How Does an Alesis Drum Trigger Work?

Since 1980, Alesis has supplied electronic devices for musicians, including reverb units, digital recorders, audio mixers, drum machines and electronic percussion products. Alesis electronic percussion uses piezoelectric sensors, commonly called "drum triggers," that translate impacts into electronic signals.

Piezoelectricity

Piezoelectric sensors, as transducers, rely on crystals to change electrical properties in response to the amount of force applied to them. Their electrical output varies dynamically, according to the level of impact they receive.

The Facts

An Alesis drum trigger attached to a playing surface -- such as a real acoustic drum head or cymbal, or a surface made from rubber or synthetic material -- responds to the drummer's performance according to the strength, called "velocity," of each percussive strike.

Function

A drum trigger allows the final output of a percussive strike to be any sound selected by the drummer using a sound generation module. The trigger connects via wire to the module, which has built-in percussion sounds. Multiple triggers generate multiple percussion sounds, such as one for a bass drum, another for a snare drum and a third for a tom-tom sound.

References

• American Piezo: Piezoelectricity
• Drum Junction: Discover Drum Trigger Uses

Resources

• Alesis: Electronic Percussion