Tag: Simmons

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

Simmons adds full-size kick, cymbals

Simmons kits to date have been characterised by their compact pads and cymbals, but the company is making a bold move with the imminent release of some full-size metal cymbals and an 18” wood shell electronic bass drum. The KP180 has been designed to give e-drummers an acoustic bass drum experience while accommodating the space limitations of most drum racks. One notable feature is the ability to adjust the position of the internal trigger surface with minimal effort and limited tools. E-drum owners will also be interested in Simmons’ new line of cymbals. The MC13, MC16 and MC18 are unlike anything else currently on the market. They are based on low-volume metal cymbals but also include a built-in rubber mute […]

Gear

Simmons updates Titan 50

Simmons has released the Titan 50 B-EX Electronic Drum Kit, an upgrade to the Titan 50, with an extra tom and crash. Like the original kit, the Titan 50 B-EX has a 10” dual-zone mesh snare drum, together with four 8” mesh toms and four 10” cymbals — hi-hat, ride and two crashes with choke. The 6-inch kick pad connects to the included kick pedal or the player’s own, including double-kick pedals. The Titan 50 B-EX Drum Kit’s module features an all-new library of drum kits, recorded at a major studio with sounds based on top-selling albums. Simmons claims the high-quality samples emphasise quality over quantity, with full-length toms and crashes and stereo room ambience built into the sounds, and […]

People, Performance

Remembering Ed Mann

Frank Zappa percussionist Ed Mann passed away on June 1st, at the age of 70. Mann began playing piano and objects found in the kitchen at age three and got his first drum kit at 11. He played with rock, marching, orchestra, concert, pit and big band ensembles as a teen while studying at New England Music Camp and The Hartt Music School. Ed entered the Hartt College of Music in 1972 to study with Al Lepak, where he learned and performed symphonic, jazz, experimental and 20th century music. At Hartt, Ed met and formed an immediate bond with Tommy Mariano (aka Mars) and they formed the experimental jazz band World Consort which played at arts venues throughout central New […]

Gear

Simmons pads revived

Former Simmons Drums engineer Martin Wheetman has teamed up with a couple of former colleagues to revive the iconic ‘80s drum brand. Wheetman recently released a range of SDSV piezo pads, using the same methods employed back in the ‘80s. “Dave Simmons has been consulting on the project along with other Simmons veterans from the SDSV era,” Wheetman tells digitalDrummer. “Colin Schofield has been doing a fantastic job putting the pads together.” The pads are available in two versions –the original “wrist-breaker” polycarbonate playing surface or a rubber surface. The new pads offer a variety of connection options, including XLR, ¼” jacks, and a combination of the two. There are also a variety of colours – black and white for the […]

Gear

Sneak peak: New Simmons pads

The last Simmons equipment rolled off the assembly line in 1999 – and many e-drummers are kicking themselves that they didn’t grab spare drum pads before they disappeared. Now, 25 years later, there’s a resurgence of interest in original analogue e-drum gear and any pads that appear in the second-hand market are quickly snapped up. But the scramble will soon be over, with a few key former Simmons guys collaborating to resume production of the iconic hexagonal pads. We’ll bring you all the details when the project is officially announced, but in the meanwhile, here is a picture of the new pads.

Gear

Simmons expands Titan range

Simmons has augmented its e-drum range with the new Titan 70 kit. This follows last year’s introduction of the affordable Titan 50 and Titan 20 electronic drum kits. The Titan 70 includes multi-zone pads, quality sounds and interactive features to customise the kit and improve timing accuracy for beginners to advanced players. The drum pads consist of a 10” dual-zone mesh snare pad and four 8” dual-zone mesh tom pads, along with a 7” kick pad. There’s a three-zone 12-inch ride cymbal with sensors on the bow, bell and edge. The hi-hat is controlled by a variable pedal for closed, open and several steps in between. The same 10” cymbal pads are also used for the two crashes. The Titan […]

Gear

Keeping e-drummers ‘appy

Module makers are realising that users often want easier and better control than they traditionally got via buttons, knobs and sliders on the drum brain. Enter the e-drum module app – probably pioneered by Yamaha, with its DTX Touch apps. Today, many drum kits and modules have companion apps, and here, we run through some of their functions and features. Alesis Alesis was among the first to realise the potential of the iPad as a drum controller, with its pioneering DM Dock product. The Dock connected pads and cymbals to an interface powered by an iPad and the formidable DM Touch app. The app transformed iPads into capable drum modules, allowing users to use their tablet to control triggering, adjust […]

Gear

New kits from Simmons

Simmons has added two new sub-$500 mesh kits, the Titan 50 and the Titan 20. The Titan 50 kit boasts a 10” dual-zone mesh snare featuring a low-rim profile combined with high-speed triggering to provide enhanced playability and accurate rimshot detection. The kit also comes with three 8” mesh toms and three 10” cymbals—hi-hat, ride and crash with choke. A 6” kick pad connects to the included kick pedal, or players can use their own, including double-kick pedals. The kit is housed on a full-sized four-post rack. The Titan 50 also includes an all-new library of drum kits, recorded at a major studio, with sounds based on top-selling albums, including full-length toms and crashes with stereo room ambience, along with […]

Industry

E-drums year in review

Allan Leibowitz reflects on the e-drum highlights of the past year. 2021 was a hectic year for electronic percussion, with a large quantity of new product and strong demand fuelled by stay-at-home music under COVID-19 restrictions. But while demand increased, manufacturers struggled with supply chain challenges, from materials shortages to rising transport costs and freight delays. COVID-19 also impacted heavily on music industry trade shows, the traditional launching ground for new products. The annual NAMM Show in the USA was held virtually in January, with little new product buzz among e-drum manufacturers. The event is due back next year, but moving to Anaheim in June, meaning that Summer NAMM has been scrapped. Organisers cancelled Musikmesse 2021, the European equivalent of […]