www.megadrum.info

Sorry if the answer to my question could have been found in a pos, I searched for some time but probably at the wrong place.

I want to use my MD for various setups and I'm figuring out how I need to wire the break-out boxes for maximum flexibility. I'm wondering if I could connect my edrums dual zone for all options OR the edrums with only primary zones and my future midi mallet controller to all secondary zone channels. That way I could play them both (not at the same time ).

I would connect the tips of all female stereo jack connectors to a sub-d 25pins (A) and the rings to a second sub-d 25pins (B). To play the drums I would connect both A and B to MD. To use the midi mallet controller I would unplug B from the MD and plug in a third sub-d 25pins (C) to MD which connects to the midi mallet controller triggers.

Now I have three questions:
1. It would be easier to program MD if the MD software accepts that the secondary zones are not necessarily in sequencial inputs as is in MDM. Is that possible?
2. Would e.g. a Roland CY8 respond to the edge (no bow/choking required) when connected as single zone?
3. I'm not experienced with MD, any better ideas to achieve the same goal?

Thanks in advance!

You should be able to wire it for both. You'll have to run 2 different instances of MDM though or the naming is going to get confusing. Dual zones will need to be adjacent though.

Thanks, it is a basic requirement that with the wiring the dual zone signals have to be adjacent inputs on MD in line with the listing in MDM.

I was thinking to use different setups (drums dual zone, drums single zone + mallet) in different slots in MD, that's what you mean? I already assigned custom names like 'Key C', 'Key C#' etc. to keep it clear in MDM.

My question about CY8 was unnecessary (it was already late), when connected as single zone to my D4 it works as a crash (edge).

Rovalo wrote:Thanks, it is a basic requirement that with the wiring the dual zone signals have to be adjacent inputs on MD in line with the listing in MDM.

I'm pretty sure thats the case.

Rovalo wrote:I was thinking to use different setups (drums dual zone, drums single zone + mallet) in different slots in MD, that's what you mean? I already assigned custom names like 'Key C', 'Key C#' etc. to keep it clear in MDM.

So, what I'm envisaging here is you run 2 wires, one to each of the 25 pin socket (e.g. input 4 to snare head and input 4 to E)

So the only issue I see there is the naming. So I think you can open an instance of MDM dedicated (and named) C,C#,D etc for the mallet, then have a different instance for the drums (bass, snare etc) and just send.

You must be right, while searching for info I found this post where Dmitri replies to a question. He also mentions adjacent inputs for dual/triple zone triggers.

http://www.megadrum.info/forums/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=2106

dmitri wrote:They're all individual (mono) inputs but almost all adjacent inputs can be joined into dual/triple inputs using stereo jacks.

airflamesred wrote:So, what I'm envisaging here is you run 2 wires, one to each of the 25 pin socket (e.g. input 4 to snare head and input 4 to E)

So the only issue I see there is the naming. So I think you can open an instance of MDM dedicated (and named) C,C#,D etc for the mallet, then have a different instance for the drums (bass, snare etc) and just send.

I finished my wiring plan. From the other thread I know now (post Dmitri) that connections with 25-pin D-sub connector PC cables (with the common shield as piezo ground) from MD to break-out boxes or midi mallet controller should work, as long as these cables remain short (< 30 cm, to avoid trigger signal disturbances).

Although my wiring table is pretty complicated, it basically comes down to this.

MegaDrum housing has 2x 25-pin and 1x 9-pin D-sub female chassis connectors (A, B and C):
A: snare, HH, ride as dual/tripple zone, toms and cymbals single zone (25 inputs);
B: toms and cymbals adjacent second zones (25 inputs) at adjacent inputs of A;
C: remaining 5 inputs (not in use).

Break-out box for drumkit has stereo jacks, tips wired to 25-pin D-sub male plug 1, rings (except for snare, HH and ride) to 25-pin D-sub male plug 2, sleeves to chassis/ground;
Midi mallet controller has 25 key piezo's wired to 25-pin D-sub male plug 3, remaining 12 keys wired to 25-pin D-sub male plug 4 with all piezo minus wired to chassis/ground.

If I want to play drums alone (all dual zone): connections A+1 and B+2 with MD slot 1 programmed for this configuration;
If I want to play drums (partly single zone) with 25 keys (2 octave) mallet: connections A+1 and B+3 with MD slot 2 programmed for this configuration;
If I want to play 37 keys (3 octave) mallet: connections A+4 and B+3 with MD slot 3 programmed for this configuration.

MDM:
- drums triggers named with standard names;
- mallet keys named with custom names: C3, C4, C5 for easier octave recognition and common C#, D, D#, E, F, F#, G, G#, A, A#, B so total 14 custom names.

What do you think, did I miss something?

Ah, I'd forgotten about the pre programmed names.

Looking forward to the pictures.

I'm glad you like it!

I had some trouble to store the wiring plan somewhere, hopefully you can see it now.

https://rovalo152.files.wordpress.com/2016/08/md_wire-plan.pdf