Kick Drum Setup...

[fishmonkey]

i thought i'd start a new thread about setting up the kick drum, since comments about kick triggering are scattered throughout various unrelated threads...

i've found that adjusting the beater to the correct height on the drum is really crucial. Bengt suggests that the beater should hit the head about 25mm from the top of the sensor. on my kit that means the centre of the beater head is about 175mm from the very top edge of the metal rim of the kick drum. finding the absolute best position may require some trial and error.

with the beater head striking in the right zone, i am finding that double-triggering has been eliminated (even when i keep the beater head pressed into the kick drum after a stroke).

i can get a full range of trigger values with the gain set at about 5 and the threshold at -36, with a normal curve.

[snydley]

I'll have to try that. I made sure that my beater was above the sensor, but I'm having some trouble with distortion. I admit I've got a heavy right foot, but I should be able to set up the kick so it doesn't distort. I find I can turn the volume of the kick down, but then it sounds thin. Any tips you might have on what settings control that? So far I've only adjusted the volume of the bass drum, and the output of the head and the amplifier I'm using with the headphones.
Snyde

i thought i'd start a new thread about setting up the kick drum, since comments about kick triggering are scattered throughout various unrelated threads...

i've found that adjusting the beater to the correct height on the drum is really crucial. Bengt suggests that the beater should hit the head about 25mm from the top of the sensor. on my kit that means the centre of the beater head is about 175mm from the very top edge of the metal rim of the kick drum. finding the absolute best position may require some trial and error.

with the beater head striking in the right zone, i am finding that double-triggering has been eliminated (even when i keep the beater head pressed into the kick drum after a stroke).

i can get a full range of trigger values with the gain set at about 5 and the threshold at -36, with a normal curve.

[spoenk]

try changing the trigger curve and trigger gain...

[Slap the drummer]

Must admit, the kick is a b!?*oo$kp to get right.....

I wonder how much difference there is between the Mk1 and Mk2??  prob makes a difference
when we read other drummers dude's threads...

Anyway, I've got a Mk2 - with a small pink tennis ball for a beater - at least my birds tell me
it looks like a pink tennis ball - to be honest dudes I don't know what a tennis ball even looks
like!! (pls believe me)

I thought I had the old "double trigger" problem at first, but then it turned out the problem was
the beater bouncing on the head unless I really pulled it back off.  So getting the tension exactly
right was the cure for that.

End result tho - I can't get enough volume from the kick.
I've got the trigger set at +20db where the rest is around +2 / +6db, and I've got the kick gain settings
up higher than everything else -- still too quiet.

Not sure where to go from here?

[spoenk]

again trigger curve: for example try setting the bd trigger curve to positive or maximum, what you describe seems strange though!

[Slap the drummer]

What I forgot to say was -

I found that the tension of the head needs to be cranked up pretty tight to get a decent
volume from the kick - but the problem is then that if it's too tight I can't stop the beater
from bouncing on the head.

I've got a different type of beater and I'm going to try that.  Otherwise it's time to take
it apart and see if I can figure out a work round.


DOES ANYBODY have any suggestions for which types of beater are less likely to bounce
on a mesh head?  I'm wondering if a patch would help?

again trigger curve: for example try setting the bd trigger curve to positive or maximum

Yes, got it on Positive1, any more and I don't like the feel of it.

[spoenk]

have you tried how another pad behaves if you use it on the bass drum channel? same or different? louder response?
maybe the trigger on the bass drum pad doesn't work properly?

[roel]

maybe someone must post a picture here, for the best positioning for our beaters.

[Slap the drummer]

I'm not disagreeing with what Fishmonkey says...

but there doesn't seem to be a lot of room for variation, at least not with the MKII
set up and a standard beater.

When I look at the kick head it is filled with foam except in the lower right where there
is a cut out to match the circular hole in the metal back plate (about 2 inches diameter).

Then there is the sensor visible lower centre (about 1 inch diameter).

Just above the sensor there is what looks like a slightly different foam layer, a large rectangle
about 5 inches high.  Somewhere in this area I suppose the beater is designed to hit.

The funny thing is though - with the beater shaft at maximum length, the beater only just
reaches the lower part of this large rectangle, and is striking at 3cm above the top of the
sensor.

Does that agree with your set up Fishmonkey??

[Baby Samus]

I'm not disagreeing with what Fishmonkey says...

but there doesn't seem to be a lot of room for variation, at least not with the MKII
set up and a standard beater.

When I look at the kick head it is filled with foam except in the lower right where there
is a cut out to match the circular hole in the metal back plate (about 2 inches diameter).

Then there is the sensor visible lower centre (about 1 inch diameter).

Just above the sensor there is what looks like a slightly different foam layer, a large rectangle
about 5 inches high.  Somewhere in this area I suppose the beater is designed to hit.

The funny thing is though - with the beater shaft at maximum length, the beater only just
reaches the lower part of this large rectangle, and is striking at 3cm above the top of the
sensor.

Does that agree with your set up Fishmonkey??

Slap, are you sure you have the MKII version of the kick?  The MKII has no foam or backplate in it, it looks very much like a standard pad - can you post a picture and we can confirm?

[puttenvr]

This is what I heard:
some MK II kits have the old-stock kick pad with black plate

[jw-smaal]

That's correct (I have the MKII rack with the kickpad with backplate and LED).  It was sold for the old price of 2000 EUR whereas the kit with the new kickpad sells for 2200 EUR.  The other pads are all MKII (with 6 nuts). 

[Slap the drummer]

Hi folks -

I've got nowhere to post a picture to unfortunately.
But it seems clear I have the old version.

That's a bummer coz it's only the kick that has ever really bugged me.  And I've been hesitating to take the foam
out etc because I thought that was to fix the MkI and I thought, well, with a MkII I should be alright.  No discount
either.

Thanks for letting me know!

So - how is the Mk II pad set up?  Is it: Mk I but take all the foam out and move the sensor??  Or are there some
other changes as well?

Thanks

[Danny]

as far as i know they are both the same only the mk II has the frontplate already removed and the trigger in right position.

[Baby Samus]

So - how is the Mk II pad set up?  Is it: Mk I but take all the foam out and move the sensor??  Or are there some
other changes as well?
Thanks

Essentially yes.  MKI has black metal backplate with 2Box logo and light.  It has mesh pad which has foam backing underneath, and the sensor is placed in the centre.  MKII version has all foam removed, sensor moved to bottom middle of pad, and backplate and light have also been removed.  Also MKII should come with orange/red rubber beater (which you need for mesh only MKII version).

Which begs the question, perhaps many people have the rubber ball beater, but still have the MKI kick?  The rubber beater works well on the mesh MKII - perhaps the rubber beater does not work well if you have the thick foam MKI version?