- Acoustic drum triggers are mounted to individual acoustic drums and other resonant objects. Like pad-based triggers, acoustic triggers turn impact force into MIDI data that can be translated by drum modules. Acoustic drum triggers are favored by drummers who want to utilize MIDI creative tools, but prefer the playability of acoustic drum kits. The main disadvantage of using acoustic drum triggers is the lack of sound isolation when attached to acoustic kits. Drum pad triggers have none of the resonant qualities of acoustic drums, which makes them almost silent and ideal for low-volume practicing. However, one of the great things about acoustic drum triggers is that they can be attached to almost anything that vibrates when struck, turning common household objects into MIDI controllers.
- Kick drum triggers are mesh or rubber pads mounted to small tower-like structures. Most kick drum triggers allow users to mount their own acoustic kick drum beaters, so drummers can feel at home using familiar hardware components alongside MIDI technology. These triggers can be routed into electronic drum modules alongside multiple snare and tom drum pads to create full electronic drum kids.
- Snare and tom drum triggers are circular rubber or mesh pads designed to mimic the playing surface of a snare or tom drum. These triggers are meant to act as standalone electronic drums and cannot be mounted to acoustic drum kits. At approximately 8 to 14 inches in diameter, they are roughly the size of practice drum pads. The drum pad and rim of the pad on these triggers are separate playing surfaces, giving users two input options.
- Some drum modules contain their own multi-input drum trigger surfaces. These modules come preloaded with several electronic drum kits and sound effects, and usually contain several user banks for saving custom drum kits. The number of trigger surfaces on these modules can vary from as few as two to as many as 12. All-in-one devices tend to be more expensive than individual drum trigger surfaces.
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