Bass Drum Triggers

by Chris
(Stockton)

What are bass drum triggers?

ANSWER: Hi Chris! A bass drum (or any drum, for that matter) trigger is a device that you mount on a drum in much the same way that you would mount a microphone.

The difference is that, instead of amplifying the bass drum sound, the trigger senses a drum hit and "triggers" a sampled sound from a sound module. It is like adding the sound of an electronic drum kit to your acoustic kit.

The common use for drum triggers is to supplement the sound of an acoustic set in a live performance or recording situation. You might also want to use triggers to get a unique sound.

If you want to check out some drum trigger set-ups, Zzounds Electronic Drum Triggers has a good selection. I personally like the "Red Shots" by "ddrum".

Of course you will also need a sound module. This is what "Red Shots" recommends:

"The ddrum Red Shot Trigger together with ddrumAT/3/4 sound modules is a great combination for drummers who want perfect drum sounds without compromising with the acoustic sound. The ddrum4 sound module offers the fastest trig response time on the market, and together with ddrum Red Shot Triggers you'll get a perfect combination of acoustic and digital drums."