Trigger-Only Device

Anything at least distantly related to MegaDrum

Trigger-Only Device

Postby jrosser1 » Sat Feb 07, 2009 3:56 pm

I was interested in Zendrum, but then saw how overpriced it is! Then I found the Megadrum site -- Awesome! I am, of course, very impressed with Bluebass' "Mega-zen".
Anyway, my thought is: why build the entire Megadrum circuit when my Roland TD-10 already has a bunch of trigger inputs? My vision is a Zendrum-like device with piezo triggers that feed directly into the trigger inputs of the Roland (or others).
The problem as I see it is the number of wires that would lead from the "zen" controller to the sound module.
So the purpose of this post is for everyone to brainstorm on a clever way to connect a portable device with a bunch of piezo elements directly to a TD-10 style device -- hopefully with a cable smaller than my leg!!
Think outside of the box! Wireless? Multipexed? Bluetooth? Bonus points for ingenuity!
jrosser1
 
Posts: 2
Joined: Sat Feb 07, 2009 5:38 am

Re: Trigger-Only Device

Postby jamalpiper » Sun Feb 08, 2009 3:42 am

Hehe, Dsub...

Printer type cable out of the Zen into a bunch of 1/4" ends on the TD10.
-[K]
jamalpiper
 
Posts: 79
Joined: Wed Aug 06, 2008 11:05 pm
Location: CA, USA

Re: Trigger-Only Device

Postby jrosser1 » Sun Feb 08, 2009 5:05 am

One reason to trigger a TD-10 directly, rather than through MIDI, would be to preserve positional sensing which works pretty well on my V-Session. Roland writes, "Positional sensing allows for triggering of sounds with natural timbral difference depending on location of drum hit". Direct triggering should also should be able to get rim shots and cross-sticking (I hope). I wonder if the cymbal choke would work?
Anybody know how positional sensing works and those other features? Would I still get that from over-the-counter piezos?

jamalpiper wrote:Hehe, Dsub...

Printer type cable out of the Zen into a bunch of 1/4" ends on the TD10.

That'll work, but I wonder about the flexibilty of the cable for a zen-like, strap mounted device. How about crosstalk issues?
Hmmm. Seems pretty easy, though! I reckon I could connect some in sets of 2 piezos with 3 wires like Roland does using 1 stereo cable per snare and cymbals, except the ride which has 2 cables.

And thanks, Dmitri, for letting me have this non-megadrum post! It just seems like your members are the most creative. And I am really tempted to order a kit. . .
jrosser1
 
Posts: 2
Joined: Sat Feb 07, 2009 5:38 am

Re: Trigger-Only Device

Postby Bluebass » Wed Mar 04, 2009 5:55 pm

If you plan to utilise position sensing on the zen-like-thing, How will you accomplishe this with such a small strike surface?
Regardless, to go wireless, MIDI-Jet would be a way to adapt the MegaDrum circuit to a TD-10 or other sound source. Of course that means the Mega drum and midi jet needs to be battery powered.
Bluetooth or zigbee could likely handle the trigger traffic up to a point. However, you'd still need an A/D conversion on board the instrument to get the analog trigger info into the Bluetooth payload. On the TD-10/far side, you'd need D/A conversion and then direct into trigger input. Bluetooth can handle only a few channels. One for each trigger. So a significant amount of engineering would need to go into concatenating trigger channels and transmitting over one or few Bluetooth channels. The down side is of course latency and rf multipath/drop out from nearby cell phones and microwave ovens.

The Megadrum is the best option you have to minimizing wiring, cause it requires only one 5 wires (standard midi cable) to the unit, two of which can be used for power for the megadrum circuit. The upshot is you can go wireless from there.

If position sensitivity is the only design goal, make a smaller trap kit to hold on to your self with the rather large umbilicus or design a new finger size positional trigger.

On the MegaZen, I manage dynamics via careful adjustment of velocity sensitivity, gain and placement of certain triggers under fingers that have good control. Pinkies have little control thus far. On the TD-8 (in my case) I am very careful to set the sensitivities and velocity curves to accommodate the incoming data from the MegaZen, so I have the most control possible. So, I can tap on the side or edge of a trigger and get very low volume and a buzz sound from the Vdrum snare patches, and a louder crack if the trigger is struck on the surface - of course volume varies with striking force. To get a sound like a roll close to the rim, would need to be accomplished by a different sound patch. Now with Dimitri's genius expansion of the number of triggers, you can have even more variety of sounds at your fingertips!

If you must have wires, Rogers makes a very fine 26 conductor cable that myvu.com uses for their head worn vga glasses. In small quantities, it sells for about $100 per foot, yes $100!
Bluebass
 
Posts: 15
Joined: Sat Nov 24, 2007 1:29 pm


Return to Off topic

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 38 guests

cron