Author: Allan Leibowitz

Gear

Roland rocks Auckland

Roland is descending on New Zealand, with a couple of events in Auckland. The Roland-fest kicks off on Thursday, 29 May, with a drum lab at the Backbeat Bar, 100 Karangahape Rd, at 6 pm. Hosted by V-Drums product manager Simon Ayton and Danny Boldiston, DW product manager, the session will highlight the latest Roland and DWe instruments. The presentation will cover how pros use electronics to get the best live drum sound, building your ultimate hybrid acoustic/electronic kit, using electronic drums live, and an up-close look at DWe, the world’s only truly acoustic/electronic wireless kit. Then, on Saturday 31 May, Rockshop Auckland plays host to the ‘Roland V-Drums Takeover’. Guests will be able to see and play the latest […]

Gear

And then there were three

Another replacement screen option for Roland TD-12, TD-20 and TD-20X drum modules UK online e-drums supplier Love Drums is the latest to offer replacement screens for Roland TD-12 and TD-20 modules. Until recently, Love Drums, which sells used modules and drum pads as well as e-drum accessories, was a reseller of the two replacement screen options which have been on the market since 2021. As reported by digitalDrummer, Roland TD-12 and TD-20 owners were increasingly frustrated as their LCD screens began to die. The display tended to dim and fade and eventually die completely. Roland stopped supplying replacement screens and many owners had to resort to desoldering and resoldering troublesome displays in a last-ditch attempt to prolong the life of […]

Gear

Strata line extended

Alesis has expanded its Strata e-drum range with the launch of a new kit, the Strata Club kit. The new kit delivers on the increasing need for pro-quality sound in compact spaces with a plug-and-play experience that mirrors an acoustic set – all at an affordable price, according to Alesis. The Strata Club is a seven-piece kit based on the mid-range Core module, which sports a 7″ touchscreen and the BFD3 sound engine. The module provides access to a 25 GB catalogue with 144,000 individual samples covering over 370 different kit pieces and 800 unique articulations. The drum line-up consists of a 12” dual-zone mesh snare, two 10” dual-zone mesh toms and 9” mesh kick drum tower. A 14” triple-zone […]

DIY, Gear

R-Drums adds ‘chainable’ trigger

To meet the growing demand for multi-sensor trigger systems, Germany’s R-Drums has launched its Chain Trigger internal side-mounted drum trigger. The Chain Trigger is a dual-zone trigger for mounting on the inside of the drum shell. It is attached to the shell using a lug, so no drilling is required. What is unique about the new system is that multiple Chain Triggers can be installed in a single drum and connected to each other using the built-in male/female cables. This ensures consistent triggering even with large shell diameters, without the annoying hot spot in the centre of the head. R-Drums says the trigger is compatible with many current drum modules, and digitalDrummer’s reviews of the manufacturer’s previous designs have reported […]

Samples, VST

BFD 3.5 released

BFD has released an update of its drum VST, just dropping BFD 3.5. The new version introduces an enhanced engine and “best-in-class features designed to push realism and sonic customisation even further”. There’s a redesigned workflow, a range of new kits, mix-ready presets and advanced modelling technology for tom resonance and cymbal swells. The new version also boasts a new mixer and sound browser, Apple Silicon AAX support, cross-platform VST 3 compatibility and a new Microphone Inspector panel. The Core library features 51 kits and 60 mix-ready preset BFD kits, along with 48 high-quality audio effects and flexible multi-mic control. The update is a huge download, requiring 55 GB of free disk space. BFD 3.5 is a free update for […]

Industry, retail

Trump tariffs will hurt e-drummers

US consumers face increased prices for e-drums, especially entry-level instruments, as President Donald Trump’s recent tariff moves take effect. Chinese imports were already taxed, and the new measures bring the impost to 20% of the value of the imported items. Experts like the US National Retail Federation point out that tariffs are a tax on imported goods and are paid for by the importer. “Retailers are forced to choose between raising their prices or relying on already slim profit margins to absorb the increased cost of inventory,” according to the trade group. And the latest tariffs may not be the last, as a trade war has been unleashed, with China quickly announcing plans to levy 15% retaliatory tariffs on some […]

Gear, Performance

Selecting a pad controller

Musicians have more choice than ever among the plethora of finger drumming pad controllers. Producer and educator Robert Mathijs offers this advice. For me, pad sensitivity and responsiveness is everything. I hardly use any of the knobs or sliders or whatever else comes with the controller. I go for the pads and see if they respond well. I test in two ways: Playing a beat on the pads gives an immediate “gut feeling” response on how the controller responds to different dynamics. This is the most important metric I use. I usually know within 20 seconds if a controller in its current setting works for me. Checking the response for soft hits is very important, so I usually test every […]

Gear, Performance, Recording

More MIDI

digitalDrummer explores a new compact MIDI hub. CME, which revolutionised wireless MIDI with its compact, easy-to-use WIDI products, has stepped up the game with a couple of new router-type devices. digitalDrummer got to test the “host” version – the H4MIDI WC. What’s in the box Like its WIDI siblings, the H4MIDI WC is a compact, fuss-free box. It is significantly larger than the WIDI transmitters and receivers – mostly to accommodate a bunch of input and output jacks ranging from USB to traditional five-pin MIDI. Essentially, the device is a two-in, two-out MIDI router which allows you to connect a number of MIDI devices together. To further enhance connectivity, users are able to easily add a wireless Bluetooth board – […]

Gear, Performance

How I use electronic drums: Paul Hannah

Electronics saved the day for musical theatre drummer Paul Hannah. I’ve Been Playing electronic drums since 1984. At NEC, Pat Hollenbeck brought in NYC drummer Ron Tierno to demonstrate the then-new LinnDrum. I was so impressed by the demonstration that for my senior recital in 1987, I used a Sequential Circuits drum machine connected via MIDI to a Yamaha Drum Machine to perform the drum set parts of Vic Firth’s Sonata for Timpani, Roto-Toms and Drumset. I used the SC machine as it had dynamics! I could step-program the rhythms AND dynamics and trigger the better-quality Yamaha sounds. It was a huge pain, but it worked a treat! On my first tour after college, I had a Yamaha DX-7 and […]

Gear, Samples

V3 Sound launches DRUMITY

Austrian sound expander maker V3 Sound has added a new MIDI-audio device for e-drums, DRUMITY. The company describes its new unit as “a very powerful drum sound expander with 12,000 samples and 1,000 instruments neatly packed into its iconic V3 triangular housing”. The device aims to expand the capabilities of any MIDI drum kit, enhance live performance, and enrich home studio productions with high-quality and exotic sounds. The hardware has 256-voice polyphony and a 4 GB internal flash memory. The sound expander offers two stereo outputs: stereo main is connected to two resonance processors that can spice up each sound with room and reverb, while aux out can be set to either stereo or dual mono mode. DRUMITY includes samples […]