Zendrum Dynamics

When in a live playing frenzy, it can get kind of difficult to not slap each trigger to the maximum velocity of 127. And, sometimes that's OK. But sometimes, you lose your 'human touch'. It seems that on acoustic drums, no matter how hard you hit, there is always the ability to hit a little harder. Once MIDI hits 127, all you get from hitting harder is blisters.

There are a few ways to still achieve the ghost notes and subtleties of acoustic playing, even when things get frantic.

First off, let's assume the volume knob is not the answer. You have already adjusted it to match the band volume. The problem is in the speed and excitement of playing, you hit too hard.

Solution 1: Know the angles. Due to fancy things you learn in physics class and trigonometry, we can figure that by altering the impact vector to a trigger, we can lower its Y axis force. Now, in English - rather than hit the center of the pad straight in, angle your hand so that you are hitting the edge of the pad at about a 45 degree angle or so. A lot of your force will be absorbed sideways, instead of 'in' to the trigger. Absorbed force = lower volume. Be careful, because those pad edges may hurt your delicate knuckles. That's actually an added benefit to make you play with more control as well.

Solution 2: Program for weakness. Too much power is the weakness. And instead of that funky flow groove you hadm it all just pounds ahead like a 6 year old on his first drumset from Sears. If you know this will happen, and you know the ghost note on the snare is the key, make a trigger simply trigger the same sound at 50% volume and use that pad as the ghost note, rather than the same pad hit lightly.

Solution 3: All in the finger. Usually, the big 'slapping' that occurs during raucous live numbers is what ruins the feel on Zendrum. Force yourself to move your hand closer to the trigger and let your finger - not your arm or wrist, execute the motion. If it is still too loud, rest your hand on the Zendrum body and force your fingers to work there.

When it all get's down to it, what seperates the good drummers from the great is feel. And a lot of that feel, if not all of it, comes from dynamics. Controlling your movement to not max the triggers even during the fastest and loudest passages is the key, and this takes concentration and the ability to not get too wrapped in the moment. It's very much like Zen.