Hi everyone,
I wanted to share a small modification I made for a hybrid / Sensory Percussion setup.
This is based on a 1960s Sonor pancake snare. I wanted to use it with Sensory Percussion, but the original wooden hoops obviously were not designed for mounting an SP sensor.
So I modified the wood hoops slightly to make enough space for the sensor clamp. I cut out a small section of the hoop so the sensor can sit properly on the drum without forcing or bending anything.
A few details:
- The drum is a modified 1960s Sonor pancake snare
- I adapted the wood hoop so a Sensory Percussion sensor fits securely
- The sensor can now sit close to the head while the hoop still keeps its basic function
- I am using drum-tec pro mesh heads
- These heads are single-ply, but very thick
- Because of that they are a bit louder than many other mesh heads
- For Sensory Percussion, they work very well in my experience
- The response feels solid and the sensor gets a good signal
I also built the drum so it can optionally work as a quieter acoustic snare:
- There is a resonant head underneath
- A snare wire / snare strainer setup can be used
- So the drum can be played not only as an electronic / SP pad, but also as a very quiet acoustic snare
For me this is an interesting hybrid approach:
- real vintage shell / wood hoop look
- Sensory Percussion compatibility
- mesh head for quiet playing
- optional acoustic snare response underneath
It is still a DIY modification, but so far the concept works well. The main challenge was finding a clean way to make the SP sensor fit without destroying the character of the old Sonor drum.
I attached a few photos of the modified hoop and the sensor mounting.
