Category: DIY

DIY

Rethinking the mount

There’s a small, unglamorous piece of hardware that sits on the underside of virtually every electronic drum module ever made — the mounting bracket. It attaches to a standard 70 x 100 mm hole pattern that has become a de facto industry standard across decades of development and countless manufacturers. And for decades, drummers have quietly tolerated it. Greg Bennett got tired of tolerating it. A captain on the Boeing 757 for a large international cargo carrier, Bennett isn’t someone who accepts “good enough” when he can see a better way. That same mindset that makes a great aviator — systematic, precise, always questioning — led him to design not one but two entirely new drum module mounts from scratch, […]

DIY

Zourman hits 2box milestone

Sweden’s 2box accessory specialist Zourman has shipped its 500th hi-hat conversion module. Founder Anders Grönlund says the milestone unit was delivered to an e-drummer in Spain. “What started as a dream in 2016 has now become an unbelievable reality,” he says. “For a product as niche as ours, this is extraordinary. From day one, the aim was to give drummers innovative solutions to enhance their electronic set-ups. Reaching 500 units confirms what we’ve always believed: passion, persistence and precision can turn even the most ‘impossible’ dreams into reality.” As digitalDrummer noted in a May 2016 review, the bright orange box is “a simple, plug-and-play solution that allows 2box owners to seamlessly use their Roland hi-hat controller and cymbal”. “It’s not […]

DIY, Gear

Buyer Beware: The new wave of TD-12/TD-20 screens on AliExpress

If you own a Roland TD-12 or TD-20 module, you already know you’re caring for a vintage classic. Roland stopped supporting both modules almost two decades ago, and genuine replacement screens have long since disappeared from the official supply chain. That’s why the sudden appearance of a plethora of new TD-12/TD-20 replacement screens on AliExpress — most around the US$100 mark — will no doubt raise a few hopeful eyebrows. Unfortunately, hope isn’t the same as certainty. A quick scan of buyer feedback paints a very mixed picture. One frustrated customer reports that his screen didn’t work at all. After the buyer was asked to return it at his own cost — and complying — the seller then demanded additional […]

DIY, Gear, VST

Developer shares TMI design for free

In a refreshing move for the electronic drumming community, amateur builder and embedded software engineer Tobias Gunkel has released the complete open-source design for his custom trigger-to-MIDI module, EavesDrum. Developed as a personal project to overcome the high cost and perceived lack of innovation in the e-drum market, Gunkel is offering the plans at no charge, inviting DIY enthusiasts to build their own professional-grade module replacement. Gunkel’s journey into e-drums began, perhaps ironically, with a used Guitar Hero drum set. “I was surprised to find it was basically a real (though outdated and low-end) drum set,” he recalls. Living in an apartment, the noise from the rubber pads was an immediate problem, driving him to research quiet alternatives. This quickly […]

DIY, Gear

Vintage Vibe, Modern Grind: keeping Simmons e-drums alive

In the ever-evolving world of electronic percussion, where modules get smarter and pads get more expressive with every product cycle, it’s easy to forget where it all began. But for a dedicated community of drummers, the origin story of the electronic kit isn’t a footnote — it’s an ongoing aural and tactile experience. For these players, the iconic hexagonal pads and distinct analogue sound of vintage Simmons gear are not a relic of the past, but a vibrant part of their daily drumming life. More than four decades have passed since Dave Simmons founded his pioneering electronic drum company in 1978. The company’s original analogue kits, like the groundbreaking SDSV, defined the sound of the 1980s, appearing on countless hit […]

DIY, Gear

Don’t skimp on the cone

We get this question all the time: “What’s the right foam density for making DIY trigger cones?” It’s a fair question, but it also signals a bigger debate. Let’s get real: apart from the piezo itself, the foam cone is the most critical part of an e-drum trigger. It’s the bridge between your stick hitting the mesh head and the piezo capturing that impact. The cone transmits the energy — responsively and uniformly — so your drum performs as you intended. What Happens with a Poor Cone? Inconsistent sensitivity — Too stiff or soft, and you’ll experience hotspots, dead zones, poorly defined ghost notes, or sluggish response. Inaccurate velocity response — The wrong density dulls dynamics; your module receives a […]

DIY, Gear

Is a cheap trigger plate worth it?

Budget-conscious DIYers may have noticed some drop-in trigger plates on Alibaba with a tempting price tag—under $45, including shipping. Even factoring in a 100% US tariff, the final cost is still significantly lower than the better-known alternatives like the Diamond Electronic Drums Easyfit 14″ multi-trigger plate (£139/US$185) or the Jobeky Fast-Fit Premium 14” system (£99.17/US$135). So how do these no-name (Dongguan Feiming Musical Instrument Co) Chinese trigger plates measure up? What’s in the Box My 14″ trigger plate arrived in Australia just over a week after ordering. It was wrapped in heavy-duty plastic, in a box oddly labelled “CYM 15”—a confusing moment until I opened it and confirmed the contents. Available in 10″, 12″, 14″, and 16″ sizes, the plate […]

DIY

New DIY sound source released

E-drummers have a new sound source option, with Italian drummer Paolo Simonazzi releasing the plans and a component list for a new USB sound expander – and the software needed to run it – all for free. DrumPi began its journey in 2011 when Simonazzi, a software engineer, began toying with the idea of using the smartphone as a sound engine for an electronic drum module. Hampered by latency, in 2015, he changed his approach and started coding prototypes on a Raspberry Pi 3. After sitting dormant for a while, the project was revived, with new software developed to transform the audio engine into a full-featured DAW, including a 64-channel mixer, effects, MIDI support, multi-layered samples, multi-velocity samples, a transients […]

DIY, Gear

Top maintenance tips for drum pads and e-cymbals

Electronic drum kits are built to withstand hours of playing — but like any instrument, they require regular maintenance to keep them performing at their best. Whether you’re gigging regularly or drumming at home, here are some crucial tasks every e-drummer should include in their maintenance routine. Check (and replace) worn foam cones The foam cones or columns under the mesh head on pads are key to translating your playing dynamics into MIDI signals. Over time, these cones can compress, harden or disintegrate, resulting in uneven triggering or dead zones. What to do: Open the pad casing (check your model’s teardown guide first). Inspect the cone for visible damage, wear or compression. Replace with OEM or quality aftermarket cones, if […]

DIY, Gear

New software revives ddrum4

A virtual collaboration is helping bring a 25-year-old drum module into the 21st century. Three software tinkerers, collectively calling themselves Team ddrum4ui, recently unveiled an app that breathes new life into the iconic ddrum4 drum module by enabling editing of factory sound files and adding new audio samples to the brain and with some other features. Before examining the advances, it’s worth looking back at the history of the drum brain which is still sought after today. Brief history of the ddrum4 The ddrum4 hit the market in the late 1990s, when it was released by Swedish synth innovator Clavia, best known for the Nord keyboards. ddrum first emerged in the ‘80s with one of the early acoustic drum triggers. […]