Re: [microsound] drum trigger interfaces

[Alberto Gaitan <algae@xxxxxxxx>]

-:=====  On 1 Sep 2000, Allan G. Watson wrote:  =====:-

> does anyone know how to (or know where to find how to) build drum
> triggers? 

I've used piezo disks successfully to do just this for sound 
installations. Although I bought a bunch of lovely, large piezos from 
a surplus dealer called Meshna's some years back, I know that 
you can cannibalize Radio Shack buzzers to get them. Just rip off 
the plastic case. I think that American Science and Surplus also 
sells them at quantity.  

If you get your hands on piezo disks, note that they look kinda like 
a fried egg, with a metal armature ring concentric with the piezo 
ceramic center. You can solder one conductor (I use shielded 
microphone cable but you can use solid conductor, too, since 
you'll be triggering the midiKat) to each of these being careful not 
to short them out nor to melt a hole through the ceramic. The 
conductor connected to the armature is the ground and the 
ceramic is the signal. Connect the other ends of the conductors to 
a phone jack (I used 1/4") or RCA (the signal is MIC level), the one 
soldered to the armature connects to the sleeve of the jack, and 
the one soldered to the ceramic center connects to the tip of the 
jack.  

Using these, you can trigger-to-MIDI almost anything you can 
attach the piezo to.

Hope this helps.

Alberto