Hey Dobly, for some more info check out the attached pic and InMusic patent diagrams (http://www.alesisdrummer.com/index.php?topic=6440.msg46482#msg46482).
Apparently those pads include a potentiometer to control the 'sweet-spot' area of the head by varying a mix of trigger levels from 2 piezo (inner & outer) sensors. So good luck trying to simulate that sort of effect.
I'm satisfied with the even trigger response from my DM10 pads with just a central piezo sensor and 4 rubber rods.
Thanks for digging out that image rhysT. Man that would be a hard design to replicate.
I would love to a satisfied with my pads. Just the other week I bought new foam and did like the Gerdy mod on my pads. The pads worked pretty good but I did not like how tight I had to have the head. Without the head super tight there were dead patches.
After the success of the bass drum mod I did...
http://www.alesisdrummer.com/index.php?topic=6785.0 I had the idea for something similar for the pads. Some system were you don't hit a metal plate directly even if it is under a bit of foam.
Not only that but I had just one band rehearsal with the pads. Maybe 3 hours of playing. When I pulled the snare pad (12") apart last night I found that the foam on the top had deteriorated. Around the center the foam where I had been thrashing my snare drum had lost all it's resistance. It had become soft and pointless. This would diminish it's ability to transmit the power from the stroke to the metal plate. Would always work for harder hit, but I could see a time where the foam under the head was inconsistent and not playing the softer hits.
Last night, inspired the Crimson image I posted above (and before I saw the image from rhysT) I dismantled one of my pads. Took out the original metal plate and made a new one. About half the thickness.
Then i attached and wired up a new piezo on it.
I then cut a slice of K-Flex in to 4 bits and cut them to sit around 2mm higher than the bearing edge. Note, for those that don't know. My 12" and 10" shells are taller than normal. See how I used embroidery hoops to increase the shell size in this thread.
http://www.alesisdrummer.com/index.php?topic=6685.0I've not tried it yet. I finished this around 11.30pm last night. I'll give it a play tonight. I think I'll find that I can do without the outer bits and just have the 4 center bits.
Where do you get rods of rubber from? What industry uses rods of rubber? I'd rather have nice looking rods than my sliced up K-Flex.