I use a Roland TR-707 drum machine to trigger my SDS-8. It has separate audio
outs for each drum. I run a cable from each audio out to an in on the SDS. The
TR-727 is the same machine with different ROM samples.
It has a mixer section (ie separate volume faders for each voice -handy for
setting/improvising with triggering levels), simple 16 step visual programming
(classic Roland style - 16 buttons and LEDs as well as an LCD displaying all drum
patterns in a dot grid). It also syncs to both MIDI and DIN sync, which is nice.
And it can sync to tape as well.
Works fine except for one small detail - because I am using the audio and not a
proper trigger, each 707 voice has it's own decay envelope. So the fastest decay I
can get on each SDS voice is equal to the decay on the 707 voice. I try to use to
shortest voices on the 707 in preference, and it's been OK so far, but I still think it
would be better, punchier maybe, to use a straight pulse trigger.
One day I plan to go in with the probe and a soldering iron and see if I can find the
trigger points, and bring them out to a 5 DIN plug on the back. Then a single DIN
cable to the sequencer input on the SDS :)
It's not exactly little though - about the same size as a Simmons table unit. The
smaller TR-626 will do the same (without the mixer, and MIDI sync only), and if
you're handy with a soldering iron, you can find the trigger points for a TR-505
documented here - http://burnkit2600.com/gear/?p=15
You can do the same with a TR-606 (many docs online for the mod), and they're
nice analog drums in themselves, also heavily moddable. But they are getting
crazy price wise, and DIN sync only.
505, 626 should be under $100, 707 or 727 about twice that. 606 around $4-500
--- In Simmons_Drums@yahoogroups.com, "pigletdad40" <pigletdad40@...> wrote:
> Anyway, I am interested in getting a little sequencing unit that will fire the
> SDS 5 or SDS-7 1/4" inputs.