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[Robert Piascik]

I am consulting on an install. Venue is requiring all bands to use their electronic drum kit (Roland V drums with T-30 module). Module has eight individual outs (quarter inch TRS): KK, SN, HH, Toms L/R, Ride, Crash 1&2 and they want to plug these into snake box so soundman can control drum mix. Snake box is all XLR. My comment was that 8 ch of DI was required and my suggestion was two Whirlwind MultiDirector 4 ch 1RU units mounted in a 4RU case. Get a short 8 ch quarter-to-quarter snake to connect module, and a short 8 ch XLR male-XLR female snake to the snake box. Use the extra space in the rack to leave snakes connected and coiled up when not in use.

Does anyone have a better, more elegant, smaller, cheaper, easier way to accomplish this?

Will there be any issues if quarter-to-quarter snake was TS or TRS only? (Will the DIs accept TRS?)

Thanks for any ideas!

[Geoff Doane]

You may well run into problems with a TRS snake, particularly if the DI is looking for signal between T and S, and the drum module has balanced signal between T and R.  For a short distance, a TS snake will be fine, and you know it will work.

Radial does make an 8 channel in 1RU DI.  I'm not sure how it compares to the Whirlwind in cost.

You might be able to get away with just a TRS to XLR snake and skip the DIs, but the DIs are guaranteed to work and be quiet, no matter what the electrical situation is.

Leaving things connected and coiled up in the rack sounds elegant to me.  Multi-pins would be nice, nice the setup is likely to always be the same, but likely hard to justify the cost.

GTD

[g'bye, Dick Rees]

The manual states the direct outs are unbalanced TS.

That said, I don't see drummers who don't own and use that particular rig to accept it.  If they do have one, they can load their particular kit from USB.  But setting up an entire kit with all the parameters to taste is not a day of show task.

I doubt that it is workable although I understand the wish.

[Josh Millward]

Does anyone have a better, more elegant, smaller, cheaper, easier way to accomplish this?

I would be inclined to at least attempt to directly connect the drum brain's 1/4" outputs to the XLR inputs on the snake head using an eight channel 1/4" to M-XLR subsnake.

Here is an option from my employer: Peavey Electronics Studio Snake TRS to Male XLR It is 25 feet long.

Here is an option from Audiopile: EWI MMTS-8 This one is 15 feet long.

There is a pretty significant difference in price between these for an extra 10 feet of cable. If I were spending my money, I would probably be buying the one from Audiopile.

Then, if necessary, I would probably insert isolation transformers if the system is humming. There isn't really a great reason to use a DI to knock the input level down to mic level unless you just want to.

Of course, if you already have the DI's in a rack, then I would just use these same kind of snakes to integrate them. You will need two, one to go from the drum brain to the DI's, and one to go from the DI output to the snake head.

As far as TS vs. TRS is concerned, what is the connection scheme on the drum brain? Does it have TS or TRS connectors in it? What about the DI's? Use whatever is appropriate. At least when you get to XLR land on the other side of the DI's, it should be pretty evident that it is all balanced and uses proper XLR connectors.

[Mark McFarlane]

I don't know the cost of the Whirlwind DIs, but I use two Rolls Quad DIs with my vDrums and it works fine.  http://www.fullcompass.com/product/305589.html

Hum from my TD-10 brain is a frequent problem and the ground lift in the Rolls DI gets rid of 90% of it.

Thee may be better solutions but the Rolls is inexpensive and has worked fine for the past decade.

[g'bye, Dick Rees]

Robert...

I'd make sure the module end of the patch snake be right angle plugs to keep from stressing the output jacks into failure.  I'd also consideer the same for the ends going into the DI's, or if it's a permanent connection, adequate strain relief.

[Bob Leonard]

Robert,
I use Roland sound modules, specifically the Integra 7. I use all 8 1/4" outputs and run them to separate channels on the board. The Roland drum modules use the same kits as the Integra 7. I do NOT use anything other than a 1/4" to XLR snake.

[Tim Padrick]

If the Roland has a true balanced out, both legs will be referenced to ground as it is an electronic output (as opposed to being a transformer).  As such, there should be no problem using a TRS cable feeding the TS input of a DI.

[Alex Rigodanzo]

Robert,
I use Roland sound modules, specifically the Integra 7. I use all 8 1/4" outputs and run them to separate channels on the board. The Roland drum modules use the same kits as the Integra 7. I do NOT use anything other than a 1/4" to XLR snake.

I'm with Bob here.  My drummer uses an old D4 module on his kick and it's line out runs right into the snake.  Bass player runs direct from the pre out on his head to the snake as well. 

[Mark McFarlane]

Robert...

I'd make sure the module end of the patch snake be right angle plugs to keep from stressing the output jacks into failure.

+1, I just had to open up my Td-10 and do some resoldering.

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