09 DigitalDrummer Feb2012

Transcription

ddfeb2012_Layout 1 25/01/12 4:06 PM Page 1
Edition 9
FEBRUARY 2012
The global electronic drumming e-zine
New at
NAMM
Latest gear on show
GEA
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Add
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PROFI ford
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Bill B
©2012 Avedis Zildjian Company Photo By: Tina K
play
by
your
rules
Paul Kodish; Apollo 440, Jean Michel Jarre, Maximum Roach, Pendulum,
Bad Company, with his touring rig for The FRESH:LIVE Project.
--from-the-editor--
is published by
DigitalDrummer
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www.digitaldrummermag.com
Editor & Publisher
Allan Leibowitz
Sub-Editor
Solana da Silva
Contributors
Carl Albrecht
Simon Ayton
John Emrich
Buddy Gibbons
Scott Holder
Norm Weinberg
Cover Photo
Allan Leibowitz
Design and layout
‘talking business’
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digitalDRUMMER, FEBRUARY 2012
The annual National Association of Music Merchants convention
in Anaheim, California is certainly an eye-opener for even the
most seasoned of delegates, so it was doubly so for me on my
first visit this year.
Over four days, the 2012 event attracted more than 95,000
people — a mix of manufacturers and distributors, dealers,
artists, media and a few punters who managed to slip through
the registration process.
It was a noisy gathering, especially the infamous Hall D, the
drum showcase. And even the posse of Sound Control agents,
armed with sound meters and serious expressions, couldn’t
keep a lid on the decibels. It was a cacophony of snares, bass
drums, toms and cymbals, with the odd scream of electric
guitar slicing through the percussion.
NAMM is not an ideal forum to test music gear — even
electronic percussion. The sound levels make it impossible to
hear all the nuances and finer points. And that’s why our report
on the new equipment on show this year does not include
reviews. All we could do was look at what’s there, speak to the
folks behind it, try it out superficially and document our findings.
We will, of course, follow up with more detailed reviews and
product evaluations throughout the year.
Besides checking out the equipment, NAMM was also a great
place to speak to manufacturers about their own equipment –
and that of their rivals — as well as getting dealer insights into
some of the current business trends and practices: the kind of
stuff you can only get face to face.
The show was also an excellent reunion opportunity, and I got a
chance to catch up with many of the contributors and featured
artists included in our first two years of publications. Everyone
who is anyone in the industry turns up for NAMM, either to
demonstrate for one of the manufacturers or to meet and greet
on behalf of their endorsers.
One regular attendee missing this year was Tom Roady, who
passed away late last year. Tom was our first profiled artist and
his name came up in several conversations during the
convention. Those who knew Tom point out that he was certainly
‘old school’ when it came to the skill and craft of percussion, but
Tom was not afraid to embrace new technology. He had tried
pretty much everything out there at one time or another and will
be fondly remembered by the Zendrum community for his
defining role with that instrument.
Even though we never spoke face to face, Tom certainly touched
me, not least with his enthusiasm for life, his love of music and
his unshakeable faith, and it’s to him that we dedicate our ninth
issue.
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The global electronic drumming e-zine
Edition 9
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February 2012
GEAR
Putting the ‘e’ in ensemble
It’s been just over a decade since the world’s first electronic
percussion ensemble made its performance debut, so we
reflect on the roots and progress of CrossTalk.
New at NAMM
A number of new products made their debut at NAMM in
Anaheim, California. digitalDrummer went along to look, listen
and catch up on the latest news from key industry figures.
Ride on
To date, digitalDrummer has examined stick noise and
rebound in e-cymbals as well as the characteristics of crash,
splash and china pads. Now we look at e-rides.
Head2Head - Take 3
After two extensive mesh head comparisons, we discovered a
few more samples. So we dusted off the test rig and tried them.
Lighten up
For those drummers who need to be seen as well as heard,
there’s a new solution which is sure to make audiences sit up
and take notice: MIDI-controlled LED lights. We review the Midi
Knights Pro system.
profile
Bill Bruford unplugged
Bill Bruford was once the poster boy of e-drums, so it would
surprise most enthusiasts to hear that he has not played an
electronic kit since unplugging his last SDX.
Roady’s final gig
Tom ‘The Mayor’ Roady, digitalDrummer’s first profiled artist,
passed away in late November, doing what he loved most.
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performance
How I use e-drums
Los Angeles-based session drummer Buddy Gibbons is finding
new uses for e-drums. He explains how they’re presenting new
opportunities.
Adding percussion
With percussion sounds now well represented in electronic kits
and devices, Carl Albrecht explains that four hands are not
always better than two.
VST
Product review: SD Explained
Groove3’s online training package for Superior Drummer 2
includes 47 tutorials, running for four-and-a-half hours.
VST Q&A
E-drum guru John Emrich is back to answer more VST
questions on topics from installation to mixing and matching.
New products
A wrap-up of new VST offerings from around the world.
Products include SSD 4.0 from Steven Slate, the new TRX
Digital Cymbal Studio and Rock Legends by Platinum Samples.
tweaking
Before you play
Choosing the right e-kit is important, but looking after it is also
vital. Simon Ayton runs through some often-overlooked
maintenance tasks.
DIY
Extremely easy
We review the Extreme Drums Triggers e-conversion kits in the
wake of our recent snare conversion head to head.
5
Putting the ‘e’
--gear--
PHOTOS: CROSSTALK
in ensemble
It’s been just over a decade since the world’s first
electronic percussion ensemble made its
performance debut. Founder Norm Weinberg
reflects on the roots and progress of CrossTalk.
6
MY ADVENTURE IN electronic percussion
started in 1983 when my family bought me
an IBM PC Junior to help me work on my
dissertation at Indiana University. In early
1984, my house was robbed and the
thieves took my new machine. I went to
the computer store to look for a
replacement and the computer
salesperson said: “We just got this in;
you should take a look at it.” It
happened to be the Macintosh 128k
computer and installed on the
machine was a piece of software
called Professional Composer.
Up t
This was the first music notation
o nin
e pla
programme I had ever seen. On
yers
and
the top staff, I entered quarter notes; on
tech
nicia
the second staff, I entered eighth notes; on the
ns p
lay i
third staff, I entered triplets and on the fourth, I
already
n Cr
th
ossT
entered 16 notes. Then I turned the machine on
had a drumKAT,
alk.
and was thrilled to learn that the notes lined up
and the studio already
properly. I immediately decided this was the
owned an older first-version
computer for me.
malletKAT. We ordered two more drumKATs and
I got involved in electronic percussion in the summer another malletKAT and we were on our way.
of 1984, soon after buying that early Mac, but my
approach to electronic percussion was always as a
pedagogical tool. I was one of the pioneers in using
electronic percussion instruments in applied lessons
on a daily basis. I also taught courses on electronic
percussion to interested students at Del Mar
College.
However, I was interested in using new technology
for performance, in addition to teaching, but I never
had the opportunity nor the necessary gear. When I
was interviewed at the University of Arizona, I made
the formation of a new electronic performing group
one of my central research concepts. The
administration was very supportive of this idea and
the formation of the group became a part of my hire
package at the university. I originally asked for
something in the order of $25,000 to get the group
up and running and we finally compromised at
$7,000 per year for the first three years of my
employment.
During the first year, 1997, I contacted E-mu
Systems and arranged a partnership whereby the
University of Arizona would buy two E-6400
samplers and the company would donate another
two to the school. This was a win-win situation: we
were able to acquire four machines and E-mu was
able to take a tax deduction for the donation. I
The group started out by playing a few
arrangements and trying to convince some
composers to write for us. From the very beginning,
the main concept was to try to create a new musical
experience for the students and our audiences.
We’ve never been interested in trying to play
traditional percussion ensemble music or music that
was created for acoustic percussion instruments in
an electronic manner. We were trying to do
something different — to prove that percussionists
can sound like anything in the world. We can play
pop music, jazz, club music, classical music,
experimental music and alternative music.
The event that really set CrossTalk in motion was an
invitation to perform at PASIC (the Percussive Arts
Society International Convention) in 1999. The
group had only been active for two years, and we
really had to step up our game in order to find an
hour of music and present it in a truly first-class way.
Our previous concerts had been in conjunction with
other percussion ensemble groups in the studio. For
example, CrossTalk had performed as a guest
ensemble in a steel band concert or the percussion
ensemble concert and played two or three
compositions. Going into PASIC was a big step.
Once we made that leap, we were able to keep the
momentum going and host our own concerts.
7
A bunch of Zendrums (above) and some of CrossTalk’s other gear.
Progress
In general, students learn to play traditional
instruments by getting an instrument and playing in
their middle school or high school band: “Here’s
your trumpet, this is how you play it, you’re in the
band and we have a Christmas concert in 12
weeks.” In a way, CrossTalk is similar: “Here are the
controllers, here are the computers, here’s how they
work together, here’s your music, we start
rehearsing this piece on Thursday.” Students are
much faster and smarter than you might expect.
More often than not (almost always), if you set them
up like that, they’ll come into the first rehearsal
ready to play. They’re interested in learning how to
programme the controllers, how to create sounds
that have their own signature and, of course, playing
their parts really, really well.
We also have a great culture in the studio where
more seasoned students will help the newest
students with programming and sound design.
There’s a lot of sharing between members of the
group, and it seems to work out well.
From the very beginning, the dynamic of the group
has been very much like a band, rather than a
university ensemble. I encourage student
comments, suggestions, corrections, ideas, etc. You
wouldn’t normally look at the conductor of an
orchestra and suggest that the tempo needs to be a
little brighter, but in CrossTalk, student suggestions
happen all the time.
As the group has matured, students have taken
more and more of a leadership role. We’ve also
been able to partner with other areas of the
university for some truly amazing productions.
8
A few years ago, we collaborated with the stage
technology programme in the School of Theatre and
the School of Electrical Computing and Engineering
(ECE) to create a production based around the idea
of astrobiology called “New Genesis”. The main
theme of this production was using light as an
essential element in the music, the stage blocking
and the storyline. The ECE and theatre students
built some fantastic instruments that were played by
either breaking light beams or shining lights onto
sensors. It was an amazing experience.
Last year, we added the School of Dance to the
collaborative mix and won a $30,000 grant to
produce a show we called “SPEED”. We
commissioned Eric Bikales, an old friend and a
great composer, to write a score for the group and
partnered again with Alternate Mode, Zendrum,
Native Instruments, Ableton and Fisher Technical
Services. All in all, the project incorporated the skills
and talents of about 10 faculty and nearly 30
students from all the different disciplines. It was
awesome! I learned so much!
Technology
Over the years, the biggest development has been
the total transformation away from hardware synths
to software synths. At one point, the group was
using 15 different sound modules in live gigs. There
was an element of terror in each one of our
performances. It seemed that there were always
issues in getting the MIDI switchers to respond
correctly, getting the controllers to call up the right
programmes and getting the proper samples loaded
into all the machines. There were certainly a couple
of nightmare situations.
Setting up is an involved task, with so many connections and triggers.
I remember one gig where I was pacing back and
forth backstage before the performance. One of my
students came up and asked me why I was so
nervous since the group had all the music down cold
and we were playing our butts off. I told him that I
wasn’t nervous about the group, I was nervous
about the gear working properly. It was at that point
when I decided that we weren’t going to continue
down that path.
The very next semester, we sold all of our sound
modules and bought two custom-built PCs to run a
programme called GigaStudio. The sounds were
amazing, but the software was buggy. You really
had to handle the machines and the software with
kid gloves, and sometimes the machines would
freeze or the software would crash for no apparent
reason. And, when a computer goes down in
CrossTalk, it’s “game over”.
We made the switch to Reason a few years ago and
it’s been great. I love the fact that we can work with
samplers, a number of different synths and effects,
all inside the machine. The students like working
with the programme and can get it up and running in
a basic way in a very short time. What I like the
most about Reason is that it simply does not crash!
We’ve been using it for several years now – from
version 2.5 — and it’s never gone down. Never.
In terms of controllers, we rely heavily on Alternate
Mode’s drumKAT, malletKAT and trapKAT machines.
It’s easy for Alternate Mode products to be
upgraded, and Mario DeCiutiis, the owner of the
company, has been very supportive of what we do
One of the creations for “New Genesis”.
and has helped keep our machines up to date with
the most current operating systems. Many of the
controllers we use today were purchased back in
1997, when the group first started. They’ve stood up
well.
Future plans
The group is currently on a break because I am on
sabbatical, but we’ll be back in action in the northern
spring when we have some pretty exciting things
planned. My sabbatical project was investigating
something called “telematic performance”. I spent
two weeks with Scott Deal and other faculty at
Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis
who have a great deal of experience with telematics.
I picked their brains as much as I could, and I’d love
to add the telematic element to CrossTalk’s live
performances.
The idea behind telematics is that performers can
be in different locations and collaborate in a musical
or dramatic performance in real time. In order to
make this more viable, we’re working with Internet 2.
Internet 2 is many times faster and more stable than
commercial Internet, making the potential for
telematics more promising. In addition to the
telematic work, we’re also going to be performing an
arrangement of Frank Zappa’s composition Peaches
in Regalia, and I’m currently working on a new
composition heavily influenced by the group Sigur
Ros. We’ll also add a few new compositions to our
repertoire and perhaps pull out a few works that
we’ve played in the past. We’ve got a killer
arrangement of Discipline by King Crimson (which is
heavily influenced by Bill Bruford, this month’s
profiled artist), and a couple of very cool
compositions by Eric Bikales.
Currently, the budgets at Arizona, like the budgets in
just about every state university, have been slashed
to the bone. It’s difficult to find funding to keep the
group state-of-the-art in terms of both hardware and
software. We would love to find a “sugar daddy” that
would support the group in a permanent way. We’ve
been very good at making whatever funding we
have stretch as far as possible. But, we do need a
little updating. Two of our computers are getting a
little long in the tooth, and I’d love to be able to
replace them with more robust machines. We need
to make the transition to Reason 6, and there are a
number of new sound libraries that I would like to
add to our palette. And I’d love to hold another
composition competition. We’ve been able to
expand our literature and push the group to new
frontiers. We like to say that we’re on the “bleeding
edge” of technology.
10
Current Crosstalk Gear
Controllers
(4) Alternate Mode: DrumKAT Turbo
(2) Alternate Mode: MalletKAT Pro (4 octave)
(2) Alternate Mode: TrapKAT
(2) Zendrum: Zendrum ZX
(2) Zendrum: Zendrum LT
(1) Korg: PadKontrol
(2) M-Audio: Trigger Finger
(1) Akai: APC40
(1) Roland: HandSonic
(1) Korg: Wavedrum
Sound Modules
For live performance (In addition to the Wavedrum
and the HandSonic)
(2) Custom PC computers running Reason 4.0, 2GB
RAM
(2) MacBook Pro 2.66 GHz Intel Core i7
Over 4TB of hard drive space.
In addition to Reason, CrossTalk uses Native
Instruments’ Kontakt and Ableton Live. The group
has access to an impressive and extensive sound
library for all three software platforms.
For Sound Design
(1) E-mu: e6400 sampler
(1) E-mu: Extreme Lead
(1) Roland: JP8080 synthesizer
Native Instruments: Absynth, Battery, Reaktor, FM7
Arturia: Moog Modular V, CV-80S
MIDI Control
(2) Mark of the Unicorn: MIDI Time Piece
(4) MIDIJet Pro Wireless MIDI Systems (for wireless
performance with Zendrums)
--gear--
New at
NAMM
Last year, new e-drum offerings were few and far
between at the National Association of Music
Merchants (NAMM) winter showcase in Anaheim.
This year, as Allan Leibowitz reports from Los
Angeles, there were some significant developments.
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ddfeb2012_Layout 1 26/01/12 5:32 AM Page 13
THE MUCH-ANTICIPATED Roland TD-30
module, the brain many had expected three years
ago when the TD-20 got its hardware upgrade,
made its debut in an action-packed media event
which also saw enhancements to all of Roland’s
instrument lines and an industry-first collaboration
with guitar giant Fender.
The new module fills many of the gaps in the model
it replaces, especially sonically, with the addition of
the SuperNATURAL sound technology first seen in
recent Roland keyboard products. There are 1,100
rich sounds and many of the 100 kits have been
lifted from the TD-20. There’s also USB connectivity,
replacing the ageing CF card technology of the TD20, and a larger screen.
Superficial testing uncovered vastly improved toms
and bass drum sounds and excellent cymbal sounds
and responses – even the dreaded ride bell.
Roland has not replaced the TD-12 module, instead
placing the TD-30 module into two kit packs – the
TD-30KV and TD-30K.
The top-of-the-line kit, expected to retail for “around
the same as the TD-20SX/KX prior to
run-out”,
features
reworks of all the
triggers. The PD-125X snare and
tom pads are replaced with three PD-128s and
two 10-inch PD-108s. There’s a new hi-hat, VH-13,
together with new CY-14C and CY-15R cymbals, all
finished in a new metallic gray wrap. The KD-140BC V-Kick, a black chrome version of the silver kick
in the old TD-20 kit, is included, together with the
MDS-25 rack.
The lower-end TD-30K kit has a PD-125X snare,
three PDX-100s as toms, a smaller kick (KD-120),
and a lower-end hi-hat, the one-piece VH-11. This
kit includes the new MDS-12V rack.
A full review of the kits will be included in the May
issue of digitalDrummer.
Roland also rolled out its entry-level replacement,
the HD-3, to replace the HD-1 kit. The new model
features cloth tom pads.
The Italian Mark Drum system, flagged in a previous
digitalDrummer, made its debut at NAMM
ahead of a global launch this month. Mark has
an extensive international distribution channel
thanks to its guitar, bass amp and pedal
products, and the 50 distributors are all
expected to stock the drum kit.
Like 2box, there’s only one kit configuration –
module, rack, four drum pads, kick pad, hi-hat
and two cymbals. And because of a
proprietary trigger system and phone cable
Craig Blundell introduces the Roland
TD-30 (above, left); Peace’s hybrid kit
(above, right); and two of Behringer’s
budget offerings (bottom).
13
wiring loom, there is no option
to mix and match with other
pads or cymbals.
At the heart of the YES module
are 10,000 real samples for the
24 kits. There’s 8 GB of memory
onboard, and more sounds and
kits will be available for download
and installation via a memory card.
The kit will sell for around $2,000.
Sweden’s 2box was back at NAMM
courtesy of Canadian distributor
Efcee, with Britain’s Hand in Hand
also on the stand to show off a couple
of new developments. One of the
display kits was equipped with 2box’s
new rubber heads — actually mesh
heads with rubber pads underneath.
These will be available in the summer
as an optional head on new kits.
Following a little later will be the
maker’s first external triggers.
2box recently updated its operating
system, and founder Bengt Lilja
says the company is committed to
ongoing improvement and to
providing new samples on a
regular basis.
Taiwanese drum maker Peace
had its new JPE (jazz, practice
and electronic) hybrid kit on
show, along with two sub$1,000 entry-level e-kits.
Priced at $2,699, the Peace
e-kit consists of fullsize drums: an 18”x14”
bass; 14”x5.5” snare;
10”x6.5”, 12”x7” and
14”x8” toms. It was
displayed with solid
brass cymbals at the
show, but generally ships
without pies.
The kit is clad in regular
mylar heads and fitted with
internal triggers that can be
disengaged from the
outside of the shells using a
drum key to turn the kit into
an acoustic instrument.
At the show, it was paired
with a “vintage” Roland
module and it appears that all
the triggers are single zone.
14
The pads seemed quite
responsive, but obviously
they weren’t as quiet as
rubber or mesh.
The biggest development
at NAMM was the
proliferation of iPad
music applications, with
everything from
amplification to training
packages tailored to
the tablet device. The
big news from Alesis
was the launch of the
DM Dock, dubbed
the “drum module
for iPad”. The DM
Dock —
compatible with
Alesis’ and most
other brands’
dual-zone drum and
cymbal pads,
triple-zone ride
cymbals,
continuous-control
hi-hats, multiplechoke cymbals, and
acoustic drum
triggers - is a virtual
module that works
with a variety of apps
including GarageBand.
It is backed by an Alesis
sample library and
comes equipped with 13
6.5mm TRS trigger
inputs, a headphone jack,
mix input for connecting
external audio sources, and
balanced stereo outputs.
The product should ship in
May or June.
Zildjian’s Gen16 division
attracted plenty of attention with its
AE cymbals which were available
for playing this year after being kept
behind closed doors last year. They
were also repeatedly
demonstrated by Russell Miller,
the drummer who demos them on
YouTube.
Pintech’s Landry (top);
Porter & Davies’ Paul
Barretta (middle); John Emrich at the
Yamaha keyboard stand (bottom).
1
2
2
1
3
4
3
1. Team 2box
2. Nord Drum
3. Alesis DM Dock
4. Mark Drum
5. Mario and Chris at Aquarian
6. Russ Miller at Gen16
5
6
15
Coinciding with NAMM, Gen16 released a firmware
update for the AE cymbal ‘brain’, together with a
new system manager that allows users to customise
and save personal, internal settings. More
importantly, Gen16 has also added a new Audio
Manager which allows users to further customise
the sound shapes in the processor.
Besides the enhancements to the AE processor,
Gen16 will also be adding more MIDI grooves to its
online offering in its online Groove Tracks range.
Already, there are thousands of grooves and fills
available from a number of Zildjian artists, recorded
by John Emrich, and there are plans to record more
in Europe and other parts of the globe.
The downloadable groove packages contain two
formats: General MIDI (GM) files and Groove
Palettes optimised for use with FXpansion’s BFD2,
BFD Eco, and Gen16’s BFD Eco DV. The palettes
can also run on Gen16’s new GroovePlayer
iPhone/iPad App.
Sweden’s Clavia, the company behind the original
ddrum, started building the hype weeks before
NAMM, flagging a new drum product. It turned out to
be the Nord Drum, a retro-style four-channel drum
analogue synthesizer.
While it’s hard to see e-drummers flocking to
embrace this device with its limited sound palette,
the Nord Drum display was very well attended, with
demos drawing large crowds.
Pintech was on hand to show its various pads and
cymbal offerings, but manager Lorrie Landry was
very excited about the Carmichael Throne
Company’s CT-200 throne, a strange stool with a
void in its centre.
The design is said to “provide relief from back pain,
coccyx pain, hemorrhoids, inflamed prostate and
anal pain”. I’m not sure it’s a miracle cure, but it was
comfortable – if a bit strange–feeling, and it’s
distributed by Pintech.
However, Landry was most proud of some clear
acrylic Pintech Dingbats and Nimrods fitted to Brian
Frasier-Moore’s over-the-top DrumCraft kit that will
appear at the Super Bowl.
Drumhead maker Aquarian expects to start shipping
the inHEAD hybrid acoustic/electronic head
products in the next few months. Available in sixinch to 16-inch versions, the mylar-feel heads have
triggers built in and connect to a companion inbox
link to the module.
16
This year, Aquarian also revealed a quieter version
of its FSR-triggered head, the onHEAD. This pad is
placed on top of existing heads to convert an
acoustic kit into an e-kit.
British tactile generator maker Porter & Davies had
its BC Gigster selected as one of the 20 hot
products of the show.
The BC Gigster is a silent bass drum monitoring
system which uses the drummer’s skeleton as a
sonic sounding board, creating a bass you can feel.
The compact BC Gigster is a scaled-back version of
the larger BC2 and is designed to be portable. Its
throne top is compatible with most stool bases and
the unit will be available in an international version
soon, priced at £599.
Drummer and educator Thomas Lang was at NAMM
to promote his new venture, the ArtistWorks Drum
Academy. The interactive online mentoring
programme features Lang, together with Billy
Cobham and Luis Conte, providing video tuition and
feedback to drummers of all levels. Lang tells
digitalDrummer that he is currently working on a
series of special lessons for e-drummers, covering
not only style, but advice on getting the most from
the expanded capabilities of e-drums and multipads.
--gear--
Ride on
PHOTO: GEARPIX
To date, digitalDrummer has examined stick noise
and rebound in e-cymbals as well as more subjective
characteristics of crash, splash and china pads. Now,
Scott Holder looks at rides and their unique features
(with some long-distance help from Allan Leibowitz).
17
WHILE E-RIDES SHARE similar characteristics
(movement, choking, hotness) with their crash
counterparts, the number of zones, size and
“layout” of the bell area are features one should
keep in mind when buying a ride. Three-zone
cymbals differentiate between the bell, bow and
edge and usually require two cables running
from the cymbal to their respective inputs on the
module. If you don’t need that edge sound, then
a dual-zone ride will work fine. Or you can use
an accent cymbal or pad for a separate edge
sound.
The bell area (from the edge of the washer
down to the beginning of the bow area) is a far
more subtle factor. The nut and felt washer
attaching the cymbal to the arm often acts like a
bullseye target for errant bell hits, and if the bell
area is too small, or not sufficiently raised
above the rest of the cymbal, you can hit the nut
more often than not.
When deciding what to get, the following
snapshots of various models plus our earlier
review of crashes will give you a good overview.
The cymbal: 2box 14” cymbal (£145)
Material and size: 14” all-rubber; bell area: 40mm.
Zone: Triple with choke capability.
Performance: Designed for three-zone triggering
with the DrumIt Five module, this cymbal triggers
well on a range of trigger settings on Roland
modules – but there is a zone mismatch: the bell
sound is triggered on the edge and the edge
sound on the bell. The cymbal has very even
triggering and a 360-degree sweet spot, and the
bell is very sensitive — certainly a far cry from
Roland’s necessity for a solid shank strike. The choke is
effective and covers the entire circumference of the
cymbal. While this cymbal will probably not be a first choice as a
ride on a non-2box set-up because of the zone anomaly, it is extremely
responsive and would certainly make a great Roland-compatible
crash.
What we liked: Generous size, large sweet spot and good
sensitivity, especially the bell.
What we didn’t like: Triggering zones are not fully
Roland-compatible and thick rubber covering gives a
slight mushy feel. (Allan Leibowitz)
The cymbal: Alesis Surge ($259)
Material and size: 16” metal; bell area: 40mm.
Zone: Dual with choke capability.
Performance: The bell area was very responsive
without being too “hot”. The bell area was equally
responsive to tip and shank hits. This helps immensely
since the bell area “bump” is not terribly pronounced. Like
Surge crashes, the bow area’s responsiveness falls off rapidly
as you move away from the trigger housing; 20% of this area is
the “sweet spot”. Cymbal movement was about average for ecymbals, but had a nice lateral movement when striking the bell area.
What we liked: Choke capability and the responsive bell area.
What we didn’t like: “Hotness” of bow area and limited area of
responsiveness. Spins easily.
18
The cymbal: Alesis DMPAD ($99)
Material and size: 14” rubber/plastic; bell area: 40mm.
Performance: The DMPAD is a new offering by
Alesis and, as such, wasn’t reviewed earlier for
stick noise and responsiveness. Rubber covers
about two-thirds of the surface area in a broad “U”
shape. Think of it as an enlarged Roland CY-8. It
has an anti-rotational V-shaped plug that’s virtually
identical to Roland’s approach, but it also limits lateral
movement. The rubber area was soft without being too spongy and the
edge softness was on par with the Roland CY-15. The bell area was
average in size, with a pronounced bump making it easier to hit despite
the usual protruding nut and felt washer; it was also the bounciest of any
bell area. The bell responded best to shank hits, not unlike the Hart and
Roland cymbals. Almost the entire bow area was a sweet spot. When
used on an Alesis DM-10 module, it does everything advertised:
responsive edge hits, seamless transitions between zones and chokes
easily. When used on a Roland module with three-zone ride capability,
make sure the module has the latest operating system upgrade
installed. If not, you’re not likely to get the cymbal working correctly, and
don’t expect it to work flawlessly with older Roland modules. However,
with updated, newer modules, edge-to-bow swells and transitions are
very nice - every bit as good as any Roland or Yamaha. The bell area is
a little more particular in where it’s struck for a reliable response and
needed the Rim Gain maxed in order to get a reliable response.
Triggering edge hits require you to strike higher on the edge, with the
stick at a lower angle from perpendicular than any other ride –
regardless of what module it was played with. It’s like the Pintech PC
series in that regard; not a problem, you just need to know about the
edge’s “sweet zone”.
What we liked: Choke capability and the responsive bow area.
Seamless edge-bow transition. Responsiveness and positional
sensing over entire strike area.
What we didn’t like: Nothing not to like when used with
an Alesis DM-10. Picky strike area on bell when using a
Roland module.
The cymbal: Hart Dynamics Ecymbal II ($299)
Material and size: 16” metal with hard rubber strike
area; bell area: 55mm.
Zone: Dual non-choking.
Performance: The massive bell area sits well above
the bow and is by far the easiest to hit. Like Roland
and the DMPAD, it responds best to shank strikes,
but is a bit less picky about where you hit it than the
DMPAD and not as forgiving as a CY-12/15. The bow
area has a broad sweet spot. Although Hart includes an
Aquarian spring, you get a very wobbly response when
using it. Mounting the Hart ride “traditionally” provides nice
lateral movement when striking the bell and bow. Module settings
12
19
typically need to be raised from what Hart recommends. On older
modules, you will need to use the included inline stereo-mono adaptor but
then can only use “X” ride sounds. Alternatively, you can purchase a “Y”
adaptor which then uses both the Ride and Aux inputs on the module (the
bell and bow/ride act as two separate triggers). This isn’t an issue on
newer modules where only a single input is needed to trigger bell and
bow/ride.
What we liked: That massive bell area. The swing, when mounted
traditionally. The response over the strike area.
What we didn’t like: Difficult getting it “dialed in” to a Roland module.
Workarounds needed for use on older modules. Spins easily if not on an
Aquarian spring.
The cymbal: Pintech PC-14B ($106)
Material and size: 14” plastic with soft rubber strike area;
bell area: 38mm
Zone: Dual with choke capability. (Also available in
16” and 18” sizes.)
Performance: The bell area is the smallest of any
ride with the most pronounced bump; it has almost
too much of a physical bump slope. Surprisingly nice
swing for a light plastic cymbal when mounted on the
provided Aquarian spring. The soft foam rubber strike
pad was responsive over the entire bow area. Sensitivity
levels needed to be a bit lower than what was recommended;
otherwise the cymbal was too hot. Still, Rim Gain was maxed out to get a
decent response on the bell.
What we liked: Bow response and the lack of spin.
What we didn’t like: Small bell area.
The cymbal: Pintech Visulite 1800RB ($293)
Material and size: 18” acrylic with soft rubber strike area; bell area:
45mm.
Zone: Dual with choke capability. (Also available in three zones.)
Performance: Second-largest bell area of any tested and was responsive
to tip and shank strikes. Edge hits were “hot”. The
strike area sweet spot was not as broad as the PC-14B, it’s
larger than the Surges but a bit smaller than the rest.
Edge hits are similar to the Visulite crash in feel and
positioning. It mounts on an Aquarian spring, and
when striking the edge or bow area, it swings just
like an acoustic. However, when striking the bell
area, it had the least lateral movement of any
cymbal, including “plug-mounted” Rolands and the
DMPAD.
What we liked: Swing. Bow area size.
What we didn’t like: Getting an acceptable sensitivity/threshold
balance for bow/edge hits.
20
The cymbal: Roland CY-12R/C ($259)
Performance: Bell area bump is not as pronounced and
responds reliably only to shank strikes. Unique feature of
Roland cymbals is an inset wing nut which lessens its
footprint on the bell area and minimises the possibility of
errant hits. That said, cymbals with larger bell areas are still
easier to reliably strike with little thought. Little lateral
movement unless wing nut is loosely fastened. The bow
area sweet spot covers about a third of the cymbal, similar to
the Yamaha and slightly less than the DMPAD and PC-14B.
What we liked: Seamless edge-to-bow transition. No spin.
What we didn’t like: Swing. Hardest cymbal to choke. Very hard
edge for an all-rubber cymbal. Small diameter might not feel “ridelike” to many users.
The cymbal: Roland CY-13R ($239)
Performance: This new offering was introduced as a budget
alternative to the CY-15 ride. It requires two module inputs –
one for the edge, the other for the bell and bow. Like the other
CY models, this cymbal has an inset wing nut which lessens
its footprint on the bell area. The Roland mounting hardware
also means limited lateral movement when the cymbal is
struck. The bow sweet spot covers almost the whole surface,
but the bell is quite picky, requiring fairly accurate shank
strikes. Edge triggering is excellent and the choke works well.
Note that Roland has sacrificed position sensing to reduce the
cost of this cymbal.
What we liked: Bigger surface than the CY-12, large sweet spot
and good sensitivity.
What we didn’t like: Bell response was a little subdued and required a
good, firm shank strike. No positional sensing. (Allan Leibowitz)
The cymbal: Roland CY-15 ($349)
Performance: Bell area bump and response are
identical to the CY-12 and it shares the inset wing nut
feature although the bell area size is slightly larger;
that is a good thing. It has more lateral movement
than the CY-12, mostly because of its size and,
again, only if you loosely attach the wing nut. The
bow area sweet spot is identical to the CY-12 in that it
covered at least a third of the surface with little drop-off
until outside of that. The edge is softer than any allrubber cymbal. The CY-15 is a bit bouncier than the CY-12
14
21
but slightly less than the CY-14 crash, making it good at intricate ride
patterns (module permitting).
What we liked: Seamless edge-to-bow transition. Larger size “feels”
more like a ride. No spin.
What we didn’t like: Harder to choke than other cymbals (except the
CY-12) despite a very soft edge.
The cymbal: Yamaha PCY-155 ($160)
Zone: Triple with choke capability on Yamaha module;
dual with choke on Roland.
Performance: The bell area bump was pronounced
without being too steep. It was responsive to both tip
and shank strikes. The bow area sweet spot covered a
third of the cymbal. Edge triggering was very nice and the
best of any cymbal tested. The choke is soft but if you choke the
cymbal while simultaneously hitting the bow, you get, in effect, a fourth
“zone” sound. When paired with the DTX950 module, you get the
broadest range of sounds. Lateral movement was better than the
Rolands and the PC-14B, but a smidge less than the Hart. The DIY
modification for getting the third zone to work on a Roland module is
amply documented and fairly easy to do. If not, it works fine out of the
box as a two-zone bow/bell ride.
What we liked: Seamless edge-to-bow transition. Wide variety of ride
sounds and responses. No spin. Easy to choke.
What we didn’t like: On a Yamaha module, there’s nothing not to like.
Can be hard to get dialed in on a Roland module.
The cymbal: XM XCRP13 ($130)
Zone: Triple with choke capability on XM module; dual with
choke on Roland.
Performance: Like other cymbals designed for
proprietary modules, the zones don’t translate perfectly
onto a Roland module. In most trigger settings, one gets
bell triggering on both the bell and the edge. I did
manage to get an edge sound in one setting, but that was
at the expense of the choke function. Besides the zone
anomaly, triggering was even across the cymbal.
Responsiveness was excellent and bell triggering was easier
than most Roland rides (helped also by its presence in two zones).
The cymbal comes with a proprietary swing mount that sits on regular
hardware and provides for excellent forward-backward motion. While not
perfect as a ride for Roland modules, these will certainly work if you don’t
mind losing a zone and make excellent value-for-money crashes.
What we liked: Good sensitivity, 360-degree triggering sweet spot,
sensitive bell area, easy choke action along the entire circumference,
fantastic pricing.
What we didn’t like: Zone incompatibility on a Roland module. (Allan
Leibowitz)
22
Head2Head
3
e
ak
T
digitalDrummer has done two mesh head reviews,
and still the samples keep arriving, so Allan
Leibowitz dusted off the test rig to try three more.
TO DATE, WE have
compared 13 mesh
heads, and this month we
add two more production
models and one DIY option
already reviewed in
digitalDrummer.
I should point out that there
are still some products we
haven’t tested: we haven’t
managed to get samples from
at least two makers and two
others already featured had
new variants in final testing
when this review was
undertaken. So, as they say,
watch this space for part four.
Testing was done on the same rig
used in the original test — a
heavyweight drumstick pivoting on a vertical rod. Noise measurement was done
via the same Realistic Sound Level Meter, with a brand new Hart mesh head
used to calibrate the measurements against those obtained last time. The
rebound measurement was done, again, by connecting the snare to a Roland
TD-20 module and taking a line recording from the module. The recordings were
loaded into Audacity and the waves measured until they fell below a minimum
value. The duration to that zero point is noted in the table.
Again, there were two noise level measurements: one from a controlled drop and
the second in free play, at maximum velocity.
The results were as follows:
16
23
XM
This budget Taiwanese maker originally launched a head with a
built-in sensor. Since then, it has added a full range of singleply mesh heads, with the 12” priced at an enticing $10.
The 12” test sample was taken from the snare
reviewed in November and was a tough, substantial
off-white head that fitted snugly on the test snare.
The weave is quite tight and the mesh material
fairly substantial, making the head almost totally
translucent.
The head was slightly spongy under the stick,
with not as much rebound as some of its rivals.
However, triggering was excellent and
positional sensing, not possible on the XM
snare, was easily achieved.
The head was relatively quiet under the controlled
hit and around mid-range on free play. It was,
however, characterised by a low thud sound. In
summary, it’s a lot of head for $10.
Z-ed Twin
The British Z-ed brand was previously only represented at the
budget end of the mesh scale, but it has upped the ante
with a pretty impressive dual-ply.
The heads, at £9 each, are much whiter than
Roland’s, but also have a looser weave and are
therefore more transparent. The two layers have
more slack between them than other dual-ply
heads, which translates into a slightly more
pronounced acoustic buzz. Another difference
is that the 12” was very generously sized — so
much so, in fact, that it needed to be prized
with a screwdriver from the hoop.
Performance on the drum was excellent. The
head had a great feel when tightened to the max,
with good response and sensitivity, and excellent
positional sensing.
Sonically, the Z-ed was among the quietest for
controlled hits and not much louder for full whacks. And it
had a pleasant tone — despite the buzz.
24
17
ddfeb2012_Layout
1 25/01/12
4:07
PM Page 25
prepare
the
head.
Head
682Drum
Arbiter
Ballistech
Ballistech II
ddt
Drum-tec Design
Hart Magnum
Hart Maxxum
Pearl Muffle Head
Pintech SilenTech
RMV
Roland by Remo
Tuff Mesh^^
Z-Ed
Z-Ed Twin
XM
Price
!15
£9
$12
$25
!22
!22
$40
$40
$10
$37
$30
$40
$13
£7
£9
$10
Ply
2
1
1
3
2
2
1
1
1
1
1
2
1
1
2
1
Noise level
72-86dB
81-95dB
78-93dB
78-91dB
78-89dB
79-91dB
75.5-89dB
77-92dB
75-94dB
76-89dB
75-87dB
77-88dB
79-85dB
78-86dB
76-88dB
75-90dB
Rebound+
2.155
2.109
1.619
1.952
2.322
2.147
2.017
2.030
2.175
2.273
2.043
2.251
1.602
1.949
2.218
1.983
Pos Sens
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Poor
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Heads in bold are reviewed for the first time. +Rebound measured in seconds. ^^This is a DIY head.
Tuff Mesh
This DIY material was covered in an earlier issue, but
we have been asked frequently about its
performance, so here goes …
Mounted on a 12” ‘hoop’, the Tuff Mesh is at the
louder end of the spectrum for controlled hits, but
softer for full-bore banging. That’s probably
because the material is dense and absorbs the
impacts.
Performance-wise, Tuff Mesh is responsive and
has reasonable dynamics, but it does have to be
cranked up really tight — and that can be
challenging if you haven’t fitted it correctly to the
hoop. Admittedly, the test head had little play and
sat very high against the hoop, so there was a limit
to how much it could be tightened.
As we said in the DIY article, it’s excellent, durable
material, but installation is a bit tricky and while it may get
easier with practice, not many drummers will make enough of them
to become proficient. And besides the purchase price, you’ll also need a
donor hoop of some description — and at least 45 minutes to an hour to
prepare the head.
.COM
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HART PROFESSIONAL SERIES
Hart Pro 6.4 Hart kits are handcrafted providing
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Dynamics
gear at
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or Call Erik
877-222-7457
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the highest quality. Available in Hart’s distinguished
all Hand Hammered chrome or classic Piano
Black lacquer shells with HH chrome snare.
Features TE3.2 dual triggering, Pro Ecymbal
II’s, Epedal II hi-hat stand, and heavy-duty
Hartware rack system. The perfect kit to perform at
church, on the road, or in the studio. Low acoustic
volume for stage or at home, without disturbing your
neighbors. ............................ MAP Price*: $3,849
HART HAMMER
Other models available:
The most versatile accessory trigger
pad available. Give your kit a little
something extra that performs in a
big way. You can’t build an electronic
drum set without a Hammer.
Hart Pro 5.3..................MAP Price*: $3,359
MAP Price*: $79
DD
“Hart
STUDIO MASTER SERIES
Studio Master 6.4 Key features that set this drum
MAGNUM & MAXXUM
Kontrol Screen “Mesh” Drumheads Magnum and Maxxum
Magnum KS Drumhead....................................... click here for sizes & prices
Maxxum KS Drumhead
Drumhead........................................ click here for sizes & prices
Kontrol Screen drumheads are Hart’s 5th generation of silent mesh drumhead
technology. These heads are simply the quietest, most durable, best feeling, nonacoustic drumheads available. Play the new Maxxum on your snare and bass,
Magnums on your toms and replicate the feel of playing a variation of double and
single ply mylar. Attention to this kind of detail is how Hart continues to raise the bar
for the electronic drumming experience.
kit apart are four TE3.2 dual trigger 10” mesh Acupad drums
for toms and new super solid 10” Acupad kick. 13” Hart Pro
TE3.2 dual trigger snare with stand, top-of-the-line bronze Pro
Ecymbal II’s, and the one of a kind Epedal II upright hi-hat
stand. Pair with the module of your choice (sold separately)
for a compact kit that delivers high-end performance
MAP Price*: $2,449
Studio Master 5.3 ........................ MAP Price*: $2,139
Studio Master .............................. MAP Price*: $1,789
HART PROFESSIONAL 13” Snare If you’re a digital
drummer, you’ve probably already replaced your drumheads with Hart’s
Kontrol Screen mesh. Now it’s time to upgrade your kit with the Snare Drum
that represents the superior performance of Hart’s, TE3.2,
state-of-the-art trigger system with KS drumheads. Built
like a tank, this 13” Hand Hammered
chrome snare is a full positional
sensing, dual trigger drum that will
stand the test of time and take
your drumming to the next
level....... MAP Price*: $390
EPEDAL II Hi-Hat Stand
The Epedal II hi-hat stand is one more example of what sets
Hart Dynamics apart from the rest. This is a fully variable
pedal with up/down and open/close action, plus a super
sturdy, double braced, 3 leg rotating base for use with all
double kick pedals. ............MAP Price*: $299
with Hi-Hat Ecymbal II ...................... $449
HART PROFESSIONAL
Shell Packs
Replace your electronic drum “pads” with drums that provide an electronic drumming experience
no other brand can match. RMC is now offering Hart Professional shell packs for those who are
looking to improve the performance, playability, and look of an existing kit. You no longer
have to commit to a complete kit and a Hart Pro drum shell pack is more cost
effective than purchasing drums individually.
Shell packs are available in Hand
Hammered Chrome or Classic
Black Lacquer.
Hart Pro Shell Pack (5 pc)
MAP Price*: $1,679
:
MAP Price*: $1,999
:
HART PROFESSIONAL SERIES
Hart Pro 6.4 Hart kits are handcrafted providing
r
e
m
m
u
r
D
l
a
digit
!
T
N
COU de
DISnter Coupo9n1C0o”
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Get the
BEST
DEALS
on Hart
Dynamics
gear at
RMCAudioDirect.com
or Call Erik
877-222-7457
Toll-Free
the highest quality. Available in Hart’s distinguished
all Hand Hammered chrome or classic Piano
Black lacquer shells with HH chrome snare.
Features TE3.2 dual triggering, Pro Ecymbal
II’s, Epedal II hi-hat stand, and heavy-duty
Hartware rack system. The perfect kit to perform at
church, on the road, or in the studio. Low acoustic
volume for stage or at home, without disturbing your
neighbors. ............................ MAP Price*: $3,849
HART HAMMER
The most versatile accessory trigger
pad available. Give your kit a little
something extra that performs in a
big way. You can’t build an electronic
drum set without a Hammer.
Hart Pro 5.3..................MAP Price*: $3,359
MAP Price*: $79
DD
“Hart
STUDIO MASTER SERIES
Studio Master 6.4 Key features that set this drum
MAGNUM & MAXXUM
Kontrol Screen “Mesh” Drumheads Magnum and Maxxum
Magnum KS Drumhead....................................... click here for sizes & prices
Maxxum KS Drumhead
Drumhead........................................ click here for sizes & prices
Kontrol Screen drumheads are Hart’s 5th generation of silent mesh drumhead
technology. These heads are simply the quietest, most durable, best feeling, nonacoustic drumheads available. Play the new Maxxum on your snare and bass,
Magnums on your toms and replicate the feel of playing a variation of double and
single ply mylar. Attention to this kind of detail is how Hart continues to raise the bar
for the electronic drumming experience.
kit apart are four TE3.2 dual trigger 10” mesh Acupad drums
for toms and new super solid 10” Acupad kick. 13” Hart Pro
TE3.2 dual trigger snare with stand, top-of-the-line bronze Pro
Ecymbal II’s, and the one of a kind Epedal II upright hi-hat
stand. Pair with the module of your choice (sold separately)
for a compact kit that delivers high-end performance
MAP Price*: $2,449
Studio Master 5.3 ........................ MAP Price*: $2,139
Studio Master .............................. MAP Price*: $1,789
HART PROFESSIONAL 13” Snare If you’re a digital
drummer, you’ve probably already replaced your drumheads with Hart’s
Kontrol Screen mesh. Now it’s time to upgrade your kit with the Snare Drum
that represents the superior performance of Hart’s, TE3.2,
state-of-the-art trigger system with KS drumheads. Built
like a tank, this 13” Hand Hammered
chrome snare is a full positional
sensing, dual trigger drum that will
stand the test of time and take
your drumming to the next
level....... MAP Price*: $390
EPEDAL II Hi-Hat Stand
The Epedal II hi-hat stand is one more example of what sets
Hart Dynamics apart from the rest. This is a fully variable
pedal with up/down and open/close action, plus a super
sturdy, double braced, 3 leg rotating base for use with all
double kick pedals. ............MAP Price*: $299
with Hi-Hat Ecymbal II ...................... $449
HART PROFESSIONAL
Shell Packs
Replace your electronic drum “pads” with drums that provide an electronic drumming experience
no other brand can match. RMC is now offering Hart Professional shell packs for those who are
looking to improve the performance, playability, and look of an existing kit. You no longer
have to commit to a complete kit and a Hart Pro drum shell pack is more cost
effective than purchasing drums individually.
Shell packs are available in Hand
Hammered Chrome or Classic
Black Lacquer.
MAP Price*: $1,679
:
MAP Price*: $1,999
:
Li
Lighten up
For those drummers who need to be seen as
well as heard, there’s a new solution which is
sure to make audiences sit up and take notice –
MIDI-controlled LED lights. Allan Leibowitz fired
up the drums, turned out the lights and checked
out the Midi Knights Pro system.
MIDI KNIGHTS IS a collaboration between two
musicians who thought it would be cool if people
could see what they were playing. Given that
electronic music is built around MIDI, it made sense
to use the MIDI signals to switch lights on and off,
the same way they select the appropriate
synthesised notes.
The result, after a few prototypes, is the recently
released Midi Knights Pro system designed for edrums, but finding much broader application — even
spanning electric guitars.
There are a couple of variations that are about to be
launched, one for acoustic drum kits and a budget
single-trigger system for simple applications.
digitalDrummer tested the Pro system with a
variety of Midi Knights LED products.
What’s in the box
Midi Knights consists of a controller, a customised
power supply, some detailed instructions (available
as a PDF download) and a free software application
(currently only for Windows).
You’ll also need MIDI cable (not supplied) and, of
course, a bunch of LED light strands. Midi Knights
supplies two versions for e-drummers: the QuickFlex Drum LED Mounting System which consists of
a strand of LEDs on a clear acrylic hoop with velcro
on the ends for quick mounting and removal; and
the “standard” system of ribbon-mounted LEDs on
28
an adhesive backing intended for more permanent
mounting. Both are easy to install and come in
various lengths. The standard ribbons range from
$29.99 for the 18” to $44.99 for a 36” strand.
There’s also an Extended Mounted System
designed for internal installation inside acoustic
drums. Each LED ribbon comes with a 3.6 metre
extension cable.
Setting up
The controller unit is clearly labelled, so it’s easy to
work out what plugs in where. Essentially, there are
MIDI In and Through connections, a jack for a foot
controller, 13 outputs for the LEDs and an input for
electric guitar (but we won’t worry about that!).
Once everything is plugged in, there are two ways of
setting it up – either using the Windows-based
application or directly on the controller, using the
two-line LCD display and the up/down/left/right/OK
buttons on the face.
The menu is quite complicated because the
controller is very powerful, so it’s important to follow
the step-by-step instructions provided.
I started with a fairly simple set-up, using a single
“channel” and when I thought I’d done something
horribly wrong because I couldn’t get anything to
light up, I rechecked the rear connections and found
that I’d plugged into B instead of A (remember that
the letters start at the bottom, not the top!).
A Midi Knights system helps Ami O create the mood.
Once I got the strands connected to the right ports,
it was relatively easy to allocate specific colours to
the bass drum, snare, hi-hat, ride, etc. Not only can
you choose the colour, you can also dial up its
intensity and the duration of each flash. In addition,
you can choose to make the light velocity-sensitive,
so that louder sounds are accompanied by brighter
lights. Very cool!
In action
What can I say? You hit a drum, the light goes on.
And it goes on every time you do so – if you have
set it up right. The accuracy, like the sounds,
depends on the signals from your trigger and drum
brain.
There’s lots of scope to tweak the lights, and the
red/green/blue elements combine for almost infinite
colour mixing — or a choice of 39 single-colour
outputs.
Just as e-drummers spend ages tweaking the
sounds of their kits, you could devote plenty of time
perfecting the colour hues to match the
mood of your songs — and the system
comes with 10 memory banks which
are similar to the kit patches on an
e-drum. These allow you to switch
settings on the fly without having
to go back to the individual setups for each channel. And
that’s also where the foot
pedal controller comes in.
You can use this device to
switch banks while playing.
26
The verdict
PHOTO BY LIORPHOTO.COM
The Midi Knights Pro kit is a well-built, well-designed
system that certainly doesn’t look or feel like
something built by two blokes in a shed.
It is easy to set up and operate, and in less than half
an hour, it will have you shining bright.
Even someone who has never seen an LED ribbon
and has only a basic understanding of MIDI notes
will be able to get the Midi Knights Pro working
effectively, thanks to a straight-forward system
design and very clear instructions.
And I sense that the array of settings and options
could certainly get the creativity flowing for those
motivated to get the most out of their investment.
Speaking of money, the controller sells for $399.99,
with very reasonable shipping charges, even to the
other end of the world ($24.99 to Australia, for
example). Of course, the LED strands can quickly
push up the total price, especially if you’re going to
use all 13 channels – but then again, those can
always be purchased piecemeal, as you grow
more adventurous. There’s also
a starter pack featuring
the controller and six
LEDs for $599.
Midi Knights Pro is a
great idea, well
executed and we’re
sure this start-up
business won’t be left
in the shadows.
29
Book gives unique
view on drummers
--pERFORMANCE--
DRUMMERS ARE TOO often heard but not seen. The gear usually
forms a barrier which hides some of the showmanship
behind the skins. But a new book by drummer and
photographer David Phillips (pictured
below) not only shows some of
the top contemporary
drummers in action, it
also reveals the views
from behind the kit.
A Drummer’s
Perspective is a coffee
table (do people still have
coffee tables?) book with
over 200 images of more
than 100 drummers in action
at gigs large and small.
Some of the biggest names in
the business are represented in
the images, and, of course,
there are all the well-known edrummers.
The pictures are all impressive,
reflecting not only Phillips’ access to
stars at work, but also his
understanding of drumming and the
drummer’s unique vantage point.
The book is only available direct from
the author (www.music-images.co.uk) at
£29.99, with postage adding another £5-10, depending on location.
30
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31
PHOTO: PAUL PUGLIESE
--profile--
Bill Bruford
32
The most expensive drum kit ever staged (circa 1989).
Bill Bruford was once the poster boy of e-drums. He was cited
by the godfather of digital drumming, Dave Simmons, as the
drummer who took his inventions further than anyone, “using
the instruments to expand the palette of tones and textures
available to him as drummer, percussionist and band leader”.
So it would surprise most enthusiasts to hear that Bruford has
not played an electronic drum since unplugging his last SDX.
But then again, those who have followed the progressive rock
pioneer’s career are probably not surprised by anything to do
with Bruford.
He played for some of the biggest names of the ‘70s and ‘80s —
Yes, Genesis and King Crimson — then turned his back on fame
and fortune to concentrate on jazz before withdrawing from the
limelight totally in 2009, about the same time he chronicled his
disillusionment in his autobiography.
Bruford spoke to digitalDrummer editor Allan Leibowitz on the
eve of the re-release of the book in a limited edition.
33
PHOTOS: ROLAND, MEINL
The new edition of Burford’s autobiography features cover art by Andy Vella.
digitalDrummer: Why did you feel the need to put
pen to paper with the original version of the
autobiography a couple of years ago?
Bruford: Well, I’d been a drummer for 41 years and
retired fairly abruptly and in part I wanted to explain
to myself what had happened in a very frantic 41
years. You move at a hugely fast pace and there’s
never time to stop and think. There’s always another
album and there’s always another tour. And I wanted
to explain that to myself and also to other people
because, in my opinion, there’s a massive
misunderstanding about what we all want rock
musicians to do and be — and what they actually
are. I know many more people like me than like, for
example, Keith Richards (of the Rolling Stones). I’m
just kind of a regular bloke doing a job and I don’t
really swallow the rock star thing very much. So the
book was put from my point of view.
digitalDrummer: Is there a particular anecdote in
the book which will resonate with electronic
percussionists?
Bruford: There’s one about probably the most
expensive electronic drum kit in the world failing me
at Madison Square Garden. There we are playing
Madison Square Garden with two Simmons SDXes
fired up and ready to go and the first half of the
show is perfect. There was nothing wrong at all —
except the faintest of buzzes in my monitor which I
pointed out to my drum tech just as I was leaving
the stage. There was a 20-minute break and we
come back into this massive arena with spotlights
and all that sort of thing and half of the drummers on
34
the East Coast of the US had rocked up to hear
what you can get out of two Simmons SDXes. And
as I walk up onto the drum riser, the drum tech says:
“You can’t play. They won’t work!” He decided to
power them down and unfortunately, triggered a
malfunction and they wouldn’t boot up again. The
next thing was a five-minute drum duet with Alan
White, the other Yes drummer, facing me about 20
yards away across the stage and he had this
massive Ludwig rock drum set going 19 to the
dozen and I had a hi-hat and a snare drum. So I
played whatever I could, but it was probably the
longest five minutes of my life.
digitalDrummer: On that note, when we spoke to
Dave Simmons, he was effusive in his admiration for
what you could do with his gear, saying no-one
could do more …
Bruford: Except Dave Simmons himself. He was
brilliant at handling it — no-one came close.
digitalDrummer: But he credits you with pushing
the boundaries …
Bruford: Well, I couldn’t understand why anyone
thought electronics was going to replace your drum
kit because to me they sounded as much like an
acoustic set as a Hohner electric piano does like a
grand piano. There’s no connection. And once you
got past the idea that they were never going to
sound like drums, you could make them sound like
pitched marimbas or strange things trailing MIDI
chords behind them. And being half a piano player
myself, I thought it would be great to have a hybrid
piano/drum electronic instrument here. And after a
PHOTO: TIM DICKESON
while, sure enough, you could play chords, pitches
and samples all at the same time and I had formed
a whole band around that idea called Earthworks.
And when I got it to work, and when it did work, and
when it wasn’t broken or too expensive to ship or in
baggage claim in Frankfurt, it was great.
digitalDrummer: So was this just a phase, because
looking over your equipment line-ups over the years,
it seems to have swung from totally acoustic to
totally electronic and then back to acoustic?
Bruford: I suppose I was actively onboard with
Simmons for about 15 years and during the course
of that, I gave rise to about 30 compositions that
were explicitly a function of having a Simmons drum
kit. In other words, if you didn’t have that kit, you
couldn’t play that stuff. That’s what I liked about it;
that’s what gave it its colour. But it was hell doing
those two (compositions) a year in those early days
of MIDI and pads and trying to get your Yamaha to
talk to your Simmons to talk to a controller of some
sort – it was a nightmare, a complete nightmare. But
I got really into it and got as much out of it as I
possibly could, and eventually I moved to jazz and I
had no problem with the idea of using electronic
drums in jazz, but there was no money to take staff
and have endless sound checks. You can only do
that stuff with a full-blown rock infrastructure. So
when I abandoned that, I abandoned it wholesale. I
haven’t really kept up with the technology. And I
know it sounds weird, telling you that I was totally
onboard with Simmons and got really deep into it,
but funnily enough, it was a very blinkered existence
and I didn’t know the other things, the other gizmos,
that were available.
digitalDrummer: So when was the last time you
actually tried an electronic kit?
Bruford: The last time I tried one was my own in
about 1995.
digitalDrummer: So no curiosity about what’s out
there now?
Bruford: I understand that the world has moved on,
but I suspect that it hasn’t got past my main problem
— acoustic headroom. I suspect it may be an
35
PHOTO: SIMMONSMUSEUM.COM
amplification problem or it might be a MIDI issue.
When you strike the drum, there’s no acoustic
difference. It’s a little bit quieter, then it’s a little bit
louder. In comparison, an acoustic drum has
enormous dynamic range. In other words, I was
immediately too loud for anything, or too quiet. And
the performer’s ability to vary that was really
minimal.
digitalDrummer: I suspect if you sat down behind a
top-end kit today, you would be impressed with
things like positional sensing and dynamics …
Bruford: That’s lovely and I’ll bet it works, but that’s
not what I’m talking about. I’m referring to dynamic
level.
digitalDrummer: Okay, it’s never going to be an
acoustic kit, but it emulates it closely…
Bruford: It does … and of course, I understand the
popularity in apartments and small buildings.
However, I also think it’s very easy to be very sloppy
on them because they make you sound very good
very easily.
36
digitalDrummer: Right. I was going to ask about
technology replacing talent. I bet you’d have some
thoughts on that?
Bruford: I do, but I also have an issue with
authorship: how do you make yourself sound like Bill
Bruford, for example. Given similar electronic
headroom and dynamic range and expression, it’s
possible to end up sounding rather anonymous.
digitalDrummer: So, for example, with young
people starting out, what would be your
recommendations about finding their own sound
rather than using the technology to emulate
someone else?
Bruford: Well, I think found objects are wonderful
things to start listening to, and combinations of
sounds are interesting. I think people buy a drum kit
– a couple of toms, snare drum, bass drum, couple
of cymbals, etc – as if it’s been designed like that by
the government and that’s the only thing you’re
allowed to play – as if it’s wisdom from God – that’s
what it is. They then no longer pay any attention to
the sounds coming out of it. I remember an
improvisational musician I had lessons with as a
kid. When I went for a lesson expecting a kit, he
just spread out a bunch of pots and pans and
glass and chains and I would play with wooden
pot-stirrers, and the combinations of sounds
we came up with just there were really
interesting. It was an education in sound
and in listening and in combinations of
sounds. Why does a long
membranophone sound good, for
example? That kind of thing is lovely to
start with, and only then should they
get interested in electronics. So I’d
start with acoustic first, training your
ear.
digitalDrummer: Of course,
sometimes there’s no alternative
because of the need for volume
control.
Bruford: Sure, but there should be
a health warning. And the warning is that
as the kid puts on the headphones, puts on his
favourite (Red Hot) Chili Peppers track and plays
along with his electronic drum set, makes some
mistakes – but it doesn’t matter because the
Peppers still sound good in the headphones — he
has to realise that he is not driving the Chili
Peppers. And I think at a basic level, it’s very
seductive and it’s best not to start that way.
digitalDrummer: Let’s turn back to you. What’s life
like after Genesis, Yes and all of that?
Bruford: Well, I stopped two or three years ago and
have sort of re-invented myself as an author, a
lecturer. I sort of dispense wisdom at colleges and
universities and drum retailers in the UK and US.
And I’ve just started post-graduate research in
creativity and drum set at Surrey University.
digitalDrummer: And any plans to get back behind
an electronic kit, perhaps dragging Dave Simmons
back into the fold?
Bruford: No, funnily enough, I don’t — and my
Simmons gear is a bit dusty. I have no intention of
getting behind a drum kit except for my own
amusement. I stopped cold turkey at the beginning
of 2009 and I’d rather contribute by interviews like
this and a bit of light lecturing.
digitalDrummer: I think many readers will find it
unbelievable that someone so successful and so
involved in the music industry could just walk away.
Is it just “been there, done that”?
Bruford: There’s an element of that and also an
element of “burned out”. After 41 years at that pace,
I really could not hear what to do next or how I could
fit in.
digitalDrummer: But surely
you miss the music and working with
fellow musicians?
Bruford: You’re perfectly right, I do miss that, but
the circumstances under which I can reconstruct
that are too painful for words. There’s an element of
drumming having taken over my life and I gave
everything I could to it, but I just ran out of petrol.
Which is fine, there’s nothing wrong with that. I’d far
rather do that than kind of slog around playing
Nights in White Satin. I don’t understand that
endless stadium repetition.
digitalDrummer: So you’re probably horrified by all
of the recycled talent touring around now and
making more money than they did in their heyday?
Bruford: There’s a lot to be said for that. Some
people will point a finger at the Rolling Stones and
say “look, if you guys would stop, then it would
mean all the other bands of that ilk would stop, and
the younger guys would have a better go at it”.
Because every time Yes or the Moody Blues or the
Stones go through town, they suck up so much
money that there’s nothing left. And a bit of me
resents that and that’s a bit unfair.
digitalDrummer: Bill, thanks for your time and your
insights, many more of which are contained in the
book
To find out more about Bill Bruford: The
Autobiography, visit www.foruli.co.uk.
37
--PERFORMANCE--
How I use e-drums
Los Angeles-based session drummer
Buddy Gibbons is finding new uses for
e-drums. He explains how they’re
presenting new opportunities.
THE YEAR WAS 1996. There it sat: a little black
box with many mysterious buttons. It said “Alesis
SR-16” in bold block letters. Somehow, this thing
was supposed to help me make music. What it
actually did was intimidate me. Its buttons and lights
and unwavering feel were a very difficult proposition.
I was supposed to programme this little computer?
After all, I am a drummer, not a computer
programmer. How was I supposed to make this little
box do … anything?
It wasn’t until the arrival of Roland’s V-drums in the
early 2000s that I seriously became interested in
what electronics could do in my setup. The V-drums
allowed me to create music by sitting down and
playing music on actual drums. No more “black box
programming” was necessary. I could simply create
a groove using the internal sounds and record my
ideas in real time. I was finally able to use
electronics in a truly musical way.
38
So how do these past experiences relate to my use
of electronics today? Well, my current drumkit is a
full-on hybrid. It’s quite common for me to use a
complete acoustic kit and augment it with two or
three Yamaha DTX pads and a DTX kick drum. The
new Yamaha DTX900 module is simply one of the
best I’ve heard. Yamaha used its Motif library to
create an infinitely usable sound library. It includes
everything from realistic birch, maple and oak kits,
to more esoteric sounds that can be used to create
truly interesting pieces of music.
One of my favourite things to do with electronics is
sampling. I’m a sampling freak. (There, I said it.) If it
makes a noise, if it can be banged on, if it can have
a sound coaxed from it, chances are I’m going to try
to record it! The DTX900’s built-in sampler makes
that very easy to do. I will often use sampled sounds
assigned to a pad just to add some interest to a
“typical” groove. It’s amazing what a little “saw blade
with a screwdriver” sound can do.
While electronics certainly make demoing songs
easier, I also use them for tracking from time to time.
One producer has called me to track his films simply
because of my knowledge of electronics. As recently
as yesterday, I received a call for my electronic setup for another drummer!
As I sit here writing this article on my Macbook Pro,
listening to music on my iPod, and checking
Facebook on my iPhone, I cannot help but be
reminded that, not so long ago, an electric typewriter
was the height of technology. Now, of course, we’re
totally reliant on electronics in our day-to-day lives. It
only makes sense that we, as drummers, embrace
and incorporate the advances and advantages of
technology. I hope that my journey from fear of an
SR-16 to complete integration with multiple pieces
of ‘electronica’ will encourage you to do just that.
R.C
IDIE
ND
: JO
TOS
Equipment list:
PHO
Since moving to Los Angeles, my
drumming path has taken a
surprising, yet welcome, turn. I’ve
had the opportunity to become a fulltime session player. The vast majority of the
work I do is for television, sporting events and film.
Over the past couple of years, I’ve had thousands of
songs placed in TV shows, the bulk of which have
been recorded in home studios. My own studio is
equipped with two Macs, a Digidesign 002 desktop
controller, Pro Tools 8 HD, Logic Pro 9, a Samson
16-channel mixer and a Mackie eight-channel mixer.
This set-up allows me to demo songs very quickly.
In fact, using the DTX to lay down ideas in Pro Tools
or Logic is now the most common way I write songs.
The files can then be easily emailed or transferred
to my songwriting partners. We’ve even done
sessions via Skype.
OM
My hybrid set-up recently expanded to include
Zildjian’s new Gen16 Acoustic/Electric pies. They’ve
been a welcome addition, particularly for live gigs.
The Gen16s are unique in that they are true
acoustic cymbals that utilise a compact condenser
mic and digital sound processing. Since Gen16s
are not triggers, the actual cymbal creates the
sound. In the past, I often found myself having to
compromise between a dark set of auxiliary
hats and a bright pair — a dark K on my left, or
a bright A Custom. With the Gen16s, I no
longer have to make that choice. I can set up
a pair of Gen16 hats to my right, a Gen16
crash to my left, and have the ability to dial
up different sounds to suit the song that
I’m playing. They’re not a replacement
for a real K Custom, but rather an
alternative sound source that gives
drummers many options.
Zildjian cymbals (standard setup includes 13”
K Custom Hybrid hats, 17” K Custom dark
crash, 6” A Custom splash, 10” A Custom
splash, 21” K Custom Hybrid Ride, 19” K Custom crash, 15” K hi-hats, 19” K China)
Vic Firth sticks (HD-9)
Evans heads (G-Plus coated on toms and
snares, Gmad on kick with EQ-Pad for muffling)
Future Sonics Atrio in-ear monitors
Electronics:
Yamaha DTX900 kit
Zildjian Gen16 AE cymbals (13” Mastersound
hats, 16” crash, 18” crash, 20” ride and 18”
china)
Macbook Pro
Digidesign 002 Desk
Mackie eight-channel mixer
Samson 16-channel mixer
Pro Tools 8 HD
Logic Pro 9
39
--PERFORMANCE--
Adding
percussion
With percussion sounds now well represented in
electronic kits and devices, it’s easier than ever to
expand the rhythm section. But as Carl Albrecht
explains, four hands are not always better than two
and it’s important for drums and percussion to work
together.
40
I’VE BEEN VERY fortunate to work with some
amazing musicians. Drummers, percussionists and
other players have made the job of creating music a
sheer delight. On the other hand, there have been
moments of extreme frustration when a musician
was not grooving or connecting with the band. It
could be a technical problem, like a player not
keeping good time, playing too loudly, or not playing
the proper part or style. Sometimes it’s an emotional
thing, like someone thinking too highly of
themselves (arrogance) or just not caring
about what they are doing
(boredom). Either
way, it makes for a
bad day for the band.
For a drummer and
percussionist to work
together well, every
aspect has to be in
place. Both players must
really be “locked in” to
the tempo. Dynamically,
they need to sound like
one unit. Their parts must
be carefully arranged to
work well with each other,
and to complement the rest
of the group. And it helps if
they have at least a good
working relationship, if not a real friendship.
As a drummer, I look for the percussionist to
“weave” their playing into mine. The drummer is still
“driving the bus”, so to speak. The percussionist
should never try to push or pull the tempo around.
They should always try to line up their time and feel
to what the drummer is doing. I want their part to
complement what I am playing and in general make
the music sound great. When I’m playing
percussion, I always remind myself that the
drummer is the Christmas tree and I’m the
ornaments. In this case, we need to see more green
than silver, if you catch my drift.
I’ve heard percussionists say that their drummer
doesn’t play well and that they HAVE to overpower
them to make the music work. That could be true,
but my recommendation is to work it out first. Get
with your drummer and start practising with a
metronome, or drum loops. Communicate with each
other. Build a relationship where you think as a
team, and learn to help each other. Music never
seems to feel really good when there is a musical or
personal battle on stage.
I can always tell when the percussionist is NOT
listening to what the drummer or the rest of the band
is doing. The part they play might conflict with the hihat or ride cymbal part. Maybe they are playing too
busily. Filling every space with some sound effect or
percussion run is like having too much salt in your
soup. In a case like this, I will
actually have a little chat with
my drum/percussion partner. I
always try to be an
encourager. It never helps to
yell at someone or project
negative emotions into the
environment. There is a
spiritual lesson here, but
for the sake of time, let’s
just focus on the technical
stuff.
I will actually discuss
with the percussionist
about how we arrange
our parts for the music
we’re playing. I might ask
them to NOT play for a section. Maybe
they should just colour the first verse and chorus
with sound effects, and not do any “groove” parts
until the second verse. It all depends on THE
MUSIC! What does the music really require? If there
is a recording, both players should be copying what
was already “composed.” Yes, I think of recorded
music as a composition. Unless the leader asks for
some other interpretation, play the part that already
exists for the song. This is always my “default
setting” for playing music.
If we are creating a part for a song, I listen very
carefully to what the rest of the band is doing to try
to find the drum part. Then the percussion concepts
should fit into that. Yes, there are times we might
build from a percussion idea first. Percussion
grooves are everywhere in contemporary music.
Even more so now with the use of drum machines,
drum loops and sequencing. So, it is a great time to
be a drummer and percussionist, but ALL of the
musicians must be serving the song. If what we
play does not make the song work well, it’s just
noise!
● More practical tips next time.
41
--OBITUARY--
Roady’s final gig
TOM ‘THE MAYOR’ Roady, digitalDrummer’s first
profiled artist, passed away in late November, doing
what he loved most – on tour with Ricky Skaggs and
his family.
The percussionist died in his sleep on the Skaggs
Family Christmas tour bus at Clemson University in
South Carolina.
Skaggs was among the first to express his “deepest
sympathy to the family at the passing of (a) dear
friend and fellow musician”.
Roady was 62 and had been diagnosed with cancer
a few weeks earlier, but refused to withdraw from
the Skaggs tour.
He told his Facebook friends at the time: “I will be
out on tour with (Ricky Skaggs) and the family
including the Whites .... I know the power that this
family has and they will take care of me out there as
well as pray for me every day and night. ..”
Roady rejected traditional treatment for his cancer in
favour of “a different course of treatment: one that
has God first in the front of everything ... with prayer,
scripture, meditation, etc.”.
He probably wrote his own eulogy on Facebook with
the profound message: “The quality of the rest of my
life trumps the length of my life”.
Friends say it was fitting that Roady ended his life
doing what he loved most, with people who shared
his passion for music.
Roady was a multi-award-winning artist whose
performances grace over 1,000 records and CDs.
He recorded for country acts such as Vince Gill,
Brooks & Dunn, Trisha Yearwood, Kenny Rogers,
Martina McBride and Randy Travis; R&B singers like
Mavis Staples, Wilson Pickett, Millie Jackson,
James Brown and Etta James; pop acts like Art
Garfunkel, Andy Gibb, Michael McDonald and
Donovan and rock acts like Bob Seger and Lynyrd
Skynyrd.
Roady toured with James Taylor, John Denver, Paul
Anka and Ricky Skaggs and spent the last few
years recording in his home studio and the studios
in Nashville.
42
Our first cover — and Tom’s last.
A master of all things percussive, Roady also
eagerly embraced electronic instruments, and was
one of the early adopters of the Zendrum.
He is fondly remembered by Zendrum creator David
Haney as “a personal friend, a wise sage and a
great musician”. “I called him ‘The Mayor’ because
he was a people person and knew everyone in the
music business,” says Haney, who credits Roady
with introducing many hand percussionists and
drummers to the Zendrum.
“He was the first person to ever create an entire CD
of Zendrum music back in the mid-‘90s,” Haney
adds, stressing that Roady was “a determined
innovator, never afraid to reach for something
different”.
— Allan Leibowitz
--vst-Product review: SD Explained
FOR THE AVERAGE e-drummer who is really only
interested in plugging in the drums and accessing
realistic sounds, VST solutions like Toontrack’s
Superior Drummer 2 can be a steep learning curve.
Of course, you can simply choose the appropriate
presets and start playing, but it won’t be long before
you encounter something baffling. That’s not a poor
reflection on the software or its design, rather a
result of the awesome power of contemporary VST
programmes.
So how do you master the application? You can use
trial and error, which is frustrating and timeconsuming. You can use the online resources of the
VST provider – but that assumes someone else has
not only had the same problem, but also described it
in the same way you would. Or, you could fork out
around $20 and subscribe to one of Groove3’s
tailored online training programmes.
I tested the SD2 resources, 47 tutorials running for
over four-and-a-half hours (you don’t have to watch
them all!), covering everything from installation to
advanced MIDI-tweaking.
The training is provided as a streaming video which
takes a few minutes to buffer and then streams
smoothly in your browser.
The SD2 package is presented by Scott Griggs,
described by Groove3 as a “DAW mad scientist”.
You don’t actually get to see Scott, rather you get to
follow his screen as he opens folders and tells you
what to click and what to look for.
Scott’s delivery is not what you’d call “neutral”: he
has a pronounced drawl which some people might
find distracting or even confusing, but personally, I
was happy to listen to him telling me to “go ahead
and hit ‘continue’”.
While you could follow all the videos step-by-step,
the beauty of the training package is that you can
skip ahead at any point, or even start out at any
point.
Scott usually starts by explaining the screen layout
and the available options and then digs deeper into
each menu or option.
There’s also a search option which allows you to
look for keywords. So, for example, when I searched
for “bounce”, I got two options: “Superior Drummer
Explained: Bounce Window Part 1 and Part 2”.
Selecting the first, I was told:
“Does your computer choke whenever you’re
running Superior 2? Do you have performance
38
problems whenever you’re running one of those
monstrous, freak-like kits, because you’re so big?
Offline bouncing is handy whenever your computer
can’t handle everything that Superior 2 might throw
at it. OK?” … and so on for four minutes.
The narrative is chatty without being overly technical
– or patronising. It’s just step-by-step explanation,
using active screen footage to show what to click.
If I had time, I would sit through all the videos to
ensure that I have a full understanding of the
complexities of SD2, but, in reality, I have only used
a select few videos, each of which has helped me
solve a particular challenge or overcome some
specific confusion.
The Groove3 products are slickly produced, easy to
navigate and are easy to view.
Besides the SD2 training, the company has
packages for a vast range of applications including
the main drumming VSTs – BFD, Slate Digital and
Native Instruments. There are also solutions for the
major music production apps like Sonor, Cubase,
Reaper, Reason and Protools. And if you own
multiple products, as most of us do, you can buy an
all-access pass from around $30 for a month or $99
for a year, providing 24/7 access to the training
resources for any product.
The Bottom line
Groove3 provides comprehensive, easy-to-access
training and information resources on the major
DAW and VST products at very reasonable prices.
In fact, there’s usually some sort of promotion or
special offer, so make sure you sign up for alerts if
you visit the website. For around $20 (at the time of
review), the SD2 training package is a no-brainer for
anyone who has forked out for the VST and wants
to make the most of that investment.
43
VST
VST
VST
VST
--vst--
VST Q&A
E-drum guru John Emrich is back to answer
more VST questions from readers.
Question: When installing my VSTs, I get a choice
between various “levels” — minimum, medium,
maximum and full. What’s the difference, and why
wouldn’t I just select full automatically?
Answer: I always recommend installing and using
the full version. Hard drives are not that expensive
and you will be using the data the way the producer
designed it.
Question: Some people install their samples onto
an external drive. What are the pros and cons of
doing this?
Answer: I see nothing but pros. Putting the data on
a drive that is on a different bus to your operating
system is the key. External storage just makes it a
lot easier to move those big files around. In my
case, I have a number of machines that I work with.
I like being able to keep the data on a drive that I
just plug in. Just make sure to have an identical
back-up.
Question: There seem to be a few VST ‘formats’ —
RTAS, VST, VSTi and others. What is the difference
between the formats and which one is “best”?
Answer: The difference has more to do with the
platform that the VST is working on. RTAS stands
44
for Real Tie Audio Suite and was designed for
Digidesign. VST and VSTi are basically the same
type of platform with the letter ‘i’ meaning
instrument. It stands for Virtual Studio Technology
and was developed by Steinberg. Most programmes
will install all of the versions to work with these
platforms. You just need to look at your host DAW
and make sure that your drum programme is
covered.
Question: Can I mix and match drum sounds from
different products such as Addictive, BFD and
Superior?
Answer: Yes. (I love those one-word answers.)
MIDI can trigger any programme or programmes as
long as your DAW is configured correctly. You might
need to copy the MIDI track and point it at another
program. I recommend only using one programme
to record, but then you can do whatever you want.
The one thing that you can’t do is take a sound from
one family of products and add it to another; that is
to say that BFD2/Eco format sounds cannot be
played in Superior or Addictive. Each format is
unique.
○ Send your VST questions to
New products
Steven Slate Drums 4.0 by Steven Slate Drums
Steven Slate Drums 4 Platinum contains 100 preset drum kits,
including the new Deluxe Series kits which Steven recorded with the
most extreme precision and detail resulting in amazing playability.
SSD4 includes the new SSD Player and contains kits in metal, reggae,
funk, vintage, ‘60s, ‘70s, ‘80s, rock, country, electro, dance, urban
genres as well as jazz and brushes. There are even kits that model
famous drum sounds from artists such as Led Zeppelin, Nirvana,
Metallica and Dream Theater, while cymbals are all sampled from
Soultone custom Turkish cymbals. Roland Vdrums, Yamaha DTX and
Pearl e-Pro Live e-drums are all supported. The internal groove player
makes it easy to get real pro drum sounds in your mixes without ever
having to hit a MIDI note.
Price: $299
Information: www.stevenslatedrums.com
TRX Digital Cymbal Studio by Ample Libraries
The TRX Cymbal Co. has entered the VST market with the TRX Digital
Cymbal Studio (DCS), a new collection of studio-quality samples of
dozens of hand-crafted TRX cymbals. Produced by Ample Libraries
using state-of-the-art recording equipment, cutting-edge conversion
software and proprietary production techniques, DCS is an expansion
pack for NI’s Kontakt 4 and 5. The download-only pack includes a
collection of nearly 100 cymbal sounds from TRX’s popular Original and
ICON series. The samples cover multiple playing areas (bell, face, edge,
etc.) and span various genres, including, metal, hardcore, progressive,
pop, urban and vintage, with specialty cymbals such as T-bells and
stacks as well as an assortment of cymbals. There are rides, hi-hats,
crashes, chinas and slashes, many played with brushes and mallets.
Price: $299
Information: www.amplelibraries.com
Rock Legends by Platinum Samples
Inspired by features and style from Gretsch’s most prolific rock
drummers, the Rock Legends 125th Anniversary drum set is a tribute
to rock music’s legendary players. The Rock Legends set features
classic six-ply USA Custom drums, vintage rock sizes, mounted tom,
Gretsch Round Badge and Millennium Maple finish. This BFD2 and
BFD Eco expansion kit was recorded and produced by Rail Jon Rogut
using a classic Neve 80 series console, Sontec Equalizers and a
Fairchild 670. Microphones used included Telefunken ELA M 251s on
the overheads and the floor toms, AKG C12As on the rack toms and
Neumann M49s on the stereo room. The samples are formatted for
both BFD2 and BFD Eco and are available at 44.1kHz/24 bit with as
many as 141 velocity levels in BFD2 .
Price: $59.99
Information: www.platinumsamples.com
45
--tweaking--
PHOTO:EIMANTAS BUZAS | DREAMSTIME.COM
Before you play
46
Choosing the right e-kit is important, but
looking after it is also vital. Tweak-meister
Simon Ayton runs through some oftenoverlooked maintenance tasks.
COMPACT, MESH, RUBBER, just for practice, live,
mega-expanded — any way you go, being
comfortable at your electronic kit is the most
important basis for any player as only then can you
really get lost in the flow and reach drumming
Nirvana.
Here, we’ll cover aspects of kit maintenance you
may have let slip but that can really help you get the
most enjoyment out of your electronic drumming
experience.
Time to meet the maker
Sometimes, all the tweaking in the world can’t
resurrect a badly set-up kit and that’s when it’s time
to hand it over to the pros! No need to pack it and
ship it off; simply performing a ‘Factory Reset’ will
get the kit back to its default settings and hopefully
result in a playable kit once more.
some ridiculously intricate rudiment in a seemingly
impossible time signature.
Seating: Adjusted so that I can play flat-footed on
the pedals with my legs almost parallel to the floor,
with a slight slope of the legs down to the knees.
Once you’ve found the ideal height, use the memory
lock on the seat pole to stop your bum sinking to the
floor!
Cymbal and pad reach: For optimum playing
without wasting energy, you don’t want to position
anything too far past your power stroke, so try
adjusting cymbals and toms so that you still have a
bend in your arms no matter what you reach for.
Sometimes, you may have to sacrifice playability for
aesthetics, but anything too far away to hit will just
make your gig that much more difficult.
This is also the first step if ever you experience false
triggering or other issues. You will want to save any
custom kits you may have created before doing this,
so see your manual for the backup process.
Some modules allow you to reset certain parts of
the kit like only ‘System’ or ‘Pad’ settings, leaving
your custom kits intact for use after the reset so
check your manual.
Playing ergonomics
You’ve got to be comfortable to play well, so here
are some of the important things to consider when
you sit down at the kit.
This is my own checklist and everyone has their
personal preference or quirk when it comes to
playing but these are the main points that I look for
before playing so that I can get around the kit
quickly and with minimum interference.
These ideas I have observed and collected over the
years from drummers like Dave Weckl, Steve Gadd,
Peter Erskine and my teacher Joe Morello (rest his
soul), who was so comfortable behind the kit, he
looked as if he could nod off — if he wasn’t playing
Tension
Rubber head drummers, skip this as this won’t apply
to you but maybe it’s time you considered
integrating at least a mesh snare trigger pad into
your kit as it can do wonders for the playing
experience and value of your stick control practice.
First things first. Just as you don’t (I’m hoping!) sit
down at an acoustic kit without tuning the heads, so
too with mesh head kits. Often people relate the
tension of the heads directly to the sound, but of
course we know the tension of the mesh head has
no bearing on the actual sound coming from the
drum brain as that can be adjusted independently by
editing the pitch or tuning the sound itself. This is a
great thing as finally it’s possible to have that loose
snare feel with the sound of a two-and-a-half-inch
piccolo, for example.
When tuning, use the ‘diagonals technique’ as you
would with a car wheel, where you tighten lugs
opposite each other to ensure the head is tensioned
evenly over the rim.
snare connector and re-plug the ‘TOM1’ connector
into the snare trigger input of the module. All the
leads on the kit are, for all intents and purposes,
interchangeable, although some may be mono or
stereo, so check first if you are not getting both head
and rim triggering.
Then start by tensioning the toms so that the first
tom is the highest tension, and progress through the
toms, tensioning each one slightly less than the
previous to better simulate the feel of ever larger
toms. The floor tom should have the loosest head
on the kit, except for the kick which often feels best
tightened just to the point of no more wrinkles. The
snare can now be adjusted to suit the sorts of
sounds you are triggering, with tighter tension for
piccolo sounds where the drum is only a few inches
deep, through to medium to loose tension for deeper
snares of 5-8” depth. This is a matter of personal
taste, so do what feels right for you.
Pedals
Leads and connectors
Pads and cymbals on modern kits generally use
TRS (tip, ring, sleeve) connectors. These three
connections are visible on the jack itself, separated
by two black plastic insulation rings which allow
separate signals to be connected, hence they are
used for stereo audio, too.
If you are experiencing problems with misstriggering around your kit, an easy way to rule out
lead problems is to simply substitute a known good
lead with the suspect one.
The fast way to do this, especially if you have a kit
with the leads threaded through the rack, is to pull
out the suspect lead from the pad end and
temporarily connect another lead there and re-patch
it at the module end.
For example, if the suspect lead is the snare lead,
try using the ‘TOM1’ lead plugged into the snare
pad, and at the module end, unplug the existing
48
As you’ll no doubt be aware, a well-adjusted pedal is
crucial for playing comfortably — slow and fast and
IN TIME. Check your settings every time you play
and take note of any special settings by either
marking them with a permanent marker or, even
better, small grooves or marks cut directly adjacent
the adjusters that won’t rub off. Spraying the spring,
chain and bearings with some WD40 or the like and
wiping off the excess will help stop rusting and keep
everything smooth.
The November 2011 issue had a detailed article on
pedal set-up. For e-drums, make sure that the
beater hits the trigger dead centre and if you are
using double pedals, both beaters should be equal
distances from the centre. Depending on the type of
trigger and beater material you’re using, it’s worth
adjusting the trigger sensitivity of the trigger up a bit
when using two beaters as they will no longer be in
the trigger sweet spot and can lose a bit of their
intensity.
The second kick trigger pedal should fit next to the
hi-hat pedal without making any metallic contact
with the hi-hat stand itself as this will transmit
vibration through the stand and set-off the hi-hat
trigger, which can be very annoying, especially
when recording, as all those little extra triggers will
show up in the recording software and can
potentially drive the engineer nuts.
► Next time: Hi-hats and other adjustments.
Missed a review?
Using the search function and the archive option, you can
search the past three back issues* for any content, including
our reviews and head-to-head comparisons.
Here is a summary of our reviews to date:
January 2010
May 2011
April 2010
August 2011
Reviews:
Yamaha DTX M-12
Korg Wavedrum
Roland TD-8
Comparatives:
Amps and Powered Speakers
Reviews:
Diamond Electronic Drums 12” snare
Crappy Triggers external triggers
Jman cymbal conversion kit
Comparatives:
Mesh heads
Headphones
July 2010
Comparatives:
External Triggers
Racks
October 2010
Reviews:
Roland HPD-10
JamHub
682Drums e-conversion kit
Comparatives:
Double pedals
Notation software
February 2011
Comparatives:
Drumsticks
E-cymbals (stick noise)
Cymbal VSTs
Review:
DrumIt Five 2box kit
Tuﬀ Mesh
Comparatives:
Auxiliary triggers
E-cymbals (crashes)
Reviews:
Gen 16 AE cymbals
Native Instruments Abbey Road IV
The Classic
Addictive Drums
Virtually Erskine
Comparatives:
Drop-in trigger kits
Mesh heads
In-ear monitors
November 2011
Reviews:
Pork Pie thrones
Studio Drummer
Comparatives:
E-snares
*For reviews prior to May 2011, click here.
Your definitive guide to e-drum gear
--diy--
Extremely easy
digitalDrummer recently examined snare
conversion kits, but missed some offerings.
This month, we rectify that with a look at
Extreme Drums Triggers, a range of kits for
snares, toms and kick drums.
EXTREME DRUMS TRIGGERS are sold exclusively
online and ship in clearly labelled packets, with clear
instructions and comprehensive documentation
covering everything from trigger settings for a range
of modules to tips on making your own rim silencers
and muffling the reso heads. Certainly, of all the kits
out there, this one takes the prize for information
provision.
What’s in the box
Besides the four-page installation instructions and
16-page set-up guide, the X-2 dual-trigger kit
consists of a head trigger unit attached to a rim
sensor, a separate jack unit, a bag of replacement
screws and washers in case the existing lug screws
are too short to accommodate the kit and a special
3.5mm to 6.5mm cable.
How it’s done
Installation is very easy. Simply remove both heads,
loosen a lug screw and slide in the trigger bracket.
For the test 14” Pearl shell, only the top screw
needed to be removed.
50
Then, loosen the bottom screw on another lug and
slide in the rim sensor.
Next, you’ll have to replace the batter head and
position the sensor by loosening the screw and
sliding it up until the top layer of foam is
compressed.
The kit is designed for minimal impact on the shell,
so the wiring is done via existing air holes, and minijacks are used to ensure easy access. There’s even
a nifty clip that attaches to one of the tension screws
to hold the jack in place.
This is a neat solution, especially as the kit ships
with a custom cable to connect the mini-jacks to the
standard 6.5mm jacks found on all brains.
The final step is to refit the bottom head.
In action
digitalDrummer tested the kit on a 14” shell – the
same test set-up used in our August 2011
comparative review. This size was chosen because
it is probably the most difficult to trigger effectively.
Easily installed - the head sensor (left) and rim trigger (right) fit onto the lug screws.
The kit was tested with a Hart Magnum mesh head;
co-incidentally, the heads recommended for heavy
hitters in the instructions. The manual suggests
Pearl or Percussion Plus heads “for greater
sensitivity and economy”.
As mentioned, there are very detailed set-up
instructions for most modules. On a Roland TD-20,
for example, a slight sensitivity boost is needed as
well as an adjustment to the mask time.
Once set up according to the recommended
settings, triggering was excellent from the outside of
the head to the centre. There was good dynamic
range and responsiveness.
One drawback of the outside placement of the head
sensor is a slight loss of positional sensing on the
TD-20. While there is some tonal change as you
strike closer to the sensor, you won’t get the subtle
changes as you move from the edge to the centre,
as you would with a centre-mounted sensor. Also,
the head sensor acts as a bit of a hot spot, but since
it’s a fairly large target at 3cm by 4cm, it is relatively
easy to avoid.
On the more accommodating TD-6 module, the
drum worked extremely well in stock PD120 setting.
Response was even across the head, dynamic
range was good and rim response was excellent.
On a DrumIt Five module, the trigger works
surprisingly well in stock pad 12 setting, with the
usual caveat for non-2box pads of poor rim
response. With this module, a good dynamic range
was easily achieved.
On the latest-generation Yamaha DTX700 module,
with its limited trigger tweaking, the X-2 trigger
worked on most settings, although the rim response
was almost non-existent.
The verdict
The EDT kit is among the quickest and easiest of all
the DIY kits to install. It is totally reversible, with no
damage to the shell.
It triggers very well on most modules, but lacks true
positional sensing on a Roland TD-20. With lesser
Roland modules, it ticks all the boxes, including
excellent rim response in stock settings.
Compatibility with DrumIt Five and Yamaha modules
is par for the course with non-dedicated triggers.
At $80, it is on the high end of the price scale
(models in our last review ranged from $25 to $225
for the ddt Truss), but the Extreme kit comes with a
full 30-day money-back satisfaction guarantee and a
five-year “unconditional guarantee” (“If anything
whatsoever happens to one of your triggers, we will
replace it FREE of charge”). The warranty is classleading, surpassing the ddt’s three-year cover.
In summary, the system provides an easy,
affordable and effective conversion of acoustic
drums into electronic triggers.
If you have a DIY question or suggestion, send it
to editor@digitaldrummermag.com for a chance to
win some Jman stealth components.
51
--gear--
MyMONSTERkit
If size matters, this month’s monster outdoes anything
featured here before. The kit has been assembled by
Daniel Reid of Courtland, Kansas, in the USA.
Daniel is a self-confessed A2E (acoustic to
electronic) DIY obsessive, and the Monster is built
around custom-wrapped smokey chrome Pearl
Forum and Ludwig Accent shells. The triggers
consist of baking pans and Quartz Percussion
trigger cones and DIY mesh heads.
Toms: 8”x4” (2); 8”x7”; 8”x8”; 10”x4”; 10”x5”; 10”x8”
(2); 12”x5” (2); 12”x9” (2) 13”x5.5” (2) 13”x10” (2);
14”x11” and 16”x12”
Snare: 14”x5”
Kick: 22”x9”
Cymbals:
Most of the cymbals are conversions using Stealth
Drums kits.
Crashes: 16” Paiste PST; 16” Sabian B8 and 18”
Sabian B8
Ride: 18” Sabian B8
Splash: 10” DIY Meinl
Chinas: 12” and14” Meinl
There are also some name brand cymbals from
Alesis, Traps, Roland and Yamaha.
Hardware:
► Drumagination Twin Steele Kick wrapped in
chrome vinyl
52
► Sleishman twin pedal
► DW9502LB Remote w/14” Sabian HiHats w/3z
Stealth Drums AtoEZ cymbal trigger kit and FD-7
conversion
► DW9502LB Remote w/Roland VH-12 HiHats
Gibraltar rack and accessories w/extra DW clamps
and Pearl I.S.S. mounts and tom arms
► Custom modified DrumFrame throne and pedal
platform
Modules:
Three Roland TDW-20 Expanded modules with
custom plexi stick guard
Daniel’s story
A praise/worship drummer, Daniel started playing in
around 2009. His favourite drummers include
“almost anyone in the secular/Christian progressive
metal genres with some “Old School” ‘60s & ‘70s
rock mixed in along with a few of today's known
drummers”. A vocalist long before he picked up
sticks, Daniel leans more toward “the music as a
whole and how the drums complement the
composition rather than just the drumming”.
If you have a monster, email editor@digitaldrummermag.com
Daniel with his kit
(left). Three TD-20
(expanded) modules
(above), the Twin
Steele kick (right)
and the driver’s
view (below).
WARNING
For their own safety,
digitalDrummer advises
impulse purchase-prone
readers to avoid this
feature.
53
gear Guide
MESH HEADS
RIM CONDOMS
Silence and protect
your rim
and sticks
Made of 70 durometer EPDM Rubber in the
USA & spliced by hand in several stock
diameters.
Fits all drum rim (hoops) brands – “no-glue”
elasticity fit – Guaranteed!
Linear lengths cut to order at $3.25/foot.
Ready-made for single drums or multi-packs.
Order now through www.ufodrums.com
CUSTOM DRUMS
You
We
dream build
it ...
it!
KICK TRIGGERS
◊ Custom kits and drums
◊ Wraps or veneers
◊ Designer hardware
◊ All built to the highest
quality standards.
www.diamondelectronicdrums.com
54
AUTHORISED
DEALER
gear Guide
MESH HEADS
AUXILARY TRIGGERS
To order in Australia, click here
DIY KITS
www.stealthdrums.com
Acoustic elegance
Stealth electronics
www.stealthdrums.com
GOING
MARKETING
Your ad here
for less than $200
CLICK HERE
55
--contributors--
Let’s hear it for the band ...
digitalDrummer is a combined effort, bringing together the expertise and experience of electronic
drummers, industry professionals and skilled writers. Here are some of the people who made this
edition happen ...
CARL ALBRECHT
Carl Albrecht has been a professional drummer and percussionist for over 30
years, working on a range of Christian, pop, country, jazz and commercial
projects. He currently lives in Nashville doing recording sessions, producing and
writing, as well as continuing to do various tours and seminar events. His arsenal
includes Yamaha electronic drumming gear.
SIMON AYTON
Simon Ayton is the V-drums and percussion specialist for Roland Australia. He
began drumming in 1983 and trained as an audio engineer. Simon’s drumming
can be heard on more than two dozen albums and film soundtracks, ranging from
metal to electronic and folk, and he is currently working on two new solo albums.
He shares his intimate knowledge of module-tweaking and amplification.
JOHN EMRICH
John Emrich specialises in live and studio drumming, music production services,
drum programming, original scores and arrangements, sound design and jingles,
remote recording and event support, digital editing and mixing, and product
development. He has been responsible for many award-winning sample libraries
for the BFD2 platform as well as sound development for drum modules.
BUDDY GIBBONS
Buddy Gibbons is a Los Angeles-based musician who started off as a snare
drum instructor at The University of Alabama. One of the hardest-working
session drummers in LA, Gibbons’ music has been featured on various TV
networks, including Fox, CBS and NBC. He has played with Idol finalists Phil
Stacey and Kristen McNamara, The Mile High Orchestra and many other artists.
SCOTT HOLDER
Scott Holder is a former intelligence officer who now works in IT for the US
Department of Transportation. Nine years of organ lessons and two of cello in
childhood didn’t prepare him for the world of electronic drumming 30 years later.
Scott has performed on and helped produce an art rock CD and is part of an Alan
Parsons Project tribute band, where he plays e-drums.
NORM WEINBERG
56
Norman Weinberg is a Professor of Music and the Director of Percussion Studies
at The University of Arizona in Tucson. He is also a performer, author and
composer. He has performed as the principal timpanist/principal percussionist
with various orchestras. His books include “The Electronic Drummer” published
by Modern Drummer and distributed by Hal Leonard.

09 DigitalDrummer Feb2012

Transcription

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