Category: Performance

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 […]

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, Performance

VAD716 shows versatility

Twelve Foot Ninja drummer Shane ‘Russ’ Russell performed as part of Roland Australia’s launch program for the flagship VAD716 kit. Afterwards, he repeated a performance of his medley of 19 iconic tracks for local magazine Australian Musician. In his video intro, Russell explains that the eight-and-a-half-minute medley includes all his favourite songs growing up. “I started playing drums at 13 years old and a lot of these songs were around then,” he says. Using a mix of stock sounds and imported one-shot samples, Russell switches kit sounds for each track. “Each kit sound has samples from the song,” he explains, adding that he is using drumless tracks. “Playing through all these songs, I learned a couple of things, one of […]

Industry, Performance

E-drum superstars on show

Four digitalDrummer Hall of Famers, three E-drummers of the Year, and the godfather of electronic percussion in Germany. Those luminaries are among the artists in the debut digitalDrummer E-drum Labs at the first Europe Drum Show which will open its doors at Neue Messe Friedrichshafen on Lake Constance in Germany on March 29th. After a successful first run at the UK Drum Show in Liverpool last year, the E-drum Labs will return for two days in Germany, bringing together some of the world’s top e-drummers and the latest electronic percussion gear. One of the most popular performers at the Liverpool show, three-time digitalDrummer E-drummer of the Year and Hall of Fame inductee Michael Schack returns to the show with his […]

Gear, Performance, Samples

This one’s a page-turner

Drummers may not need chords and lyrics, but as Allan Leibowitz has found, many of us still need notes to help us keep track of songs at a gig. We’ve previously referred to the OnSong app in our reviews of devices like the iRig AirTurn, but a few enhancements of the lyrics and chords software make it worthy of a stand-alone review. What’s in the box OnSong is a Mac/iPad/iPhone app, available through the AppStore, to display and share song data. That description is a bit of an understatement compared to the official OnSong description as a “Swiss Army Knife of apps for musicians”. OnSong is available as a digital download, starting with a free version. Unlike the initial one-time-fee […]

Performance

E-drums on hit kids TV

Electronic drums have been featured in one of the world’s most popular children’s TV programs, Australian-produced Bluey. Bluey is an animated television series about a Blue Heeler puppy and her family and friends and in a recent episode, Bluey’s little sister, Bingo, is seen in action on an e-kit. According to the official episode description, “Bingo is in the music shop with Mum when she discovers an electronic drum kit and some headphones”. In the short program, while her mother is talking to a music shop salesperson about a violin, Bingo wanders off and discovers a drum kit. She pops on the headphones and starts hitting the pads and cymbals and soon begins bashing out a beat. She then dials […]

Gear, Performance, Samples

E-drum Labs for Europe

Following a successful debut at the 2024 UK Drum Show, the digitalDrummer E-drum Experience Labs will be staged as part of the 2025 Europe Drum Show in Germany in March. In Liverpool, audiences were captivated by the series of presentations, workshops and masterclasses – all performed on cutting-edge technology. The Labs will return, with new artists, new gear and new applications. Artists already confirmed for the Europe Show include e-drum pioneer Steven Fisher from the US and popular German YouTube demonstrator Ralf Schumacher. Hosted by digitalDrummer founder and editor Allan Leibowitz, this exclusive presentation stream will feature eight carefully curated sessions in which e-drum experts will share their insight, skills and talents in performances designed for drummers of all levels, […]

Gear, Industry, Performance

E-drum Labs line-up finalised

The full artist line-up for the inaugural digitalDrummer E-drum Experience Labs at the UK Drum Show in September has been released. The demonstrations begin on Saturday morning (September 28) with talented musician, educator and social media influencer Emma Taylor, who recently teamed up with EfNote. She will present a session titled ‘Bridging the Gap Between Acoustic and Electric’. Mitch Deighton, the UK’s leading air-drummer, will be up next, demonstrating his skills with cutting-edge technology developed in Liverpool. His fun session will feature Aerodrums 2, the latest air drumming instrument. Visitors will get their first glimpse of the world’s latest e-drum offering from one of the oldest instrument companies when Mike Weber shows off the Zildjian ALCHEM-E kits. Weber is the […]