare, you can do rolls almost automatically. The main value of the larger pads on the MK3 is fills, but there are more pads in the 2xXjam setup, so that concern is allayed.
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The knobs are a bonus—useful for controlling snare, hi-hat, or ride parameters, something you can’t do on the FGDP since it has no knobs.
What it isn’t:
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Super quick to set up (two cables plus a bit of routing).
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Standalone—requires a computer.
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If you found a way to use that extra upper strip of buttons on the FGDP-50, you’ll miss them. I could never quite find a way to use them, myself.
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Unlike larger midi controllers, if you wanna play in your lap on the couch, you’ll need a stable surface (e.g. lunch tray or cutting board).
Cheers!
-David
PS: I checked out XpressPads, and the playing on those dual Akai MPD218s was very impressive. I laughed out loud when I saw he mounted them on a cutting board—exactly what I ended up doing for stability! 
PPS: I ended up just turning both pads right-side-up in the end. The setup is less janky that way.
PPPS: If anyone is aware of a larger grid midi controller that has very sensitive pads (if it supports a 4x8 layout), I’d probably try that out (with FGDP mappings). But reading through a bunch of older comments in the pad sensitivity shoot-out, I’m guessing Xjam are pretty darned sensitive.
3 Likes
This is super helpful, thanks. Might have to upgrade from the FGDP-50. I’ve been frustrated with a lack of sensitivity on a few of the pads on mine. The kick in particular is quite insensitive, leading to dropped or quiet hits.
PS: 
2 Likes
Eric! You joined! 
I’m only six months into this whole thing, but I’d swear by this setup.
- Xjam pads are super sensitive and fit to your hands, and since you have two of them, you don’t have to worry about playing the corners of the pads (as one does with the Maschine models or other 4x4 controllers).
- You can use the intuitive QFG/FGDP-style layouts.
- The Xjams are inexpensive, so you can replace them easily, though I haven’t needed to.
-David
PS You’ll need Addictive Drums 2 for this setup. But it’s a badass program with tons of sounds and content to learn from (you can drive it with FGDP, too).
