DIY membrane switch

[privatex]

I make another 3 zone cymbal pad now and I'm thinking about your bell switch. How should it work, are you satisfied with yours? For edge switch I thinking about 2box method cose I have two same thin cymbals which will be sandwiched. Only doubht is what to do for bell, should I cut one bell and isolate it from rest of pad (piezo-piezo-switch) or do a film switch like yours!?

However I'll post results, first I have to make some tests. My previous attempt to build 3 way cymbal was good but only for couple months, after some time pad start to make problems and I have to fix it again and again. I have to find more reliable way to do this because cymbal suffer seriously from vibration.

[ignotus]

Hi, sorry mate I didn't see your post - I saw that you already put your cymbal together. Mine is still work in progress, though I have made the bell switch and am quite happy with it. In fact, I'm finding the edge switch to be more problematic. You see, once you cover the bell switch, it's completely sealed in, and provided you shape the mylar tightly around the bell, the result is very good - you can't feel any "give", which means that the mylar+copper barely has to flex to make contact, therefore (I reckon) reducing the risk of mechanical deformation and wear. And it is very sensitive. The edge switch using the same method, on the other hand, is "open" around the outer perimeter of the cymbal; you can't enclose it in rubber on the top surface because that would mean moving it inwards, and would then require strikes at a very awkward angle to make it work. I have made a membrane edge switch and it works very well, but I'm not very convinced about its durability... What this needs is a rubber cover with a "lip" that goes down over the edge of the cymbal and under it, like the one in the picture above, keeping the switch firmly in place. I like the 2-box edge switch design, they look very sturdy and durable.

[ignotus]

After some further testing I think I'm going to ditch the membrane switch approach entirely. It works well, but I'm not entirely convinced about its durability. Once it's put together, if it fails you have to tear the whole thing apart and start from scratch. Not fun. Having seen the 2-box design, my next experiment will be to try to imitate it with plastic cymbals: the top cymbal with perpendicular cuts around the outer edge (like the 2-box metal plate), and sanded down a bit underneath to create the gap. The tip of each "slat" has copper underneath to make contact with a copper strip on the bottom cymbal. For the bell, a similar approach: cut out the entire bell area, sand the outer perimeter down like the edge, make the cuts and glue it back on the bottom cymbal, leaving the slats free to bend. Cover it all with rubber. I reckon this should do the trick - what do you fellas think?

[privatex]

I like the idea of same approach for bell. IMO it will last longer than dainty switches. I disassemble my last cumbal and wait for epoxy to make it hard like stone. I use contact adhesive but i just dont like it, vibrations make gaps and problems in pad, but epoxy...
At the end we will find an ultimate DIY method for making cymbal pads :)

[ignotus]

At the end we will find an ultimate DIY method for making cymbal pads

Yes, for me this has become an exercise in sheer stubbornness... I could have bought a 3-zone cymbal ages ago and been done with it, but I'm not ready to give up yet!