Roland KD-120 Kick Sensitivity Problem

[mdefiore]

So with Threshold set to 60, it doesn't register light hits but if you set Threshold to 59, it starts false triggering on it's own, correct?

With Threshold set to 60, it doesn't register light hits; but when I set Threshold to 58, it starts false triggering on it's own.

PS: I'll have limited availability to the MD over the next 7 hours.

[dmitri]

I still think there is some sort of electrical connectivity/conductivity problem between the pad and the module.
I have a Yamaha PCY135 which happens to be very "cool" so I have to raise Gain on it to 7. With this Gain I get auto HighLevel around 220. I can then Set Threshold as low as 33 without false triggering. And it trigger great with these settings.
If I then disconnect the cymbal with the cable still attached to the module I start to get low velocity false triggering due to the cable serving as an antenna picking up electromagnetic noise but raising Threshold to 35 eliminates false triggering again. Touching the tip of the cable with something metallic causes it to trigger.

What puzzles me is that KD-120 is a mesh type pad as far as I can see. Generally mesh type pads are quite "hot" so most of the time you have to lower Gain so that HighLvel doesn't go above ~900 with the auto HighLevel procedure.

Connect a cable to the module without a pad at the other end. Set Threshold to 40 and Gain to 7. How low can you go with the Threshold without getting false triggering?

[mdefiore]

I still think there is some sort of electrical connectivity/conductivity problem between the pad and the module.
I have a Yamaha PCY135 which happens to be very "cool" so I have to raise Gain on it to 7. With this Gain I get auto HighLevel around 220. I can then Set Threshold as low as 33 without false triggering. And it trigger great with these settings.
If I then disconnect the cymbal with the cable still attached to the module I start to get low velocity false triggering due to the cable serving as an antenna picking up electromagnetic noise but raising Threshold to 35 eliminates false triggering again. Touching the tip of the cable with something metallic causes it to trigger.

What puzzles me is that KD-120 is a mesh type pad as far as I can see. Generally mesh type pads are quite "hot" so most of the time you have to lower Gain so that HighLvel doesn't go above ~900 with the auto HighLevel procedure.

Connect a cable to the module without a pad at the other end. Set Threshold to 40 and Gain to 7. How low can you go with the Threshold without getting false triggering?

Correct: KD-120 is indeed a mesh pad, like the PD-120.

With cable unplugged from pad and plugged into MD, Gain=7 & HighLevel=223: Anything below Threshold=66 gives occasional false triggering and periodic changes in MD's LCD level meters.

With cable unplugged from pad and unplugged from MD, Gain=7 & HighLevel=223: Anything below Threshold=15 gives occasional false triggering and periodic changes in MD's LCD level meters.

[dmitri]

Hmm...
1. How long are the cables?
2. Are the cables properly shielded?
3. Are the cables wired 'sleeve<->sleeve, tip<->tip, ring<->ring?
4. Can you measure resistance between sleeve and sleeve, tip and tip, ring and ring between both ends?

[mdefiore]

1. How long are the cables?

15 feet

2. Are the cables properly shielded?

I believe so, they are patch/instrument cables and not speaker cables.

3. Are the cables wired 'sleeve<->sleeve, tip<->tip, ring<->ring?

I am using mono cables (KD-120 is a single zone pad).

4. Can you measure resistance between sleeve and sleeve, tip and tip, ring and ring between both ends?

I have tried trouble shooting with two different mono cables (same results), resistance results when meter set to 0-200 ohms:

Cable A:
.5 tip / .3 sleeve

Cable B:
.3 tip / .3 sleeve

[dmitri]

4. Can you measure resistance between sleeve and sleeve, tip and tip, ring and ring between both ends?

I have tried trouble shooting with two different mono cables (same results), resistance results when meter set to 0-200 ohms:

Cable A:
.5 tip / .3 sleeve

Cable B:
.3 tip / .3 sleeve

Sorry, I didn't understand the resistance readings between tip and tip and then between sleeve and sleeve. In both cases it should be 0 Ohm.

[dmitri]

Also, if you use PD-120 on the same input with the same cable, do you have the same sensitivity problem?

[mdefiore]

4. Can you measure resistance between sleeve and sleeve, tip and tip, ring and ring between both ends?

I have tried trouble shooting with two different mono cables (same results), resistance results when meter set to 0-200 ohms:

Cable A:
.5 tip / .3 sleeve

Cable B:
.3 tip / .3 sleeve

Sorry, I didn't understand the resistance readings between tip and tip and then between sleeve and sleeve. In both cases it should be 0 Ohm.

Both cables are at or below .5 ohms on both tip and sleeve measured with a digital multimeter. Not sure if close enough to 0?

[dmitri]

Well, I'm out of ideas at the moment. For the sake of solving the puzzle I can only suggest to send the pad with the cable to me for testing. Of course I will send it back as soon as I tested it.

[mdefiore]

Also, if you use PD-120 on the same input with the same cable, do you have the same sensitivity problem?

No, in my opinion the sensitivity is good with the PD-120 using the same input (Aux6) and same cable. Could it be that the piezo is not located at the center of the mesh pad in the KD-120? On the KD-120, the piezo is located about 2 inches from the rim of the drum. Could this cause some type of incompatibility between the KD-120 and the MD?