If you've ever had to assemble an electronic drum kit, you'll know that it's not always as easy as it looks. Even accidentally swapping a single cable can lead to some odd trigger behavior. This article will walk through how to easily troubleshoot and resolve some of the most common trigger issues with the DM10 drum module.




TABLE OF CONTENTS



Calibration Error On Boot

Scenario: You open the DM10 kit for the first time and you are following the assembly guide on setting up your kit. Once that process is complete and you turn on the unit, you receive a message stating: "Calibration fail Try rebooting with drums unplugged or without touching them".



This is very likely just a mix-up with the cabling and therefore the module cannot calibrate the triggers properly. Here are some troubleshooting steps in resolving this problem:


1. Turn off the module, go to the back of the module, and disconnect all of the cables on the top row.



2. Turn on the module, if you are still getting the same message, repeat step 1 but with the cables on the bottom row. if you did not receive the calibration error message then continue to step 3.

 

 3. Turn off the module and look carefully at the tip of your cable snake. Each cable has a color-coded label to help you connect it to the correct pad.  Please be sure that the red label reading "CRASH" is connected to Port 7 on your module and your 14" dual-zone pad. This is the most common mistake. 



4. Finally, turn the module back on, and the module should calibrate properly. Enjoy playing your drum kit!

 

Hi-Hat Calibration

1. Calibrate the hi-hat pedal:

 

  1. Connect the hi-hat pedal to the module but do not press it down.
  2. On the module, press EXT TRIG. 
  3. Use the CURSOR UP / DOWN buttons to highlight the Input field at the top of the screen
  4. Then use the VALUE UP / DOWN buttons or VALUE DIAL to select HiHat.
  5. Press CAL (F4).
  6. With the hi-hat pedal completely raised ("open"), press OPEN (F1) and wait for a message saying the process is complete.
  7. With the hi-hat pedal completely pressed ("closed"), press CLOS (F2) and wait for a message saying the process is complete.

 

2. If Hi-Hat is still not working as expected, even after open/close calibration:

 

  1. Connect the hi-hat pedal to the module but do not press it down.
  2. On the module, press EXT TRIG. 
  3. Use the CURSOR UP / DOWN buttons to highlight the Input field at the top of the screen
  4. Then use the VALUE UP / DOWN buttons or VALUE DIAL to select HiHat.
  5. Press TRIM (F3). Use the CURSOR UP / DOWN buttons to select Open or Closed and use the VALUE UP / DOWN buttons or VALUE DIAL to adjust the setting. 

Pro Tip: Increasing the "Closed" value makes it easier to close the hi-hat or "choke" it.

 

Cymbals are not choking

The DM10 kits come with 3 types of cymbals,  (2) single zone, (1) dual zone, and (1) triple zone. To use the choke function of the Drum kit, you'll need to be using the dual or triple zone pads, connected to the module via TRS cables.


On DM10 Kits, only the Crash and Ride ports have the choke feature.  Perc 2- 4 are dual-zone ports that will support additional dual drum pads or single zone cymbal.


If you're having trouble triggering the choke on your crash or ride, ensure that they are connected to the correct ports using the provided TRS cables (TS will not work). The choke-able cymbals will have a rubber trigger area that extends around the edge and underneath the cymbal, creating a grip. The choke function will only work when grabbing this portion of the cymbal. 


The image below shows the bottom side of a DM10 Choke-able Ride cymbal. Note the rubber grip that extends along the cymbals' bottom edge. 


Pad(s) triggering intermittently

The DM10 default settings allow the user to play immediately upon connection, but, like any new kit, sometimes a few small adjustments are needed for the DM10 to be up, running, and ready to rock with your style of playing.  While there are lots of fine-tuning options available that you may become familiar with over time, this guide (and video) walks through the main settings to adjust to get playing as quickly as possible!

 

Customizing Your Alesis DM10 Trigger Setup