Chain or Direct Drive?

I have decided to sell my Eliminator twin-pedal and im going to buy a Yamaha Dfp-9500 twin pedal.

the thing is I dont know if I would go for the Chain Drive or Direct Drive pedal!


Im not a "death metal"-drummer that are looking for speed.. I just need a good twin pedal with good comfort and "feel"

So which pedel should I go for?

what good/bad with Chain/direct drive?
 
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Chain or direct drive is a matter of feel, and it's really down to personal preference. Some people prefer the feel of direct drive, others like chain drive. Others again prefer strap drive. However, the question is why are you selling the Eliminator? Is there something you don't like about it; in that case what is it? In that case, why would you buy another pedal blind without having tried it? And why have you narrowed your choice down to the Yamaha pedals?
 
Before I try to help, let me just say: selling a pedal because "it has too any functions" is strange - and possibly, a little unwise. Those functions are there to help you find that perfect feel you want. To want one to feel good 'out the box', I would also say you cannot limit your selection to just one pedal, no matter which one it is. Also bear in mind that ones with less functions are usually (not always) cheaper aswell (in terms of build quality). But, of course, the choice is solely yours.

between chain and direct...

In my experience, direct feels really smooth and gives a near perfect reaction to your foot movements - thus called direct drive, for it directly transfers foot movement to the beater. Thus, the 'feel' of the pedal could be described as fairly flat.

The chain drive pedals give a more bouncy feel, but I have never felt like I had less speed with a chain. They just, to me, feel more firm under my feet. So I would go for chain over direct. I am not an expert, but that is my choice.

In your case, however, my choice would be keep the Eliminator, one of the best pedals ever made, and play with those functions you don't like. You might find a setting you enjoy, and then you never need to touch those functions again.
 
I will sell the Eliminator cuz I think it has to many settings and I just want a pedal that u can just can play "right out of the box"

I wont buy the pedal with out to test it before... I have test the Chain Drive and i liked it very much, the thing is that I just want to hear u guys on DW forum what u think about the direct drive vs the Chain drive, cuz its hard to find a store that got the direct drive:p

honestly man, without being rude or anything
that is just stupid
dont sell your pedal, learn how to set it up.
if you sell it youll afterwards regret to have sold it
 
Personally, I've always been a big fan of direct drive pedals. Maybe 'cause I started out on a Ludwig Speed King. Then I went to a Ghost pedal. And, for a while, I played the Tama HP55 King Beat. And now, I own two Yamaha Flying Dragon Direct Drive single pedals.​
They work. They feel great. They don't cost an arm and a leg.​
Now, the Axis has been around for some 15 years ... and I keep trying the Axis every chance I get (which is almost every time I'm in the same room with one). And it just doesn't "do it" for me. Same with the Trick.​
First time I put my foot on the Yamaha, I liked it. I bought two.​
 
The thing is that I have had the Eliminator for a few years and I have never found any setting thats fits me and my playing, I know the Eliminator is a great pedal but it have to suit me..

and the first time I was playing the yamaha pedal, i really felt that it was my kind of pedal..

and I like the idea with the yamaha pedal that its not to complicated its just to tension the spring and play!

the eliminator got like 1000 of settings / cams and so on and its really hard to find a setting that suits u,.

so how I see it I dont see it stupid to sell a pedal that u are just fooling around with the settings and it still never works for u..
 
back too de chain drive or direct drive...

I have played the chain drive in the shop and i really liked it, I have to find another shop that got the direct drive so I can try that out too.

The thing is that I just want to know if its really big diffrent between the chain and the DD, and if you are losing the feel and the "snap" with the DD that you got in the Chain drive pedal..
 
I'll stick my neck out here and although I have many different pedals, the least favorite is the chain driven Pearl Eliminator. The closest thing I can get to the correct feel and beater punch is by using the "red" cam. There's really nothing wrong with the red cam, but I still get better results using my Trick, Yamaha belt drive or my Tama cobra chain pedals. All three different types of drives. So basically there you have it, telling you what pedal to buy is like telling someone what shoes they should be wearing. They're a very personal piece of equipment.

Dennis
 
What exactly is pedal 'float'?

Chains/straps do not get slack in them during pedal play. What's perceived as slack is actually deformation of the chain/strap as it leaves and rejoins the curvature of the cam.

The pedal board does not rise from its down position w/o the help rear beater motion. The beater would have to stop for this to be possible. You can argue the beater stops when it contacts the head, though you don't release foot pressure on the pedal board until the beater is already in a reward motion.

As a chain/strap releases from the cam, the chains vertical moves forward, as it reengages with the cam, the chain/straps vertical line moves rearward, its this deformation of the chain making contact with the cam the player feels and perceives as slack.

As a chain wears the space between the link(s) rollers increases, there's always space present, but its in 1000's of inches, barely perceptible.
 
When the foot board is no longer staying 1 to 1 with the beater.

If I am doing fast footwork and I have to kick in an intricate pattern inside a steady beat and the strap or chain gets some momentary slack in it, from the momentum of the foot board, it can lift.

Thanks.

I've noticed this before in my own ( IC Power Glide) pedal in the same situation you described. It might be worth test driving a direct drive pedal someday.
 
Its pretty simple to be fooled by a word.

Both chains and straps are 'direct links' and both are actually more 'direct' than metal straps that utilizes bearings.

Chains/straps 'directly' link the pedal board to the cam. They're 'directly' linked to the cam and pedal board, whereas most metal straps use bearings in between the connection.

Without clear understanding of the definition of a 'direct link', Its easy to see how some could perceive flex as being something wild like the foot board lifting with out the aid of the chain/strap.

Chains and straps are 'flexible', whereas a metal strap is not, both are 'direct links' that move a pedals foot board, metal straps don't flex forward/back due to curvature of a cam.

If anyone would like to explain how they feel a chain/strap is an indirect link, please feel free.
 
If anyone would like to explain how they feel a chain/strap is an indirect link, please feel free.

A point well made, Les......unfortunately, you can't fight city hall mate. The terminology has become so ingrained, that it's just become a 'matter of fact'....right, wrong or indifferent. They're clever buggers these marketing gurus.....why sell one type of pedal, when you can give them fancy names and sell three!!

I feel the same way every time I read someone recommend the "Gatzen method of tuning". I first heard of Bob Gatzen about 18 months ago.....yet funnily enough, I've been using "his" tuning methods for more than 20 years. I wish I was smart enough to have made my own tuning vids years ago.....who knows what may have come of it.....the "Pocket method", anyone? :)

OP.....I'll say the same here as I do in every other pedal thread I've ever replied to. Get YOUR feet on 'em and figure out what YOU like. Try before you buy, my friend.
 
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