Splitting a TRS cable.

[binky_bass]

Need some advice please!

I've just bought a pre-owned electric drumkit with a single kick pedal, a friend of mine has another kick pedal that it literal exactly the same as the one that came with my kit. Both work singularly.

The wiring loom that connects the pedals and the pads to the brain of the kit are all essentially one piece, they all feed into one connector that plugs into the brain. It's physically one item, not many individual cables. 

What I'm wanting to do is use both kick pedals simultaneously as a double kick set up. 

The only way I can think to do this is with some kind of female input TRS cable that splits to dual male inputs, like the below picture.

Does anyone know if A: this would actually work to allow both kicks to function at the same time and B: where I can get such a cable from that has at least 2-3 foot of cable for each of the split male inputs? 

[caitlin]

The exact cable in your picture *should* work. Bass drums are a single zone single trigger so they only need two wires to trigger.

the ring and sleeve of a stereo connector should short together in the socket and all you need is the kick pads in parallel with each other and the brain won't know any difference between each pedal, it'll still believe it has one.

The only effect to watch for is fast playing might make the brain start 'denoising' multiple hits on the assumption it's a single trigger vibrating and double triggering.

Stick that splitter into one kick and use a male to female adapter or M2F extension cable to the other pedal.

Edited January 6, 2021 by caitlin

[Jakester]

Would you not be better off just getting a 2nd-hand double bass drum pedal to use on the single kick pad? As caitlin says, I would be concerned that the module might restrict the triggering using two separate pads. 

Some modules do have extra/assignable inputs - I know I had a TD8 (which is getting on a bit now!) which had an extra kick input, plus spare inputs which could be re-assigned. 

[Jakester]

Ah, is it an Alesis Turbo module? That has a parallel port type trigger connection? I see the problem - in which case, ignore me! (Though the double pedal may be the easier way!)

[caitlin]

the alesis trigger pedals seems to be a beater-less design, so there's not a 'pad' you can stick a double pedal on.

[binky_bass]

This is a TourTech TT12S kit, so it is a super basic kit where the pedals are indeed beaterless, and I got the second pedal for free from a friend so I'm trying to do this in the cheapest way possible! 

I have a few various connectors, but the Chinese finger trap style dual female connect i have I think only operates with non-TRS cables as I can't get a sound from the kit when that connect it in play. 

I've asked Lynx Cables (a decent custom cable company in the UK) to quote me for a single TRS female to dual male TRS outs with one being 3ft and one being 1ft, this in theory should give the reach I need and do the job... hopefully! We shall see!!

[Jakester]

20 minutes ago, caitlin said:

the alesis trigger pedals seems to be a beater-less design, so there's not a 'pad' you can stick a double pedal on.

🤮

[caitlin]

49 minutes ago, binky_bass said:

This is a TourTech TT12S kit, so it is a super basic kit where the pedals are indeed beaterless, and I got the second pedal for free from a friend so I'm trying to do this in the cheapest way possible! 

I have a few various connectors, but the Chinese finger trap style dual female connect i have I think only operates with non-TRS cables as I can't get a sound from the kit when that connect it in play. 

I've asked Lynx Cables (a decent custom cable company in the UK) to quote me for a single TRS female to dual male TRS outs with one being 3ft and one being 1ft, this in theory should give the reach I need and do the job... hopefully! We shall see!!

can you solder? making cables is really easy if you have an iron. a few quid of bits from the usual internet scumbacks or just re-end a guitar cable.
if cheap is the name of the game, splicing into the existing wires should be highly possible.

[caitlin]

I'm mental though, in fairness. 2001 it was when I built my own e-drums out of bits from maplins and an alesis DM5; it even *worked*.

[binky_bass]

3 hours ago, caitlin said:

can you solder? making cables is really easy if you have an iron. a few quid of bits from the usual internet scumbacks or just re-end a guitar cable.
if cheap is the name of the game, splicing into the existing wires should be highly possible.

I had though of that, and I have spliced many a cable in my time! I've made most of my own Speakon/Speakon and Speakon/Jack cables, BUT I don't want to risk côcking up the loom as its all one big set of wires that are physically connected together at the 'brain' end with a strange VGA type input into the brain, and as TourTech don't offer spares (they don't even have contact emails and none of the stockists in this country will give me the contact details for their distributor) if I fudge it, I'm essentially utterly screwed. So a separate adapter is the way forward! 

Lynx are pretty good value to be fair, they made me some bits for my studio and it worked out cheaper than me buying the individual components and making it myself. So I shall get them to make me something and hope it'll work!! 

I shall report back with results if successful, if unsuccessful I shall ceaselessly weep until the end of time.