So..... I'm reporting back, and still getting nowhere.
I have done the following to try and find the kink in the chain:
1. bought a new set of sensors
2. checked the female jack on another trigger, can confirm all the signals flow
3. tried every combination of wiring
4. switched the impedance switch back and forth on each attempt
5. kept an eye on the raw midi feed on MDX while testing, alternating between hihat testing and hitting other triggers to check the feed is getting a read
6. As pictured before I'm just using those plastic terminal strips cut down to size, no soldering or hot glue.
7. Swapped TRS cables
Is there anyone on here that wouldn't mind sharing a screenshot of their controller settings?
It's been 6 months for me trying to get this all to work
really starting to think my ambitions were too lofty