Audiofront

Just 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?

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.

Sorry double post