Acoustic drums with megadrum

[heckstall]

A few years ago I started buiding the Megadrum Hardware (32 inputs).
I want to use it for recording the drumkit in my band, not using microphones but drum-triggers (DDrum) and BFD2 software.
Because I did not get predictable results, IMO mainly due to resonance of the drums, I built a front-end with rectifiers more or less as seen elsewhere (e.g. eDrum). This has been a huge improvement but still I do not have good (enough) results.
I am using older (pre-protected bootloader) software (20091217) because I do not need more functionality!
Questions are:
Are there people out there using a acoustic drumkit with Megadrum having satisfying results? (What software?)
Is there a chance that using the newer software with "improved false trigger" algorithms (version 20110703 and later), results will be better? (As Dmitri stated: "With the new algorithm I have a feeling the false triggering suppression works very well" (especially with mesh pads)).
Thank you and Merry Christmas!

[Maylord.war]

Hi

I suggest to upgrade the firmware with a latest version, very useful for meshhead and new features for roland VH11/12 controller hihat.

I'm satisfied of my Megadrum, but keep in mind not is "plug&play" like roland/yamaha/alesis etc...

For first, check your signal piezo to know if is too hot (high sinusoidal peak) , set the parameter called "HighLvlAuto" to Yes and go to "HighLvl" screen, default is 64, now take your pad and hit the mesh head with a moderate/hard force.

The HighLvl screen will rise automatically with every stroke higher than the previous, if you read a 800/900 value your peak signal from piezo is high ,this means it reduce the dynamics when you play e-drums , you must reduce it with a voltage divider.

I'm going ahead with my pad , i've a diy pad , i've putted 10k resistor in series beetween the jack socket and piezo wire.

I know 10k resistor are good to cold my pad because the structure of my pad and the density foam cone can lead me to read 300/380 highlevel, obviously not all Diy Pad have the same structure/equality , then i suggest to you to try with a 50k resistor/trimmer to check wich value is perfect for you (by rotating the pot).


After this set "Gain" to zero , "Curve " to Linear , "DynLevel" to 12 and "DynamicTime" around 32. Set "threshold" to 80 (it will lower gradually) , Min scan around 40 (more than the circumference of the pad is bigger and should be increased, for example for a big 22/24" kickdrum a good value is 85/90 for 12" snare pad i have good results with value 38 )

Try this and report your info.

Sorry for my bad english and "papyrus"

[heckstall]

Thanks Maylord, I appreciate your answer!

Accept for the firmware update I have already done what you mentioned (and much more); I've been working on it for a long time.
Are you satisfied with MD using mesh/acoustic heads, because I find it rather suspicious that you are the only one replying to this threat (yet)?
I will order a bootloader-protected device and use the latest firmware.

BTW your English is OK to me!

[ignotus]

I also use mesh heads and it works great. Performance with mesh heads has improved radically since 2009, it's well worth getting a new chip with the bootloader.

[angr77]

For all of us newcomers who have been around for just a year, your question felt too obvious...

The MegaDrum works very well...a bit hard to tweak because of all the nice configuration options...but when you get it right...it is great!!

Best regards

Anders

[heckstall]

For all of us newcomers who have been around for just a year, your question felt too obvious...

Sorry, I do not understand.

[angr77]

Hi again.

What I ment was newer users, which have been around since firmware 20110703 and later have not experinced any problems to get mesh heads etc to trigger perfectly. (at least not me..) Megadrum is working fine nowdays, but could be a bit hard to dial in. You said in the thread that you got suspicious, when only one person had made a reply on your thread.

The firmware tweaks with positional sensing, the updates for VH-11/12 and also all the newer versions of Megadrum Manager makes the drumming life very much easier.

Merry Christmas

Anders

[everson]

Yup, another happy MD mesh head user here.