Author Topic: Pads for my Sample Rack.  (Read 2517 times)

Offline Dobly

Pads for my Sample Rack.
« on: December 29, 2016, 05:54:14 AM »
Now that my Sample Rack is mounted, I have gotten down to hooking up with my DM10 via midi, putting samples on the SDCard and firing them off from the pads on my kit.

This is all going great, but it occured to me that the Sample Rack as enough inputs on the back for an entire kit and I am not using any of them. It would be nice if for example the on the song that needs the authentic timbale sounds (the intro the Land Downunder by aussie band Australian Crawl) could be played on other pads, and not on the rims of my DM10 kit, or taking up space on the toms.

I had this idea that if I could find an inexpensive edrum kit with suitable pads, I could rig up some extra pads around the kit for various sounds from the Sample Rack.

I had a quick look on Gumtree (.com.au) and the first kit I found was a Mastercraft MCDD403.

A kit that on Allen's Billy Hydes sells for $499AU

http://www.allansbillyhyde.com.au/prod/MCD403P/Mastercraft_MCDD403_Electronic_Drum_Kit.aspx

A very low in the range kit.

The one I found on Gumtree was asking only $50 for the entire kit. (about $36US).

I bought it.



It's a beauty eh? What DIY dream kit!!

Just for fun I wired it up and had a play. What a nightmare. Something was wrong. Hitting a tom would buzz the sound like the pad was vibrating... Holding the pad helped a bit but it was not till I took a pad off did I see the issue..



I was thinking. "that is an odd spot for the piezo on a single zone pad".

I whipped out the screw driver and reveal the issue..



The piezo is upside down in that shot. I had it flipped over when I took the shot. The 4 little rubber feet are suppose to be on the base.

On all 3 toms the piezo had come loose.

That's all. Trivial and simple to fix..



All 3 toms had this issue. Now I'm just imagining the people who sold this, and why they sold it for $50. It was horrible to play. All in all I am super impressed with these little pads. They don't have to as fabulous as my DM10 pads. They will mostly be for single hit stuff. Maybe a 2 and 4 snare in a song or two.

Speaking of snare, check out the 'dual zone' pad on this kit. Look familiar??

Here it is open and upside down..



Now where I have seem those metal disks before..

More on this project as it unfolds.









« Last Edit: December 29, 2016, 06:01:06 AM by Dobly »

Offline Dobly

Re: Pads for my Sample Rack.
« Reply #1 on: January 01, 2017, 06:45:35 AM »
I've been away a few days so I only just got back to this project..

I have repaired the 3 toms..

I could tell looking at the piezo's that the 4 little rubber pads were suppose to be sticking and hold the piezo to the base. There were stuck firmly to the piezo so I figured the best fix was some good double sided tape.



I dared not try to remove the black tape on top of each as it was over the wires and solder joints. So I just lightly stuck a strip of masking tape over the lots.



Job done..

The Snare pad was the only one still in tact.

So now I have 2 choke-able cymbal pads and one hi hat pad.. AND 3 single zone tom pads and a dual zone snare pad.



Tomorrow I'll be working out what I can mount on my DM10 kits with the rack pieces from this kit. I'm hoping for at least 2 toms and 1 cymbal.


Offline Dobly

Re: Pads for my Sample Rack.
« Reply #2 on: January 03, 2017, 09:29:51 PM »
On my first attempt I found spots for 2 toms and an extra cymbal as I had hoped.

First job was to make some cables. The cable snake that came with the Mastercraft kit had a custom end on it (like on a DM8 kit). So I had whip out the soldering iron.



The cable on the left is just a stereo cable. That is for the crash cymbal.

The one on the right is a splitter cable. 2 single zone pads to one stereo 6mm plug.

Here is my kit now.



The 2 toms are on that spitter cable and are plugged into 'perc3' on the DM10.

The new crash on the right is plugged into Crash 2 on the Sample Rack.

So after all this so far I have one thing plugged into my Sample Rack. It's a start.

(a sharp eye might notice that the metal disk on tom 2 is slipping.. curse you double sided tape!)


Offline rhysT

Re: Pads for my Sample Rack.
« Reply #3 on: January 04, 2017, 06:35:08 PM »
Hey Dobly, that's an interesting array of pads you've got there featuring your DIY efforts, and have you considered spray painting those metal discs a darker shade.

Also the RHS rack leg could support a laptop by mounting a tray on a speaker bracket like this: http://www.ultimatesupport.com/products/speaker-lighting-stands/speaker-stands-accessories/bmb-200k.html

FYI, I've attached a maxed-out rack setup that might give you some ideas.
« Last Edit: January 04, 2017, 10:41:26 PM by rhysT »

Online AlanK

Re: Pads for my Sample Rack.
« Reply #4 on: January 05, 2017, 10:52:54 AM »
rhysT, that is an INSANE kit!! wow!
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 Dobly

Re: Pads for my Sample Rack.
« Reply #5 on: January 05, 2017, 07:07:58 PM »
Hey Dobly, that's an interesting array of pads you've got there featuring your DIY efforts, and have you considered spray painting those metal discs a darker shade.

Also the RHS rack leg could support a laptop by mounting a tray on a speaker bracket like this: http://www.ultimatesupport.com/products/speaker-lighting-stands/speaker-stands-accessories/bmb-200k.html

FYI, I've attached a maxed-out rack setup that might give you some ideas.

Yes, Painting the metal disks is on the 'to do' list.

That is one hell of a crazy kit you linked. Full of ideas indeed.

Offline Dobly

Re: Pads for my Sample Rack.
« Reply #6 on: January 05, 2017, 07:14:13 PM »
rhysT, that is an INSANE kit!! wow!

Not to mention it's on WHEELS.

Offline rhysT

Re: Pads for my Sample Rack.
« Reply #7 on: January 06, 2017, 02:45:55 AM »
rhysT, that is an INSANE kit!! wow!

Yeah Al, with a Mimic Pro (or 2) transplant it should be a lot of fun to cut loose on!   8)

Offline Dobly

Re: Pads for my Sample Rack.
« Reply #8 on: January 06, 2017, 05:46:03 AM »
Hey Dobly, that's an interesting array of pads you've got there featuring your DIY efforts, and have you considered spray painting those metal discs a darker shade.


Ok, ok.. I bit the bullet. I pulled them apart, carefully took off the little rubber bits that were taped on




Next I used some of the rubber bits to hold the metal disk up a bit and put some paper towels under so I didn't get paint everywhere.




Here are all 5 awaiting the spray paint.



Cleaned with Mentholated Spirits, and sprayed with 2 coats of primer for galvanized steel, and two coats of the same black I used on the poles for the Sample rack.

They spent some time down in the yard where I painted them..



Down there had much WAF (Wife Acceptance Factor). The wind picked however up and and some bits of grass and stuff landed on them so I moved them up to the back deck. By dinner time they were still drying..



Home made pizza and some craft beer from a local brewer. But I digress.

Final re-assembly will be some time tomorrow.



« Last Edit: January 06, 2017, 05:48:02 AM by Dobly »

Offline Dobly

Re: Pads for my Sample Rack.
« Reply #9 on: January 07, 2017, 09:34:07 PM »
Before



After



Happy now rhysT?  ;)

Offline rhysT

Re: Pads for my Sample Rack.
« Reply #10 on: January 07, 2017, 10:42:09 PM »
Yeah well done mate, they should help you play more like a pro!

Now how about adding some colored LEDs in the pads to highlight those little critters?  8)

Btw, I didn't expect you to make the project a high priority and risk your WAF rating.

Cheers!