Hi folks.  Did a quick search on drum kits but didnt find anything.    Here's my problem.
I use a midi keyboard to trigger Session drummer 3 and it works fine.
I wanted to replace the keyboard with an external electronic drum so that i could hit the pads like a real drummer and have it trigger SD3 just like my keyboard does.   Alas...not a sound.
The drum kit is a DIY kit which i bought.  The company provides you with an Arduino brain and the piezo sensors.
You have to make the actual pads yourself.    So I've done all that and it is ready to go.   
According to the company, the arduino is already programmed.   My audio device by the way is an M Audio.
Sonar has no problem seeing this and like i say...works fine when using my keyboard.  
Now before you tell me to get in contact with the company I bought this from... I have just sent a mail to them.  Naturally it will be next week before i hear anything back. 
But in the meantime... have any of you guys tried what I am trying here.  Replacing your trigger keyboard with an actual set of electronic drum pads?    I have no idea about midi mapping or drum mapping so I'm hoping I dont have to go there.    When I open SD3 its input is set to OMNI and that works fine with the keyboard. 
Thanks guys.

Hi. How are your pads connected to your pc? MIDI? USB?
Can you see it / them in Preferences (P), MIDI, Devices?
All the best.

Absolutely. Works great. Unfortunately, my electronic drum pads came pre-assembled and with a MIDI out port. 
 
In your case, I would treat this as a different problem: You have a midi controller, and you have SONAR. 
 
1) Is sonar receiving any data from the controller?
2) No? Is it a midi interface problem? Check by replacing the controller with a known good controller (i.e. keyboard).
Is the problem still there? OK, it could be a problem with the midi interface.
Are you recording MIDI events in SONAR? OK, then it is a problem with the MIDI out on your drum kit controller.
etc.
At this point, you may need to simplify the kit to just one pad, and check the voltage/signals etc from each part of the chain until you find the problem.
 
I hope that helps...

Hi lads
The "new drum kit" has a midi port on its circuit board.   I am using the same midi cable as i use with my trigger keyboard.   Its connecting to the midi in of my M Audio.   This setup works fine when using the keyboard.    The pads themselves dont show up in preferences as its the M Audio that appears there. 
I downloaded a test program for checking midi called MIDI-OX site.  When i open this program and hit the drum pads it makes a "ding" sound.   So it looks like the midi port on my DIY kit is sending a signal.   It seems like it might be an "input" setting in sonar needs to be changed.
My trigger keyboard works once SD3 input is set to omni.    I have it on this settings with the pads but no joy.   I'm thinking i might have been better off buying an actual electronic drum kit.
As im not a drummer i didnt want to spend that kind of money.   
 

Agentcalm
 
I downloaded a test program for checking midi called MIDI-OX site.  When i open this program and hit the drum pads it makes a "ding" sound.   So it looks like the midi port on my DIY kit is sending a signal.   It seems like it might be an "input" setting in sonar needs to be changed.

I think you are on the right track with MIDI-OX.
 
Open up the MIDI port activity and monitor panes, and then hit your controller.  This will show the channel used and details about the MIDI event being sent.  You should see note on and note off on your chosen channel.
 
Make sure that channel is the one Session Drummer is set up to receive on and that the note number is in range within the expected drum map range of your SD kit.  Your new controller may be sending note data that is off by an octave or something and you may need to transpose it in the Sonar MIDI channel inspector.
 

Thanks AB.  I did see a screen like your screenshot but had no idea what the hell i was looking at.
I'll give this info to the company and hopefully they can send me instructions how i can edit or modify the pads program.  
 

Agent Calm, I think you are very close to a solution. I would try setting up a track in SONAR, to record on OMNI, then bash away at the drum kit and then use Event Window to look at the messages being sent by the kit.
 
I know this is perhaps the same process as you have achieved with MIDI-OX but maybe SONAR's tools will make it a bit more comprehensible?

Agentcalm
Thanks AB.  I did see a screen like your screenshot but had no idea what the hell i was looking at.
I'll give this info to the company and hopefully they can send me instructions how i can edit or modify the pads program.  
 

The data in the screenshot is fairly straightforward, but a basic understanding of MIDI events is required.
 
Even if the company can send you instructions, you will still need to understand the MIDI events being generated to modify your pads and/or match it up with your Sonar and SD setup.
 
You don't need to understand every detail, but the MIDI channel used, the MIDI note, and the Event are the key here.  The reason you have no sound is that the source and the destination are not matching up.
 
MIDI-OX is a great tool to debug what your controller is sending out.  Just need to make sure you are sending what Sonar is looking for.

Here's a quick overview of the MIDI messages. 
 
Everything You Need To Know About MIDI Messages But Were Afraid To Ask
https://ask.audio/articles/everything-you-need-to-know-about-midi-messages-but-were-afraid-to-ask

thanks for the link AB.. I'll go check it.  
I never thought of Event Window Stickman.   Great idea.    I'll see if any events are even being triggered.
 
if i called it a day on this DIY project and decided to buy drum pads or a drum machine in a store.
(a Millenium MD-90 for example)... would i still end up with the same configuring nightmare?