Holy Cow! an electronic cowbell!

[daveybabes]

Hi folks ...

After completing my drums i fancied a cowbell, just a simple diy that turned out well, lotsa people always say to others "waddya use as a cowbell?" and people may say "edge of ride cymbal, drum rim, plastic piping" ... but why not use an actual cowbell ?

1) I got this cute cowbell from my local trad drum shop for £11, some pieces of foam and 1/8" thick rubber ...

http://i280.photobucket.com/albums/kk186/daveybabes/Various/Cow1.jpg

2) Drilled hole in base of cowbell, cut rubber pieces to shape and super glued in, added jack connector and 27mm piezo that i pre wired, piezo was glued directly to rubber.

http://i280.photobucket.com/albums/kk186/daveybabes/Various/Cow2.jpg

3) Push in sponge pieces, note that only 2/3 of bell needs packing giving the jack space and enough packing to deaden.

http://i280.photobucket.com/albums/kk186/daveybabes/Various/Cow3.jpg

4) Place final cut to shape piece of rubber over the end, make it slightly larger so it pushes in tight and grips the edges. Hides the interior and at first glance looks like the original empty space he he

http://i280.photobucket.com/albums/kk186/daveybabes/Various/Cow4.jpg

5) Jack connector at base looks very pro

http://i280.photobucket.com/albums/kk186/daveybabes/Various/Cow5.jpg

6) Also got a very nice cymbal arm for just £20

http://i280.photobucket.com/albums/kk186/daveybabes/Various/Cow6.jpg

Totally mechanically deadened - Added some cowbell sounds from the TD12 and it triggers superbly, the thick rubber makes an ideal seat for the piezo - Just gotta try and squeeze it on the rack somewhere

[SuperPuss]

Mootiful Dave
Nice work

[daveybabes]

Thanks SP

Thanks Miss SP

I was hoping to run it "pasteurize" he he just hope the cow doesn't want it back - it was udderly enjoyable to do but i may have to get up at 5am to play it, ok ok i will shaddup, i'm milking it now



Hey Miss Tity it's 4.30am there don't u ever sleep?

[SuperPuss]

ROFL

Corny but amusing

[Michael Render]

Neat project Dave. How does it "sound"?

[daveybabes]

Wel it erm..

Neat project Dave. How does it "sound"?

Sounds like a cow bell or anything else he he

Perfect really, but then this is the first cowbell i've ever touched so naturally i wanted to drill holes in it and stuff things in it etc

Do you think we could corner the cattle market? maybe u can be my contact in USA and i will hold up my British end, sell a few million of these and retire?

Next project is a tambourine mounted on top of my CY5 and somehow hooked up so when i hit the CY5 in a certain place they both sound, i've seen acoustic drummers with that set up b4. Would have to silence all those little cymbals yikes! will have to think some on this one ...

You know one day i'm actually gonna have to sit down and learn how to play these babies

[SuperPuss]

Dave, you can add a tambourine to your hihat by accessing the hidden COSM features of your TD12 from VDrumLib. Then, all you'd need to do is connect your tambourine to your hihat input in parallel with your CY5 and bingo

[daveybabes]

Thanks SP

Hiya

Great idea, so wired parallel? yep i just had a look at Vdrumlib, u can go tambourine on/off on the hi hat,
Yeah i'm getting ya now, so if i then just hit the tambourine would the hi hat sound too and would the hi hat pedal effect the tambourine?

Dave

[JmanWord]

That's a good idea

http://www.vdrums.com/forum/showpost.php?p=166048&postcount=1

[daveybabes]

Hi SP

Dave, you can add a tambourine to your hihat by accessing the hidden COSM features of your TD12 from VDrumLib. Then, all you'd need to do is connect your tambourine to your hihat input in parallel with your CY5 and bingo

Hi there

I used the VdrumLib and set the tamb to "on"

So now if i leave the hi hat pedal open i get bow and edge open hat BUT when i press pedal closed i get closed edge and tamb bow ? it really eliminates the need for the tambourine fixed above as a seperate entity he he

I think i confused myself ... i think what i want is hi hat and tamb, tamb works independant of hat and vice versa, when hitting hat tamb sounds but only if i press a foot switch to trigger it on during certain parts of song as needed. But when hitting the tamb, only the tamb sounds.

WILL think on it some more ha ha

[Dannyw]

Davey is this cowbell loud acousticly? I know you dampened it some with the foam but does it not make a horrible clack noise when the stick contacts the metal? I'm considering making this but don't want something crazy loud, my neighbour moans everyday as it is!

[daveybabes]

No, i put a square of thin sticky back acoustic foam on it, it's no louder than a cymbal, maybe a bit less a square of 2mm thick rubber would be worth a try too.

[computerman]

Next project is a tambourine mounted on top of my CY5 and somehow hooked up so when i hit the CY5 in a certain place they both sound, i've seen acoustic drummers with that set up b4.

I did this... nice and fiddly with rubber grommets everywhere... works brilliantly!

[mishka_65]

Thanks Daveybabes, I might take up this project myself, your instructions and pics really helped.