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Dual Piezo pad help

PostPosted: Wed May 12, 2010 5:12 am
by JLantz
I'm pulling my hair out right now. :?

Rebuilding my DIY snare for head/sidestick/rimshot capabilities. Piezos wired head ceramic to tip, rim ceramic to ring, brass to sleeve. Not mounted in the snare, just sitting on my workbench. Have tested each wired piezo individually- both are working.

I am getting response on the lcd meter, MCT, and a hit in EZD when I tap the head piezo, but I am getting absolutely nothing when I tap the rim piezo. It is the same when plugged into any of the other pad inputs. My patch cable is good. Using Synthex's newest kit and whatever firmware he loads on it.

I have read and partially understand the pad settings page here: http://www.megadrum.info/content/pads-settings

-CH4 SnareH DualHead is set to YES
-CH5 SnareR TYPE is set to PIEZO

I believe this is the best indicator of my problem, but I am stumped:
-CH5 SnareR is not showing the DualMidPoint and DualMidWidth parameters, but is showing BThreshold. This means that MD is recognizing my circuit as a dual piezo/switch, right? Why?

Am I missing something obvious?

Re: Dual Piezo pad help

PostPosted: Wed May 12, 2010 9:05 am
by dmitri
A couple of pointers:

1. http://www.megadrum.info/content/pads-settings
2. viewtopic.php?f=3&t=1075 and see changes in version 20100313

Re: Dual Piezo pad help

PostPosted: Wed May 12, 2010 2:38 pm
by JLantz
uh...... did you actually read my post? :?

Re: Dual Piezo pad help

PostPosted: Wed May 12, 2010 3:42 pm
by dmitri
Yes, I did.

Re: Dual Piezo pad help

PostPosted: Wed May 12, 2010 6:33 pm
by JLantz
Ok......

As stated in my initial post, I am fully aware of http://www.megadrum.info/content/pads-settings . I use it actively.

"Changes in version 20100313:

1. Added options for fine tuning Head/Rim/Crosstick separation: DualMidPoint and DualMidWidth. Both can be set between 0 and 15. The higher DualMidPoint the easier rim hits and harder head hits are and vice versa. The higher DualMidWidth the easier rim shots are and harder head/rim hits."


Yes, this is what I am having problems with. Again, my CH5 SnareR is not showing DualMidPoint or DualMidWidth, just BThreshold, indicating that MD is recognizing my dual piezo/piezo circuit as a dual piezo/switch. What would make this situation possible :?:



From the pads settings page:

<Ch04: SnareR >DualMidPoint
For dual piezo/piezo pads: Midpoint is used to fine tune separationn between head and rim hits. It can be set between 0 and 15. The higher the value the easier to get rim hits and more difficult to get head hits and vice versa.
For dual piezo/switch pads this option is disabled.
<Ch04: SnareR >DualMidWidth
For dual piezo/piezo pads: The width of signals for rim shots. It can be set between 0 and 15. The higher the value the easier to get rim shots and more likely to get false rim shots on head or rim hits vice versa.
For dual piezo/switch pads this option is disabled.
<Ch04: SnareR >BThreshold:
For piezo/switch/switch 3 zones pdas/cymbals:Input switch threshold for the 3rd zone of a 3 zone Yamaha style pad/cymbal. Sets below which level the Bell switch is detected as hit/pressed. This level must be lower than Threshold level of the Rim/Edge input of a switch type trigger. If the connected pad is dual zone piezo/switch type, BThrshold must be set to 0 to prevent false triggering of Bell notes.
For dual piezo/piezo pads this option is disabled.

Re: Dual Piezo pad help

PostPosted: Wed May 12, 2010 7:30 pm
by dmitri
JLantz wrote:"Changes in version 20100313:

1. Added options for fine tuning Head/Rim/Crosstick separation: DualMidPoint and DualMidWidth. Both can be set between 0 and 15. The higher DualMidPoint the easier rim hits and harder head hits are and vice versa. The higher DualMidWidth the easier rim shots are and harder head/rim hits."


Yes, this is what I am having problems with. Again, my CH5 SnareR is not showing DualMidPoint or DualMidWidth, just BThreshold, indicating that MD is recognizing my dual piezo/piezo circuit as a dual piezo/switch. What would make this situation possible :?:

Something simple like you have a firmware version older than 20100313?

Re: Dual Piezo pad help

PostPosted: Thu May 13, 2010 12:30 am
by JLantz
D'oh! :roll:

That's the obvious overlook; I'm running 20100301.

Thanks, Dmitri!

Re: Dual Piezo pad help

PostPosted: Thu May 13, 2010 8:13 pm
by JLantz
edit: removed post

Re: Dual Piezo pad help

PostPosted: Thu May 13, 2010 8:31 pm
by dmitri
JLantz wrote:I have no idea how or what to enter to continue from this point. Please guide me.

Well, the guide is in


Sorry, but at this point I fail to understand what is not clear. Please, explain.

Re: Dual Piezo pad help

PostPosted: Thu May 13, 2010 8:39 pm
by JLantz
Nevermind, I figured out the mistake; I wasn't erasing the old firmware during the Midi-Ox procedure.