electric drums without a brain

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torment

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hello Everyone. I have a quick question. Could i use a Drum trigger (1/4" Output)
for a MIDI type trigger? So Instead of the hits being processed through a Brain, it would go through some sort of adapter, into a computer, played and Sequenced. Also think inside a whole drum set full of triggers/Cubase Mindset. Thanks For any help you can give me.
 
There's nothing I know of that can easily and cheaply adapt a 1/4" output to a midi trigger.

I use a plastic Yamaha kit that has a midi out and six drum pads. You need to be able to change the midi notes on the receiving end because this Yamaha unit sends out fixed notes, but other than that it's velocity sensitive - to a point - and quite durable. I've beaten the crap out of it over the years and all the pads still work.

I paid less than $50 for it used - if there are used musical instrument dealers where you live try them, if not look in pawn shops.

Or, you could follow the recipe spelled out here.
 
thanks for the help. I did think of a Midi drum pad setup, but i really wanted to sit down, and jam like a normal set. So My next thought was to get a trigger to MIDI converter, but the only one i could find was a roland, and for the price it seemed like I might as well go the extra couple of bucks and get a brain. Oi. Thanks again.
 
ssscientist said:
Or, you could follow the recipe spelled out here.

That link is awesome! When I finish moving I'm going to have to try that!
 
I built a kit out of PVC pipe and radio shack piezo buzzers, particle board and an old tractor inner tube before. I did it in much the same way as desribed except I built the pads and put 3 layers of inner tube inside. It worked for a silent practice space in college but was pretty limited. I had a high hat pedal that was just a keyboard foot switch. It, looked ghetto as all hell but it did work. Took lots of tweeking. The bass drum was just another rubber/wood trigger hooked to the pedal. But it was much smaller.

I ended up getting a yamaha DTX 2.0 at the time and that is where I am at now. If I want extra sounds I just use it to trigger from an akai mpc1000.

One thing. Radio shack sells a peizo diaphram that is about 3 inches and comes with amazingly less plastic on it. The extra surface space is real good for triggering and they come together much, much faster.

I once played the kit outside at a noontime outdoor gig in front of a campus jeweler with a full brazilian band. I amped it with a peavey guitar amp. It was a rediculous amount of cabling and I was on pins and needles the whole gig. The cross fire on homemade pads can be pretty unpredictable.
 
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