cast precision mesh foam replacement

[gabo]

Anyone have suggestions on how to replace the foam on cast precision mesh pads?

The foam on mine completely disintegrated. I replaced it with 3/4" foam with glue backing, but that's not working very well. 

In the manual it has this statement. 


If the foam gets
porous or the sensor plate is damaged on a snare or kick pad, you must replace both the foam layer(s) and

the sensor plate. Make sure you place the hardest foam layer on top (in front) of the sensor plate!


So there are two different types of foam. The foam on mine was so bad I couldn't even tell if there were places the foam didn't cover. The snare pad has a rim piezo and it looks like maybe the foam didn't cover that section of the rim, but not sure. 

If anyone has detailed info on what products to buy to replace the foam and maybe some advice on exactly how to replace it, that would be great. 

thanks, gabo

[Deleted]

Hi, there are some contradictions in your post... The ddrum3 precision pads had the blue foam. dd4 cast pads had grey foam, which was thinner. The open-backed dd4 mesh pads only have foam around the edge.

The blue and grey foam are of very good quality. I haven't seen it damaged on even the dd3 pads, which now are 25 years old.
If the foam has disintegrated, it's probably not original foam.

Also, the foam should only be glued the inner third around the center.

Hope it helps

[gabo]

Thanks Krillo, these are the dd4 open-backed mesh pads with the foam around the edge. The space for the foam looked to be 3/4" wide, so I just grabbed some 3/4" foam that was used for weather stripping. It really doesn't work well and I get poor separation from the head/rim, leaving me to suspect that maybe there was a spot on the foam where it didn't make contact with the rim piezo.

The original foam was gray colored and was somehow glued in place. What was left of it appeared to be less dense than the foam I put back in there.

Also, maybe the manual where I got that info from is not for the open backed pads. It seems there were 2 or 3 versions of the cast precision pads and I'm not sure the manual I have is for the ones I have.

I can certainly take some photos if it would help. I am really keen to get these performing as good as when they were new.


Thanks for your help! gabo

[gabo]

Here are some pictures to help out. 


thanks, gabo

Attachments:

[Deleted]

Thanks for the photos! I don't own this type of pads anymore (sold my dd4 kit), but as far as I can remember, the foam around the edges was similar to what Remo use in their muffls remo.com/products/product/muffl-control-ring/ I have some, and this foam is 20x20mm (0,7 inches). Not sure that the dimensions is the same for these pads, but the type of foam was similar.

[kenjwright]

Here are 3 images from my 12" snare with original (AFAIK) foam intact. In your photos I do see a reflector plate. Is that the later mesh version with the rim mounted external trigger?

[gabo]

Thanks for that Krillo, I'll check out the control rings.

Ken, I think these are later, but not sure. They have the rim mounted trigger, not sure if you call it an external or not. If you look at the last photo I posted, the little square just at the end of the foam piece that is still attached is the trigger for the head. Also on the last photo, the rim trigger is down behind those two XLR's you can see and mounted directly on the cast rim.

There is no reflector plate, maybe what you're seeing is in the middle photo? That's the back side of the mesh head. The only thing that's been removed in that third photo, apart from the foam being lifted up a bit, is the mesh head. So with the head off these pads are just a cast frame with a hole in the middle. 

I removed the section of the foam that is over the cavity where the XLR's are and am getting a bit better separation between head/rim. But the response from the head is still not as good as I think it should be. I think the foam I have in there is just too stiff.

gabo

[kenjwright]

Having never held on to one I always thought the open back pad versions used the external Redshot triggers. Guess not! This picture shows them and suggest that you are correct about the foam density. Closed cell foam is likely to stiff. This picture shows 360 degree open cell. Not sure what the red tongues are for that appear to be directly over the trigger? Stick protection?

[gabo]

Yes, the tongues are there to keep you from directly hitting the piezo transducer. In the first pic I posted, if you look closely at the very bottom of the pic you can see the red tab on mine, same as in your pic. That's a great pic to see how the original foam was around there, good one!

As you suggest I'm thinking about getting some open cell foam, would be nice if I could find some that was as convenient as the stiff stuff I purchased. That came in about 3/4" x 3/4" with sticky on one side. It actually fit perfectly. I may have to buy a sheet of open cell that is 3/4" thick and cut pieces to use.

I have some of those cymbal pads too, but I don't use them. They work great, but they are very loud when you hit them.

Thanks for the help!!

gabo

[kjob3022]

I recently bought some Ddrum4 SE pads including a mesh head bass drum that seems to trigger occasionally even though it registers on the module at the kick LED and also the system LED so I removed the head and 2 foam pieces and see the reflector plate but have no idea how to get the rest apart from here or what to look for underneath that plate,everything is still new looking even the mesh head is fine but if anyone has taken one apart and could tell me what to look for,thanks,Ken

[kenjwright]

The pictures above from an earlier post with the yellow foam are from a snare pad but the bass drum pad is the same. The middle picture is of the plate and foam pulled out and flipped over to show the piezo. The foam is glued to the plate but not the shell so should lift out without too much trouble although it tends to stick a bit over time. Look for loose wires to the piezo and also to the XLR connector. The other thing to check is the module settings and make sure that the threshold is not set too high and that the pad type is set to "bAS" in the System menu.

Cheers!

Ken

[kjob3022]

Hi Ken,thanks again for your reply,I have done the full spectrum on threshold and set it to bAS but what's going on now is depending on where on the plate I tap seems to change over the entire area in sensitivity,I'm thinking I have to remove that plate so I really am afraid of bending it but there isn't any way around going inside of this thing because it definitely works I hope it's some wires loose,I appreciate the help as always,Ken

[kjob3022]

Hi Ken,I think this plate is attached somehow to the back of the bass drum, has anyone ever tried to do this repair before? I really don't know it seems like it should pop off along the edge of the foam bumpers it rides on but I am lost, anyway thanks for trying Ken,Ken

[kenjwright]

I have not popped one open in a while but the plate should pull up with a bit of careful prying. Which model of pad do you have? Solid back? Or red plate back? Should not matter but just curious.

[kjob3022]

Solid back and I really am wondering too because of how well these drums are designed, thanks Ken,Ken