Trimpot added and auto high level still 992

[DruminMD]

I've tried a 47k ohm trimpot and a 100k ohm trimpot on my DIY mesh head snare. Without the trimpots the drum is not playable -- it's full volume all the time with no dynamics at all. With either the 47k or 100k ohm pot the feel of the drum is much improved with dynamics, etc. However, the auto high level still registers 992 even with the pots all the way down. So according to what I read that means that this drum is still too "hot."

Any suggestions or comments on why the reading is still 992 even with the trimpots?

Thanks,

Mike

[dmitri]

However, the auto high level still registers 992 even with the pots all the way down.

Are you sure it's all the way down? With the pot all the way down there shouldn't be any signal at all. Maybe you connect the pot 'inline' with the signal wire and not as a voltage divider? But even in this case there should be only very weak signal left.

[DruminMD]

However, the auto high level still registers 992 even with the pots all the way down.

Are you sure it's all the way down? With the pot all the way down there shouldn't be any signal at all. Maybe you connect the pot 'inline' with the signal wire and not as a voltage divider? But even in this case there should be only very weak signal left.

When I turn the pot all the way down the drum does turn off -- no signal at all. I then turn it up bit by bit until I can hear the snare sound again. Then when I turn auto high level on and give a few whacks it's registering 992.

[dmitri]

Hmm, it seems to me the pot might be not wired right. Double check it against http://www.megadrum.info/forums/viewtop ... 911#p11911

[DruminMD]

Hmm, it seems to me the pot might be not wired right. Double check it against http://www.megadrum.info/forums/viewtop ... 911#p11911

OK. I'll check. Not sure why it plays better though?

[DruminMD]

OK. I double checked the wiring and did a new cable with 2 47k ohm trimpots. I used a voltage meter to confirm that the pot is reducing the voltage on the tip and ring.

However, even with the pot turned to the maximum attenuation, I'm still getting auto high level of 992.

I notice the difference if playing and in the sound but the meter on megadrum still shows 992.

Any other suggestions about how to lower the high level in order to get more dynamics?

[dmitri]

Are you sure you set the HighLevel value to the minimum - 64 - before each test?

[DruminMD]

Are you sure you set the HighLevel value to the minimum - 64 - before each test?

Yes. I just tried it again. This time the highlevel was 990. Interestingly, I tried the same cable on the first rack tom and got highlevel of 833. Is there something physical that I should try with the snare?

[dmitri]

It's hard to say. The snare might be producing ocasinal signal spikes above maximum level which confuses high level autodetaction. The main thing is that the snare should produce maximum velocity MIDI notes only on your hardest hits consistently.

[ibanman555]

Where are you at with this now DruminMD?? Any resolution?