How I Built a VAD Style Electronic Drum Kit

[@cubanpete7615]

The edrumin double midi communication video is just what I need to know for a future kit down the line so at least one visual 😂

[@DICARLOSxBE]

It is always nice to watch your videos and youre personal taste. I was converting an acoustic drum 20 years ago, but good to see things are a little better now.

[@RyoCanCan]

I'm building an ekit that's convertible to acoustics with head head changes. Ekits are great for home recording and practice, and acoustics for gigging. Best of both worlds!

[@dougmcpherson2045]

Great job, as usual! I can't wait for a full nerd-out on how you further integrate that edrumin unit via midi to other controllers. Thanks again and keep up the great work.

[@progression_decibel]

Phenomenal Luke! Yes, if you manage to get to it, please make a dedicated video on the edrumin 10 using it with multiple modules and laptop with VST. I have the same exact use case at home!

[@edrums]

Nice build, Luke! I used a 22" Drone Halo for my kick. The build quality is incredible; Mike is a true artist. Sounds like he isn't really making them due to health issues.

[@mikaellarsson785]

Thanks for a great video. You did not mention how much money there is to save compared to just buying an vad kit from Roland. But then it was not on your target list either so thats fine😊

[@Paulo_5002_]

Your new drum kit is amazing! Congratulations.

[@TheeDrumWorkshop]

Thank you 🙏

[@dannyknox4314]

Brilliant Luke. Checks all my boxes. I was thinking of buying A couple of Traveler kits and doing the same. Really appreciate the insight.

[@TheeDrumWorkshop]

Great stuff, I hope the build goes well!

[@Garagedrummer]

Killer looking kit and as always love the vids

[@petriojanpera2996]

Great video. I would like to hear more details about your experiences with eDrumIn and Roland TD-27.

[@demonicsweaters]

Wow, what a great price on those WHD drums! I've never even heard of those, but they look great for the money!

[@TheeDrumWorkshop]

I definitely got lucky with the pricing of the compact kit since it was on clearance, but all of their drums are generally pretty cheap!

[@johndef5075]

I still like your Pearl kit a little better!

[@mikestein1024]

Wanted to see you just jamming to tunes on it I absolutely love it man I’m planning on using Jmans trick of using fish bubbler tubings instead of black rubber guards and acoustic converted cymbals also I have used old Roland rubber kick towers screwed into a bass drum

[@TheeDrumWorkshop]

The Famous: Metal video has plenty of playing demos, but I'm sure I'll have more in the future!

[@DrummerGrrrl]

Holey moley!!! My brain shut off about fifteen minutes in! LOL. Still, I am very glad YOU got something you love. I've thought about having an e-kit similar to Justin's from "65 Drums". That kit is gorgeous. However, at the end of the day, I'd rather have simplicity over having to fiddle with a lot of components. Thanks for this video!

[@TheeDrumWorkshop]

If you got fifteen minutes in, I think you might have watched it a second time 😅 Totally understand why you would rather buy something ready to go! Thanks for commenting! 🙏

[@EasyHeat]

I've played a "two up-two down" 4 piece acoustic kit for ages, and my parted out over the years mesh e-kit (of various brands) has done the job, but also left much to be desired. I do have an acoustic 90's MAPEX kit stored away at my cousin's studio, but the shell sizes are a bit much for my apartment for a conversion project IMO. This video has given me G.A.S. for more viable options. I'm currently triggering everything into EZDrummer/SPD/Slate via an old Alesis Trigger I/O, but aspire to get myself one of those eDrumin 10 interfaces to pair w/ my M1 Macbook Air. BTW... I'm seriously digging the LEMON cymbals FYI. While not "perfect"? They are mos def worth the investment. Cheers!

[@daferns]

Well done bud. This looks sick.

[@TheeDrumWorkshop]

Thank you! 🙏

[@birchdrums]

Great work Luke, that is a killer kit!

[@TheeDrumWorkshop]

Thanks Tim 🙏

[@mtrow23]

That kit is sweet. Thanks for the build video.

[@TheeDrumWorkshop]

Thank you 🙏

[@mtrow23]

@@TheeDrumWorkshop Hey Luke, what did you use or recommend for the reso side heads? Silent Stokes maybe? thanks!

[@TheeDrumWorkshop]

@@mtrow23 Hey! Yeah, I mostly used some cheap mesh heads that I had lying around from years ago. I think they're a mix of single and double ply Z-ED ones, maybe some others. But any inexpensive single ply mesh head would work just fine, it basically only needs to be there to keep the hoop on and let air out of the drum to keep the noise down!

[@ArtesiaProNorthAmerica]

Another excellent video and congrats on the new kit! Michael

[@TheeDrumWorkshop]

Thanks Michael 🙏

[@graemelaw5808]

great kit build 👍👍👍👌, my sort of kit...... nice

[@NewfieXbox66-ju4qb]

How much does it Cost for all of the Triggers + Module thanks Great Video.

[@ChontosDrumLessons]

Great job, Luke! That is an insane kit!!! I stayed with you 90% of the way on the whole midi conversion setup. 😂

[@TheeDrumWorkshop]

Thanks Jared! 🙏 Haha 90% is commendable!

[@RedGearMusic]

Great overview Luke! Looking forward to building my A-E kit. Just finished tweaking all my settings on the eDRUMin 10 modules and now it's time to buy my PDP Shell Pack and rack from Sweetwater.

[@TheeDrumWorkshop]

Thanks! Sounds exciting, hope you enjoy it when it's finished!

[@maidenmopar]

Great kit!!! ❤

[@dms_video240]

Thanks for the breakdown! I thought the drone triggers where not available anymore. How did you manage to order them?

[@TheeDrumWorkshop]

They're just available through his eBay store and often only if he has stock. The username is kittoys-2012 - sometimes he has things up for sale on there, or you could message and see if he has anything available.

[@iantouzel638]

dude, i wish you stay in my country, your knowledge is incredible on edrums, would pay you to work on my kit

[@johndef5075]

Great looking kit! I see you're using the Speed Cobra. I just got the 310 dbl version and really like it with my big feet. Im using a 12" snare, 12" rack, 12"mounted as floor, and 14" floor toms with a 20" bass. 1 pdx8 mounted left of rack tom. Just recovered them in silver sparkle and it looks amazing! All Roland cymbals with vh12 hihats and td20 module. Sounds great and super fun to play. Even made my own ecowbell out of a real cowbell! Actually using a Remo Silentstroke as bass head. Ported mylar front. With 2 pillows inside and Evans patch. Using just an rt10k mounted on top it triggers surprisingly well.

[@TheeDrumWorkshop]

Thank you! Yes, I'm using the Speed Cobra 310 double pedals as well as a Speed Cobra hi-hat stand. Your setup sounds great, I'm glad you've got it all how you like it!

[@johndef5075]

​@@TheeDrumWorkshop Ive liked all your kits but this one has a nice unified look.

[@Azzthedrummer]

Going to this to my old Pearl export

[@demonicsweaters]

oh, btw Luke, I never mentioned in my last comment that this kit is freaking awesome. Also your drumming in the famous metal kits video was legit!

[@TheeDrumWorkshop]

Thanks Justin! 🙏On a tangent, I saw your video about the Unlock cymbals and that you really liked them! They're going to be on my standard kit setup from now on, for sure. Unfortunately I've had an issue with the hi-hat controller that I'm waiting on a fix for but it looks like yours was working great so that gives me hope!

[@demonicsweaters]

@@TheeDrumWorkshop Awesome man! Yeah, it's odd, I didn't have any of the issues you show in your video. Not even the double triggering. Maybe my settings were already pretty dialed in and that's why, or maybe I just didn't notice. I also have only tested them on the TD-17. The hardest part for me was getting the clutch setup on the hi hat. Now they're killer though! These cymbals kick serious ass! And Gili over at Koral Music is super cool!

[@eriksilva4690]

Sick set up. I have two eKits with dead computers. OG Roland V-Club and Alesis Mesh Kit (not sure the exact model). Any idea where and how I can get a new drum module so I can play one of the kits? I’m struggling here.

[@Markplaysmusic]

Subbed. Now I'm in an apartment the e-kit is the main kit, but I'm adding more to it as it was minimal when I got it; I've added small percussion bits, blocks and cowbells etc. I'm definitely thinking the mix of acoustic and electric drums is my route now mesh heads have improved. But it's going to be a year before I'm fully set up, then there's the other stuff - how do I deal with replacing my roto-toms, or changing them? What about other equipment like the Octopad stuff and the like? But I want to keep it all to a limited space.

[@wintyrqueen]

Very nice. I did my conversion pretty much entirely because of state presence, largely made from a Ludwig Accent, & it’s bloody great. It’s also just Modular enough that we can take just parts of it for those gigs sharing a back line

[@TheeDrumWorkshop]

Awesome!

[@Ereungafa]

Thanks man! Im a little late for this video. I got my new Edrumin10 but im not sure if It would be a nice idea to get rid of my digital snare pad from roland as long as I don´t have my td50 module anymore. Some people managed to send data over midi using a usb hub but Im not sure how it would work in terms of all of this roland special features. Same with the digital Ride. Thanks anyway for your videos and effort. Cheers from southern sunny Spain.

[@MitchellJRo]

Do you have any suggestions of other comparable side triggers for toms?

[@aserabus]

Quick question, at 1:17, can you tell me what brand is the rim protector or rim condom on that club jam shell? I see that there's notches in the rubber for the lug heads to fit in, i'm looking for something exactly like it.

[@TheeDrumWorkshop]

It's a Roland rubber rim. I order them from Drumshack in the UK, they've got 8" (5 lug), 10 & 12" (6 lug) and 14" (8 lug) ones. Unfortunately Roland don't have any other sizes or lug counts available as far as I know. I'm hoping the VAD rubber rims become available as parts at some point because they're not notched for specific lug counts and they're a bit slimmer but still seem durable. Unfortunately I can't seem to find them anywhere at the moment and I don't know if Roland will ever do that since they seem to be making fewer parts available separately.

[@eaglepass5170]

Great video and kit!!!! Please what is the drum kit rack system?

[@TheeDrumWorkshop]

Thanks! Totally forgot to go into the rack/hardware. It's a Dixon rack - you can buy full racks by them but I just bought the "wing rack with T-leg" which is an like an extension pack that comes with the straight crossbar and one leg, then I bought a 36" "Flex Rack Leg Tube" for the downpipe on the other side because I already had a spare rack foot (t-clamp, short bar + rubber feet). It came with a few of the clamps on it but I already had some of my own, then I added the Gibraltar "Rack tube boom attachment" on each side so that I could put the crash cymbal stands directly into the rack legs. I do have a video about customizing your rack that goes through a lot of available parts, you can watch it here if you've not seen it - kzbin.info/www/bejne/f5emXoaDZ6aZoKM

[@eaglepass5170]

@@TheeDrumWorkshop Thank you!!

[@danielfc]

OMG I finally found some cushions that may work on my Alesis Commands bass drum. I bought it used and the previous owner wore it down, so now my two kicks have different reception strenghts for the module. I also need to change the snare foams cause I had to re-solder the main snare piezo. Any clues on where I can find a good replacement? I asked Alesis and they essencially told me to buy a whole new snare pad.

[@StereoAnthony]

Another great video Luke! Kinda chuffed to see I made the video with my comments about the kit! Not surprising I wasn't the only one! Thanks again for such a great in depth explanation of what went into this build. One of the things I like so much about your videos is how clear and concise you are able to explain things. I'm a techie too, so all the nerd stuff isn't lost on me at all, and I really appreciate your depth of detail in that too. Very cool seeing you using the Edrumin10 to switch between modules quickly. Genius idea! Also, just to be clear, your snare and hi hats are Roland digital and not compatible with the Edrumin, therefore you plug them directly into the Roland module, and with the USB cable the Edrumin is still able to trigger the rest of your kits sounds from the Roland module? That being said, I also have an Edrumin10 and recently asked on the audiofront forums about upgrading my snare to a positional sensing one that would work well with the Edrumin. I currently have all Yamaha pads from a purchased DTX700 kit. The owner Rob commented that I should stay away from 3 ply mesh heads, but didn't say why, but it looks like you have a whole bunch of those on this kit. Has your experience with the Edrumin and mesh heads been seamless?

[@TheeDrumWorkshop]

Thank you 🙏 and thanks for your contribution! Yes, the digital pads are plugged into the TD-50X and the eDRUMin is triggering the other pads from the Roland module. I can then send the combined MIDI to another module if I want to. I believe that generally speaking, positional sensing just works better with 2 ply heads - must be something to do with the waveform that gets produced. I typically get reasonable PS on the eDRUMin with a 3 ply head, but it possibly could be improved by swapping back to a 2 ply. I just prefer the feel of the 3 ply heads so I'm personally happy to compromise. I'm also not using PS with my eDRUMin with any of these pads in this setup so that doesn't come into it for me at the moment.

[@StereoAnthony]

@@TheeDrumWorkshop Great to know, thanks Luke! Greetings from Ontario Canada!

[@ajmpatriot4899]

You and I are a lot alike and I must say, your kit is very close to my dream kit. It’s taking shape slowly of course. Well done! 👍

[@TheeDrumWorkshop]

Thanks 🙏 I hope you get it to where you want it!

[@BFedie518]

Have you ever tried a pedal-mounted kick trigger? I'm curious how they compare to a simple side trigger or a full foam thing like you have.

[@TheeDrumWorkshop]

I haven't tried them yet, no. I'm aware that a lot of people use them so I'll have to see if I can try one out for a review at some point.

[@eDrumsInANutshell]

Damn, that really looks awsome. I really like the black wood grain finish. But even though its marks easily it should be easier to fix that shiny polished finish. A simple furniture repair maker should do well ? With regard to the kick trigger. I recently thought like ....ah...I would like to have a second bassdrum note for the SD3 extensions. And ... First I tried to use another Hall sensor on the second pedal and an eDRUMin sende CC messages to mimic a two zone kick. So like if the left (sec.) pedal is pressed send a CC message to SD3 plays zone 1 with kick sound 1 and if not.. so the right pedal is pressed fire sound 2. Somehow that was working, but not that consistent as it needs to do. So I tried a DIY build of only a pedal trigger. And ... damn. That works really well, more accurate than the trigger on the ATV "13 kick pad with double pedal. I just got two guitar piezo pickups, already ensapsuled and with a nice 1/4" TRS socket. Metal bracket with some foamy packaging material bended like that that th piezo touches the pedal when it's pressed down ... Than I splitted an input of the eDRUMin to 2 mono inputs and baaam. I got some images in my community section. So now I could use any bassdrum. First thing was just loosen the meshhead. It's still bouncy but ... let's see. I think will try this r drums foam cushion. I keep an eye on to two Roland KD-7 on ebay. :-) Sorry, that is everything but not looking fancy but I would like to check how they feel. And then ... I have two more piezos lying around, for ...ha .. triggerin a ... cowbell, woodblock. Great video! Thank you!

[@PsychChemistryEase]

You probably need more triggers…and yes the edrumin is completely amazing. Especially when you consider everything is done by one guy…

[@stink-a-lynx6571]

I'm designing my own trigger mounting system. Would you be able to recommend piezos and cones? Don't have much experience and don't wanna buy cheap parts and ruin my project

[@TheDude10k]

Are there skin wraps for the vad 506/507? I can only find for the snare

[@ryanroarty691]

6:46 Where did you buy the metal hardware to mount the wood/trigger? Cant find it anywhere :( Loving the videos btw!

[@TheeDrumWorkshop]

Pretty sure all of the hardware is just from Screwfix or Toolstation (hardware stores in the UK if you're not familiar). If you look for something along the lines of "stainless steel angle brackets" or "L brackets" at any hardware store, you should find something similar to what I'm using to mount things to the lugs. The longer plates were called something along the lines of "flat connector plates" or maybe "flat straps". The wood circle itself was just an MDF circle I bought from eBay. I hope that helps!

[@salihtileylioglu3017]

How loud are the drums (without connecting the module). Can you play it in an apartment? Thanks.

[@MaciejPrus-j7u]

get tennis balls beaters - great feel and quieter

[@Jeffmd2020]

How do you know how deep or shallow to set the trigger under the heads?!

[@TheeDrumWorkshop]

You usually get instructions with the triggers that you buy. Generally speaking you want the foam to protrude 1-2mm above the bearing edge so that it's in contact with the head but not forcing it outwards, but following the instructions for any triggers is best!

[@tomcrawford4243]

Are Drone Triggers even still available ???

[@TonyDiaz.]

I'm more of an acoustic type of guy, but I'd definitely pound that beauty... nice job!

[@pabloagredaayala9724]

Have you tried the edrum in midi out option with your alesis strike midi in to improve the trigger performance with non alesis pads?

[@TheeDrumWorkshop]

I've not set the eDRUMin up for this yet, but I've exclusivity used my Strike with MIDI in from my TD-50X for all of my kit building or general playing. I only hook up triggers directly to the Strike to test them out since performance is usually poor. It's a much more enjoyable experience in my opinion and I'm sure the eDRUMin will do a fine job once I've set it up for it.

[@WilliamCavanaugh-x5n]

What rack did you use any suggestions on racking vad style ?

[@Derfen81]

Hey Luke. Now that your covering conversions hav u considered hosting a contest for fans to show off thier kit conversions

[@OmegaB3N]

Yeee agreed. Seeing what people are building would be awesome

[@MultiMikey81]

Hello mate ive got a mapex armoury kit converted with drum triggers and a td30 ' Kda 22 on kick And roland n lemon cymbals What's the best way to put rim triggers on so I can use the rim samples etc If you could help Cheers

[@JaelleJaen]

does drone halo still exist? i cant find them

[@JaellesDrums]

i've been planning on making a a2e conversion kit since im a bit done with the hotspots on my kit.. my kits an old td10 with the trigger cones replaced and a digital upgrade pack (snare and ride) but i was thinking of selling the toms (pd100 and pd120?) pads and using that money to buy a acoustic kit for around 200 euro and then buying some jobeky side triggers to put in them, do you think that those would trigger better than the pd100 pads? (without any center hotspots since its a side trigger)

[@OthonasDrums]

greast looking kit tha triggers and sounds great...Does the strike module allow for midi in? cause i remember something about not having enough midi notes to add or something like that

[@TheeDrumWorkshop]

Thanks! Yeah, the Strike has MIDI in. But it can only trigger sounds that are assigned to pad zones, not "extra" sounds. So that will be why people will say it can't be expanded with MIDI.

[@nazmulhasanmishu2080]

How much it will cost me to build a kit like this ? I want to make one with small kit like 2 basic 2 Tom floor Tom and 4 'cymbals, cab you make one for me ?

[@tbip2001]

Needs some nice resin 3d printed ‘edrumworkshop’ badges :)

[@MapexKid]

Have you tried those triggers with the newest yamaha dtx modules?

[@TheeDrumWorkshop]

When I reviewed the DTX10K-M (so the PROX module), I tried most of my own triggers on it and found performance to be poor on that module. Yamaha modules are optimized for their own pads which appear to have a lower signal level than most other pads/triggers on the market, so everything I tried was too "hot" on the PROX, giving me limited dynamics. It's a shame as the module is great otherwise. So if you wanted to use triggers that are typically geared towards Roland compatibility, you'd need to find a way to "cool" off the signal level (I believe a resistor could be added for this but I'm not as well-versed on the ins and outs of the wiring).

[@MapexKid]

@@TheeDrumWorkshop thanks for the reply 😊 do you think using the edrumin 10 with midi to the module would sort it?

[@TheeDrumWorkshop]

Yeah, if you set up all of the pads on the eDRUMin then send MIDI to the DTX-PRO, I imagine you should be able to get them performing well together.

[@serbadork]

Do you have your eDrumin trigger settings listed anywhere? Would love to buy one and tinker with it but admittedly it’s a little intimidating settings wise 😅

[@steevidrums]

The settings will depend on your pad set and how you play, so his settings won't really be use. But I can attest that setting up the edrumin is really easy, getting it perfect will require an understanding of trigger parameters though, but that's true of any module. Have you checked out his edrumin video? He explains setting it up in some depth!

[@serbadork]

@@steevidrums I have not! I should go check that video out then. Thanks so much, this comment helps!

[@steevidrums]

@@serbadork Fun Fact, I am the one that lent Luke the edrumin to review it. He ended up buying his own shortly after. It's hands down the best video out there explaining what a phenomenal little device it is.

[@TheeDrumWorkshop]

Yeah, as Steve says my settings won't be a lot of use to anyone else. But it is easier to get to grips with than some modules because the visual representation of the waveform really helps once you get used to it!

[@STay10r]

Could you provide a rough estimate of how much this whole project costs?

[@martandersen9312]

Is ot possible to get the triggers anymore?

[@TheeDrumWorkshop]

DRONE Halo triggers? Possibly - you'd have to send Mike a message on eBay to find out for certain. Username is kittoys-2012

[@martandersen9312]

@@TheeDrumWorkshop Thanks a lot! 🙂

[@martandersen9312]

​@@TheeDrumWorkshop Tried to search on eBay, but did not find his username.

[@jezusmylord]

Will the Metal Colection drop for td27?

[@TheeDrumWorkshop]

Yes, of course.

[@james9269-8n]

Yeah nice

[@mikemckee9376]

Hi, Great Videos! I am wondering if you can access the sounds of the 50X via midi through the edrumin 10? I have the exact same setup but find that it is a shame I can only access 4 (dual zone) triggers only with the 50X when it has over 900 sounds! any thoughts! Thanks Man!

[@TheeDrumWorkshop]

Hi! Thanks! Yes, you can trigger the TD-50X over MIDI using the eDRUMin, but you can only trigger sounds that are assigned to a pad zone. So you can't access all 900+ sounds at any one time over MIDI, the sounds must already be assigned to kick, snare head, snare rim etc. If you have pads plugged into all of the inputs, you're not getting any "extra" sounds, but if you've not got pads plugged into some then you're able to trigger those over MIDI if you want.

[@mikemckee9376]

@@TheeDrumWorkshop Thanks for the reply! so you're saying that Roland only has sounds routed to each pad output? they have not mapped sounds across say an 88 midi keyboard setup or let you assign sounds to all those available midi notes? why would they want it to be so limited? we pay all that money and then you are only able to use 4 extra aux sounds... shame on them! it makes no sense at all to me! but thank you very much and keep up the great videos! I have learned alot from you in the past three years!

[@williamthompson5078]

What’s the name of the Triggers you are using ?

[@TheeDrumWorkshop]

I give the name in the video!

[@andypatt]

What drum rack are you using?

[@TheeDrumWorkshop]

Thanks! Totally forgot to go into the rack/hardware. It's a Dixon rack - you can buy full racks by them but I just bought the "wing rack with T-leg" which is an like an extension pack that comes with the straight crossbar and one leg, then I bought a 36" "Flex Rack Leg Tube" for the downpipe on the other side because I already had a spare rack foot (t-clamp, short bar + rubber feet). It came with a few of the clamps on it but I already had some of my own, then I added the Gibraltar "Rack tube boom attachment" on each side so that I could put the crash cymbal stands directly into the rack legs. I do have a video about customizing your rack that goes through a lot of available parts, you can watch it here if you've not seen it - kzbin.info/www/bejne/f5emXoaDZ6aZoKM

[@andypatt]

@@TheeDrumWorkshop Cheers for the details. Looking to expand my kit and already got the equivalent of 3 standard racks but want a layout just like yours and looking at what I need to buy to achieve that. Might be just the big long crossbar for 3 rack toms I need. Love the channel 🤘

[@TheeDrumWorkshop]

Gotcha! No problem, and thanks! I forgot to mention that I do have one bar mounted off to the right too, holding the ride and china. Just a single short bar held to the leg with a right angled clamp! The module rack is a whole other story 😵‍💫

[@Juan.Felipe.Gutierrez]

what about, the millenium mps 1000

[@TheeDrumWorkshop]

Never used it, I'm afraid!

[@jerbear7952]

Thank you for calling it a vanity kit

[@djashjones]

Good job you don't gig on electronic any more.

[@TheeDrumWorkshop]

Absolutely, no way I'd be taking this!

[@djashjones]

@@TheeDrumWorkshop Yup, studio use only!