Trying to see if I can replace the traditional setup of using a base drum pedal to strike an electronic pad where my foot directly strikes this. A piezo trigger is imbedded in cast rubber and then mounted in parts cut by the forge (box design based on display case on boxes.py)
Not quite there yet (the rubber is too squishy (or poorly mounted) so it is too soft and has too much give and lacks sensitivity) but as a first try, this gives me hope.
the piezo trigger
Surely there are drum pedals made for this? Why move away from that, other than “for the challenge”?
(Legit asking, I’m not a musician)
I’ve made several sets of digital drums with tunable Remo practice heads. I took one of my sons old guitar pedals (nonfunctional) and replaced the guts with a heavy duty momentary switch that worked out well.
Indeed, drum pedals exist. I have several goodly base drum pedals and electronic base drum pads at my disposal. The pedals were originally designed for acoustic drums. The pads were designed to work with such pedals.
My question is: for electronic drums, could a better interface be made by rethinking this and eliminating the part between my foot and the target. While all sorts of electronic pads exist, I have not encountered any for the feet , thus this project
The goal with the piezo is to be able to capture dynamics that a switch would lack.
I also made a set of pads out of old rototoms about 15 years ago (or so) . Great project. I remember killing a lot of nerf type balls in search of the proper foam element. Now, proper foam cones easy to fine online.
I wonder if you could MacGyver a “clicker” (kind of like the old halloween noise makers) and epoxy a piezo to it?? Or a wood block that was struck with a hard surface (clacker, hammer, drumstick)?
I imagine using a rotary encoder on the shaft of a mechanical pedal would be a better simulation (as hard to get the inertia of a moving metal bar in software - although you can use the piezo to capture the mechanical impact since piezo sensors make good impact sensors. But you could laser a small acrylic encoder wheel and use a photo-diode to capture rotation.
