Can DM10 use Roland and Yamaha cymbals ?

[Hellfire]

Exactly how does Alesis interpret a choke? Does the choke strip send a note off command when the strip is grabbed. Is this not the same as a switch?

My understanding is Alesis sends a midi note for the choke. Not a note off command.

[MoonlightBob]

Yes I read the compat chart, but AFTER I bought the "Yamaha PCY80S dual zone chokeable cymbal pad" from ebay. I now understand why the choke only works when connected to the existing Ride or Crash input on the DM10, but not why the dual-zone part is not working. I guess its not fully compatible and only works single zone (or single zone with choke when using ride 1 or crash input)

That cymbal trigger is only a "dual zone with choke" on a Yamaha or Roland module. Not on an Alesis module. Yamaha and Roland can use a choke switch for both a zone and choke at the same time. Alesis can not. The way that cymbal would work on an Alesis DM10 would be either a dual zone (trigger set to piezo/switch) or a single zone with choke. Those are your only options with that trigger on the Alesis DM10.

The reason Yamaha and Roland can use the switch zone as both a zone and choke is because those module use what is called "after touch". After touch is not used on Alesis products. I hope this helps.

Thanks HF,

Exactly as you say. I really should read the manual, but being a bloke, I just don't RTFM.

[Guinness]

MB –

Only the Crash 1 and Ride 1 inputs have the choke function in the DM10.

Dan

Hey Dan,

I don't mean to muck things up but, couldn't I use a piezo/switch setting on one of the other inputs. Then set the switch up to have no sound and then set up a mute group to get a choke like function?

I did this...  set Perc1 to mute group 01.  But it would mute the first time I hit the choke stripe, then never again.  Then the crash wouldn't trigger when playing.  It was just strange.  Finally got the crash to work, and as I was doing some funking hi-hat work, and hitting crashes, my send crash would choke with the hi-hat pedal.  It made for some really cool sounding playing.  But that won't work for how I play mostly.  Here's the dirty little secret....  Hi-hat uses MuteGroup1 01.  Doh!!!   So, I changed the cym to mutegroup 02, and like before, it worked with the first choke, but never again. 
I want to throw this thing against the wall.   Argh.
 
I did try the 2-zone ride thing, and that worked fine, except I lost the bow on the physical ride.  It was more like a 1-zone ride, than two.  While the crash was the bow and choke.  And since I'd need to reprogram all kits voices to fix the ride/crash confusion, it seemed more work that I was will.   If I was able to use the ride as a bow and bell, then I'd do it.
 
All perty frustrating at the moment.  If anyone has suggestions, other than sending my DM10 Module to Ghostman, I'm all ears. 

[Hellfire]

I did a little playing around with the mute groups today. I was able to get a crash with choke set-up on Perc4 input. A couple things to note:
• you must have a sound of some kind set up on the switch, none won't work.
• that sound must be set to at least 1 on the level (LVL), if less than 1 (meaning OFF) it won't work.
• be sure to set the curve to EXP4 on the switch zone. This is to make sure you don't here the sound. It's there, you just can't hear it.
• set the sensitivity to 00. Again to keep you from hearing the sound on the switch.

You now have a crash with choke. One problem. The choke switch Alesis uses on these cymbals is very sensitive. If you hit the edge of your cymbal too hard you will trip the switch first making it sound as if the crash is not working. Make sure you only hit the bow of the crash and you should be fine.

Because of this test, I now understand why crash #1 is hard coded for a single zone crash with choke. That input must be running some kind of timing system to know when the switch closes, is it a quick close from hitting the cymbal, if so, it knows not to choke out the sound. If it is a longer close signal like when you grab the cymbal, then it chokes the cymbal.

Unfortunately, that little program is hard coded to the crash#1 and ride cymbal inputs only. At least from what I can tell.

I would sure love to see an update to the OS for that.

[Guinness]

I would sure love to see an update to the OS for that.

Me too!
 
I did all of those things earlier and found that a hard it and it won't trigger the cym, just the choke.  I don't think there's a difference between perc2 and perc4, do you ?
 
i suppose I could hit the cymbal softer at times, but that wouldn't be as fun. 
 
I'm very much looking forward to a OS update to allow a solid work around for have more than one choked cymbal.   i still need to send my hi-hat pedal it.  It's getting worse, and more annoying. 
 
Thanks for the input HF.
 
 

[DeeDubs]

I would sure love to see an update to the OS for that.

Me too!
 
I did all of those things earlier and found that a hard it and it won't trigger the cym, just the choke.  I don't think there's a difference between perc2 and perc4, do you ?
 
i suppose I could hit the cymbal softer at times, but that wouldn't be as fun. 
 
I'm very much looking forward to a OS update to allow a solid work around for have more than one choked cymbal.   i still need to send my hi-hat pedal it.  It's getting worse, and more annoying. 
 
Thanks for the input HF.

Wow. I've been having issues with the crash not crashing, and this is the likeliest case. I also just ordered a second crash w/choke and I'm a bit bummed about this.

For the Alesis wish list: second cymbal choke support and the ability to change choke timing to prevent 'premature e-chokulation' on the crashes. I think most quick chokes that I do are in the 200-300ms range (so far it's only on one song - touch peel stand from days of the new), and being able to set this parameter might clear this up, or possibly allow for a 2-zone?

..just layin it down..

~D~

P.S. DM10 sounds kick ass - especially when your bass player buys a dual 18" sub cab for the PA

[TVRS]

hello,

I was looking to replace my cymbals with some Yamaha cymbals and checked the DM10 compatibility chart. however due to my lack of english i did not get much wiser out of it. My plan was to use a PCY135 as crash and a PCY155 as ride. I'm guessing that the crash should be fine but i shouldnt expect a choke function (not really a problem to me anyway) however the PCY155 seems to be a bit more complicated? if someone here could try to explain what i need to do to make it work/ what will and will not work on the cymbal? that would be great,

many thanks

[AlanK]

I think I've been told (at some music store) that the Yamaha ecymbals won't work well on Alesis but that may have been some triple zone one I was interested in as a crash. What I have found however, was that a Roland CY-5 that I bought worked wonderfully as a chokeable crash.. for a while I used it as my main crash and it chokes better than any other cymbal I've tried on my rig. Lately I've been buying a couple of Pearl ecymbals, they're the exact same as the Alesis ones that came with the DM10X but have a Pearl emblem glued on. I've got the 12 and 14" sizes and they were very affordable as additions/replacements, just around 100 CDN each.