NDD - Medeli 506A - GuitarTalk Community

NDD - Medeli 506A

doc-phil

I decided to make the (probably unnecessary) purchase of an electronic drum kit last week. I felt like learning something new, and I'm hoping learning to play the drums will aid me in my midding programming as I will hopefully gain a better understanding of how drummers think.

Here it is:

Is it a Roland or Yamaha? Nope... but did it cost about 1/3 of what I would have paid for a Roland or Yamaha? Yup. This is a Medeli which I believe is made in Hong Kong.

The kit is of solid build and I am impressed with how sturdy the whole thing is. The onboard sounds are not great as one would expect, however this is not an issue for me as I am using the kit strictly as midi triggers for Steven Slate Drums on my PC.

The pads aren't the most sensitive and things like the cymbal chokes are not always 100% responsive... however, for what I paid, I cannot complain. As a beginner electronic drum kit I think I made a great purchase. A major positive is the fact that the kick drum pad is large enough to add a double beater. Many of the kits I've seen don't have such a large pad.

When I first set it up and started playing I thought it felt so incredibly awkward. And this is how I've always felt when messing around on friends' drumkits. Then I suddenly thought, 'hang on, I'm a lefty...' So I switched everything around and now it feels a lot more natural.

Stoffeltoo

Nice kit. We purchased similar kit for our church. Sounds great but suffers from the evil malady that it will not store presets. And we cannot figure out how to reset it >☹

doc-phil

I haven't really fiddled much with the onboard settings on mine apart from adjusting the midi notes being sent when the pads are hit. I was able to save this simply by pressing the save button on the module, but I assume your malady is a little more serious than that.

AlanRatcliffe

doc-phil wrote: I decided to make the (probably unnecessary) purchase of an electronic drum kit last week.

Congrats!

I will hopefully gain a better understanding of how drummers think.

Generally they/we don't man! ? But I know what you mean...

The pads aren't the most sensitive and things like the cymbal chokes are not always 100% responsive...

Can't you tweak the sensitivity?

A major positive is the fact that the kick drum pad is large enough to add a double beater. Many of the kits I've seen don't have such a large pad.

That's cos you can add in a second trigger and pedal with an electronic kit (some have an input on the trigger to slave a second). Lets you do away with the - quite frankly - cumbersome and unresponsive double pedals and lets you position them where you like.

So I switched everything around and now it feels a lot more natural.

Actually there is a lot to be said for playing "open" - having the hi-hat on your dominant hand's side. Means you don't spend 90% of the time with your arms crossed.

doc-phil

Alan Ratcliffe wrote:
doc-phil wrote: I decided to make the (probably unnecessary) purchase of an electronic drum kit last week.
Congrats!

I will hopefully gain a better understanding of how drummers think.
Generally they/we don't man! ? But I know what you mean...

The pads aren't the most sensitive and things like the cymbal chokes are not always 100% responsive...
Can't you tweak the sensitivity?

A major positive is the fact that the kick drum pad is large enough to add a double beater. Many of the kits I've seen don't have such a large pad.
That's cos you can add in a second trigger and pedal with an electronic kit (some have an input on the trigger to slave a second). Lets you do away with the - quite frankly - cumbersome and unresponsive double pedals and lets you position them where you like.

So I switched everything around and now it feels a lot more natural.
Actually there is a lot to be said for playing "open" - having the hi-hat on your dominant hand's side. Means you don't spend 90% of the time with your arms crossed.

Looking through the manual, there are sensitivity settings which I will have a look at.

I feel very confused as to the right/left handed set up. I feel most comfortable with the kick on my right foot and hihat on the left, but my left hand is too dominant to be able to let me right hand strike first. I will have to just practice and eventually work out the best set up.

The first video I watched on YouTube from a left hander suggested that you keep everything as is, except place the ride on the left above the hihat. He played with an open style and seemed to think this was the best (for him).

In any event, I'm having a lot of fun bashing things. I just hope the kick is not travelling to the unit below me. I may need to consider getting some Roland Noise Eaters.

giggsy

Doc-Phil! Hope you can help! Nice drums, and I have a Medeli set myself that I am hoping to learn on in the future. I go them about a year ago and need to do some tightening, but cant for the life of me remember how I put it together... was there a tool it came with that you used to put yours up? The 'screws' if I can call them that are kind of square. Its driving me mad that I cant remember...

AlanRatcliffe

Giggsy wrote: The 'screws' if I can call them that are kind of square.

Ummm... a drum key?

giggsy

That would work ?

But to be honest, I cant remember putting them together and haven't seen anything like that in my music room/garage...

doc-phil

Haha ya it came with a drum key. You could probably loosen the bolts with pliers and then unscrew them by hand, but be careful not to cause damage.

AlanRatcliffe

On an electronic kit it might be L-shaped and often has a rubber ring holder on the kit itself. A lot of kick pedals have a clip holder built into the footplate.

Actually, they're handy things to have around if you have any drum hardware. I keep one on my keyring and a speedkey in my gig bag. Most drum hardware these days is finger tighten stuff, but you still need a key for adjustments and memory locks, etc.

doc-phil

All the pads and cymbals have have the 'finger tighten stuff', but the frame requires the key for easy disassembly. I'm sure it's a standard tool which you could pick up from the hardware store.

When I moved into my own place in JHB and my mom came up to assist me, she made sure I kept all my allen keys, wrenches and what not taped to their respective instructions manuals for safe keeping. I've done the same with the drum key ?

giggsy

Thanks chaps - will dig around in my boxes of music paraphernalia and see if I can find it, otherwise I'll go buy one at the local music store. And yip doc-phil, its for the actual frame itself that I need it

G-Man

Very nice kit, I am quite jealous.

I went the cheap as hell route and built my own kit . I was kindly donated an old drumset that was busted up. I stripped it down and cut the shells in half then used the bottom hoops on the new toms.

Sadly because of my imminent move I am giving it to the drummer from the band I was in before. He will finish the project hopefully.

I built a megadrum unit, worked well until ants got on the board. Busy repairing it before I give it away.

doc-phil

Kudos to you for doing something like that DIY, I wouldn't have the first clue! How exactly does Megadrum work? It seems like a midi trigger system attached to an acoustic kit as opposed to an out-and-out electric kit?

G-Man

doc-phil wrote: Kudos to you for doing something like that DIY, I wouldn't have the first clue! How exactly does Megadrum work? It seems like a midi trigger system attached to an acoustic kit as opposed to an out-and-out electric kit?

Thanks man I spent a lot of time on it.

It is a midi controller over usb or midi plug that supports 32 triggers. It's compatible with everything which is why I wanted to build it originally. This is an ekit as well, the piezos are under the fiberglass mesh on each drum and under the rubber on the symbols.

Take a look at www.megadrum.info if you're interested.