The Electro-Harmonix Crash Pad is an analog drum synthesizer pedal, sold as the "Electronic Crash Drum." It creates a range of percussive sounds from cymbals, snares and hi hats to oscillation sweeps, and it is a reissue of the original Crash Pad from 1980, released in 20151. It belongs to the same family of EHX analog drum synthesizer reissues as the Electro-Harmonix Super Space Drum, and sits alongside other drum and percussion pedals in the Drum Pedals category.
What it does and how it is played
The Crash Pad is a synthesizer, not a sample player: each hit is generated by the circuit, then shaped by a low pass filter whose sweep you control. Electro-Harmonix describes it as one of a group of analog drum synthesizers that included the Crash Pad, and says the reissue can create an array of drum sounds like the original from 19801.
One thing to know before it reaches your pedalboard: it is not a stompbox in the usual sense. There is no footswitch. Instead, a push button on the top panel triggers the Crash Pad, and it can also be fired from an external trigger into the EXT. TRIG jack1. Paolo De Gregorio, writing on Delicious Audio about the EHX pedal synths, put it plainly:
"on which you actually don't want to stomp, since they have no footswitch"
That makes it an instrument played like a desktop drum machine, or triggered from other gear, rather than a pedal you stomp mid-song: it has no footswitch at all2.
Controls
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| VOLUME | Controls the volume of the output signal |
| START | Sets the starting point of the frequency sweep |
| STOP | Sets the end point of the filter's frequency sweep |
| TIME | Controls how long it takes to sweep from the START frequency to the STOP frequency |
| DECAY | Sets the time it takes for the volume envelope to fade out the triggered sound |
| RESONANCE | Adjusts the resonance (or Q) of the low pass filter |
| Push button | Triggers the Crash Pad |
All control descriptions are from Electro-Harmonix's product page1.
The filter is the heart of the sound. START sets the starting point of the frequency sweep and STOP sets the end point of the filter's frequency sweep, while TIME controls how long it takes to sweep from the START frequency to the STOP frequency and RESONANCE adjusts the resonance (or Q) of the low pass filter. DECAY is separate from the sweep: it sets the time it takes for the volume envelope to fade out the triggered sound, so a hit can fade out quickly or ring on while the filter is still moving1.
Power and connections
The Crash Pad ships with a 9.6VDC-200mA power adapter, and it can also run on an optional 9V battery, which is not included1. Current draw is 22mA1, which is light enough for most pedalboard power supplies that offer a 9V output matching the included adapter's specification.
The included adapter is 9.6VDC at 200mA, not the 9V supply many players already own. The optional 9V battery is not included in the box1.
Around the back and sides, the jacks cover the ways a player might actually use it:
- AUX IN: a 1/4" auxiliary input for an external sound source, so you can run another audio signal through the Crash Pad1
- EXT. TRIG: a 1/4" input for an external trigger, for firing the drum from other equipment1
- EXP. PED: connect an expression pedal with a TRS plug to control the filter sweep with your foot1
- OUTPUT: the 1/4" audio output from the Crash Pad1
The expression pedal input is a newer addition. Electro-Harmonix notes the pedal has been updated to respond to expression pedal and CV input for external control over the filter in real time1, which means a player can sweep the filter live while hitting the trigger button, opening up sounds the original 1980 layout did not offer in the same way.
Where it came from
The Crash Pad is an analog drum synthesizer pedal from1 Electro-Harmonix1. Unlike a conventional stompbox, it is not meant to be operated with your foot: as the maker notes, it has no footswitch, "on which you actually don't want to stomp, since they have no footswitch"2. Instead of a stomp switch, the pedal is controlled through its jacks, including a 1/4" input for an external trigger and a 1/4" auxiliary input for an external sound source, alongside the 1/4" audio output1.
Videos
Audiofanzine in English
Sound On Sound magazine
Groovy DSP
Questions
Is the Electro-Harmonix Crash Pad analog or digital?
The Crash Pad is analog. Electro-Harmonix describes it as an analog drum synthesizer, and the 2015 reissue recreates the circuit of the original Crash Pad from 1980. It generates its percussive sounds with analog circuitry rather than samples or digital synthesis.
Does the Crash Pad have a footswitch?
No. The Crash Pad is triggered by a push button on the top panel rather than a footswitch. Paolo De Gregorio of Delicious Audio noted of these EHX pedal synths that they are units "on which you actually don't want to stomp, since they have no footswitch." It can also be triggered externally through the EXT. TRIG jack.
Can the Crash Pad run on a battery?
Yes, but you have to supply the battery yourself. Electro-Harmonix lists an optional 9V battery as not included, and a 9.6VDC-200mA power adapter comes in the box. The pedal draws 22mA.
Can I control the Crash Pad with an expression pedal?
Yes. The EXP. PED jack accepts an expression pedal with a TRS plug, which lets you control the filter sweep with your foot in real time. Electro-Harmonix notes the pedal was updated to respond to expression pedal and CV input for external control over the filter.
What sounds can the Crash Pad make?
Electro-Harmonix says the Crash Pad creates a range of percussive sounds, from cymbals, snares and hi hats to oscillation sweeps. Because it is a synthesizer rather than a sample player, the START, STOP, TIME, RESONANCE and DECAY knobs shape each sound from scratch.
What does the Crash Pad's Decay knob do?
The DECAY knob sets the time it takes for the volume envelope to fade out the triggered sound. In practice it controls how long each hit rings on, from short percussive ticks to longer crashing decays, while the TIME knob separately controls the speed of the filter sweep.
Sources (2)
- Crash Pad, Electro-Harmonix
- Electro Harmonix Synth Pedals Super Space Drum And Crash Pad, Delicious Audio, 2016-01-12
