Author: Allan Leibowitz

Gear

Efnote 7 revealed

Japan’s Efnote has released some information about its new flagship kit, the Efnote 7. The major difference from the Efnote 5 is the full-size pads and cymbals in the kit, which features a 20 x 15″ kick drum, 14 x 5.5″ snare drum, an 11 x 8″ hanging tom and a 15 x 15″ floor tom. Many will question the non-traditional tom sizes. The cymbals have also been supersized, with the inclusion of a 20″ ride cymbal, alongside the 14” two-piece hi-hat and 16” crash. The Efnote 7 module looks like a minor tweak of the Efnote 5 brain. Indeed, it weighs exactly the same and has the same dimensions, so the only differences are internal. On paper, the only […]

Gear, Performance

Triggering sound and light

ELECTRONIC PERCUSSION RECENTLY formed the basis of an Australian university demonstration of “sensory technology”. Monash University’s SensiLab and the University of Technology Sydney’s (UTS) Animal Logic Academy teamed up to showcase a next generation audio-visual experience in live performance. The 60-minute live performance called Trigger Happy ‘Visualised’ showcased the use of innovative technologies including the AirSticks which convert movement into sound. Developed by Dr Alon Ilsar, an Australian-based drummer, composer, instrument designer and researcher at SensiLab, the AirSticks may look like simple controllers, but are a unique audio-visual instrument that allows the performer to produce sound and graphics out of thin air. “The performance not only demonstrated the technology we’ve been developing, but it also gave audiences the opportunity to […]

Gear, Performance

How I use e-drums: Lisa Chepkovskaya

Russian drummer Lisa Chepkovskaya was named drumset champion (18-39 age group) in the 2020 Hit Like a Girl contest. She explains how she uses e-drums in her performances. I am currently working as a session drummer. This is a new part of my music career, because until recently, I was mostly writing my own music in different bands with friends. I am also writing my own material and getting ready to release it soon. I started using electronic drum equipment early on. My second kit was a Roland TD-4KX. I have used that for some time mainly as a practice tool. When Roland released the SPD-SX, I bought it almost immediately. The possibilities it brought were so huge. Initially, I started […]

Gear

VAD adds entry-level

Roland has extended its acoustic design kit range at the entry level, with the launch of the VAD103 kit. In essence, this is a VAD306 kit with a lower-spec module – the TD-07 instead of the TD-17. Like the VAD306, the kit features an 18” KD-180L-BK kick drum with KD-10-style trigger pad, a 12” dual-zone snare pad, 10” rack tom pad and 12” floor tom pad. The pads are the shallow-shell, single-headed variety, as opposed to the full acoustic-style drums of the 5 and  7 series VAD kits. The cymbal line-up consists of a VH-10 hi-hat, 13” ride and 12” crash. The regular V-drums rack is replaced with double-braced cymbal and cymbal/tom combination stands. The TD-07 module boasts 25 preset […]

Industry

digitalDrummer at Valley Percussion Festival

digitalDrummer editor Allan Leibowitz was a recent guest at the virtual Valley Percussion Festival. The annual percussion education event in South Texas this year took to the Internet for clinics and performances by world-class percussion artists and educators. Leibowitz was invited to share his insight into the explosion of electronic drumming and discussed some of the drivers for the accelerating uptake of digital percussion. In an hour-long interview with festival producer Gilbert Garcia Jr, the music journalist gave his perspective on product development and trends in electronic drumming, highlighted the need for all drummers to understand the technology and the advantages it brings, and also took a look into his crystal ball to predict some developments down the track. You […]

Gear

GEWA launches mid-range kit

German e-drum manufacturer GEWA has released details of its new mid-range kit, the G5 Pro BS. The biggest change from the G9 is the new G5 module which loses the large touch screen and gets a bunch of knobs and dials in its place. The G5 module also sacrifices some of the direct outs of the G9, sporting four direct and two stereo master outs. The new module, which looks like it has the same samples and kits and the flagship brain, is paired with an 18×14” acoustic-style kick drum, three toms (10”, 12” and 14”) and a 14×5” snare. The kit also includes the 14” hi-hat, 18” three-zone ride and two 14” crashes from the G9. The drums are […]

Industry

Sweetwater opens Mega Music Store

Sweetwater, a former winner of and regular finalist in the digitalDrummer e-drum retailer of the year award, has opened its new megastore in Fort Wayne, Indiana. The retail space spans over 44,000 square feet, and includes an extensive collection of e-drum equipment from manufacturers like Roland, Yamaha and Alesis. The display stock includes Roland’s flagship VAD706 kit – the only floor stock in the US – alongside a TD-27KV. There’s also a Strike Pro SE from Alesis, as well as the mid-range Command Mesh and DM10 Pro kits and a Yamaha DTX452K. “We are honoured to be able to present this experience to continue to enrich our music communities, both near and far,” says Chuck Surack, CEO and founder of […]

Gear

Behringer revives LinnDrum

With the explosion of analogue drum machines, Behringer is about to expand the market with a LinnDrum clone. The company has shared a first look at the new instrument in a Facebook post. “We love to share with you the progress of our first sampling drum machine. We’re super excited that the unit has passed all audio tests today and much of the user interface development is now also completed. Man, this thing grooves;-),” the company says. Behringer points out, however, this is still a prototype and a long way from production. It also promises more developments in this instrument sector, telling followers that “this is just the beginning and there is so much more in the pipeline”. The company […]

Gear, Review

Create your own ‘vibe’

Allan Leibowitz set out for some “shakin’ all over”. THERE ARE SOME who say all that’s lacking in electronic drumming is “the vibe”. Literally – the vibrations, especially the low-end thump, that make you feel your beat. This is not such an issue for those starting out on their drumming path with electronics, but may be a deal-breaker for acoustic converts and especially for gigging drummers relying on in-ear monitors or wedges to hear their kit. Until recently, Pearl offered a good middle-of-the-road solution with its Throne Thumper, but that has been withdrawn, leaving the market open for the much higher-end Porter & Davies tactile monitors. The UK company, probably realising that its previous $1,200 entry price was a bit […]

Gear

It’s no Lemon

A new entrant in the low-cost cymbal market is making waves, so we checked out this latest offering. IF YOU’VE BEEN following any online e-drum group, you will have seen the intense interest in the Chinese Lemon brand of e-cymbals, especially the 16” three-zone ride. Many drummers have added these cymbals to their kits, some lamenting the lack of a bigger option – especially as the 16” turned out to be closer to 15 inches in reality. Well, the wait is over with Lemon now offering a nominal 18” three-zone cymbal. What’s in the box Lemon is sold directly by its manufacturer via the Alibaba platform. Some western buyers are nervous about dealing with the Asian Amazon-equivalent, so a secondary […]