Vintage Simmons Drums (UK) Users Group

--- In Simmons_Drums@yahoogroups.com, "p_k_daniels" 
<pete.daniels@...> wrote:
>
> --- In Simmons_Drums@yahoogroups.com, "p_k_daniels" 
<pete.daniels@> 
> wrote:
> >
> > ok so awaiting the ebay silicon mallet...does anyone have a copy 
of 
> > its manual they could scan for me? Schematics etc would also be 
nice.
> >
> OK so it arrived its not a Silicon Mallet! it something ive not 
heard 
> of ...its a multi mallet...same thing almost...main differences 
are 
> its got only 2 not 3 octaves, Its about half the length and all 
the 
> electronics are built into the synth like case, no seperate box. 
> Anyway its exactly what I need as an addon for the kit. Now its 
all 
> fine except 6 of the 24 pads dont work...ive done some initial 
> investigation ...all 99 patches work fine, headphones fine, amp 
out 
> fine, midi fine. Took it apart , the top boards are 12 pads each 
and 
> have some sort of trigger proccessing board incorporated, so 
swapped 
> the 2 complete top sections round and the problem moves with the 
> section so I have either a partially duff processor card or some 
> knackered triggers. next stage is to swap the trigger processing 
> boards between the sections to try and identify if its the circuit 
> board or the rubber/wood trigger pads. Will keep you all posted 
and 
> will get some photos uploaded soon. its going on the backburner 
for 
> now as Im off to Stonehenge and then Glastonbury festival.
>
Ok did some additional fault finding,and my problem is with the 
primitive membrane keypads and I think its a build flaw that maybe 
awaiting for all silicon mallets, so id advise if you have one open 
it up and check...
the 2 part membrane keypad is 2 pieces of semiflexible circuit board 
the top is a silicon/graphit spray that hits a matrix of printed 
tracks on the other one when the pads are struck.At one end the 
printed track folds around the plywood base and is fixed in place 
using a thin plastic strip and some sticky tape. The tape on mine 
was yellow and black striped about 2 inch wide. something in the 
glue of this tape has eaten the tracks turning them thin and black 
and in some cases eaten them away altogether. so i know what the 
problem is...still not sure how Im gonna fix it though.