Using "Dual Mono": questions

[Pim]

Hello Rob,

First off, I would like to thank you for creating such an awesome device as the eDrumin. I used VST sounds from the start and was always hoping for a good trigger-to-midi-device.
I just got my eDrumin and I am blown away by how easy and fast it was to get better Hihat results than with my old module. The software, the build quality, the size, the price...it's amazing, especially considering that you did it all by yourself. So sincerely thank you...and also for the customer support on this forum, you usually reply very quickly.

And for all the people that would like to see more inputs: just use 2 or 3 eDrumins. It's more convenient from a cable management point of view, more flexible all in all. Just make sure to have mechanical separation of the stands. Just my 2 cents.

Back to topic: I have a couple of questions about the Dual Mono mode. I would like to use one input of the eDrumin to connect my bass drum (Roland KD-7) and my crash cymbal (Roland CY-8).
I am aware that I will lose one zone of the cymbal, but I only need it to trigger one sound, so that would be okay.

But I read in the manual that setting the wrong pad type in the eDrumin Software might damage the pads over time so I figured I'd ask here first:

Is it possible to use 2 different kind of pads in Dual Mono mode? The KD-7 is a one-zone pad made out of rubber with one piezo (I guess center-mounted) and the CY-8 is dual zone (piezo-switch). Will that cause problems?

Also which pad type should I choose since I use them in Dual Mono mode? I know that I can assign the pad type of both mono signals individually, but there is no option "mono pad". The CY-8 would be "Dual-Zone Cymbal", since it's Piezo-Switch although I use it as a mono cymbal. Is that correct?
But what is the correct pad type for the KD-7? Is it a "Mesh Center Piezo" (although it's not a mesh head but rubber and not 2-Zone but 1-Zone)....or is it a "Rubber Pad" (since it's made of rubber although it has no switch)?
I would use "Mesh Center Piezo" since it makes more sense to me to ignore the material of the pad rather than the wiring. Is that correct? Or do I need to choose a totally different pad type?

And another question: If I used the correct pad types, will it be possible to use the "Edge Sense" function with the CY-8 in the Dual Mono mode? Or will that cause problems because it's originally a two-zone piezo-switch cymbal? In the manual it says that you can use Edge Sense "when the Input Mode is set to ‘Mono’ or ‘Dual Input’, and the Pad Type is a pad".
Does it also work with the CY-8? Or will it cause damage over time?
If the "Edge Sense" function also works with cymbal (pads), what do you - in the manual - consider to *not* be a pad? Acoustic triggers?

Again, thanks for all the work you put into this. I just set up my Medeli (two-zone center-mounted piezo mesh head ) snare. It never felt that good/natural to play it. The rimshot, sidestick, center...everything plays smoothly and dynamically. The detection works great. Even the hotspotting got a lot better because of your "Hotspot Suppression". It's really impressive.
The only thing I couldn't try out yet are positional sensing (none of my pads supports this) and using 3-Zone-Cymbals in combination with "Bell sense" (I have none yet). Judging by what I've seen so far, my guess is that these two functions will work like a charm, too. I am looking forward to trying them out soon.

I just ordered a DDT MS-140 snare because I'd like to have 14" and better overall build quality for my snare. If you'd like, I could also give you a feedback on how well that pad works with eDrumin.

Best regards,
Pim

(Edit: typos and clearer language)

[Rob]

Hi,

Welcome and thank-you for your support.

When operating in Dual Input mode, there's no chance of damaging pads as neither the tip nor the ring is fed any DC voltage. A small DC current is used to measure switches opening and closing on piezo / switch type pads, but only when the input is set to Stereo Input. And even then, when plugging in a pad to a Stereo Input that's configured for a piezo / switch pad, the device will first test to ensure that a piezo is not attached to the ring of the TRS cable before applying any current.

As for which pad types to use, it doesn't really matter so much which type you choose. Mostly those pad type settings only affect what other controls are available in the UI. For example, if you pick "Center Mounted Piezo" you will see the positional sensing, hotspot suppression, and edge sense control become visible or if you pick the Dual Zone Cymbal, the Bell Sense control will become visible. The basic processing for each type is all the same.

And another question: If I used the correct pad types, will it be possible to use the "Edge Sense" function with the CY-8 in the Dual Mono mode

You could certainly try. I have that pad but I haven't tested it with Edge Sense. It'll probably work some of the time, but it would be a lot less reliable then using it with a mesh pad, for comparison. I will probably offer some alternative processing in the future.

I just ordered a DDT MS-140 snare because I'd like to have 14" and better overall build quality for my snare. If you'd like, I could also give you a feedback on how well that pad works with eDrumin.

Yes, please do provide feedback.

[Pim]

Hello again,

Thanks for the fast reply.

When operating in Dual Input mode, there's no chance of damaging pads as neither the tip nor the ring is fed any DC voltage. A small DC current is used to measure switches opening and closing on piezo / switch type pads, but only when the input is set to Stereo Input. And even then, when plugging in a pad to a Stereo Input that's configured for a piezo / switch pad, the device will first test to ensure that a piezo is not attached to the ring of the TRS cable before applying any current.

I'm glad to hear that, that means I don't have to worry too much. I guess my question just showed how little I know about how these things actually work ^^.

As for which pad types to use, it doesn't really matter so much which type you choose. Mostly those pad type settings only affect what other controls are available in the UI. For example, if you pick "Center Mounted Piezo" you will see the positional sensing, hotspot suppression, and edge sense control become visible or if you pick the Dual Zone Cymbal, the Bell Sense control will become visible. The basic processing for each type is all the same.

That's good to know, thanks. That might come in handy.

And another question: If I used the correct pad types, will it be possible to use the "Edge Sense" function with the CY-8 in the Dual Mono mode

You could certainly try. I have that pad but I haven't tested it with Edge Sense. It'll probably work some of the time, but it would be a lot less reliable then using it with a mesh pad, for comparison. I will probably offer some alternative processing in the future.

I tried my Medeli 12" dual-zone cymbal pad today in Dual Mono mode. As "Pad type" I chose "Mesh Center Piezo" and enabled Edge Sense.
What can I say: I was able to reliably trigger two different sounds on a pad that was supposed to be mono. This is so amazing and impressive. I had no mis-triggering after adjusting the Edge Sense parameters. Just hit the bow or the edge...it was exactly as if I had connected it with a single TRS cable and had set it to Dual Zone Cymbal.

I have no idea how you managed to pull that off but it's like magic.

I just ordered a DDT MS-140 snare because I'd like to have 14" and better overall build quality for my snare. If you'd like, I could also give you a feedback on how well that pad works with eDrumin.

Yes, please do provide feedback.

I will

[KirovHC]

I just ordered a DDT MS-140 snare because I'd like to have 14" and better overall build quality for my snare. If you'd like, I could also give you a feedback on how well that pad works with eDrumin.

Yes, please do provide feedback.

I will

I'm going to buy this snare drum, how does it respond? are you satisfied?

[Pim]

Hi,

I tried out both the 13" and 14" version. I was not too thrilled with the performance because of two things:
The edge articulation did not trigger consistently enough for me and the pad had a really strong hotspot. It might be that the latter was just a problem of my particular pads since the cone seemed to be too high, my mesh head looked a little like a tent. Changing the tension did not helped and because of the money-back-guarantee, I did not want to open it and change everything.

So in the end I sent both back. But I know that many people, including Rob, are quite satisfied with the snare pad so I would say give it a try if you can send it back.

Best regards,
Pim

[KirovHC]

Hi,

I tried out both the 13" and 14" version. I was not too thrilled with the performance because of two things:
The edge articulation did not trigger consistently enough for me and the pad had a really strong hotspot. It might be that the latter was just a problem of my particular pads since the cone seemed to be too high, my mesh head looked a little like a tent. Changing the tension did not helped and because of the money-back-guarantee, I did not want to open it and change everything.

So in the end I sent both back. But I know that many people, including Rob, are quite satisfied with the snare pad so I would say give it a try if you can send it back.

Best regards,
Pim

have you opted for something else?

[Pim]

Hi,

I tried out both the 13" and 14" version. I was not too thrilled with the performance because of two things:
The edge articulation did not trigger consistently enough for me and the pad had a really strong hotspot. It might be that the latter was just a problem of my particular pads since the cone seemed to be too high, my mesh head looked a little like a tent. Changing the tension did not helped and because of the money-back-guarantee, I did not want to open it and change everything.

So in the end I sent both back. But I know that many people, including Rob, are quite satisfied with the snare pad so I would say give it a try if you can send it back.

Best regards,
Pim

have you opted for something else?

I used a Yamaha XP100SD, now I'm using a Roland PDX6.

[KirovHC]

Hi,

I tried out both the 13" and 14" version. I was not too thrilled with the performance because of two things:
The edge articulation did not trigger consistently enough for me and the pad had a really strong hotspot. It might be that the latter was just a problem of my particular pads since the cone seemed to be too high, my mesh head looked a little like a tent. Changing the tension did not helped and because of the money-back-guarantee, I did not want to open it and change everything.

So in the end I sent both back. But I know that many people, including Rob, are quite satisfied with the snare pad so I would say give it a try if you can send it back.

Best regards,
Pim

have you opted for something else?

I used a Yamaha XP100SD, now I'm using a Roland PDX6.

Both are 10" which is not quite the target I have in mind for a snare drum

[Pim]

have you opted for something else?

I used a Yamaha XP100SD, now I'm using a Roland PDX6.

Both are 10" which is not quite the target I have in mind for a snare drum

Hi,

the PDX6 is actually even smaller ^^...I'm trying to see how small my set can get while still remaining fun to play.
I think there are a lot of options out there if you want a bigger sized snare. What are you looking for? 12", 13", or 14"?

Best regards,
Pim

[monospace]

I'm currently using a PDX-6 as a secondary, "side" snare. It's okay for that. No way I'd use it as my main snare.

In fact, I just swapped out my PD-125 for a 13" Hart AcuSnare. I know it's just one extra inch but the extra playing surface feels positively oceanic.