Benefits of ED10 vs. Roland TD-12

[Haggy]

Hello all,

i am about to upgrade from two trusty Roland TD-12 modules, only used for triggering SD3 on my laptop, to one or two eDRUMin 10. However i am still a bit uncertain about the benefits i would get from this investment.

I've read a lot, so can someone please confirm or correct the following assumptions?

- All ED10 trigger inputs are the same and support all pads and cymbals.
- All ED10 inputs support the same features such das Edge and Bell sensing.
- This means one can use three zones even on Roland dual zone cymbals using only one cable when using Bell sensing?
- This also means i could use positional sensing on all of the pads and cymbals, not just on snare and ride as my TD12 does?
- As i play a rather big setup with drum-tec pads and Roland cymbals, i needed a second TD12 connected through MIDI to the other one. Would i be able to cover all my pads and cymbals using only one ED10 and splitter cables without sacrificing any of the ED10 features on any of the pads or cymbals?

Long story short: Will it be worth to upgrade to an ED10 or will i not gain much in comparison to the trusty TD12s?

Thanks in advance!
Ralf.

[perceval]

Some answers...

- All ED10 trigger inputs are the same and support all pads and cymbals. YES, TRS plugs
- All ED10 inputs support the same features such das Edge and Bell sensing. YES, select the appropriate preset
- This means one can use three zones even on Roland dual zone cymbals using only one cable when using Bell sensing? YES
- This also means i could use positional sensing on all of the pads and cymbals, not just on snare and ride as my TD12 does? YES, but will depend on the libraries used, as not many of them have PS sounds on toms and crashes
- As i play a rather big setup with drum-tec pads and Roland cymbals, i needed a second TD12 connected through MIDI to the other one. Would i be able to cover all my pads and cymbals using only one ED10 and splitter cables without sacrificing any of the ED10 features on any of the pads or cymbals? Can't really answer since we don't know how many pads is a "big setup"


Extra...
- You will get a lot more control over the HH pedal as well. That's a big one.
- You can split toms easily, and still retain two zones with the rim sense. Same goes for simple cymbals like chinas, splashes, cowbells, claps, etc...

[Rob]

I'll add that not all Roland cymbles are compatible with bell sense--check the manual.

Also a bit of a warning in regards to drum-tec pads. It's been my experience that their real feel 3-ply mesh heads give eDRUMin some trouble.

[Haggy]

Thanks for the quick and positive confirmation, understood everything so far. Regarding the drum-tec heads, i only have one reel feel on my snare which is due for replacement soon. Will check compatibility with the ED10 first before replacing it with another one. Still i don't see why the head on the very same trigger should have an impact on compatibility when it worked fine on the old TD12?!

Regarding bell sensing, i use all Roland cymbals, CY15, CY12 and CY14, the latter is not mentioned in the manual. Is it known not to work properly or should i give a different algorithm a try here?

Regarding "big setup": My two TD12s give me 22 inputs in total, but with limitations and i don't need every input currently. A maxed out ED10 with splitters should cover all pads and cymbals without drawbacks, if i understood you correctly.

I was mainly looking for these upgrades:
- Proper positional sensing and better feel on the HiHat, plus having a bell sound if possible.
- Splitting Tom channels (two pads to one input) while still getting a rim click and maybe even rim shot functionality.
- Combining some simple cymbals to one input (crashes, splash, etc) while still being able to use bow and edge sounds.
- Getting proper feel and PS on the side snare.

It looks like ED10 ticks all the boxes here