SD
OWNER’S MANUAL
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The first name in electronic drums.
17201350 Simmons SD550 Owner's Manual.indd 02_23_18 1109AM
Utility Mode
Utility Mode Settings
The Utility mode is for the main functions of the module such as trigger setup for
the pads, effects, MIDI setup and saving global settings.
Trigger Settings
You can set the parameters of each drum and cymbals pad in the Trigger menu.
While editing the settings, you can select each trigger by hitting the corresponding
trigger pad.
1. Press the UTILITY button.
2. Press the PAGE button to see the screen for the current trigger pad- The default
is the Snare pad center Sensitivity.
3. Strike the drum pad you want to edit to view the setting currently assigned
4. Press the -/+ buttons to change the parameter setting.
5. To get to the next parameter press the PAGE button. See the list below for the
other parameters and explanations.
Parameter definitions
Sensitivity
This adjusts the sensitivity of the pad trigger to control the pad response. Higher settings result in higher sensitivity,
so that the pad will produce a loud volume even when struck softly. Having the sensitivity set too high can affect the
dynamics of the pad.
Retrig-C (Retrigger cancel)
Retrigger Cancel prevents retriggering from occurring. Although setting this to a high value prevents retriggering,
it then becomes easy for sounds to be omitted when the drums played fast (roll etc.). Set this to the lowest value
possible while still ensuring that there is no retriggering.
Threshold
This setting allows a trigger signal to be received only when the pad is struck harder than a specified force. This can
be used to prevent a pad from sounding in response to peripheral vibrations from another pad.
Curve (Trigger curve)
This setting allows you to control the relation between the velocity (striking force) and changes in volume (the
dynamic curve.) Adjust this curve until the response feels as natural as possible.
X- Talk (Pad Crosstalk)
When two pads are mounted on the same stand, the vibration produced by hitting one pad may trigger the sound
from another pad unintentionally (This is called crosstalk.) You can avoid this problem by adjusting Crosstalk Cancel
on the pad that is sounding inadvertently. If the value is set too high, then when two pads are played simultaneously,
the one that is struck less forcefully will not sound. Be careful when setting this parameter to the minimum value required
to prevent crosstalk.
