Electronic Drums, Part 2 - DIY

[@pleaseandthankyou4161]

Love this! I just finished a conversion. Just some tips if you're using a trigger interface instead of a drum module. Use a smaller piezo on the rim. Set the trigger type to PS instead of PP. If you do standard wiring : "Head-Piezo to TIP" , "Rim-Piezo to Ring", "Both grounded to sleeve". The rim signal could be very weak on a midi interface (I'd pay to know why). So play with the trigger types and use a small piezo on the rim.

[@milesreay9420]

Great video, thank you! I'm working on a similar project and this was really helpful.

[@andymouse]

They look great ! ...cheers.

[@johndef5075]

After I converted my acoustic set it actually took up less space overall than my td10 which has a fairly large rack

[@ElectronicswithProfessorFiore]

That is a little surprising. My acoustic kit takes up quite a bit more space than my e-kit. About the same number of toms and cymbals, too.

[@bobbyhartanto3210]

Hi professor Jim, how about multi piezo triggering system that now more applied for higher end e-drum kit? They usualy get 4 cone with piezo at the edges and have some circuit pcb (i doon’t know whai it used for) they said for more realistic strike response and eliminate hot-spot. Maybe you can make a tutorial for multi piezo drum trigger

[@ElectronicswithProfessorFiore]

Yes, things have been improving in terms of realism. To be honest, I don't worry about it much anymore as I've gone back to acoustic drums. There's just something more immediate about it. I miss the flexibility of sounds and pad sizes, though.

[@Kyp031]

I'm a technician. Mostly controls, but I've been a drummer for 20 some years, and for the life of me, I like to keep my kit primitive lol. No electronics, no cables, no sampling devices, just straight-up drumming. But this stuff is cool.

[@ElectronicswithProfessorFiore]

Yes, there are certain aspects that I love such as the ability to get a sound that has nothing to do with the size or shape of the drum. Plus, you can get different kits at the turn of a dial. And then there's the compactness of the kit (if desired). Ultimately, though, there was an immediacy and subtle quality that I found missing, so I went back to acoustics (but in all fairness, I now had a proper studio space so as not to bother the neighbors). The inherent lack of loudness is perhaps the greatest advantage of the e-kit, particularly for beginners.

[@CraigTschirhart]

Great video! Thanks for putting this together. I am building a trigger and thus far I am not reading a signal in the drum module. What should the threshold voltage typically be to read a signal?

[@ElectronicswithProfessorFiore]

That's going to depend on the module and the sensitivity settings. If you're having trouble getting a trigger, try swapping input channels. If no luck, try just using a bare piezo and flicking it with your finger. If you have access to a digital 'scope, put it in single shot mode, set the time base to between 1 to 5 msec, set the pre-trigger for a few millisecs, and then give the drum a strike. You should see a fairly nice spike of at least a few hundred millivolts.

[@CraigTschirhart]

@@ElectronicswithProfessorFiore great thanks 🙏

[@jameshicks7125]

I did this in 2008. I got a great price on a new Ludwig 4 piece jazz kit, Burgundy Red Maple woodgrain (at least the outer veneer). I approached this almost exactly the way you did. I cut all the shells in half and got 7 pieces as I also cut the bass drum in half and made it about 10" deep and sealed with both heads for better rebound. I could have had two bass drums had I not sealed the one using the hardware. All of this went into a Roland TD-12 and an RM6(?) midi expander. I had 7 "Smart Trigger" cymbals. The cheap quiet practice ones from China had come out yet. The Smart Trigger Cymbals Glue dripped out. Terrible product.

[@poxcr]

It would've taken just minute to take those mesh heads off...

[@alexdsouza8681]

Your talk is more than being Practical. 😂😂😂