Ola!
Hey guys, just wandered over from the Lowdown, but don't let that put you off! WhatI'd like to know from you wise men if you can tell me anything about this Simmons SDS9 drum machine brain I have in my loft! I also have a collection of chips for it labelled 'gated snare' etc' and I think I might have a pad or two somewhere. I'm not entirely convinced it works tho as dont really know what it should or shouldn't do! I have an alesis sr16 and a small studio setup so have various options to try it out with. Just wondered if anyone can shed light on if it's any good, if it's worth anything etc;
Thanks!
Craig

Sounds like a question for Mr. Kehew!

Djew Djew Djew! Djum Dja Djum!

SDS9, as I recall, was the first Simmons set with samples. As such, yours has chips for each drum, rather than a synthesizer voice? Its triggers from the pads (or an external trigger source (but NOT usually from sound - unless the signal is really STRONG and spiky).

They are not worth much - samples likely 8 bit - but have some appeal to drum freaks. Especially if they are the weird yellow pads or something! New wave!

I see, cool thanks for the info!
Craig

Hi Folks,

The SDS9 had two notable features. One was a chip that let you swap out snare samples (all the other sounds are synths). The other was a snare pad that had an extra sensor for a cross-stick/rim shot. I think the snare input, thus, may take a balanced 1/4" connector, unlike the other jacks which take standard "mono" 1/4".

Oberheim made a gadget called the Prommer that let you take samples and burn them onto an eprom. Also, the stickers on the back of the chips are actually functional - removing the stickers and exposing the chip to light will cause the contents of the chip to be erased.

While the pads are the visual appeal of the thing, you don't need to use them. First, you can trigger the inputs with audio, which gives you the option of having it generate new drum sounds off the input, or you can use it to generate midi events off of audio input. So it may be useful?

Also, you can obviously use something else as a MIDI master with it and finally, if you don't have pads/don't want to use them, you can build inexpensive triggers by soldering a piezo transducer from Radio Shack (Or your local equivalent) to a 1/4" jack. It's not the best trigger, but it works.

Many years ago, I think in Musician Magazine, I read a great description of the Simmons tom-tom sound: a sheep exploding in the distance.

Noah