Author Topic: Alesis DM10 Mesh head Pad Upgrade Video!  (Read 174790 times)

Online Hellfire

Re: Alesis DM10 Pad Upgrade Video!
« Reply #75 on: April 20, 2010, 09:35:34 AM »
Howdy from the frozen wastelands of Canada!

I'm about (not "aboot") to perform surgery on an out-of-the-box DM10 dual-zone pad but I have a few surgical questions before hacking away at my patient:

1. In the video, considering that all that is done is moving the order and replacing a head with another, why the need for an additional piece of foam to lift the assembly?  Is it because of the circled out white foam no longer provides the desired thickness?

The reason for the lift is because the dynamics of the pad has been changed. The stock Alesis pad is quite dead as far as the stick rebound. Once you move that stiff plate down and add a mesh head you will get more rebound from your stick. That rebound can cause the drum head to lift off the foam slightly as it flexes back up and then slap back down on the foam causing double triggering problems. By lifting the foam up slightly, it keeps the foam in contact with the head so you don't get the double triggering issue.

2. For that same foam lift, is a mute pad too thick for that job?  I still have some from a drumrocker mesh mod, so it would save me a trip to the most emasculating store in the world (Michael's)
You can always give it a try. The only issue that I see is it might be a touch too thick. Most of those mute pads are about 1/4 inch (6-7mm) thick. Which is about twice what I need. However, some here have used 6mm thick foam and have no problems.

3. Anyone try with a Peal Muffle Head mesh?  They don't carry BB's over here so that would be my only choice in mesh heads short of trying to use a V-Drum head which I know isn't a standard 10in fit and would require a second mortgage on my house.

You can use Peal Muffle Head but a word of caution. They will not last long. About 1-3 months depending on how hard you play. The 10in V-drum is standard so, it would fit. I normally don't recommend it because of the price.


4. I'm using this primo trigger on an Alesis DM-6 module (tight budget you see).  DM-6 does not have trigger sensitivity adjustments (but it does have a kick-butt Bossa Nova midi practice track!  :D ).  How has the sensitivity changed after the mod?  Better? worse?  Would you recommend surgery in my case or is it an at-risk patient considering the DM-6?

I found the sensitivity to be right in the pocket for the DM10. I don't know how well it would work for the DM6 however. Remember, you don't need to do this mod if you like the feel of the stock pad. I would try the pad as is first with you kit and then decide from there if you wish to do the mod. I hope that helps.

Attention DM10 Realhead owners. Some adjustment required.
« Reply #76 on: April 22, 2010, 07:54:46 AM »
Well, first I would like to thank Hellfire for the video and the quick reply to my questions.  The operation went well and the patient sounds and reacts much better than before. 

I wanted to share a little snag I encountered however.  My mod was on a Realhead 10in dual zone pad so I didn't need to install a second piezo.  The issue however is that the black "good foam" that ends up being the top layer under the mesh head comes with a 2.5in diameter hole cut out in the middle of it.  It is essentially donut shaped.   Considering the center ends up being the prime striking area, I though it would cause a problem.

Solution?  Stolen right out of the DrumRocker mesh mod:  Earplug.  I took a foam earplug and glued it to the thin black foam of the resonator plate, right in the middle of the "good foam" opening. Hardly visible once the mesh is installed.  One more little difference:  I did not need to trim the "thin foam" at all.  It fit quite nicely without any trimming.  See enclosed pictures.

Tested on DM6, pickup is as good as original configuration.  Feel is like V-Drums (well, almost :) )

Thank you all :)

- Ben



Offline Pier

Re: Alesis DM10 Pad Upgrade Video!
« Reply #77 on: April 22, 2010, 08:30:45 AM »
Thanks Ben, really informative!
Thanks for posting the pictures also  ;)

Offline Bobby@NEMS

Re: Alesis DM10 Pad Upgrade Video!
« Reply #78 on: April 22, 2010, 09:36:37 AM »
Awesome Ben, glad that worked out as well as I hoped :-)

Oh and as far as the BB mesh heads.....you might have easy access to them pretty soon ;-)

Rene over at BB seems to be a great guy, stayed tuned for a few updated products at NEMS :-)
Bobby D.

Online Hellfire

Re: Alesis DM10 Pad Upgrade Video!
« Reply #79 on: April 22, 2010, 10:43:01 AM »
Looks great Ben! Have you tried it without the ear plug? I have found that the hole doesn't really effect the performance of the trigger.

Re: Alesis DM10 Pad Upgrade Video!
« Reply #80 on: April 22, 2010, 12:53:32 PM »
Didn't try it without the earplug.  I saw this big hole and was afraid of getting a dead zone right where I'm supposed to be hitting :)

Either way, I'm very happy with my mod :)

- Ben

Offline eugenecp

Re: Alesis DM10 Pad Upgrade Video!
« Reply #81 on: April 22, 2010, 12:57:06 PM »
most of us who bought the DM10 in the past few months and did the upgrade have the hole and we just left it as is.  no observed hot spotting or dead zones.
« Last Edit: April 22, 2010, 01:05:19 PM by eugenecp »
DM10 Pro Kit, Tama Iron Cobra Jr Double Bass Pedal, Tama 1st Chair HT530E5, Tascam US-122 Audio/MIDI interface

Offline H3RB

Re: Alesis DM10 Pad Upgrade Video!
« Reply #82 on: April 28, 2010, 08:35:37 AM »
just wondering, in the vid you take the resistors off of the jack. how come? do we get any benifits from removing them at all? i ask because i left mine on on one tom i had pretty bad hot spotting and now ive added a roland head to my snare everywhere on it triggers fine apart from the top center which doesnt really make sense.

Online Hellfire

Re: Alesis DM10 Pad Upgrade Video!
« Reply #83 on: April 28, 2010, 10:12:00 AM »
just wondering, in the vid you take the resistors off of the jack. how come? do we get any benifits from removing them at all? i ask because i left mine on on one tom i had pretty bad hot spotting and now ive added a roland head to my snare everywhere on it triggers fine apart from the top center which doesnt really make sense.
It is kind of a personal preference thing really. You could try it either way and see which works best for you.

Re: Alesis DM10 Pad Upgrade Video!
« Reply #84 on: May 01, 2010, 09:07:56 PM »
Regarding the hole in the center:
I cut a hole in my foam and the only real affect was that it made the pad quieter and have more rebound.

Offline Guinness

Re: Alesis DM10 Pad Upgrade Video!
« Reply #85 on: May 02, 2010, 11:19:02 PM »
Regarding the hole in the center:
I cut a hole in my foam and the only real affect was that it made the pad quieter and have more rebound.

Ya, on my snare, it has the hole (I didn't cut, it was already there).  And, I get a bit more rebound from the center.  I never noticed really, as I used to have the Billy Blast mesh head with patch.  But now with the roland head, I can feel the difference.  It's kinda cool, as I can tell/feel dead center hits vs off center hits.

Re: Alesis DM10 Pad Upgrade Video!
« Reply #86 on: May 05, 2010, 06:30:14 PM »
4 Toms , 1 Snare . .What a difference !! The toms had holes in the foam down the middle as well as the snare and doesnt seem to effect the triggering at all. I cut a slit down the center of the foam pad to bypass the soldering and once you cut out the center of the foam for the trigger plate if your careful you can stretch it over the plate . . Everything went killer. Its definitely worth doing , Thanks again HF
« Last Edit: May 05, 2010, 08:56:58 PM by Metal Music »

Re: ---Billy Blast mesh head doesn't last long---
« Reply #87 on: June 16, 2010, 01:40:12 PM »
Just wanted to give an update. The Billy Blast mesh head on my 10" snare pad failed today. The snare being used the most was showing signs of wear last month but didn't fail until today. Just an FYI.

So, now I'm in search for a cheap off the shelf mesh head product.

BTW, I'm aware of the DIY methods of making mesh heads. Heck, I was making them before it was the thing to do. I prefer to just buy them.
Not sure if anyone mentioned these since I have not read all 6 pages yet but Pearl makes a mesh head and just bought a set through Guitar Center. The 8" were only $5.99 and the 10" was only $7.99.

Online Hellfire

Re: ---Billy Blast mesh head doesn't last long---
« Reply #88 on: June 16, 2010, 02:06:46 PM »
Just wanted to give an update. The Billy Blast mesh head on my 10" snare pad failed today. The snare being used the most was showing signs of wear last month but didn't fail until today. Just an FYI.

So, now I'm in search for a cheap off the shelf mesh head product.

BTW, I'm aware of the DIY methods of making mesh heads. Heck, I was making them before it was the thing to do. I prefer to just buy them.
Not sure if anyone mentioned these since I have not read all 6 pages yet but Pearl makes a mesh head and just bought a set through Guitar Center. The 8" were only $5.99 and the 10" was only $7.99.
Let us know how you like them and how long they last. A lot of edrummers don't like the Pearl mesh because they tend not to last too long. If you are not a heavy hitter, you should be fine. Let us know how they work for you.

Re: Alesis DM10 Pad Upgrade Video!
« Reply #89 on: July 09, 2010, 11:06:24 AM »
Hey, Phil:
Could you clarify for me the purpose and design of a sub-resonator plate?  Does it help the main reflection plate significantly?  Is it okay to not use one?  And what about materials and placement?  As I understand it from the video, the sub-resonator should not have any contact with any foam, but the reflection plate may be suspended by foam around the edges?  Sorry for all the questions, but I'm planning on doing my build this weekend and I want to make sure I've covered all the bases.

Online Hellfire

Re: Alesis DM10 Pad Upgrade Video!
« Reply #90 on: July 09, 2010, 12:37:06 PM »
Hey, Phil:
Could you clarify for me the purpose and design of a sub-resonator plate?  Does it help the main reflection plate significantly?  Is it okay to not use one?  And what about materials and placement?  As I understand it from the video, the sub-resonator should not have any contact with any foam, but the reflection plate may be suspended by foam around the edges?  Sorry for all the questions, but I'm planning on doing my build this weekend and I want to make sure I've covered all the bases.
You can use just one. The sub-resonator plate is used to even out the triggering. It is a way to reduce hot-spotting but people have gotten great results with out it. A more traditional way is to just use one plate. Yes you will need to suspend the plate. If you are using just one plate, you can put it in a simple foam sandwich.

*********   foam
-------------    plate
*********   foam

If you go with the sub-resonator plate, I would cut a hole in the bottom foam so the foam does not impede the sub-resonator plate from resonating.

***********   foam
___________   plate
     --------        sub-plate
**            **    foam

I hope that helps.

Re: Alesis DM10 Pad Upgrade Video!
« Reply #91 on: July 09, 2010, 01:40:14 PM »
Thanks!  How does the sub-resonator attatch to the plate? Does it need to get vibrations from the plate itself?  Does it contact the piezo in any way?  Sorry for all the questions, but I've not seen a lot of info on sub-resonators and what they do or any pros/cons on their purpose.

Online Hellfire

Re: Alesis DM10 Pad Upgrade Video!
« Reply #92 on: July 09, 2010, 03:34:16 PM »
Thanks!  How does the sub-resonator attatch to the plate? Does it need to get vibrations from the plate itself?  Does it contact the piezo in any way?  Sorry for all the questions, but I've not seen a lot of info on sub-resonators and what they do or any pros/cons on their purpose.
The piezo is attached to the sub plate via tape or epoxy. The sub plate is attached to the main plate via foam tape. Just like in the video. I don't know if you have seen this video but it talks a little more about the sub plate set-up.

Inside The Alesis DM10 (Medeli DD-602) Trigger Pads

Re: Alesis DM10 Pad Upgrade Video!
« Reply #93 on: September 11, 2010, 08:02:15 PM »

You put a pad on top of the mylar head on the kick, or under it.   Replaced it with mesh also?

i did the entire modification on the kick pad, including adding the mesh head. I then put the EVA Foam (funky foam) circle on top of the mesh head to serve as extra padding for the beater. The difference in kick noise is dramatic.
How did you attach the EVA Foam to the mesh head? Spray adhesive?

Orangeblood

  • Guest
Re: Alesis DM10 Pad Upgrade Video!
« Reply #94 on: September 30, 2010, 03:11:53 PM »
Anyone ever tried getting the billy blast head off the shell after install....it's stuck for good on my snare.
The blast heads have to be tightened down way to much. The head peeled up the laminate..what a POS

And just to say...all I did was turn the plate and black foam over..no cutting of holes in the white foam. Triggers just like it did beforehand..perfect. Edge, rim, center...no adjustments needed.
« Last Edit: September 30, 2010, 04:16:33 PM by Orangeblood »

Online Hellfire

Re: Alesis DM10 Pad Upgrade Video!
« Reply #95 on: September 30, 2010, 05:20:25 PM »
Anyone ever tried getting the billy blast head off the shell after install....it's stuck for good on my snare.
The blast heads have to be tightened down way to much. The head peeled up the laminate..what a POS

And just to say...all I did was turn the plate and black foam over..no cutting of holes in the white foam. Triggers just like it did beforehand..perfect. Edge, rim, center...no adjustments needed.
So are you saying that the piezo sensor is now on top side of the plate (basically facing up at the head)? I would not recommend that to anyone. If your head happens to break in the middle of playing, you could easily hit the piezo sensor and break it. I'm sure it works good until your head breaks or you loose tension in the head. Mesh drum heads can deflect up to 1-1/4" inches (depending on how hard you play). If that happens you just broke your pad. Just something to keep in mind.

Orangeblood

  • Guest
Re: Alesis DM10 Pad Upgrade Video!
« Reply #96 on: September 30, 2010, 06:38:55 PM »
Anyone ever tried getting the billy blast head off the shell after install....it's stuck for good on my snare.
The blast heads have to be tightened down way to much. The head peeled up the laminate..what a POS

And just to say...all I did was turn the plate and black foam over..no cutting of holes in the white foam. Triggers just like it did beforehand..perfect. Edge, rim, center...no adjustments needed.
So are you saying that the piezo sensor is now on top side of the plate (basically facing up at the head)? I would not recommend that to anyone. If your head happens to break in the middle of playing, you could easily hit the piezo sensor and break it. I'm sure it works good until your head breaks or you loose tension in the head. Mesh drum heads can deflect up to 1-1/4" inches (depending on how hard you play). If that happens you just broke your pad. Just something to keep in mind.

Mine looks just like the guys earlier post with the Z heads. Black foam turned over with hole...I can see piezo through head. I hit it pretty hard and not enough deflection to matter.

Phil,  Do the mesh heads basically sit on the foam? Is this how all mesh pads are? I mean by sit is there any gap between head and foam? I guess there can't be for piezo's to work...now that I think about it.
« Last Edit: September 30, 2010, 06:59:37 PM by Orangeblood »

Re: Alesis DM10 Pad Upgrade Video!
« Reply #97 on: October 27, 2010, 02:48:26 AM »
Anyone ever tried getting the billy blast head off the shell after install....it's stuck for good on my snare.
The blast heads have to be tightened down way to much. The head peeled up the laminate..what a POS

Greetings! What an awesome source of info and insight ... many thanks to all for sharing your experiences (and of course to HF for his superbly invaluable video).

I've ordered Billy Blast heads for a complete mesh-over of my Alesis USB Pro set. But reading Orangebloods' caution about BB heads sticking to the laminate, I'm afraid to proceed.

Anyone else have a problem like this after their BB heads were on for a period of time? Might there be some unique reason to explain why this happened? Perhaps a thin coat of oil where the mesh meets the laminate might prevent such a problem from happening?  :-\

Thanks again to all for opening my eyes to the possibilities. - OneWatt

Online Hellfire

Re: Alesis DM10 Pad Upgrade Video!
« Reply #98 on: October 27, 2010, 10:17:21 AM »
Anyone ever tried getting the billy blast head off the shell after install....it's stuck for good on my snare.
The blast heads have to be tightened down way to much. The head peeled up the laminate..what a POS

Greetings! What an awesome source of info and insight ... many thanks to all for sharing your experiences (and of course to HF for his superbly invaluable video).

I've ordered Billy Blast heads for a complete mesh-over of my Alesis USB Pro set. But reading Orangebloods' caution about BB heads sticking to the laminate, I'm afraid to proceed.

Anyone else have a problem like this after their BB heads were on for a period of time? Might there be some unique reason to explain why this happened? Perhaps a thin coat of oil where the mesh meets the laminate might prevent such a problem from happening?  :-\

Thanks again to all for opening my eyes to the possibilities. - OneWatt
Welcome to the forum OneWatt. Remember, you can use any brand mesh head. I just used BB heads to keep the cost down. I hope that helps.

Offline Guinness

Re: Alesis DM10 Pad Upgrade Video!
« Reply #99 on: October 29, 2010, 05:41:45 PM »
Just bought two 8" and one 10" roland heads to finally round out my kit with all Roland heads.  The snare head I bought some time back is still going strong.  I'll keep the 8" billy blast head on the kick, as it seems to be fine.  But my billy blast headed toms are failing miserably.  Need more duct tape.  :)