Trigger pad

stomp box sounds like a kick-drum and can be used as a trigger.] A trigger pad is a sensor on a drum that produces a certain sound assigned from a sound module once the head has been struck. This device allows drummers to play at a faster rate without having to strike the drum hard, since at very rapid speeds it may become difficult for feet to move as quickly and with as much power. Triggers are also used to add more definition to drum sounds and prevent bleeding between sound sources, making it easier to hear clearly every drum hit without rumble or excessive cymbals. An example is where very rapid bass drum hits become difficult to distinguish or even hear in the presence of a full band.

Criticism

Critics of triggers sometimes view their use as "cheating." Proponents of triggering note that a trigger pad requires a hit for each sound produced, and acts merely as a supplement to the contact caused by the drummer comparable to an electric guitar, where the sound produced by the instrument itself is not the sound heard by the listener. Proponents suggest that it is harder to play on a triggered drum due to the high note definition since every strike is heard, where less precise playing may be possible on an acoustic drum.

Critics also claim that triggers can be difficult to calibrate and setup since before calibration a trigger may either produce a series of notes from only one hit, only a couple of notes when many hits are made, or will produce no sound at all. Proponents say that triggers make setup easier when different acoustics at different venues are encountered.

It is suggested by some critics that sounds produced by triggering are more artificial and less dynamic than acoustic drums, since the noise produced by the module may be at a static volume and not correlate with the strength of the hit. Proponents may view this as an advantage in styles such as extreme metal, where it is generally preferable to have a constant drum volume throughout and to make bass drums sound identical.

Other uses

Triggers are often used as a way to count and monitor drum hits, usually as a training device (to see if a drummer misses hits, for example) or in speed attempts. Mike Portnoy uses an electronic drum pad with a hardwired electronic metronome as what he calls the "secret cowbell", to count off the songs in a way that only his fellow band members and the technicians can hear it. Tim Waterson, the current world record holder as stated in the Guinness Book of World Records, uses trigger pads to record his speeds.

They can also be used to send MIDI signals after processed by a sound module to a Light Desk controlling different lights.