Archive of the former Yahoo!Groups mailing list: Vintage Simmons Drums (UK) Users Group

Just thought I could share my latest Silicon Mallet events for anyone
interested in this beast.
I acquired it with its 20 presets intact but 80 empty user-patches.
The manual lists the 80 exciting patch names which represent sounds
installed at the factory, but these have subsequently been lost. I
don't have much twiddling time, but have created a couple of bass
type sounds, which seem to store ok, not sure how this is achieved.
I did notice a remarkable similarity between the Mallet's control
panel and
the SDE. Both have 6 voices and near identical knob layout. I've now
successfully added the SDE to the Mallet as an expander, but with
MIDI I can also mix sounds from one with the other. The SDE's presets
offer a varied sound-set since they were I think intended for drums,
rather than tuned percussion, but most work well, and also receive
pedal data from the Mallet. I'm now hunting for the ROM or RAM
cartridges which expand the SDE memory still further and slot in on
the right end of the panel. If anyone out there has one, or even just
the circuit for one, I'd be very interested. My hunch is that the
cartridges might easily be constructed. In fact, I wonder if they are
similar to a Psion II Organiser's "Rampack" (remember them?).
Essentially just an SRAM and battery, or an EPROM for a ROM pack.
The Mallet suffers from 3 problems.
1/ Locks up after 20 minutes on. Suspect this is a dry joint in the
power supply which gets quite warm.
2/ High note sounding when keyboard is struck anywhere. I think there
is a poor track repair in the sensor tracks under the keyboard top
octave, but I should be able to cut it out with a scalpel
3/ Locks up when moved. Tricky; a connection problem between control
box and keyboard, perhaps; I'll see what happens after dismantling it
for fault 1.
Other than these, a fine and unique sound generator. I hope it'll be
roadworthy some day.
Stay tuned!

Paul