The Lance J. Technoweb

I have a Roland HD-1 V-drum kit that is about 15 years old.  It was sitting for years when I got it, and when I put it all together it was clear that the pedals were not working.  Boo!  Time for a repair. Roland HD-1 Pedal Hammer under a Heat Gun. How the HD-1 pedals work With the Roland, a pedal actuates a variable resistor.  When you step on a pedal, it presses on the variable resistor.  Putting force on the pedal reduces the resistance of the resistor. A little force results in a small decrease in resistance.  A high amount of force greatly lowers the resistance.  The HD-1's computer detects this and makes the appropriate sound. There are two important parts to this mechanism: the electronic resistive strip, and a rubber hammer which presses on the strip in a variable way.  There is no internal difference between the left and right pedal. The guts of each pedal is identical.  Where it goes wrong with age Looking at mine, the problem was wi...

A friend gave me a Crate battery guitar amp that he used for busking. It is a nice 15 watt amp with an internal battery. Sadly it died, and its custom power adapter was misplaced. After several years the battery will fail, and it requires a functioning battery to work at all. Happily, new batteries are inexpensive, readily available, and easy to install. Obtaining a replacement battery for the TX15 The original battery was a 4+ pound, sealed lead battery. Any replacement battery should closely follow the specs of the original. I bought this MightyMax Battery on Amazon , which is a perfect replacement. There are many batteries that conform to the needs of the TX15, and they can be found at local hardware stores as they are commonly used in lots of equipment. It pays to look locally if you need something faster than Amazon.  The battery specs are as follows: 12 Volt, 7.2 Ah lead battery (mine was marked 1272). Length: 5.94" (151 mm)  Width: 2.56" (65 mm) Height: 3.94" (100...

Almost everyone I know who is into drums should get their hands on the Yamaha DD65 . It's a low cost, fun little kit that you can throw in your car to jam with your buddies. It's a lot easier than throwing your gear in your Subaru. The DD-65, also known as the YDD-60. Eight pads in a pretty package. I've owned the older, venerable DD-55 for about five years. The DD-55 is the ancestor of the newer DD-65, and is an evolution of the DD-50, which was first released some time in the mid 1990s. I just put my DD-55 on this light snare drum stand it's ready for some jamming. The classic DD-55. Seven pads of rockin' fun, since about 2001. Yes, everyone will tell you that the DD-55 isn't actually a real drum kit. No kidding. However, a skilled drummer can get some great sound out of this little box, and you can definitely keep the band together with it. Plus, it's perfect for apartment living.