My DIY e-drums.

This is my acoustic to electric conversion project thus far. Alesis DM5 into EZDrummer via Cubase SX3. Sorry for the sloppy playing.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• diy
• edrum
• e-drum
• midi drum
• trigger

[icehockeystick]

hey great kit! sounds and looks awesome. One question, if I only want to do a drumpad, do I need a module or can I just connect it directly to the computer? Thanks!!

[armageddacrab1]

@icehockeystick You're gonna need a module of some sort to convert the impulses from your pad into MIDI data. A workaround could be that you record the impulses directly into your DAW, and then use a plug-in like Drumagog to trigger samples with the resulting audio track. Never tried that last one, though.

[1997SAndrew]

Wow! that was great! I want to do exactly the same with my kit. So you have put piezos or special drum triggers inside the drums? then connected them into an Alesis DM5 to convert them into MIDI then plugged that into your PC (with a USB lead??) And you've got EZDrummer software? but where does Cubase SX3 come into it?

Sorry I just want to know EXACTLY what I'm doing before I attempt it on my kit. Thank you

[armageddacrab1]

@1997SAndrew Using the cheap Piezo Transducers from RadioShack. 3 bucks a pop. I use a wooden crossbeam inside the drum (any spare lumber will work), then used a long flathead bolt with a wide washer fixed to the top as the platform for the piezo trigger. Then mounting tape, piezo, more tape, then 1"x1"x1.5" piece of sanding block foam standing on top. I don't use USB, but w/ an Alesis Trigger I/O you could do that. I use the MIDI input on my Delta card so I can more easily record in Cubase.

[rodrig0sur]

Hey man, really nice job!!!! And you played really well!!!

Its one of the best sounding electric drumset I ve heard!

Could you tell me why is the snare drum sounding so realistic? I know how diy edrums are made, but that snare really sounds like an acoustic one!! Amazing!!

And you think an edrum could sound that well using no module (plugged to a laptop)?

Thank you so much!!!!!!

[armageddacrab1]

@rodrig0sur

Haha, you can thank Toontrack for the realistic snare sound. For now, I run MIDI into EZDrummer to get my sounds. It's incredibly simple, highly customizable, and sounds pretty damn good. Definitely beats the old days of recording 24 different velocities of each one of your drums and manually programming them into a Reason NNXT patch... Anyway, you would probably at least need a module to convert trigger impulses to MIDI, like an Alesis Trigger I/O (has no intrinsic audio engine).

[rodrig0sur]

@armageddacrab1 Ok, you re awesome dude, thanks for your help and for understanding my english!

[devilreaz]

Hey man can you tell me how you installed the transducers under the mesh heads?

[vZamfir]

realy nice!! congrats, everything sounds great. The kickdrum still not as good as the rest but realy good work there

[YourNewGod123]

Check out my pearl traveler drum conversion.