Yamaha DTXpress/DTXplorer/DTXtreme

This one is for Ed...
Hi bud!
I finally got around to ordering the visu-lite hats that you 
suggested to me quite a while ago. Question... These set up right on 
a typical hat stand, correct? How do they connect to the DTXtreme 
module? Perhaps you could give me a short synopsis of how these this 
operates? Thanks in advance!

--
Jim Manfredi

> the visu-lite hats set up right on 
> a typical hat stand, correct? How do they connect to the DTXtreme 
> module? 

Hi Jim,

Good to hear from you. I trust you got out of Cleveland OK. Have you 
seen my basic material on the Visu-lite hi hat stand in the files 
section of this board? It contains a couple of pictures of the 
controller clamped to a basic Pearl stand, with its metal cord 
hooked to the foot pedal. The dangling stereo leads in the picture 
are for the dual-zone top cymbal. On the DTXtreme module, you'd have 
to use two mono inputs--one being already labelled for the hi hat 
and the other your choice. Obviously, if you have the single-zone 
top cymbal, you don't need the second input. The stereo lead from 
the controller itself connects to the module just as your HH80 
would. As far as programming is concerned, your old settings should 
get you in the ballpark; you can tweak them as needed.

The tricky part--if you can call it that--is to position the clamp 
on the shaft and connect the cord's hook to the pedal in such a way 
as to get a good response, given the height of your stand and the 
relative position of your cymbals. It's best to fiddle and tinker 
now to find these optimal locations, since the electronics will have 
to be re-placed on the shaft whenever you make changes. The ease of 
hooking the cord to the pedal will depend on what kind of stand you 
have. You'll notice that in my file illustration, the hook actually 
is attached to the chain just above the pedal. In my further 
experiment with a Pearl stand, however, I found that this position 
for the hook slightly impedes the smooth motion of the cord, for 
reasons that I won't rehearse now. Fortunately, at least some Pearl 
pedals have a hole that you can use for the hook's clamp. Even 
though this hole is off-center, you can make adjustments to permit 
the cord to traverse its full length nonetheless.

Once you get the cymbals opening and closing according to your taste 
(I prefer a short distance for the top cymbal to travel) on the 
length of shaft that you prefer, locate controller and hook 
accordingly, and connect the cables, you should be able to get 
something resembling a hi hat sound and response. You'll undoubtedly 
have to refine it heuristically. You'll probably notice that when 
the Visu-lite hi hat cymbals close, they'll make something of a 
clomping sound. If I recall correctly, most of your playing is live 
with an amp or PA; so the clomnping might not be much of an issue. 
If it is, you'll notice that I lined the bottom cymbal with fabric 
to cut down on noise. Any number of techniques, however, might help 
the situation. Remember that the most important feature determining 
the hat's variability is the cord's ability to run its full course; 
when you've adjusted the stand to allow it to do so, the hats don't 
actually need to touch each other as they would with acoustics. 

Stick noise on the top cymbal, despite the rubber coating, is also 
louder than many of the usual hi hat alternatives. Again, it's not 
necessarily an issue with all drummers; if it is, the cymbal's 
sensitivity is more than adequate enough to overcome any dampening 
that you might do. Contact me offline, if you want to bat this 
information around a little more.

Ed

Hi Ed!
I've been messing with the Visu-lite hats for a little over a week at home.
They are pretty sweet as far as feel goes. Very close to the real thing. I
am somewhat bothered though by what I would refer to a some possible false
triggering? I note this phenomenon on the rising stroke some times and I was
wondering if you might have any clue as to what may be happening. I have
done all the prescribed adjustments several times. Thanks

Jim Manfredi
----- Original Message -----

From: "liberatusvirus" <liberatusvirus@...>
To: <DTXpress@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Monday, July 14, 2003 11:46 AM
Subject: [DTXpress] Re: visu-lite (yamaha version) hats


> > the visu-lite hats set up right on
> > a typical hat stand, correct? How do they connect to the DTXtreme
> > module?
>
> Hi Jim,
>
> Good to hear from you. I trust you got out of Cleveland OK. Have you
> seen my basic material on the Visu-lite hi hat stand in the files
> section of this board? It contains a couple of pictures of the
> controller clamped to a basic Pearl stand, with its metal cord
> hooked to the foot pedal. The dangling stereo leads in the picture
> are for the dual-zone top cymbal. On the DTXtreme module, you'd have
> to use two mono inputs--one being already labelled for the hi hat
> and the other your choice. Obviously, if you have the single-zone
> top cymbal, you don't need the second input. The stereo lead from
> the controller itself connects to the module just as your HH80
> would. As far as programming is concerned, your old settings should
> get you in the ballpark; you can tweak them as needed.
>
> The tricky part--if you can call it that--is to position the clamp
> on the shaft and connect the cord's hook to the pedal in such a way
> as to get a good response, given the height of your stand and the
> relative position of your cymbals. It's best to fiddle and tinker
> now to find these optimal locations, since the electronics will have
> to be re-placed on the shaft whenever you make changes. The ease of
> hooking the cord to the pedal will depend on what kind of stand you
> have. You'll notice that in my file illustration, the hook actually
> is attached to the chain just above the pedal. In my further
> experiment with a Pearl stand, however, I found that this position
> for the hook slightly impedes the smooth motion of the cord, for
> reasons that I won't rehearse now. Fortunately, at least some Pearl
> pedals have a hole that you can use for the hook's clamp. Even
> though this hole is off-center, you can make adjustments to permit
> the cord to traverse its full length nonetheless.
>
> Once you get the cymbals opening and closing according to your taste
> (I prefer a short distance for the top cymbal to travel) on the
> length of shaft that you prefer, locate controller and hook
> accordingly, and connect the cables, you should be able to get
> something resembling a hi hat sound and response. You'll undoubtedly
> have to refine it heuristically. You'll probably notice that when
> the Visu-lite hi hat cymbals close, they'll make something of a
> clomping sound. If I recall correctly, most of your playing is live
> with an amp or PA; so the clomnping might not be much of an issue.
> If it is, you'll notice that I lined the bottom cymbal with fabric
> to cut down on noise. Any number of techniques, however, might help
> the situation. Remember that the most important feature determining
> the hat's variability is the cord's ability to run its full course;
> when you've adjusted the stand to allow it to do so, the hats don't
> actually need to touch each other as they would with acoustics.
>
> Stick noise on the top cymbal, despite the rubber coating, is also
> louder than many of the usual hi hat alternatives. Again, it's not
> necessarily an issue with all drummers; if it is, the cymbal's
> sensitivity is more than adequate enough to overcome any dampening
> that you might do. Contact me offline, if you want to bat this
> information around a little more.
>
> Ed
>
>
>
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>
>

--- In DTXpress@yahoogroups.com, "Jim Manfredi (Ashly)" 
<jmanfred@r...> wrote:
> Hi Ed!
> I've been messing with the Visu-lite hats for a little over a week 
at home.
> They are pretty sweet as far as feel goes. Very close to the real 
thing. I
> am somewhat bothered though by what I would refer to a some 
possible false
> triggering? I note this phenomenon on the rising stroke some times 
and I was
> wondering if you might have any clue as to what may be happening. I 
have
> done all the prescribed adjustments several times. Thanks

Hi Jim,

I'm out of town and largely away from web connection, but the false 
triggering on upward motion might be the top cymbal vibrating. It 
needs to be dampened. Later.

Ed