digitalDrummer will return to the Europe Drum Show in Friedrichshafen, Germany this April with an impressive artist line-up, fresh gear and a world-first feature.
After a successful debut in Liverpool and a strong follow-up in Germany last year, the E-drum Labs — powered by digitalDrummer — will again take pride of place in the venue’s main foyer. The program will feature eight dedicated electronic-percussion sessions, kicking off with one of the Internet’s most popular e-drummers, Germany’s Ralf Schumacher.
Schumacher, a former digitalDrummer E-drummer of the Year and seasoned online demonstrator, opens the Labs on Saturday morning with a showcase of the power and finesse of the Efnote flagship kit.
digitalDrummer editor Allan Leibowitz has confirmed a major coup for this year’s event: the addition of widely respected US Zendrum maestro Eric “Doctor” Smith to the artist roster.
Appearing exclusively on Saturday afternoon, Smith will introduce audiences to the innovative Zendrum — an instrument he embraced soon after inventing his own trigger device, the Drummstick, a percussion controller built from a humble 2×6 plank fitted with 16 finger pads. In Smith’s hands, it was anything but humble, and he has pushed the concept even further with the Zendrum.
Smith is also an accomplished drummer, having worked extensively with Madonna and her co-writer Stephen Bray before embarking on a boundary-pushing jazz career.
“Eric is a born tinkerer. When he looks at drum instruments, he sees electronic potential,” Leibowitz says. “He’ll share the stories behind some of his projects — along with his amazing playing!”
In a world first, this year’s E-drum Labs will feature an Innovation Showcase: two sessions devoted to new, unreleased e-drum inventions. Attendees will hear the stories behind the creations, meet the inventors and see the prototypes in action.
“I speak to inventors all the time — people around the world pushing the boundaries of electronic percussion,” Leibowitz explains. “Many — in fact, most — don’t make it to market. Not because the ideas don’t work, but because bringing a product to life is incredibly hard.”
“I’m hoping the showcase will help clear the path for some of these projects, and give developers real-world feedback they can use to move forward,” he adds.
Details of the Innovation Showcase, along with additional performances and demonstrations, will be released in the coming weeks.
Follow the Drum Show website for updates — including artists on other stages and information on the extensive exhibition.
The Europe Drum Show will be held at Neue Messe 1, Friedrichshafen, Germany, on April 11–12, 2026.