Vintage Simmons Drums (UK) Users Group

Mark 1 pads were made by Premier for the SDS 3 and 4 and used 
loudspeakers for pickups.

Mark 2 were the "riot shield" pads Spandau Ballet and everyone else 
that used the SDS 5 loved (and damaged their wrists on !). Used a 
piezo transducer as the pickup as did all future ones (ex-SDX - see 
later). All pads including bass had XLR connectors.

Mark 3 pads came in 2 styles, the pricey XLR-type that accompanied 
the SDS 7, and the cheaper phono-type "bowls" that came with the SDS 
8 etc.

Mark 4 pads apparently cost a 6-figure sum to produce and are the 
ones you usually see on ebay, etc.  They are the best and also come 
in a "stereo" snare version with pad and rimshot.  Used with SDS 9, 
SDS 1000, SDS 2000, etc...  From memory I think you could buy them 
in either phono or XLR type.

SDX pads (ZI - zone intellient) are based on the mark 4 hardware but 
totally different (and incompatible) pickups. They use a 3-wire mesh 
to sense position, and force-sensing resistor pad to sense hit power 
(except bass which is the same as the mark 4 - piezo, and no 
position sensing). They are superb, a brilliant concept (works like 
those mouse pads on modern laptop computers), though still like 
hitting a car tyre ! Use stereo phono connectors except for stereo 
snare which has a funny 4-pin connector.

Hexa-series - the final pads, Hexasnare, Hexabass, etc. and as Dave 
says have a real Remo head, feeding a piezo transducer.  Good feel 
to them, use them if you get the chance.

Don't try to use ZI pads with other (Simmons or non-Simmons) 
hardware - they don't work as they don't produce a voltage.

A bonus (dunno if intentional but then again Dave Simmons/Simon 
Davidmann/Jim Pinnock et al. were genius way ahead of their time so 
it probably was) is that the piezo-pads work very well with the SDX. 
My SDX setup has Hexapads and ZI pads with real cymbals and it feels 
and sounds awesome !

hope this is of some use...

Phil

--- In Simmons_Drums@yahoogroups.com, "sdxsds9" <davep@t...> wrote:
> hi
> the riot shield plastic pads were sds5's and are pretty damn rare 
in 
> fact i only iever saw two sets in the 80's when i worked in a 
music 
> shop
> 
> the sds9/1000/800 etc's with black rubber surface (also have a 
> deeper hexagonal casing below..........there are lots of these 
> puppies around some are jack plug and some are xlr's used these 
from 
> around '87 to '94 and they were pretty bombproof but a little dead 
> to play in terms of bounce
> 
> sdx pads look the same audience side as sds9 etc pads but have a 
> grey surface and the pickups are totally different as they were 
for 
> sdx system (not tried them with other gear yet!!) yet to find how 
> durable these are
> 
> i also recall the late model simmons pads which used a drum head 
and 
> the bass drum had a beater bar across the top but can't recall the 
> name but i think they were pretty rare as it was around the time 
> simmons shut up shop finally  and when i stopped playing when my 
kit 
> was stolen...........
> 
> most of the pads you'll see for sale are the black rubber type 
> 
> 
> 
> --- In Simmons_Drums@yahoogroups.com, "omons43612" <omons@h...> 
> wrote:
> > i am in the process of getting rid of my yamaha drum pads to 
> replace 
> > them with simmons pads to add a bit more character to my rig.  
The 
> > only thing is, i DO NOT want the simmons pads with the hard 
> plastic 
> > playing surface.  would someone be kind enough to enlighten me 
as 
> to 
> > model #'s of simmons pads with the gum rubber playing surfaces?
> > 
> > thanks in advance for any help,
> > 
> > STB