Building an E-Drumset

[Roboticinfo]

It uses a Piezo element to pic up the pulses from each hit.

The electronics is the simplist
I have a yamaha DTX drum module but I never got to test it out as a full drum set because I only made to toms then I had no more passion for the project.

I got it on ebay for $210.00 with shipping
has a nice sound though
Instead of making a full electronic drum set I am just going to add it to my accoustic to jazz it up a bit.

 

[Roboticinfo]

Here is that website that helped me a lot before I started the project
**broken link removed**

 

[moody07747]

thanks for that great link...

now for an update of info...i had contacted a guy about a DMpro for $200 but have not heard from him yet so im going for the DM5 and because its got better sounding acostic kits programmed into it...


im calling aitwood monday about some 4"deep cutoff shells that i hear they sell for $6 each.

i ordered electronics fromallelectronics.com and they'll be in soon

i am transfering funds to my paypal for a stand on ebay

i ordered 2 acostic 14" cymbals for about $48
with free shipping....ups
i hope i get those in time cuz i have to trigger them and cover them with gum rubber which i still cant find

i also need a full working hi-has with acostic cymbals

thats it...for now

 

[moody07747]

wrong button...

 

[moody07747]

just ordered some mesh heads...Roland brand

cost me just about $100 but they should last a long time...well i hope they do.

i also have given up on that guy and his DM pro module and got another deal on a lower module which is better in some ways

that was, well will be $160...a great price for the unit thats hardly used and works like new

i should be sending that payment out tomarrow


i started my budget at $719 and have 413.67 left to spand at the moment

-$94 for a stand comming soon
-$160 for the DM5

that will bring me at 159.67
a low # but ill only have to get the $ shells and finish after that...oh, and some cables

 

[Dr.EM]

Sounds like your really doing this properly with the mesh head pads and a real open/close hi-hat. Really look forward to seeing this when its complete

 

[moody07747]

Yea i figure if im gunna build a drumset, im gunna build a bad-a$$ one that will last forever

I'll be sure to send pics here when im done

 

[moody07747]

ok i thought i would not get my drum shells but i finally did

$30 for:
1 - 10" x 4"
2 - 12" x 4"
1 - 14" x 4"

shipping tomarrow through UPS

 

[moody07747]

YAY parts are comming in every day now!

first, some pics,
**broken link removed**

I got mesh heads...Roland v-drum...white - these things are built like a rock.

All electronics are in.

I just ordered a DM5 module.

Cymbals are comming in today.

I'm getting a hi-hat, cymbal stands, and a tension bar key from the music place today.

I just ordered some dinomat to cancel the noise out of the acoustic cymbals, and hi-hat.

I got a rack from ebay and that will come in any day now.

I have 24 build days left.

and to top it all off I got over $1,000 from ebay sales so this project is covered money wise.

 

[moody07747]

well i guess its time for a big update

now were did i leave off... :lol: :roll:

ok so i got all my mesh heads in and now i have my shells...(with tung oil finish done), i have 2 crashes done and triggered
the crash: **broken link removed**

the crash2/ride: **broken link removed**

the stuff on the bottom of the cymbals is a car insolation called dynomat and works really well to quiet down the cymbals

on the top is some non skid pad from the northern tools store
**broken link removed**
on one cymbal i tried riveting the trigger on but the rivets get to the sticks and distroy them so i switched to superglue and still have to take that one out

i bought one $7 L-Arm at the store and made the others in welding class, just bent some steel round bar by heating it...it was all done without any measurements and it came out very nice...just have to trim them.
**broken link removed**

on the lower hi-hat cymbal i put some rubber weather stripping to keep it quiet as this is my goal along with finishing for x-mas
**broken link removed**

i cut the hole in the lower hi-hat cymbal for the wire and as you can see that was the day i got all my cables
**broken link removed**

at welding class last week i tried some mig welding and made the brackets that the triggers will rest on
**broken link removed**

i need some work on the bigger mig machines but did well
**broken link removed**

installed the trigger on the hi-hat last week
**broken link removed**

and put the dynomat on it today...(no pic of that)

sorry for the bad pic here but the l-arms didnt fit in my clamps for the rack so i took them to welding class and heated and wrapped some 1/8" flat stick steel around the arms to make them bigger
**broken link removed**

now they all fit in the clamps
**broken link removed**

this is all the cymbals i have so far
**broken link removed**

when i got my 2nd crash yesterday it came out of the box with a new look
**broken link removed**

ill call the store tomarrow and see if they can send out another one free of charge so ill have a 3rd cymbal but will need another stand...


thats it for pics

my module is in the mail and will come any day
the hardware will come later today (2am here)
and i think thats all i need...other than some "put it togeather time"


hows that for an update?
told you it'd be big

 

[Dr.EM]

Wow, this looks ace. When its done, it should have a really natural feel, I assume thats what you were aiming for. Its good you've taken all those pics, so we can see them, but also when a project is completed, its interesting to be able to look at earlier stages of it.

 

[moody07747]

yea i take pics of everything and put em on photobucket...never delete the backups up desktop either

anyways

i just fixed the stand up with some EMT pipe and now its huge

looks tiny in the pics though

2nd page last few pic
**broken link removed**

btw
yea i will like the nautral feel of it but the reason i started it was because my old setup didnt have nearly enough pads

also as an update i emailed the cymbal co. and they are sending me another cymbal 2nd day air all for free and i can keep the broken one so i will have 3 cymbals

just ordered a stand for that one as well

 

[moody07747]

just as they said....they will have it here in 2 days....all my hardware is here






[starts unpacking and building]

 

[moody07747]

ok guys hows this?

**broken link removed**
**broken link removed**

took 9 hours to build and those are only the drums,,,,i still have to trigger them tomarrow....should be about a 6 hour job there but i think it came out great

 

[moody07747]

ok i just set up another layout which is much better and bolted on the audiojacks to the shells

also labeled the cables for easy installation later as all these coil cords look the same :roll:

see the photobucket page 2 last 2 pics for the updates layout.


i think ill bolt the brackets in for the triggers now as well

 

[Dr.EM]

Looking good, keep working at it, looks like quite a big task. Is there much electronics involved in this? Deffo try to record an mp3 once its set up, would love to hear this.

 

[moody07747]

i know it has midi and some oudio outputs but i have no idea how to record an MP3

if anyone knows how to do this they can explain so i can get a sound sample here

thanks

im up to the wiring stage today...all the triggers must be mounted and soldered to the mono jacks

other than that i have to make some pickup cones and it will be ready for the module on monday

 

[Dr.EM]

Cool. What i'd do is grab a 3.5mm to 6.5mm stereo lead (or a 3.5-3.5 with a 6.5 adaptor) then use the 6.5mm headphone out on the DM5 (its bound to have one, and they are usually pretty good quality) and the 3.5mm end should go into your sound cards line in (you need to set it to record from that input by double clicking the speaker icon). To record, you could use sound recorder, but thats pretty limited (60secs max usually). Once its saved as wav, you can freely download an mp3 convertor (db poweramp music convertor is good) to convert to mp3. That probably sounded complicated, but its not too bad really.

 

[moody07747]

ill give it a try

thanks

 

[Roboticinfo]

So far you so good you did an excelent job way farther then I got on my project.

Although I would of went with something besides the DM5 but it's good if you want to play once in a while.