I just bought a used Crimson kit (original, not II) and am not sure if my cymbals have problems, the wires/module does, or if it's just some with me or my settings. I've go the 14" DMPad Ride and 12" DMPad Crash. I can't get anything other than the main sound to trigger on either, nor can I get the choke to work. To troubleshoot, I tried the below. I'm really confused because both the cord and cymbal aren't acting as they should. Please help if you can:
- Swapped cord with a dual zone drum that's working, but the cymbals only triggered the main zone
- Plugged cymbal cable I to dual zone drum, but only main zone would trigger
Welcome to the Forum !
Tom Inputs are Piezo/Piezo type triggers..
Cymbals are Piezo/Switch.Bow=Piezo..Bell=Switch..Edge/Choke=Switch.and use membrane switches along with the Piezo..
Tom Inputs are Not Compatible with Switch Type Triggers (Edge/Bell) nor do they support the Choke Function..
ALL Modules are like this (Exception..Yamaha which has switch on some snares/Tom rims) otherwise Cymbals must be used in Cymbal Inputs or they will not fully function...just the Bow will trigger.
The Original Crimson (
Medeli DD650) uses a DB25 Trigger Harness and came with a 12" Hi hat.. 12" dual-zone chokeable crash and a (single cable) three-zone (bell, bow and edge) 14" ride.
I don't have or used DMPads for over 10 years so I can't remember if the Single Cable Ride had a Choke strip..it should.
it is/was not mentioned (ALL Features typically are) in the Product Description nor on the cut sheet..the Dual Cable Model did.
There were earlier DMPads that either had a Choke strip or didn't..DM10 users it was common to get them mixed up and the cymbal with choke only worked on a specific port.
"
The Perfect Feel and Premium Hardware:The Alesis Crimson Mesh Kit is a five-piece electronic drum kit featuring exclusive Alesis mesh drum heads (Patent Pending) that delivers the perfect feel and expression. It features an 8-inch kick, 12-inch dual-zone snare, two 8-inch dual-zone rack toms and a 10-inch dual-zone floor tom, along with a 12-inch hi-hat with pedal, 12-inch crash with choke and 14-inch three-zone ride. A premium chrome 4-post rack with separate double-braced snare stand keeps everything solidly anchored, no matter how hard you play!"
There were (2) DMPad 12" cymbals..one is single zone only NO CHOKE (labeled hat)..the other is Dual zone with choke...(labeled Cymbal)
The Hi Hat is only single Zone..NO Choke..so make sure the 2 are not mixed up.
The Crimson Module also supports a Dual Zone Hi Hat..you have to activate it.
Connect the Cymbals to the proper cable...they should be TRS
go into the module and for the Crash turn the Bow OFF (sensitivity-1) to see if the Edge is working.
You will see -EG suffix in the menu Window
Same with the Ride..turn the Bow down ..until off (sensitivity-1) and see if the other zones trigger.
The procedure is the same as with activating the 2nd zone (Edge) for the Hi Hat as shown in this Topic
Alesis Crimson DUAL ZONE Hi Hat.If the issue remains you may have bad or intermittent edge switch..
It is possible to Test triggers for Medeli DD650 Modules
Module Testspress and hold Down+Up buttons simultaneously while powering on ..you'll see the Alesis splash screen..Firmware Version .. "Booting"..
Then you'll see the main menu ...use the up/down buttons to maneuver...press down to pad test which is #2...press enter
There will be a PAD... and Value...
For Example:To test the Hi Hat Pedal..
The "Pad" will show which trigger is being hit or in this case pressed..the "Value" will show if the hit or in this case pedal pressure/position is detected and what velocity...press the pedal the "PAD" should show HH-P.. at different pressures and speeds press the pedal..a hard sharp jab should show around 127..it will vary the test is just to confirm the pedal is working...then "Exit"..go to 8 erp..the module will power down.