Drummania Controller: How To
Step 1: Parts List
Drum Parts List (per drum)
1 - 9" diameter circle 3/4" plywood
2 - 8 1/2" diameter 26 gauge galvanized steel (roof flashing)
2 - insulated wires (length whatever size you might need)
1 - Foamies (Wal-Mart craft section $0.50)
1 - square of whatever color of material you want, large enough to wrap around
the completed drum.
1 - piece of metal band (shipping band)
1 - nut and screw I used #8's 3/4" long
2 - flat washers for above nut and screw
Step 2: Prepare Wood and Metal Plates
Cut the 3/4" plywood into 9" diameter circles (you will need at least 5, if you use a simple drum pedal trigger, 7 if use a complex drum pedal and the extra floor tom that DTXMania supports. You can actually make each wood circle more realistically correct in size to the drum or symbol. I chose to use all the same size. Drill 2 1/8" holes at the top of the wood so the wires can come through.
Cut the metal flashing into 8 1/2" diameter circles. You will need a little smaller diameter metal plate then the wood to duct tape it down. If you purchased Roof flashing in a coil, you will need to flatten the curve out just a bit, not all the way, this is the spring that the metal will need to keep the metal plates apart. I also cut out a little flat spot at the top of the metal plates where I was going to solder the wires to the plate, so the wires would have a spot to go through the wood.
I soldered different color wires to each metal plates. I used green for ground on the bottom plate and blue for the top plate.
Step 3: Tape First Metal Plate Down
Then I threaded the wire through the hole and then duct taped the metal plate to the wood, you can also spray glue the metal plate down, but you need the thickness of the tape to separate the 2 metal plates. Remember everywhere the tape is, is a spot where you can't hit with the drum stick to make a connection, so limit the amount of tape to a minimum. It needs to go all the way around but not to much on the inside.
(special note) - the bend of the bottom metal plate is the center down, and the edges up, so you are taping this plate down flat.
Step 4: Tape the Second Plate Down
Make sure you can get the wire through the second hole you drilled, or poke a hole with a pencil or drill bit. Thread the wire through the hole in the wood and tape the top plate down, the amount and place of the tape is not as critical on this piece.
(special note) - the bend of this plate is the outside edges down, with the center raised up so you have a natural spring in the metal, you only want it springing about 1/32 to 1/16 when tape down, you don't want to have to push the plate very far before it triggers.
Step 5: Foamies
Foamies I have been told that it is used as a photo backing or matting product that comes in many different colors and adhesive backed or not. I went through several different types of foam material before trying Foamies. I tried sleeping bag mat, which is about 1/2" thick and open celled, was very non responsive and didn't work very well. Foamies is thin enough to allow quick response, but hides enough of the drum stick on metal noise.
Cut 9" diameter circles of the Foamies. this gets put on top of the top metal plate.
Step 6: Metal Clamps
I live in a very small town and the closest home store is about 30 minutes away. It is very hard to get parts you need. I Searched for 10" diameter hose clamps, yes they make them, but just not stocked in my jerkwater town. So I did the next best thing, I made them myself. I fortunately work in a factory, so I have access to things like metal shipping banding. The metal banding I used is 1/2" wide and cut to what ever length I need, I think I cut them about 30" long. This will depend on what size you made your drums. Basically wrap it around the wood circle and add about 3/4" of extra length. Bend each end about 1/2" - 3/4" from the end and drill a hole on each end . The hole needs to be big enough to get the #8 bolt through. Put a washer on each outside edge of the band. and then the nut. Simple, cost effective hose clamp.
Step 7: Drum cover Material
You will need to get some material (wherever, you choose, I went back to Wal-Mart) I got 2 yards of the heaviest black material I could find. I cut them in 12" squares. You could probably get away with 1 yard, but I wanted to make sure I had enough.
Lay the Material over the Foamies, and then pop the band clamp on and tighten the clamp fairly tight. Then stretch all the wrinkles out of the material and then finish tightening the clamp. Until you are perfectly set with the testing of the drums, do not staple the material to the back. You want to be able to disassemble the drum quickly to make adjustments. Once you are happy with the drum, staple the material to the back so it looks neat and clean.
Step 8: Bass Drum Pedal
I am still very embarrassed about the outcome of my drum pedal, so no pictures are included. Basically 2 pieces of wood with a hinge and some foam to separate the 2 pieces of wood together, with 2 small metal plates to make contact. Very simple and unprofessional. I am looking at purchasing a real drum pedal and using the spare (floor tom) drum, relocating it to the lower part of the rack.
Step 9: Wiring
I went to Radioshack and purchased a terminal connection strip (the white part in the above picture, they can also be called barrier strips). I purchased the 12 connection block. Screwed it to the back of one of the upper drums. On one side of the strip, I ran a one end of a Cat5 network cable to 8 of the connections, and ran the other end back to the connecting block inside the control panel that I set up for the dance pad. I then ran all the blue wires from the drums to the barrier strip. On the grounds (green wires) I ran them to the left side of the strip. Because of the gauge of the wire I only ran 2 green wires to each connection and then ran a jumper wire (black wire) to each of those 4. For clarification I wrote a letter under each blue connection showing where that drum is in the rack.
Step 10: Building the Rack
This part is subject to ease of build and your abilities. I have a welder and a lot of metalworking tools, so I chose to build a metal rack. You can make a rack out of plastic PVC plumbing pipe and connectors as well. I wanted to replicate the original machines layout as closely as possible, so that is the reason for the design of this rack.)
Drum rack parts list
3 - 36" pieces of 1" EMT (cross members)
2 - 36" pieces of 1" EMT (feet)
2 - 48" pieces of 1" EMT (uprights)
EMT - (electrical metal tubing) - can be purchased at Home Depot or local electrical contractor. Comes in 10 foot sections.
12 - 1" EMT (1 hole) clamps ( these screw onto the back of the drum and hold the drum to the rack. Also at Home Depot or electrical contractor.)
The uprights are 48" and bent at about a 45 degree angle at 30" from the bottom of the pipe. I welded the feet to the uprights at about 1' from the front of the pipe, so that there is 1 foot in front and 2 feet in the back for stability. I then stood up the uprights and tack welded the bottom cross member in place. I then tack welded the middle cross member in place, just below the bend, and the upper cross member in place 10" above that, Checking for square at each tack weld.
Once I was happy with how the rack was squared, I finish welded the rest of the rack.
Using the EMT clamps, I attached each of the drums to the rack, and zip tying the wires behind each piece of pipe.
Step 11: Connection to the IPAC
This is done the sameway I connected the dance pad to the Ipac, so I am going to link to that page instead of retyping it.
Step 12: Software Installation and Setup
The software I used is DTXMania and can be found at GDAMania. You will need to register with them to get to the downloads, but you will be able to find the main software and links to the songs.
Once you get DTXMania setup, Go into the Configuration screen and then go to the drum key assignment and set each drum in the software.
Goodluck on the rest. Feel free to email me if you have questions.