Alesis dm-5 pro pads converted to mesh

[rokhead]

Hi
Just wondering if anyone has convertd the alesis dm-5 pro drum pads to mesh. If so, is it easy or hard? and how well do they work

[mkstewartesq]

I did this very recently to cut down on noise.

It's not hard at all, but I have some recommendations that may impact on this.

First I bought some Pearl mesh heads (8"); because they are professionally made drum heads, they fit fine, but no matter how tightly I tuned them, they still had a tiny bit of slack, which means that, when I hit the heads, it was a little noisier than I expected because the mesh would clatter ever so slightly against the rubber-topped surface of the DM5Pro trigger pad. (Once you remove the original Heads, you'll see that the trigger is a flat grey cylinder topped in rubber.)

I actually ended up buying some DIY mesh heads off of ebay. I liked these because each head (4 tom/snare pads and the kick drum) also came with a small circle cut out of foam, which fit between the head and the rubber pad - this was just enough to keep the mesh from making any noise, and it also makes the kit pretty quiet (but not entirely quiet. After all, you're still hitting with sticks, so you're still getting some of the impact of the stick against the underlying rubber pad, even though there's now a mesh heads and a foam insert in between.) The only downside - though not a big one to me- is that these are individually-made DIY heads, so are not as precisely made as "real" heads, and so take a little more work to tighten down because they may be ever so slightly larger or smaller in diameter, on a case by case basis. But I am happy with them.

I'll give the ebay seller's user name - it's cms40net - so you can search for any active auctions, but I am not affiliated with him (or her, for all I know). I received them within a week after the auction ended and liked them, but YMMV.

Mike

[rokhead]

thanks

Hey thanks alot. Just one more question about the quietness. Could you compare it to the roland mesh pads or yamaha rubber pads

[mkstewartesq]

Hey thanks alot. Just one more question about the quietness. Could you compare it to the roland mesh pads or yamaha rubber pads

I'd say that, if you have a thin piece of foam under the heads as I do, it's definitely quieter than most rubber pads I've played. After all - there is still a rubber plate under the head, which is going to make some noise. I imagine having thicker foam would lessen this, but it would also give you triggering issues.

As for comparing to the Roland heads - I've only tried them in stores, and seem to recall that - at least for the snare I tried - the Roland is somewhat hollow inside - i.e., unlike the Alesis, the entire inside of the drum isn't filled with a rubber pad. This would make the Roland quieter because, when you hit the Roland, you aren't always making contact with a hard rubber pad under the surface.

Let me know if I can be of any further help.

M