Axiom Home Page Forums General Discussion The Water Cooler Anyone ever hook up electric drums to Axioms?

I got a new Roland TD-6SXT VDrum kit for Christmas. Of course, they aren't the cheapest item in the world, so I am trying to find a way to get sound out of them without 1) having to wear headphones all of the time and 2) not having to fork over $600+ for an amp for them.

So anyway, I've been all over the VDrum forums, but I never get a straight answer. Can I use my Axioms (with SVS sub, running through my Pioneer Elite receiver) or am I going to damage something?

I have the following gear:
M60 fronts
VP150 center
QS8 surrounds
SVS 20-39PCi sub
Pioneer Elite VSX-54TX receiver

Again, I have been told that it isn't a great idea to run VDrums through a "home stereo" because the audio "spikes" at the beginning of each drum hit is "too much for the speakers/receiver to handle."

I think that this is true for smaller boom box systems, but I was hoping to be able to pump out some sound with my Axioms/SVS (mainly just the M60s and SVS sub, not the VP150 or QS8s)...

ANY helpful ideas are welcomed here...
Here is a link to Roland's site, although not very details about output information:
Roland TD-6SXT

i hooked an musical keyboard up to my system last year, powered by a vintage sansui. didnt blow nothin up. I wouldnt add booze into the equation though

just my 2 cents is i would be more concerned with playing electronic sounds that had a high duty cycle, like a square wave at 90% duty cycle, as opposed to a kick drum with a short transient spike. secondly i would be concerned with a microphone setup and excessive feedback.

Randy

Since they are electric, no mic pickups, no feedback. And I was told that it was the transient spikes to beware of...

Hmmm....

Thanks for the thoughts though... I wonder if anyone else can shime in here.

Hi Nick,

Generally speaking, it's not a good idea to run musical instruments through domestic hi-fi speakers, unless you first put the output of your electronic drum kit through a peak limiter--for exactly the reason you cite--the transient spikes.

Musical instrument amplifiers (guitar amps, etc.) use heavy-duty drivers designed for longevity, not fidelity. Even so, it's common studio practice to run the output of microphones on drum kits--any percussive instruments--through a limiter on the board to prevent sudden overloads from overenthusiastic drummers.

I'd suggest you don't do it. One sudden spike could damage a voice-coil former on one or your Axioms.

Get a guitar amp with a bullet-proof driver instead.

Regards,

Well, I picked up a dedicated amp for it today. I was hoping to avoid the cost, but it is a lot cheaper than having to replace a pair of M60s...

Thanks!

>>Musical instrument amplifiers (guitar amps, etc.) use heavy-duty drivers designed for longevity, not fidelity. Even so, it's common studio practice to run the output of microphones on drum kits--any percussive instruments--through a limiter on the board to prevent sudden overloads from overenthusiastic drummers.

I resent that!

Yeah, "overenthusiastic drummer" is kinda redundant, isn't it?

Well, I'll tell you one thing, I have NEVER met an overenthusiastic drummer, all the enthusiasm is always justified for the part of the song that requires it!

Especially if it involves a cowbell.

Cowbells raaawk.