Author Topic: Something beside Goedrum hi-hat controller  (Read 2220 times)

Offline Mr.J.

Something beside Goedrum hi-hat controller
« on: November 19, 2017, 06:38:40 PM »
Hey gang

I've been playing with adding a piezo to my Zildjian low volume cymbals and although not finished I have really liked how it's going. I am having a tough time getting dual zone piezo so that I can have a choke. I have one I'm not sure will work on order but once I get the right piezo I can see myself using this set up.

Now I found the goedrum hi-hat controller I would like to use for the same Zildjian low volume hi-hats but was wondering, and I am asking, is there another hi-hat controller like the goedrums ones on the market? Being Canadian is very expensive,  amazon want close to $75 for one. Kind of rich just to try IMHO.

Re: Something beside Goedrum hi-hat controller
« Reply #1 on: December 10, 2017, 11:49:40 PM »
I haven't seen any others. I got my goEdum controller from eBay it was $49 I think plus shipping. Maybe try that? It's not that bad considering the alternative name brands.

About the choke just look up "dual zone" cymbal wiring and follow the easy schematic but don't be dumb like me and forget to tell the module it's a dual zone :p

Offline Mr.J.

Re: Something beside Goedrum hi-hat controller
« Reply #2 on: December 12, 2017, 07:57:16 AM »
I did get the GOEDRUM hi-hat controller. I added a piezo to me Zildjian low volume hi hits and all is well except for when I close the hats.

In all positions it works as I had really hoped but as soon as I press to close the hats I get bad buzz. At first I was thinking the hi hat was vibrating the hi hat stand so I tried it with the Alesis foot pedal totally physically separated from each other.  It is the same result for using the Alesis foot pedal so it's not interference between the piezo and the controller. I can tweek the brain to lessen the buzz but cannot eliminate it.

Right now I am leaning towards the piezo I am using as it is a Macgyver setup until my properly isolated piezos arrives in the mail.

I used a bread board and figured out how to electrically created a choke. Now I just need to find the right setup to do it mechanically. Thankfully I get the full break between Christmas and New Year off of work to be able to dedicate some time with my soldering iron.

Re: Something beside Goedrum hi-hat controller
« Reply #3 on: December 20, 2017, 11:31:18 PM »
Check your contacts (or solder) on the jack too. Mine were exposed until I finished my projects and if something's loose or touching it will create interference noise (or touching each other god forbid). I had my thumb touching the sleeve or ring I think and it would hum and buzz. Before I figured it out the module went goofy so I unplugged it.

Offline Mr.J.

Re: Something beside Goedrum hi-hat controller
« Reply #4 on: December 21, 2017, 10:41:14 AM »
I’ll see if I can explain this.

When I close my hats I get a bad buzz. It’s because the Ziljdian low volume hi-hat is made of metal. It vibrates. It’s this vibration that causes the buzz. I know this because if I put a good grip on the cymbal with my hand which stops it from vibrating the buzz is eliminated. One night I was playing with the settings and I somehow managed to get the threshold up to 200. This eliminated the buzz. I have no idea how I managed to get such a high value because now when I go back and play with the threshold the max I can get it to is 127. This isn’t enough to eliminate the buzz. Obviously it is a combination of other settings that made it possible to get such a high value.

What did work is using foam. I  placed foam on the bottom portion of the high-hat and when pressing the pedal I was able to stop the top hi-hat from vibrating and the buzz went away. Looks like crap and sounds like crap (acoustically, not what I hear from AD2) but it works.

My 2 crash cymbals work amazingly and sound amazing. I haven’t done a choke yet, not in a rush as I don’t play anything that requires a choke, yet.

Started on the ride cymbal. This has pretty much the same result as the hi-hats. Apparently the ride cymbal shouldn’t vibrate but I won’t spend too much time on it until I get the hi-hats working.

Offline AlanK

Re: Something beside Goedrum hi-hat controller
« Reply #5 on: December 21, 2017, 02:13:56 PM »
This could be totally left field but just had a thought, and wondering if it's interference via the power source.. is it like a 60 hz hum like when you have a flourescent light near a speaker? Was just thinking if the power source for your hats pickups (or however those Zildjians work) is in one plug and your module or sound system is powered through another plug sometimes there's hum.

I used to get buzzing out of one or both of my PA speakers and was told I should be plugging them into the same power outlet that my mixer or other musical gear is plugged into. Not sure of the electronics behind it all but supposing it's to do with grounding. Anyhow, last week I decided to play through my PA and had one of the speakers plugged into another outlet on another wall and was getting crazy hum... remembered the advice and then plugged it in where the other speaker and my Alesis kit and mixer was powered out of and hum disappeared.

Just a thought...
DM10X with Addictive Drums 2, Pro X hi-hat, 4 crashes, foam cone conversion w Roland mesh heads, Laurin Drums snare and kick, Mapex P710W double kick pedal, Mapex 2 legged hi-hat, Behringer 8 channel USB mixer, Tascam 144MK AI, Samson Expedition Escape powered speakers

Offline Mr.J.

Re: Something beside Goedrum hi-hat controller
« Reply #6 on: December 21, 2017, 02:28:37 PM »
Great suggestion, however it's a vibration issue. The buzz would still remain when I clamp the cymbal so that it doesn't vibrate.

I'm going to try putting a thick piece of foam on the ride between the cymbal and piezo and see if that works.