hitting cymbals and pads in unison

**Amanwithapencil** · Joined: 30 Dec 2007 Posts: 476 Location: Tennessee

Basically, I'm having trouble hitting anything where you have to hit a cymbal and a pad in unison. I think it may be a hardware problem, and I'm trying to figure out if the problem is with the equipment or if I'm just not doing it right. When I play, I feel like I'm keeping the rhythm but it just keeps dropping the cymbal whenever I play a RY and it drops the snare when I try RO. Sometimes it will hit and sometimes it won't.

To give an example, today I was playing Band on the Run on Medium. I'm pretty new to the drums, and I honestly feel like I should be able to FC or near FC the song, but i was getting 3 and 4 stars cause of this problem. So does it just require a ridiculous amount of accuracy to get them everytime or do you think I might have a hardware problem?
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**HoorayItsMike** · Joined: 28 Jul 2007 Posts: 1604 Location: Ohio

No, it doesn't require a ridiculous amount of accuracy whatsoever. If you think you should be hitting it, then you probably should. Go into the Music Studio to try and see exactly what the problem is. Watch when the notes are missed to identify exactly what the problem is and when it occurs. Then, update us in the OP and I think we'll be able to help you much more effectively. I know you described it well, but chances are the problem isn't random and if you see what you are missing then you know if it's cross-talk or if it is dropping hits.
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**electronvtec** · Joined: 02 Apr 2008 Posts: 81

OP, the "chords" you're having trouble with have one pad in common - the red pad. This is the most likely pad to have sensitivity issues due to hardware wiring and it can be fixed with one of two methods - get the USB-Midi cable from RedOctane.com and use a PC to adjust the sensitivity of that pad or open the whole thing up and re-solder the connections.

Clearly, the cable is the best and safest option. Do like Mike said and try it in the music studio to see if you're dropping notes on the red pad (even light taps on the pad should register a hit) and if you are, visit the link scattered around the forums to grab the free cable to adjust sensitivity on that pad.
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**yksi-kaksi-kolme** · Joined: 22 Jun 2008 Posts: 2803 Location: philly skramzzzz

I have been having the same problem as you. I struggled in the first drum gig simply because I could not get the hi-hat to register when used in unison with the snare. The hi-hat registered fine by itself and with the bass pedal, but once I put the snare in there it just crapped out. Oddly, the snare registered, but not the hi-hat...

I think you just need the sensitivity kit. Maybe it's a crosstalk issue?
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**FDXCpinballwiz** · Posted: Thu Nov 27, 2008 7:04 am Post subject:

I also have had this problem when I play the drums

. I find that it's mainly hitting the red pad and yellow cymbal together. I found that if I hit the red pad just before hitting the yellow cymbal, it registers both the hits every time. Don't know why this works but it does for me. I can't do this though when the base is a stuedder step becuase i get all confuzed and start missing notes like crazy.
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**ortiz1193** · Joined: 22 Sep 2007 Posts: 2227 Location: Shreveport, LA

I'd say its just an accuracy issue. I had the exact same problem my first few days on medium drums, the snare would always miss when I was positive I hit it perfect. Once I started getting into my drum career, I started hitting it more. Haven't had a problem since.
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**g0dly** · Joined: 07 Feb 2008 Posts: 635

my best guess would be that you are off on your timing, but there have been ccomplaints about sensitivity, so theres always that possibility.

**quade92** · Joined: 22 Mar 2008 Posts: 13

When I got my third WT kit, i had the EXACT problem you're experiencing.
For me, it was a sensitivity issue with the orange cymbal, it wasn't TOO sensitive to overhit but was TOO sensitive for it to cope with a RO note, it dropped the red mostly when hitting RO. I know it is frustrating but the best thing you can do is order on of those MIDI cable interfaces which the RedOctane site are willing to send to you for free which lets you 'tune' your drum kit. This is what I did, but then after a week or so my orange cymbal dropped completely, in which case i ordered a new one from the RedOctane site

**omgChezMix** · Posted: Thu Dec 11, 2008 8:22 pm Post subject:

I've experienced this issue as well. Hitting the yellow and red simultaneously will sometimes drop the red note. I have to tap really lightly on the rim of the yellow cymbal to ensure that it doesn't drop. ...still waiting for my midi cable, it's almost been 2 weeks.

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**g0dly** · Joined: 07 Feb 2008 Posts: 635

mine works fine on fast songs. if i play trapped under ice, i won't drop any yellow red notes, but the instant i play a slow song (like band on the run) or i watch my little brother play medium, i see dropped notes when they should be hit. for me, i am pretty much convinced that my drums are fine, and the problem is that it is too hard to hold an exact rhythem when you are playing that slow. it might also be my TV's audio/video lag that throws me off on slow songs, but guitar seems to play pretty well, so it is probably just those slow drum beats.

**hydrapower** · Joined: 28 May 2006 Posts: 1708 Location: Rochester, MN

This is happening to me with greater frequency. The red will drop in conjunction with the yellow or orange (never by itself). About half the time it won't happen in a song but the other half of the time it might happen 3-5 times in a song. Very frustrating. The Midi Cable instructions tell you to turn up the red but now I have it all the way at a sensitivity of 20 and it still happens. Not sure what to do now, I think the pad is just getting worse.

Edit: I found this video where the guy fixes this problem with...a popsicle stick! I'll have to try this...
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**ANiMoSiTYx** · Joined: 26 Jul 2008 Posts: 78 Location: Scotland

I had a big problem with this. I'd say about 8/10 of my YR hits would drop the Y making some songs impossible (Overkill, Trapped Under Ice, Hot For Teacher)

I have however sorted the problem. I pulled the lever at the back of the yellow pad to lower it back down fully, then I unscrewed the little bit that holds the cymbal and screwed it on with only one turn so that it was pretty loose. I've had no problems with my cymbal since doing this and I can't think of any real downsides to it.
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**scoots221** · Joined: 14 Feb 2008 Posts: 14

My drums were also dropping the red hit on RO "chords". But if i hit the red pad harder than normal it worked fine. The drum tuning kit fixed my issue, it will probably fix yours.

random rant: "drum tuning kit" just sounds weird because the only drums I know of that you tune are timpani. But I'm a saxophone player, not a drummer, so i could be wrong.