Simmons SDS-9

It's pretty plug and play for the initial doings. Just hook up the pads to the right inputs, turn it on, and play. You need a stereo pad and stero cable for the snare/rimshot. Even still, the rim shot tiggers wierdly. The presets sound really nice. About as diverse as it's capable of. Editing patches is a bit odd. You edit one sound at a time with a column of knobs. Each sound has it's own set of parameters. You can't really make any sound you want, but you can make toms sound like cymbals and snares, and you can make the snare sound like a really wierd kick. I don't know about the manual. I recently found one, but I haven't read it yet. It's a pdf and it's a bit fuzzy. I haven't tried the midi beyond sequencer-in. It was not plug and play.

Full poly? I don't know. Polyphonic enough. The pads feel like hard rubber, but they are good enough. It has built in echo, but I thnk it would benefit more from reverb. Echo is sort of useless. It is expandable with new eeproms for snare and rimshot sounds. I have enough to fill it up, but I'm not sure what is original and what is not. Sounds good either way.

I don't really know anything about the midi.

no sequencer.

Good velociy sensitivity. Not realistic. Sounds good though. Things that sound realistic are for chumps. I like to make electro with these drums. They don't have cymbal sounds so I have to use something else for that. I usually use my ER-1 or DR-202 for cymbals and that can serve as a metronome.

It seems pretty solid as far as the case goes. However, the knobs are plastic. As in the actual potentiometer shafts are plastic. One of mine was broken off when I got it. It's also missing the door that covers the eeproms.

I don't believe in gigging with backups. I don't know anybody who does.

n/a

I traded a yamaha dd-5 drum pad set for it so it is totally worth it. I'm not sure i would replace it because I don't have space for it as is, but I would never sell it. I've been playing music for 9 years, synth for 5, drum machines for 4, and this thing for maybe one. I own a bunch of other gear. guitars, synths, drum machines, others. leave it at that.

I love how it sounds and how it looks (the pads that is).

I hate that if I dropped it on its face it would probably lose all its knobs.

Very easy for just playing with striking the pads to trigger-in of
the module. But need manual to understand for using MIDI function
and edditing sounds & store them correctly into user banks. But I
have not edited any because fuctory kits are ok with me. Anyway I
have bought this machine 4 times, and sold 2 ones in perfect condition. Mine? - a bit have problem when turning on, sometimes
it takes 30 minutes upto 1 hour or more. But I like mine because it
is my 1st Simmons SDS-9.

You can modify kit sounds each by each tweeking knobs, and can store
the sounds as a user kit. 20 factory kits & 20 user kits (rewritable)
are available. 5 mono 1/4 cable trigger in jucks & 1 stereo 1/4 cable trigger in for Snare pad (that can also triger the rimshot). I don't
have the Simmons Snare(stereo)Pad, but for the Snare sound only, my roland's PD-7, PD-5 or old Boss BP-1 is fine to play. Only Tom sounds are perfect Simmons Analog, but Sampled Snare sounds can be modified very much & Kick is software base synthesis. Snare & Rim can be replaced by changing E-PROM made by EPB blower.

Fine. I am still looking for SDS-V, but that costs double or triple
times as high as I can afford to pay. 300 or 600? no way. So I am
happy with using my SDS-9 as extra for my Roland's TD-7. I have also
Alesis D-4 & Kawai XD-5 with PM-16 trigger to midi interface with 16
pads (8 stereo 8 mono). So very funny playing with Roland Funk kit
with Simmons TOMs. SDS-9 TOM sounds are very good, fat & analog.
Snare & Kick are just ok.

I wrote my trouble with using this unit above, so not perfect.
But the other SDS-9 I bought & sold to other guys are perfect.
So most used SDS-9 brains stated by the seller as working condition
are reliable, I guess. But I am ok with mine. over 1 year from I
got the 1st, it did not broke.

I think Simmons company doesn't care. So if the one gets broke, I
will need to buy other for such cheaper around $80.00 to $120.00.
But I don't think it becomes junk. Very buit like a tank!
I have a manual, that is enough.

I am sutisfied with this brain. So why I put 7 for the rating just
because it is not perfect condition & need some patience to use.
otherwise, for $100 or else, it is good deal to get dat analog sound.
So that should be your decision. But don't forget to buy one with
manual (original or copied, doesn't matter).