Regarding AfterTouch

[kenjwright]

Hi!

I have a Pintech PC-16 single zone cymbal connected to port 6 (crash) on the MD56. Was expecting that a squeeze directly over the piezo would generate AfterTouch as it does when connected to the ddrum4 module. However only note on/off from strikes are generated. Same result when connected to a DM10; only note on/off. Is there a particular requirement for getting AfterTouch?

Cheers!

Ken

[dmitri]

If it is a single zone cymbal I don't know how to tell a hit from a choke by reading signals from just a piezo. Are you sure it is a single zone cymbal and not a dual zone cymbal? According to https://www.pintech.com/product/pintech-pc-cymbals/ Choke is available only with dual zone cymbals.

[kenjwright]

Yes, technically the Pintech choke is a switch IIRC. But before dual zone even existed the piezo squeeze was the producer of aftertouch based on the low(?), continuous signal from a flexed piezo. I am not sure exactly of what kind of signal is produced but the ddrum understands it so it must be unique in some regard from the initial note-on/off?

Update;
Got curious so dug in a bit deeper and opened up the Pintech piezo box. Pictures below. The piezo sits on top of a foam cylinder which protrudes beyond the box edge so it gets compressed a bit when screwed to the bow. There is a dense rubber pad, about 4mm thick between the piezo and the bow.

To test further, I plugged the trigger into the ddrum4 module and held the housing in one hand, then tapped the edge with a stick to mimic striking the cymbal, then touched the piezo with my thumb and immediately released.

The result was the G#6 that is the initial strike (cymbal crash), followed by the E6 Aftertouch (choke) that quickly rises from 1 to 127. After a short pause of inactivity, the Aftertouch bleeds off from 127 down to 0.

Would be interesting to know how the signal is being read to interpret as Aftertouch. BTW, the difference between the G#6 and E6 is due to the positional sensing.

at22.png

at33.png

at44.png

at55.png

[dmitri]

I don't have such a cymbal to check what sort of signal it produces. I think there is a reason all other major brands use piezo/switch or piezo/switch/switch design for chokeable cymbals.

[kenjwright]

I don't think the brand is key here as I was able to replicate by dangling another bare piezo from its wires and get the same affect. However in the spirit of R&D, I'll gladly have a Pintech trigger box delivered to you if you are up for doing some discovery?

[dmitri]

If it is a just bare piezo then I don't really know how to reliably tell a light hit from a touch just with a single piezo.