Category: Gear

Gear

Feeling the Delay: Latency and its impact on electronic drumming

In the world of electronic drumming, few topics generate as much heated discussion — and player frustration — as latency. It’s the invisible gremlin that can turn a tight groove into a sluggish mess. But what exactly is latency, and why does it matter? What is Latency? In simple terms, latency is the time delay between hitting a drum pad and hearing the resulting sound. It’s usually measured in milliseconds (ms), and while a few milliseconds may seem trivial, drummers — especially those with a good sense of timing — can feel the difference. Too much latency can make playing feel disconnected and unnatural. Latency in acoustic vs. electronic drums Even acoustic drums have latency because sound takes time to […]

DIY, Gear

Is a cheap trigger plate worth it?

Budget-conscious DIYers may have noticed some drop-in trigger plates on Alibaba with a tempting price tag—under $45, including shipping. Even factoring in a 100% US tariff, the final cost is still significantly lower than the better-known alternatives like the Diamond Electronic Drums Easyfit 14″ multi-trigger plate (£139/US$185) or the Jobeky Fast-Fit Premium 14” system (£99.17/US$135). So how do these no-name (Dongguan Feiming Musical Instrument Co) Chinese trigger plates measure up? What’s in the Box My 14″ trigger plate arrived in Australia just over a week after ordering. It was wrapped in heavy-duty plastic, in a box oddly labelled “CYM 15”—a confusing moment until I opened it and confirmed the contents. Available in 10″, 12″, 14″, and 16″ sizes, the plate […]

Gear, Performance

Big Names, Big Ideas: E-drum Labs Return to the UK Drum Show

If you’re passionate about electronic drums, the E-drum Labs at this year’s UK Drum Show is the place to be. On October 18 and 19, head over to the digitalDrummer Room (Hall 12) ACC Liverpool for two full days of pure e-drum inspiration, innovation and interaction. With e-drums gaining ground in music stores and on stages around the world—and so many exciting new models launching lately — there’s never been a better time to dive into the electronic side of drumming. And we’ve lined up some of the biggest and brightest names in the game to help you do just that. Who’s in the Spotlight? Adam Tuminaro – The Orlando Drummer (Alesis) He stole the show at last year’s European […]

Gear, Performance

Tony Le Rhodes: How I Use E-drums

As the drummer of a touring synth pop tribute band, Tony Le Rhodes uses a vintage Simmons kit – but with some  contemporary add-ons. We have a very complicated kit set-up, which results from a lot of engineering. Firstly, we’ve got a custom-designed rack with a floating hi-hat. I even had the cable specifically designed for me by a hydraulics company. Then, we have the Simmons SDS 9 pads from 1983 and a Roland SPD-SX SE limited edition multipad. For cymbals, we’re running the Efnote cymbals. Behind the original Simmons kick drum, I’m using the Roland KT-10 trigger pedal, which feels and responds much better and is totally reliable. In this production for (‘80s synth pop band) Voxneon, we’re using […]

Gear, Review

Roland digital handpan: first impressions

With plenty of competitors nibbling at its core market, it’s not surprising to see Roland venture beyond traditional instruments for new offerings, but no-one would have predicted the Mood Pan, an electronic handpan, background music source and Bluetooth speaker system – all in one. What’s in the box The Mood Pan is a 12” convex playing surface mounted on what looks like an inverted salad bowl. Inspired by traditional handpans, it has a ring of eight dents surrounding a larger central indentation – each one being a separate trigger zone. The casing is also triggered, so you can add slaps and taps while you play the notes on the top. In action The Mood Pan is powered by six AA […]

Gear

Zildjian discounts ALCHEM-E

Zildjian has slashed $1,000 off the price of its mid-range ALECHEM-E Gold kit and $500 off the base Bronze EX kit, which are now priced at $3,999 and $2,999, respectively. The price reduction comes in the wake of a major software update that consists of new firmware and new sound samples. Enhancements include a note chase feature for trigger tweaking, auto-save for trigger settings and a new mask time setting. Zildjian claims to have improved the response for hi-hat open/close and foot chick as well as bow triggering on the cymbals. There are also general improvements to navigation and screen transitions and various bug fixes. The update also delivers new factory content in the form of five new kits (Bright […]

Gear, Performance, Review

Beyerdynamic DT 71 review

Much of the activity in the in-ear monitor market has been at the budget end, but established German audio specialist beyerdynamic is not ignoring the growing musician market. The company used the last NAMM Show to debut a new line of in-ear monitors, one of them specifically designed for drummers. The DT 71 IE  is designed to “deliver powerful bass and clear treble, enhancing low frequencies while ensuring detailed reproduction of cymbals, percussion and bass guitar overtones”, according to the launch publicity. digitalDrummer tested the earbuds with a range of modules and VSTs on a MacBook Air via a PreSonus Studio26c interface. What’s in the box The stylish black packaging contains: a pair of in-ear monitors a pair of Comply […]

DIY, Gear

Top maintenance tips for drum pads and e-cymbals

Electronic drum kits are built to withstand hours of playing — but like any instrument, they require regular maintenance to keep them performing at their best. Whether you’re gigging regularly or drumming at home, here are some crucial tasks every e-drummer should include in their maintenance routine. Check (and replace) worn foam cones The foam cones or columns under the mesh head on pads are key to translating your playing dynamics into MIDI signals. Over time, these cones can compress, harden or disintegrate, resulting in uneven triggering or dead zones. What to do: Open the pad casing (check your model’s teardown guide first). Inspect the cone for visible damage, wear or compression. Replace with OEM or quality aftermarket cones, if […]

DIY, Gear

New software revives ddrum4

A virtual collaboration is helping bring a 25-year-old drum module into the 21st century. Three software tinkerers, collectively calling themselves Team ddrum4ui, recently unveiled an app that breathes new life into the iconic ddrum4 drum module by enabling editing of factory sound files and adding new audio samples to the brain and with some other features. Before examining the advances, it’s worth looking back at the history of the drum brain which is still sought after today. Brief history of the ddrum4 The ddrum4 hit the market in the late 1990s, when it was released by Swedish synth innovator Clavia, best known for the Nord keyboards. ddrum first emerged in the ‘80s with one of the early acoustic drum triggers. […]

Gear, Uncategorized

My Monster Kit

Dave Plumb from Manchester in the UK shows off his kit. Dave’s kit:  Roland VAD 503 Roland TD-27 module ddrum DDTi interface Yamaha DTX Multi 12  DTXplorer module Additional drums: Three PD-85 toms; 8”, 12”, 14” A2E toms Additional cymbals: Lemon and Roland  Dave’s story: I started playing the drums at 13 years old when I discovered prog rock. The bands I listened to and which influenced me were Rush, Genesis and The Doors.  I was gigging in clubs and pubs around Manchester every weekend from the age of 14 in the early ’80s with lots of different bands. I used to gig with a Pearl acoustic drum kit. In my 50s, I turned to electronic drums, starting with a […]