LED "Strobe Light" Effects

I am a drummer at Florida State University, and my bands will be playing
around town soon. I would like to create an effect like the one found at
www.kickstrobe.com

Specific instances are found here:
https://ssl.perfora.net/kickstrobe....=22=3EThe+systems/product_overview.shopscript

I have a few questions:

1.) What kind of sensor would one use to trigger an LED light to illuminate
for a brief moment whenever, say, the bass drum is played?

2.) I am also thinking about setting up several small strobe lights around
the drum set,
--similar to the one found here:
http://www.musiciansfriend.com/srs7...013370/g=dj/g=dj/search/bigpid/base_id/50533/
and I would like to have a single switch control all of the lights. While
keeping this as simple as possible -- I have never built electronics like
this before --, I would like the lights to go off at different speeds so the
lights would look more random and jittery, rather than the entire drum set
lighting up at one time. The timing is less of a concern though.

Any help would be greatly appreciated! Thanks!

- Jus

 

Simplest solution would be any kind of jury rigged (or better)
switch attached to the pedal - probagbly a momentary contact N.O.
switch like a microswitch you'd find in a microwave or any of a
number of other applications. Prices IME vary from $7 from an
appliance repair store to IIRC, $0.50 mail order
..

Set the strobe rates differently for each strobe light and plug tham
all into what we ( band called Haji - later Hybrid Ice - from PA )
called a quad - 2 wall outlets in an electrical box with a power
cord running to the lights panel. The switch ( a light switch - wall
switch ) would turn the power on to the quad. You could leave the
individual strobe switches on, tape them down, or just solder a
short across the switch contacts.

HTH