Author Topic: DM10 Gig Tips and Tricks  (Read 47728 times)

Offline DeeDubs

DM10 Gig Tips and Tricks
« on: January 25, 2011, 10:15:34 AM »
Hey all,

I wanted to compile some "best practices" for those that are actively gigging with their Alesis kits (or aspiring to).
PLEASE SPECIFY WHICH MODEL KIT YOU ARE USING as the subtle differences may not be so subtle on stage.. (i.e. ergo vs. stealth vs new 4 leg rack setups.)

Once there's a good list, we can cut & paste them together (like the crowdsourcing thread) for easier reading..

Have at it  ;D
Bashing away on: Alesis DM10 Pro Kit w/ Bluejay soundset, Yamaha DTXM12, Addictive Drums, Gibraltar Cage & old skool Ludwig Maple Kit.


Check out my silly mug with "So What" at http://www.sowhatct.com

Offline DeeDubs

Re: DM10 Gig Tips and Tricks
« Reply #1 on: January 25, 2011, 10:16:58 AM »
(Place Holder)
Bashing away on: Alesis DM10 Pro Kit w/ Bluejay soundset, Yamaha DTXM12, Addictive Drums, Gibraltar Cage & old skool Ludwig Maple Kit.


Check out my silly mug with "So What" at http://www.sowhatct.com

Offline DeeDubs

Re: DM10 Gig Tips and Tricks
« Reply #2 on: January 25, 2011, 10:37:22 AM »
Here's some links

Gig Bags - http://www.dmdrummer.com/index.php?topic=229.msg2133#msg2133

DM10 Case - http://www.dmdrummer.com/index.php?topic=229.msg2919#msg2919

Essentials for the 'Ditty bag'
  • #10 metric ratchet wrench
  • Drum key bit and ratcheting screwdriver (kicks ass over a drum key)
  • Spare instrument cables
  • 2 DI boxes (most sound guys have these tho - more of a CYA)
  • Spare #10 hex nuts, and drum lugs to fit them

Problems with "Premature e-chokulation" (cymbal chokes out at high volume - hear what I mean here http://www.dmdrummer.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=786.0;attach=586). Go into the settings for each crash and set the decay to "off".

« Last Edit: January 25, 2011, 11:04:39 AM by DeeDubs »
Bashing away on: Alesis DM10 Pro Kit w/ Bluejay soundset, Yamaha DTXM12, Addictive Drums, Gibraltar Cage & old skool Ludwig Maple Kit.


Check out my silly mug with "So What" at http://www.sowhatct.com

Offline Yankee

Re: DM10 Gig Tips and Tricks
« Reply #3 on: January 25, 2011, 11:33:25 AM »
Couple things off the top of my head that save me time and/or frustration...

Cable Snake - I purchased some longer/better quality cables to run from the drums to the module (dm5 atm in my case). After setting up the kit at home I ran everything neatly and velcro tied the bundles. At the module end I marked the cables so they would all be the same length, cut, labeled and then re-soldered the plugs. Makes for setting up & tearing down much easier, no more cable nightmare either, just roll up the bundle.

No Memory Locks - Since my stock e-kit rack is without memory locks, I've made small reference marks with a sharpie on the cymbal rods, clamps...etc. Almost unnoticeable unless your looking for them. Again, just makes setup easier & faster, things get ball-parked in place much quicker.

Bananas - Probably more for the older guys, I'm 41 and noticed a couple years ago some fatigue would show it's ugly face at a gig once in a while. Another drummer friend explained the potassium thing to me and the miracle cure. Yep, now I have 2 bananas on my way to every gig and feel great all night. Swear by them...  ;D

Spares - Definitely even more important with an ekit. Cables, kick pedal, external triggers...etc. I have my DM6 module with me just in-case of an emergency with the DM5. When the DM10 comes, the DM5 will become the spare.

I'm sure I'll think of a couple more I do, most are pretty common though...

...Yankee
E-Kits: Alesis DM10 Studio, Alesis DM5, Alesis DM6 w/ DIY Mesh Conversion's
A-Kits: Gretsch Catalina Maple 6pc Cherry Red; 64 Slingerland 4pc Gold Sparkle

Offline DeeDubs

Re: DM10 Gig Tips and Tricks
« Reply #4 on: January 25, 2011, 11:54:34 AM »
Awesome..  Thanks for sharing!

Never heard of bananas.. probably healthier than Red Bull too ;D

Can you give me more info on the snake (model & brand, how long, etc..).. I would love to tame then cables I have now.. that's half my setup time!

As far as spares go, I have been able to limp through a practice using a Boss FS-5U switch in place of a broken bass pad.. it ain't pretty, but sometimes the show must go on! :)
Bashing away on: Alesis DM10 Pro Kit w/ Bluejay soundset, Yamaha DTXM12, Addictive Drums, Gibraltar Cage & old skool Ludwig Maple Kit.


Check out my silly mug with "So What" at http://www.sowhatct.com

Offline Guinness

Re: DM10 Gig Tips and Tricks
« Reply #5 on: January 25, 2011, 12:09:52 PM »
Awesome thread!

Offline Yankee

Re: DM10 Gig Tips and Tricks
« Reply #6 on: January 25, 2011, 12:54:10 PM »
Can you give me more info on the snake (model & brand, how long, etc..).. I would love to tame then cables I have now.. that's half my setup time!

Think of it as more of a DIY thing... Basically I mapped out what I thought I needed and went to the local music store with a list. Just picked up their house brand 1/4" instrument cables which were much better quality than what gets shipped with the modules and not very expensive. I got some 20ft & some 30ft with the intention of making 2 cables out of one when I could... then a bunch of extra, decent quality, plugs. Make sure you're conscious on whether you need a TR or TRS for each trigger.

As it sits now it's about 15ft long total, but only because I need a few extra feet at the module end since it sits in a separate case atop my gig bins. Every stage is different so my module position gets moved around a bit depending on the stage layout.

So in short... Think of it as a custom snake for your kit, on the kit side everything is labeled and the correct length, on the module side they are also labeled and all the same length. In between the cables are all velcro'd together, you could even just run some electrical tape around them every foot or so. No more cable mess! ;)

...Yankee
« Last Edit: January 25, 2011, 01:01:17 PM by Yankee »
E-Kits: Alesis DM10 Studio, Alesis DM5, Alesis DM6 w/ DIY Mesh Conversion's
A-Kits: Gretsch Catalina Maple 6pc Cherry Red; 64 Slingerland 4pc Gold Sparkle

Offline inconn

Re: DM10 Gig Tips and Tricks
« Reply #7 on: April 01, 2011, 04:38:54 AM »
Think of it as more of a DIY thing... Basically I mapped out what I thought I needed and went to the local music store with a list. Just picked up their house brand 1/4" instrument cables which were much better quality than what gets shipped with the modules and not very expensive. I got some 20ft & some 30ft with the intention of making 2 cables out of one when I could... then a bunch of extra, decent quality, plugs. Make sure you're conscious on whether you need a TR or TRS for each trigger.

As it sits now it's about 15ft long total, but only because I need a few extra feet at the module end since it sits in a separate case atop my gig bins. Every stage is different so my module position gets moved around a bit depending on the stage layout.

So in short... Think of it as a custom snake for your kit, on the kit side everything is labeled and the correct length, on the module side they are also labeled and all the same length. In between the cables are all velcro'd together, you could even just run some electrical tape around them every foot or so. No more cable mess! ;)

...Yankee

I was wondering if you could snap a few pictures of your setup, I'm sure a visual cue could be way more inspiring than all these words :)

Offline DeeDubs

Re: DM10 Gig Tips and Tricks
« Reply #8 on: June 22, 2011, 03:39:55 PM »
Add one more.. Power Conditioners.. I had glitches at one gig due to power problems.. drums freaked out and died mid song. Switching to the bass player's furman strip saved the day, and the incident only cost the band about 3 minutes of downtime, and me one pair of underwear..  ::)
Bashing away on: Alesis DM10 Pro Kit w/ Bluejay soundset, Yamaha DTXM12, Addictive Drums, Gibraltar Cage & old skool Ludwig Maple Kit.


Check out my silly mug with "So What" at http://www.sowhatct.com

Offline danthevan

Re: DM10 Gig Tips and Tricks
« Reply #9 on: October 05, 2011, 03:49:23 PM »
Definately a spare power supply! Usually the first thing to die when you don't want it to!

Re: DM10 Gig Tips and Tricks
« Reply #10 on: November 14, 2011, 02:43:17 PM »
put wheels on your kit! nothing to tear down or setup. throw it in the back of your truck or van. wheel it in wherever your playing and just plug in a power cord and your line outs to the P.A.

easy peasy

Re: DM10 Gig Tips and Tricks
« Reply #11 on: February 27, 2012, 08:08:37 PM »
This is from Gerdy not me. (I wish) This guy has a standing offer to do my cable management for me if he is ever in the states.

http://www.dmdrummer.com/index.php?topic=1542.0

Offline th_wolf

Re: DM10 Gig Tips and Tricks
« Reply #12 on: May 20, 2012, 08:20:39 AM »
AWESOME THREAD!!! :D I have just started gigging on the DM8 Pro kit, which looks a lot better/professional on stage than the Yamaha kit i used to use! Alesis definitely got the looks right when they designed that kit. I have to second the need for power conditioners... especially playing at pubs out in the country here in NZ, we blew a few bits of gear before making the power conditioners mandatory! Not just drums, but lighting rigs get pretty sensitive too.
DM8 Pro kit, 682 Mesh conversion, MacBook Pro with Superior Drummer 2.
Old school Premier Vitria acoustic kit, Zildjian cymbals

Re: DM10 Gig Tips and Tricks
« Reply #13 on: August 06, 2012, 05:37:56 AM »
Thanks for all the resources. Let's get it on!!!
In order to make sure that your websites could gain the best advantage, you need to choose a reliable IT support provider.

Re: DM10 Gig Tips and Tricks
« Reply #14 on: August 06, 2012, 11:01:02 PM »
Hey just wanted to mention that I put my snare pad on a snare stand. That did a couple of things for me. It makes set up time faster. It also keeps the position of the snare, seat and pedals consistent. When I had it mounted on the rack it would move around during transit and it could take time before I could get it in a comfortable position. What about some ideas in monitoring live. Great idea and info thanks DeeDubs

Offline Giffo

Re: DM10 Gig Tips and Tricks
« Reply #15 on: October 27, 2012, 09:57:37 AM »
What about some ideas in monitoring live. Great idea and info thanks DeeDubs

I use 2 x QRC15A by QTX Sound, 15" Active speakers.
Just the job.
Strike Pro & DM10 Studio with mesh head conversion

Re: DM10 Gig Tips and Tricks
« Reply #16 on: November 21, 2012, 02:25:40 PM »
I am thinking about getting this for drums and cymbals. Damn it's pricey. I will keep the box for the brain for its transporting. Not sure if I should just fold up the rack though. I have the DM10 Studio Pro.
I did the 682Drums no soldering upgrade. See my photos here: http://www.dmdrummer.com/index.php?topic=3683.msg31354#msg31354

Re: DM10 Gig Tips and Tricks
« Reply #17 on: November 22, 2012, 05:02:43 AM »
Just one more thing I would add, instead of a power conditioner, buy a cheap un-interupable power supply, ( only needs to be a very low power unit) They are a Godsend if the power goes down for even a moment. prevents you losing any adjustments that you made on the fly and hav'nt saved.  :)

Offline vtdrummer

Re: DM10 Gig Tips and Tricks
« Reply #18 on: December 09, 2012, 09:41:21 AM »
+100 on the UPS battery.  I've been using one for a year, and although it's a bit heavy to tote around, it's WELL worth the effort.  I have had NO problems since I started using it.  I run my drums/multipad off it, and my DA200S, too.


Just one more thing I would add, instead of a power conditioner, buy a cheap un-interupable power supply, ( only needs to be a very low power unit) They are a Godsend if the power goes down for even a moment. prevents you losing any adjustments that you made on the fly and hav'nt saved.  :)
DM10 Studio 2011 w/Surge Cymbals added, BB Mesh head conversion w/rubber muffs at bottom, one 12" A-E pad, Simmons DA200S, sometimes using 2 satellite speakers... Simmons SDMP-1 Multi-pad.
See my DIY 12" Acoustic to E-Drum project post here: http://www.dmdrummer.com/index.php?topic=1227

Re: DM10 Gig Tips and Tricks
« Reply #19 on: February 15, 2013, 10:28:07 PM »
Two things I have used on any set I have had. A sharpie to mark positions on stands and multicolored electrical tape to mark the carpet.
Alesis DM10X. Acoustic set: 1969 Ludwig..Roto-tom set, High toms;13,13,14,14. Floor toms; 14,16,18. Snare; 14 1976 Slingerland, 26" Bass. Paiste/Ziljian cymbals.

Offline pbear5

Re: DM10 Gig Tips and Tricks
« Reply #20 on: March 17, 2013, 01:15:04 PM »
One thing I have been thinking about lately are spares. Even as a non-gigging hobbiest it is a real drag when you have to wait for replacements to play again. If you are going to expand your kit it might be a good idea to stay consistent with your gear choices and think about how you could use that 2nd Tom 12" as a backup for your snare or buy the same cymbal as your main crash for accents so you could just swap them out without changing size and position.  It can be cool or even cheaper to have a bunch of different sizes but having some duplicates could just save your a$$.

Re: DM10 Gig Tips and Tricks
« Reply #21 on: March 19, 2013, 09:25:30 AM »
One thing I have been thinking about lately are spares. Even as a non-gigging hobbiest it is a real drag when you have to wait for replacements to play again. If you are going to expand your kit it might be a good idea to stay consistent with your gear choices and think about how you could use that 2nd Tom 12" as a backup for your snare or buy the same cymbal as your main crash for accents so you could just swap them out without changing size and position.  It can be cool or even cheaper to have a bunch of different sizes but having some duplicates could just save your a$$.
At my last gig, I did just that (swapped the 4th tom for the snare) as a check for issues I was having with mis-hits. I should invest in another cymbal as well.
I did the 682Drums no soldering upgrade. See my photos here: http://www.dmdrummer.com/index.php?topic=3683.msg31354#msg31354

Re: DM10 Gig Tips and Tricks
« Reply #22 on: May 01, 2013, 04:27:59 PM »
A spare module (if you use the DM10) of course buying another DM10 is overkill for most of us, but a cheap DM5 can save the day, have it pre-programmed. (2 or 3 saved kits and the trigger/pad locations) if your DM10 has issues, you could quickly switch to the DM5 and continue the gig, not the best sounding setup, but better than being dead in the water.
Of course spare cables and a multimeter or cable tester. cheap multimeters can be purchased in the auto section at Wal-Mart. Spare batteries if you are using a DI box and the house doesn't have a PA with phanthom power ( or if your guitar player "forgot" to bring one for his pedal, you can save his ass) and like most here have mentioned, always, always have spare pads, toms as well as bass drum and cymbal pads. you never know when one is going to die and nothing worse than having a dead bass drum and no replacement. Of course a spare pair of sticks, yes it is an e-drum set but sticks still break and need replacement once in a blue moon, And they will break in the middle of a song at the beginning of the gig. (Murphy's law). Snax (someone recommended bananas, more healthy than Red Bull/5hr Energy.) I agree that with age stamina decreases ( I used to be able to play 4 hrs straigth of death metal blast beats and double bass craziness) now I get tired with a couple of songs ( of that genre). 22 years later surely makes a difference.  :-\

Offline vtdrummer

Re: DM10 Gig Tips and Tricks
« Reply #23 on: May 04, 2013, 01:00:06 PM »
I use a Simmons SDMP-1 drumpad for a couple very small venues, and bought a spare one for this very reason!  I've had two occasions that scared me...  One time my complete system stopped producing sounds (I think that was a power issue, and therefore got a battery), and another time, at an open mic night, a guy hit the pad SO HARD that the display went dead on it!  I was very lucky that it just came back on after powering off and back on...
DM10 Studio 2011 w/Surge Cymbals added, BB Mesh head conversion w/rubber muffs at bottom, one 12" A-E pad, Simmons DA200S, sometimes using 2 satellite speakers... Simmons SDMP-1 Multi-pad.
See my DIY 12" Acoustic to E-Drum project post here: http://www.dmdrummer.com/index.php?topic=1227

Offline 437boxed

Re: DM10 Gig Tips and Tricks
« Reply #24 on: June 10, 2013, 10:31:00 AM »
As of today I have drummed four live gigs using my DMX10 kit and have some reflections.

First show was a small, neighborhood corner bar, a dive if you will. For sound I was playing thru a Kustom double-barrel lead guitar amp. Think about it. Ya know, the overall sound really wasn't too bad. Not all too great, but not too bad. All went swell, no issues and I was satisfied with the kit.

I'd always known that the true test of this e-kit would be after playing out live a dozen times, breaking down, loading, unloading, setting up, and all that.

Second gig was at a very large, cavernous place where national acts play. Frankly, it'd be a stretch to say that there were more than 15 people in the crowd. I had purchased 2 of the Alesis Transactives to replace the Kustom. Nice little speakers. I made a real dumb error in positioning the transactive's IN FRONT of my kit, facing towards the crowd. Perhaps one of the strangest experiences I've ever had as I did not hear one single note from the drums all night and had to basically play on blind faith. Well, all worked out well, come to find out. The sound guy was very good and I heard no complaints at all. But let me tell you - lesson learned!

Gig #3 was at the same spot as above. Only issue I had was when the striker on the kick pedal came loose and so I had to play for roughly five minutes using my right hand on the floor tom to fill in for the missing in action kick.

Finally, so far, gig 4 was at a very nice venue which has fantastic sound, stage, and sound guy. I am well aquainted with this place also. I was utilizing my 1978 acoustic Pearl export kick drum in place of the Alesis (I am very fond of my old kick drum) Well.... heh. I was REALLY caught off guard. After a couple songs, the sound guy came up on stage to check something, so I asked him how the drums were coming thru. Keep in mind that I am still very ignorant in the full flexibility of the DMX10. He said everything sounded good but that I needed to turn up the crash cymbal. Man was my mind racing! I then realized I could simply adjust the equalizer on the brain.

Ok. So far, so good. Hardware-wise, it seems like the kit holds pretty well, but I'm also being very careful in handling it. I've been able to get some cool sounds, but am keeping things as basic as possible until I learn alot more. I will certainly push this kit to its limits. It's already pushing me to mine ;D