Drum Triggers

[Zajn]

Does anyone here have knowledge on triggers? I really haven't thought about purchasing them, but I was always curious as to how they work. Can you play dynamically or do they always produce the same tone at the same volume?

Also: This may sound stupid, but triggers are run through an amp or the PA, right?

[middleman]

I'll make a short general statement about drum triggers. They're basically a mic that pick up the vibrations of what they're attached to....like pick-ups on a guitar. Yes dynamics do pick up on them. They can work both on an AMP and PA as well. What I really like about them is you can hook them up midi to an external source such as a drum brain or effects processors. I have a friend that had an old practice Remo pad drumset he hooked triggers up to. He added a brain and some cables to make an electric drumset. If you have anymore questions I'll try to answer them the best I can. I hope this helps. Blessings........

[drum_chick]

I'll make a short general statement about drum triggers. They're basically a mic that pick up the vibrations of what they're attached to....like pick-ups on a guitar. Yes dynamics do pick up on them. They can work both on an AMP and PA as well. What I really like about them is you can hook them up midi to an external source such as a drum brain or effects processors. I have a friend that had an old practice Remo pad drumset he hooked triggers up to. He added a brain and some cables to make an electric drumset. If you have anymore questions I'll try to answer them the best I can. I hope this helps. Blessings........

So I can put triggers on my Roland HD-1?

[middleman]

So I can put triggers on my Roland HD-1?

You're being silly right?

[Stevo42w]

there are already triggers built in DC :P i hope u were joking.

I didnt know you could amp up triggers. I thought they had to go through a brain :(

[drum_chick]

I thought you guys knew me by now

[kona]

Good thread - there are many things you can do with electronics these days - great stuff!

I looked into getting a whole electronic kit besides the new acoustic kit I'm currently putting together.

I looked at Roland and Yamaha, they both have great features. Yamaha samples real drums while Roland uses electronics to get their sounds. I personally will be going with Roland - they are wicked - especially when you get into the high end models that use three zone cymbals (edge, bow and bell), and you can "choke" them too - nice!

So - after looking around I decided I will buy a decent brain, some triggers and a few pads here and there and just put all that stuff right with my acoustic kit. To me that is the best of both worlds.

Fun stuff!

[Zajn]

I've been looking into hooking up a trigger to an old Remo practice pad that I don't use anymore. I found a guide on how to wire up your own electronic drums online somewhere, but I don't recall the url.

Also: I hope this doesn't sound like a dumb question, but... the drum would still resonate when it's hooked up to a trigger, right? So there would still be an acoustic sound, but it's being drowned out by the electronically triggered sound, correct?

[middleman]

I've been looking into hooking up a trigger to an old Remo practice pad that I don't use anymore. I found a guide on how to wire up your own electronic drums online somewhere, but I don't recall the url.

Also: I hope this doesn't sound like a dumb question, but... the drum would still resonate when it's hooked up to a trigger, right? So there would still be an acoustic sound, but it's being drowned out by the electronically triggered sound, correct?

You got it. Also If you wanted just the look of an acoustic kit on stage but with the sound of your effects processor/drum brain.....you could mute the heads and use them just for the contact point with the trigger (and of course your sticks). Some triggers go directly on the head, placed like moon gel with a wire and others like DDrum mount directly onto the rim. Hope this helps. Blessings.....

[kona]

I've been looking into hooking up a trigger to an old Remo practice pad that I don't use anymore. I found a guide on how to wire up your own electronic drums online somewhere, but I don't recall the url.

Also: I hope this doesn't sound like a dumb question, but... the drum would still resonate when it's hooked up to a trigger, right? So there would still be an acoustic sound, but it's being drowned out by the electronically triggered sound, correct?

I saw Ed Shaughnessy doing a drum clinic in Vancouver, BC about 30 years ago and he had a very large double bass kit at that time (he was the Tonight Show's house band drummer). He demonstrated how his kit was "triggered" - he may not have used that term - so that every second tom was electronic. It was incredible and probably ahead of curve for electronic drums at that time. He's a great drummer, lots of show and brilliant chops (see his drum battle with Buddy Rich).

Just thought I'd mention it in this thread out of interest.