TranslationJust wondering if anyone knows how these Roland 'digital' devices work and whether functionally equivalent but more cost effective DIY solutions are possible. I guess each device has a microcontroller that is powered over usb. The snare has 4 head piezos, 1 in center, and 3 at the edges. I'm guessing that the microcontroller just looks for which of the 3 edge piezos has the hottest signal, using that signal and the signal from the 1 center piezo to calculate control change data for positional sensing. Is it that simple?
Whatever the control change scheme is, I'm guessing too that an inexpensive microcontroller powered by a small power supply could be used to do the same for control change data, passing on an average audio signal to be processed by a trigger interface such as an edrumin. Maybe there is a product idea here for Audiofront? A pre-programmed microcontroller that accepts multiple inputs for generating control change data?
Anyone have a good idea on how Roland's digital hi-hat, snare, and ride work?
Re: Anyone have a good idea on how Roland's digital hi-hat, snare, and ride work?
I've been wonder this too. I'm using a Roland digital ride with my edrumin10 already as the cymbal is a class compliant device. It has settings baked into it that work really well. I get bell bow and edge triggering, edge mute and touch choke all from the USB cable plugged straight into my PC or the host port of the edrumin10. Only thing that doesn't work is crosstalk cancellation. Although they way I have it mounted it doesn't pickup any other hits anyway. I've had the digital hats and snare as well but they're both overrated. Anyway i'm sure Roland has a patent that would stop anyone else interfacing with these pads for at least 20 years.
Last edited by evh0u812 on Sat Jul 06, 2024 10:29 am, edited 1 time in total.
Re: Anyone have a good idea on how Roland's digital hi-hat, snare, and ride work?
What hi hats do you like better than Roland’s digital?evh0u812 wrote: ↑Sat Jul 06, 2024 10:27 amI've been wonder this too. I'm using a Roland digital ride with my edrumin10 already as the cymbal is a class compliant device. It has settings baked into it that work really well. I get bell bow and edge triggering, edge mute and touch choke all from the USB cable plugged straight into my PC or the host port of the edrumin10. Only thing that doesn't work is crosstalk cancellation. Although they way I have it mounted it doesn't pickup any other hits anyway. I've had the digital hats and snare as well but they're both overrated. Anyway i'm sure Roland has a patent that would stop anyone else interfacing with these pads for at least 20 years.
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frankzappa
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Re: Anyone have a good idea on how Roland's digital hi-hat, snare, and ride work?
I’ve DIY’d a ”digital” snare drum surpassing the roland one in many aspects (better cross stick, better PS, pitch detection). Although I’m not copying rolands design, I wen’t with my own approach.
The advantage is that you can process the sensors separately.
The roland digital snare uses multilateration for the position sensing meaning that it uses an algorithm that calculates position with time difference of arrival. Basically like gps but it’s only 2D.
They still use the center sensor to do regular position sensing because multilateration has poor resolution close to the edge behind the sensors and the center sensor frequency approach can detect position at the edges.
As for the cross stick they have three metal plates inside that work as a capacitive proximity sensor to detect the presense of your hand. It’s advantage is that it’s accurate but disadvantage is it’s a bulky/overengineered design and if your hand is on the pad you get cross sticks on the rim no matter what you play.
The advantage is that you can process the sensors separately.
The roland digital snare uses multilateration for the position sensing meaning that it uses an algorithm that calculates position with time difference of arrival. Basically like gps but it’s only 2D.
They still use the center sensor to do regular position sensing because multilateration has poor resolution close to the edge behind the sensors and the center sensor frequency approach can detect position at the edges.
As for the cross stick they have three metal plates inside that work as a capacitive proximity sensor to detect the presense of your hand. It’s advantage is that it’s accurate but disadvantage is it’s a bulky/overengineered design and if your hand is on the pad you get cross sticks on the rim no matter what you play.