E-drummers have a new sound source option, with Italian drummer Paolo Simonazzi releasing the plans and a component list for a new USB sound expander – and the software needed to run it – all for free.
DrumPi began its journey in 2011 when Simonazzi, a software engineer, began toying with the idea of using the smartphone as a sound engine for an electronic drum module. Hampered by latency, in 2015, he changed his approach and started coding prototypes on a Raspberry Pi 3.
After sitting dormant for a while, the project was revived, with new software developed to transform the audio engine into a full-featured DAW, including a 64-channel mixer, effects, MIDI support, multi-layered samples, multi-velocity samples, a transients shaper, and the ability to record multi-track audio and MIDI.
Simonazzi recently shared a video showing the solution and included all the specs and information needed for DIYers wanting to build their own DrumPi.
The DrumPi team has followed up with detailed video tutorials on assembling the hardware and loading the software.
“Our goal has always been to make electronic drums sound exceptionally good at an affordable price,” says Simonazzi.
DrumPi is not a full drum module. It needs signals from a TMI (trigger to MIDI) – either a drum module or a device like an eDRUMin or Ddrum DDTI.
It’s also worth noting that at this stage, the DrumPi only has two drum kits and no facility for loading additional samples.
“Importing user samples will require some work to polish the internal tool we’re currently using to create kits. It still involves a few manual steps and a bit of coding, so it’s not really suitable for public use yet,” Simonazzi tells digitalDrummer.
“But I believe it’s really important for people to have full control over their sounds, so it will happen. In fact, it’s most likely the next big thing I’ll be working on. Hopefully, in a couple of months, we’ll have something ready to release.”
And just to clarify the “free” nature of DrumPi, Simonazza explains: “DrumPi won’t stay free forever — it required, and still requires, a substantial effort, and it needs to be financially sustainable, otherwise its development might just stop. “Don’t worry though, DrumPi’s goal remains the same: electronic drums must stay very affordable. “So the final price will reflect that principle,” he says.
