ZhongTaiko User Manual - Old Apricot E-Box

← Manual Index

ZhongTaiko User Manual Old Apricot E-Box

Your Apricot E-Box has a small green circuit board inside and supports both PC and Nintendo Switch. It uses a physical toggle switch to change platforms -- no software needed!

Contents
1. What's in the Box2. Assembly3. Connecting to PC4. Connecting to Nintendo Switch5. Sensitivity Adjustment6. Button Mapping7. Troubleshooting8. Contact Us

1. What's in the Box

Before you start, make sure you have everything:

Item Qty Description
M8 Screw Set (bolt + nut + 2 washers) x4 Small bag of metal hardware
Wooden Stands x2 Curved wooden pieces that hold the drum up
E-Box + Cable (Apricot version) x1 The electronic converter box that connects your drum to your device
ZhongTaiko Drum x1 The main drum unit
Tip: Keep the small screws in their bag until you're ready to use them -- they're easy to lose!

2. Assembly -- Attaching the Wooden Stands

The wooden stands raise the drum off the table and angle it for comfortable play.

Assembly diagram
Assembly diagram
  1. Flip the ZhongTaiko drum upside down so you can see the metal L-brackets on each side.
  2. Place one wooden stand on the outside of each L-bracket. The curved part should face outward.
  3. For each hole, use one complete screw set. Thread them in this order:
    Nut → Washer → Wooden Stand → L-Bracket → Washer → Bolt
  4. Tighten each screw firmly but don't over-tighten -- you don't want to crack the wood.
Tip: Hand-tighten first to make sure everything is aligned, then use a wrench for the final tightening. The drum should feel stable and not wobble when placed on a flat surface.

3. Connecting to PC

Your Apricot E-Box has a toggle switch on it (the small Circle switch) with multiple positions. You need to set it to the correct position for your platform.

Apricot E-Box PC connection
Apricot E-Box PC connection
  1. Move the toggle switch to the 4th position (counting from top). This is the PC (DFJK) mode.
  2. Plug the drum cable into the Pentagon (5-sided) connector.
  3. Plug the USB cable into your PC.
  4. The LED should light up -- you're connected!
What is DFJK mode? In this mode, the drum zones map to keyboard keys D, F, J, K -- the standard key layout for taiko games on PC like TJAPlayer3 and osu!taiko.
Tip: If you need different key mappings, you can remap in your game's settings. The E-Box always outputs D, F, J, K in PC mode.

4. Connecting to Nintendo Switch

Apricot E-Box NS connection
Apricot E-Box NS connection
  1. Move the toggle switch to the 2nd position (counting from top). This is the Nintendo Switch mode.
  2. Plug the drum cable into the Pentagon connector.
  3. Plug the USB cable into the Switch Dock.
  4. LED lights up -- you're connected!

5. Sensitivity Adjustment

Your Apricot E-Box has 4 blue adjustment knobs on the green circuit board inside. Use a small flathead screwdriver.

Apricot E-Box sensitivity knobs
Apricot E-Box sensitivity knobs
Knob Position (left to right) What It Controls In-Game Effect
1st (leftmost) Left DON (left face) Red notes -- left center hits
2nd Right KA (right rim) Blue notes -- right rim hits
3rd Right DON (right face) Red notes -- right center hits
4th (rightmost) Left KA (left rim) Blue notes -- left rim hits
IMPORTANT -- Direction is REVERSED on this model!
Clockwise (CW) = MORE sensitive (opposite of most other E-Box versions!)
Counter-clockwise (CCW) = LESS sensitive

This is the reverse of newer models, so be careful if you're used to other E-Box versions!
Tip: The Apricot E-Box also has a drumroll adjustment toggle. If your drumrolls aren't registering properly, try adjusting this toggle. It controls how fast the E-Box can process consecutive hits.

6. Button Mapping (Switch mode)

In Nintendo Switch mode, the E-Box's buttons are mapped to these Switch controls:

E-Box Button Switch Function
UP D-Pad Up
DOWN D-Pad Down
B B Button
A A Button
+ + (Plus) Button
L&R L + R (simultaneous)
Tip: These buttons are useful for navigating menus in Taiko no Tatsujin on Switch without needing to grab a separate controller.

7. Troubleshooting

⚠️ Troubleshooting

No response from drum?

  1. Check the toggle switch position -- make sure it matches your platform.
  2. Make sure the Pentagon connector is fully plugged in.
  3. On PC, open Notepad and tap the drum -- you should see D, F, J, or K characters appear.

Getting hits from the wrong zones?

The sensitivity adjustment on this model turns the OPPOSITE direction from newer models. Clockwise = more sensitive (not less). Double-check you're turning the right way!

Need Help? Contact Us!

We're a small team based in Taiwan, passionate about bringing the arcade taiko experience home. If you run into any issues, don't hesitate to reach out!

Email: [email protected]
Website: taiko.ac
Discord: Join the ZhongTaiko Community

↑