Vintage Simmons Drums (UK) Users Group

hi phil
much better answer to history than i could give
beer must have fogged mine up!!
dp
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Phil Murray 
  To: Simmons_Drums@yahoogroups.com 
  Sent: Monday, September 29, 2003 10:06 PM
  Subject: [Simmons Drums] Re: simmons pads help please


  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


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