Question about electronic drum pads

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raindrops

New member
I will be looking at some point at expanding my acoustic drum kit with electronic drum pads. I need them to be MIDI, no drum module or anything with it or stand. How much roughly do these cost. I am completely new to electronic drums.

Also how much do those clip on contact mic MIDI triggers cost, i figure they would be quite useful for various things, like MIDI lighting sync, or just additional sounds playing when certain drum are hit.

Ta

Nick
 
I was a little confused by your post. You mention you want MIDI pads but no module???

Electroncs pads are simply "dumb triggers" meaning they do not generate sound. They transmit a "signal" to a module (normally through a 1/4" jack - standard guitar cord). The module then creates the sound which is sent to a speaker/PA system (again through a 1/4" jack - or two if you run stereo)

If you want an all-in-one unit Yamaha has a DD20 (I think that's the model) which has 7 pads and on board sounds. A better unit is the Roland RD20 (again I think that's the model number) which has 8 triggers and on-board sounds. Both units have MIDI in and out. They also have a mono analog out to run to an amp.

If you want individual pads (like the Roland PD7 etc) you will need a module. In my opinion, the Alesis modules provide the best sounds right out of the box. As far as pads - Roland, Yamaha, Pintech and Hart all make good pads. Make sure the pads you get can communicate with the module you get.

The Hart clip on triggers cost about $20-25 each for the snares/toms and a little more for the kick (I haven't priced other triggers). Again these triggers are connected to a module via a guitar cord.

Hope this helps. Good luck!
 
raindrops said:
I will be looking at some point at expanding my acoustic drum kit with electronic drum pads. I need them to be MIDI, no drum module or anything with it or stand. How much roughly do these cost. I am completely new to electronic drums.

Also how much do those clip on contact mic MIDI triggers cost, i figure they would be quite useful for various things, like MIDI lighting sync, or just additional sounds playing when certain drum are hit.

Ta

Nick
Click to expand...

Hi Nick,

The only thing that I can think of that fits your ideal, is either a toy that Yamaha and Synsonics make, or something like the Roland "Octapad" which is a self-contained unit that houses a sound source and 8 pads.

Otherwise-you're dealing with a Sound Module and external Triggering Pads.

Tim
 
Hi thanks for the replies.

I think I phrased my question not too good, get tired sometimes. All I want is pads which transmit MIDI data, I assumed most of them did, rather than via a 1/4 in jack. I want to use them to trigger sounds from, initially my keyboard and a later date a sampler. So I don't want sounds on board them. If they only come in 1/4in jack form can you get boxes to convert that into MIDI data? The reason I don't want a module is cause I am poor and skint and will have to scrape together to get just the pads probably, I've got so much other stuff to buy not for my drums (Guitar, guiatr amp, mixer, mics, synth, effects stuff, PA gear.......the list goes on!).

I hope that makes a bit more sense!

Ta

Nick
 
raindrops said:
Hi thanks for the replies.

I think I phrased my question not too good, get tired sometimes. All I want is pads which transmit MIDI data, I assumed most of them did, rather than via a 1/4 in jack. I want to use them to trigger sounds from, initially my keyboard and a later date a sampler. So I don't want sounds on board them. If they only come in 1/4in jack form can you get boxes to convert that into MIDI data? The reason I don't want a module is cause I am poor and skint and will have to scrape together to get just the pads probably, I've got so much other stuff to buy not for my drums (Guitar, guiatr amp, mixer, mics, synth, effects stuff, PA gear.......the list goes on!).

I hope that makes a bit more sense!

Ta

Nick
Click to expand...


Hi Nick,


Okay, you're looking for something that converts a strike into a transmitted MIDI signal. I don't know of anything like that on the market.

You'd have to buy pads and a Trigger to MIDI Interface (TMI)..You can buy a kit to BUILD an 8-channel TMI from http://www.paia.com (it allows you to connect 8 tiggers to it, and converts the signals to MIDI note commands) other than this unit or finding a used Akai TMI-35 or whatever their now long out of production trigger unit was called...you'll have to buy a Drum Module such as the TG-33, D4, DM-5 or any of the other integrated units...The only thing similar to what you are talking about was a self contained Simmons electronic drum about 20 years ago....but It just wasn't profitable for them..the thing had an EEPROM online, and you could buy an EEPROM blower to store your own sounds...sort of like Poor Man's sampling...Nobody wants to pay $300 for a unit that does nothing but convert from a drumstrike to a SINGLE Midi note-even though many of us wound up using the D4, and DM-5 solely for a TMI! I still use some of the sounds in the DM-5...but I just don't do as much triggering these days.


Tim
 
damn someone really needs to make that, I'd buy one! Just seems a faff to have to send the signal as some cv voltage thing and then turn that into MIDI. But ok you've all/both been lots of help cause I really didn't know where to start.

Ta
Nick
 
raindrops - Now with a better understanding of what you are looking for I would suggest a unit by Hart which has 6 pads and no internal sounds. It's about 18"x12" with Midi out. You can then trigger whatever keyboard or sampler you want. You can buy this unit for less than $200 (I think). Off the top of my head I can't think of any single pads which only transmit Midi. The Yamaha (DD20??) is right in the $200 range, with built in sounds - with Midi out. But I think you would be better served by the Hart unit.

I have an older DrumKat with 12 surfaces and an earlier version of the Yamaha which I use in conjunction with a set of V-Drums for recording and I also on occasion use the DrumKat and/or Yamaha with my accustic kit in live application.

Keep in mind that if you use electronics with your accustic drums it will be almost mandatory that you mic the drums - if you don't mic the the drums, the electronics (coming through the PA) will make your accustics sound weak by comparison.
 
Cheers for advice. I presume the hart device is a big pad divided up into smaller ones? On that assumption that is not quite what I am looking for, I tihnk that might be a big more tricky incorportating it into my kit.

I suppose not knowing the siuation in which I am wanting this doesn't help either so briefly..........I'm in two bands, one is just me playing guitar, bass, keys, drums (when i can afford some mics), this band is not for playing live (for a long while anyway). My other band is a proper band (will be) who will play live, Im the guitarist in that band but i tihnk i will end up playing drums. Both bands play heavy industrial metal (live band verging on heavier side). I really just want to try experimenting with some sounds and stuff. Maybe using a drum pad live to trigger a sound such as a big metalic sounding hit, i'll see where it goes from there. It is not for simulating real drums, it ends up getting too expensive for a full on v drum set and i'll stick to micing the kit for not and get a bit more live raw feel (this is in regard to rrecordings).

I think i might like, seperately, a hand percussion pad cause i'm always tapping out rhythms with my hands or playing bongo but i dont always want a bongo sound, just the rhythm im playing.

Ta

Nick
 
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