How Electronic Drum Sets Work?

Maybe you have ever wondered how the best electronic drum sets manage to produce such an excellent chord. You have been trying to figure out how electronic drum sets work.

Well, in the past, drummers were only limited to conventional drumming.

However, with the onset of technology, many things have taken a turn for the better. Technology has brought with it a fantastic revolution in the digital media field.

This revolution has dramatically changed how musical instruments work. Consequently, the working of electronic drums has changed significantly since then. Using electronic drums, drummers can not only trigger basses but also incorporate lighting sounds.

The advent of electronic drums brought with it high notch electronic sets. As a result, drummers can now easily acquire more tutorial lessons. The result has been that drummers have greatly enhanced their drumming abilities.

So, how do these electronic drums work, and what do they require?

The Transducers

For an electronic drum set to function optimally, it requires a transducer. The transducers are the trigger bass drum pad and module. They come in different forms that correspond to the instrument.

You will mostly find them attached within the housing unit. A playing surface, made of either mesh or rubber, sends signals to the module.

Once you hit the bass drum pad, it sends a message to the module. The equivalent note of that channel is, therefore, produced in the form of a sound.

How you hit the trigger determines the kind of chord produced. You will get a high chord volume if you trigger it harder. The high volume is because of many signals transmitted to the module. A low trigger will result in low volume.

The Brain

Its other name is a drum module or the sound module. This part is generally a synthesizer, and it is responsible for sound production in electronic drums.

The quality of chord produced depends on many factors, such as type and chord quality. It is also responsible for the running of all the other attributes of a kit.

The brain is responsible for the presets in electronic drum sets. The best electronic drum set will offer you a variety of kit presets.

From the brain’s store, you can get genres such as rock, hip-hop, jazz, among others. All these genres are just a button press away.

The brain also makes it possible for you to come up with your customized kits.

Best electronic drum sets have features that enable you to make as many customized kits as you may please. They allow you to edit the sounds further.

What this means is that you can tune individual kits or adjust drum volumes. You will also have the ability to dampen the EQ them.

Some kit types will allow you to design your kits. You can specify its dimensions and the materials of its components.

To be able to convey percussion sounds, the best electronic drum sets have a digital sound module. The sound module works hand in hand with the electric sensors whose primary work is to trigger sounds. To be able to generate sound, the drumsticks have to strike the sensors.

In most cases, when you buy an electronic drum set, it comes as a package. You will find almost all accessories in the package, except for just a few.

Drum pads are always part t of the package. They come mounted on a rack to allow you to be able to make your hitting gigs. They are mostly discs made of either rubber or cloth-like coating. Their main work on the drum set is to generate electric signals once you strike their sensors.

 The cables transmit these signals to the brain of the drum.

 Electronic drums are an upgrade of the acoustic drum set. They produce better chord quality and improved services.

The PCM Sound Technology

The PCM sound technology is responsible for operating most of the drum modules. It is critical in replaying superior quality sounds once you strike the trigger rubber pads. For the PCM technology to replay the different sounds, you must have recorded them digitally.

Also, the drum module features accompaniment styles. It makes it possible to record performances as well as inboard coaching exercises.

The Roland V-Drum differ slightly in how they produce their sounds.  Most of them, especially starting with the TD-11, generate sounds through the flagship sound technology.

Roland uses incredibly smart mathematical modeling technology. It enables them to recreate the subtleties of a real kit more smoothly and authentically. For instance, if it senses that you are playing a cymbal swell, it adjusts the tune to imitate that of a real cymbal.

The Electronic Drum Trigger Pads

Another critical feature in the functioning of the best electronic drum sets is the drum triggers. The bits that you play in an electronic drum set are the drum triggers.

Quite a number of the best electronic drums sets have a standard configuration. They are quite almost the same as those you use to play the acoustic drum set.

 The best electronic drum set will have input for accessories such as:

  • A crash cymbal
  • A kick drum
  • three toms,
  • Two cymbals for hi-Hat
  • rides cymbal

However, there are drum modules that have higher specifications. Such drums modules can provide you with extra trigger inputs.

A drum trigger’s primary function is to sense vibrations. It not only senses vibrations but can also detect the degree of hardness with which you strike it. However, contemporary triggers usually have more sophisticated features.

As technology continues to advance, there is the manufacture of sophisticated electronic drum kits. Some come with drum triggers with multiple zones. They can trigger a variety of sounds.

 Moreover, other modern triggers use multiple pickups. The pickups are essential for responsive and dynamic triggering.

How to use the Double Pedal

To use the double peddle with an electronic kit, the kick pad of the bass in your kit should be able to accommodate double beaters. What this means is that the size should be sufficient. The design should be stable to avoid jeopardizing the integrity of the entire kit as you replace the electronic bass drum parts.

However, it may be challenging to find a double kick pedal that is compatible with your electronic set.