digitaldrummer november 2011

Edition 8 NOVEMBER 2011

e-snares go head to head

Theglobalelectronicdrumminge-zine

Snaring

attention

VSTStudio Drum

mer PROFILEThomas Lang

GEARHyper Hybrids

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©2011 Avedis Zildjian C

ompany

AE Drum Rack SystemLightweight aluminum extruded bars

Patent Pending cast aluminum hinge folds for transport

Wire management channel holds up to 14 or more cables

Patent Pending glass filled ABS multi-clamp fits 3/8” to 1” diameter drum accessories

Available in two heights to better accommodate setups

Acoustic ElectricAE Cymbal SystemAcoustic cymbal sound and feel

Reduces ambient sound level 50%-70%

Dual head condenser mic pickups

Fits most manufacturers’ stands and hardware

Five Channel Digital Cymbal Processor with 20 presets per cymbal, volume and pan for each cymbal, audio mix for edrums and more

http://gen-16.com/

As we mark the end of our second year, we have some of the biggest

names in drumming in this magazine.

I was thrilled when Thomas Lang agreed to an interview - and what a

nice guy he turned out to be. No areas were off limits, no topic too

touchy and he went to great lengths to answer a range of questions

about himself, drumming in general and electronic percussion in

particular. And there was no hype, no agenda, no self-promotion – just

straight talk. Not bad for a contact made via his website.

Neil Peart (or at least his kit and his drum tech) also appear this

month, together with Mike Mangini and Tommy Lee – all featured in

an article on e-drums making it onto some of the biggest tours of the

year.

There’s a bit of a different mix this issue. There’s perhaps less gear

and more of a performance focus, with input from a couple of

professional drummers in our ever-increasing contributor pool. We’re

thrilled to welcome the likes of Carl Albrecht and Rob Silverman to our

line-up, and also include an article from producer Allen Morgan who

offers a non-drummer’s perspective on how drums fit in the mix.

John Emrich is back with answers to more VST questions and he’s

ready for the next batch, if there’s anything you want to know.

And a special ‘thank you’ to Simon Ayton, a Roland product specialist

who has not yet missed an issue of digitalDrummer. This month, he

talks about sampling – co-inciding with the launch of the SPD-SX.

This is the last issue before the Christmas break, so it’s a good time

to thank everyone who has helped ensure the success of

digitalDrummer in 2011. I would like to acknowledge all the

contributors who offer unique insights into e-drumming. Of course, we

also appreciate the support from a growing band of advertisers and I

would urge you to mention us when you support any of them.

Thanks also to the growing legion of readers and subscribers. I do,

however, have one favour to ask: Increasingly, people are using bogus

email addresses when they sign up. This makes it hard to alert

readers when new issues go live.

I want to reassure everyone that digitalDrummer does not practise

spamming and certainly does not share reader information with

anyone. The only email you’ll get from us is an alert that the latest

magazine is available. So please, if you have used a phony address,

take the time to re-register.

Again, thanks everyone for your support and all the positive feedback.

Keep the suggestions coming.

So, on that note, let’s get on with it: One, two, three, four ...

[email protected]

is published by

DigitalDrummer

ABN: 61 833 620 984

30 Oldfield Place

Brookfield Q 4069

AUSTRALIA

[email protected]

www.digitaldrummermag.com

Editor & Publisher

Allan Leibowitz

Sub-Editor

Solana da Silva

Contributors

Carl Albrecht

Simon Ayton

John Emrich

Duncan Mitchell

Allen Morgan

Rob Silverman

Cover Photo

GearPix

Design and layout

‘talking business’

Support digitalDrummer

If you like what you’re reading,please make a donation.

Copyright: All content is theproperty of digitalDrummerand should not be reproducedwithout the prior consent ofthe publisher. In this age ofelectronic publishing, it’sobviously tempting to “borrow”other people’s work, and weare happy to share ourinformation – but ask that youwork with us if you needanything from this edition. Anyreproduction must be fullyacknowledged and include alink back to our website.

--from-the-editor--

digitalDRUMMER, NOVEMBER 2011 3

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Edition 8 November 2011

Hyper hybrids

Some high-profile drummers have deployed e-drums thisNorthern autumn, but only eagle-eyed enthusiasts would spotthe digital adaptations to the acoustic kits.

Snaring attention

digitalDrummer puts eight e-snares up against each other inthe first head-to-head. There’s a range of looks and prices, andthere are also big performance differences.

Sitting pretty

Pork Pie thrones have a solid reputation and we put a coupleof models through their paces, reviewing the Big Boy BicycleThrone and the Round Drum Throne.

Pedals - the bass-ics

Modern bass drum pedals have various adjustments and a fewsmall changes can make a huge difference to performance.

Thomas Lang

He’s a drummers’ drummer, known as much for his clinics andinstructional videos as for his performance, but Thomas Langis also a big fan of electronic percussion.

How I use e-drums

Our series on how professionals use electronic percussionkicks off with The Classical Jazz Quartet drummer RobSilverman, a Zendrum endorser.

Drumming for the song

One of Carl Albrecht’s pet hates is the “busy drummersyndrome”. He’s not talking about too many bookings, butrather the tendency to “overplay”.

GEAR

performance

PROFILE

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The global electronic drumming e-zine

4 www.digitaldrummermag.com

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Product review: Studio Drummer

Native Instruments’ latest offering features three kits, a heapof MIDI grooves and a myriad of tweaking options.digitalDrummer gets a first look at this new VST offering.

Ditch the module

A new application promises to replace modules, allowingdrummers to plug their triggers straight into their computers.

VST Q&A

E-drum guru John Emrich is back to answer more VSTquestions on topics from computer output to articulations.

New products

A wrap-up of new VST offerings from around the world.Products include the AD Jazz Songwriters Bundle, Toontrack’sAmericana EZX and Drumasonic 1.5.

The right balance

Recording veteran Allen Morgan offers a non-drummer’sperspective on where drums fit in the overall music mix.

Just a sample

With the release of Roland’s updated SPD-SX multipad device,it’s a good time to look at sampling.

Tom holds a secret

Usually, our DIY section consists of a reader questionanswered by our resident DIY expert. This month, however,our reader submission is actually a suggestion.

My monster kit

This month’s monster kit is a DIY hybrid built by Timo Zennerof Merzig in Germany. It’s based on a Tama Artstart Esprit kit.

VST

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DIY

gear

recording


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HyperHYBRIDS

Some high-profile drummers have deployed e-drums this Northern autumn, but only eagle-eyedenthusiasts would spot the digital adaptations tothe acoustic kits. Allan Leibowitz looks into thehyped hybrids.

--gear--


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THREE OF THE biggest names in drumming, NeilPeart, Tommy Lee and Mike Mangini, are currentlytouring with e-triggers built into their kits. In the caseof Rush drummer Peart, his 30th anniversary TimeMachine drumset continues the use of Rolandtriggers, powered by two TD-20X modules.

According to Peart’s drum tech, Lorne Wheaton, thecurrent rig includes four 10”x6” and two 10”x4” tompads, a 12”x6” snare pad and a 14”x14” custombass drum pad. The Roland baskets are fitted intothe custom DW shells and mounted on custom-finished DW hardware.

“I removed the trigger baskets from the stockRoland shells and mounted them in the DW shells,”says Wheaton. “That was for the snare and thetoms. I needed to do a little bit of customising tomake the bass drum trigger fit, but where there’s awill, there’s a way.”

The mods have been perfected over the past twoPeart tour kits, but one change is the e-cymbals.“For the previous tour kits, the traditional black V-cymbals were used, but for the current TimeMachine tour kit, the new silver series were used:

three CY-14C-SV crashes, one CY-15R-SV ride andone VH-12-SV hi-hat system,” Wheaton explains,adding that they had toyed with the idea ofrecolouring the cymbals bronze or copper, “but wewere afraid it would chip off eventually”.

Besides building the electronic part of the kit,Wheaton also controls the triggering behind thescenes. The processing includes two Roland XV-5080 samplers and a custom-programmed MIDIsystem.

“We drive the MIDI rack with the TD-20X module,”he notes. “All the sounds except two sounds comefrom the XV-5080 samplers. Those two sounds aresome tweaked 18” floor toms from the module. Withthe help of Jim Burgess at Saved by Technology, weprogram the samplers with the actual sounds rippedfrom the masters from the Rush studio recordings.”

Roland’s liaison with the Rush team on the project isRoland Canada V-drums specialist Darren Schoepp.

He says the collaboration was an exhilaratingexperience. “The collection of intense focus and theexecution of timed events done with such accuracyand precision creates results like no other.


Peart’s 2011 Time Machine rig as photographed by Lorne Wheaton

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”It’s magic,” he observes.“It’s truly an honour to beassociated with this team, even just as a simple andoften distant contributor.”

According to Schoepp, “Neil and Lorne and the restof the band and crew are down-to-earth, veryappreciative guys - and are some of the best peoplein the industry to work with.”

Schoepp describes Peart’s set-up as “probably oneof the most sophisticated and involved rigs you willfind out on any major touring show around the worldtoday”.

“And although it takes a very detail-orientedtechnician like Lorne Wheaton to pull it all together,it has stood the test of time in enduring the ruggeddemands of extensive professional touringworldwide.

“The timeless music of Rush requires that electronicdrums and percussion be an important part ofrecreating certain songs live. Furthermore, the V-Drums have become an integral part of theaudience-anticipated drum solos each night as Neilexplores rhythms and sounds from around theworld, including modern-day sound effects andsamples.”

Besides the Roland gear, Peart’s line-up alsoincludes a Dauz trigger pad, Fat Kat trigger pedalsand MalletKat Express.

DW spokesman Mike Thomas admits he’s still a“die-hard wood shells guy”, but adds that Peart’sincorporation of electronics brings “additional spiceto playing”.

“When triggers and electronics fit your situation oryou are experimenting, it’s always fun. I enjoy the

challenge that an artist brings to DW,” he says.

Meanwhile, Pearl is using a couple of its high-profileartists to promote its ePro Live offering.

Motley Crue drummer Tommy Lee, who returned tothe Pearl stable in April, has some ePro triggers builtinto his spectacular Rollercoaster kit.

Lee’s electronic kit features acrylic shells andPearl’s TruTrac Electronic heads and r.e.d.Boxmodule.

Most people will be focused on the elaboraterollercoaster rails on which Lee’s kit “rides”, but e-drum returnee Pearl is hoping drummers notice theelectronic elements in the drumset.

The drum giant claims the Tommy Lee custom-builte-Pro Live electronic/acoustic kit “will guarantee thatTommy has the perfect tone and pitch for eachdrum, night after night”.

The kit is currently on the road as part of the Crue’sextended global tour which kicked off in June inDallas, Texas.

Meanwhile, Mike Mangini is on tour for the first timewith Dream Theater after winning the gig in themuch publicised audition which also featured thismonth’s digitalDrummer profiled artist, ThomasLang.

Mangini goes on tour equipped with Pearl’s newReference Pure drumset including a bunch of e-ProLive TruTrac pads and a r.e.d.Box sound module “toproduce any sound imaginable by the world’s fastestdrummer”.

According to a Pearl spokesman, Mangini is able tocreate the sounds required for Dream Theater’s


Mike Mangini’s Pearl kit includes TruTrac heads

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songs using the new kit. “Providing all the necessary‘bells and whistles’ are six TruTrac pads mountedaround the kit, allowing the triggering of cowbells,temple blocks and timpani,” the spokesman says.

“The … r.e.d.Box allows for total customisation ofthe triggered sounds, drawing from a very expansiveand accurate catalogue of instrument sounds andeffects.”

Mangini spoke about the versatility of the Pearl line-up recently, saying he uses one pad for a concertbass drum, two cabasas, a finger cymbal and acouple of odd Chinese cymbals as well. “For me, Iwas able to express myself musically as an artist.”

While Mangini, Lee and Peart are up-front abouttheir electronic enhancements, industry insiders saythere are many touring professionals who keep theire-drums hidden. Pintech and Boom Theory have

installed electronics into acoustic kits, but are notable to reveal customers’ details.

As one industry insider explains, the vast majority oftriggering “remains off the radar” because drummers“don’t want to risk their ride”.

“If you’re a high-profile player on an endorsement,you’re either taking gear - or gear and cash - andare contractually obligated to promote that product.You also have the corporate muscle and worldwidedistribution of companies that can make touringreally easy by backlining your exact set-upoverseas,” the insider explains.

The big-name drum companies obviously don’t wantit known that drummers are just using their shellsand audiences are really hearing sounds from anelectronic trigger, he adds.

Tommy Lee’s acrylic kit is powered by e-Pro Live

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Snaring

attentionSnares may depend on modules for theirsounds, but that hasn’t stopped drummersseeking out custom finishes, superiorhardware and, of course, accurate triggering.Allan Leibowitz put a number of e-snaresthrough their paces in anotherdigitalDrummer head-to-head review.

--gear--

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MANY ARGUE THAT the snare drum isthe most important in any kit, soelectronic snares have a lot to live up to.Obviously, the sounds are determined bythe module, but drummers expectresponsiveness, dynamics and head andrim separation from an e-snare.Increasingly, there are also aestheticexpectations, with e-snares looking moreand more like their acousticcounterparts. We see increasing use ofmetal shells, exotic timbers anddecorative wraps as well as high-qualityhardware – certainly a far cry from theoctagonal pads of the early Simmons orPearl e-kits.

digitalDrummer assembled a collectionof e-snares from around the world for thefirst-ever head-to-head comparison.

One qualification – e-snares are only asgood as the module to which they areconnected and the finetuning which theyundergo. Given sufficient tinkering,almost any trigger can perform well, butset up wrong, even a good e-snare canbe erratic and unresponsive. And finally,the quality of the mesh head alsoimpacts on performance, as revealed indigitalDrummer’s mesh head reviews.

Here are our observations, with thedrums listed in alphabetical order:

How we testedSnares were tested primarily with aRoland TD-20X module, using stock PD-125 settings unless other settings werestipulated by the manufacturer. Thesnares were compared in a range ofplaying conditions. These include softrolls from the edge to the centre andharder hits and rim shots – all triggeredusing the Laugh Lin VEX kit, a patchknown for its lively snare sounds. Cross-stick testing was done using the Xsticksetting, and the snares were also testedwith brushes, using the module’s“brushes” setting.

For compatibility testing, all snares weretested using a TD-3 module and a DrumItFive 2box module.

While the review batch was extensive,there were some notable absences:Jobeky elected not to participate andAustralia’s Alchemy was not able toprovide a sample. We didn’t includeddrum, ddt, Pearl or Traps since nonesells e-snares as a stand-alone product.Yamaha was also not able to provide itslatest-generation snare pad and modulein time for the testing. Finally, we didn’tinclude Alesis or 2box because theformer is known to perform best with itsnative module and the latter is in shortsupply as a stand-alone pad (Did Imention previously that it’s veryorange?).


Not only did we take notes during our extensive testing, wealso assembled all the snares and recorded theirperformance directly from the module using a video camerawith direct-in audio. The recording was more flattering tosome snares than others, even though they were allrecorded on the same output settings on the module andinput settings on the camera. If anything, the video hasexaggerated the differences and readers can check out theresults here.

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Acoustic drum-maker Billy Blasthas launched anew range ofcustom hybridsnares.

The 13”x5” KellerMaple shells are setup with snare wiresand strainer fitted andcan easily be convertedback to an acoustic snareby removing the internaltrigger.

Like SpaceMuffins and RETdrums, the 3.6 Kg drums are fittedwith mylar heads rather than mesh – in thiscase, Billy’s Sound Controlled Heads. Theheads were actually quieter than I anticipated,thanks to some internal muffling. Compared to amesh head, the Blastech has a bit more snap andless thud – but you need to remember to turn thesnare off.

There are a range of wraps including pearls andglossy solids ($350) and sparkles ($400) – and thenthere are the special designs like the 9/11 SpecialEdition sample which ironically reacheddigitalDrummer on September 11th, US time.

Because of the mylar head, the drum takes somedialing in on the TD-20, with the stock PD125 settingnot sensitive enough on the head and too hot on therims, and with false rim triggers on the edges.However, with the sensitivity hiked up and the rimgain turned down a few notches, reliable triggeringwas achieved across the head. Again, probablybecause the mylar is less forgiving than mesh, thesnare was quite hot in the centre andresponsiveness dropped off quickly towards theedges – something that can be mended by changingthe response curve.

The drum was less responsive in brushes setting,especially for sweeps, where the lack of surfacefriction reduced the triggering. On the plus side, themylar gives excellent, realistic sweeps tocompensate.


Blastech Hybrid

On the 2box, in Pad12 setting, the snare neededsome extra gain, a reduction in threshold and a shiftto the Pos1 curve to give good response.

Reliable triggering on the TD-3 module required asensitivity boost, threshold adjustment, scan timetweak and rim reduction.

It should also be noted that this snare seemsdesigned for heavy hitters. When sensitivity washiked for soft playing, it was harder to separate headand rim triggering.

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For this review,custom UK drum-maker DiamondElectronic Drumssupplied an exotic14”x5” snare made fromFinnish Birch with aKevasingo veneer. Theexquisite 3.7 Kg drum wasenhanced with eight chromemini-tube lugs and 2.3 mm hoops andhad been for sale in “Dave’s Shop” for£249 (the base 14”x5” price for the 14” is usually£189).

The review drum was fitted with a snow-white Drum-tec design series batter head (a £12 option) and aplain white mylar reso head.

This is the third Diamond snare digitalDrummerhas tested, and it’s obvious that company iscommitted to continuous improvement.

The drum triggers beautifully, with excellentdynamics across the head, full positional sensingand no hot spots. The rim triggers have beenrepositioned to improve rim sensitivity, and nomodule tweaking was required on the TD-20 to getgood rim shots and cross-stick triggering (in Xstickmode). Indeed, the repositioning has eliminated theneed to dial back the rims, which were hotter in theprevious-generation Diamond snares. Combinedwith the excellent Drum-tec design head, the drumalso performed well in brushes mode.

This snare was one of the best performers on the2box, with very little tweaking required from stockPad12 to produce excellent consistency anddynamics. Rim performance was a bit subdued –like most non-2box triggers.

And on the TD-3, the Diamond was simply plug andplay, with no adjustment required from the stockPD125 setting. In particular, the rim sensitivity wasexcellent – possibly better than any other trigger.

The Diamond range is truly bespoke, with buyersable to select everything from the shell depth to thematerials, hardware and heads.

There’s no documentation or cables provided, andno mention of warranty, but it’s clear that Diamondstands by its products and there is plenty ofevidence of the builder going to extremes to keepcustomers happy.

In short, these are well-crafted, unique drums builtto buyer specifications at less than the price of amass-produced trigger.

Diamond Electronic Drums


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The German-made snare isheavy-duty andsolidly built, weighing inat 4.4 Kg, with some exquisitewraps over quality Sapeli timbershells. The hardware is also highstandard and attractive, with 10lugs on each side. Even the jack connector is up-market, with a secure clip and release mechanism.

The snare is fitted with a white two-ply Drum-tecdesign head on top and sheer black mesh head onthe bottom.

Designed for use with a snare stand, there is nomounting hardware.

Drum-tec recommends some tweaks from thestandard TD-20 PD125 settings, primarily a slightdrop in sensitivity.

Triggering was even across the head, with no hotspots or dead areas, and the dynamics were verygood. Rim response was similarly excellent, whilecross-stick triggering worked well with the modulelocked in Xstick mode.

The snare was very responsive in brushes mode,achieving good sweeps.

Paired with a TD-3 module, the snare performedvery well. Dynamics and responsiveness were verygood and rim response was excellent.

The results were less pleasing on the 2box: the Pro

Design needed quite a bit of tweaking, primarily areduction in sensitivity, a reduction in threshold anda change to Pos1 curve. Even then, triggering wasnot optimal and further tweaking was probablyrequired to get optimal responsiveness across thehead. Rim triggering was subdued and not reallyacceptable.

At €469, the Pro Design snare is the mostexpensive sample, but it is a distinctive, substantialpiece and it’s covered by a five-year warranty.

Drum-tec Pro Design


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The 12”x5” jet blacksnare was substantialand well finished,weighing in at 2.4 Kg. Itis fitted with six lugs perside and attractive hardware,including an l-rod mount andsolid-looking rims.

The snare comes with Drum-tec’s two-ply ‘design’head on top and a single-ply white head on thebottom.

The instructions recommend some minor tweaksfrom the standard PD125 setting on a TD-20, andresponsiveness was excellent. Triggering was goodacross the entire surface, with no hot spots or deadzones. Positional sensing was accurate, rimtriggering was excellent, and cross-stick was betterthan its big brother.

The snare was very responsive in brushes mode,achieving good sweeps and crisp hits.

Overall, this model performed slightly better than itsbig brother - which isn’t surprising since 12” triggersinevitably outperform larger triggering surfaces.

Paired with a 2box module, the 12” model alsoperformed better than its bigger brother, with lesstweaking required in Pad12 setting. Good eventriggering was achieved without altering the curve,but this drum struggled with rim triggering.

On the TD-3, performance was flawless, withexcellent triggering across the head and good rimsensitivity – again in stock 125 setting.

At €249, the Diabolo is well priced and covered by athree-year warranty.

Drum-tec Diabolo


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The Hart triggered perfectly on the TD-3 in 125mode, with no need to alter any of the parameters toget good sensitivity across the head and accuraterim triggering.

The Hart is priced towards the top end, at $519, butit is a solid-looking instrument covered by a lifetimewarranty, and the service department has beensignificantly beefed up to address past issues.

Hart Dynamics

Hart has optedfor a 13”x4” offeringfor its snare, and thehammered chrome drum is amonster at 4.5 Kg. It has eight lugs, upsizedversions of the Drum-tec Diabolo. While the drum isadvertised with Hart’s single-ply Maxxum head, thereview sample shipped with a Magnum head, butperformed well nonetheless.

The drum comes with a stereo cable and someinstructions, but to find the trigger settings, you haveto hit the website.

For the TD-20, only minor tweaks were required tothe stock 125 settings and these are clearlydocumented on the Hart website.

Responsiveness was even across the head, with nohot spots or dead areas, and dynamics were verygood. The drum had a realistic feel with theMagnum head and was eminently playable.

Rim triggering was also good, as was cross-stickperformance in Xstick setting.

Responsiveness in brushes setting was excellent,with nice crisp hits and good sweeps.

On the 2box, the Hart snare needed little adjustmentfrom stock Pad12 settings, but rim triggering wasproblematic and even significant tweaking did notproduce perfect rim shots.


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The 14”x3” snare isavailable in black orchrome, and the metalversion I tested was asubstantial drum, weighing in at3.2 Kg.

The hardware is also substantial, with 12 subtlelugs, and the snare sports Pintech’s black single-plymesh heads on both ends. And while it may seemthat more is better, the large number of lugs is notso appealing when you want to change a meshhead!

It is shipped with a spare rim protector, a stereocable and a drum key (one of only two snares thatactually came with one!), but no instructions, so Itested it in stock 125 setting.

On the TD-20, triggering was uniform andresponsive across the head, with no hot spots (Iguess that’s one purpose of the patch in the centre)and no dead zones.

Dynamics were excellent and rim response wasgood at default settings. Good cross-stick responsewas achieved with Xstick setting.

Interestingly, for troublesome modules, the Pintechsnare comes equipped with onboard gain controlwhich allows for both the head and rim trigger to beadjusted for more or less response. This came inuseful on the 2box, where rim response was initiallyvery weak. However, increasing the sensitivity onthe module and dialling back the head sensitivity onthe drum produced a slight improvement – althoughstill not perfect.

On the TD-20, the Pintech performed flawlessly, andthere was no need to fiddle with the drum’s dials asit was almost plug and play in 125 mode.

The Pintech sells for $486 and is covered by a fullone-year warranty and limited lifetime warrantywhich provides for discount upgrades. One potentialissue is that Pintech’s foam column is softer thanother sensor cushions and can be damaged byvigorous play (hence the protector patch). But forthose who do wear the part out in the first year,there’s a ‘no-questions asked’ replacement of thecolumns and they’ll generally throw in a few sparesas well. The drum also comes with a spare meshhead – there’s a Pintech single-ply as the reso headand, in emergencies, you can simply swap themover – 24 tension nuts later!

Pintech 14” AcousTech


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The new Rolandpad was released afew years back aspart of the revampedTD-20SX/KX kit. Thesample 12” snare wassupplied with anattractive woodgrainwrap which set off thechrome hardware andblack rims.

Of all the sample snares, the3 Kg Roland was the mostcomplete in terms of packaging: it came in alabelled box, complete with a comprehensiveowner’s manual, a catalogue for additional customwraps and a quality clear-covered cable.

The snare is fitted with Roland’s patented dual-plymesh head and rubber rim protector and a drum keyis included.

Plugged into the TD-20X and set to 125X triggersetting, the snare performs as if it was designed forthe module. Wait a minute, it WAS designed for themodule!

The responsiveness was fantastic across the head,with subtle nuances easily detected. Positionalsensing was spot-on, rims shots were excellent andwhen set to Xstick mode, cross-stickresponsiveness was excellent. In short,performance was superb.

The biggest surprise came when pairing the Rolandpad with the 2box module. Performance with just atad of sensitivity boost was astounding – potentiallybetter than the native 2box pads. Sensitivity andresponsiveness across the head were flawless, theonly defect being a slight deficiency in rim triggering.

The PD-125X was also excellent on the older TD-3,but I thought it was slightly less responsive than theDiamond – possibly something to do with minortweaks to better serve the TD-20X module.

Obviously, the Roland is priced towards the top endof the scale at around $525, but there’s no doubtthat the manufacturer has optimised the drum for itsmodule and it delivers undeniably superiortriggering. It is also a superbly styled drum,especially with the new slip-in wrap inserts thatallow you to alter the appearance in minutes. Everydetail of the design has been carefully thoughtthrough, from the stylish column lugs to theindentations in the rim rubber which accommodatesthe tension rods.

Roland PD-125X


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TheTaiwanesedrum-maker haslifted its game with itsnew generation of e-drums which are a far cryfrom the earlier versions withthe sensor built into the head.

The 12” snare, a lightweight at 2 Kg, is available in avariety of wrap finishes and comes with a dual-plywhite mesh head on the top and a single-ply blackmesh head on the bottom. The drum is well finished,with the sample sporting a textured black wrap andblack hoops and lugs. There’s also a clamp fittingfor Roland or Yamaha L-rods. One omission is rimprotectors, with nothing supplied to dampen the rimstrikes. There’s also no cable or instructions.

The head trigger is side-mounted, rather thanpositioned in the centre of the drum, which obviouslylimits positional sensing (PS). Indeed, no matterwhere you strike the head, the TD-20 positionalsensor shows an outside hit. This also means youdon’t get the full range of tones that you would froma head with PS. The drum does, however, havegood dynamics and even triggering, with no hotspots.

Rim shot triggering is good – helped by the lack ofrim protector, and cross-stick is also effective, whenthe module is set appropriately. The drum alsoperforms well in brushes mode.

The snare performed excellently on the 2box in verylightly modified Pad12 setting, with better rimresponse than most other third-party snares – partlyattributable to the naked rims. But this is certainlygood news for 2box owners looking for cost-effective alternatives to the dedicated trigger pads.

The XM was one of only two snares that requiredmodule tweaking on the TD-3, but, with two notchesof sensitivity boost and a bit of threshold reduction,produced good dynamic triggering. Of course,without a rim guard, the rim triggering needed to bedialed back as well.

On the downside, the mesh head is noisier thanmost, with a dull thud. But in its favour, the drum isamong the cheapest out there at $275 on eBay, andis also compact and attractively styled.

XM MED12


ddnov2011v2_Layout 1 14/10/11 9:20 PM

The bottom lineWith its rubber duck trigger, Pintech has demonstrated that you can play anything, and withparameter tweaking available on most modern modules, good triggering is available fromalmost any pad. So the secret of good performance is largely determined by the module.

That said, all e-snares are not equal. There’s no doubt that the original is still the best.Roland’s PD-125X was not only the easiest to set up, but also the best performer on theTD-20X module. Surprisingly, it was also the best performer on the 2box, even though it’sclearly not designed for compatibility with rival modules.

Diamond Electronic Drums was a stand-out among the non-Roland snares, not only for itslooks, build quality and custom options, but for excellent triggering and response.

The next bunch of triggers, the Drum-tec Diabolo, Hart Dynamics, the Drum-tec Pro andPintech (in that order, but bunched very closely), were all good performers which wouldsatisfy any drummer, and in all cases, reliable triggering is easily achieved with a bit oftweaking.

Two triggers didn’t quite reach the same level on the TD-20X, primarily because of theabsence of positional sensing – the XM and the Blastech Hybrid. Again, good triggering isachievable on both with a some module adjustment, but no amount of alteration will givetonal change across the head that comes with PS-capable triggers. Of course, positionalsensing is less important to some drummers than others and not available on mostmodules.

And on the issue of module compatibility, the brain will also determine choice to someextent. Some snares worked far better with “picky” modules like the DrumIt Five, while theTD-3 was far more accommodating. If you have a more basic module, you don’t have tosplash out on a top-end snare to get good performance.

There is a very big cost differential across the samples, with the most expensive coming inat double the price of the cheapest, and budget may be a determining factor for somebuyers.

Only one sample was capable of performing acoustically as well as electronically, soessentially, the Blastech offers two products in one. The downside is a requirement formore tweaking than with most rivals; the upside is that in a power failure, at least you’llhave one drum that works.

And finally to absent friends: UK maker Jobeky has a strong following and Australiannewcomer Alchemy also has satisfied customers – and both are probably worthy ofconsideration. But without having tested the current offerings, we can’t comment on theirperformance – or rank them. If we do get hold of review samples of either – or any otherswe missed – we will certainly update our review accordingly.!! Model Size Responsiveness Rim PS Brushes Price Blastech Hybrid 13x5 7 4 No 2 $400 Diamond 14x5 9 5 Yes 5 $390 Drum-tec Pro 14x5 8 5 Yes 4.5 $625 Drum-tec Diabolo 12x5 8.5 5 Yes 4.5 $335 Hart Dynamics 13x5 8.5 4.5 Yes 4.5 $519 Pintech 14x3 8 4.5 Yes 4.5 $486 Roland 12x4.5 10 5 Yes 5 $525 XM 12x4 7.5 4 No 4.5 $275 Responsiveness is scored out of 10; all others out of five. All based on TD-20X performance. Price is expressed in US dollars, using the exchange rate on 01/10/2011.!!20 www.digitaldrummermag.com

ddnov2011v2_Layout 1 14/10/11 9:20 PM

allanleibowitz

Text Box

Since this issue was published, 2box updated its operating system so that it is now far more compatible with third-party triggers. Those snares which performed poorly with the 2box are now far more usable, thanks to the added tweakability of the module.

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QUEEN POINTED OUT that “fat-bottomed girlsmake the rockin’ world go round”, but the bandneglected to talk about drummers who are a littlebroad in the beam. Had they done so, they would nodoubt have made some mention of a quality throne.

I had the opportunity to try a couple of Pork Piethrones (their main competitor, Roc n Soc, could notprovide a sample for a head-to-head – or whateveryou’d call a seat comparison).

The Big Boy Bicycle Throne

The name is a euphemismand the throne certainlyaccommodates above-average posteriors incomfort and style. Butyou don’t have to beoversized to enjoy it.

The review versionwas a zebra-print velour-covered seat with a silversparkle vinyl sidewall –and while that may sound likesomething you’d see in a pimp-mobile, itactually looked quite stylish.

The throne is generously proportioned, atalmost 45 cm across and 40 cm fromtail to tip. It’s 10cm thick at itsplushest, with the seat sculptedto accommodate thedrummer’s contours.

The seat section ispositioned on anextremely sturdydouble-bracedtripod, the only part notmade in the USA.

The legs end in oversize rubber feet for stability andtraction, and height adjustment is done by spinningthe seat on its threaded stalk and clamping intoplace with the built-in hardware. No drum key or

other tools are required, so tear-down and set-upare a cakewalk – or a cake-sit.

The truth of the pudding is in the tasting, and just afew minutes on this guy had me wondering what I’vebeen doing on skinny-arsed thrones my whole life.The foam padding is firm but yielding and shapes toyour body so it almost feels like it’s not there. But atthe same time, there’s a great sense of support.

The velour is comfortable and feels hard-wearing,and looking at the online forums, there are certainly

no complaints about fabric failure – or failureof any sort, for that matter.

The RoundDrum Throne

The round version is alittle less impressive-looking, but with its36 cm diameter, it’s a

substantial piece ofsitting equipment. While

the extra three or four centimetresmake a difference to the surface area, the bigbonus comes with the added depth of the

seat – a full 12 cm. The foam is firm butforgiving and is uniform rather than

contoured like the bike brother.

The metal bits are the same as thebike version – double-bracedtripod, chunky feet, threadedmounting post and the same

tool-free hardware.

While there’s no doubt this throne isstreets ahead of my regular throne andalmost in another solar systemcompared to the bottom-end (pardonthe pun) cheapies, personally I found

it less supportive than the bikeversion. But it’s a matter of personaltaste, and I’m sure many people

Sitting pretty


--gear--

ddnov2011v2_Layout 1 14/10/11 9:20 PM

prefer the round seat which takes a bitless space and is marginally moreversatile since there’s no back or front.

The ‘bottom’ line

At around $170 (round) and $190(bike), the Pork Pie products are notcheap – but they’re also not the mostexpensive. They are a bit limited in thatthey don’t have a backrest and can’taccommodate one, but I’ve yet to see adrummer laid-back enough to take advantage of theback support.

Both seats were certainly comfortable and if you’replanning to spend hours at a time behind your kit,it’s worth putting your money where your butt is.

Admittedly, I haven’t tried the major rival, but I’dhave no hesitation dipping into my wallet for one ofthese, especially the bike version. During thosefour-hour sets, the purchase price will soon beforgotten, together with the throbbing lowerback courtesy of those entry-level thrones.

All Pork Pie thrones are covered by a three-year warranty, but it’s not unusual to hear frompeople who have been using them forconsiderably longer. And if you’re fashion-conscious and the extensive range doesn’tmeet your needs, there are plenty of customoptions available – and quick turn-aroundtimes if you’re in North America.


Tama E

rgo-

Rider$

220

Pearl D2000

Roadster

$220

Roc-N

-Soc

Motion

$210

DW

Heavy-

Duty A

ir Lift

$215

Gibraltar

Oversize

$199

butt wait, there’s more ...Here are a few other options in the same price-range. Theprices are indicative only and based on street prices.


ddnov2011v2_Layout 1 14/10/11 9:21 PM

DDrruumm ppeeddaallss ::

tthhee bbaassss-- iiccss

Modern drum pedals have various adjustments, anda few changes can make a huge difference.Duncan Mitchell gets on his hands and knees witha few tools.

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ddnov2011v2_Layout 1 14/10/11 9:21 PM

WHEN I WAS approached to write this article fordigitalDrummer, I was fairly confident that afternearly 40 years of playing everything from ‘60sstrap-style units held together with coat-hangers,(sorry, mum), to trying some of the latest andgreatest pieces of engineering brilliance developedby space shuttle engineers, I could confidently writea simple article with all I had learned to help satisfythe needs of all drummers. However, uponinvestigating this subject online to ensure a fair andinformative article, I discovered that:

► There are a lot of drummers out thereunsure of what to adjust for what effect.

► There are a lot of opinions out there aboutwhat to adjust for what effect.

So for the purpose of this article, I am going to gothrough what I believe to be the basic essentials formost pedals - regardless of age, model or cost. I amgoing to refer to single pedals as most doublepedals have the same adjustments for both theslave and master: the rules apply for both and yes,they should feel the same.

There are seven main points of adjustment on mostmodern pedals and I have listed them in what Ibelieve to be the order of importance, or theadjustments that will have the most dramatic effecton your pedal’s performance. While some of thesemay not be available on your current pedal, mostare available on a range of Pearl, DW, Tama,Mapex, Gibraltar and many other brands. Checkyours before throwing it at your singer’s head ...you may end up being happy with it once you’vetweaked it the right way.

Beater Height has amajor influence on boththe sound produced andthe feel of your pedal.The general rule of thumbis higher for volume andpower and lower forspeed and control. Byhaving your beater higher,you are allowing it totravel further andtherefore gain more power before striking the drum.This can make the pedal feel heavier or sluggishand requires more force from the drummer to projectthe beater forward. If you position it low, youobviously shorten the distance and increase thecontrol you have over the beater. This is handy forintricate patterns, but you can lose some volume asa result and the pedal tends to feel lighter andcannot generate the same power. Of course, thevolume factor is mainly a consideration for acousticdrums and moving above or below the centre on

your electronic pad can lead to loss of sensitivity,but you can make small adjustments and still getresults.

Spring Tension is asimple but crucialadjustment on any pedaland all of us have, I’msure, given it a tweak orturn now and again tomake ourselves feelbetter without reallyknowing why. It all relatesto the speed with whichthe beater returns to a“neutral” position and, of course, how much poweryou have in your legs. If the spring is tight, you needmore force to move it forward; but it also returnsquicker, giving a sense of speed and strength.Alternatively, if it is too loose, the pedal can feel“light” or “unresponsive” as the beater is slower toreturn. It’s your pedal, so try small adjustments oneway then the other until you feel comfortable. Aninteresting side-note: I once witnessed aninternational drummer playing double strokes on hisdouble pedals with no springs attached at all to“warm up”. He swears it’s the best way to buildpower and technique in your legs!

Beater Angle issomething that isconstantly overlooked asfar as the efficiency of thepedal is concerned. Itaffects the previous twoadjustments to the pointwhere if you can get thecombination off all threeright, you can find anypedal’s sweet spot to suit your particular style ofplaying, and the rest of these adjustments are likefluffing your pillows just to ensure maximum comfort.The most success I have had is by starting ataround 45 degrees from the bass plate or bassdrum head, (think about it, lads!), and moving in orout from the head a little bit at a time and feeling thedifference. The closer to the head you get, thequicker the response and shorter travel distance forthe beater, but, again, less volume will result as thisreduces the distance and power that can begenerated by the beater. Remember also that thecloser the beater is to the drum head, the lesstension there is on the spring as it is not working orextending as much as it does with a greater angle.Therefore, you may have to tighten it a tad more asyou move forward or vice versa to maintain thegreat feel you have just achieved with the previoustwo adjustments. Persevere, it’s worth it.



ddnov2011v2_Layout 1 14/10/11 9:21 PM

Cams can be adjusted ortotally changed for avariety of sizes andangles on pedals thesedays. Rounded andbigger cams give thatlinear, smooth feel, whileshorter units can makethe pedal “moreaggressive” or even“faster” feeling to improveperformance. Trial and error is the only way to findyour ideal cam, but most manufacturers providegood information either with the pedal or online if theoption is available for your model.

Beater Type is essentially another optional extrathese days with hundreds of designs, styles andmaterials being used to “improve” your pedal’sperformance and/or sound. Obviously, apart fromwear and tear on your pad and sensors, there is nota great deal of difference in the type of materialsused for electronic drum beaters; the same soundwill be produced. However, the size and weight ofthe beater can affect the feel or speed of your pedal.Smaller and lighter beaters travel quicker with lesseffort required from the drummer while bigger andheavier beaters will require more work but producea bigger sound acoustically due to the overall mass.You can also add small weights at different heightson your beater shaft to increase weight and changethe overall feel. Again, trial and error is the only way.One thing to bear in mind if you’re using a meshhead on your bass is to avoid using felt beaters.Generally, they eat into the mesh. If you do need touse a soft beater, make sure you apply a patch onthe mesh head.

Pedal Height is a small but crucial adjustment fortoday’s drummers. I know guys who play a lot ofheel-toe stuff and mostly the consensus amongthem is that lower or flatter is better. If you wantmore power or usually keep your heel up, then itappears that the higher angle is the winner. At theend of the day, this adjustment doesn’t affect theoverall performance of the pedal, but it is a bigcomfort factor for the individual and worth trying, ifavailable. I sometimes change my pedal height fromone gig to the next because it suits that style ofmusic, or rather, the way I play that style of music.

Strap, Chain or Direct Drive is a matter of personalopinion, I believe, especially since the straps made

these days are sometimes stronger than some ofthe chains out there. I was raised on strap, (notbecause of my bad behaviour, you understand), butwent to chain when I could afford to because it gaveme more confidence that the pedal would lastthrough a lot more gigs. Every drummer from the‘60s or ‘70s will have a story of slicing up a leatherbelt or screwing their watch strap to their pedal tofinish the gig. However, times have changed andyou can even have a solid piece of metal joiningyour beater to your pedal and they are very smooth,but does it dramatically increase the performance ofthe pedal? Personally, I find straps a tad light thesedays and like the solid feel of a chain, preferablydouble. There is also a little give on the return with astrap or chain that doesn’t come with direct drive,but again it is purely personal and a great player willmove them all just as fast.

Interestingly enough, the first two adjustments havebeen available on pedals since the early 1900s, therest are “modern comforts” that have beendeveloped to keep up with the demands of today’splayers and give the ultimate set-up to those whorequire the best performance from every aspect ofthe pedal they play. There are obviously manydifferent opinions out there when it comes to bassdrum pedals, but at the end of the day, it is up to youas an individual toexplore andinvestigate everyaspect of yourinstrument toreach your fullpotential as adrummer.

I’m not sayingdon’t go outand spendover three orfour hundreddollars on thelatest pedal fromyour favouritemanufacturer; I’m just sayinghave a look at your current pedal and see what youcan do to enhance its performance to suit yourpersonal style of playing.

You may be surprised.


ddnov2011v2_Layout 1 14/10/11 9:21 PM

2BOX Kit shown with real Drum Heads fitted.

Cymbal

Highest quality 24 Bit sounds. 4gb of internal Memory. Use Mesh, Rubber or Real Heads. Edit all sounds on your MAC or PC. Create your own sounds from the software provided or upload from other sources via USB. Trigger different sounds from the rim or the head. Eight assignable outputs.

2BOX Module, Pad

Individual items now on SALE separately.

LANGLANGway to the topway to the top


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ddnov2011v2_Layout 1 14/10/11 9:21 PM

digitalDrummer: How did you get into drummingand when did you realise you could turn pro?

Thomas Lang: I started drumming at age four. Isaw a drummer on television and was intrigued byhis performance. A few days later, I saw a drummerplay live and stood right in front of his bass drum. Asa four-year-old, I was about the same height as hisbass drum and I was literally “blown away” by thesound and the power of the instrument.

I started taking lessons immediately and at aroundage 12, I realised that “professional drummer” and“musician” were viable professions - and at thatmoment, I made the decision to pursue it with all mypassion and ambition.

dD: Your recording and performance credits readlike a who’s who of the music industry. What aresome of the most memorable collaborations andwhy?

TL: I enjoyed working with Falco very muchbecause I also wrote and produced music with him. Ialso enjoyed playing with John Wetton, Save theRobots, Schwarzenator and now I really enjoydrumming in StOrk.

I also enjoyed the more “pop” artists I have workedwith, but for different reasons, not for the playingaspect of it.

I always enjoy working the most with people that Iwrite and/or produce with or for.

Austrian-born Thomas Lang is a drummers’drummer, known as much for his clinics andinstructional videos as for his performances withPeter Gabriel, Nik Kershaw, Ronan Keating, KylieMinogue and his own trio, StOrk. He speaks aboutdrumming and e-drums with Allan Leibowitz.


PHOTO: MEINL

ddnov2011v2_Layout 1 14/10/11 9:21 PM

Lang uses a TD-20SX, Octapad, SPD-S and a heap of pads and cymbals.

That adds another dimension to the work and it ismore than just drumming. It becomes a more“wholesome” collaboration and it means more to memusically. Being a drummer and sideman is fun andI wouldn’t want to miss it, but I also enjoy the otheraspects of making music and the most memorablemusical situations I was ever in always wereassociated with writing or producing.

dD: So, given your desire for writing and producing,how much input does a drummer like yourself havein the overall production? Can you suggest changesto the rhythm/feel or the drum sound in the finalmix?

TL: As a session player hired to perform live or inthe studio, your job is to make suggestions and todeliver ideas and offer modifications and variationsof the drum part. Your job is to be creative and add aunique personality or human touch to a production.You get paid to spontaneously compose andarrange within your “area of expertise”- which isdrumming, and drumming ONLY. Of course, the wayyou play and your unique feel will change and affectthe overall sound of the music, but you only haveinput regarding the final sound/mix of the record ifyou’re the producer.

dD: Clearly, you’re well known as an endorser ofacoustic drum and cymbal products, but you alsouse electronic percussion. Can you tell us aboutyour e-drum journey – what was your first exposureand what have you played over the years?

TL: My first drumset was a Sonor Concorde. Istarted with only a snare drum at age four and

added a single cymbal after a year. The next year, Igot a bass drum. The toms came only after I hadbeen playing for about three years. I then moved onto a Tama Imperialstar kit at around age 10, aYamaha 9000 Recording Custom at around 15 anda Sonor Signature at age 18.

I started endorsing Sonor drums at that time andplayed all kinds of different series over the years.

I finally switched to DW drums in 2010 after 20years with Sonor and I am extremely happy with thedrums and the service. DW are hands-down thebest drum company out there today.

I started using electronics very early on in about1990. I used the Dynacord ADD 1 and then theYamaha DTX systems throughout the early ‘90s. Assoon as Roland released the first TD-10, I joinedRoland as an endorser and I moved on to the TD-20and the TD-20SX which I still play today. Roland aresimply the best in the world of electronic drums.

I like both worlds, the electronic and the acousticworld, because they are so different and to me thereis just no comparison. Neither is better or worse;they are just different and both need to be masteredand understood. I love being able to switch backand forth between the two “worlds”.

dD: Besides the TD-20, what e-drum gear do youcurrently own and use – and how do you use it?

TL: I use the TD-20SX, an Octapad and an SPD-Spad. I use some components live when I am touring,like the Octapad or SPD-S pad, off to the side of anacoustic kit. Sometimes, I use some components,


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ddnov2011v2_Layout 1 14/10/11 9:21 PM

like just a kick pad and a snare pad, as add-ons tomy DW kit, and I also use the complete electronic kitfor some recording sessions and for solo drumperformances.

I also use the TD-20 often to rehearse and to recordat my home studio and I use it to practice on. It is anamazingly versatile working tool.

dD: How do you determine when to use acousticsand when to use e-drums?

TL: It depends entirely on the music and thesituation. The music always dictates the sound andfeel. I sometimes choose the V-drums because theyare quieter than acoustic drums for rehearsals, andsometimes because the sound is just so much morecontrolled and cleaner than an acoustic set. Fordance music or for industrial tracks, I would alwayslean towards the V-drums. For jazz, I would useacoustic drums and cymbals. For recordings ofmetal or rock, both types of kits would work and Ichoose depending on the circumstances andbudgets.

dD: I’ve seen pictures from your boot camps wherethe “classroom” is filled with e-drums. What do youuse for those and what benefits do you see from theuse of drums in teaching?

TL: The camp is only possible with - and because ofelectronic drums. The concept of my camp is eighthours of intensive drumming per day. The concept isbased on actual results that can only be achieved ifeveryone is actually drumming and playing alongwith me. In order to make it work and not exhaustthe students’ ears, I HAVE to use electronic drumssimply because I can turn the volume downgradually over the course of the day when people’sears are getting tired.Being exposed to loud noiseand high volumes for hours at a time is extremelytiring and stresses the mind and body.

If I played on acoustic drums in a small classroomwith the same intensity that the camp conceptrequires, the students would be unable to participateafter about an hour due to painful exposure to highvolume drumming.


Boot Camps giveenthusiasts a chance to get

close and personal withThomas Lang

ddnov2011v2_Layout 1 14/10/11 9:21 PM

The students play on practice pads and only I playon the Roland TD-20 V-drums. When I want to“blend in” with the students, I turn the volume down.When I need to “lead” the class, I turn the volume upslightly. If everybody played on amplified drums, itwould be a complete mess. Only I have an amplifiedkit, even when all the students have electronic kitsas well; in that case, they listen to themselves withheadphones while I am amplified for everyone tohear.

dD: Speaking of boot camps, you have beendescribed as the “king of clinics”, not just for thegreat content but also because of the number ofclinics you run: how many do you usually do eachyear and what geography does that span?

TL: Good question and I am very happy to clear thisup: I do VERY FEW clinics every year. Maybe atotal of one to five per YEAR! If it’s a busy year, Imight do somewhere between five and 10maximum. Usually, I don’t even do clinics per se, butdrum festivals. One year - 2004 - I did a LOT ofclinics to promote my DVD “Creative Control” and Iplayed about 220 clinics that year all over the world,on every continent and in 30-plus countries. Thatclinic world tour got a lot of international press andattention. I think that was the first time a lot ofpeople saw me play live or even heard my name -and from then on, associated me with clinics andassumed that’s what I do. But it is actually the

opposite. I played professionally for about 15 yearswith very popular acts and high-profile artists beforeI even considered doing a drum clinic. It was - andstill is - not a priority. Also, because I have releasedmany instructional DVDs and books, drummersassociate me with “clinics” and “teaching”, etc. Mostof the solo performances I do are not even clinicsbut solo performances at drum festivals orpercussive art festivals. My work is in recordingstudios and on the road with other artists as asideman, band member or session drummer. Theclinics and drum festivals are a very welcome breakfrom the norm and only a tiny part of my activities.

dD: What motivates you to keep on showing up infront of drummers of all skills and putting yourselfthrough the demands of teaching?

TL: My motivation is simply the demand for it andthe fact that I enjoy to share my concepts ifsomeone is genuinely interested. The boot camp isreally the only teaching I do and it is in anenvironment that has a strong “testosterone-driven”group dynamic which is very infectious. It is not one-on-one-type teaching and it doesn’t feel liketeaching to me; it feels more like jamming andplaying in a group of many drummers.

dD: Speaking of playing in a group, I have to askabout the recent audition for Dream Theater. Beforewe talk about that though, how long since you’vebeen in a band?


A frame from the YouTube video of the Dream Theater audition

ddnov2011v2_Layout 1 14/10/11 9:21 PM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L609JsPFmmI

TL: I am always in a band because I have alwaysgot solo projects and my own bands. My currentband is StOrk and our self-titled album is availableon iTunes and via www.muso-mart.com.

I also have a band named Schwarzenator in LosAngeles and I had a band named Save the Robotsfor many years. I also recorded various albums withmy band Kyo Co. So, I have always been in a band.

dD: So what about the Dream Theater gig? Wereyou disappointed that you didn’t make it in theaudition?

TL: No, I wasn’t disappointed at all. They werelooking for something different and I was happyto meet them and jam to give it a shot. I ampleased with the experience, not disappointed.

dD: The audition, for anyone who doesn’t know,was compiled into a documentary and screenedon YouTube. The process looked very stressfulfrom the video. What was it really like, with thecameras and crew and all the pressure ofputting on a good show for the video?

TL: The process wasn’t stressful, butchallenging and thorough.

It was, of course, very intense and a high levelof focus is required when you’re scrutinised andanalysed in front of cameras, but I am used tothis. I’ve been working in entertainment for 25years and cameras are omnipresent and I don’teven see them anymore.

I am often “put on the spot” in clinics and DVDshoots so this is not a new experience for me. Ijust tried to get to know the band to find out notonly if they like me, but also if I like them. Iwasn’t at all thinking about “putting on a show”,but instead I was trying to be who I am andnothing more.

dD: What do you think of your rivals and of thefinal selection?

TL: I don’t see my friends and peers as rivals.We are all good friends and I am happy Mike(Mangini) got the gig. It’s a great gig for him andit’s what the band was looking for, so it’s apositive outcome for everyone.

I love all the other guys’ playing and I havemuch love and respect for them all as myfriends and colleagues and I would have beenhappy to see any of the other guys get the gig.The audition is not just about drumming; thereare also many other, even more importantfactors to be considered in finding a new bandmember and their decision is a combination ofall of these. Musically, they were looking forsomeone to exactly play the old parts from therecord, not add personality and a new flavour tothe songs. I made the decision to add myflavour and that was a conscious decision fromthe beginning and I am happy with the outcomebecause I am a creative musician and I alwayswant to create, not re-create and the gigwouldn’t have been right for me in that sense.

dD: To end on a practical note: most of ourreaders are amateur drummers who like thetechnology of e-drums as much as the music.What advice would you have for them in termsof using their gear to become better drummers?

TL: I recommend concentrating on music,practicing, technique, expression, dynamics,personality, showmanship and creativity, NOTon equipment. Gear is always secondary. It canhelp to enhance your performance, but it is nota starting point to become a better drummer. Asthe saying goes: “You can’t polish a turd”.

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http://www.682drums.com/?utm_source=digitaldrummer&utm_medium=adv&utm_campaign=all

MY CONNECTION TO electronic percussion isprimarily through the Zendrum, a MIDI controllerworn like a guitar with 24 or more touch-sensitive,programmable pads containing piezo transducers.

My introduction to the instrument in 1995 wasactually a big blow to my own efforts to build asimilar instrument, the RP2000 Remote Percussioninstrument. Ours was just at the prototype stage,and though it was a work of art to behold, theZendrum advertisement made us realise how farbehind we were from these two guys in Atlanta. Oureight-pad, guitar-shaped novelty was no match forthe 24-pad, programmable beauty they were selling,and we set our project aside, gave them a call and Ibecame an immediate endorser of the instrument.

Over the years, I have had some very specialexperiences performing the Zendrum, and it hasopened so many doors for me that the drum kitnever could.

For instance, I performed on a late-night talk showon the WBTV Network. The show started on a verytight budget, and they needed a band that couldoccupy very little space, and because it was livetelevision, they needed it to be easy on the soundcrew, who were juggling a lot of sound issues on thefly. The Zendrum fitted the bill perfectly, and alongwith my brother’s keyboard rig and electric bass, wedid two-and-a-half memorable years of weekly livetelevision, and I picked up tons of fans who couldactually see me playing back there, instead of being

From time to time, digitalDrummer willshare the thoughts of professionaldrummers who use electronic percussion.This month, we hear from Rob Silverman.

How I use e-drums


--PERFORMANCE--

ddnov2011v2_Layout 1 14/10/11 9:21 PM

stuck behind a wall ofcymbals.

We were alsoselected many timesto open for our musicalheroes, largely because wecould get on and off stage quickly andnot disturb the headlining band’s gear after theyfinished sound checking. These included twoappearances with David Sanborn, the Yellowjackets,John Patitucci, the Rippingtons, David Benoit,Jennifer Batten, Al di Meola, Dave Weckl and manymore.

There have been some trying moments though. Mybrother’s wife found a case at a second-hand storethat she realised was the same basic dimensions asmy Zendrum, so she bought it for me. I had no ideawhat the case originally held, but it was a perfect fit

for one of myZendrums, and I

zipped it up andset it in my tour

rig.

Upon arriving at theairport security

screening, I placed mytwo Zendrums on the

belt and sent themthrough the machine. I

was immediately usheredaside by several screeners and told the‘instruments’ had come back positive for gunpowder.

Bottom line: don’t use a rifle bag to carry yourZendrum. All my instruments are nowcontaminated and I have to ship them separately!

ddnov2011v2_Layout 1 14/10/11 9:21 PM

--PERFORMANCE--

One of the common questions he fields at seminarsand meetings is about the “busy drummer syndrome”.Carl Albrecht explains that this doesn’t mean keepingthe calendar full of appointments, but rather thetendency towards “over-playing”.


DrummingDrummingfor the songfor the song

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OK, DRUMMERS, HERE’S the deal! Most peopledon’t want to hear a fill every two bars. They don’tcare how hard you’ve practiced to play those 32nd

note patterns or how you “nail” the solo from yourfavourite drum recording.

They just want you to PLAY THE SONG! Keep thetempo steady, and play the tune the way you hear iton the recording, AND THAT’S IT! (The capitalletters mean that I’m shouting - sorry, I mean“speaking with a strong emphasis”.)

So, why is it that so many drummers don’t get this?It is a mystery.

I always tell my students and clinic attendees to“Play music, NOT drums”. Serving the song andyour team is your primary objective. If you thinkthose things are supposed to serve you and giveyou a way to show off your “sweet drumming skills”,you’ve got it all wrong.

Now, I know I’m making a big deal out of this, but itIS a big deal. Making the song sound great isEVERY musician’s job. If that is your guide in beinga drummer, people will love your playing. If themusic calls for a lot of activity, then go for it. But ifit’s just playing grooves for tunes, then master thatskill, as well.

Every great drum icon I’ve seen and heard madethe whole band sound fantastic. They always playfor the song, and it is a magical experience.Drummers often think this requires too muchrestraint: “They must be bored out of their mind! Iwish they could really cut loose!” But, you know, the“regular” people listening never think of it like that.The non-musical folks are just enjoying andexperiencing the music.

So, how do you keep from falling into the “busydrummer syndrome”? The first thing I do is just copywhat has already been done. Listen to the originalrecordings and just do what they do. It’s that simple.And yes, SIMPLE is usually the operative word.Most songs are arranged very carefully. Check outany of your favourite artists or recordings and you’llhear what I mean. Intros, verses, choruses, etc. - allseem to have specific musical ideas happening.Play it just like that.

Yeah, I know, you’re thinking: “But Carl, that’ssooooooo boring!! I want to add some flash to it, putsome of my own personality into it! Man, I’ve got toexpress myself!”

Arghhhhhhhhh! Get over this attitude as soon aspossible. Express yourself at home! Blow off thatcreative drive during your practice time. Otherwise,just play the songs.

Doing a great job IS expressing yourself. It is themost mature thing you can do as a musician.Making great music and bringing the songs to life iswhat it’s all about. There is not one artist that I’veworked with that doesn’t feel the same way aboutthis subject.

Another way to battle this illness is to talk to yourband colleagues, worship leader or music directorand ask if what you’re playing is working for them. Ifyou’ve started with the recording as your reference,they’ll usually like what you are doing. But there aretimes they do want a little more activity just to addenergy to certain songs. Don’t get carried away,though. This is not permission for you to become a“drum monster”. Yes, you must ask them.Sometimes people are afraid to talk to you aboutyour playing because everyone knows how sensitivemusicians can be.

Recording your rehearsals and performances is alsoa great tool. Videotape it if you can, but dosomething so you can go back and check out how itwent. Be honest with yourself and take note of bothyour good and bad moments. Let others review yourrecording as well. Then, change anything you needto in order to make your performance even better.

Finally, practice groove ideas with a click track foreight bars without any changes. Only do fills at theend of an eight-bar phrase, and then maybe go to avariation of the groove for the next section. Do noteven do fills in the 4th measure. This is an exercisein restraint. Not physically difficult, but it can be areal mental challenge. Do it! Listen closely to howconsistent you are with EVERY element of yourplaying. Do the snare hits sound exactly alike? Isyour hi-hat pattern maintaining a steady pace? Doesthe bass drum perfectly line up with your hands andsound solid? Put your playing “under themicroscope” and perfect every element to the bestof your ability.

OK, so you say you’ve heard it all before, but areyou doing it? Are you really honing your musicalartistry? Do not become complacent or rest onyesterday’s accomplishments. Keep moving ahead.Improve what talent you already have.

Playing simple great grooves is NOT as simple youmay think. It takes a strong, mature player to do this.But the pay-off is amazing. The whole band is goingto sound better. Your singers are going to love howopen and spacious the tunes feel. And you shouldfeel more confident and solid in your performance.

Again, remember it’s all about the music. Playwhat’s right for the style of songs you’re doing andyou’ll be honoured amongst your peers.


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WHEN WE REVIEWED Native Instruments’ AbbeyRoad VST pack, I noted that NI had provided aheavily over-engineered host program in the form ofKontakt 4. Interestingly, NI’s latest offering, StudioDrummer, doesn’t actually run on Kontakt 4 andrequires the new Kontakt 5 engine. But thankfully, itdoes run on the free Kontakt Player 5, which is asimilar interface, without all the bundled soundlibraries.

What’s in the box?

Studio Drummer is quite large for a sample pack -over 17 GB of 24-bit drum samples, around 3,500grooves and fills (which you didn’t find with theAbbey Road products) and some high-poweredmixing capability.

At the core of the pack are three kits, each availablein full format or a “lite” version.

The big hitter is the Stadium Kit, a Pearl MastersPremium Maple kit consisting of a 22”x 8” maplebass drum, four maple toms and choice of twosnares – a 14”x7” Sonor Hilite maple snare or a14”x8” Masshoff Drums Big Chief steel cast snare.The cymbal line-up includes Masterwork hats, 22”ride, 18” and 20” crashes, an 18” Sabian China and10” Zildjian K splash.

The Session Kit is a Yamaha Maple CustomAbsolute kit with a 22”x16” bass, four maple tomsand two snare options, a14”x6.5” Masshoff DrumsAvalon steel cast snare or a 13”x5” Mapex BlackPanther. Masterwork dominates the cymbal pack,with 15” hats, 20” rise and 17” and 18” crashes, a20” China and 10” splash.

There’s also a Garage Kit, a A Sonor SQ2 DrumSystem with a 22”x20” kick, four SQ2 toms and twosnare choices: a 14”x5.5” Masshoff DrumsPoinciana steel cast snare or a 14”x6.5” LudwigClassic Maple Snare. Besides two Paiste crashesand the 16” Paiste hats, the cymbal selection ismostly Masterworks.

Each kit also has a dedicated tambourine, clave,cowbell and handclaps.

How it works

The first thing you’ll notice when opening the pack inPlayer 5 is the familiar multi-window set-up with aKit pane that includes a graphic representation ofthe drums and a few kit controls, including the abilityto alter the pitch of each piece as well as tweakingthe attack, hold and decay. Unlike many other VSTs,you can’t audition each piece by clicking on it - you

actually have to trigger it to hear the changes. Oneuseful feature is an A/B tab on the snare whichallows you to quickly flick between the two snareoptions in each kit.

The Grooves pane contains the MIDI groovesamples – 11 basic variations from Pop to Disco.Each of these has a bunch of different grooves atdifferent speeds, and some fills. Each of those, inturn, opens more drop-down choices. There is ahuge variety of samples and many of them are verygood – good enough to create just a tinge of envy.

The Mixer pane has more options than you canpoint a stick at – and certainly more than I’d everuse. There are the usual controls for mic levels on

Product review: Studio Drummer

--vst--


The Kit pane allows for the editing of kits,while the Mixer pane has lots of options.

ddnov2011v2_Layout 1 14/10/11 9:21 PM

each drum, plus overheads, stereoroom mics and a mono mic on theentire kit. If it’s too much choice, justselect one of the mix presets.

The tweaking options include a four-band EQ, bus compression, a transientmaster control, a tape saturator whichsimulates the harmonic compressionof analogue tape, and integratedConvolution Reverb.

I must admit I didn’t spend much time in this pane,preferring to flick between the presets where lots ofvariety was available.

The Options pane is really an extension of the Kitpane, and allows for MIDI mapping, selection ofnote articulations, and options to select and refinerandomisation.

The mapping selection is fairly broad, with presetsfor all the major maps out there – from Roland TD-12/20 to DrumIt Five and rival VST offerings likeBFD and Addictive Drums. Interestingly, there areno custom maps for Alesis or Yamaha.

How it plays

The kits are natural sounding and different enoughto justify the purchase. I like all three, but wouldprobably play it safe and use the Session Kit as thego-to drumset. It was lively and solid, with naturaltones and bright cymbals.

I liked the quick start-up and the easy switchingbetween kits. There’s no extended waiting while thepieces load, and by the time I’d changed the MIDIinput to ‘Omni’ (not sure why I had to do that eachtime I chose a kit), the pieces were all loaded andready to go.

I found the latency very low and perceptibly betterthan the Abbey Road product, perhaps indicatingthat the samples are a tad smaller. Theresponsiveness was excellent, including cross-stickand ride bell, and the only problem I encounteredwas overloading the system when trying to chokethe ride. But that was a memory allocation issue onthe computer which was easily rectified.

I played the pack using both a TD-20 kitand a Zendrum, and found itresponsive, dynamic and easy to play,with good sounds and lots of colour andshade through the various presets.

The verdict

The choice for those beginning the VSTjourney just got harder. This is a seriouscontender along with Addictive Drums,

BFDeco and Toontrack’s EZdrummer. LikeAddictive, the kits load quickly. But unlike thatproduct, Studio Drummer doesn’t require a separatehost purchase – you can simply use the free KontaktPlayer. It has about the same level of tweakability asBFDeco – more than EZdrummer. If you’re reallyinto grooves, then it probably lags the Toontrackoffering in that area.

The major drawback is limited kit piece selectionand you’re pretty much stuck with a kick, snare, fourtoms and the cymbal line-up (times three). Ofcourse, you can tune the individual instruments, butthere are fewer options than with the competitorswhich generally offer more kit piece choices.

The other shortcoming is the kit limitation, with onlythree drumsets offered in the pack. All the rivalshave a range of add-ons, and I suppose one couldconsider NI’s Abbey Road products as a sort ofenhancement, although they won’t be able toaccess the grooves, nor the enhanced tweaking.

But the bottom line is that for $169, you get a greatentry into the VST world with three very usable kits,more FX than your average home user will everneed and a bunch of grooves that will impress yourband mates and possibly offer something to practicewith.

Specifications:

Product: Studio Drummer

Procuder: Native Instruments

Requires: Kontakt 5 or Kontakt Player 5 (free)

Format: 6.8 GB download or boxed

Price: $169 (download)

For review suggestions, [email protected]


ddnov2011v2_Layout 1 14/10/11 9:21 PM

WHEN MANY E-DRUMMERS switch to using VSTs,they simply use their drum module to generate theMIDI data. This, of course, is overkill since nearly allof the module’s capability is bypassed.

A new software offering allows VST users to ditchthe module and plug their pads and cymbals straightinto their computer – provided they have theappropriate inputs.

DSP Trigger processes the audio from drum padsjust like a module, according to developer RobertJonkman. “However, because it’s a softwaresolution, it can draw on the enormous computerpower of a modern DAW and is able to analyse andprocess the audio in ways that are not possible in ahardware solution.”

The solution requires a VST host such as Cubase,Sonar or Repear.

Users also need an audio interface with enoughline-ins for each kit piece.

DSP works with all triggers, from single-zone DIYdrums to three-zone cymbals with chokes, butJonkman says the biggest gains are available whenusing mesh pads or cymbals.

“Regardless of the pad you are using, DSP givesyou powerful control over the MIDI it produces.Independent velocity curve control allows you tofine-tune the velocity curve of each articulation,allowing you to get the perfect feel andresponsiveness from your pads,” he says. “Just asdrum samplers offer you more control over thesounds produced by your kit, DSP offers you morecontrol over the MIDI that goes into your sampler.”

The plug-in was born out of Jonkman’s frustrationwith DIY pads and the limitations of his RolandHD-1.

“The HD-1 only allows for a single articulation foreach kit piece and, in pursuit of real-soundingdrums, that just wasn’t going to cut it. That’s when Iset out to do something about it. I figured if my earscan tell me if the pad has been struck on the heador the rim, then surely I can program a VST to dothe same,” he recalls.

He drew on his childhood computing experience andsome programming classes at university to developthe application which has had a fair bit of positiveresponse.

“Feedback has been great and many people havebeen contributing their input to help make it a betterprogram,” he says.

Jonkman, a Canadian currently based in Taiwan, isconscious that his offering will appeal to a nichemarket, but he’s confident that in the near future,“drum brains will move out of the hardware worldand into software domain as software processingoffers so many more possibilities”.

“I think we can expect drum brains to become smalltouchscreen devices with embedded softwaresystems. So in that regard, I think DSP Trigger is onthe cutting edge of something really big.”

DSP Trigger is currently on version 1.3, with a freeversion also available for download. A Mac versionwas recently added and a 64 bit will be availableshortly. And while Jonkman continues to tweak theapplication, his biggest ambition at the moment is tospend more time behind the kit than behind thecomputer keyboard. “I’m also a musician, so I’mgoing to keep working on music,” he says, pointingout that he’s “been spending way too much timesitting in front of my computer”.

Ditch the module


--vst--

ddnov2011v2_Layout 1 14/10/11 9:22 PM

VSTVSTVSTVST

Question: My laptop has a stereo mini-jackoutput, but my amp has a mono quarter-inchinput. If I just get an adaptor, I lose one outputchannel. What should I do?

Answer: STOP! Using your computer’s mini-jack is going to open you up for a lot ofinterference and noise. It is OK to useheadphones, but as soon as you add an amp,you‘re opening a big can of worms. Irecommend getting a simple audio/MIDIinterface. There are a few benefits. The audiosignal will be at the proper level to use with anamplifier and it will be a better isolated signalthat will keep interference out of the equationand allow for a much cleaner and nicer playingexperience. You don’t need to spend much. ThePreSonus AudioBox costs less than $150 andincludes a version of their software DAW.

Question: I see the major VST makers are nowoffering pared-back versions of their mainproducts. Are these starter packs enough to getme going, or will I need something else as well?

Answer: Yes. Programs like BFD Eco andEZdrummer are slimmed down, but have morethan enough features to get you up andrunning.

Question: I notice on the forums that peopleseem to be running their VSTs with a bunch ofother applications, but I’ve just been using theengine that came bundled in. Why are otherguys using things like ProTools, Reaper,GarageBand or Ableton Live?

Answer: The programs that you havementioned are DAWs and allow you to use thesame set of basic tools that are available toeveryone in the world of live and studio music.Depending on the drum VST program, youmight be required to have a host, unless the

program functions in stand-alone mode. Asidefrom that, using a DAW will allow you to not justplay drums, but make music! Even if you arejust playing along with a recording of yourfavourite bands, a DAW will allow you tocombine that tune with your drum VST. At thispoint, you can even record yourself. Even if youare not going to become a recording musician,it is a great tool to be able to record yourselfand listen back to what you just played.

These questions have a common theme that Iwould like to reinforce. In addition to a drumVST, it is a good idea to get your hands on asimple audio/MIDI interface. Besides making lifea little easier for your computer, the benefits ofbetter sound and introducing yourself to theconcepts of working with a DAW, even a freeone, is worth the extra little bit of money.

Question: What are articulations and are theyany use to e-drummers? What’s the point of aflam sound when I can just play a flam myself?

Answer: There are a lot of differentarticulations available as part of VST samplepacks. Those are essential to non-drummers,but that doesn’t mean that e-drummers can’tuse them to their advantage. A perfect exampleis using the snare “drag” articulations in BFD2to play buzz rolls with a Zendrum. E-drummersare just now starting to embrace the quality andflexibility of VST drum programs. The rest ofthe music community has been using theseprograms for a lot longer and those articulationsare crucial to programming a good part. Asdrummers, we can use those extra articulationsto further enhance our performance andcreative side.○ Send your VST questions to

[email protected]


VST Q&A

E-drum guru John Emrich is back to answer

more VST questions from readers.

ddnov2011v2_Layout 1 14/10/11 9:22 PM

AD Jazz Songwriters Bundle xlnaudio has bundled its two Jazz Adpaks into a combineddownload product with a significant price discount.The pack contains a13-piece jazz kit, played with both brushesand sticks. The samples are based on a Premier Gen-X drumset and a Ludwig Acrolite snare drum famous for its rich soundand tone. The drums have been tuned up slightly for a ModernJazz sound and played with both sticks and brushes, with twodifferent bass drums - an 18”x14” and a 22”x18”.The pack consists of 600-plus live-recorded rhythms and 60 crispproduction presets.The bundle represents a saving of around $30.Price: $99Information: www.xlnaudio.com

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DRUMASONIC 1.5Drumasonic has released version 1.5, which allows for mixerpresets to be saved to a file or loaded from a file. The optionspage has been redesigned. The new version also features a“Random Velocity” control and six new “Random Pitch” controlsfor pitching up or down any instrument within a user-definablerange. There’s also new mapping functionality with presets forvarious e-drum systems. The update also allows up to eight keys to beassigned to each articulation (instead of one). Hi-hat triggering has beenfurther refined and a new snare “WiresOff” triggering option included.Drumasonic is a high-end sample pack download that contains a single kitrecorded in two room settings. Price: €99Information: www.drumasonic.com

New products


ddnov2011v2_Layout 1 14/10/11 9:22 PM

DRUMS ARE AN important part of the mixbecause they help establish the groove. WhereI place the drums in a mix often depends on thegenre of music. Generally, in my mixes, thedrums are out front because I like to quicklyestablish a groove so the listener can quicklyconnect with the song on a rhythmic level.Drums also help create or maintain a certainenergy level in the song. For example, in rock,country and pop mixes, drums are moreprominently featured in the chorus than theverses. On the other hand, electronic/dancemixes feature driving drums throughout theentire song to maintain a consistent energylevel.

Here are some of my tips and tricks for makingthe drums sound just right in the mix:

* Kick and snare should be the focus of thedrum mix.

* A lot of reverb and decay can be derived fromthe overhead mics and room mics.

* I’m not a fan of using gates on drums; Itypically spend a lot of time with the trackingengineer making sure that the bleed is minimalin order to avoid using gates.

* Keep a tight control over the bass of the kit;people tend to overcompensate by adding a lotof bottom to toms and snares and thiseventually leads to drowning out the drums.

* Creative use of compression on overhead,room and drum buzz mics gives the drumsmore pop and presence when used correctly.

And a few things to avoid:

* Stop drummers playing between takes! Haha.

* Avoid overplaying or underplaying - but this isreally dependent on the circumstances.

* A particular bugbear is overplaying the hi-hat.This bleeds into the snare microphone andreally drives me crazy!

* Nothing can kill a drummer’s momentum asmuch as “over-producing” a take.

Ultimately, a great production is a sum of allparts, including the song, musicians, engineers,studios, etc. The drums certainly are a keyelement of a song, but improper mixing of thedrums is a sure way to ruin a track. All elementsof the track should ultimately support the vocal -nothing should be competing. However, a vocalthat is supported by a solid groove can reallyemphasise the song’s meaning and impact.

Allen Morgan’s Music City Presets was

released as an add-on to Toontrack’s

Superior Drummer 2.0 system.

The right balanceElectronic drumming is not just about triggers andmodules. Increasingly, thanks to VSTs, e-drummersare getting involved in music production and mixingtheir drums into music tracks. Award-winningproducer Allen Morgan offers some practical tips.

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--recording--


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SAMPLER INSTRUMENTS ARE simply cleverrecorders that let you play back samples in amusical way.

Anything that can be heard can be sampled. If yourdevice has a microphone input, it can be as simpleas connecting a mic and grabbing samples live or inthe studio. You could also use the stereo line inputsto grab high-quality sound from DJ consoles ormixing desks, from an iPod, CD or tape. Mobilephones can be a great way to quickly create somelo-fi gems.

Filter or EQ ‘em

Filtering can work wonders on hard-to-hear vocal

samples, for example. An individual’s spoken voicemay only use a thin bandwidth of frequency range,so filtering out the unnecessary high and lowfrequencies will improve clarity. You could use aHPF (high pass filter) to let frequencies only above acertain value ‘pass’ through. Setting a HPF ataround 90Hz for male and 120Hz for female voicesis quite effective for removing rumble or heavypopping that rob valuable audio ‘power’ (loudness).

If a noisy vox sample is a problem, you can use oneof the many noise reduction plug-ins out there - butbeware that they can also cause unwanted side-effects that can sound unnatural. A softer, moremusical option would be to use a LPF (low pass

Just a sampleJust a sample

With the release of Roland’s updated SPD-SX, it’s a

good time to look at sampling, and who better to do it

than digitalDrummer super-tweaker Simon Ayton?


--tweaking--P

HO

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ddnov2011v2_Layout 1 14/10/11 9:22 PM

filter) to effectively block frequencies above a certainvalue; in other words, ‘passing’ lower frequenciesbelow the selected value. You could also use EQ tohone in on the musical part of the sample to help itcut through the mix.

Top and tail ‘em

In order to get a nice clean sample with no lag at thestart, you need to make sure any excess sampledata is removed at the beginning. It’s important notto remove too much. Even though a kick waveformhas its fundamental attack when the beater hasfinally reached its final travel, for example, the datajust before the main spike is very important fortiming and to get the natural sound of the kick. Thebeater’s first contact with the head creates an initialvibration that, although quite low level, isfundamental to the sound of the drum. Trimming itcan make the kick come in too early which createstiming problems and can upset the feel of the track.

A nifty trick when trimming the start of a sample is toplay it back at a much lower pitch than the originalas this gives you much more time to hear the gap atthe start and also makes it easier to hear any clicksthat may be present.

The end or ‘tail’ of the sample should also betrimmed where the waveform flatlines. You maywant to consider trimming a little more off the tail ofcymbals if you don’t need the full 30 seconds or soof sustain. You can always use the ‘fade out’ toolfound in your audio editor to fade the cymbal outover a time that suits how it’ll be played.

Loop ‘em

When editing samples that will be played in a loop -either one that starts with a hit, loops indefinitely andstops with another hit or a one-shot loop that you’llbe retriggering each time you need it - it’s crucialthat you edit the sample with this in mind. Mostaudio editors have a looping function or evendedicated loop ‘cross-fading’ function that lets youmove the start and end points so as to achieve aperfectly looping sample. Remember to enable ametronome click (if available) to make sure the loop

is even all the way through. On loops you’vegrabbed from a record for example, you may needto cut and move parts of the sample to bring theentire loop into line as the original may not be inperfect time and that can cause problems. There aremany ways of fixing; for example, with software thatanalyses the pulse of the beat and creates hit pointswhich can be simply stretched to fit the beats of thebar.

De-click ‘em

Clicks occur when the start or end of a sample is cutwhere the waveform still has amplitude. The sudden‘on’ or ‘off’ of the sample is what creates the click.This can be avoided by making sure you adjust yoursample trim points to where the waveform actuallycrosses the X-axis. Most editing software programslet you ‘snap to zero crossings’ in the preferences tohelp avoid this problem [see above].

ddnov2011v2_Layout 1 14/10/11 9:22 PM

http://www.musiciansrecommend.com/219-25-3-41.html


Normalise ‘em

Sure, you can select the entire waveform and apply

‘normalise’, but while this ensures that the sample’s

peak amplitude is the same as another’s, it’s very

important to note that this does not mean all

normalised samples will necessarily have the same

volume level. Human perception of loudness is not

linear and dependent on the frequency of the sound.

Harvey Fletcher and Wilden A. Munson did

extensive research on this back in 1933 and tabled

their findings in their ‘Fletcher-Munson Curves’

which have since been revised and are referred to

as ‘Equal-Loudness Contours’. These demonstrate

how frequency or ‘pitch’ affects perceived volume.

If you have vastly different samples which you are

trying to level, you may have more success

normalising in ‘Average Level’ mode, sometimes

called ‘RMS’ or ‘Loudness’.

Still the best way to set up your samples for live use

is to run your sample playback device through the

venue’s sound system and adjust each sample to

suit the venue and musical context in which you will

use them. Of course, this can be tedious, especially

if you’ve skimped on preparing your samples first.

Setting levels can be made easier by simply

adjusting the individual ‘pad’ volumes on your

device so that you don’t have to do any waveform

editing and you can also save these unique volume

settings as a ‘patch’ with a different name – say, for

the name of the song or even venue so you can

easily recall it and try different settings out at the

show during sound-check.

DC offset

Contrary to how it sounds, this is not some tax for

District of Columbia residents, but applies to all

citizens of the world. If a waveform is not centred or

‘biased’ around 0.0 on the x-axis, editing can be

difficult. DC offset can occur during the recording

process, especially with lower-end recording gear or

when recording into a laptop’s audio input; for

example, where there may be some processing or

signal noise on the input.

Roland should soon start shipping its new SPD-SX, the revamped

sampling pad replacement for the SPD-S.

Perhaps the biggest upgrade is in memory – the SX

has 2 GB internal memory, where its predecessor

had 515 MB.

The extra memory allows for increased polyphony –

20 voices (effectively 16) instead of eight voices on

the S – and more recordable wave slots (10,000 on the

SX; 500 on S). It also means 360 minutes of mono

samples – up from 12 minutes in the previous version.

The SX also gets 20th century connectivity through expanded

USB functionality (USB mass storage, USB MIDI/AUDIO, USB

memory). USB connectivity and the ability to add external USB

storage is a far cry from the ageing CompactFlash Card Slot on the S.

Users will also welcome the addition of the bundled Wave Manager

software app that is used to import audio files directly from computer via USB, assign the samples to each

pad, and organise the thousands of samples efficiently.

There’s a beefed up large backlit LCD, while each of the nine pads now has a dedicated LED that

illuminates to show the pad’s status. The LEDs even get brighter or dimmer according to audio levels.

Another enhancement is the inclusion of three multi-effects units: one master unit and two units that are

assignable per kit.

Of course, these improvements and a bunch of other changes come at a price, with the new device

launched at US$799 – around $250 above the street price of the older model. But already SPD-S owners

are selling their current models and ordering the new one, so many clearly do see the price hike as

justified.

digitalDrummer will include a full review when production units become available. - Allan Leibowitz

SPD-SXtra features, Xtra cost

ddnov2011v2_Layout 1 25/10/11 12:00 PM


You may want to zoom in on a silent section of yoursample and check to see if the waveform lies on thex-axis. If it’s sort of hovering above, you’ve got a DCoffset which you should correct by selecting theentire waveform and choosing ‘remove DC offset’ orsimilar from the edit menu of your sample editprogram before resaving it.

Mess with ‘em

I know DC offset removal and normalising arepractical but dull, so it’s important to know that greataudio savagery is to be had by applying all sorts ofprocesses to audio to create entirely new sounds.Favourite manoeuvres are to apply heavy filtering,distortion, EQ or compression to drum loops, forexample, but you can also create fantasticatmospheric sounds by simply stretching samplesway beyond their normal length and then applyingreverb or to create drawn-out but melodic weirdnessby applying heavy noise reduction, then slowingthem down. Experimentation with the built-in effectsof your software can open your ears to new ideasand rhythms and you may even learn some fabuloustricks for your next musical masterpiece.

Batch edit ‘em

The lazy person’s way of doing lots of things at onceto multiple files, and also called ‘batch convert’, thisfeature of many editing programs can save hugeamounts of time when you need to do the samething to all your samples. You simply choose thetypes of processing you want to apply and then giveit a ‘source’ folder where your files are (maybe onyour hard disk?) and ‘destination’ folder where youwant the final files to go (maybe on your sampleplayback devices memory card or USB stick?).Typical operations you could apply in one go maybe: remove DC offset; HP filter everything above50Hz (remove all below 50Hz); convert from monoto stereo; convert sample rate and dither from 96Kto 44.1KHz and convert from 24 to 16 bit. Prettymuch any processing function or application of anyplug-in effect is possible. You can also save theseoperations so you can recall them again in thefuture, freeing you up to put more energy intoworking out how you are actually going to play allthose samples while keeping the beat. That part, I’llhave to leave to you but I’m sure you’re up for thechallenge!

Top 10 Tips#1: Always get clearance on samples taken fromother people’s work! You may get clearance byfinding out the work’s owner through your nationalperforming rights association and sending the ownera letter requesting permission to use a certain lengthof their work. Sometimes, there may be a fee andsometimes they may just want a mention on youralbum - both of which could potentially save youfrom losing any of your smash hit’s revenue andmore.

#2: Stick to short and succinct naming of eightcharacters or less for your samples, starting with thecategory of sound, then type and number. Thismakes searching by category possible and groupsall your similar sounds together. An example for alight record noise sample could be ‘rcrdnslt’ and adrum loop ‘drlpfnk1’. This makes searching forsamples right before a show sooo much easier!

#3: Trim any silence at the start of your samples soyou get an instant start with no delay when triggeredand be sure to get rid of extra long tails that couldtake up valuable polyphony and sample memory.

#4: Use ‘RMS’ normalising on samples to bettermatch perceived ‘loudness’ between samples.

#5: Get a decent sample editing program and learnits functions well.

#6: Save your effects settings in your software soyou can easily repeat certain favourite effects.

#7: Use your program’s batch converter to savetime and your mouse click finger.

#8: Back up your work to two separate locations. Besure to save all your samples on a separate drive ormemory stick that is stored safely. Saving samplesonto a disk or USB stick alone is not a back-upunless they are in another location as well.

#9: If you are unsure how you will use a sample,record it dry without FX. Modern sample playbackunits offer a wealth of possibilities to effect thesamples later and mid performance.

#10: Experiment with the different permutationspossible by triggering samples on different beats ofthe bar, not just the down beats. You can createsome very interesting polyrhythms this way.

ddnov2011v2_Layout 1 14/10/11 9:22 PM


Tom holds a secretUsually, our DIY section consists of a readerquestion answered by our resident DIYexpert. This month, however, our readersubmission is actually a suggestion.

EZIO FILIÈ FROM Rome, Italy has come up with aunique module housing by using some of theunneeded space inside a floor tom.

Paired with his Diamond Electronic Drums kit, Filièhas converted a 16”x16” floor tom to accommodatea Roland TD-12 module, a computer, a 10”touchscreen monitor and Sony digital recorder.

The innovative design sees the tom cut in two anddivided into a main section and a hinged lid part inwhich the screen is mounted.

The bottom section has the computer at the bottomand the module mounted above on a plexiglassshelf.

Filiè used an older IBM Netvista computer with itscasing removed and has had excellent resultsrunning the low-resource Addictive Drums VST. He’sfound the 1.8Ghz processor and 1 GB of RAMsufficient for the application, but is not ruling out anupgrade to a more powerful PC in the future to runSD2 and BFD2.

The converted tom is purely used to house theelectronics and is not triggered.

But with a Diamond kit that includes a 13”x5” snare,10”x5” and 12”x5” rack toms and 13”x14” and

14”x16” floor toms, Filiè is not short of triggers.

The module housing is covered in the same silverglitter wrap used on the rest of the kit. Diamond alsosupplied matching lugs and legs so that the moduleholder would fit in seamlessly with his kit.

Filiè says the unit was built for personal use and hehas no plans to make any more, but he continues tomodify the design to improve ventilation and allowfor better access to the wiring.

If you have a DIY question or suggestion, send itto [email protected] for a chance to

win some Jman stealth components.

--diy--

ddnov2011v2_Layout 1 14/10/11 9:22 PM

Leading the Performance Envelope

HART DYNAMICS, INC.

www.hartdynamics.com

[email protected] [email protected]

USA Toll Free: 800.769.5335 International: + 850.279.4738

MyMONSTERkit

Timo’s rail and cone system has been installedin a 1993 Tama Artstar Esprit kit. The 36-year-old has played metal, punk and gothic rock overthe past 19 years and regularly postsperformances on YouTube.Drums:14“x5“ Drum-tec snare Two 22“x16“ bass drums10“x10“, 12“x11“,13“x12“ and 16“x15“toms Cymbals:Roland VH-12 hi-hatRoland CY-15 rideTwo Roland CY-14crashesFive Roland CY-5sModule: Roland TD-20Hardware:Gibraltar RackRemote hi-hat

Accessories:Roland PM-30 monitor systemBehringer Eurorack MX802A 8-Track Mixer(“and two pink baby shoes from my lovelydaughter on the bass drums”)Timo’s story:I play the drums just for fun. The reason forswitching from an acoustic kit to e-drums wasRoland products. In combination with the TD-

20 module, my kit was the perfect solution forme to play the drums without disturbing myneighbours. I took my old 1993 Tama ArtstarES Kit and I built my own customised hybridkit which looks like an acoustic kit and

sounds really good.

I started with rim-mounted external triggers, butthe results weren´t good enough, so I began tobuild my own trigger bars, which are mountedinside the drums.

Check out Timo and his kit on YouTube.

This month’s monster is a DIY hybrid built by Timo Zennerof Merzig in Germany.

--gear--


ddnov2011v2_Layout 1 14/10/11 9:22 PM

http://www.youtube.com/user/TimoPlaysDrums

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Timo with his kit (above).

The double-bass 1993 Tama ArtstarEsprit kit has DIY internal triggers, meshheads and an additional Drum-tec snare.The baby shoes are not triggered!

ddnov2011v2_Layout 1 14/10/11 9:22 PM

MESH HEADS AUXILIARY TRIGGERS

ADVANCED TRIGGERS E-DRUM SUPPLIES


gearGuide

ddnov2011v2_Layout 1 6/10/11 12:13 PM

http://www.billyblastdrums.com

http://www.crappytriggers.com

http://www.pintechworld.com

AUXILIARY TRIGGERS CONVERSION KITS

CUSTOM DRUMS SOUND SOURCE


gearGuide


DIY just got easier thanks to the new QuartzPercussions harness-mounted trigger system.

The dual-zone model includes a 35mm triggermounted on an adjustableharness and a 35mm piezoconnected to a ¼” femalestereo jack.

Mono versions and column-type shape triggers are alsoavailable for the easiestconversion of toms and bass drums.

The harness system builds on the success of thereliable and popular Quartzcone triggers, precision-madefor perfect triggering.

See us on YouTube or find outmore and place your orders atwww.quartzpercussions.com

Simply the bestSimply the bestThe Cowpaddy Electronic Drum AccessoryThe Cowpaddy is an Accessory Drum Trigger

that can fit just about anywhere withouthaving to rearrange your set. The

Cowpaddy is made of a foam that isrubber coated, so it’s easy on the

Wrists and Hands. With 1/4" Mono JackCable or the Optional Stereo "Y" cable, it can

be used as the Main or Auxiliary Trigger from any DualTrigger input on your Module. The Cowpaddy can beattached to any Rack Mount L-Rods or Cymbal stands up to1/2" in Diameter. Choose between a single Cowpaddy or aspecial Dual CowpaddyDrum Trigger Accessory,complete with "Y"Cable. And now theHand Drum, Dual CowpaddyCowabongo allows you to have a Hand Drum incorporatedwith your Electronic Set.To order, email [email protected].

ddnov2011v2_Layout 1 6/10/11 12:13 PM

http://cgi.ebay.com/COWPADDY-COWABONGO-ELECTRONIC-HAND-DRUM-TRIGGER-/310315745255?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item4840427fe7

http://cgi.ebay.com/COWPADDY-COWABONGO-ELECTRONIC-HAND-DRUM-TRIGGER-/310315745255?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item4840427fe7

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lTeUHvwZ4RI

http://cgi.ebay.com/DUAL-COWPADDY-ELECTRONIC-DRUM-PAD-TRIGGER-COWBELL-/310240776440?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item483bca90f8#ht_1467wt_1137

http://www.diamondelectronicdrums.com

http://www.alternatemode.com

MESH HEADS ACCESSORIES

DIY KITS MARKETING


gearGuide

To order in Australia, click here

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ddnov2011v2_Layout 1 7/10/11 4:41 PM

http://www.edrumarket.com/hart_heads.html

http://issuu.com/digitaldrummer/docs/advertising_info_2011

http://www.hansenfutz.com

digitalDrummer is a combined effort, bringing together the expertise and experience of electronicdrummers, industry professionals and experienced writers. Here are some of the people whomade this edition happen ...

CARL ALBRECHT

Carl Albrecht has been a professional drummer and percussionist for over 30years, working on a range of Christian, pop, country, jazz and commercialprojects. He currently lives in Nashville doing recording sessions, producing andwriting, as well as continuing to do various tours and seminar events. His arsenalincludes Yamaha electronic drumming gear.

SIMON AYTON

Simon Ayton is the V-Drums and percussion specialist for Roland Australia. Hebegan drumming in 1983 and trained as an audio engineer. Simon’s drummingcan be heard on more than two dozen albums and film soundtracks, ranging frommetal to electronic and folk, and he is currently working on two new solo albums.He shares his intimate knowledge of module-tweaking and amplification.

JOHN EMRICH

John Emrich specialises in live and studio drumming, music production services,drum programming, original scores and arrangements, sound design and jingles,remote recording and event support, digital editing and mixing and productdevelopment, and has been responsible for many award-winning sample librariesfor the BFD2 platform as well as sound development for drum modules

DUNCAN MITCHELL

Duncan Mitchell is a director of Access Drumming, a Brisbane specialist retailer.He has been drumming since the age of five, starting in school marching bands.He joined his first rock band at 16, has worked for a number of music retailers,played in various original and covers bands and continues to swing the stickswhen he’s not helping enthusiasts.

ALLEN MORGAN

Los Angeles-based producer Allen Morgan owns “allenmorganaudio”, whichmixes and produces for clients in multiple musical genres. He has worked onsessions for Art Garfunkel, Limp Bizkit, R. Kelly, Creed, Led Zeppelin’s John PaulJones and producer Dallas Austin. He has produced a number of presets forToontrack’s Superior Drummer series.

ROB SILVERMAN

Rob Silverman is the author of several books for drum instruction, including thebest-selling "Drumset 101" and "Secrets of the Greats." He also performs with thegroup "The Classical Jazz Quartet." Rob is endorsed by Zendrum, but also playsa Roland kit as well as acoustic drum kit. Learn more atwww.robsilvermandrums.com.

Let’s hear it for the band ...--contributors--


ddnov2011v2_Layout 1 6/10/11 12:13 PM

Missed a review?Using the search function and the archive option, you can

search back issues for any content, including our reviewsand head-to-head comparisons.

January 2010

Reviews:

Yamaha DTX M-12

Korg Wavedrum

Roland TD-8

Comparatives:

Amps and Powered Speakers

April 2010

Reviews:

Diamond Electronic Drums 12” snare

Crappy Triggers external triggers

Jman cymbal conversion kit

Comparatives:

Mesh heads

Headphones

July 2010

Comparatives:

External Triggers

Racks

October 2010

Reviews:

Roland HPD-10

JamHub

682Drums e-conversion kit

Comparatives:

Double pedals

Notation software

February 2011

Comparatives:

Drumsticks

E-cymbals (stick noise)

Cymbal VSTs – Bosphorus vs Zildjian

May 2011

Review:

DrumIt Five 2box kit

Comparatives:

Auxiliary triggers

E-cymbals (crashes)

August 2011

Reviews:

Gen 16 AE cymbals

Native Instruments Abbey Road IV

The Classic

Addictive Drums

Virtually Erskine

Comparatives:

Drop-in trigger kits

Mesh heads

In-ear monitors

Here is a summary of our reviews to date:

Your definitive guide to e-drum gear

ddnov2011v2_Layout 1 6/10/11 2:23 PM Page 21

http://wwwidigitaldrummermag.com

digitaldrummer november 2011

Documents

issue of digitaldrummer

drum tech

audio mix

different mix

nondrummers perspective

couple ofprofessional

featured inan article

ambient sound level