Cables resistor specifics

[Elegantdrum]

I'm waiting on a Megadrum brain to show up. While I'm waiting, I wanted to modify some cables so that I am ready to work with the brain and pads that I have.

Dmitri sent me links with all the info I would need to get started, except I'm not 100% clear on where and how the resisters are added to cables.

I will try to boil this down to individual issues.

The resister it's self:
It sounds like 1/4" 5% resisters will be ok
It also appears I should make 10K 15K and 20K resistor cables to test varying controllers and pads.
It also sounds like most of the time 10K is enough. I say this because of the setting file descriptions that are available for download.
Will overpowered (say 1 watt) resisters help or hurt vs say a 1/4 watt?

Dmitri did reply with this:
P.S. for a "hot" pad ( or zone) a resistor must be soldered in-line. i.e. for the head/bow zone in-line on the tip wire and for the rim/edge zone in-line on the ring wire.
P.S.S. wattage of these resistors doesn't matter. You may need to try different values of the resistor between 10K-20K. If your pads are not too "hot" you may not need them at all.

I don't fully understand that either. I can't define "In-line", does that imply both ends of the resister are connected to the same wire? More than likely he is defining "in-line" as a series connection where the wire is broken and the resister is inserted.

Where EXACTLY does each end of the resister get connected too?

Here are three different configurations I can imagine:
Do I break the connection and insert the resister (series) so that the specific connection (both Tip or ring?) will now have 15K resistance?
Or do I solder both ends of the resister to the wire (parallel) in essence shorting out the resister? (Both tip and ring?)
Or do I solder one end to the tip and the other end to the sleeve? forcing 15K resistance between the tip and ring?

Are there any small variable resisters on the market in the 5-30K range so I can make one cable for testing the best resistance?

I could not find any pictures of a modified cable, only a single unclear schematic. If any have a photo of a modified cable that's worth 1000 words.

Understanding what the desired result is would also clear things up. Do we want a cable with 15K resistance from one tip to the other tip and one ring to the other ring? or 15K resistance from the tip to the ring? Or something else?

Should I consider adding resisters to the inputs on the brain rather then the cables so that my cables will still work with a TD-30 and the Megadrum?
Because of some other issues, I may end up using both brains....see my thread "As good as it gets"

Note, my pads are: (5) Hart Pro, (4) CY-15R, Pintech 18" 3 way Cymbal, Roland 12" hats, KD-120, and Trick pedal triggers.

[airflamesred]

I'd be very suprised if any of those pads/cymbals would need a resistor.

[dmitri]

Do I break the connection and insert the resister (series) so that the specific connection (both Tip or ring?) will now have 15K resistance?

This is exactly what I meant by "in-line".

Are there any small variable resisters on the market in the 5-30K range so I can make one cable for testing the best resistance?

You can use pretty much any 25K variable resistor you can find.

I could not find any pictures of a modified cable, only a single unclear schematic. If any have a photo of a modified cable that's worth 1000 words.

Understanding what the desired result is would also clear things up. Do we want a cable with 15K resistance from one tip to the other tip and one ring to the other ring?

Yes, like this. This is the same as "in-line" description above.

or 15K resistance from the tip to the ring? Or something else?

No, no, nothing like this!

Should I consider adding resisters to the inputs on the brain rather then the cables so that my cables will still work with a TD-30 and the Megadrum?

It's really up to you to decide but as airflamesred mentiond you may not need any resistors at all for your pads/cymbals.

[Elegantdrum]

Input specifics?

How are the inputs paired. down left, or down right? Using the Ride as reference, does the second cable for the ride go into aux 9 or aux 10?
or is this a very noob question because we can assign anything?
What inputs on your current 56 channel position unit have position sensing? (and a bit cooler input I believe)

[dmitri]

Input specifics?

How are the inputs paired. down left, or down right? Using the Ride as reference, does the second cable for the ride go into aux 9 or aux 10?

The default pairing is described in the first post of http://www.megadrum.info/forums/viewtop ... f=3&t=1393

or is this a very noob question because we can assign anything?

And yes, you can re-assign and re-name all inputs in MegaDrum.

What inputs on your current 56 channel position unit have position sensing? (and a bit cooler input I believe)

Inputs 4, 6, 8, 10 and 12. See http://www.megadrum.info/forums/viewtop ... f=3&t=2052

[Elegantdrum]

Ended up with this:
1 HH control
2 Kick
3 HH
4 SN +P
5 Ride A
6 Ride B +P
7 Crash 1
8 Tom 1 +P
9 Crash 2
10 Tom 2 +P
11 Crash 3
12 Tom 3 +P
13 Crash 4
14 Tom 4
15 Dingbat
16 Kick left
17 Kick right
18 Alternate HH Will use for continuous controller
19 Snare rim
20 Ride #2 A (China)
21 Ride #2 B
22 Crash 1 Edge
23 Tom 1 Rim
24 Crash 2 Edge
25 Tom 2 Rim
26 Crash 3 Edge
27 Tom 3 Rim
28 Crash 4 Edge
29 Snare off switch

The brain will be perfect!. Every slot used for a 4 tom kit with maximum controls.

[Elegantdrum]

The unit just showed up. Will see how it goes!

[dmitri]

18 Alternate HH Will use for continuous controller

A HiHat pedal/controller can be used only in the first jack

[Elegantdrum]

Good to know about the continuous controllers. Will have to use the hat pedal for other special controls or perhaps jumper in the TMC-6.

What about foot switches?
I would like to use one for snare off, the other for a switch of sounds. Like rotate through 4 kits. With the right hats, dropping the hat is another nice foot switch.

The 70 x 100 mm mounting pattern matched right up with the Roland mounting plates (TMC-6 and TD-series). Just had to get a few matching screws from the hardware store.

Finished plugging most everything in, next to turn on and install the software. 30' forest green USB cable.
Moved the tom rims next to the tom heads, cymbals to the bottom row. from the input list above. Easier to organize.
Going to decide on the # map now. I plan to use with both BFD and the supplied drums with Sonar platinum (I think it's Addictive drums) and potentially a TD-30 and a few keyboards. As a result I think the best answer is to use the megadrum map and mold everything to the megadrum note numbers. The other answer is to use the BFD map because that's my primary sound source, and all those sounds would work right by default.

[dmitri]

What about foot switches?
I would like to use one for snare off, the other for a switch of sounds. Like rotate through 4 kits. With the right hats, dropping the hat is another nice foot switch.

HiHat pedal (variable or switch type) can only be used in the first jack. You may achieve what you described with PrgChg. See Function description in http://www.megadrum.info/content/pads-settings