Is there a cheap way to make up some kind of 'percussion' instrument?

[jweaver]

I have just upgraded to a TD8 and now that I have an extra few inputs (over my TD3) it seems a shame not to use them.

I am just wondering if its possible to make up some kind of 'cheap' device which could trigger the TD8 so that I could use it is some kind of percussion.

Does anyone have any details of any projects that I could try to make?

Jon

[SuperPuss]

Have a look through this section of the forum... you'll find plenty of ideas and projects. I have posted a few DIY projects in my kit evolution thread too (click pic link in my signature). If you look through that, you'll find some triggers I made from plumbing parts which were simple to construct, inexpensive and took very little time.

[zdavesf]

you can make something similar to the nimrod

http://www.pintechworld.com/usa/products/tubes/product.aspx?p=nr6

... take some pvc tubing stick a piezo inside and away you go...

http://vdrums.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=6255&d=1173248590

Dave

[stickinthemud]

Basically, anything you can attach a piezo disc to can become a trigger. I made an e-tamborine by attaching an un-shucked piezo to a floppy piece of rubber and mounting it inside an empty maraca shell. Worked OK until the wires wore out...

[Euphoricism]

This works beautifully. Found it at homedepot in the 'organization' section.

http://vdrums.com/forum/showthread.php?t=38448

[jweaver]

I have done a bit of searching and still can't find what I need....

Am I right in assuming that there are no 'electronics' involved.. I just need to put a Piezo transducer in a tube?

My plan is this.

1. Get a T-Piece used to hold a drum rack together
2. Get a pipe, the same diameter as the rack which will mount into the T-piece
3. After building the 'trigger' and getting it working, wrap the tube in several layers of 'self amalgamating tape' to give it a rubber coating.

That side of the project is easy.. But I don't quite understand the trigger..

Would any of these work? Or be really bad?

1. Get some foam, cut a slit in the middle, push a piezo in the slit and push the foam/piezo 'baguette' into the tube.

2. 1/2 fill the tube with epoxy so that there is a flat section inside and attach the piezo to the flat surface

3. Do 2, but in the air space, fill it with foam.

4. Find a piezo the same diameter as the tube and put it in so that the edges touch the outside of the tube (i.e it acts as a thin 'plug' in the tube and completely blocks it)


The problem is that because I don't actually understand how a transducer works, I don't actually know what I am trying to achive. Obviously I want to transmit the vibrations from the wall of the tube (as its hit) into the piezo, but I don't know if this should be done directly (by fixing the Piezo to the inner wall of the tube) like in idea 2, or whether it needs to be 'floating' inside (i.e idea 1).

Does anyone have any suggestions?

Jon

[jweaver]

Since I have no replies to my question, tonight I am going to do some experiments.. I have a Piezo, some tube and various densities of foam...

The problem is that I still don't know what I am actually trying to make the Piezo do.. I assume that I need to get the shock wave, from a stick hitting the outside of the tube, to resonate into the transducer.

So I don't know if the filling in the tube needs to be dense or not.

My idea at the moment is to create some solid cylinders of foam which are approx the same dimensions of the inside of the tube. Cut a slit, pop in a piezo and wedge the whole thing into the tube.

I am actually wondering whether I could position a piezo in the middle of the tube and fill it with 'expanding' foam...

As I said, the problem is that I don't know how a Piezo actually works.. Will it respond to vibrations, or does it need to be 'shocked' (i.e a hit directly onto the middle of it)

If anyone can give me any tips i would be grateful, otherwise I guess I will just have to hope my ideas work.

Thanks in advance

Jon

[jweaver]

Sorry.. Double post.. Deleted!

[ghostman]

some first steps..

I have done a bit of searching and still can't find what I need....

Am I right in assuming that there are no 'electronics' involved.. I just need to put a Piezo transducer in a tube?

My plan is this.

1. Get a T-Piece used to hold a drum rack together
2. Get a pipe, the same diameter as the rack which will mount into the T-piece
3. After building the 'trigger' and getting it working, wrap the tube in several layers of 'self amalgamating tape' to give it a rubber coating.

That side of the project is easy.. But I don't quite understand the trigger..

Would any of these work? Or be really bad?

1. Get some foam, cut a slit in the middle, push a piezo in the slit and push the foam/piezo 'baguette' into the tube.

2. 1/2 fill the tube with epoxy so that there is a flat section inside and attach the piezo to the flat surface

3. Do 2, but in the air space, fill it with foam.

4. Find a piezo the same diameter as the tube and put it in so that the edges touch the outside of the tube (i.e it acts as a thin 'plug' in the tube and completely blocks it)


The problem is that because I don't actually understand how a transducer works, I don't actually know what I am trying to achive. Obviously I want to transmit the vibrations from the wall of the tube (as its hit) into the piezo, but I don't know if this should be done directly (by fixing the Piezo to the inner wall of the tube) like in idea 2, or whether it needs to be 'floating' inside (i.e idea 1).

Does anyone have any suggestions?

Jon

The Piezo just registers the 'shock'. so, if you mount it against the wall of the tube, it will register - quite easily - maybe a bit TOO easily. adding padding will lessen the shock, but require harder hits. Also, most modules can determine the velocity (force) of the hit. So, a Piezo mounted against the tube will get full velocity easier than a padded one. It's really a matter of testing.

All you really need to do is get some Piezos, some wire, and a few 1/4" (mono) jacks. Make a few up, just connect the piezo to the jack, using wire to give you length (Peizo wires are like 3", and you rarely want your jack 3" away from the Piezo). Stop there, play with the bare piezo and play with it - plug a 1/4 cable into the jack, and the module, and touch it, note how it registers. You usually want a flat side towards the strike surface, not perpendicular like I think I understand your explanation. Then mount one with tape against the tube, and test it with your module. if it is too sensitive, adjust your module settings for that input or add padding to between the tube and Piezo. wash, rinse, repeat. If you go a Stereo jack (two piezos, one for pad, one for rim) the electronics get more complicated (Kieth Raper Circuit). I suggest sticking with mono first time 'round.
Check out the SuperPuss kit Evolution thread, she made super simple triggers out of plastic hardware store bits - look for the white 'drum pads' on the pics. She also has pics of them being made. (http://vdrums.com/forum/showpost.php...27&postcount=5) I am sure there are tons of other pics and guides on this site, but that one shot to mind first.

[jweaver]

Well. It turns out it was easier than I imagined.. I found some different density 'packing material' in work today, so bought home a few pieces.

I cut off a 4" length of 40mm pipe, whittled down the packaging to fit, cut a slit, placed in the Piezo and stuffed it into the tube.

I quickly soldered on a connected, plugged it into my TD-8 expecting nothing and to my surprise, it worked first time.

It registers light and hard shocks and is very linear...

That was easy.. To easy.. I was hoping for a bit of a challenge? I am going to make a final product now and 'beautify' it..

If it works as well as my prototype, I might knock up a few and sell them on Ebay? You never know who might want one..

So there you go.. I wonder what I can make next

Cheers all

Jon