Noob drummer needs to make everything come together...

[Malpine Walis]

OK, as a noob, I am not even sure what questions to ask. Even so, I spent a good bit on ebay only to find that I need more stuff to get my kit working. So here is where I am at:

First auction was for an Alesis DM Pro. I have the AC adapter and the manual.

Second auction was for a stand and an assortment of triggers. No cables and no manuals.

So now I need to make it all come together. However, I really don't know where to go for the stuff that I need. I can get cables anywhere but I don't know what cables I need to get. Cheap guitar type cables are obvious enough for me but some stuff is going to need TS and other stuff is going to need TRS. I need to sort that out before I buy stuff.

I need the shelf thing that I will put the DM Pro brain on.

I have two cymbal triggers but nothing to mount them on the stand.

I have two tower things that must be for bass drums but I don't have the foot pedals for them.

I have a foot pedal that is for the hi-hat but just that. As little as I know, that is not enough for what a high hat is used for.

So I would appreciate it if you people would help me to work out a shopping list for where to go next. Also, the online vendor that you guys use wold be nice.

[tripp2k]

Welcome and have fun on your quest. I am not familiar enough with the Alesis gear so I'll apologize in advance for not being helpful there re: additional pads/cymbals/hi hat. I did find this while googling: "The DM Pro <has> six 1 1/4 4-inch TRS outputs (note...I also saw reference to the Pro having 16 inputs at a different location). I didn't try and download it, but it looks like you can get the manual here http://www.retrevo.com/s/Alesis-DM-P...13dj287/t/1-2/.

For cables, I have recently purchased some Hosa's from Sweetwater. When you factor in that they ship free within the USA, total cost of purchase is less than I have found elsewhere and their customer support is second to none. I patched my kit together mainly off ebay, but did make a few purchases through the classifieds in this forum. If you are looking for something, there are likely folks here that may have an extra lying around...just post a WTB in the classifieds.

Also, the search tool might yield some good information.

Thanks for joining and we are glad you are here!

You might also want to check out these user groups (I didn't go to them so I don't know how active they are): http://launch.groups.yahoo.com/group/dmdrums/, http://launch.groups.yahoo.com/group/dmpro/

[stickinthemud]

As for cables, there's no point in spending much money on the cables that run from the pads to the module - it's not an audio signal, just an impulse from the piezo that is not powerful or particularly nuanced. Guitar cables are overkill for this application. I have used $6 cords from Radio Shack that work fine. You will need to choose between mono cables (AKA "unbalanced" or "ring-tip" [RT]) for single-zone pads or stereo cables (AKA "balanced" or "ring-tip-sleeve" [RTS]) for dual-zone pads.

Kick pedal(s) is a tough one. Everybody has their favorites, and even a good pedal can be difficult to play if it isn't adjusted correctly. I would recommend going to your local drum shop and trying several out. Take your time, ask questions, and buy the one that feels best to you. Resist the temptation to go cheap on this. If the kick pedal throws you off even just a bit, it throws everything off. It needs to be like an extension of your body.

You'll probably spend the same amount of money (or less) on a couple of decent cymbal stand as you will on the clamps and extension arms necessary to mount the cymbals to your rack, so just buy a few free-standing stands. PDP makes a nice double-braced stand that is sturdy and versatile.

If you are looking for clamps and arms, I recommend the all-metal Gibralter-type clamp. eBay is a great source for such things. If you need arms to hold your pads, I am a great fan of the Dauz curved arm. Strong, versatile and not terribly expensive at www.dauz.com. You can also get the aforementioned metal clamps for $18 there.

In most cases will want to use a dual-zone pad for your hi-hat.

It would be helpful to know what kind of pads you have, but this info should get you going in the right direction.

[Malpine Walis]

[stickinthemud]

TRS is stereo is balanced.
TR is mono is unbalanced.

"AUX PEDAL" is where you would plug in a simple momentary contact switch. The function is often variable, but usually is most useful for advancing from one kit to another within a chain of kits.

“NOISE SUPRESSION” is a new one on me. Isn't noise what drums are all about?

If your pad have a rubber rim that you can pinch, it's possible they are dual zone and "chokable", though I have owned at least one dual zone pad that had a hard plastic rim (meant for use a snare).

To find out which of your pads are single or dual zone pads, do this. Plug a stereo (TRS) plug into one of the jacks that calls for a TRS plug, and set that channel to a crash cymbal sound. Make sure that in trigger settings you have specified Type 2 as the pad type. Plug the other end of your TRS plug into a pad and strike the pad. Immediately pinch the edge firmly between your thumb and forefinger. If this causes the sound to stop, you have a dual zone, chokable, piezo-switch type pad. You will likely find that you get a different sound if you strike the edge smartly than you do when you strike the center. If you get two different sounds from the center and the edge, but pinching does not "choke" the sound, you have a rare bird - a dual zone piezo-piezo pad - most useful as a snare pad. Actually, it's possible your "bar" pad is a piezo-piezo. If you get only one sound and cannot choke it, you have a single zone (piezo) pad. If you get muffled thud and the stick does not rebound, then you have a mattress pad.