DIY Metal Electronic Cymbals A2E Conversion
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- Опубликовано: 11 ноя 2021
- A step by step walkthrough of how I converted my metal cymbals to electronic cymbals. There are different techniques out there buried in several different forums, but I wanted to share how I did mine just in case it can help others.
Parts List (these links will inevitably be broken at some point):
Goedrum Membrane Switch - just search ebay for goedrum membrane and select the size for your cymbal.
27mm piezo - www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07...
1/4" TRS stereo jack - www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...
Double sided adhesive foam - www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07...
TF-1521TX Potting Box Enclosure from polycase - www.polycase.com/tf-1521tx?gc...
2mm clear pvc sheet -www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08...
1.5" foam noodle - www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07...
Pintech single zone RS-5 trigger - www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01...
Pintech single zone trigger with box housing - www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01...
Metal Tape self adhesive (metal on one side, sticky on the other) - www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07...
LLPT Double Sided tape - www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07...
![[V2] 3 ZONE RIDE BUILD | E Cymbal](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/1v_n4rh3WU4/mqdefault.jpg)
![[V2] 3 ZONE RIDE BUILD | E Cymbal](/img/tr.png)
This looks like I can take my cracked 1978 zildjan’s and tour with them again!
Absolute legend bro! I probably will never do this but the time and effort you pit into making this long video is amazing.
Thanks man! Hopefully it demystifies the whole process a bit
He is indeed a legend!!
You have done god's work here sir. GREAT video. Thanks!
Lol thanks dude! Im releasing a short part 3 here soon to address the edge zone, so keep an eye out for that 😉
Hey Jase, this is perhaps the best cymbal conversion video I have seen. Very well laid out, explained and executed. I have a Pintech 18" 3 zone Visulite ride that I bought brand new that I have hardy used, as it was crap, no module or trigger device got me a decent bell trigger. One of the things I hate about it is that bloody soft neoprene playing surface on the bow and bell. And I have wondered if it was replaced clear PVC stuff you used here, there'd be a much better transference of vibration. I got nothing to lose, it's just sitting here. I tried selling it but no takers.
Also, regarding the jack socket wiring, piezo ceramic goes to tip, brass to sleeve or the other way around? I take it the edge membrane shares the sleeve with the other connection going to the ring of the socket?
Hey what's up man! Fancy seeing you here :) And thanks for the kind words, I appreciate it.
Honestly I forget how to wire them every time I do it; I made a cheat sheet to help me remember, and then I filmed a video with the cheat sheet so I wouldn't lose it lol. Check it out here: ruclips.net/video/KuGziUnm_ug/видео.htmlsi=JV8b95z4qShf-f-n&t=163
Nice i do like this method of dampening instead of screwing basically a second piece of metal like field and jobeky do as it makes their cymbals so heavy and rigid..I was looking into doing an a2e on cymbals but then Lemon started releasing theirs and they are cheap and the correct sizes so i said to myself why not save me the trouble and get those instead...I have enough sodering to do with the rest of my a2e kit already lol..great vid
Thanks!
Yeah, weight was one of my issues as well (mostly the cost of fields), and I didn't want to have to drill holes and ruin a cymbal. This is semi permanent, I could always scrape the tape off and convert them back if need be.
@@ArgonautDrums how sensitive are these?
@@OthonasDrums I run them pretty hot, but I've also dialed them down before to where I could get decent cymbal swells. Your module will play a big part on how you can dial in sensitivity/gain/threshold/etc.
This kid took high-end cymbals, applied carpet tape to them which will degrade those cymbals. I mean, if you’re going to do THAT, Zildjian would be the brand to do it with LOL. Never been a Zildjian fan really. A Zilbel, a set of K/A Mastersound Hats and a splash maybe but always been a PAISTE and previously a SABIAN user. But this guy just killed his investment. Knife marks, residue, then later discoloration. Good luck on the resale of those. ;)
Thanks for sharing!!
Damn cool vid!
Thanks man!
You might be able to skp the tape and the PVC by painting the bottom with Flex Seal or other Liquid Rubber sealant.
Good idea! I'll have to give that a try
Nothing ruins a nice new Zildjian better than double sided tape!
It's fine. I've deconverted 2 of them.
how well do they trigger in comparison to the other methods and rubber cymbals? I recently purchased the edge membranes for a ride 2 18in crashes, 2 16in crashes and 2 16in chinas which I will more than likely use a single piezo since I have many but bottom line is I def want to have all electronics under every cymbal but I'm concerned about the hi hats. I have the Goedrum controller that has its own frame and the bottom hat cannot be used but its capable of normal hat sounds and I wish my E-kit to sound and play as authentically as possible. I put 3 ply mesh heads on an old export series kit 8, 10,12,13,16,22, and I'm using a 14in snare and hopefully will achieve position sensing and I prefer to use the most accurate and authentic method of achieving the best recording using this kit only and superior drummer 3. I have plenty of regular cymbals to use but like I mentioned Im unsure of what you did to make your hats and ride but i have a pretty good idea for the ride. I also used PVC pipe heated and curved it to mount on a drum lug and use as a Tamborine, cowbell, wood block, crasher, or anything else and i used the rubber from crutches on the pipe. Oh ya 1 more thing. I notice you leave the switch exposed when most put rubber trim on top of the membrane whats the difference and which one is better? thanx
Hey what's up dude;
They trigger well enough for my needs, I don't have to adjust my playing style or anything, but I also don't do alot of jazzy dynamics my my cymbals, just crash and choke. I can still achieve cymbal swells. But you will get better overall triggering from an actual ecymbal as that is what they are researched and developed for.
My hihats, I'm still using my Roland rubber hats for exactly that reason. I need more control and dynamics. I do have Field electronic hihats on order, so hopefully that bridges the gap of aesthetics and function.
And for the membranes exposed under the cymbals; that's just preference, I wanted to be able ensure nothing was impeding me from closing the switch. Didn't want the PVC sheet to inadvertently choke it for me too.
The switches are actually made to go on top of an e cymbal that is protected with rubber, and hitting it closes the switch to give you an edge zone; I'm just using it as a choke. If your cymbals are thin enough, the flex of the cymbal can trigger it as an edge zone (if I wack mine hard enough, I can get it to trigger, but it's in inconsistent, so I'm just using it as a choke).
Thanks for the vid! Are you able to play cymbal swells at all with the membrane underneath?
Hi!
I can play swells, but it's not coming from the membrane switch - that's only for choke. To get the bow piezo to make swells, set it to crash sound and play with the threshold/sensitivity/gain settings.
Nice! Great Idea. I have been wanting to do that. Thanks.
Hey man how much would you charge me if I send you a couple of cymbals to do a couple of 1 zones for me ? And I see your using a joebecky kit are those drumtech heads ??
Jobeky kit, with jobeky heads (I think the snare is 3 ply and everything else is 2 ply).
Single zone cymbals are super easy to make, just mute the cymbal and slap a pintech rs5 trigger on the bottom.
Nice conversion. I did something similar with low volume cymbals. I can imagine doing this with an old cracked cymbal, or some crappy beginner bronze - but why ruin a perfectly decent $250 Zildjian A?
Aesthetics.
These were used.
They're not rare cymbals.
And It's not permanent; Ive de-converted a few since making this video.
Well, they do look snazzy! Good on ya, mate!
@@thedustyhaze thanks man; trust that no harm has been done to them 😉
is the pvc just for sound dampening or is it needed for proper triggering?
Hello there! It's actually for both; by dampening it, you're making it quieter but also reducing vibrations that the trigger would pick up. Without any dampening, the trigger would pick up everything and create false triggering/double triggering/retriggering/whatever you wanna call it.
@@ArgonautDrums hey man thanks for the quick reply, that is good to know. Im guessing it impacts the feel of the cymbal a lot so i was hoping i could skip the pvc. I was planing on converting zildjian l80s so i wasnt concerned about the noise
@@asdf-y2c ah with l80s or any low volume cymbals, you can skip the PVC and just use some rubber uchannel around the edge. Kinda sounds like hitting a basket, if that makes any sense.
@@ArgonautDrums I see. Thanks for the information i will look into that
Le choke fonctionne quand il es branché comme cela?
????
Yes, choke works. You can see it in action on my drum cover videos.
Nice man!
Did you do HH this way?
No, because I need the edge to work flawlessly on the hihat, and I didn't want to put the membrane switch on top to get that level of dynamics. I'm using Field electronic hats instead.
@@ArgonautDrums how do the field cymbals feel? I have a e drum because of noise problems in my apartment but i hate the feel of the cymbals. I am trying to figure out how to get e-cymbals that feel as close to normal as possible
@@asdf-y2c they feel Great, but they're definitely louder, so you could have issues in your apartment complex. Imo, ATV hihats would be my next choice for best feel. They're not silent, but quieter than the fields.
you didnt mention the edge tape wire
The membrane switch? It's called out in the description.
Throwing all the things to the floor one by one was so annoying to watch.
It's really not a big deal, hope you find happiness 🤘