Mark 1 pads were made by Premier for the SDS 3 and 4 and used
loudspeakers for pickups.
Mark 2 were the "riot shield" pads Spandau Ballet and everyone else
that used the SDS 5 loved (and damaged their wrists on !). Used a
piezo transducer as the pickup as did all future ones (ex-SDX - see
later). All pads including bass had XLR connectors.
Mark 3 pads came in 2 styles, the pricey XLR-type that accompanied
the SDS 7, and the cheaper phono-type "bowls" that came with the SDS
8 etc.
Mark 4 pads apparently cost a 6-figure sum to produce and are the
ones you usually see on ebay, etc. They are the best and also come
in a "stereo" snare version with pad and rimshot. Used with SDS 9,
SDS 1000, SDS 2000, etc... From memory I think you could buy them
in either phono or XLR type.
SDX pads (ZI - zone intellient) are based on the mark 4 hardware but
totally different (and incompatible) pickups. They use a 3-wire mesh
to sense position, and force-sensing resistor pad to sense hit power
(except bass which is the same as the mark 4 - piezo, and no
position sensing). They are superb, a brilliant concept (works like
those mouse pads on modern laptop computers), though still like
hitting a car tyre ! Use stereo phono connectors except for stereo
snare which has a funny 4-pin connector.
Hexa-series - the final pads, Hexasnare, Hexabass, etc. and as Dave
says have a real Remo head, feeding a piezo transducer. Good feel
to them, use them if you get the chance.
Don't try to use ZI pads with other (Simmons or non-Simmons)
hardware - they don't work as they don't produce a voltage.
A bonus (dunno if intentional but then again Dave Simmons/Simon
Davidmann/Jim Pinnock et al. were genius way ahead of their time so
it probably was) is that the piezo-pads work very well with the SDX.
My SDX setup has Hexapads and ZI pads with real cymbals and it feels
and sounds awesome !
hope this is of some use...
Phil
--- In Simmons_Drums@yahoogroups.com, "sdxsds9" <davep@t...> wrote:
> hi
> the riot shield plastic pads were sds5's and are pretty damn rare
in
> fact i only iever saw two sets in the 80's when i worked in a
music
> shop
>
> the sds9/1000/800 etc's with black rubber surface (also have a
> deeper hexagonal casing below..........there are lots of these
> puppies around some are jack plug and some are xlr's used these
from
> around '87 to '94 and they were pretty bombproof but a little dead
> to play in terms of bounce
>
> sdx pads look the same audience side as sds9 etc pads but have a
> grey surface and the pickups are totally different as they were
for
> sdx system (not tried them with other gear yet!!) yet to find how
> durable these are
>
> i also recall the late model simmons pads which used a drum head
and
> the bass drum had a beater bar across the top but can't recall the
> name but i think they were pretty rare as it was around the time
> simmons shut up shop finally and when i stopped playing when my
kit
> was stolen...........
>
> most of the pads you'll see for sale are the black rubber type
>
>
>
> --- In Simmons_Drums@yahoogroups.com, "omons43612" <omons@h...>
> wrote:
> > i am in the process of getting rid of my yamaha drum pads to
> replace
> > them with simmons pads to add a bit more character to my rig.
The
> > only thing is, i DO NOT want the simmons pads with the hard
> plastic
> > playing surface. would someone be kind enough to enlighten me
as
> to
> > model #'s of simmons pads with the gum rubber playing surfaces?
> >
> > thanks in advance for any help,
> >
> > STB