FAQ

Why is my iPad/iPhone not showing my DruML device?

Apple uses a special snowflake cable known as Thunderbolt 3 that is hardware-compatible with USB-C, but you will need to use an Apple supported OTG adapter.  You can buy these all over the place.

My touch sensor is stuck and I'm hearing unwanted cross-stick

Touch sensors work by sensing changes in capacitance.  A baseline is established when powered on.  Unplugging and plugging back in with no nearby solid objects will generally fix this.  Try not to leave your headphones on the snare when powering on.  Always reset after changing settings.  

My trigger isn't working well on analog-passthrough mode

Make sure USB is unplugged when playing passive/analog as the amplifiers will interfere with the signal.  

Not all drums tested had identical wiring, so if you need to make a harness to work with your kit.. here's our TRS wiring:

Tip -> Center mesh piezo +

Ring -> Rim piezo +

Sleeve -> Shared GND

My device is sending the wrong MIDI signals and isn't working with my VST!

Not all modules/VSTs are the same.  Some systems think a rimshot is a specific MIDI note, while others it may be simply a rim strike and mesh strike happening at the same time.  Some VSTs treat center/off-center as two different notes, where others treat them as a CC slider, where there is a single note for a mesh strike, and a 0-127 CC value for how off-center it is.  

Upon getting your device, the first thing you should do is go to the online configuration tool (druml.ai/configure) and select which MIDI preset you want your device to use.  We currently support Superior Drummer and Steven Slate Drums 5, but more presets will be added over time.  If you don't see your VST there, you can just manually map the articulations to their corresponding MIDI notes.

My device configuration tool is not working properly

Sometimes MIDI can have device exclusivity problems (especially Windows).  Make sure you're not using other MIDI applications at the same time as configuring the drum.  Make sure to close the configuration tool if you plan to play to ensure it does not introduce latency!  Consider using a midi loop interface to work around this on Windows. 

My device is constantly registering off-center hits!!

DruML is trained to detect the distance from the center that each strike is, but based on tuning/differences in software/etc, you likely will want to set the positional gain to match your playing preferences.  This can be done via the web configuration tool.

When using VSTs that do not support positional sensing, but do have a concept of off-center hits, you can still use the CC positional gain parameter to make this easier or harder to trigger.

My DruML device is not triggering properly or is triggering too easily

The first and most obvious thing to do is to power cycle the drum and make sure the touch sensor under the mesh is clear from any objects.

In order for your device to play properly, the mesh must be TIGHT.  If you have your mesh loose enough, you can even strike and damage the touch sensor!  Make sure it has a nice bounce to it.

We put the piezo sensors the correct distance from the factory, but if for some reason you are doing a repair or they have become misaligned, simply remove the back cover and loosen the internal lug fastening screw to allow adjustment of the L-brackets.  Make sure the cone is just slightly compressed (~3mm) when the mesh is under full tension.  Adjusting this prior to putting tension on the mesh often results in an over-compressed foam cone.

A properly assembled DruML device should not rattle or resonate when struck, so if all else fails, check for something loose or get in contact with us.

My positional sensing isn't perfectly symmetrical across all points

Unlike conventional drum modules, DruML uses a lot of information found in the the higher frequencies of the waveform. This makes the playing surface highly dynamic, but also it is sensitive enough to play differently in specific areas with less pressure than others.  

The easiest way to fix this is to unplug the drum, remove the rim liner, and adjust the tension on the screws until you can hit the edges around the entire mesh head and it should sound approximately the same.  If any specific areas sound audibly different, they will play different. 

Does it support (INSERT YOUR VST HERE)?

We want to support every VST out there with presets that minimize the amount of effort you need to spend.  That being said, we might not be aware of what software you are using!.  Reach out via our contact form and we'll get support for it on our roadmap.

Does DruML require a computer to generate MIDI?

No.  Your device is self-contained and does all of its own signal processing.  It is a class-compliant MIDI device that should work with any module (or computer) that can support USB MIDI.  While many of the best VSTs are on a PC, it is not a requirement.

When I hit it really hard, it makes a rim strike sound

If the mesh is not tight enough and you play hard, you're likely to bottom out and hit the touch sensor.  Earlier units have these with 20mm clearance, but if you want, you can remove the mesh and lower the touch sensor by removing the top M3 standoffs. You'll get another 5mm or so this way. There is a trade off between cross-stick sensitivity and mesh detune-ability

If you're sure that it isn't related to the mesh tightness, you can adjust the rim cross-talk settings to make it harder/easier for the mesh to trigger the rim.  This is a tradeoff between rimshot sensitivity and unwanted rim triggers

Can I swap parts such as the mesh and have it still work?

There's a good chance you could change quite a few things and it would continue to play nicely.  We can't guarantee anything other than the configuration we send the drum to you with, but DruML does a good job generalizing.