Some DTX900 help - the Yamaha forum is dead

[evilcartman]

After having a Roland TD 30 a while, I decided to purchase a DtX 900 drum module. My kit is a mixture of Roland pads, Pintech, A2E DiY and all old Alesis triggers. That's funny, about the only thing I don't have are Yamaha triggers.

I just swapped out the module and my first impression was I was amazed at how much more natural the drum sounds were on the Yamaha even though that I haven't really set up the triggers and calibrated everything yet.

I'm having two problems and I have read the manual and it doesn't really address these things so I thought I would come here and ask the experts. My problems are of course the hi hat controller and the ride cymbal.

I am using a Roland FD-8 foot pedal as my controller and I have a do-it-yourself three zone ride done the way the Jman sells his kits, so it has 2 TRS jacks which is guess is the standard SmartTrigger ride with two jacks as far as the switch, strip and piezo are set up.

I've seen nothing in the manual or on the web in the way of hi-hat controller calibration for the GTX 900. As of now my pedal seems to be doing nothing even though it is plugged into the hi hat controller jack.

And I literally have no idea what to do with my ride cymbal.

Is there anyone that can assist me? Cause certainly isn't over at DTX forums. They get like one post a month.

[perceval]

I know... it's sad the DTX forum is such a ghost place.

People usually take a PCY cymbal and adjust to play on a Roland module, not the other way around. You'll be able to play the ride using 2 zones only.

The Roland HH controller is not compatible with Yamaha. You'll need a Yamaha pedal or the FSR diy, which works really well.

[Jovato]

The Yamaha hi-hat foot controller is cheap and actually supports the pressure bending, If my memory serves me correctly. However it feels kind of cheap and mushy. You can pick up a 3-zone Yamaha ride pretty cheaply on e-bay. It plays great with no qualifiers. In general, the 3 zone Yamaha cymbals are pretty inexpensive and play very well.

[pumpal]

To get 3 zones off the ride (and any cymbal as far as I am aware) on the DTX900 you got to change the connection a bit. Yamaha uses single stereo jack to get both the edge and the bell switches. Both switches short circuit the ring and the sleeve of the jack, but the edge has a 10Kohm resistor serially connected to it. The module measures this resistance and distinguishes which switch triggered - bell (~0Ohm between ring and sleeve) or edge (10Kohm between ring and sleeve) . So all you have to do to make the 3 zones work is to use the Bow/Bell jack of the cymbal for connection with the module and then additionally connect the ring pin of the Bow/Edge jack with the ring pin of the Bow/Bell jack with a 10K resistor. Hope it makes sense. Also I will actually measure the resistor I took off my PCY150s tomorrow to confirm I remember correctly it was 10K .

[evilcartman]

Any significant difference between the PCY150S and the PCY155?

And thanks for the info guys. I guess DTX people have no where to go eh? That forum is a ghost town.

To get 3 zones off the ride (and any cymbal as far as I am aware) on the DTX900 you got to change the connection a bit. Yamaha uses single stereo jack to get both the edge and the bell switches. Both switches short circuit the ring and the sleeve of the jack, but the edge has a 10Ohm resistor serially connected to it. The module measures this resistance and distinguishes which switch triggered - bell (~0Ohm between ring and sleeve) or edge (10Ohm between ring and sleeve) . So all you have to do to make the 3 zones work is to use the Bow/Bell jack of the cymbal for connection with the module and then additionally connect the ring pin of the Bow/Edge jack with the ring pin of the Bow/Bell jack with a 10Ohm resistor. Hope it makes sense. Also I will actually measure the resistor I took off my PCY150s tomorrow to confirm I remember correctly it was 10Ohm .

I can "almost" see it. Could I trouble you for a schematic? Then I could solder something up and try it.

[perceval]

Never tried the PCY150S, so I couldn't say.
I have the PCY155 and it triggers very well.

I was a bit busy while writing my first post but you can get some good info in this thread, using a FSR for HH controller.

http://www.vdrums.com/forum/advanced/diy/61236-easy-to-make-diy-hihat-controller

I have made some improvements (like better foam layers and a cleaner look to it instead of the ghetto wiring) but this was my solution: a plate that slides in and out of under the HH pedal, if I need to go out on a gig.

[ignotus]

@pumpal: It's a 10kOhm resistor

@evilcartman: Use the bell/bow jack for the trs cable to the module. Then, just bridge the ring pins of both jacks with a 10kOhm resistor. You might need to bridge the sleeve pins too - you can check with a multimeter to see if they are already connected.

[Jovato]

The PCY150S is heavier and just a touch louder (stick noise) than the PCY155S. It is also quite a bit older at this point. That being said, I remember liking the stick rebound better on the PCY150S. The bells trigger differently, but both can be dialed in.

[pumpal]

@pumpal: It's a 10kOhm resistor

Correct, I measured it but forgot to edit earlier. Thanks for the correction.

Any significant difference between the PCY150S and the PCY155?

I can "almost" see it. Could I trouble you for a schematic? Then I could solder something up and try it.

I didn't have a 155 - I got the 150S off ebay, but it is really old as a model and the chance to get one that is very well beaten up is significant. That happened to me and I had to replace both the piezo an the jack to make mine work. So imo better get a 155s if you are on the marked for such.

As for the schematic.,..

Depending on how the jacks are done on the cymbal, the simplest will be to bridge the ring pins with the 10k resistor - if you willing to manipulate inside the cymbal, can you post a picture of it where the jacks are mounted and if possible any casing opened so it is seen inside?

There is also another way to do it, without having to manipulate inside the cymbal):
- get 2 TRS (6.3mm) stereo jacks, either angled or straight - depends what your cymbal can take and you are able to find
- get a 10KOhm resistor, low power (0,25w or less)
- get some ~15cm of microphone cable, or 2 pieces of single wires
- get a spare TRS male-male stereo cable that you are willing to "sacrifice" (or the one you are currently using, but ... )
- If the cable has a jack that can be opened, open it - in that case for #1 you will also need only 1 new jack. If it is unserviceable, cut one side of that cable and re-solder it to one of the new jacks, keeping the pinout the same (what was connected to the tip goes to the tip of the new jack, etc... - when cutting the original jack, leave some length of cable with it so you can measure with a multimeter which color of wire goes to which part of the jack)
Here is a pin-out of a usual TRS jack:

- to the ring pin of the (second) new jack solder one side of the 10K resistor
- use the piece of cable to connect the other end of the resistor to the ring pin of the other jack and then connect also the grounds (sleeve) of the two jacks with the second wire/shielding if mono cable .
- make sure all is well insulated and is not coming in contact with each other/is not short circuiting when you close the jacks.
- plug the jack that is with the cable in the bow/bell output of the cymbal, and the other end (with the piece of wire) in the bow/edge.

I can draw something if it is still unclear - let me know.


That aside, I was thinking something else the other day - what about the pads, especially the snare ? Isn't Yammies 3 zone piezo-switch-switch and if so how the module deals with the Roland style dual zone piezo-piezo ..

[perceval]

That aside, I was thinking something else the other day - what about the pads, especially the snare ? Isn't Yammies 3 zone piezo-switch-switch and if so how the module deals with the Roland style dual zone piezo-piezo ..

One zone only.

I managed to wire up a switch for my sidestick sound. Was easy enough.