DIY Electronic Drums with Alesis D4

Overview of my new home-built electronic drum kit, built using the techniques from the tutorial by SEANTHEPRODUCER at • DIY Electric Acoustic ...
2/4/13 - added a short video of my friend and drummer Scott McDonald from the band Jellyshirts (for which I play bass) playing this kit. Check this out, it gives a good idea of what a REALLY good drummer can do with these drums. • Scott McDonald from Je...

[@CarmineStrollo]

Nick I applaud you actually demonstrating the sounds in the unit. Every review I saw was all talk talk talk. you gave me the real deal with the whole setup. Thank you

[@CarmineStrollo]

You are a master craftsman! Your imagination when creating the pads is extraordinary...

[@mattlehnardt8035]

you've followed in the great tradition of drummers, taking stuff and cobbling it together and banging on it. Love it, man! good job. keep at it, maybe you're not a great drummer, but your a great gear maker.

[@emilzd]

Thanks! This is the most useful video on the use and sounds of D4.

[@FenderStrat19711]

This is brilliant, the way you built your own electronic drums. I have the SR18 which I use for all my songs, but of course I don't actually play the drums. I like the way you built your system to interface with the SR18.

[@LuiWallentinGttler]

Seems like a nice job you've done there Nick. Especially like the idea of recycling some old toms for it. Hope you've had a lot of fun with it.

[@michaelscott3885]

Really cool, man. Im finally moving into a place with an extra room I can start jamming in, and I started looking around for ekits. But after reading around and seeing DIY type stuff, ive decided to make a project out of it - plus I want to use an old acoustic kit to convert. Thanks for the awesome video.

[@powermixstudio495]

That's awesome! You did an outstanding job.

[@nickap91]

hi all, I've been really bad about keeping up with responses to comments, sorry about that. Here are some overall notes and answers to questions. After 2 years, the kit is still working (even after having been gigged out multiple times) and I'm really happy with it. However I have made some upgrades along the way ... The main one is that I upgraded to a better (but still old) DMPro module, which allowed me to fine tune the sounds and load custom samples - so I got some really nice kits going. That module is a little flaky though, even though it sounds great, and I'm now looking to buy a new Alesis DM10 module which should really bring the kit to a new level. I replaced the home-made kick trigger because it was the one part of the kit that did not stand up to repeated use - the mesh would keep popping out of the 'rim'. I finally bought a used Yamaha KP65 kick trigger which was quite cheap on eBay and is built like a tank - I've been VERY happy with that. I added a ride cymbal along with way - used another Pintech practice cymbal and added 2 transducers, making it a 2-zone (bell/bow) cymbal - that has worked pretty well but I am hoping to replace it with an Alesis 3-zone cymbal when I get the DM10 module. I just replaced the homemade snare with a used Alesis 12" pad (I installed the mesh from my old pad in place of the Alesis mylar head) so that I would have a 2-zone snare (though after buying it and seeing how simple the construction is, I'm almost certain I could have just added a second transducer to my original snare pad to get the same effect!). I'm also planning on adding a choke to at least one of my crash cymbals; I read a tutorial on how to do that. In short, I have been gradually adding to and upgrading the kit - I will post another video soon highlighting some of the upgrades - but the main part of the kit is pretty much as it was when this video was made, and it is still going strong! :)

[@johns8689]

Great diy project and well done m8!

[@rodneylee4026]

You're awseome. I love the kit.

[@icsnowman]

Nice video. Great job on kit!

[@MrBiggmartin]

Nice kit, nothing beats being inventive...

[@nino_anytimemusic119]

Nice sound and interresting kit...

[@Gillydrums]

Nice job man, very clever!

[@budweiser1961]

Very nice mate. Well done and thank you.

[@charlesidler1]

Tthe kit sounds really nice, a bit of volume mixing independently from each trigger helps a lot too to get the ride not so loud as compared to the rest the kit, and toms and such that takes awhile but you can get it really nice through volume trigger mixing. This is amazing what you have done, I'm really shocked it works that good!!! I think it sounds better than my Roland TD4 but how loud is the real tapping for the neighbors, meaning not on the headphones that exterior tapping we all love to hate? Lol Nice work though really I'm amazed still! too cool

[@tatuanui]

Great job! I was contemplating doing something like this. Getting more than just open/closed on the HH might be a challenge for DIY. I was reminiscing about my Alesis D4 I had in the 90's and came across this video. You could maybe get a 5-pin to USB MIDI converter and use a laptop for a much larger array of drum kit sounds. The in-built sounds in my Alesis Command suck so it's always connected to my Macbook Pro for better-sounding kits - although that has it's drawbacks e.g. I haven't worked out how to get cymbal choke to work.

[@robbyrock-drummer]

Hi, i like what you done and going to do something of same.. How high the foam is placed compared to rim and mesh head?

[@andreagastaldi1506]

I own an Alesis DM8 uho problems with the hi hat pedal and the chest pad when I do a little 'times the double blow of the rubber pad does not respond very well you had the same problems?...

[@steevidrums]

Wow, I had one of the first D4 module's from back in 1992 or something, and it still stands up as an okay module. I was really expecting it to sound major sucky. I mean, it's not as dynamic as modern module but the samples have decent resolution to them. I'd recommend it as a cheap starter kit for one of my pupils any day.

[@dimonbrown1543]

Great job dude

[@nickap91]

Here is a recording of this kit (with updated DMPro module) being used live with the band The NonProphets (the video is from an outdoor performance, while the audio was recorded at a separate live session in my project studio. :) kzbin.info/www/bejne/Y52km2uehdJ8aK8

[@patcoolway]

hi guys! So I just got one of these bad boys back in December and I never actually bothered to turn it on. When I first turned it on I have been met with very bizarre crackle and almost corrupted sounding samples. I’m pretty sure this thing got beat up or something because it just does not sound right. I’m too afraid to open it up and take a look inside. Any idea what possibly could be?

[@36tenaz]

good job man!!

[@warclownband]

nick, i know this is old but could you share what snare and kick sound/sample from the d4 you were using in this video? thanks in advance

[@sarahandjoe2011]

Awesome vid

[@ericgiorgiantonio3298]

awesome job on your DIY kit sounds great and you don't "suck" at playing

[@neehaglee7249]

Damn Cool one !! Thanks for sharing such a wonderful video. :-) 

[@urbananderson6011]

Hey Nick I don't think that you're a bad drummer you keep time better than a lot of drummers 🥁 👍

[@nickap91]

Hey there, I'd say check out seantheproducer's tutorial (link is in the video description above), he's taking a full acoustic kit and 'electrifying' it - it seems like you could then back it out later if you wanted to use it as a regular kit again, though it would take a bit of work. The other things you could try is using triggers like the ones from DDrum; I'm sure you can get good results with those but I've never tried it myself.

[@codasticpark]

very good looking pads

[@nickap91]

Thanks for the good word everyone! I've improved the kit some since I posted the video, fine-tuned the trigger settings and added a ride cymbal - 14" Pintech practice cymbal with 2 transducers added, so I can get both regular ride and bell sounds. I've used the kit for a couple of gigs, and it worked like a charm. Loads of fun to play too! :) Next thing is I'd like to lay my hands on a DMPro module (I can't afford a DM10!) which has a ton of extra sounds and is very customizable ...

[@rayphilips]

Love it! would love to build my own

[@ecosdevocesausentes]

hey i have a trouble settin vcurve and decay from my d4 module, the pages to edit it does not appear.. any sugestion?

[@nickap91]

The D4 module has separate inputs for hi hat trigger and hi hat pedal - you just run an instrument cable from the pedal to the pedal input, connect the trigger to the hi hat trigger input, and the module takes care of the rest.

[@lele3724]

Pretty good job Nick! I happen to have a D4 module which I bought about 20 years ago. I started making a kit and after 3 or 4 components, got side tracked, so was checking out reviews to see if I should complete it or go for a newer module. Impressed with what you've done.!

[@nickap91]

Thanks! This was a good starting point for me; I used the kit in this format for a while then upgraded to a DM Pro module, which gave me the ability to add my own sounds. After a few years I bought my first 'real' kit which was an Alesis DM10 kit; that was pretty good but these days I have a Roland TD17kvx with samples from Drum-Tec, and I absolutely love it. See kzbin.info/www/bejne/q6jIkHyCmtqfsNU for an example.

[@lele3724]

@@nickap91 Thanks Nick. Your current kit sounds pretty good. What's the difference between TD17 and TD17kvx? I'm not really interested in the kit, just the module. I want to use my space age frames. I made hexagon steel frames somewhat like Bonnie Tylers drummer here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/rHKXaaV6jc1klZY I currently have an acoustic Tama which is fun to play but not to carry. So apart from the sound I also want it to be easily portable.

[@nickap91]

@@lele3724 That looks like a cool frame setup! There's no difference in the module between TD17 and TD17kvx; the kvx version just has an extra cymbal and possible other minor additions to the cymbal/pad setup. I like the module very much but strongly recommend getting a sound pack or two to go with it, as I really wasn't happy with the included sounds. The main kit I use from the Drum-Tec samples is actually based on a Tama set, it uses a Tama Artstar snare ...

[@lele3724]

@@nickap91 Thanks Nick, really appreciate the info. Adding sound packs is above my current knowledge, have read a few discussions about it but need to understand it a bit more... I'm no Einstein. :) I'll get the frame components completed and in the meantime look into the samples. At least you've confirmed that the TD17 module is suitable for add ons. Thanks again Nick.🙏

[@nickap91]

I actually have to post an update, to this video - I upgraded the module - to one that's still close to 15 years old! I got an Alesis DMPro, which has better sounds - especially the cymbals, which are much more realistic-sounding. Pretty crappy acoustic drum sounds, but it has an expansion slot so you can add your own sounds - and THAT is cool. I just added 80 new snare and tom sounds and I'm assembling some really sweet-sounding kits ...

[@nickap91]

Thanks! I got a quite cheap Alesis hi-hat controller from eBay - you can get them new for $20 - do a search for "alesis hi-hat controller" and you'll find them. The D4 just uses an on/off controller where most newer drum modules take a continuous changing pedal - my guess is that's what your Yamaha is. (You'll probably see eBay listings for other Alesis controllers that are more expensive - you just want the cheap one, the pricier ones are the continuous controller type.)

[@starofdavid23]

Hey I like your setup but I am trying to hook mine up with a regular drum set any advise analog and digitaln

[@nickap91]

(Sorry for the slow response, I've been kind of out of touch ...) They're not loud at all; the sound of the stick on the pad is almost inaudible, and there's absolutely no resonance from the shells. The loudest parts are the cymbals, which are hard plastic, which is why I glue the old mouse pads on there. But I've also started playing with the blastick-type sticks instead of wooden drumsticks; that helps a lot.

[@LizethRiveraMusic]

how do you connect the hi hat controller to module and foot hi hat controller?

[@kfcisdabest123]

What is the foam underneath the skin for? I've seen it on other tutorials aswell. Does the transducer not work well without it in terms of velocity levels or something? By the way, this is really cool! good work

[@kfcisdabest123]

cheers for that! i figured it was something along those lines but i wanted to check

[@cardninja181]

How loud are the actual drums when you cut them in half?

[@ferdinandtoribio7800]

nice work men ilikr your ALISIS DRUM DIGITAL setups

[@01murph]

I also have an Alesis D4. Its a fantastic module. What Kind of Hi Hat pedal controller do you have? I have tried using a Yamaha Hi Hat controller with mine but can't seem to get it to work. So I'm not sure what kind is compatible with the module. I'd really appreciate it if you could help me out... Oh btw. Heck of a job on the kit. Looks very clean and professional.

[@nickap91]

The D4 is definitely surprisingly nice for its age! I just bought a DM Pro which is more recent, and it has tons more bells and whistles - but out of the box, the kits sound like crap compared to the D4! You have to work with it to strip off all the extra junk they added to all the samples, then you can get some decent sounds from it. So far I've been editing on the DM Pro for about 3 hours, and I have one useable kit put together. But it's worth the work - the cymbals for example sound great.

[@MadreDeDiosEstudio]

amazing..!

[@rolandedrummer9723]

I remember that snare sound. Get your 90s on!

[@walkinthrutheparkbymr.melo3905]

EXCELLENT!!!

[@octave06]

are the velocity and sensitivity settings managed through the drum module or the piezo? does it make a big difference if you have a quality drum module like a roland td series vs an osp dd502?

[@nickap91]

+Carl Flores They're controlled through the drum module - and yes, a better module would make a big difference. The 'real' drum pads that come with Alesis or Roland kits are really just the same technology as this - same little piezo pickup under the heads. It all comes down to your drum module how good they sound and how responsive they are (though the latter can also be improved by adjusting thickness of the foam).

[@octave06]

+Nick Appleby thanks for the response! I should've mentioned the main reason I asked is because I want to use the module not for its sounds but to trigger VSTs and reason i ask is that I have the option to get either modules but with the osp for half of the roland's price. in this case do you thinkl the OSP will suffice?

[@bsralex3146]

Hey, hello, nice kit! Do you know if the D4 can be connected to an interface, so I can get sounds from my PC plugins?

[@nickap91]

Hi - thanks for the kind words! If I understand your question right, the answer is 'yes' - the D4 can work as a midi converter, sending hits picked up by the trigger inputs as midi notes via the midi out connector. You'd just need a midi interface and it should work fine for triggering sounds on your PC.

[@bsralex3146]

+Nick Appleby wow! Much thanks for the fast response! Also, shoutout for still rocking the D4, I gave this little gem a little tour through my country 10 years ago, and is still alive! Cheers, brother!

[@pontikas]

super cool

[@HereIsmarcus]

Nifty kit ! A question. What if I didn't have the drum module but I did have a laptopm with Toontrack EZDrummer or superior drummer installed ? Could I somehow avoid the drum module ? Thanks.

[@SashaLaceMusicProductions]

You'd need a module or interface with MIDI out so you could have EZ Drummer use the set so unfortunately, you really can't avoid having a drum module.

[@LuiWallentinGttler]

You need something to interpret the triggers, as +Darkdeity9194 . The most affordable solution I know of, is the Alesis Trigger|iO. And you may have to fiddle around with some midi channel stuff on your computer.

[@SashaLaceMusicProductions]

that sounds quite advanced.

[@nickap91]

+Darkdeity9194 Agreed - but you should be able to pick up an old Alesis module (like a D4 or DM5)on eBay for < $100 that will work as a trigger-to-midi converter that you can then connect up to the laptop via a midi interface.

[@SashaLaceMusicProductions]

If I was in the market for an electronic drum set, that'd be a good deal. I've had to make some repairs to my pc so for now, I can't do it xD

[@jamiesea231]

What abut making the snare 3 zone trigger and the toms 2? Can you do this? Thanks!

[@nickap91]

Sure, you can add as many separate transducers as you want for each drum; dual transducers can be wired to TRS plugs, if the drum module you're using can work with those. The trick would be positioning the transducers so that they don't both trigger at the same time - it might help to build some kind of direct physical connection to the rim, like a bracket or something that the transducer can be mounted on, for a rim/head dual zone setup. (I did use two transducers for my ride cymbal - a slightly larger version of the PinTech practice cymbals shown in this video - one near the edge and one near the 'bell' - that setup worked perfectly.)

[@jamiesea231]

Cool! Currently I have the Strike Pro Kit and swapping it for a Yamaha Stage Custom with a set of the NFUZD pads. I like the 3 Zone Triggers on the snare of the NFUZD but if for some reason I ever want to convert this kit then a 3 zone might be the way to go for the snare.

[@dipakbhattacharya712]

I like it

[@nickap91]

Hi folks, just thought I'd post in case anyone's interested, that I'm actually selling this kit, including the D4 module, a Yamaha KP65 kick pad (the home-made one was just too fragile), and a 2-zone home-built ride cymbal. The selling price is $200 which is very reasonable - especially since you could sell the module, the rack and the kick pad alone on eBay and get at least that much back. No shipping, so this is probably only interesting to folks near Connecticut - I'm just outside New Haven.

[@kittywampusdrums4963]

Will this work with the Alesis DM10 module or just the D4?

[@nickap91]

It'll work with just about any Alesis module - I've used these pads with the DM10 and it works great.

[@kittywampusdrums4963]

Awesome man, thank you for the info! Rock on!

[@batboyandy]

This is so killing:)

[@cameronlockett5698]

How did you cut the drums?

[@nickap91]

I used a power jigsaw. I just had to take all the hardware (lugs etc.) off the drums first, then it was pretty easy to do.

[@MG-xs8bi]

nice!

[@rapidfiremuzik_official]

shit!!! now i just WANT to find an old drum module and use these old spare parts from my Pearl drums 🤘😎🤘

[@paulastephens4799]

RapidFire Muzik™ Hey man Pearl drums are the best drum company on the marked so why u want to turn them into an electric drum set

[@CaptainVelveeta]

Probably the best looking diy kit I've see yet...kudos (>‿◠)✌ ..invest a little in an older Roland module and you'd have a pretty sweet kit.

[@oladapooyefusi7103]

Cool

[@JanSnijder]

What hi hat pedal do you use /

[@nickap91]

I have to double check (I'm not home right now) but I'm pretty sure the one I have now is an Alesis RealHat pedal. When I got the DMPro module I had to get a new pedal because I needed one that's continuously variable rather than just on/off - the DMPro has a better hi hat sound than the D4 and it needs a CV pedal. The old pedal with the D4 was a cheap on/off pedal.

[@JanSnijder]

thnks

[@kocickyhopkaji8638]

Proc palicky drzi jak prase kost?

[@SlaveSociety]

cool

[@endaracoustic1362]

Addictive drums or ez drum ?

[@SackKickingFatMan]

Ill be honest..it wasnt fantastic, but that beat at 9:47 was really cool!

[@jimscottsoldchannel7103]

11:09 Sonic CD Quartz Quadrant US

[@MegaAnimazing]

11:21 Sonic CD Stardust Speedway Bad Future US.

[@Slicklickz]

Aren't those Pintech cymbals?

[@nickap91]

Yes they are - you can attach the sensors to just about anything, e.g. you could use plastic plates as cymbals, but the Pintech cymbals are inexpensive, sturdy and easy to mount, so that's what I used.

[@Slicklickz]

@@nickap91 The TC and PC lines are inexpensive.My Visualite 14" 2 zone chokeable crash has an MSRP of $270 though,and a set of Visualites is like $8-900.

[@nickap91]

Got it - this was definitely a low-budget project, so I just bought Pintech practice cymbals and added the radio shack sensors, same as I did with the drums. The cymbals I bought were around $15-20 each on Amazon.

[@Slicklickz]

@@nickap91 You can buy the TC line new for as low as $30 for a single zone.

[@MazdaBass971]

The set can be cheap IF you had a drum controller, if you don't well then your best off buying a new one, damn things cost so much!

[@DavidBryantsTranscendent]

I can't believe you got that rack for 50 bucks!

[@rodomg3505]

Dude Amazing!!! Are you interested in selling those?

[@nickap91]

Actually, I am planning on selling them - while I was very happy with these, I ended up getting a killer deal on an Alesis kit, so I am not really using these any more, and my wife is on my case to get rid of them ... ;) Only thing is, I really don't want the hassle of having to ship them, so I'm probably only going to sell them for local pickup. If you live anywhere in the Connecticut area, let me know, and I'm sure we can work something out ...

[@rodomg3505]

oh man that's bad news. I live in texas. how much are you planning to sell them for?

[@nickap91]

Probably $200 or so. They would cost quite a bit more than that to build from scratch now, especially since I added a Yamaha kick pedal - the home-made one just wasn't strong enough! - but I'm realistic, and ready made e-drum kits have come down a lot in price, so I think $200 would be a fair price for this system.

[@Mmusic-je8kz]

Wav To SF2 Yes

[@PaulTheSkeptic]

That module sounds pretty good for an older module. That's a DM4? Not to bad. Not great but not to bad. BTW You can improve if you just practice. Just search for drumless tracks on youtube and play along with them. Start with songs that you know really well and you know all the drum hits to. Then just practice all the time. Move on to some other stuff that you don't know very well and just improvise. Develop your own style. After a while, you'll develope some confidence and consistency and you'll be a reasonably proficient drummer. Then if you want to be a really good drummer you have to start practicing rudiments and all that but unless you want to join Dream Theatre or something, who cares about all that?

[@AttilaThebung]

.... English?

[@drummerdude100]

Extremely unrealistic electric sound.... they do look good though.

[@renanjoffre1921]

It's an Alesos D4 man, maybe unrealistic to play rolls and fills with many nuances, but still a great unit. My drummer and I have assembled a hybrid set with a Pearl Forum Series kit, a Roland Pad-80 and a Simmons kit from the eighties through the Alesis. The electronic parts sound awful as standalone kits, but chosing the right sounds and not trying to emulate an acoustic drum kit it sounds really nice. Cheers, from Mexico!

[@drummerdude100]

Any serious drummer would never use something like this purely because it sounds like crap, isn't sensitive enough to pick up ghost notes and other nuances, and the brain can't keep up with more complicated beats and rhythms. For someone just messing about, it's okay I guess. But I'd recommend at least getting something a bit better.

[@maccagrabme]

drummerdude This is almost 25 yrs old so lets not be too harsh. Also the punchiness of the sound is better than what I hear on the Roland range.

[@rhys854acoustic]

+drummerdude you know you can use any drum module you want right?

[@drummerdude100]

Rhys Moyses Yep!

[@icsnowman]

Nice video. Great job on kit!