Author Topic: DM10 MKii Pro Cymbals issue  (Read 2751 times)

DM10 MKii Pro Cymbals issue
« on: December 28, 2018, 07:47:55 AM »
I bought a Surge kit and found out real quick what it's limitations were. I'm not a drummer, but I'm learning along with my 7 yo boy. It had to be a compact kit for him. I found that the Surge module can't use the Strike Pro X hiHat. It also does not support dual zone cymbals. Just cymbals with choke. Also the sounds are lame.

So, I found a DM10 MKii Pro module on Ebay cheap. I use the snake from the Surge since it had all TRS connectors except kick and hihat.
I bought 2 extra cymbals. 12" dual zone with choke. Some DK brand, look a lot like Alesis.
Everything worked except the Ride.  If used the choke on the Ride, it triggers the kick?!
There are no settings I can find to change the trigger type. Really? On a module that costs this much?
The dual zone cymbals work fine on Crash 1/2. Just not the ride. I tried a Roland CY12 I had, it did the same thing. I realize that it's possible to edit a custom kit to fix this, but I'd rather have the stock kits work like they should to start with.

I find the lack of details on Alesis kits very annoying. Cymbals with say dual zone, but what zones? Is it Bell / Bow? Bow / Edge? or Bow / Choke?  The manual on the DM10 MKii says that the Ride is three zone. Since the choke does work here, I'm thinking that the cymbal is Bell, Bow, Edge non chokable. Is that correct?

What about the crashes on a stock DM10 MKii? Are they dual zone Bow, edge and choke? This works on mine.

I have $600 in this kit. I think I did good. Will a PinTech 3 zone cymbal work or do I need to buy the Alesis 16" Ride? For now I put a single zone no choke on on the ride. Swapped it with the hiHat.

Offline Chaser

Re: DM10 MKii Pro Cymbals issue
« Reply #1 on: December 28, 2018, 12:20:50 PM »
I bought a Surge kit and found out real quick what it's limitations were. I'm not a drummer, but I'm learning along with my 7 yo boy. It had to be a compact kit for him. I found that the Surge module can't use the Strike Pro X hiHat. It also does not support dual zone cymbals. Just cymbals with choke. Also the sounds are lame.

So, I found a DM10 MKii Pro module on Ebay cheap. I use the snake from the Surge since it had all TRS connectors except kick and hihat.
I bought 2 extra cymbals. 12" dual zone with choke. Some DK brand, look a lot like Alesis.
Everything worked except the Ride.  If used the choke on the Ride, it triggers the kick?!
There are no settings I can find to change the trigger type. Really? On a module that costs this much?
The dual zone cymbals work fine on Crash 1/2. Just not the ride. I tried a Roland CY12 I had, it did the same thing. I realize that it's possible to edit a custom kit to fix this, but I'd rather have the stock kits work like they should to start with.

I find the lack of details on Alesis kits very annoying. Cymbals with say dual zone, but what zones? Is it Bell / Bow? Bow / Edge? or Bow / Choke?  The manual on the DM10 MKii says that the Ride is three zone. Since the choke does work here, I'm thinking that the cymbal is Bell, Bow, Edge non chokable. Is that correct?

What about the crashes on a stock DM10 MKii? Are they dual zone Bow, edge and choke? This works on mine.

I have $600 in this kit. I think I did good. Will a PinTech 3 zone cymbal work or do I need to buy the Alesis 16" Ride? For now I put a single zone no choke on on the ride. Swapped it with the hiHat.

Since you're using a different cable snake that is more than likely the problem since the DM10 MKII supports more triggers/zones than the Surge.They may look the same and sometimes you get lucky if some of the triggers match but not all DB25 connectors/snakes are wired the same or are interchangeable.
DM10 MKII PRO came with the 16" DMPad 3-Zone and I believe had (2)TRS inputs.

The DM10 MKII Pro Kit includes:
(3) 12" Mesh Drum Pads
(2) 10" Mesh Drum Pads
(1) 8" Mesh Kick Pad
(1) DMPad 12" Hi-Hat
(2) DMPad 14" Crash
(1) DMPad 16" Ride
(1) DM10 MKII Pro Module
(1) RealHat Pedal
(1) DB25 male pin to 11 1/4" male cables..(9)TRS ..(2)TS

The Ride midi info for the module User Guide page 7.
I did not see a section in the User Guide for changing Trigger Types or Midi note assignments.
Bow  51
Edge 59
Bell   53

Re: DM10 MKii Pro Cymbals issue
« Reply #2 on: December 28, 2018, 04:24:42 PM »
Great! So I have 9 cables. Yes all the triggers match up well enough to play. But I can't do the 3 zone Ride (don't have one anyway). I have 9 cables not 11. So the 16" ride does have 2 cables according to a photo on ebay. That leaves one for something else? One 3 Zone crash? Any DM10MKii owners want to chime in, that would be much appreciated.


Wish I knew the pin outs, I could make up an adapter to fix this for cheap. I guess my only other option is to call Alesis and try to get a DM10 MKii snake. Unless someone wants to share the pin out diagram.  ;D
What about my dog chewed though the wires? Is that under warranty?  :o

I have the manual. You are correct, can't change the trigger type. Gee, another limitation.  :-\ Why can't they just make things that are truly customizable?

Re: DM10 MKii Pro Cymbals issue
« Reply #3 on: December 28, 2018, 04:34:51 PM »
I take that back about the cable snake. Its a db25 to 7 TRS and 2x TR. Plus two TRS on the extra ports for crash 2 and extra tom. says so right in the manual. https://7132afa424c2f1a2ab6d-54d68a14e2e7c1f76563a2d8c3e9fd82.ssl.cf2.rackcdn.com/1764/documents/DM10%20MKII%20Pro%20Kit%20-%20Assembly%20Guide%20-%20v1.0.pdf

The Ride with the TRS gets connected from the snake. Crash 2 uses the extra port with a TRS to TRS. I bet the snake is the same and the module just expects a different cymbal.

Offline Chaser

Re: DM10 MKii Pro Cymbals issue
« Reply #4 on: December 28, 2018, 05:30:04 PM »
I take that back about the cable snake. Its a db25 to 7 TRS and 2x TR. Plus two TRS on the extra ports for crash 2 and extra tom. says so right in the manual. https://7132afa424c2f1a2ab6d-54d68a14e2e7c1f76563a2d8c3e9fd82.ssl.cf2.rackcdn.com/1764/documents/DM10%20MKII%20Pro%20Kit%20-%20Assembly%20Guide%20-%20v1.0.pdf

The Ride with the TRS gets connected from the snake. Crash 2 uses the extra port with a TRS to TRS. I bet the snake is the same and the module just expects a different cymbal.

According to Alesis The DM10 MKII Pro has 11..9 TRS..2 TS

The Surge Module is similar to the Nitro/DM6.
The DM10 MKII Studio/Crimson II/Crimson/Command/Forge are also similar except Alesis will warn you that there are different firmware/cable snakes an example would be the Command modules are the same with the same cable snake , except the Command module from the rubber pad kit supposedly won't work with the Command Mesh kit...different firmware.
The DM6 had 3 different versions of the DB25 cable snake.
There is a comparison chart (mid page )for the DM10 MKII Studio and Pro that list the DB25 connector.Whether it's accurate or not is entirely on Alesis.

DM10 MKII Studio vs DM10 MKII Pro

« Last Edit: December 28, 2018, 10:29:46 PM by Chaser »

Re: DM10 MKii Pro Cymbals issue
« Reply #5 on: December 30, 2018, 04:46:03 PM »
Assembly instructions show the use of 2 x TRS cables which are connected to the extra ports (crash and tom4) plus the DB25 Snake. A DB25 plug has 25 pins. 7 TRS is 3x7=21 plus 2 TR is 4 for a total of 25 pins. Unless some share the ground circuits there's no way to have 11 cables from a DB25. It would make manufacturing sense not to have too many cable snakes. Using 1 common plug to many sets reduces production costs. Common sense tells me that the ride cymbal on this kit is a 3 zone only with no choke. Perhaps one piezo and two switches through a circuit that have different levels of resistance so that the module can identify the zone. If a DM10 MKii pro owner will chime in and let us know if that ride has a choke? Would be much appreciated.