Live Setup

[51Peg]

I just bought my V-Drums and I am interested in hearing what other people have used for amplification/ monitors at live shows?

Also, how else can I eliminate a pad from being triggered by vibrations from guitar amps and cymbals other than putting the crosstalk setting at it's max?

[Lee]

Hmmm... 51Peg - nearby star recently discovered to have a thought-to-be-Jupiter-like planet orbiting it. You must be an astronomer! Amateur or professional?

Most used sound reproduction device seems to be the Roland KC-500. I prefer JBL SR series cabs and Crown amp. I've copied a lengthy reply from Mr. Joe Lee concerning his take on it:

Quote - " I just got done putting together a monitor- speaker system for my vdrums that I am finally happy with. Recreating the volume and wide frequency range of an acoustic drumset is not an easy feat. The cymbals have tones well above 16kHz while bass drums can have fundamentals in the teens.

I tried the Roland KC-500 and was quite unhappy with it. It would distort badly when the bass drum was hit even at moderate volume levels.

After trying several setups, I ended up putting a subwoofer satellite system together
that consists of two Yamaha MSP5 biamped studio monitors, an old Carvin bass amp, and an 18" Carvin cabinet that my buddy custom tuned down to 30Hz. The built in cross over in the carvin head is at 250Hz (too high, but I plan to modify it down). The Yamahas are placed at my ear level, about 24" away. The system sounds great at low and high sound pressure levels. The Yamahas have a flat response out to 40kHz so they recreate the cymbal sounds of the TD-10 nicely. When I hit the kick, it sounds and feels like a real bass drum thanks to the 18" driver in the Carvin. " - End quote

Regarding the crosstalk, try setting the Threshold [Setup][F1-Trig] higher for the offending pad(s). I've had to set my threshold for the toms up as high as 10 for certain situations.
lee -( No relation to the comet )

[51Peg]

That's the name of the band I am in- the singer is somewhat of an amateur astronomer, thus the name.

Thanks for your answer. That setup is along the lines of what I was thinking but I wanted to get some feedback.

Thanks again....

[Tom Berry]

Hi guys,
I agree with you about the KC-500. It just can't handle the low end. What I ended up doing is killing two birds with one stone.
I had wanted a little PA system to keep at my house for when friends came over to play.
I bought a Peavey 8 channel PA system. It has two 150 watt amps. A couple of Peavey monitors (15" black widow & a horn in each), and a Peavey Sub. The vdrums sound good through them. I use this setup for stage monitoring and go into the bands PA through a direct box. The people in the band say the drums sound great. Although I have moments
of insecurity about what the soundman thinks drums should sound like.

[Mike]

I have two KC-500's for home use and am quite happy with them for that. They will also do double duty for stereo stage monitors as well. The previous posts are quite correct about the low end kick. I don't crank up up enough to have problems with low end distortion but for the ultimate set up you will need a good sub.

[esands]

My experience with combo amps (like the Roland KC and Peavy KB series) is that they are great all-around amps giving you the flexibility to amplify multiple instruments. Since these amps are only 2-way, the 15" woofer has to cover a wide frequency range, thus sacrificing some low end bass. My suggestion would be to add a dedicated sub-woofer to your system. Anyone know of a good self-amplified sub-woofer?

On a side note, I have a pair of Alesis Monitor 2 speakers (http://www.alesis.com/products/monitor2/) driven by an Alesis RA-500 500 watt amp via Mackie mixer in my home studio. If you're looking for a powerful near to mid range monitor system, this is the perfect set-up. I practice my vdrums through this system and the sound is clear and punchy. The Monitor 2s are 3-way speakers with built-in crossovers that create great separation between the highs, mids and lows. The low end is almost too powerful for the small room I have them in!

Eric Sands - [email protected]

[Steveo the Devo]

I would have to agree with y'all there biamping is definately the way to go. As Bass frequencies take more power of an amplifier it is often the case that there is little power left to do justice to the higher frequencies. I have found myself quite disappointed with cymbal sounds and not having enough kick in my kick at times too! I am currently running an 18" EV sub from a bridged Yamaha p4500 amp and an EV sx300 cabinet off a second p4500 amp. Great sound, crystal clear and plenty of grunt! Although it is a little bit on the excessive side for a stage monitor.

[Lee]

Drool!!!

[wolfy]

Wolf drool!!!!!!

[Ken Taylor]

Anybody remember the Peavey ED300 ?
I currently use this for a stage monitor along with a pair of Alligator electronic drum speakers. The Alligators are made in London an consist of 2 12" speakers in each cab along with a bullet horn. I use a 200 watt RMS per channel mosfet amp to drive them. Bass is very punchy in these speakers and the DDT compression in the Peavey unit allows you to set very low bass on the amp without fear of making the speaker fart.

[ZANZCAT]

Has anyone tried their drums through
JBL Eon series active speakers?
Im considering these and would appreciate any feedback. Thanx =)

[twundke]

> Has anyone tried their drums through JBL Eon series active speakers?
> Im considering these and would appreciate any feedback.

These are the speakers I would use most often. I play mostly in Churches, and these are the speakers we currently have as our FOH at my home Church.

I personally like them a lot. The speakers have a great range, and their high sensitivity means you can get a good volume out of them for their rating. If you're wanting to push them, then I'd suggest a sub of some sort (they have good to very good bass response, but not "great" bass response). Overall an excellent speaker (which you'd kinda expect from JBL).

[jrcel]

I've been using a Peavey power amp and two 210TX cabs. Basicly they're bass bins with horns and an Lpad attenuator,the frequency range is 30hz-16khz and they sound great for electronic drums, and they're small. You can find them fairly cheap at www.ugbm.com, mine were $175.00 each. They are 3/4" plywood construction with recessed handles and metal screen. Also they run at 4ohms so you get the most out of your power amp. PS the range of human hearing is 20hz-20khz, you'd be hard pressed to identify 20hz from 30hz. Most bass bins are tuned to 40hz as it is about the lowest "usable" frequency for music. Anything lower than that is used for rumble, something you don't want for monitoring you drums or any other program matierial in a critical enviornment. 16khz is enough to cover cymbals naturally without excess highs the colour the sound in a live enviornment.

[This message has been edited by jrcel (edited 07-19-99).]

[This message has been edited by jrcel (edited 07-19-99).]

[Sim]

I was in a music store today and the salesman was pushing a Mackie monitor for my Vdrums. It's self-powered... 400 watts.... and the frequency range bottoms out at 50hz. That's the part that concerns me. Does anyone have any views as to whether or not that is sufficient range to handle the kick? They're equipped with a 12" and horn. My intuition is telling me that it wouldn't be good bass response for e-drums, but does anyone have an opinion? I'm going to take the TD-10 to the store and try it.

[Mark]

That would be the Mackie SRM450, which I am likely buying soon. You will NOT believe that all that bottom end comes from a 12" driver. 300 watts for the lows, 150 for the highs, and the speakers are made by RCF - the same folks who make drivers for EAW (actually RCF is now owned by Mackie).

Tried one at the store with my TD-10... *very* nice. They make the Eons sound like, well, not as good.

As always, YMMV.
-Mark