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**Oz DrumR** · 06-08-01, 03:11 AM

Great review Mick.

**Boingo** · 06-08-01, 03:12 AM

Originally posted by Mick Wade:
It's even got alternating pan, which to me is one of the coolest features of the TD-8. Mick

What is alternating pan? Does the sound float back and forth as you're playing?

**MPCman** · 06-08-01, 03:49 AM

Originally hosted by Boingo:
What is alternating pan? Does the sound float back and forth as you're playing?

Maybe one day when Dolby Surround panning is standard on all musical instruments
This one use left and right, so it goes from the left to the right when playing I guess.

Good review indeed! Thanks

**DougM** · 06-08-01, 06:04 AM

Originally posted by Mick Wade:
If anyone out there has any specific questions regarding anything I haven't covered on this, feel free to post or e-mail me.

Mick,

Thanks for the great review. I've been looking to try out this kit but it's not yet available at our local GC. Does the snare input on the TD-6 support positional sensing as with the TD-8/TD-10 modules?

Thanks again,
Doug

**Schmunk** · 06-08-01, 07:17 AM

Alternating pan is where you play a pad and the sound alternates from the left speaker then the right speaker (If you have that pad in a stereo mix!!). It's really cool for HH.

To use it, pan an input hard right, then one more and you'll see 'ALT'. That's alternating pan. One more and you'll see '?' which is a random pan, which could be good for crashes or FX.

Schmunk

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TD-8, Pintech pads, Pearl rack, PM-3, Behringer 802 mixer and DSP1400 UltraMizer

**puttenvr** · 06-08-01, 08:23 AM

Originally posted by Schmunk:
Alternating pan is where you play a pad and the sound alternates from the left speaker then the right speaker (If you have that pad in a stereo mix!!). It's really cool for HH.

I always play for an audience that drunk too much. So: not to be recommended.

**Mick Wade** · 06-08-01, 01:52 PM

Thanks for the compliments, fellas. I appreciate it. Glad I could help.

DougM, regarding your question about the positional sensing: I didn't detect anything in the roughly 30 kits I played or in the manual that indicated there was any positional sensing capability. The dynamic control was certainly there, though. I have to mention something really weird along these lines: one of the sales guys at the music store told me that he had played the kit before I got there, and he was talking about the "velocity-switching feature on the CY-6 cymbals". I asked him exactly what he meant, and he said "If you hit the cymbal softly, you'll get a bow sound, and if you play it a little harder and closer to the bell, you'll get a bell sound." I was a little skeptical about that, mainly because I knew going in that the CY-6 pads had bow and edge triggers only. Well, using a 5B stick, factory settings, a fairly tame stroke, and being careful that I didn't hit the edge of the cymbal, I was able to exactly duplicate what he had described. I freaked! Quite honestly, I've gotten better results so far using the CY-6 as a ride than the CY-15R! I don't really have an explanation for what happened other than it did. Is this a glitch of some kind? Maybe. But I will say this without reservation: unless the 2" larger diameter and white underside with the V-drum logo means something to you, you'd be crazy to buy the CY-14s ($245.00) over the 6s ($95.00). In all relevant performance aspects, they're the same product. Personally, I like the look of the CY-6s better, anyway....

Schmunk's definition of "alternating pan" was correct. The sound alternately pans hard left and right with each successive hit of the pad. Way cool. It works great in songs with bass drum quarter-note ostinatos. Try it on China-type sounds, too....

**jrcel** · 06-08-01, 03:00 PM

Can the pad inputs send on more than one channel? Are there any layering, crossfading or alternate modes ? How about sequence control?

**Boingo** · 06-08-01, 04:03 PM

Originally posted by Mick Wade:
... he was talking about the "velocity-switching feature on the CY-6 cymbals". I asked him exactly what he meant, and he said "If you hit the cymbal softly, you'll get a bow sound, and if you play it a little harder and closer to the bell, you'll get a bell sound." ...

The TD10 rides have two bell choices. One is RdB which plays the bell only, no matter how hard you hit it. The other is RdX. The RdX does what you are talking about. Play it lightly and you get a ride cymbal. Hit harder and you get the bell. Of course you have to set the ride pad to the RdX (not the rim) to fully realize what I'm talking about. I discovered this when I first got the TD10 but never could get it to suit my style/velocity of playing (the bell would sound when I didn't intend it to).

I use the RdX all the time when I set the bell sound on the rim of the PD-9 as it allows you to add some variation to playing the bell.

Now that I think about it, I suppose I could play with the trigger settings to make it more suited to my playing style/velocity. If successful, that would allow a 3 zone ride without shelling out $$ for v-cymbals. Funny I don't recall any threads discussing this feature. (I think you have to set the pad for positional sensing to do this).

[This message has been edited by Boingo (edited June 08, 2001).]

**Mick Wade** · 06-08-01, 11:56 PM

Originally posted by jrcel:
Can the pad inputs send on more than one channel? Are there any layering, crossfading or alternate modes ? How about sequence control?

Hey, jrcel:

If I'm understanding your first question correctly, no. The TD-6 has left and right master outs only. There are no secondary or auxiliary outputs.

Crossfading: could you please clarify for me your definition of that term? I've seen it used interchangeably with "velocity-switching" quite often, and I just want to make sure I'm on the same page as you. For the record, my understanding of the term "velocity-switching" is that one sound becomes another (usually of a similar type) based upon the amount of striking force exerted on the drum pad, synth key, etc. If this is what you're referring to, then see below for my reply to Boingo......

I hate to sound ignorant, but I'm afraid I'll also need a definition of "alternate modes".

Sequencer control: the TD-6 functions identically to the TD-8 in this respect, but that can be a blessing or a curse depending on how infatuated you are with the General MIDI format, which I, unfortunately, am not. To elaborate on that point, perhaps an explanation of my rig is in order: the heart of my rack is my Alesis DataDisk MIDI librarian/sequencer, which I use to store and play back all my programmed sequences with via 3.5" floppy. It runs MIDI In to my Peavey MIDI Master II 8X8 patchbay, which allows me to route the sequencer notes and commands to my TD-8, an Alesis D-4, a Yamaha TMX, an E-mu Proteus FX synth module, Roland XP-30 and Juno-2 synthesizers, and a DigiTech Studio Quad V2 effects unit. These are all connected to MIDI outputs on the patchbay. The TD-8 is also plugged MIDI In into the patchbay, and the MIDI Master allows output merging, so this enables me to have simultaneous control over the D-4 and TMX by way of the V-drums and/or the DataDisk. When I first started programming sequences, the unit I was using was an outboard 4-track device. Since the drums are the most important part of any music , I assigned all drum-related parts and commands to channel 1, and this is the channel that my three drum modules and my DigiTech unit receive on. The first thing that appears on any of my sequences are the necessary program change commands, so when I start a song--presto--all the kits are automatically in line and putting forth the proper sounds assigned to the corresponding sequencer notes. Yes, I know, this is MIDI 101, but the TD-6 and TD-8 will not accept program change commands and MIDI Note commands simultaneously on user-assigned MIDI channels! They will do one or the other, but not both, whereas my D-4 and TMX will. You could play either of those units from pads and have them be controlled by a sequencer at the same time. In order to use the TD-6/8 as a MIDI sound module, you must place it in "Soft Thru" mode, which disengages Program Change command reception. Conversely, if you want to have your sequencer call up your kit in this fashion, you'll have to turn off Soft Thru, which means that the TD-6/8 sounds can no longer be triggered by the sequencer. Needless to say, this creates problems in the live performance department. So in order to get manual- and sequencer-controlled drum sounds, my own personal click track, and sounds that I can route out to an outboard effects unit on a per-pad, per-kit basis, I have to use three drum modules. And this, my friends, sucks. Is there a way around this? Yes. And that's where the General MIDI deal comes in. For those who don't already know, all GM scores have the drums assigned to MIDI channel 10, so that kind of screws me as far as my current sequences are concerned. And on top of that, the TD-6/8 will not allow the drum kit and percussion set to share the same MIDI channel.The bottom line is this: if you want to use the TD6/8 as a sequencer-controlled drum kit and MIDI sound module, you'll have to program the necessary information on two separate tracks. Dumb.....

Hi, Boingo:

Your reference to the "RdX" sound was interesting, because I seem to remember seeing several sounds in the TD-6 manual marked with an "X". I RTFTD-8M and noticed that these same "RdX" sounds are available on the TD-8, and based on my demo results with the TD-6, it would seem that it has them also! Honestly, I was not expecting such a feature on the TD-6. I guess a cool module just got cooler! Thanks for pointing that out to me.......

**DJourg** · 06-12-01, 07:02 PM

I tried the Club kit today for a brief sit. It was everything Mick said, except one problem...the cymbals didn't choke.****June 14 Note: see below!

I'll add that I preferred the Club's smaller cymbals to the ones that came with the Sessions.

DJourg

[This message has been edited by DJourg (edited June 14, 2001).]

**Mick Wade** · 06-12-01, 11:44 PM

Hey, DJourg:

It's weird that you didn't get any kind of choke function from the CY-6 cymbals; I didn't have any of those problems myself when I demoed it. I apologize if I'm insulting your intelligence, but that big semicircular "lip" on the underside of the CY-6 is what you're supposed to grab to engage the choke. Maybe the modules were set up differently or something?.....

**Steve Gardner** · 06-13-01, 09:31 AM

Hey all!! I am back!! I am real interested in this Club Kit. This is the first I have heard about it. Mick, thats a real good review you wrote, thanks for taking the time to do that. Can you tell me what you are seeing as a price on these.
I sold my expanded V Pros in January. Its been a big mistake.I think sometimes in our musical careers we all sell a piece of gear that we wish we had not have sold....that was certainly my error. well, I am looking into starting from scratch. No recording, will only use my acoustics for my band gigs. So, this will basically be a rehearsal kit for me....How much!!!

**redman** · 06-13-01, 10:23 AM

Hey , STEVE GARDNER !!! So did you buy and sell an Extreme too......nice to see ya around again!

Welcome back....

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~REDMAN~

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Club Kit (TD/CY/PD/FD-6) review

Club Kit (TD/CY/PD/FD-6) review

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