Electronic drum question Options

[Niiko]

I've been given a cheap electronic drum kit by a friend who doesn't use it and said it's useful for recording drums into a computer for demos which is perfect for my situation.

Now my question(s) is this:

1. Can I still use the kit with a different sound module?
2. Can E-Kits be used to program drums like a midi keyboard?

Greatly appreciated if some of you lovely people could answer

[Poco Askew]

1. Usually, but not always. Some cheap kits use switches for pedals while a better module may look for a variable resistance. Some modules use multiple piezos for multiple zones. Other modules use switches for the extra zones. For example, I didn't have a lot of luck running Roland style pads into a Yamaha module, but had good luck with Yamaha pads on a Roland module. In some cases the triggers can be easily modified to work more fully with a different module.
2. You can record the MIDI events from a drum kit for editing, looping, etc. Just make sure the module has MIDI out capability. It's weird but there are some Yamaha kits that only have MIDI in(?!?).

[Niiko]

I hear the hi end kits are velocity sensitive, is it the module or the pads or both?

[Poco Askew]

I hear the hi end kits are velocity sensitive, is it the module or the pads or both?

Both. Most kits are velocity sensitive. Otherwise all hits would be the same loudness. The things most often not velocity sensitive are 1) often the hi hat pedal, 2) sometimes the kick pedal.

[NicksterRibbel]

Both. Most kits are velocity sensitive. Otherwise all hits would be the same loudness. The things most often not velocity sensitive are 1) often the hi hat pedal, 2) sometimes the kick pedal.

And.. how 'higher-end' an electronic kit gets, more velocity layers are added. For example a Roland TD9 has got 4 open hihat velocity layers, and a TD20 has got significantly more (20).
So that means that the ultra high-end kits are closer to an acoustic (feeling wise) than a not so high-end kit.

[Poco Askew]

In the case of hi hat pedals, the module isn't looking at how hard you hit since that is handled by the cymbal trigger. It is only looking at position of the pedal to know which sound to apply: closed, tightly closed, sloshy, open, foot splash, etc. The hi hat pedal is a different input from the others and not velocity sensitive. Some use a switch or variable resistor rather than a piezo to supply the position information. The better kits offer more sounds and more positions = better feel for all those possible hi hat sounds.