How to Make Long Lasting Electronic Drum Triggers; Cheap

Learn to build a low cost electronic drum trigger that lasts.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• small soldering gun
• solder
• quick setting epoxy
• 1 - 1/4" mono phone plug
• 1 - piezo transducer (Radio Shack 273-073 30V(p-p) Max.)
• double sided tape
• 1 tooth pick
• Duct Tape

1. 
    

   Place the transducer between your pointer finger and thumb and press the back until you hear the glue breaking loose. (do not press too hard! Be careful not to disturb the wiring inside the transducer.)

2. 
    

   Carefully pry the back off of the transducer. You can use a small pocket knife or whatever works best for you. (Be careful not to disturb or damage the wiring inside the casing)

3. 
    

   Break of one point of your tooth pick. Use tooth pick to mix a penny size quantity of the epoxy. Mix thoroughly.

4. 
    

   To prevent vibration and keep trigger from separating (coming apart), obtain a small bead of epoxy on the broken end of toothpick and immediately (before epoxy dries) make an epoxy seal around the edge of the transducer on the inside of the casing. Try not smear epoxy all over the transducer. It will weaken your signal.

5. 
    

   With the same end of the tooth pick, get a generous amount of epoxy on the end of the tooth pick and make one bead on top of both solder points where the black wire and red wire are attached to the transducer. Use enough epoxy to thoroughly cover both solder points but don't use more than you need. (too much epoxy on the back of the transducer will weaken your signal) This will lengthen the life of the trigger by strengthening the attachment of the wires to the transducer. Set aside and let dry according to the instructions on the epoxy.

6. 
    

   Slide the jacket of the phone jack over the wires of the transducer so that wires are positioned inside the jacket before soldering.

7. 
    

   Solder the wires on the transducer to the terminals on the phone jack. It doesn't matter which wire is attached to which terminal. Just slide the wires through the holes, bend the wire around to secure the wire and salder in order to secure wire to jack.

8. 
    

   Press a piece of double sided tape to the casing side of the trigger.

9. 
    

   Press other side of tape to top of drum head about 1/4" from rim attaching trigger to drum head.

10. 
     

    Cover trigger with duct tape securing it to the drum head. Let the jack hang over the side of the rim.

11. 
     

    Attach the jack to the side of the drum using duct tape, pointed down, so you can plug into it.

Tips & Warnings

• If you are a hard hitter, consider mounting the trigger to the inside of the drum.
• Place the trigger in a spot that you are least likely to hit with a drum stick.
• (I'VE BEEN A DRUMMER FOR 40 YEARS AND I'VE BEEN USING THESE TRIGGERS FOR 20. THEY WORK GREAT FOR ME.)
• If you hit the trigger with a drum stick, IT WILL BREAK.