Full instructions for a home-built Drummania ASC

Chibi Nappa · Trick Member Joined: 23 Jun 2003 Location: Delaware

I've been hard at work lately building myself a Drummania ASC. Well....actually I didn't like the arcade pad placement so I moved them a bit on my kit, but the procedure I made lets you mount them wherever you want. Anyway, I've been playing on it for about 3 weeks and I'm quite happy with the performance. Actually, I'm thrilled with the performace.

Full assembly instructions are in printable PDF form on my website at http://www.fluffypotato.com. Just click the Bemani button. And keep your eye on my Bemani page. Right now it is only this one PDF, but instructions are comming for a Pop n' ASC (modified to the correct dimensions from the Kindlespine directions) along with several printable Pop n' music controller overlays to download and print. I'll also have instructions for hooking a DDR solo cab to a PS2 and PC.....and I miiiight be able to finish my real guitar -> GF controller project soon, so keep an eye out for all that stuff.

note that I have one extra crash cymbal on here not needed for drummania. I just like to have it there for performance purposes when I'm not playing the game.

Anyway, cost for the parts for this drum controler is a bit high..... Each drum trigger pad comes out to just under $20 worth of parts. The drum kit frame itself is about $30-$40 worth of PVC plumbing pipe. The Yamaha USB adapter is $50. The Alesis DM5 drum module can be found used for about $150-$250 depending on where you look. However, that high cost also gets you a drum kit that can be used as a stand-alone musical instrument.

Obviously right now these instructions only make a kit compatable with Drummania 3rd since it uses the USB port. However, I have just solved the problem of making the drum pads trigger a button on a regular PS joypad. This knocks over $200 off of the price since you need no Alesis Drum module or Yamaha USB adapter. It also makes the kit work with earlier DM mixes. However, regular stand-alone drumming abilities outside of Drummania are lost without the Alesis DM5.

All you need to trigger buttons on a regular PS joypad and cut out the drum module is a $2 Playstation joypad PCB and a couple of these chips from Digi-key (part number 296-8327-5-ND).
http://www.digikey.com/scripts/DkSearch/dksus.dll?KeywordSearch
They are bi-lateral analog switch chips. I'll write this all up in the instruction PDF soon, but here's how you do it:

The chip is laid out like this:

1A ------Vcc
1B ------1C
2B ------4C
2A ------4A
2C ------4B
3C ------3B
GND ----3A

Hook the power supply up to the Vcc pin. It requires very low voltage. Use a multi-meter to read the wires coming into the controller from the PS. One of them should have a voltage. Use that to power the chip. GND is ground. Hook that pin to the ground.

The rest is very simple. There are 4 independant switches on the chip. One switch is needed for one button, so two chips should cover a whole drum kit. The two wires that are to be "connected" (in this case the ground side of a button and the hot side of a button) hook up to 1A and 1B (or 2A and 2B etc). 1C (or 2C etc) is the control pin. Whenever 1C sees a voltage, even if very faint, it closes the switch connecting 1A and 1B. When the voltage goes away, the connection goes away. Hitting one of my drum triggers produces a faint voltage. Hook the red wire from the peizo transducer inside of the trigger pad (see my instructional PDF linked above) up to 1C (or 2C etc). Hook the black wire from the piezo transducer up to any ground point on the pad PCB. Hit the pad and presto! The switch closes.

I have wired this up for just one button on the control pad to test it out, and I can confirm that it works.

Anyway, full instructions for the no-drum-module method to come. I'll make simple to follow connect-the-dots diagrams and all that good stuff.

Clay0K · Staff Member Joined: 16 Jan 2002 Location: Out.

Wow, that's really nice!

..now if only Konami would release some current Gitadora games...

[symphony] · Posted: Fri Aug 06, 2004 11:13 pm Post subject:

those Remo pads are really sweet too. Next best thing to a Reel Feel in my opinon. I like that fact you can tune them to an extent and give a tighter or looser feel to them.

Nice contr. If I ever own Gitadora i'd make that right away.

Junior Asparagus · Administrator Joined: 23 Jan 2002 Location: Natick, MA

How do you hit the bass?
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LOKI · Trick Member Joined: 24 Jan 2002 Location: Folsom, CA, USA

Thanks for this wonderful design. I plan on building one for my bemani arcade cabinet. I also never thought about using bi-lateral analog switch chips either. That should make my IIDX and dancemaniax controllers possible now.

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Tomo_kun · Trick Member Joined: 26 Oct 2003 Location: SE-WI.

Chibi Nappa · Trick Member Joined: 23 Jun 2003 Location: Delaware

Mr_Blasty · Posted: Tue Aug 17, 2004 12:26 pm Post subject:

hey we use those same remo practice pads at school except for theyre on these little wiry stands that are fallin apart

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