[sdiy] (simple) musique mechanique

[Tim Parkhurst]

Hey Robert,

Your LAD (Little Automated Drum) looks neat! Congrats on getting it working.
As a drummer, I'd like to offer one tip: When a good drummer hits a drum, he
(or she) doesn't "follow through" and press or play further into the head.
Rather, they let the stick bounce back. It's very difficult to explain, but
try hitting a drum (with a stick, of course) and keeping your wrist stiff.
This is the mistake a lot of beginning drummers make, and you see them
flailing around with their entire arm trying to do a simple roll. NOW try
hitting the drum and pretend you're cracking a whip. You move your arm at
the elbow and "crack" your wrist at the last moment to make the actual
strike on the drum head. Watch a really good drummer, even a rock player,
and you'll see that they really don't move their at the shoulder that much.
Most of the work is done from the elbow down. 

NOW, the point I'm trying to make with all this is: I'm thinking your
striker should be set up so that it "snaps" the stick at the drum head, and
the stick is spring loaded to pull back. In other words, the solenoid should
not push the stick down AND then pull it back. If the stick stays on the
head just a teeny bit too long, it damps the head a bit and doesn't sound
"natural" (because it's not how a good human drummer would play). Is this
making sense? If not, let me know and I'll either try to explain again or
just be quiet and get back to work. ;-)


Tim (if several drummers had a contest, could it be called a "Beat Off"?)
Servo

*************************************
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Robert Pietrusko [mailto:bobby at csounds.com]
> Sent: Wednesday, January 07, 2004 6:31 PM
> To: synth-diy at dropmix.xs4all.nl
> Subject: [sdiy] (simple) musique mechanique
> 
> Hi List,
> 
> I got my little automated drum working today (the
> batonMaton). This is my first time playing with
> solenoids and PWM. :)
> 
> I took a few pictures of it smacking away at 340 bpm.
> I thought some of you might be interested.
> http://www.enfason.com/batonMaton
> 
> now to make 8 more and add a PIC MIDI Rx.
> 
> take care, everyone.
> bobby.



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