Modding an Alesis hi-hat pedal?

[chuf]

Hello everyone,

Hope this is the right forum. I've just got an Alesis DM-5 Pro Kit, and it's fine for what I'm using it for (practice), but the hi-hat pedal is crazy - you have to lift your foot up about 6 inches before it'll release! Does anyone know of a way to adjust the point at which the hi-hat releases? Or has anyone done this with a similar pedal? Or should I just buy a new one?

Thanks in advance!

Ben

[seanwhitley2000]

Sorry I dont know exactly about modding the alesis pedal but instead of buying a new one, why give building one a quick try
http://vdrums.com/forum/showthread.php?t=39793
This is my very cheap hihat pedal which works well enough for me. Ive upgraded it now so it actually has a push button intead of tinfoil and foam. If it doesnt do the job well enough for you, its only a few quid wasted trying to make it

[Gastric]

I think the DM5 only supports on and off, no variability. So you could use anything on/off device to control it.

* Light switch
* Any microswitch
* Two wires (or metal connected to the wires) that touch then don't like SeanWhitely2000 constructed
* Any cheap on/off footswitch (I had a simple short-throw sustain switch with my DM4)

You should be able to easily construct something for little or no money. But I think the sustain switches are only $15 or less if you needed to buy something.

Here's the specific pedal I had. Fairly short throw, polarity switch on bottom if needed, as basic as they come. http://www.music123.com/Quik-Lok-PS-...24285.Music123

I eventually velcroed the bottom of the pedal to the base of an actual hihat stand so the hihat pedal pressed down on the PS-25 switch for that "real" hihat feel, though it still only did on and off. Just throwing out ideas to get your gears churnin'.

[chuf]

Haha - that's amazing, I don't know why I thought it would be any more complicated than that! I've actually got an old hi-hat stand that I'm not using, so I might try sticking some tinfoil and wires on that - I take it I can just use any input socket and some speaker wire?

[seanwhitley2000]

Any 1/4 inch audio jack. I used mono because they're slightly cheaper and the hi-hat doesnt need to be in stereo. If your using a proper hi-hat stand then youll need to make sure you insulate the tinfoil switch from the metal stand or it will always register as the hi-hat being closed

[chuf]

Oh aye, of course - thanks for that!

[Hellfire]

Haha - that's amazing, I don't know why I thought it would be any more complicated than that! I've actually got an old hi-hat stand that I'm not using, so I might try sticking some tinfoil and wires on that - I take it I can just use any input socket and some speaker wire?

Converting a hi-hat to a simple switch is quite easy. I did this a few years back:




I have more pictures of it on my website. Just goto the "Gallery" link and scroll down to the eDrum Set #4a. I only needed one wire to make it. The stand itself is the other conductor. Have you tried to open up your alesis foot pedal to see if you can adjust the switch? Maybe you can put a spacer between the top of the switch and the surface that contacts the switch. I'm shooting in the dark here, because I don't know how the inside of the pedal looks. Maybe you could post some pictures? Good luck with your project!