Pad Issues

[Jason13]

My brand new SP606 arrived yesterday!

I will have to spend some more time with it later today. Just a quick question though, I had a quick play on it last night and I was really having to bang on the pads to get anything. I checked the pad settings in the manual and changed the velocity to light but I still have to bang on them pretty hard. Will the pads loosen up with use? Or am I missing something?

[606man]

The pads do loosen up quite a bit with use. I've had the 606 for about 2 years now and the pads are pretty good on mine. They still are not as sensitive as my RY30 drum machine, but they are way better than the stiff pads on the MPC500. I find that the LEAST sensitive setting is best for dynamic playing, with a forceful action of course. Don't be afraid - the unit is tougher than it looks!

Having said all that, in a live situation (which is what you will largely be doing, I believe), turning the velocity OFF is often the best choice. In a club you usually want the sounds to play loud and clear with every touch of the pads...

[Jason13]

Thanks for the tips 606man! I was a bit worried that I could break something! I'm not hitting the pads with hammers but I am hitting them pretty forcefully so it's good to know they will loosen up.

BTW 1st impressions of the 606 is that I really love it, just playing on the stuff already in the unit at the moment, but the MFX are so powerful. I do Industrial/Darkwave stuff so I need big drums and bass and I will have no problem getting both from the 606! Really impressed so far.

[LO-]

i noticed when I took the 606 apart there is a thin strip between the board and the membrane pads. maybe if you take that out, it disabled velocity sesnsitive, and maybe fixes non responsive pads, ? I didnt try so maybe someone else can. I usually turn velocity sensitive OFF because it doesnt respond with ROLL like the MPC's do, when you hold the pad and press harder then it changes velocity.

anyway I think the thin film strip might be the velocity detector ?

[mr.thraz]

i noticed when I took the 606 apart there is a thin strip between the board and the membrane pads. maybe if you take that out, it disabled velocity sesnsitive, and maybe fixes non responsive pads, ? I didnt try so maybe someone else can. I usually turn velocity sensitive OFF because it doesnt respond with ROLL like the MPC's do, when you hold the pad and press harder then it changes velocity.

anyway I think the thin film strip might be the velocity detector ?

has anyone torn down the 505, if that film isn't there than that maybe the reason for no vel sense in the 505. does it look like something you could make on your own?