Safe to use brushes on an electronic kit?

[cendrillon]

Hi everyone,

I just picked up a pair of wire retractable brushes which I've been playing with on my electronic kit (I think it's annoy the neighbours less than the constant thucking of sticks on rubber).

However I've noticed that the edge of my rubber cymbols / hit hat gets a little white when I hit the edge with the sticks. It doesn't look like any real damage, and the white colour goes away if I rub it with my finger, however I was starting to wonder if I'm causing microscoping little cuts that will later rip open if I beat them with my regular sticks?

Am I paranoid or should I stop using wire brushes?

Anyone have any thoughts or experience on the use of brushes on an electronic kit?

I saw on the Roland sight that TD-12s are 'brush compatible' so they must have somehow had the intention that someone may use brushes on their systems?

Thanks!

[ige87]

All Roland manuals state that you shold use plastic/nylon brushes rather than wire ones, but I think that is more to do with them ripping the mesh. Most pads will get a little white powder on them regardless of what you hit them with, its just dust, partly from the pads and partly from the sticks. That said, if I were you, I'd swap to nylon brushes.

[cendrillon]

Awesome, thanks!
I didn't actually see any nylon brushes in the music store. Are they common?

[grog]

Dunno how common but you can get em. I have a pair of Silver Fox nylon brushes and I believe all the stick makers have em.

www.myspace.com/rubberuniverse

[cendrillon]

By the way, do you find the drum kit sensitive enough to play with nylon brushes?

[ige87]

The TD-12 has 'brush mode' which ups the sensitivity a bit for use with brushes. Check your manual. Yes, nylon brushes are very common, I used to have a few pairs but as a jazzer I prefer wire and I don't bother with them on my V's.

[grog]

Even the exp TD10 has a brushes kit. However, I've found you need to possibly tweak the settings to get it dialed in. But yeah, brushes work fine on that module. I have no idea about the 3/6/8 tho.

www.myspace.com/rubberuniverse

[evil1rox]

Wire brushes + mesh heads = bad long term for you mesh heads.

Any Guitar Center, Sam Ash, _insert music store here_ should have an offering of brushes that will have nylon (or other plastic) bristles . Those will be more friendly to the heads on your drums.

E

[cendrillon]

Now I'm starting to get worried. How much damage do you think I could have done to my rubber cymbols / mesh heads (or the sensors underneath?) in 5 mins of playing with wire brushes?

Not much I hope?

[Fullback32]

Here's a pair.

http://www.musiciansfriend.com/produ...air?sku=443610

[evil1rox]

Now I'm starting to get worried. How much damage do you think I could have done to my rubber cymbols / mesh heads (or the sensors underneath?) in 5 mins of playing with wire brushes?

Not much I hope?

I would say no worries... long term would be troublesome...that time period.. fuhgetaboutit

E

[ige87]

I'd have to agree with E1R, you won't have done much harm, if any in that length of time. I believe that Brush Mode can be found on the TD-8,12 and 20. It is probably on the TD-10 too, but I've not encountered it, not that I've looked into the TD-10 much! I know it is not on the TD-3 or TD-6, and have seen no mention of it in relation to the TD-9 either.

[cendrillon]

I played around with a demo TD-9 in the store (setting were pretty similar to my TD-3 at home). I found that if you set the threshold to 0 and the sensitivity to 15 then brushes work pretty fine, although I don't know how much they really emulate a true brush sound, my goal was more to stop the building management from coming to my appartment at night when the neighbours complain and maybe ease my sholder pains

That was with wire brushes. I guess nylon brushes are a bit lighter so might need a bit more wipping action to get them to trigger.

BTW I just bought a DVD that purposesdly teaches you how to use brushes as a training method for faster player, better wrist motion etc. I'll let you know how it goes.

[ige87]

Good luck with that! I'd suggest you invest in a cheap acoustic snare to practice brushes on. It wont be that loud and it'll be much better for building brush technique. I bought a Rhythmtech Laptop a couple of years back and its fantastic for that! It was much less than the rrp though, even after the conversion to GBP.

[allanjohn]

For what it's worth, brushes work well on the TD-8 which has a Brushes setting. Add the VEX brushes pack, and you're away. I use Regal Tip nylons.
No "brushes" setting on the TD9.