DIY Drum triggers
- xhavepatiencex
- takin' a dinner break
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DIY Drum triggers
I have read about making these a few times, I now have a need for using them live with my current band.
Do diy triggers do as well as the ddrum ones you can just buy? I am mainly worried about missed triggering live, as that would not be good. Any insight would be great.
Do diy triggers do as well as the ddrum ones you can just buy? I am mainly worried about missed triggering live, as that would not be good. Any insight would be great.
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- moves faders with mind
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Long ago, drum trigger pads were pretty fiendishly simple (and painful to play): 1/4" rubber, atop 3/4" MDF, with a vanilla piezo bolted to the back. Cut geometrically and painted glossy, it looked like the future. Nobody was thinking about trying to use real drums to generate triggers.
Ddrum was one of the first companies to get away from that, using real hoops and heads. I would hope the modern ddrum stuff is more usable, reliable and robust than the old ones.
Still, it not hard to experiment with a bit - Piezos are a dollar or so each, plus a connector and some glue...build one and see if it meets your expectations. Give it a try, and report your findings.
Ddrum was one of the first companies to get away from that, using real hoops and heads. I would hope the modern ddrum stuff is more usable, reliable and robust than the old ones.
Still, it not hard to experiment with a bit - Piezos are a dollar or so each, plus a connector and some glue...build one and see if it meets your expectations. Give it a try, and report your findings.
- Gregg Juke
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I used to see folks using Remo practice pad sets all the time; it's already to go, just add contact pick-ups. I suppose you could add a layer of mouse pad rubber to get a different feel, if you don't like the rebound of the Remo pads.
This is the new-fangled modern equivalent, but you could look for a used set-- they are out there...
>>>> http://drums-percussion.musiciansfriend ... sku=442963 <<<<
GJ
This is the new-fangled modern equivalent, but you could look for a used set-- they are out there...
>>>> http://drums-percussion.musiciansfriend ... sku=442963 <<<<
GJ
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- moves faders with mind
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So there was a stack of the Ddrum triggers at Music Go Round, and I took a closer look.
The basics look pretty simple - a shaped piezo, maybe 1/8" wide, and 1/2" long, wired to an XLR.
The mechanical construction is where the trick is. The metal housing is shaped such that it mounts on a drum rim with a hook and setscrew arrangement. They protrude over the drumhead by maybe 1 1/2", where they hold the piezo to the drumhead with a bit of foam. The form probably dampens the head a little, to help prevent bouncing and false triggers.
There were some Trigger Perfect triggers there too. Very similar arrangement, but with 1/4" outputs, and the piezos were garden variety round ones. The metal housing was very similar.
The basics look pretty simple - a shaped piezo, maybe 1/8" wide, and 1/2" long, wired to an XLR.
The mechanical construction is where the trick is. The metal housing is shaped such that it mounts on a drum rim with a hook and setscrew arrangement. They protrude over the drumhead by maybe 1 1/2", where they hold the piezo to the drumhead with a bit of foam. The form probably dampens the head a little, to help prevent bouncing and false triggers.
There were some Trigger Perfect triggers there too. Very similar arrangement, but with 1/4" outputs, and the piezos were garden variety round ones. The metal housing was very similar.
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- alignin' 24-trk
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Here is the cheapest pre-made ones I've seen:
http://www.drumdial.com/drum_trigger.htm
set of 5 for $40, that's cheap enough to skip the work part of it!
Just use some two-sided tape and stick them right to the head.
http://www.drumdial.com/drum_trigger.htm
set of 5 for $40, that's cheap enough to skip the work part of it!
Just use some two-sided tape and stick them right to the head.
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- alignin' 24-trk
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