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Hello all, my first post. I hope to contribute to the great knowledge base of this forum on DIY conversion with this step-by-step guide.
Design is based on drop-in dual zone trigger collaboration by ChromeBoy/JmanWord.
Motivation for A2Ep24944h-3bd3248fbb9b9222423ce48523b69d42.jpg
A2E conversion shopping list
What I already hadRoland TD-12 supports rim triggering on toms, and positional triggering on snare, the big reason why I'm doing dual triggers on toms. It also supports VH-12 hi-hat. Best bang for the buck at the moment.
Step 0. Design01.png
Let's begin.
Step 1: Apply 3 foam segments around the pan. This would center the pan inside the shell and improve rim triggering sensitivity. I have not used the foam all around because doing so made seal to tight.
03.jpg
On my snare, drum lugs screws interfered with the pan, not allowing it to go all the way in.
04.jpg
Well, that was not unexpected. Mark the pan and notch holes using drill and file.
Snare mount was on the way as well. I kept making the holes larger, until they have cleared all the screws. Cake pan is made of aluminum and easy to work with.
Snare drum required most modifications, toms only needed few holes. No holes were needed in the floor tom's pan.
08.jpg
Step 2:09.jpg
Step 3 (optional). Paint inside the pans black, masking the edges. This step is purely cosmetic, mesh head is a bit see-through, and I did not want to see inside the drum when playing.
Step 4.10.jpg
Step 5.11.jpg
Connector fits nicely in the center of the badge.
12.jpg
Step 6.14.jpg
Fish the cables through the mat and label the Rim cables. Labeling is optional, but trust me you would be glad you did. It saved me a lot of time troubleshooting connection on one of the toms.
15.jpgStep 7. Assemble the head trigger platform as per design sketch. I have used two layers of firm foam (anti-fatigue foam mat, the kind that hooks together like a puzzle). On top of the plate, under the washer, I have softer foam circle, cut from exercise mat. Same softer foam is glued to the bottom side of the pan to dampen the ringing sound.
18.jpg20.jpg
Step 8. Install head piezo trigger and foam cone in the centre of the drum. Again, take your time locating exact center, it should line up with the center of the trigger platform. Adjust platform height using 3 screws at the bottom of the pan. Height adjustment with single nut design was quick and easy.
I have used a measuring square to make sure all 3 sides of the platform are set at the same height.
21.jpg
Trigger height is adjusted to be 1.5 - 3 mm higher than the edges of the pan. Height really depends on the cone firmness, see troubleshooting note below.
22.jpg
Step 9. Install top mesh head, adjust to desired tension.
Step 10.Step 11. Install bottom mesh head
26.jpg
Step 12. Install rubber rim protector. I lined-up the rubber with the rack mount, so the seam gets hidden by the rack bracket.
27.jpg
NOTE:Pintech ships rim protectors pre-cut to drum hoop size, but they keep them an inch or so longer to accommodate any variation of the hoop. Rubber it tough and hard to cut with a knife, but garden scissors did the job. When cutting to final size, do not stretch the rim protector, or the seam might show when rubber relaxes.
Final step.End result
31.jpg
32.jpg
Problems and solutions.
Problem: Foam cone is too high. Quarz foam cones seems to be slightly firmer than Roland ones. Adjusted to be as high as Roland cones, there was a slight bump in the mesh head, and a triggering hot spot.
Solution: Increase tension of the head, or lower the cone. Increased tension worked well on rack toms and snare. However, I did not want to increase tension of the floor tom to keep it
closer to the tension and feel of acoustic drum head. I ended up lowering the trigger in the floor tom a bit, so it is 1.5 mm or so above the rim.
Problem: Rim is triggered when hitting the head.
Solution: Adjust rim trigger sensitivity and gain
Other concerns:
Longevity of the build. Firm foam might lose flexibility and spring-like quality, causing vibration in trigger platform. After two months of daily use, everything still works as on day 1. No issues so far.
Noise. Set is little louder than Roland, especially 16" floor tom. I guess this is why Roland does not make 16" pads. Noise is still tolerable. Increasing head tension decreases the noise a bit but makes the head "springier". Find a balance between noise and head feel (rebound).
Conclusions
Cheers,
Dmitry
Design is based on drop-in dual zone trigger collaboration by ChromeBoy/JmanWord.
Motivation for A2Ep24944h-3bd3248fbb9b9222423ce48523b69d42.jpg
A2E conversion shopping list
- Drum top mesh heads.
Source: Billy Blast
3-ply heads. For my taste, they provide better feel than Roland (Remo) two-ply. Rebound is very close to the real head. Less expensive than Roland's, and have no logo printed on them for a clean look. - Drum bottom mesh heads (Optional). Pearl Muffle Head mesh heads.
Source: Amazon. - Used on the bottom of the drum to seat the hoop properly. Because those heads never get hit, they could be made from window screen using rims from resonant heads. However, resonant heads on my set were in great condition, and it would be a shame to destroy them. Plus, window screen costs some money too. I ended up buying Pearl mesh heads, they are very inexpensive and work great.
- Rubber rim protector
Source: Pintech. - A bit pricy, but they are purposely made for drum rims, and fit perfectly.
- Hardware
Source: Home Depot - Triggers
Source: Quartz Percussions. - Quartz sells all pieces as a dual trigger package. I have placed special order for 27 mm triggers.
What I already hadRoland TD-12 supports rim triggering on toms, and positional triggering on snare, the big reason why I'm doing dual triggers on toms. It also supports VH-12 hi-hat. Best bang for the buck at the moment.
Step 0. Design01.png
Let's begin.
Step 1: Apply 3 foam segments around the pan. This would center the pan inside the shell and improve rim triggering sensitivity. I have not used the foam all around because doing so made seal to tight.
03.jpg
On my snare, drum lugs screws interfered with the pan, not allowing it to go all the way in.
04.jpg
Well, that was not unexpected. Mark the pan and notch holes using drill and file.
Snare mount was on the way as well. I kept making the holes larger, until they have cleared all the screws. Cake pan is made of aluminum and easy to work with.
Snare drum required most modifications, toms only needed few holes. No holes were needed in the floor tom's pan.
08.jpg
Step 2:09.jpg
Step 3 (optional). Paint inside the pans black, masking the edges. This step is purely cosmetic, mesh head is a bit see-through, and I did not want to see inside the drum when playing.
Step 4.10.jpg
Step 5.11.jpg
Connector fits nicely in the center of the badge.
12.jpg
Step 6.14.jpg
Fish the cables through the mat and label the Rim cables. Labeling is optional, but trust me you would be glad you did. It saved me a lot of time troubleshooting connection on one of the toms.
15.jpgStep 7. Assemble the head trigger platform as per design sketch. I have used two layers of firm foam (anti-fatigue foam mat, the kind that hooks together like a puzzle). On top of the plate, under the washer, I have softer foam circle, cut from exercise mat. Same softer foam is glued to the bottom side of the pan to dampen the ringing sound.
18.jpg20.jpg
Step 8. Install head piezo trigger and foam cone in the centre of the drum. Again, take your time locating exact center, it should line up with the center of the trigger platform. Adjust platform height using 3 screws at the bottom of the pan. Height adjustment with single nut design was quick and easy.
I have used a measuring square to make sure all 3 sides of the platform are set at the same height.
21.jpg
Trigger height is adjusted to be 1.5 - 3 mm higher than the edges of the pan. Height really depends on the cone firmness, see troubleshooting note below.
22.jpg
Step 9. Install top mesh head, adjust to desired tension.
Step 10.Step 11. Install bottom mesh head
26.jpg
Step 12. Install rubber rim protector. I lined-up the rubber with the rack mount, so the seam gets hidden by the rack bracket.
27.jpg
NOTE:Pintech ships rim protectors pre-cut to drum hoop size, but they keep them an inch or so longer to accommodate any variation of the hoop. Rubber it tough and hard to cut with a knife, but garden scissors did the job. When cutting to final size, do not stretch the rim protector, or the seam might show when rubber relaxes.
Final step.End result
31.jpg
32.jpg
Problems and solutions.
Problem: Foam cone is too high. Quarz foam cones seems to be slightly firmer than Roland ones. Adjusted to be as high as Roland cones, there was a slight bump in the mesh head, and a triggering hot spot.
Solution: Increase tension of the head, or lower the cone. Increased tension worked well on rack toms and snare. However, I did not want to increase tension of the floor tom to keep it
closer to the tension and feel of acoustic drum head. I ended up lowering the trigger in the floor tom a bit, so it is 1.5 mm or so above the rim.
Problem: Rim is triggered when hitting the head.
Solution: Adjust rim trigger sensitivity and gain
Other concerns:
Longevity of the build. Firm foam might lose flexibility and spring-like quality, causing vibration in trigger platform. After two months of daily use, everything still works as on day 1. No issues so far.
Noise. Set is little louder than Roland, especially 16" floor tom. I guess this is why Roland does not make 16" pads. Noise is still tolerable. Increasing head tension decreases the noise a bit but makes the head "springier". Find a balance between noise and head feel (rebound).
Conclusions
- This conversion took a weekend. It was well worth it. Now I have great-looking and great sounding set. I love it and wish to have done conversion sooner.
- Positional sensing on snare works very well.
- Rim triggering works great. Cross stick work
- I have few Roland mesh head pads for sale. If you in Vancouver area, check the Craigslist
- Kick drum conversion deserves its own guide, to be posted soon.
Cheers,
Dmitry
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