i think the reason the cocktail-Jam Mini didn't sell so good is because it was also acoustic. i think TAMA should re-introduce the cocktail-JAM Mini as an E-drum Shell Pack, ( with internal center trigger systems ); because Multi-Pads are coming out with up to 8 trigger inputs. make the Mini again as E-drums, and people can make them sound as big as they want.
Are there any triggers that can be made to work well with Yamaha modules? Internal/external, whatever? UFO, Ddrum, 2box. Especially for the dtx502. With the Yamaha triggers, are you meaning the DT50 series?
I just found and bought an E Drum kit Alesis DM7X from Goodwill it has a snare, 2 toms upper rack, to the right 2 more toms, plus 4 cymbals. Needs a bass kick pedal and a HH pedal ... How much ya think ? Unbelievable price of ? $44.00 😲 . Now I just have to figure it out. what goes where and sound output🤔🤨😲 if anyone knows where I can pu the two pedals for the DM7X would be very greatful. I've looked around amazon, guitar centre, Ebay. 🤔😵💫 New or used. Thanks
I converted a kit a couple months ago now and was having a hard time getting the setting dialled in on the bass drum. I messaged Justin and he responded and had some great feedback and it’s been working great since I tried what he recommended. Thanks again and keep up the great content🤟
I have several acoustic sets and an older Roland electronic kit. These days, it's so easy to combine the looks of acoustic kits and the sound options of electronic kits. Great video; thank you for taking the time to make it!
Just about finished my acoustic conversion a few weeks back and we are now half way through recording our album. The drums feel amazing and as natural as possible. Our drummer is a drum purist so the transition has been very fast and by the end of the 1st night he was really enjoying the sounds and experience with superior drummer 3. I went the jobeky route for side triggers and 3ply mesh heads. Couldn't have done this without your channel Justin so hats off to you for keeping me right on advise. Also went down the road of a roland td-27 module and went digital ride and hi-hat. Amazing dynamics. Thanks again and keep up the good work.
I built my first kit about 8 years ago and I was certain that this kind of kit would take over the world. I could use them ANYWHERE in my cover band.and they were instrumental (heh heh) in achieving a consistent perfect mix in a living room rehearsal space to a large outdoor venue. My kit evolved over the years and ended up perfect for me. My favorite feature was an additional hi hat on my right hand side. Where has that been all my life :). I had a compact little Sonar kit that I used for my gig kit and kept packed and ready to go. I had the same sized kit (cheap Ludwig, $100 used on CL) set up in the rehearsal space. I only used the SS single ply heads. I beat the crap out of them and only had to replace a couple of snare heads where the cone wore through. In retrospect, I should have not mounted it dead center and it probably would have lasted forever. I did have to constantly tighten the heads to keep the bounce active. I also didn't use a trigger on the bass drum. The mesh felt to mushy so I sprung for as couple Roland KT 10's and loved them immediately. Also, they were much easier to set up. I used hardware from The Home Depot (1" aluminum angle) for crossbars and piezos/cones from Quartz. I always used Roland modules (TD 20's or 30's) and spent HOURS setting up different kits for almost every song. My kick was always the same but the snares we as close to the original song as I could get. The toms only had a bit of variation from deep to normal and I'd tune them accordingly. I was playing 80's R&R at the time and could come very close to that gated reverb sound that was the rage :) I did construction and electrical work all my life so the build was the easy part. I collected enough parts from used kits to easily fabricate and changes I wanted to make. I built my kits so not only would they be easy to play but also to set up transport and set up. I haven't played since the Covid shut down. It seemed like the right time to retire. But damn, I really loved that setup.
Regarding Mesh heads, I found out that doing your own with window screen mesh, you can have awesome results. Just use the hoops of old drumheads, sow the mesh on the hoops, put the layers you want (i did double ply) and I can say these are the most durable and playable meshead I ever used. And they are all white, so aesthetics is a plus as well
Thanks for continuing to make these great vids. I've watched many on your channel as I approach making a final decision on how to convert my acoustic kit to electronic. Your experience and opinions on heads, triggers, modules, and construction have been invaluable. You've created the best resource of its kind.
I've build an electronic drum set based on Traps A400 with Megadrum 32 as midi controller to AD2. Because I own Yamaha's RHH-135 and PCY-155 and had trouble configuring them I bought a used DTX IV module which is fully compatible with them. Currently I am looking to buy a new module with enough inputs as I have 14 pads and the ability to add custom sounds and I am close to 2box drummit Five MkII which is close to the price range I am looking for and plays also all kinds of cymbal pads. . A lot of drummers out there have learnt so much from your informative videos , so just keep making them. Cheers from Greece
I had an old Alesis DM 10, however, the DM10 sounds like, well, a DM10. So I connected that to a dedicated Macbook Pro (2012 i7 8GB RAM 512GB SSD) with Steven Slate Drums. It sounds amazing. The kick with the UFO eBridge is pretty darn convincing. The biggest difference in both playability and accurate triggering was made by changing out the heads to the Drum-Tec Real Feel heads. If you have a Macbook lying around or care to buy a used one for a couple hundred bucks, you can save a bunch of money by just using a cheaper module as a trigger to MIDI interface. I only use the trigger setup feature of the DM10 which is fairly straightforward and flexible enough to handle a DIY kit. Works great for me since I have my Macbook on stage for another reason anyway. The channel is awesome! Keep up the awesome contributions.
Built my first 14" electronic snare with a Convertible Percussions dual zone trigger. Inexpensive and works well with my Roland td10exp! Used a remo Silentstroke as a bottom head with a Roland batter head. I would recommend used Roland cymbals. As long as they're not obviously abused they should still trigger fine.
Nice, very informative video. You are so close to 100k Justin! I’d love to hear more about Efnote, as I’m planning to buy an Efnote 5 in the next couple months. Keep up the good content!
5:50 Nice video!!you can get stubby wrenches for not too bad of a price. Less awkward, and easier on the nuts and bolt stripping tendency of pliers. Or go to a wing nut/lock washer on the bottom...
I’ve been making a couple diy drums, two 6” a 10” and a 14” snare for an addition to my TD-50kva. Also got a TD-17 rack and made my rack bigger. It’s pretty awesome! My drums are 6,8,10,10,12,12,14- and 10,6,14 on my left. It’s perfect for me.
Hi @Ryan Buckley, that sounds exciting! May you share what the triggers and drum heads you chose? How do your DIY e-drums stand against the original TD-50 drum pads? i.e. sound, trigger sensitivity, playability, etc.
Brilliant video. You just inspired me to convert my very first acoustic kit (a very simple Pearl Forum) into something new. I was always reluctant to go the DIY road, but the way you explained it, it seems really doable. It will be a hobby next to my go-to electronic kit, always good to learn more about the technology.
I came up with a drum muffling method years ago for acoustic drums that might help with single layer mesh heads. I hated putting tape on my drums so I went through a lot of experimentation to avoid using it. The proceedure is as follows. Using an old worn out drum head cut it into a ring with the inner edge being around an inch and a half to two inches from the curved edge of the head which would sit on the bearing edge of the drum. You could experiment with wider rings and with larger drums that might be a good idea. Then cut the metal rim off the head as close to the hoop as you can. Take the ring you just made and place it on the bottom of the batter head you want to use (in this case the mesh head). If you use Remo heads the ring may snap nicely into the batter head and stay there. If it doesn't do that just use a small piece of tape to keep it in place until you get everything on to the drum. Tension it normally and the head should vibrate much less. On acoustic drums this creates a pretty good amount of sound control. With single layer mesh heads it may be a good way to avoid double triggers. I did this long before the rings which you can just throw on top of a drum to muffle it were introduced. It's not as easy obviously because you have to take the top head off to do it but it does work.
I just finished converting my 66 Ludwig set. It looks amazing and plays great! For bass drum I used a 20" Silentstroke with two pillows inside and Evans eq patch. Put a kt10 trigger on top of shell and it works surprisingly well! Feels real similar to the kd140 on the td50 I played at Columbus Percussion.
This video just inspired me to build my own e drum.. I was looking for a good kit with nice sizes and good sounds but I concluded that or you buy nice looks or you buy nice sounds or you buy nice hardware.. Thx so much Justin.. Greetings from Portugal..
Converted my Tama kit with external triggers, good mesh heads and lemon cymbals with a TD9 module. Pump it all through SD3 and it is perfect for recording. The snare dynamics are always the trade of but usable of you lower levels on the module to avoid machine gunning. So I've got a kit that can be converted back easily at any time, looks cool and is the fraction of the cost of some of these real looking e kits.
How happy are you wih the outside triggers up until now? I am planning to get an acoustic set and do basically the same as you, except I intend to get a snare from an edrum manufacturer. I already have a Roland kit, therfore I have a module and cymbals and the module has presets for the Roland rt-30 triggers I intend to use
I used the CP triggers and made my own cross bars for mounting. turned out much better than the cp mounts and look very similar to the r drums mounts. For the kick, I gutted a kd9 and essentially built a kd a22. I tried a mesh head, with foam behind the beaters and a CP trigger, it worked well, but I didn't like the feel.
Def one of your best videos, Justin. Thank you esp for the links to the other pages. Old guy, new drummer, after a few months I finally found an incredible used Roland bargain setup on local facebook marketplace - just like your videos say. TD-7 set + extras. You wouldn't believe the price. - - I need to downsize the rack, though, so I'm following custom rack tips.
If I had known all this when building my E-Kit man... Very detailed and nice information - also kind of insane to see a US guy include european companies, thanks for that!
I just run them down the stands, and under the kick drum to the module. This requires LONG cables though. Short ones will have to stretch in mid air, and that looks super ugly
Good video Justin, I just finished doing my own conversion and built all triggers from scratch! It was a great learning experience. As with you, attempted cymbals but still am not satisfied. I will disagree with you on one item and that is the modules. I use an Alesis Strike module as have a strike kit and that module definetly is comparable the the recommended ones in your list. Adjustments, custom adding of kits etc... couldn't be happier with that module. Keep the videos coming they are great, I always learn something from them! Cheers
@@reezlaw the Strike sounds great. Alesis reliability is what concerns most people. Ive read many comments about Alesis components breaking after not much time or use. Just dont see as many about Roland. I bought a 20 year old used Roland that still works flawlessly. Id be interested to see how any Alesis kit looks after decades of use.
My old worn Roland CY-8's rubber has gone a bit soft which is actually pretty cool because it's a little smoother and a bit quiter to play. Thanks for the vid dude!
I picked up a Roland TD-8 on marketplace for $100! I’m using it on my Alesis Command mesh kit. This video really helped me understand what many of the trigger settings mean in my module. Crosstalk is a big one for me because I’m using the Command rack system, which for me is really nice, but I am getting crosstalk on many of my cymbals and it can be super annoying. Does guitar center carry a few of the trigger brands? And the better two ply mesh heads? I’m still using the Command module at the moment to power a extra Simmons cymbal and “floor tom”, honestly imo, but I feel you and most everyone would agree, the Roland module, being over 20 years old, has such a cleaner and what seems like a more realistic sound than the much newer Alesis. Still holding its own to this day. Also this video helped me get a much better understanding of the sensitivity settings and the overall adjustments to dial on your personal style. For me it’s everything from Jamariquai to Lamb of god🤷🏻♂️, hey what can I say. I love playing funk and love some metal as well!
Currently using new Jobeky 3-ply heads on a 14" snare, a 16" floor tom and a 22" kick drum that I converted from acoustic(also using Jobeky triggers) and added to my Alesis Crimson II SE kit. Watching your previous video on DIY conversions was what actually inspired me to go forward with them, and they turned out great!
@@alexanderdavlin Yes, I'm in the US(east coast). I've ordered twice from them so far, and both times it was about a 1-2 week turnaround from order to delivery. IMO not too bad and definitely worth the wait. I honestly can't rave enough about their 3-ply mesh heads; they just feel so much nicer/more natural to play on than 1-ply or some of the cheaper 2-ply heads. And it's not that I necessarily *want* to spend more money or anything, but part of me sort of can't wait until the stock Alesis heads on my other pads are shot and ready to be replaced, just so that I can throw more 3-ply Jobeky ones on them. (And for the record, no, I don't have any kind of connection/affiliation at all with Jobeky; I realize how hard it sounds like I'm plugging/cheerleading for them, but I genuinely am just that happy with their triggers/heads.)
This is an amazing, well-researched video, as usual. But if you went top-end on the triggers and everything else, what kind of price range are we looking at? (say 3 ply heads, the better triggers, the better cymbals)
I have done the diy kit but nowdays my build is just roland rt-30 rim triggers with roland mesh heads and roland cymbals on my pearl export kit i bought in 1998, still running my td-9 module but everything works great. I bailed on the diy internal triggers because they were not reliable and a few of them outright stopped working, was able to fix them but it was a big hassle and i am much happier with the roland rt 30s. Around 5 years ago i did a 1 month test of a remo silent stroke head on 1 of my toms and it did trigger just fine with an rt-30 but it was also pretty bouncy so its now a bottom head and i have all roland 2 ply heads. I am very happy with my current setup but do plan to upgrade my module at some point.
Are you still rocking that build? I am intending to do the exact same on a pearl export as well. Except for the snare where I will get one from drum-tec most likely, simply to have more dynamic range available. And since I have a TD-17, it has rt-30 presets, so ideal combination
Justin, this one will be an evergreen piece of content! What a great and comprehensive overview, you clearly didn’t miss anything here. What a funny coincidence you played the exact acoustic kit in the beginning of this video I used for my first conversion. ;) Hope you’re doing well. 🙏
I have a question. Is the alessi DM10 drum module? Okay, module the use. And where would you suggest to buy the parts to convert my acoustic drum kit to an electric kit
I have a TD-17KL. I also have an old DW beginner kit. I want to make a love child. Keep the Kick/Pad from roland. One or both of the Crashes from roland. Add another better cymbal pad for the ride like the 13R? Then use the shells and put triggers inside them. Upgrade the Hihats to a VH-11. Would it be possible?
Your channel is awesome...great info, I am looking to put together a quiet practice kit you channel is a wealth of information. I like how explain things. Subscribed.
You mentioned using a drum module - is a TD-11 a rational option if I'm doing a conversion with the Jobecky pre-wired triggers you talked about? This would be for a 4 piece set.Thanks!
I'm sure this will not be my last time watching this and it definitely isn't my first. I just got my low volume cymbals in along with some silent stroke heads. Its a simple first step but it feels so good to even have my set back together instead of in a garage collecting cobwebs. Now I just need triggers for the cymbals and drums and a module. Trying to go as cheap as is reasonable and im at $200 for the cymbals and heads. I might need to invest in better heads later but thats the benefit of using acoustic drums as a start isn't it?
What does a brain (drum module) offer that a traditional digital mixer does not? I understand that they have sounds built into the module, but what processing is it handling that another mixer cannot? Is it possible that if you already own an expensive digital mixer and a good DAW, that you can just plug your components into that instead?
For someone that don’t play on stage and only be using superior drummer 3, so no need for sound module, what would be the best choice for the best feeling, let say in the 3k-5k price range for a full set w/ hihat, cymb, rides, etc…?
Always a great video great advice just finished my conversation recently the KDA 22 is amazing love it and the Jobeky 4spoke is great just put one in my snare works great Easy install
Very informative and helpful video with explaining the entire process of A2E drum conversion. I love the look of ATV 4 piece artist kit especially the 18” kick however at 2500$ a bit out of my budget. I have cymbals/drum modules and cables/stands already, so shells,trigger system and mesh heads on my research list now
I'm thinking of getting an edrum kit. But I'm leaning more towards the td27k rather than the td17kvx simply becsuee the roland td17kvx is currently £1700 but the roland td27k is £1750. So for £50 more, I'd be getting a bigger rack, a better module and a better quality snare! Do u think its worth the extra £50?
My 2 cents: the Goedrum hi-hat controller is highly compatible with Roland. I basically replaced my fd8 with it on my td12 based kit. It was simply plug and play.
Plus: e-drums are awesome and versatile. BUT, be prepared to have to fix things every now and then. You better have to learn how to solder and take apart your gear. Otherwise it can cost quite a lot
This video is awesome. What do you think of this plan for a high performing kit? I want to keep my beloved Yamaha drums, but convert the toms and kick to triggers. I think I'll get everything from UFO for that. For HH, Snare, Ride and Cymbals, and module I'll just buy a used TD-27 V2 kit with digital ride, digital snare and digital HH. The cost is roughly $3000 for a used TD-27 V2 plus another $600 or so for the UFO stuff. Would that give me the best performance?
Excellent video Justin! I couldn't have done my conversion without all your advice and guidance. For the kick drum, I found the UFO bass drum trigger works well. It has a foam pad that makes a mesh head feel more realistic. The only downside of the UFO triggers is their weight. If you lug your conversion kit around, lighter triggers help. I like the Jobeky triggers in snares and toms. Please keep the videos coming!
Hello, thank-you for this outstanding video. I’m about to convert my DW kit in an electronic and was wondering if all of this information is still valid today or has improved triggers come out on the market? I did see that recently Roland purchased DW and it appears they have a new mesh head zone technology that will be coming out in 2023……makes me wonder if I should wait. Thank u
I am trying to make a 1 up 2 down electric drum kit with two crashes, a ride and china. I simply can't beat the price of a vad506 and buying another floor tom/crash and selling the spare rack tom back to drum-tec. No matter what I do, it ends up costing more with the mesh heads, triggers, and using the cheapest shell pack I can find at 600 dollars. I must have the digital ride, snare, td27 and all roland cymbals as a base.
i was considering using a module, and putting the pickups on blocks of wood to use as stomp boxes. does anyone know if that would work, or what kind of pickups would work best?
Hi Justin, I'm getting addicted to your channel. Thanks for all the insightful information you give. It really helps. I'm in the process of building my kit and I have a question for you. I'm hesitating between Extreme Drums triggers and Convertible Percussions triggers. You mentioned both in this video but I don't find a full review on both of those triggers anywhere. Apart from the obvious design difference can you tell me how both of them compare in terms of accurate triggering? I want dual zone triggers. Thank you
I'd buy UFO Drum Triggers instead. I have both those brands you mentioned, and personally I like UFO more, and they're also made in the USA. I had Rimshot issues with my extreme drums trigger. And the Convertible trigger works, but I like a more rigid trigger system.
This was pretty good. Thanks for the information. QQ: Is there an existing inexpensive kit with a drum module that can work with "floating" hi-hats (on a stand)? Or can I just build/buy one of those hi-hats and simply plug into any existing kit module?
+1 on the kick pedal trigger. Built one with piezo behind the felt of the beater and then built one under the pedal. Either works great. Also, GoE mesh heads are great and i like and wondering about RTom lv mesh heads 🤔 Your right on triggers. After spending lots of time and effort building my own internal triggers, never really satisfied on sensitivity even trying different foam for my cones, go with your recommended and save the heart aches later. 👍
Great info thanks for making this, I need it after getting back into it. I don't get why you put alesis modules on the no list. Had the DM10 head for years. Yes the internal sounds are shit but if you just want something expandable to use with Superior Drummer it's a good choice. Also why no mention of Roland's TD12? You can find great deals on them and its nice, albeit a bit large.
Is this something I could theoretically buy a cheap like td11 kit off marketplace and use the parts from it to convert the rest of my acoustic? Like that's the module + cymbals and then just get triggers for the kit, nothing else needed?
thanks for your video. I would like to have an electronic solution for studio sessions. I have an old, but still working well Roland TD-8 module that I use with ROLAND triggers positioned on the toms and floor toms, while for the snare I use a Roland snare pad, but this doesn't satisfy me, I can't get a good effect during the cross stick. what would you recommend? a new snare drum, a purchase of new triggers to install in the snare drum? What do you think of the old TD-8? thanks for your support
Man I picked a TD-8 up on marketplace for $100, and imo, for the $$ I spent that thing is amazing! I’ve been playing for over 30 years and I know what sounds good as far as realistic drum sounds and samples. The TD-8 also has all the plug In options on it just like something new and recently manufactured! So much better than my Alesis Command module it’s crazy!!
@@GillardPetry You're right, many say that the TD-8 module is one of the best modules among low-mid modules. However, I have gained some experience in recent months and have come to the conclusion that the weak points of electronic drums are also 2: HI HAT and snare drum. The hi-hat that comes closest to the original is the Roland one but I can't connect it to the TD-8. same thing for the snare drum. I've tried many snare drums and I can't get what I'm looking for: sensitivity. rimshot, cross stick in one setting. When you find a good RIMSHOT you don't have the crtoss stick and vice versa. what do you use?
@@massimoresnati I like a slightly ringy higher pitched snare. But not too ringy. I’ll deepen the shell to compensate normally. For me the snare options on the 8, with the pitch adjustments, are infinite. The biggest thing for me is finding a tom selection that doesn’t sound too digital. The “Rose” Tom’s on the td-8, pitched low, like Shepard of Fire intro low, is what I’m using right now. I would love to see roto toms on the dial, but they aren’t. I’m not as tech savy as I wish I was, but I am learning. The computer age has taken over and shows no signs of stopping other than an apocalypse!
I disagree with Alesis being on the do not buy their module list. The original strike pro kit had some issues but the module was not one of them. As far as build in sounds go, I think that module can compete with anyone out of the box. It has individual outs on the back, a color screen, etc. As good as Roland is for triggering, their sounds are amazingly awful unless you spend hours tweaking them or buy downloadable kits from Drum-tec or something like that. So buying is an extra cost, and tweaking is time taken away from actually playing.
@@65Drums Fair enough. I never had an issue with it triggering though. But from what I understand it is a little more picky when using non-alesis gear vs Roland which you can get to work with just about everything.
Strike module has the absolute most features for the price hands down no question about that. It has very powerful strike editor software for importing vst multi layer samples (200 mb kit limit) awesome feature. Alesis has less trigger settings available to dial triggers. This can be frustrating. The strike can also be very difficult getting hihat triggering. I used CY-5 and fd-8/9 pedals and it was plug and play for me, others have much more difficulty getting them dialed in. Alesis has not released new firmware in over 2.5 years, almost 2 years for strike multipad, that feels like they are quietly stopping support and getting ready to launch new product. Just sold my strike to buy Dtx Pro. Admittedly I would not have sold my strike if I could have gotten financing from sweetwater/GC/ams/MF b/c I definitely going to miss not having the 8 individual sound outs for live/recording use. I couldn’t afford Dtx Pro X at 1,500$ right now with cost of living prices increasing currently
Absolutely amazing video. Thanks a lot. Suuuuper informative. I can only begin to imagine how much time and money it takes to gather this huge amoung of experience. You’re a genius!!! Can I nitpick just a little bit? People lighting themselves with a teal light from the side is such a weird thing IMO. Don’t get me wrong, I’m all for teal and orange looks. When done well, they can be really amazing. But this is just downright weird and unnatural looking.
Great video Justin! I already converted 2 drumsets several years ago, reusing the triggers since the shellsizes were the same and I can confirm everything you said. I wish such a video existed back then. Nevertheless everyone should go DIY edrums (shells) IMO. It's quite easy to do, way cheaper and you have the freedom to mix and match to your likings and budget. BTW: My built still functions great after almost 7 years of playing it daily.
Hi, good morning, have you ever heard of the DD470X electronic drums from Gear4Music? The toms and snare have a very different internal system than the ones you show there, I have one and the toms have stopped working properly, you have to hit them very hard and it has nothing to do with the module configuration. Help, I'm desperate and I want to fix it ASAP. Thanks a lot.
How about the RTOM lv mesh heads? They are 1 ply but really thick and they have the rubber pad in the centre. Are these good for building an electric kit?
Man I wish I had this about a year ago. Luckily you already had enough amazing content on your channel to get the job done. Thanks for all your help. Is there somewhere I can post pictures so you can get a look at what I put together?
Question: So I'm looking to convert a kick drum to electronic and was considering the Roland KD-A22 Kick Drum Converter. The thing is, it is expensive and seems to be discontinued by Roland which probably means it will be difficult to obtain spare parts to maintain it in the future (wear of the striking area). I once tried converting a 16" floor tom using mesh head and a Roland RT-30K. Here is the problem: Being a hard hitter, I found that my beater would quickly make a considerable dent on the mesh head. I tried fixing this by attaching a Remo sticker patch to the striking area but it wouldn't stick properly to the mesh head. I don't think the mesh stickers are robust enough to withstand my heavy hitting. Any suggestions to how to get around this (besides not hitting so hard)? I really want the mesh head solution to work as it is the easiest to maintain long term, since I only need to replace the drum head once it is worn out.
Hey Justin, if going the audio interface route, what plugin can be used to turn audio into midi notes? I know of Audiofront’s DSP trigger. Are there others?
Oh Dude!!!......been playing Alesis Strike Pro for over a year now......the Module is Amazing!........The factory samples were better than Roland`s out of the box!......however, DID buy better samples to work from, but will show you soon just how frustrated I get by how ALESIS gets put on a Lower Shelf!.......I love what you DO, but, really think you need to re - approach the Strike Pro more in depth. As a newer E-drummer(30 years of live Acoustic).....been tweaking due to tutorials such as yours, quite happy with my results!........simply don`t understand why ALESIS is underated!..........question mark.
Rob, I like, and have recommended the Alesis Strike Pro SE in other videos. But in this specific context of Conversion drums with 3rd party triggers, the Strike module isn't the best option for DIY projects in my opinion.
Reliability issues are what concerns most people. Roland products not abused can last decades. Not sure how Alesis products would. And just from comments on yt Alesis owners have way more problems. Its a shame because the Strike sounds great.
Updates:
The Yamaha DTXpro and DTXpro X modules work best with Yamaha triggers due to how hot Yamaha modules expect the signal to be.
i think the reason the cocktail-Jam Mini didn't sell so good is because it was also acoustic.
i think TAMA should re-introduce the cocktail-JAM Mini as an E-drum Shell Pack, ( with internal center trigger systems ); because Multi-Pads are coming out with up to 8 trigger inputs.
make the Mini again as E-drums, and people can make them sound as big as they want.
Are there any triggers that can be made to work well with Yamaha modules? Internal/external, whatever? UFO, Ddrum, 2box.
Especially for the dtx502.
With the Yamaha triggers, are you meaning the DT50 series?
Justin works so hard on his content and is a good dude he’s really pushed the industry in exciting ways and he’s one of a kind !!
I appreciate it thanks Mike!
True story!!
I just found and bought an E Drum kit Alesis DM7X from Goodwill it has a snare, 2 toms upper rack, to the right 2 more toms, plus 4 cymbals.
Needs a bass kick pedal and a HH pedal ... How much ya think ? Unbelievable price of ? $44.00 😲 . Now I just have to figure it out. what goes where and sound output🤔🤨😲 if anyone knows where I can pu the two pedals for the DM7X would be very greatful. I've looked around amazon, guitar centre, Ebay. 🤔😵💫 New or used. Thanks
Just finished my conversion kit a few weeks ago! I couldn’t have done it without watching your previous videos, so thank you for your content!
Glad to hear those videos helped!
I converted a kit a couple months ago now and was having a hard time getting the setting dialled in on the bass drum.
I messaged Justin and he responded and had some great feedback and it’s been working great since I tried what he recommended.
Thanks again and keep up the great content🤟
Look, Mom! I made it in 65 Drums’ video! 😄
Thanks for the shout out Justin! 🙏🏽🙌🏽
thanks for making such great videos! You know more than me about metal cymbal conversion, so it made sense to point people your way
I have several acoustic sets and an older Roland electronic kit. These days, it's so easy to combine the looks of acoustic kits and the sound options of electronic kits. Great video; thank you for taking the time to make it!
Justin you are the man . Saved me so much heartache over the years with your research experience and knowledge .
Just about finished my acoustic conversion a few weeks back and we are now half way through recording our album. The drums feel amazing and as natural as possible. Our drummer is a drum purist so the transition has been very fast and by the end of the 1st night he was really enjoying the sounds and experience with superior drummer 3.
I went the jobeky route for side triggers and 3ply mesh heads.
Couldn't have done this without your channel Justin so hats off to you for keeping me right on advise. Also went down the road of a roland td-27 module and went digital ride and hi-hat. Amazing dynamics. Thanks again and keep up the good work.
That's awesome, glad it all worked out
I built my first kit about 8 years ago and I was certain that this kind of kit would take over the world. I could use them ANYWHERE in my cover band.and they were instrumental (heh heh) in achieving a consistent perfect mix in a living room rehearsal space to a large outdoor venue.
My kit evolved over the years and ended up perfect for me. My favorite feature was an additional hi hat on my right hand side. Where has that been all my life :). I had a compact little Sonar kit that I used for my gig kit and kept packed and ready to go. I had the same sized kit (cheap Ludwig, $100 used on CL) set up in the rehearsal space.
I only used the SS single ply heads. I beat the crap out of them and only had to replace a couple of snare heads where the cone wore through. In retrospect, I should have not mounted it dead center and it probably would have lasted forever. I did have to constantly tighten the heads to keep the bounce active. I also didn't use a trigger on the bass drum. The mesh felt to mushy so I sprung for as couple Roland KT 10's and loved them immediately. Also, they were much easier to set up.
I used hardware from The Home Depot (1" aluminum angle) for crossbars and piezos/cones from Quartz.
I always used Roland modules (TD 20's or 30's) and spent HOURS setting up different kits for almost every song. My kick was always the same but the snares we as close to the original song as I could get. The toms only had a bit of variation from deep to normal and I'd tune them accordingly. I was playing 80's R&R at the time and could come very close to that gated reverb sound that was the rage :)
I did construction and electrical work all my life so the build was the easy part. I collected enough parts from used kits to easily fabricate and changes I wanted to make. I built my kits so not only would they be easy to play but also to set up transport and set up.
I haven't played since the Covid shut down. It seemed like the right time to retire. But damn, I really loved that setup.
Regarding Mesh heads, I found out that doing your own with window screen mesh, you can have awesome results.
Just use the hoops of old drumheads, sow the mesh on the hoops, put the layers you want (i did double ply) and I can say these are the most durable and playable meshead I ever used. And they are all white, so aesthetics is a plus as well
i use printing mesh 62T , is cheap and more durable
@@idcashflow yes, when my mesh heads wear out I will look into this option. Mesh heads themselves as they are now are unreasonably frail and expensive
This guy is extremely awesome. That's why I'm always expecting a new video from him.
Very detailed explanation!!
Thanks, my friend!
After years, now I’m ready to dig in a project like this one, you made it possible with this video. Keep doing your amazing content. Thanks!
Incredible resource for anyone looking to expand their setup, change the heads, add muffling, commission an A2E - so much great info here! Thanks :)
Your videos are so very thorough. I salute you from the drum community for educating us and motivating us.
Thanks for continuing to make these great vids. I've watched many on your channel as I approach making a final decision on how to convert my acoustic kit to electronic. Your experience and opinions on heads, triggers, modules, and construction have been invaluable. You've created the best resource of its kind.
Agree 🎼🥁🎼
I've build an electronic drum set based on Traps A400 with Megadrum 32 as midi controller to AD2. Because I own Yamaha's RHH-135 and PCY-155 and had trouble configuring them I bought a used DTX IV module which is fully compatible with them. Currently I am looking to buy a new module with enough inputs as I have 14 pads and the ability to add custom sounds and I am close to 2box drummit Five MkII which is close to the price range I am looking for and plays also all kinds of cymbal pads. . A lot of drummers out there have learnt so much from your informative videos , so just keep making them. Cheers from Greece
I had an old Alesis DM 10, however, the DM10 sounds like, well, a DM10. So I connected that to a dedicated Macbook Pro (2012 i7 8GB RAM 512GB SSD) with Steven Slate Drums. It sounds amazing. The kick with the UFO eBridge is pretty darn convincing. The biggest difference in both playability and accurate triggering was made by changing out the heads to the Drum-Tec Real Feel heads. If you have a Macbook lying around or care to buy a used one for a couple hundred bucks, you can save a bunch of money by just using a cheaper module as a trigger to MIDI interface. I only use the trigger setup feature of the DM10 which is fairly straightforward and flexible enough to handle a DIY kit. Works great for me since I have my Macbook on stage for another reason anyway.
The channel is awesome! Keep up the awesome contributions.
Built my first 14" electronic snare with a Convertible Percussions dual zone trigger. Inexpensive and works well with my Roland td10exp! Used a remo Silentstroke as a bottom head with a Roland batter head.
I would recommend used Roland cymbals. As long as they're not obviously abused they should still trigger fine.
Very cool and informative video Justin!!
Thanks Zax!
Nice, very informative video. You are so close to 100k Justin! I’d love to hear more about Efnote, as I’m planning to buy an Efnote 5 in the next couple months. Keep up the good content!
5:50 Nice video!!you can get stubby wrenches for not too bad of a price. Less awkward, and easier on the nuts and bolt stripping tendency of pliers. Or go to a wing nut/lock washer on the bottom...
Wing nuts are probably best idea. I have a snare built with one of those triggers and its very nice.
I’ve been making a couple diy drums, two 6” a 10” and a 14” snare for an addition to my TD-50kva. Also got a TD-17 rack and made my rack bigger. It’s pretty awesome! My drums are 6,8,10,10,12,12,14- and 10,6,14 on my left. It’s perfect for me.
Hi @Ryan Buckley, that sounds exciting! May you share what the triggers and drum heads you chose? How do your DIY e-drums stand against the original TD-50 drum pads? i.e. sound, trigger sensitivity, playability, etc.
Brilliant video. You just inspired me to convert my very first acoustic kit (a very simple Pearl Forum) into something new. I was always reluctant to go the DIY road, but the way you explained it, it seems really doable. It will be a hobby next to my go-to electronic kit, always good to learn more about the technology.
I just finished my conversion kit. My td 20 is fun but the conversion kit is funner. Feels great to play on a real size kit again. And looks amazing.
I came up with a drum muffling method years ago for acoustic drums that might help with single layer mesh heads. I hated putting tape on my drums so I went through a lot of experimentation to avoid using it.
The proceedure is as follows. Using an old worn out drum head cut it into a ring with the inner edge being around an inch and a half to two inches from the curved edge of the head which would sit on the bearing edge of the drum. You could experiment with wider rings and with larger drums that might be a good idea. Then cut the metal rim off the head as close to the hoop as you can. Take the ring you just made and place it on the bottom of the batter head you want to use (in this case the mesh head). If you use Remo heads the ring may snap nicely into the batter head and stay there. If it doesn't do that just use a small piece of tape to keep it in place until you get everything on to the drum. Tension it normally and the head should vibrate much less.
On acoustic drums this creates a pretty good amount of sound control. With single layer mesh heads it may be a good way to avoid double triggers. I did this long before the rings which you can just throw on top of a drum to muffle it were introduced. It's not as easy obviously because you have to take the top head off to do it but it does work.
I just finished converting my 66 Ludwig set. It looks amazing and plays great! For bass drum I used a 20" Silentstroke with two pillows inside and Evans eq patch. Put a kt10 trigger on top of shell and it works surprisingly well! Feels real similar to the kd140 on the td50 I played at Columbus Percussion.
This video just inspired me to build my own e drum.. I was looking for a good kit with nice sizes and good sounds but I concluded that or you buy nice looks or you buy nice sounds or you buy nice hardware.. Thx so much Justin.. Greetings from Portugal..
Great video!
Converted my Tama kit with external triggers, good mesh heads and lemon cymbals with a TD9 module. Pump it all through SD3 and it is perfect for recording. The snare dynamics are always the trade of but usable of you lower levels on the module to avoid machine gunning. So I've got a kit that can be converted back easily at any time, looks cool and is the fraction of the cost of some of these real looking e kits.
How happy are you wih the outside triggers up until now? I am planning to get an acoustic set and do basically the same as you, except I intend to get a snare from an edrum manufacturer. I already have a Roland kit, therfore I have a module and cymbals and the module has presets for the Roland rt-30 triggers I intend to use
I used the CP triggers and made my own cross bars for mounting. turned out much better than the cp mounts and look very similar to the r drums mounts. For the kick, I gutted a kd9 and essentially built a kd a22. I tried a mesh head, with foam behind the beaters and a CP trigger, it worked well, but I didn't like the feel.
Def one of your best videos, Justin. Thank you esp for the links to the other pages. Old guy, new drummer, after a few months I finally found an incredible used Roland bargain setup on local facebook marketplace - just like your videos say. TD-7 set + extras. You wouldn't believe the price. - - I need to downsize the rack, though, so I'm following custom rack tips.
This is a fantastic video for anyone looking to do this!
If I had known all this when building my E-Kit man... Very detailed and nice information - also kind of insane to see a US guy include european companies, thanks for that!
Do you have a video that shows how you've organized the cords? With a standard e-kit you can usually wrap the cords around the rack.
I just run them down the stands, and under the kick drum to the module. This requires LONG cables though. Short ones will have to stretch in mid air, and that looks super ugly
Good video Justin, I just finished doing my own conversion and built all triggers from scratch! It was a great learning experience. As with you, attempted cymbals but still am not satisfied. I will disagree with you on one item and that is the modules. I use an Alesis Strike module as have a strike kit and that module definetly is comparable the the recommended ones in your list. Adjustments, custom adding of kits etc... couldn't be happier with that module. Keep the videos coming they are great, I always learn something from them! Cheers
He has something against Alesis. The Strike module is awesome
@@reezlaw the Strike sounds great. Alesis reliability is what concerns most people. Ive read many comments about Alesis components breaking after not much time or use. Just dont see as many about Roland. I bought a 20 year old used Roland that still works flawlessly. Id be interested to see how any Alesis kit looks after decades of use.
My old worn Roland CY-8's rubber has gone a bit soft which is actually pretty cool because it's a little smoother and a bit quiter to play. Thanks for the vid dude!
I picked up a Roland TD-8 on marketplace for $100! I’m using it on my Alesis Command mesh kit. This video really helped me understand what many of the trigger settings mean in my module. Crosstalk is a big one for me because I’m using the Command rack system, which for me is really nice, but I am getting crosstalk on many of my cymbals and it can be super annoying. Does guitar center carry a few of the trigger brands? And the better two ply mesh heads? I’m still using the Command module at the moment to power a extra Simmons cymbal and “floor tom”, honestly imo, but I feel you and most everyone would agree, the Roland module, being over 20 years old, has such a cleaner and what seems like a more realistic sound than the much newer Alesis. Still holding its own to this day. Also this video helped me get a much better understanding of the sensitivity settings and the overall adjustments to dial on your personal style. For me it’s everything from Jamariquai to Lamb of god🤷🏻♂️, hey what can I say. I love playing funk and love some metal as well!
Currently using new Jobeky 3-ply heads on a 14" snare, a 16" floor tom and a 22" kick drum that I converted from acoustic(also using Jobeky triggers) and added to my Alesis Crimson II SE kit. Watching your previous video on DIY conversions was what actually inspired me to go forward with them, and they turned out great!
sweet!
are you in the u.s? how long did it take for the jobeky stuff to ship? im thinking about buying them myself.
@@alexanderdavlin Yes, I'm in the US(east coast). I've ordered twice from them so far, and both times it was about a 1-2 week turnaround from order to delivery. IMO not too bad and definitely worth the wait. I honestly can't rave enough about their 3-ply mesh heads; they just feel so much nicer/more natural to play on than 1-ply or some of the cheaper 2-ply heads. And it's not that I necessarily *want* to spend more money or anything, but part of me sort of can't wait until the stock Alesis heads on my other pads are shot and ready to be replaced, just so that I can throw more 3-ply Jobeky ones on them.
(And for the record, no, I don't have any kind of connection/affiliation at all with Jobeky; I realize how hard it sounds like I'm plugging/cheerleading for them, but I genuinely am just that happy with their triggers/heads.)
This is an amazing, well-researched video, as usual. But if you went top-end on the triggers and everything else, what kind of price range are we looking at? (say 3 ply heads, the better triggers, the better cymbals)
As always a great video Justin! Congrat's! Thank you so much for remembering our work in South America 🤜🥁🤛
Perfect breakdown! Thanks Justin !
Thanks dude!
Your channel i just amazing ! Thank you so much for all your advices, I follow
Thanks for all your great videos and advice.
I have done the diy kit but nowdays my build is just roland rt-30 rim triggers with roland mesh heads and roland cymbals on my pearl export kit i bought in 1998, still running my td-9 module but everything works great. I bailed on the diy internal triggers because they were not reliable and a few of them outright stopped working, was able to fix them but it was a big hassle and i am much happier with the roland rt 30s.
Around 5 years ago i did a 1 month test of a remo silent stroke head on 1 of my toms and it did trigger just fine with an rt-30 but it was also pretty bouncy so its now a bottom head and i have all roland 2 ply heads. I am very happy with my current setup but do plan to upgrade my module at some point.
I could never get the rt30 to work well on my td10. Module didnt have a preset for it either.
Are you still rocking that build?
I am intending to do the exact same on a pearl export as well. Except for the snare where I will get one from drum-tec most likely, simply to have more dynamic range available. And since I have a TD-17, it has rt-30 presets, so ideal combination
@@Wollestar yup still have the same build, i did upgrade my pedals to trick dominators though
@@demonocusmetalocus3558 so you are using a mesh head with rt30k and fast double bass drumming on a singe bass drum or two?
@@Wollestar trick dominator double pedal, 1 bass drum with roland mesh head, remo patch and rt30k trigger
Justin, this one will be an evergreen piece of content! What a great and comprehensive overview, you clearly didn’t miss anything here. What a funny coincidence you played the exact acoustic kit in the beginning of this video I used for my first conversion. ;)
Hope you’re doing well. 🙏
Your setup is one of the coolest electronic drum setups I’ve seen 🔥
Thanks man :) There's some really epic stuff out there that my set can't touch. But it works great for me!
@@65Drums of course! Very helpful guide too. It’s always kinda intimidating looking at all the options and you helped break it down really well.
I went for the lemon cymbal pack and was curious if it would work with my alesis sirge module or if i should upgrade the module to a roland
Thank you for sharing this wealth of experience. God bless you.
I have a question. Is the alessi DM10 drum module? Okay, module the use. And where would you suggest to buy the parts to convert my acoustic drum kit to an electric kit
Hi 65 drums could u do a review on the Millenium mps 850？Seems a little unbelievable that it's so cheap and the drum set is so big
I have a TD-17KL. I also have an old DW beginner kit. I want to make a love child. Keep the Kick/Pad from roland. One or both of the Crashes from roland. Add another better cymbal pad for the ride like the 13R? Then use the shells and put triggers inside them. Upgrade the Hihats to a VH-11. Would it be possible?
Great video as always Justin!
Hi can anyone tell me if having a Roland td 27 means I can run 2 hi hats?????ty all and ty Justin fer the awesome channel
Your channel is awesome...great info, I am looking to put together a quiet practice kit you channel is a wealth of information. I like how explain things. Subscribed.
Haha. I'm glad you added Alesis on your list of Modules To Stay Away From. Had an Alesis kit and it was straitgt up junk.
Excellent
You mentioned using a drum module - is a TD-11 a rational option if I'm doing a conversion with the Jobecky pre-wired triggers you talked about? This would be for a 4 piece set.Thanks!
Mogami cables, very good indeed but not cheap at all. Especially for running to outboard gear, that's where good cables really make a difference.
I'm sure this will not be my last time watching this and it definitely isn't my first. I just got my low volume cymbals in along with some silent stroke heads. Its a simple first step but it feels so good to even have my set back together instead of in a garage collecting cobwebs. Now I just need triggers for the cymbals and drums and a module. Trying to go as cheap as is reasonable and im at $200 for the cymbals and heads. I might need to invest in better heads later but thats the benefit of using acoustic drums as a start isn't it?
What does a brain (drum module) offer that a traditional digital mixer does not? I understand that they have sounds built into the module, but what processing is it handling that another mixer cannot? Is it possible that if you already own an expensive digital mixer and a good DAW, that you can just plug your components into that instead?
I was just thinking of using the just drum heads no meshed. I'm not worrying about being quiet. At least I can hear myself when we play live, I guess.
For someone that don’t play on stage and only be using superior drummer 3, so no need for sound module, what would be the best choice for the best feeling, let say in the 3k-5k price range for a full set w/ hihat, cymb, rides, etc…?
Always a great video great advice just finished my conversation recently the KDA 22 is amazing love it and the Jobeky 4spoke is great just put one in my snare works great
Easy install
Very informative and helpful video with explaining the entire process of A2E drum conversion. I love the look of ATV 4 piece artist kit especially the 18” kick however at 2500$ a bit out of my budget. I have cymbals/drum modules and cables/stands already, so shells,trigger system and mesh heads on my research list now
Definitely needed this video to finish my set 👍🏻🙏🏻
How do you get the sound where you snap your stick on top of the rim of an acoustic snare (not a rimshot). On electronic drums?
I'm thinking of getting an edrum kit. But I'm leaning more towards the td27k rather than the td17kvx simply becsuee the roland td17kvx is currently £1700 but the roland td27k is £1750. So for £50 more, I'd be getting a bigger rack, a better module and a better quality snare! Do u think its worth the extra £50?
My 2 cents: the Goedrum hi-hat controller is highly compatible with Roland. I basically replaced my fd8 with it on my td12 based kit. It was simply plug and play.
Plus: e-drums are awesome and versatile. BUT, be prepared to have to fix things every now and then. You better have to learn how to solder and take apart your gear. Otherwise it can cost quite a lot
This video is awesome. What do you think of this plan for a high performing kit? I want to keep my beloved Yamaha drums, but convert the toms and kick to triggers. I think I'll get everything from UFO for that. For HH, Snare, Ride and Cymbals, and module I'll just buy a used TD-27 V2 kit with digital ride, digital snare and digital HH. The cost is roughly $3000 for a used TD-27 V2 plus another $600 or so for the UFO stuff. Would that give me the best performance?
Any options you know of for DIYing triple trigger drums like the ones that come with the new Yamaha DTX10 sets?
Awesome video! I just got some shells the other day and looking to convert. Love from Australia!
Best of luck!
Excellent video Justin! I couldn't have done my conversion without all your advice and guidance. For the kick drum, I found the UFO bass drum trigger works well. It has a foam pad that makes a mesh head feel more realistic. The only downside of the UFO triggers is their weight. If you lug your conversion kit around, lighter triggers help. I like the Jobeky triggers in snares and toms. Please keep the videos coming!
Hello, thank-you for this outstanding video. I’m about to convert my DW kit in an electronic and was wondering if all of this information is still valid today or has improved triggers come out on the market? I did see that recently Roland purchased DW and it appears they have a new mesh head zone technology that will be coming out in 2023……makes me wonder if I should wait. Thank u
So much great info! I want to give this conversion a go. Has anyone put a matrix together of his recommendations and compatibility?
I am trying to make a 1 up 2 down electric drum kit with two crashes, a ride and china. I simply can't beat the price of a vad506 and buying another floor tom/crash and selling the spare rack tom back to drum-tec. No matter what I do, it ends up costing more with the mesh heads, triggers, and using the cheapest shell pack I can find at 600 dollars. I must have the digital ride, snare, td27 and all roland cymbals as a base.
How do the triggera edge triggers compare to the jobeky edge triggers? The triggera's are significantly more affordable.
i was considering using a module, and putting the pickups on blocks of wood to use as stomp boxes. does anyone know if that would work, or what kind of pickups would work best?
This video just changed my life. Sursly. 👍
Same here!!!!😂
Great video and I second your sentiment on converting your own low volume cymbals. I tried a few solutions but none seemed to work reliably.
I'm glad I'm not the only one
Hi Justin, I'm getting addicted to your channel. Thanks for all the insightful information you give. It really helps. I'm in the process of building my kit and I have a question for you. I'm hesitating between Extreme Drums triggers and Convertible Percussions triggers. You mentioned both in this video but I don't find a full review on both of those triggers anywhere. Apart from the obvious design difference can you tell me how both of them compare in terms of accurate triggering? I want dual zone triggers. Thank you
I'd buy UFO Drum Triggers instead. I have both those brands you mentioned, and personally I like UFO more, and they're also made in the USA. I had Rimshot issues with my extreme drums trigger. And the Convertible trigger works, but I like a more rigid trigger system.
Thanks Justin, that is what I end up doing. Looking forward to get them and start assembling them ... I'm a very good IKEA builder anyway :))@@65Drums
Very nice! Very thorough video. Thanks but now my head is spinning😂
This was pretty good. Thanks for the information. QQ: Is there an existing inexpensive kit with a drum module that can work with "floating" hi-hats (on a stand)? Or can I just build/buy one of those hi-hats and simply plug into any existing kit module?
(If anyone comes across this comment, I ended up getting a relatively inexpensive ddrum DTTi interface, not a full drum module.)
+1 on the kick pedal trigger. Built one with piezo behind the felt of the beater and then built one under the pedal. Either works great.
Also, GoE mesh heads are great and i like and wondering about RTom lv mesh heads 🤔
Your right on triggers. After spending lots of time and effort building my own internal triggers, never really satisfied on sensitivity even trying different foam for my cones, go with your recommended and save the heart aches later. 👍
Great info thanks for making this, I need it after getting back into it. I don't get why you put alesis modules on the no list. Had the DM10 head for years. Yes the internal sounds are shit but if you just want something expandable to use with Superior Drummer it's a good choice. Also why no mention of Roland's TD12? You can find great deals on them and its nice, albeit a bit large.
Is this something I could theoretically buy a cheap like td11 kit off marketplace and use the parts from it to convert the rest of my acoustic? Like that's the module + cymbals and then just get triggers for the kit, nothing else needed?
thanks for your video. I would like to have an electronic solution for studio sessions. I have an old, but still working well Roland TD-8 module that I use with ROLAND triggers positioned on the toms and floor toms, while for the snare I use a Roland snare pad, but this doesn't satisfy me, I can't get a good effect during the cross stick. what would you recommend? a new snare drum, a purchase of new triggers to install in the snare drum? What do you think of the old TD-8? thanks for your support
Man I picked a TD-8 up on marketplace for $100, and imo, for the $$ I spent that thing is amazing! I’ve been playing for over 30 years and I know what sounds good as far as realistic drum sounds and samples. The TD-8 also has all the plug In options on it just like something new and recently manufactured! So much better than my Alesis Command module it’s crazy!!
@@GillardPetry You're right, many say that the TD-8 module is one of the best modules among low-mid modules. However, I have gained some experience in recent months and have come to the conclusion that the weak points of electronic drums are also 2: HI HAT and snare drum. The hi-hat that comes closest to the original is the Roland one but I can't connect it to the TD-8. same thing for the snare drum. I've tried many snare drums and I can't get what I'm looking for: sensitivity. rimshot, cross stick in one setting. When you find a good RIMSHOT you don't have the crtoss stick and vice versa. what do you use?
@@massimoresnati I like a slightly ringy higher pitched snare. But not too ringy. I’ll deepen the shell to compensate normally. For me the snare options on the 8, with the pitch adjustments, are infinite. The biggest thing for me is finding a tom selection that doesn’t sound too digital. The “Rose” Tom’s on the td-8, pitched low, like Shepard of Fire intro low, is what I’m using right now. I would love to see roto toms on the dial, but they aren’t. I’m not as tech savy as I wish I was, but I am learning. The computer age has taken over and shows no signs of stopping other than an apocalypse!
I disagree with Alesis being on the do not buy their module list. The original strike pro kit had some issues but the module was not one of them. As far as build in sounds go, I think that module can compete with anyone out of the box. It has individual outs on the back, a color screen, etc. As good as Roland is for triggering, their sounds are amazingly awful unless you spend hours tweaking them or buy downloadable kits from Drum-tec or something like that. So buying is an extra cost, and tweaking is time taken away from actually playing.
We'll just agree to disagree then. I'd rather get good triggering from the module, I can always get better sounds from a plugin later.
@@65Drums Fair enough. I never had an issue with it triggering though. But from what I understand it is a little more picky when using non-alesis gear vs Roland which you can get to work with just about everything.
Strike module has the absolute most features for the price hands down no question about that. It has very powerful strike editor software for importing vst multi layer samples (200 mb kit limit) awesome feature. Alesis has less trigger settings available to dial triggers. This can be frustrating. The strike can also be very difficult getting hihat triggering. I used CY-5 and fd-8/9 pedals and it was plug and play for me, others have much more difficulty getting them dialed in. Alesis has not released new firmware in over 2.5 years, almost 2 years for strike multipad, that feels like they are quietly stopping support and getting ready to launch new product. Just sold my strike to buy Dtx Pro. Admittedly I would not have sold my strike if I could have gotten financing from sweetwater/GC/ams/MF b/c I definitely going to miss not having the 8 individual sound outs for live/recording use. I couldn’t afford Dtx Pro X at 1,500$ right now with cost of living prices increasing currently
This was an insane amount of info
Thanks for this video! Very clear 👌🏼
Absolutely amazing video. Thanks a lot. Suuuuper informative. I can only begin to imagine how much time and money it takes to gather this huge amoung of experience. You’re a genius!!!
Can I nitpick just a little bit? People lighting themselves with a teal light from the side is such a weird thing IMO. Don’t get me wrong, I’m all for teal and orange looks. When done well, they can be really amazing. But this is just downright weird and unnatural looking.
Great video Justin! I already converted 2 drumsets several years ago, reusing the triggers since the shellsizes were the same and I can confirm everything you said.
I wish such a video existed back then. Nevertheless everyone should go DIY edrums (shells) IMO. It's quite easy to do, way cheaper and you have the freedom to mix and match to your likings and budget.
BTW: My built still functions great after almost 7 years of playing it daily.
Hi, good morning, have you ever heard of the DD470X electronic drums from Gear4Music? The toms and snare have a very different internal system than the ones you show there, I have one and the toms have stopped working properly, you have to hit them very hard and it has nothing to do with the module configuration. Help, I'm desperate and I want to fix it ASAP. Thanks a lot.
@4:56 Helensson actually design and manufacture their products in USA.
What drum trigger interfaces do you recommend?
How about the RTOM lv mesh heads? They are 1 ply but really thick and they have the rubber pad in the centre. Are these good for building an electric kit?
Man I wish I had this about a year ago. Luckily you already had enough amazing content on your channel to get the job done. Thanks for all your help. Is there somewhere I can post pictures so you can get a look at what I put together?
I have a 65 Drums Facebook group, and a discord where you can share photos :)
Question: So I'm looking to convert a kick drum to electronic and was considering the Roland KD-A22 Kick Drum Converter. The thing is, it is expensive and seems to be discontinued by Roland which probably means it will be difficult to obtain spare parts to maintain it in the future (wear of the striking area). I once tried converting a 16" floor tom using mesh head and a Roland RT-30K. Here is the problem: Being a hard hitter, I found that my beater would quickly make a considerable dent on the mesh head. I tried fixing this by attaching a Remo sticker patch to the striking area but it wouldn't stick properly to the mesh head. I don't think the mesh stickers are robust enough to withstand my heavy hitting. Any suggestions to how to get around this (besides not hitting so hard)? I really want the mesh head solution to work as it is the easiest to maintain long term, since I only need to replace the drum head once it is worn out.
Hey Justin, if going the audio interface route, what plugin can be used to turn audio into midi notes? I know of Audiofront’s DSP trigger. Are there others?
Can you use a FSR trigger with a Ddrum trigger interface ddti?
Nope
what about latency? does working with an audio interface and laptop generates audio latency issues??
Oh Dude!!!......been playing Alesis Strike Pro for over a year now......the Module is Amazing!........The factory samples were better than Roland`s out of the box!......however, DID buy better samples to work from, but will show you soon just how frustrated I get by how ALESIS gets put on a Lower Shelf!.......I love what you DO, but, really think you need to re - approach the Strike Pro more in depth. As a newer E-drummer(30 years of live Acoustic).....been tweaking due to tutorials such as yours, quite happy with my results!........simply don`t understand why ALESIS is underated!..........question mark.
.........in all honesty, NO NEED FOR MIDI!!!......................question mark.
ruclips.net/video/BAV3XYR4iK0/видео.html
Rob, I like, and have recommended the Alesis Strike Pro SE in other videos. But in this specific context of Conversion drums with 3rd party triggers, the Strike module isn't the best option for DIY projects in my opinion.
Reliability issues are what concerns most people. Roland products not abused can last decades. Not sure how Alesis products would. And just from comments on yt Alesis owners have way more problems. Its a shame because the Strike sounds great.