Digitaldrummer Febr 2018

digitalDrummer_Feb_2018.
qxp_Layout 3 28/1/18 11:54 am Page 1
Edition 33 • February 2018 US$10
Hakim
makin’
waves
Zarzeka
Ben Todd TM-6 debuts
NAMM PRO aDrums
Emily test
D. Davies
digitalDrummer_Feb_2018.qxp_Layout 3 28/1/18 11:54 am Page 2
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welcome
CREDITS HYBRID DRUMMING HAS been around for a while, although

the name is relatively new. In fact, this month’s featured artist,
DigitalDrummer Omar Hakim, has been blending electronics and acoustics
ABN: 61 833 620 984 almost from the start of his career.
30 Oldfield Place Hakim’s fascination with things electronic is only part of his
Brookfield Q 4069 amazing story, and it was an education to interview the man
whose beats have accompanied some iconic hits of our time –
AUSTRALIA
from Bowie to Madonna, via Weather Report and Hugh
editor@digitaldrummermag.com Masekela. Not only do the big names trip off his lips, but Hakim
www.digitaldrummermag.com is a virtual gear encyclopaedia, trotting off a list of equipment
Editor & Publisher
he has used that would be the envy of a modern technology
museum.
Allan Leibowitz The hybrid theme, which digitalDrummer identified as a trend
Sub-Editor a few years ago, continues in our report on the 2018 Winter
Solana da Silva NAMM Show, the music industry showcase which just
wrapped up in Anaheim, California.
Contributors
Roland, having captured plenty of interest with its compact
Scott Holder TM-2 trigger module designed to add a few electronic sounds
Tobi Hunke to acoustic kits, stepped it up with a big brother module – the
TM-6. This unit is a TM-2 on steroids, with six stereo inputs, a
Raul Vargas
TD-50 sound engine and a bunch of custom new sounds
Roger Whitsett recorded just for this project.
Tyler Zarzeka Roland seems to have taken inspiration (at least) from
Yamaha’s new EAD10 trigger/mic hybrid solution with its new
Cover Photo
trigger format, the RT-micS which also combines a traditional
Roland US trigger with a mic. And perhaps inspired by the drem trigger
Design and layout which debuted at NAMM last year, the new RT also has
onboard samples.
‘talking business’
Our bumper edition includes a full report on the US trade
Support digitalDrummer show.
You’ll also find details of our Readers’ Choice awards. It was a
very competitive field this year, and some winners clinched
If you like what you’re reading,
victory by a narrow margin – but others romped home.
please make a donation. On the gear front, we have some much-requested reviews,
including the new Simmons flagship kit, the ATV aDrums artist
.
kit and the Yamaha EAD10 set-up. It’s a busy time for us,
thanks to the plethora of new gear, and we’ll have lots of
interesting equipment on our test beds in the weeks ahead –
Founding member especially as the NAMM instruments start shipping.
We continue to publish some valuable reader contributions,
including Roger Whitsett’s description of his in-ear monitoring
set-up – a response to often-asked questions from e-
Copyright or wrong: drummers. And from Finland, Jukka ‘Fatalii’ Kilpinen shares
Forget the legalese and just play some great pictures of his Monster Kit.
fair! We work hard to produce If there’s something you would like to write about, drop me an
digitalDrummer. Please respect email. Likewise, please reach out if there’s something in
that and don’t rip off our content. In particular you would like us to cover.
this age of electronic publishing, it’s
obviously tempting to “borrow” other
people’s work, and we are happy to
share our stuff — but please ask first
and be sure to include a link back to
our website on anything published
elsewhere.
editor@digitaldrummermag.com
digitalDRUMMER, February 2018 3
inside
digitalDrummer FEBRUARY 2018
Advanced Trigger Variants

6 ATV’s long-awaited pad, cymbal and hardware pack is now
shipping, giving the fledgling e-drum company a complete
offering
A bit of this, a bit of that, a lot of fun

12
It’s been a while since we saw a new electronic offering for
Yamaha, but its latest product takes drumming to a new place.
Simmons flagship tested

16
Simmons has made a lot of its new direction and Scott Holder
checked it out to see if the SD2000 kit lives up to the build-up.
Preferred products and people

24
Our readers have spoken, with some clear winners in this
year’s Readers’ Choice awards.
Wham, bam, NAMM

28
The annual NAMM Show in Anaheim, California is closely
watched by e-drum enthusiasts keen to see what innovations
await. And this year, there were a few surprises, as Allan
Leibowitz reports.
34 Profile: Omar Hakim

New Yorker Omar Hakim has accompanied some of the biggest
names in music, from Carly Simon to David Bowie. And
wherever he goes, he uses technology to enhance and expand
his playing options.
4 www.digitaldrummermag.com
How I use e-drums

44
Touring with Noah Cyrus, Tyler Zarzeka uses electronics to
blend recorded sounds with his acoustic drums.
46 Mixing with the best

Monitoring e-drums is sometimes a challenge, particularly when
you’re performing live. Roger Whitsett shares his tried-and-
tested solution.
48 SPD-SX meets Ableton Live

The recent update of the Roland SPD-SX range with an SE
model has rekindled interest in the multipad. This provides a
good opportunity for Tobi Hunke to explore its capabilities with
its bundled DAW.
52 Jazzing it up
In this month’s training program, Raul Vargas looks at a genre
not often played with e-drums.
My Monster Kit
54
We head to chilly southern Finland for this month’s monster kit,
courtesy of Jukka ‘Fatalii’ Kilpinen.

gear
dvanced
rigger
ariants
ATV’s long-awaited pad, cymbal and hardware

pack is now shipping, giving the fledgling e-drum
company a complete offering. Allan Leibowitz
tested the aDrums artist kit.
FOLLOWINg ON FROM its debut aD5 drum The drums

module, ATV first showed its aDrums kit at
NAMM in January 2017 and began global The first thing you notice is the size of the
shipping late last year. shells: this is an acoustic-size kit with real birch
shells and finished in piano black lacquer. The
What’s in the box downside of that dark, glossy finish is that it
shows every fingerprint, so if you’re OCD, you
The kit is currently available in a basic
might need gloves – at least during set-up. The
configuration and an ‘expanded’ model with an
drums look and feel substantial, robust and
extra tom and cymbal. I reviewed the standard
built to last.
seven-piece kit.
The 18” kick, with mesh heads on both sides,
The kit ships in three boxes, meticulously
has just enough presence without the bulk of a
packed to ensure the pieces arrive in pristine
‘full size’ 20” or 22” bass drum. I did have to
condition – down to double-bagging of the
shorten the beater on my kick pedal to ensure
drums.
that it struck the centre of the head, but that
The kit is built around an 18”x12” kick and was no hardship.
includes a 13”x5.5” dual-zone snare, a
The toms present fair-sized playing surfaces –
10”x6.5” rack tom, a 13”x12” floor tom, a 14”
10” for the rack tom which mounts on a ball-
three-zone hi-hat and controller, a 16” three-
joint attachment on a cymbal stand and 13” for
zone crash cymbal and an 18" three-zone ride
the elegant floor tom.
cymbal.
I had expected to feel constricted by the 13”
The chrome hardware is sturdy, elegant and
snare, having grown accustomed to 14” drums,
relatively lightweight, reminiscent of the
but was pleasantly surprised by what felt like a
german-designed DrumCraft range. The kit
generous playing surface. And the rim riser,
comes with a snare stand and two cymbal
astonishingly similar to the piezo-powered DIY
stands, one of which has an attachment for the
version I have been using on e-snares for
rack tom. There’s no hi-hat stand or kick beater
some time, was another elegant touch which
– but those tend to be very personal choices
surprised me because it had no electronics on
anyway.
board (but more about that later).
Under the dual-ply mesh heads, ATV has
combined the best of the current triggering
technologies – three Roland-style trigger cones
placed near the rim in an Alesis-style set-up
(similar to Roland’s new digital snare
configuration). The result is even triggering
without a dreaded hot spot.
The cymbals
Anyone used to typical e-cymbals will initially
be struck by the size of the ATV pies – again,
very generous at 18” for the ride, 16” for the
crash and 14” for the hi-hat.
13” floor tom (left) and 13” snare (above)

The two-piece optical hi-hat is an impressive Nonetheless, a new firmware update has made
instrument that sets a new standard for the the kit virtually plug and play with the aD5.
trigger that most often disappoints. Once you do a reset on the module, the trigger
settings default to aDrums configurations. It’s a
The larger cymbals look elegant, with subtle
nifty move to make the kit even easier to set
bells and gentle contours. Thanks to multiple
up, but as with any default settings, some
sensors, they boast 360-degree triggering and
tweaking will be needed to adapt to individual
a choke that spans the entire circumference.
playing styles. I’m not a hard hitter, so I needed
They sport two jacks – a separate bell out and
to change almost all the presets to match my
a bow/edge connection, accommodating
technique, but using the trigger wizard, it’s a
Roland CY-R-type trigger presets. Even the 14”
piece of cake.
has a bell trigger circuit, so it could be used as
a three-zone splash/crash. And once set up, the kit is a delight. The
combination of acoustic drum design and real
The cymbal mounts allow for a realistic amount
samples makes it easy to forget that you’re
of swing, even when the nuts are tight.
playing an electronic kit – until you hit the tom
In action rims.
I tested the kit with a few modules, starting with Dynamics and responsiveness are impressive.
its closest relative, the aD5. You can play ghost notes, and buzz rolls on
the drums and the rim response on the snare
Now, I have no insight into ATV’s product
is fantastic – especially with the rim riser block.
pipeline, but it strikes me right off that this kit is
(The module senses the pitch of the strikes to
built for the aD6 (or whatever the next
differentiate the side stick from rim shots and
incarnation will be called). Why? Because of
other articulations). On the cymbals, bow and
the dual-zone tom capability which is not
edge triggering is wonderful, with effortless
supported by the current module. Surely, ATV
edge swells and bell triggering that doesn’t
isn’t bending over backwards to accommodate
require extra wrist effort or accurate shank hits.
its competitors?
The hi-hat is, without

doubt, the most sensitive and
dynamic emulation of an acoustic 128s and similar pads on the drum
hi-hat I have played. side and CY-15R/12RC and VH-12
Move over to mimic PRO and you get a sense settings for the cymbals, the kit was pretty
of what the aDrums artist kit can really do. It’s close to plug and play. I was, as you’d expect,
not just the addition of rim triggering that able to dial in even better hi-hat response with
makes the kit come alive. The module’s wider some fine tuning.
range of sounds, combined with the onboard When it was all set up … wow! It may be the e-
FX and ambient variations, takes the kit to new drum equivalent of a placebo, but the aDrums
heights. kit was a breath of fresh air to the TD-30
And it’s really easy to dial the drums and module. Even the sacrifice of positional
cymbals in for the module. The kick, snare and sensing was easy to overlook as I enjoyed the
toms were virtually plug and play with my feel and response of the pads and cymbals.
existing settings based on dual-zone mesh Maybe it’s the illusion of playing a full-size kit,
drum pads. The cymbals needed a bit of but the experience renewed my enthusiasm for
dialling in, and while the hi-hat worked well the older Roland module. The combination just
with my presets, a bit of refinement in the felt and sounded great.
open/closed parameters yielded the best hi-hat There was one minor disappointment – the
experiences I have encountered - testament to aDrums kit was not as responsive as Roland
the fantastic control system of the aDrums and triggers to the module’s ‘brushes’ setting. The
the trigger-editing capability of the mimic PRO. automatic setting didn’t produce decent
It would be unrealistic to test the aDrums with sweeps and even the direct hits were very
the flagship Roland TD-50 since neither the subdued. Sure, I could dial in decent triggering
ride nor the snare would be compatible with with brushes, but that screwed up the
Roland’s new digital instruments, so I tested triggering with sticks. But this is a minor
the kit with an older TD-30. Again, using my deficiency which won’t affect most players.
existing presets based around Roland PD- So, three modules and three big ticks.

I didn’t try the kit with a 2box DrumIt Five However, the optical hi-hat is the stand-out
module because of its proprietary hi-hat instrument. Paired with all of the test modules,
system, but I’m confident the drums and it outperformed anything else on the market by
cymbals will work just fine. And, in theory, the a country mile. It is, without doubt, the closest I
kit should be totally compatible with the DrumIt have come to an acoustic hi-hat, with ultra-
Three expected any day now. realistic transitions from open to closed and
perfect chicks and pedal sounds.
Overall
The standard aDrums artist kit has a street
The aDrums kit is very well built, stylish and price of around $2,500, while the expanded set
impeccably finished. Just like its forerunner is around $700 extra. That’s without a module.
module, the industrial design is classic and And clearly, this puts it into the price range of a
tasteful. decent acoustic kit.
But the kit is not just a pretty face – it’s a finely- So, the kit is a premium-priced instrument –
tuned instrument that makes the most of and its looks, feel and playing experience
almost any module to which it is connected. certainly justify the price tag – if you’re in that
To be honest, triggering drums is not difficult. league.
SPECIFICATIONS
Many manufacturers now make responsive
drum pads with excellent head and rim
triggering. Sure, Roland’s new digital snare is a Kick: 18”x12”
step up from the simple piezo-based pads, but Snare: 13”x5.5”
otherwise, almost any e-drum out there does Tom: 10”x6.5”
the job, especially when paired with a capable Floor tom: 13”x12”
module. Hi-hat: 14”, optical control
Crash: 16”
Cymbal performance is a bit trickier, and again,
Ride: 18”
with the exception of Roland’s digital ride,
Hardware:
there has been little to celebrate. ATV has
ADA-SS snare stand
upped the ante with its cymbals which are
ADA-TCS tom/cymbal stand
sensitive, dynamic and a pleasure to play. Bell
ADA-CS cymbal stand
triggering on the ride is especially effective
ACC-MPC multi-purpose clamp
compared to most other e-rides available out
Street price: Around $2,500 (standard kit,
there.
no module)
mfg
U.S.A.
MACHINED TECHNOLOGY
Put your best foot forward.

DW MCD™ (MACHINED CHAINED DRIVE) DOUBLE PEDAL + DW MDD™ (MACHINED DIRECT DRIVE) HI-HAT > FORWARD-THINKING TECHNOLOGY IS
WHAT MAKES DW MFG PEDALS AND HI-HATS SO ADVANCED. JUST THE RIGHT AMOUNT OF ENGINEERING FORETHOUGHT ALLOWS PLAYERS TO MAKE NECESSARY
ADJUSTMENTS TO CUSTOMIZED FEEL AND PLAYABILITY. MACHINED FROM 6061-T6 ALUMINUM AND EMPLOYING THE TIGHTEST TOLERANCES POSSIBLE FOR
SMOOTH, EFFORTLESS OPERATION. ONLY FROM DW, THE DRUMMER’S CHOICE® www.dwdrums.com/hardware/dwmfg/
©2017 DRUM WORKSHOP, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
MDD Direct Drive Ad 3 - 2017 (Digital Drummer).indd 1 10/4/17 4:20 PM

gear
A bit of this,
a bit of that,
a lot of fun
It’s been a while since we saw a new electronic
offering from Yamaha, but its latest product takes
drumming to a new place, as Allan Leibowitz found.
TAKE A DRUM trigger and a couple of mics, There are two parts in the sensor – a piezo
join them together with a nifty module and a pickup and a stereo microphone pair.
recording/sharing app and you have an
The compact module has inputs for the two
innovative hybrid solution. That’s the basis of
sensor leads plus four additional triggers (or
the new EAD10 acoustic/electronic offering.
one dual-zone plus two single-zone inputs).
What’s in the box You can also use a traditional external kick
trigger in place of the inbuilt one – which is
The EAD10 system consists of an EAD sensor, handy because the current set-up requires a
an EAD module and a free accompanying iOS full-size bass drum hoop to attach to. So, for
app.
digitalDrummer_Feb_2018.qxp_Layout 3 28/1/18 1:45 pm Page 13
What’s in a name?
While the EAD10 system has attracted
lots of attention on social media, much There are also right and left outputs to a PA,
of it seems to focus on the slang but most drummers will probably use the
meaning of the acronym, EAD. In fact, headphone socket on the front.
the Urban Dictionary notes that it is
often used as a reference to oral sex
In action
“when emailing on corporate accounts Forget about e-drums as a silent practice
that scan for inappropriate language”. instrument. The EAD is a completely different
Okay, now that it’s out there and people solution – one based on adding colour and
have had a laugh, let’s get back to texture to your acoustic performance.
discussing the electro-acoustic drums
Let’s start with the bass drums, since that’s the
technology!
closest thing to e-drums in the system. The
EAD solution extends what is already a
example, if you’re using a jungle kit with a tom
common drumming phenomenon – enhancing
hoop on the bass, you can’t use the inbuilt
the kick drum by adding triggered samples.
trigger. You can also split the kick input to
You probably see this every time you go to a
accommodate two mono inputs.
live performance and samples are used to add
Setting up grunt or other effects to the acoustic bass drum
sound. In the EAD, there are
To use this system, you need an hundreds of inbuilt samples
acoustic drum kit. It can consist – more than 120 for the
of as many pieces as kick alone, so you can add
you like since only a range of sounds to your
one drum – the bass acoustic kick sound. You
drum – is actually can fatten it, blend
‘connected’. The rest electronic sounds or do
are captured by the something as subtle as
inbuilt mics. adding a tambourine
To get started, all you sound.
need to do is attach The level of complexity
the sensor unit to your jumps up a notch with the
bass drum hoop, mics. These capture the
connect two cables whole kit (and anything
(clearly labeled A and close to it) and apply a
B) and plug the other range of effects from subtle
ends into the module. Plug echo-reverb touches to
in the power cable and a pair whacky delays and flanges.
of headphones, and you’re And not only can you choose from
good to go. a smorgasbord of effects, you can also
If you’re more adventurous, you can add some choose how much of each one is applied –
triggers. from hints to over the top.
Once in place, the sensor unit serves two The effects are applied to everything the EAD
purposes – the pickup detects hits on the bass picks up. It works really well on all the drums,
drum and triggers samples while the inbuilt but the effects are perhaps a bit less dramatic
mics capture the rest of the kit (and anything on the cymbals which have a tighter frequency
else in their path, including heavy breathing, range. I was really amazed, however, at the
loud vocals or, as I found in a live public demo, system’s effectiveness with rim shots and
even the drum kit 5 m away on stage!). cross-stick sounds, some of which sounded
almost like triggered samples.
If you want to practise with live tracks or record
your performance, the other connection you’ll All the choice (there are 11 forms of reverb, 21
need is a USB to iPhone cable so that you can mic FX and 10 trigger sound effects) is
use the EAD10 system with the free daunting, especially for the novice. So, to
Rec’nShare app. make this system plug and play, Yamaha has

preloaded 50 scenes (a scene is a collection of But, there are a couple of obstacles, not least
mic effects and trigger settings). Scenes range of which is the absence of full-size drum hoops
from Arena (a mix of reverb and delay which to mount the sensor unit - and particularly the
“gives you the feeling of being in a large arena kick trigger.
with a huge ambient effect”) to classic calf
Then, as I discovered when doing a live demo,
head drum sounds, and the one that always
the system is hard to amplify. First, you have to
goes down big in demonstrations – the Phil
overcome the acoustic sound. Then, you have
Collins “In The Air Tonight” gated reverb.
to deal with feedback, especially with scenes
The scenes can be tweaked and saved as user that have the gain turned up high, and you
versions, up to 200 of which can be stored on need to control all the other stage sounds that
the module. could affect the EAD, like the bass guitar.
And you’re not limited to the 700-odd onboard But, at home, in practice and recording
samples. You can add up to 100 of your own applications, this system is a game changer. At
.wav files - as long as you don’t exceed the its most basic level, you could use this as a
total memory limit of the module. practice tool, especially if you pair it with the
app. Even without an iDevice, you can use the
What could you use it for? module’s record function to capture up to 90
Obviously, this is not designed for silent seconds of audio.
practice, but you could use it with up to six Some might find routine practice boring. Well,
trigger pads if you wanted to. But realistically, when you add the ability to make the sound
you could probably do better with a cheap different on each exercise, practice is certainly
drum module for that purpose – although the more interesting – one of the e-drum
Rec’nShare app does have practice and advantages most commonly identified by drum
recording functions you won’t find on any instructors.
module – and you also can’t pair the app with
any other device. The Rec’n’Share app makes practice even
more fun. Within the app, you can load any
Where the system shines, however, is song from your iPhone. The app analyses the
enhancing or augmenting acoustic kits. My song, creates a click track based on the BPM
initial thought was that this would be great for and counts you in to play it. You can record the
those gigging drummers using shell-less kits session on your phone and play it back, save it
like the original Purecussion, Arbiter Flats, and share it – audio and video!
Traps A400 or new Pearl Compact Traveler.
Wouldn’t it be great to create a tapestry of Home recording will also be a lot easier with
sounds from one of these compact drum sets? the EAD system. No longer do you have to
worry too much about sound isolation, multiple and recording. And the free Rec’n’Share app
mic placement and mixing. The EAD system is takes it to another level again – combining
very effective in capturing a huge range of kit acoustic kits with music tracks and the ability to
sounds and effects, direct to your computer or record and share both audio and video using
phone. Add some trigger pads and not only do your mobile phone.
you have access to even more sounds, but you
I had heard a lot of the pre-launch hype, with
can capture MIDI as well as audio, giving you
terms like “game-changer” bandied around,
even more creative scope.
and I wasn’t disappointed when I saw the initial
I predict we’ll soon see the floodgates open on demos. I was even more impressed when I got
YouTube, with many of the current online my hands on the real thing.
drummers switching to the EAD to add variety
The EAD certainly expands the possibilities for
to their sound palette while making the most of
acoustic drummers, much like the Zildjian gen-
the app’s simplified video upload function that
16 system did for cymbals. And I can’t help
publishes performances with a couple of taps
seeing parallels with the acoustic/electronic
on the screen.
cymbal evolution. The first iteration was
Overall interesting; the second phase saw an evolution
of the input system from mics to pickups and
The EAD10 system is not an e-drum solution – elevated the product exponentially. So, while
it’s a different animal and one that should the EAD10 is solid, I wonder whether the next
appeal to a large spectrum of mainly acoustic model will have even more refined mics that
drummers. are better suited to full-volume, live
You need an acoustic kit to use it, but you can performance.
augment your kit with triggers for a hybrid Until then, the system is in short supply after its
solution. launch, and there seems to be strong interest
The system adds some of the versatility and in the solution. Initial pricing is around US$600,
functionality of e-drums to acoustic sets, but competition should see that fall slightly
allowing drummers to apply a huge array of when stock starts hitting shelves. When that
effects and nuances to kits that would happens, my neighbours had better brace for
otherwise have a limited sonic palette. more acoustic drum noises wafting across the
fence!
While the system can be amplified and used
live, I found this to be its weakest application. Hear some interesting applications of the
Where the EAD shines is for home practice EAD10 here.
Before you pull

the trigger
... Check out

our reviews
gear
Simmons
flagship
tested
Simmons has made a lot of its new direction

and Scott Holder checked it out to see if
the SD2000 kit lives up to the build-up.
18
www.digitaldrummermag.com
WE READ ABOUT drum icon Dave Simmons’ The drum pads include three, dual-zone 9”
vision for the next chapter of the brand in the mesh toms, one 11” triple-zone mesh snare, a
August digitalDrummer, and the new SD2000 mesh kick, a triple-zone 15” ride, a dual-zone
is meant to be a glimpse of things to come. 13” crash, a single-zone 12” hi-hat and
associated controller.
What’s in the box
Also available is an expansion pack that has a
It’s a ‘five-piece’ kit: three toms, one snare, a second crash and fourth tom.
kick, a hi-hat controller pedal, a crash and a
ride. All are connected via a wiring harness The module
similar to that on the other Simmons modules.
In addition to the harness port on the bottom,
Unfortunately, this set up doesn’t easily
the module has traditional MIDI In/Out ports, a
accommodate left-handed players, as I found
USB-to-Host connector, a USB connector (for
on the SD1500.
thumb drives), L/R main outs, 1⁄8” stereo (TRS)
The rack is essentially the same blue input, a ¼” stereo headphone out and two ¼”
hexagonal design as the SD1500 with two stereo (TRS) inputs for a fourth tom and
notable differences: ball and socket mounting second crash (or anything else you want to
brackets for the snare/toms and a similar assign to those pads and outputs). I plugged in
approach to the cymbals. Simmons calls this the expansion pack cymbal and pad and
an Isoball mount. Most of my comments from obviously they worked, as did most of my other
the SD1500 review about the rack (dD, Feb pads as well, particularly Simmons cymbals
2015) still apply: it’s easy to assemble with and their rebadged brethren.
plenty of plastic clips for cable management;
The front panel has five manual faders similar
the cymbal mounts fit into the upright legs on
to the Alesis DM10 or Roland TD-12 in that you
the rack; the chrome clamps fit around a
can toggle between sound banks. There are
plastic sleeve that limit movement but make it
separate controls for the gain on the main outs,
hard to change positioning quickly; finally, it’s
the headphones and the Aux in. The buttons
stable and roomy.
are standard for almost any module, as is the
The Isoball mounts are similar to other ball and rotary knob. Rounding out the controls is the
socket mounts, except that the base is full colour LCD panel. It’s rather large relative
hexagonal to attach to the rack itself. Again, in to the size of the module which made it easy to
theory, this is a great approach for angling a read.
snare and the toms as I found when reviewing
The logic/settings flow and the decision to
the Yamaha kit that uses ball and socket
graphically show settings on the LCD panel
mounts (dD, Feb 2017). Unfortunately, these
results in probably the easiest module to
mounts are so tight as to be almost unmovable
navigate of all I’ve tested. Simmons apparently
even with the thumbscrew almost totally
took some design cues from the VST world.
unscrewed. I had to loosen the bolts
surrounding the ball socket to the point that
they were almost totally unscrewed to change
the angle and tilt of the pad.
The story with the cymbals is similar. They
have a built-in ball and socket joint on the
underside that the cymbal arm attaches
to. Again, great in theory: no spinning
and nothing protruding on the top
side of the cymbal; I really like that
latter approach. Unfortunately, the
mount is so tight, there’s practically
no swinging movement on the
cymbals. The crash had some; I’d
compare it to other e-cymbals where
you’ve screwed them down to the point
that the felt is crushed. But the ride and
hi-hat had virtually no swing. It was like
pounding on old PD-7 pads on my old
Roland TD-7 kit.

On the first screen, it displays some of the importantly, you can use these samples to
basic settings (kit volume, EQ, the reverb make up for some deficiencies of the module’s
profile). You use function keys to “get inside” sounds relating to the hi-hat controller.
and the navigation and information
There are a few kit-level parameters that can
presentation just gets better. For example,
be adjusted via the faders. These include pitch
looking at individual pad volumes (Simmons
(you can globally raise/lower the pitch of the
puts it under the “Drum Volume” screen), it
entire kit), a low pass filter, “shape” (which is
shows the original volume setting and what
further broken down into Tight, Normal or
each pad is currently set to, again all done as if
Loose) and a two-band EQ (High, Low). You
you’re looking down on a schematic of the kit.
can further adjust kit settings with kit volume,
This display repeats for panning and effects
specific EQ band gain, pattern levels and
send.
tempo. There are 10 preset reverb types that,
Drum/instrument parameters are also like previous Simmons modules, work in
displayed visually, with a photo of the conjunction with the EQ on the faders.
instrument, its name, category and pad
Customised user kits must be saved to User
assignment. It further shows the pitch settings
Kits - as you do on previous Simmons
and if a “Velocity to Pitch” setting (changes the
modules; there are 50 open kits. You can do
pitch positive or negative depending on the
the same for individual pads (or “drums”, as
value set) is on or off. There aren’t a ton of
Simmons calls them). This is a particularly
instrument/voice parameters but again, they’re
useful feature if you want to customise a rack
easy to get to and see on the screen in a
of toms, then use them in other kits. With this
graph. Filter edits include a cutoff, resonance,
feature, you don’t have to go into another kit
velocity-to-cutoff and velocity-to-resonance.
and retweak all the tom settings. Kits and their
Envelope settings include attack, decay and
settings can thus be saved globally or on an
velocity-to-decay. Trigger settings are
individual pad/drum basis.
standard: sensitivity, threshold, curves (four
total), retrigger, crosstalk and hi-hat splash There are 777 drum sounds (voices,
sensitivity. instruments) which Simmons states are all
newly sampled and processed. It claims to
MIDI was plug and play with Toontrack’s
have used “era-appropriate recording
EZDrummer, although you cannot change MIDI
techniques” to get sounds from classic kits.
notes on the module side. Dynamic response
What they call “acoustic sounds”, which I call
across the cymbals was good, but less so on
“your everyday drummer sounds”, are
the toms and snare. hi-hat articulation with
reasonably represented: there are enough
EZD was good with the cymbal, but the
kicks, snares, toms, hi-hats and rides to keep
controller was non-existent other than to close
most people happy. But, like the previous two
the cymbal sound.
Simmons modules, they short-change crashes.
Samples are loaded via a computer using a The manual lists 27 crashes but those are
free program downloaded from
Simmons. It’s easy to use
although once the
samples are uploaded,
you need to unplug the
module from its power
source, then plug it
back in for the process
to complete. You then
assign the .wav sample
to a pad - it’s
straightforward. The
module can store up to
28 mb of samples
which is more than
adequate for drummers
like me who often want
various “noises” or
“sound effects”. More
made up of bow and edge sounds, meaning expected. Yes, it’s bouncier than rubber or
there are realistically nine distinct crash foam but when I compared the 11” snare to my
cymbals available. The others are chinas, 12” Diamond Drum snare, the Simmons pad
splash and a piatti. It’s a far cry from the two was less bouncy.
crash sounds included on previous modules,
The rubber rims are wide and vast when
but there is still a sameness across the preset
compared to any other mesh e-drums. These
kits when hitting the crash.
rims can have another assigned sound for the
The real emphasis seems to be on world toms or you can split the input. I tested that
percussion and, in keeping with the entire retro with a second Simmons rubber pad and it
approach to this kit, Simmons ‘80s electronic worked flawlessly. The snare takes Yamaha’s
kits. In fact, if you’re a big fan of the latter, you approach with a rim split in half, with one half
can stop reading now and purchase the kit as being rimshot sounds and the other crosstick,
there are 247 electronic e-drum sounds on the exactly what Simmons did on the rubber snare
module. There are 262 world percussion pad on the SD1500.
sounds, broken down into 10 categories
The kick mount is stable, but in another “little
ranging from what you expect, Latin, to Found
thing” problem, the horizontal mounting bar
(pipes, metal bench and my favourite, Nasty
that you clamp your pedal onto is too close to
Smelling Trash Can), to Native American.
the main upright part of the rig. The result is I
There are just four preset songs and 17 one- could barely get my pedal to clamp onto it and
shot patterns, a far cry from the gazillions of even then, it would slip. My pedal isn’t unusual;
each found on the SD1500. The four songs are it’s a basic Pearl P-120 that clamps onto any
Rock, Funk, 7/8 Fusion and Drum Solo, the other e-drum kick I’ve tested. The Simmons
latter showcasing module sounds from each kick needs to have that mounting bar moved
preset kit. You can loop them, change tempo, back just slightly.
mute various parts and change drum and
The kick’s response is like the toms in bounce,
accompaniment levels. The patterns are
at least when dropping a stick onto the surface.
mostly world music with some electronic e-
I lined it up next to my usual comparison
drums. They come pre-assigned to tom rims
models: an old Hart Dynamic 8” mesh and a
and are started and stopped when you hit the
Simmons rubber kick. The Simmons kick
assigned rim. Turns out they’re quite useful
reminded me more of Yamaha’s new KP100
training tools if you want to work on tricky time
mesh kick. It’s not as “dead” as an all-rubber
signatures.
kick but not nearly as bouncy as most other
Things like the click track and metronome are mesh designs.
more than sufficient for anyone’s needs. You
While being the most significant design
can also back up your customised kits to an
departure in terms of style and surface layout,
external USB device. You can also play audio
the cymbals remain offset mounted, as
files from a USB device. I didn’t spend a lot of
Simmons has done with
time on this because it works, it’s easy to use
previous cymbals. Not
and that’s about all anybody wants.
that you’d notice any
The pads
It’s all retro-hexy, baby. The mesh playing
surfaces on the pads are round; their rims are
the hexagonal design.
The mesh pads are about as
close to Roland’s PDX-8 pads in
feel as you can get. The mesh
head texture feels just like the
PDX-8, meaning it’s a finer
weave than the single-ply
drum-tec head on my
Diamond Drum snare and far
smoother than the Alesis
heads I tested as part of the
DM10 Mesh Head kit review (dD,
May 2016). Bounce isn’t what I
swing differences since these things are To put it in Roland-speak, it’s akin to positional
practically static-mounted, as previously sensing.
mentioned.
The kick triggered reliably and I didn’t have any
All three pads (ride, crash, hi-hat) are reject time issues. The lack of amplified
responsive across the entire playing surface. bounce will be considered by most as positive
The bow area is effectively divided into three and something far closer to an acoustic drum
sections, but that’s purely cosmetic. The ride than most mesh-based designs.
and crash choke easily. The real innovation in
The toms are quite responsive and dynamic;
this design is the playing surface, particularly
there was plenty of variability in the sounds
for the ride. The hexagonal offset design
depending on the strength of the strike. It
results in this wonderfully large, flat bell
compared favourably with anything else I
surface that you can play with the tip of the
currently have. The rims triggered reliably and I
stick. No more missed triggers because of
found their size didn’t increase my chances of
imprecise shank hits the way you can do on
thwacking them accidentally, the way I’m prone
most other e-cymbal designs. You don’t have
to do.
to be careful and hope you whack just the right
spot and not the cymbal arm hardware The snare is similar in terms of response, but I
protruding up from the middle. The edges were found I had to change the curves for literally
also responsive and I didn’t have to adjust each snare to find that responsiveness. ghost
playing style and hit angle when producing notes were quite easy. But, for me,
edge sounds. machinegunning was an issue. As Allan puts it,
“When you’re listening for it, you hear
The above innovations in the cymbal design
machinegunning everywhere. The essence is
are wasted on the hi-hat: it remains single-
whether it sounds annoying.” In this case, I did,
zone and does not choke. Its almost total lack
and if you’ve read any of my previous reviews,
of movement does not compare well to how
you’ll know I’m not one who gets hung up on
either Roland or Yamaha have done it on their
machinegunning.
designs (CY-5 and PCY100). Moreover, the
cymbal arm isn’t long enough to get the cymbal There is no hot spot. The split rim plays
up to what I consider a normal height. The consistently with no mistriggering.
controller pedal cosmetically looks and acts And following another of Allan’s benchmarks, I
very differently than that of prior Simmons kits. looked closely at brushes. There is a dedicated
Theoretically, articulation remains open/closed, brush kit, but it’s far from plug and play. You hit
half-open, foot close, the closing hi-hat sound
and heel splash (or chic). That’s the same as
the previous kits, but all similarities end there.
Stick noise on the cymbals is loud. I didn’t do a
formal noise test; instead, I had two kits set up,
the SD2000 and another with an odd
assortment of cymbals, Yamaha, Roland and
Alesis/Simmons (the Medeli rebadges). Light
stick drops don’t show any real difference
between most cymbals; it’s when you start
hitting them harder and harder that the noise
jumps out at you. The SD2000 cymbals have a
deep resonance to them when struck hard that
was far louder than any of the other cymbals I
struck. I’d hit the SD2000 ride and either a
Yamaha or Alesis ride simultaneously and
once I started hitting harder and harder, the
former quickly drowned out the others.
In action
Simmons uses its Variable Attack Response
(VAR) engine (dD, Nov 2013 and Feb 2015) to
provide dynamic responses across any given
pad. I refer to it as the “VAR-ness” of the pad.
the snare with a stick tip and you get distance moved and response: not too loose,
something akin to a brush sound, it’s not unlike not too stiff. When used as a MIDI controller for
what I found on the far more expensive EZD or directly as the module controller, the
Yamaha 900M module. I again played with SD2000 controller could do one thing: close
curves and found that the “Easy” curve lets you the hi-hat cymbal; there was no articulation. I
use brushes and get brush sounds. Nothing plugged in the SD1000 pedal and the
cutting edge, it was the same as playing difference was night and day: I could get the
brushes on my TD-12, but from a technique full range of sounds promised in the manual.
perspective, it was less jarring than using
The biggest issue was the almost non-existent
straight up sticks.
closed hi-hat sound. I noted this issue with the
As noted earlier, the cymbals have virtually no SD1500. It’s worse here in that the sound is so
swing to them, so I always tended to beat the faint as to be almost useless and I could find
edges harder than needed and thus, had a no way to increase the gain as I could on the
harder time getting consistent cymbal swells, SD1500. This is where having onboard
one of my benchmarks. You could start softly samples saved the day. I loaded a closed hi-
but as you struck harder, suddenly it was in- hat sample from Alesis’ free download library
your-face edge sounds. I played around with for the Sample Pad Pro. Suddenly, I had a
the four curves and could get this under control useable closed hi-hat sound – albeit having to
on a couple of crashes, but it was never to my stomp hard with my heel off the floor to trigger
liking. Again, I absolutely love that massive bell it. On the other hand, the SD2000 pedal was
area on the ride. I never had a mistrigger or far more reliable with heel splash/chic
missed hitting the area entirely. The same goes triggering.
for the bow on either the crash or ride.
The sounds
The hi-hat controller is very stiff. I compared it
to the controller from the SD1000, squeezing To be honest, I don’t have the greatest
each with one hand. The SD2000 controller familiarity with ‘80s Simmons e-drum sounds
has far less movement and is hard to fully other than what’s included in small bits on
compress. I had to jam down on the end of the various other modules. I plugged in my TD-12,
pedal to make contact with my heel well off the DTX-502 and Performance Pad Pro and
floor. The SD1000 was far better in terms of listened to some of the equivalent ‘80s
electronic instruments, then played the same of my frustration. The workaround is to load a
or similar ones on the SD2000. They all sound closed hi-hat sample and spend $50 for an
like ‘80s electronic instruments. It wasn’t until I SD1000 pedal.
switched to some of the electronic kits on the
If looking to this as a MIDI controller for VST,
SD2000 where I saw the difference. For
the SD1500 worked far better and had more
example, Kit 15 (Nails) and Kit 47 (SD7 Digital)
controllability on the module side.
were fantastic for their genre. I then scrolled
through all the dedicated, individual electronic Then there’s the lack of swing on the cymbals
sounds and grew increasingly impressed with and the tightness of the ball and socket
them. mounting brackets. I see what Simmons tried
to do in each case, but they’ve not executed it
The world percussion sounds were better than
well. Perhaps the lack of swing on the cymbals
any of those on my other modules and there’s
isn’t a bad thing. I’ve seen at least one e-
a wider variety of them on the SD2000.
drummer in a touring band using Roland CY-8s
Looking at the “everyday drumming” sounds, clearly very tightly screwed down. But I found
the toms, kick, rides and most of the snares the lack of swing made it harder to work on
are good. Almost all were fine out of the box, good swells and that’s where the lack of
particularly the rides and toms. The crashes tweakability on the module showed. On other
are far better than previous Simmons efforts, modules, I’ve typically been able to play with
but there’s still that sameness about them. the settings to get something close to
That being said, their “VAR-ness” is good, so seamless swells but I simply could not do that
they feel pretty dynamic. As I mentioned here.
earlier, the “VAR-ness” of the hi-hat isn’t as
The end result is mixed, and if you don’t like
dynamic as the crashes or the ride; it is varied,
the retro look and the huge emphasis on ‘80s
but you can definitely tell the difference
electronic drumming, the pluses (ease of use,
between it and other dual-zone hats.
reliable triggering, mesh) might not outweigh
I say this every time I review a module: how the minuses.
you feel about its sound is subjective. In this
case, if you don’t like the sounds, there’s not SPECIFICATIONS
that much you can do about changing them Drum Sound Module: SD2000
given the minimal tools for tweaking. Max Polyphony: 64 voices
Overall Drum Pads: 3 x 9” dual-zone mesh; 1 x 11”
triple-zone mesh
If you love the look and want a ton of ‘80s Cymbals: 1 x 15” triple-zone, chokeable; 1 x
electronic sounds (or world music sounds), 13” dual-zone, chokeable; 1 x 12” Hi-Hat
you’ll want to give the SD2000 a chance. single-zone
Kick: 1 x 9” upright mesh pad
The mesh pads have a nice feel to them, they
No of kits: 50 (storage for 50 additional User
are reasonably quiet and there’s no dreaded
kits)
snare hot spot. I like the split-rim approach on
No of voices (instruments/sounds): 777
the snare because it takes all uncertainty out of
Trigger Parameters: gain, Sensitivity,
rim shots. The kick is surprisingly “dead” for a
Threshold, Curve, Retrigger, Crosstalk, HH
mesh-based kick - that’s a good thing. And as
Splash Sensitivity
I’ve said earlier, the ride bell and the general
Effect Types: Reverb (10 preset types; 2-band
layout of the ride and crash are nice.
EQ)
The kit was frustrating on several levels, but Patterns: 17
not the ones you might think. For example, I Songs: 4
didn’t miss the ability to tweak sounds, in that Onboard memory: 28 mb
Simmons has done a good job of producing a Click tempo range: 20-240 bpm
nice sounding kit where you don’t really need Pad connection: Wiring harness to ¼” stereo;
to spend tons of time dialling in the perfect ¼” to 1¼ stereo x 2
sound. Interfaces: MIDI In/Out/Through, MIDI USB
However, the lack of a dual-zone hi-hat, that Outputs: 1 x 1⁄8” stereo (headphones), L/R ¼”
practically non-existent closed pedal sound, mono (TS unbalanced)
the general inadequacy of the controller, Inputs: 1 x 1⁄8” stereo
machinegunning even to my ears; and the lack Street price: $1,099
of enough crash sound variability caused much
Electronic, acoustic and hybrid drumming
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682Drums_A4-adv_digitalDrummer_v3.indd 1 27-6-2017 21:58:17

gear
Preferred
products
& people
Our readers have spoken, with some clear

winners in this year’s Readers’ Choice awards.
PRODUCT OF THE YEAR - HARDWARE
The Pearl mimic PRO was voted E-drum Product of the Year (Hardware), pipping ATV’s
aDrums artist kit.
In a year which saw more e-drum launches than we’d seen for a long time, the new
module from Pearl and Steven Slate Drums was a popular choice – both among voters
and buyers, with many stores still unable to meet demand.
Readers agreed with digitalDrummer’s assessment that the module sets a new
benchmark, working with most triggers out there, being relatively easy to set up (maybe
a bit harder than aD5’s set-up wizard) and boasting great VST-quality sounds.
Despite intense competition in the module market, the $2,200-plus street price has not
deterred buyers. And for those lucky enough to snare one, the product has continued to
improve, with one batch of new samples and several software updates.
PRODUCT OF THE YEAR - SOFTWARE
E-drum Product of the Year (Software) goes, unsurprisingly, to Toontrack’s Superior

Drummer 3. This VST product was hailed in our review which noted that “SD3 not only
lifts Superior Drummer to new heights, it raises the stakes for everyone in the VST
market with wonderful samples, intricately recorded and presented in an immensely
powerful program that allows experts to soar while even novices can make their way
around some complex functionality relatively easily”.
The pack comes with a $399 price tag for new buyers ($299 for those upgrading from
EX Drummer or $199 for upgrades from SD2) and also requires a serious internet
connection since the 230 gB package is sold as a download only. Yes, you can get away
with a slimmed-down download or you can pay a bit more for an SSD ‘hard copy’
version.

E-DRUMMER OF THE YEAR

Mexican drummer Raul Vargas, a regular contributor to
digitalDrummer, was the popular choice for E-drummer of the Year,
narrowly defeating three-time winner and Hall of Fame inductee
Michael Schack.
Vargas has studied at Berklee College of Music in Boston and has
performed widely in his native Mexico as well as internationally.
A Roland artist, Vargas shares his knowledge in regular training articles
and videos for digitalDrummer.
RETAILER OF THE YEAR

Sweetwater again took out the honours for top e-drum retailer in the United States. This
was the mega-store’s third win. germany’s drum-tec notched up its second win as the top
dealer in Europe. Long & McQuade retained its title as top e-drum retailer in Canada,
while Andertons also held its position for the UK.
HALL OF FAME
ATV’s Mike Snyder enters digitalDrummer’s Hall of Fame,
recognised for his distinguished involvement in electronic
percussion. Currently heading up ATV’s e-drum developments,
Snyder was previously closely associated with Roland V-drums.
Mike has a master’s degree in percussion from the University of
Southern California and a bachelor’s degree in percussion from the
University of Oregon. He is a feature writer and columnist for a
leading drum magazine and author of All About ... Electronic
Percussion, published by Hal Leonard.
A regular on the Los Angeles and Pacific North West recording
scene for 25 years, Snyder remains an in-demand drummer who
seems comfortable with virtually any style of drumming, acoustic or
electronic.
Snyder joins a list of luminaries honoured for their contributions to
electronic percussion, including Michael Schack and Dave
Simmons.
AND A SPECIAL ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

digitalDrummer is moved to announce its first
posthumous Hall of Fame admission: Roland
and ATV pioneer Ikutaro Kakehashi.
Mr. K, as he was affectionately known, died in
December, 2016 at the age of 87, shortly after
publishing An Age Without Samples, a
biography which charted his own career, the
rise of electronic musical instruments and his
management and business philosophies.
While I didn’t get to meet Kakehashi, I am
personally touched by the outpouring of
sympathy from e-drum leaders across the
board after his passing. There’s no doubt
much of what we’re doing today can be
traced back directly to Mr. K.
What is aDrums?
The tension of the rebound from the striking surface, the weighty feel of a real
birchwood shell, the depth of a lacquer finish, the wide dynamic range felt by a
drummer in the studio. This is aDrums.
The aDrums artist embodies the same strike sensation and feeling as real
acoustic drums, delivering the sense you are in complete control of the full
dynamic range.
Achieving a perfect fusion with the aD5 Sound Instrument, these drums allow
the drummer to generate the delicate sound of a gentle stroke to a thunderous
slam.
The aDrums artist returns to the basics of sound and feel, bringing you an
instrument of purity and inspiration.
Autentic Acoustic Artware
www.atvcorporation.com
gear
PHOTO: JESSE GRANT/GETTY IMAGES
Wham
bam
NAMM
The annual NAMM Show in Anaheim, California is closely
watched by e-drum enthusiasts keen to see what
innovations await. And this year, there were a few
surprises, as Allan Leibowitz reports.
ATTENTION IS ALWAYS focused on the big

players, and Roland had a few unexpected debuts
at the 2018 NAMM Show. Having released its first
new dedicated drum monitors since the compact
PM-3, the PM-100 and PM-200, just weeks before
the show, there was little anticipation of much more
to come. However, the Japanese giant revealed two
new hybrid drumming offerings – a new module
(TM-6 PRO) and a new trigger/mic combination (RT-
micS).
The RT-micS combines a traditional trigger with a
mic (think EAD10) and onboard samples (drem
trigger is apparently already talking to its lawyers
about similarities). Unlike the Yamaha equivalent,
no module is required and each trigger has eight RT-micS, TM-6 PRO
preloaded sounds. Additional user samples can be and PM-200.
imported via USB.
For hybrid use, the units have separate
outputs for electronic sounds (via
piezo pickup) and acoustic sounds
from the mic.
The TM-6 PRO is a big brother to the
TM-2 and features six stereo trigger
inputs, capable of supporting up to 12
triggers or pads. In addition to more
than 250 multi-layered sounds from the
latest-generation V-Drums, the module is
pre-loaded with 500 one-shot sampled sounds,
including 300 new sounds recorded especially for
this device. Backing track audio data can be played
directly from an SD card and besides the direct outs,
the unit can also be used as a trigger to MIDI converter
with audio interfaces (8-out/8-in).
Just before NAMM, Roland updated its drum monitor
line-up with two new offerings, the PM-100 and PM-200
Personal Monitors. The PM-100 features 80 W of
power, a custom 10” speaker and a tweeter, while
the PM-200 features 180 W of power, a custom
12“ speaker, and a horn tweeter. Each monitor is
designed to be placed on the floor, and the front
face is angled to provide ideal sound coverage
for a seated player. Each monitor includes an
integrated mixer with a dedicated drums
input, plus ¼” and 1⁄8” line inputs for
connecting additional devices like
electronic percussion pads,
smartphones, and music players.
The PM-200 is also equipped with two
XLR direct outputs that allow the user
to pass sounds to a mixer or recording
device.

Surge Mesh kit and

Command module
Alesis upgraded two of its entry-level kits with 70 kits and more than 600 sounds. The module
new mesh versions - Surge Mesh and also allows for loading additional samples with
Command Mesh. Both are eight-piece kits (five a USB thumb drive. US pricing will be $499
drums and three cymbals). and $699, respectively.
The Surge Mesh kit has a 10” dual-zone mesh ATV Corporation showed off three new
snare and three 8” dual-zone mesh tom pads cymbal offerings to augment its aDrums artist
as well as an 8” mesh kick tower pad with kit (reviewed on page 6 of this edition). In
pedal. The kit is powered by the Surge Drum addition to the current hi-hat, ride and crash
Module with 40 drum kits and over 385 cymbals, ATV is now offering 10” and 12”
sounds, 60 play-along tracks and a built-in splashes and a 17” china.
metronome. The Command kit has the same
There was also a glimpse of a new entry-level
pad/cymbal arrangement, but features the
shell pack with a more traditional e-drum
more advanced Command Drum Module with
design (below).
Alternate Mode and Aquarian took their FSR-based triggers to the next level
with the launch of two-zone versions of its HybriPAD (formerly onHead) and
HybriHEAD (formerly inHead). And for those who didn’t take to the inBox
(power source and trigger interface) for the FSR heads, NAMM saw the release
of a new FTB (FSR Trigger Box). This FSR trigger to voltage converter (above)
allows users to use six stereo FSR triggers with their drum modules.
The DW Drums group had dabbled in e-drums with its acquisition of KAT
Percussion from Fender, but it has since appointed Hal Leonard as the
exclusive US dealer for the brand. However, it seems e-drums will feature in the
DW stable’s future, and the first sign is a new partnership with audio effects
developer Audified. First out of the blocks is a drum plug-in, DWe Drum
Enhancer. Compatible with the most popular DAWs, it’s designed to help
engineers, drummers and home recording enthusiasts dial in drum sounds at
the push of a button via a 12-position selector that was based on the
preferences of many of DW’s most notable endorsers. The Audified/DWe Drum
Enhancer is available for download at $149.
But this is just the start, and DW Electronics already has a placeholder website,
flagging a July 2018 launch.

Yamaha had already revealed its electronic goodies ahead of

NAMM, with the November launch of the EAD10
acoustic/electronic system reviewed on page 12. The Yamaha
EAD10 consists of an EAD Sensor and an EAD Module. The
sensor is attached to the bass drum hoop and records the entire
drum kit from this position. The bass drum itself activates a trigger
in the EAD Sensor while the entire kit is picked up by the two
integrated microphones.
Sabian Quiet
Tone Practice
cymbals
For the past few years, Zildjian had cornered the quiet cymbal
market – first with the gen-16 acoustic/electronic system and then
with the L80 practice cymbal line which has become
popular for DIY trigger conversion. Well, this year,
things are really heating up.
Sabian has got in the act with its Quiet Tone
Practice cymbals, a range of alloy cymbals designed
for quiet play, but without sacrificing tone and body.
The product will be available in box sets, with four
versions initially on offer, starting at $230 for 13” hats,
14” crash and a 18” crash/ride.
Meanwhile, CRX is offering a similar product from its
Chinese factory. The CRX Air is also sold in box sets,
with a 13/16/18 combination going for $399.
ddrum debuted two new electronic kits – the DD

BETA PRO and DD BETA XP2. These mid-range
kits both boast two-zone 8.5” pads (a three-zone
snare pad in the case of the PRO) and 12”
cymbals (three-zone in the PRO, single-zone in
the BETA).There’s a new module, with 170
percussion sounds, arranged in 33 preset kits.
Users can import .wav files via SS card and there are
built-in play-along songs and a record function.
Around the booths: Michael

Schack in action at Roland,
Aerodrums gets a test, Mike
Snyder at ATV, big crowds
check out Simon Edgoose
at Yamaha and db drums
was back at the show with
an update on its pidrums
kit.
PHOTOS COURTESY
SOCIAL MEDIA

profile
PHOTO: EDDY WESTVEER

Hakim
makin’
waves
New Yorker Omar Hakim has accompanied some of the

biggest names in music, from Carly Simon to David
Bowie. And wherever he goes, he uses technology to
enhance and expand his playing options. He shared his
e-drum experiences with digitalDrummer editor Allan
Leibowitz.
digitalDrummer: What was your drumming and the Nomads, and we were playing swing
beginning? and bebop standards. It was more or less a
Omar Hakim: Well, I was introduced to family band with my cousin on flute and
drumming through a holiday gift from my uncle: saxophones, my father on trombone, my
my dad’s brother purchased a snare drum for younger brother played percussion and we had
me when I was about five and I absolutely fell a couple of different keyboard players in the
in love with it. I just had a natural affinity for it. band. So, it was really, really fun for me and
And then my dad, who was also a musician, really got my foundation together in a strong
noticed that I was really loving it and he went way in jazz. That's where I started using that
out and purchased a real snare drum – a language. But, of course, being a teenager in
Ludwig snare that I actually still have to this the 1970s, my friends were also listening to
day. And then I learned rudiments and I got my rock, R&B, reggae music and funk and when I
hands together, so to speak, before I added a wasn’t playing with my dad and his band, I was
kick drum and a cymbal. So, we sort of pieced listening to Motown, Earth, Wind and Fire, The
a kit together until I had a whole set. Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Jackson Five,
The Temptations - a very eclectic mix of genres
dD: When you say you learned rudiments, was - and I would say that that really informed my
that with a teacher? playing style as well. So, I got a healthy diet of
OH: I had a few teachers in the everything, between playing with my father and
neighbourhood, but there were two guys I also jamming and playing with local bands and
credit with really getting me started. One was a with my contemporaries. It was really a great
guy named Walter Perkins, a jazz drummer time to come up and to develop the eclectic
from Chicago who was a family friend, but the style that people associate with me now.
main guy that really got me situated and really
formed the basis of everything that I’m doing, dD: So, how did you transition from playing
even to this day, was Clyde Lucas. He was an gigs around the neighbourhood to becoming
amazing drummer who played with Count professional?
Basie’s big band. So, just a wonderful artist. OH: Well, the local professional gigs provided
And by the time I was 10 years old, my dad a wonderful opportunity to network because, in
thought I was ready to join his band, Hasan Jamaica, Queens, New York, quite a few
SOURCE: WIKIPEDIA
Omar Hakim began playing drums when he

was five. Five years later, he was playing with
his father, Hasan, a trombonist who played
with Duke Ellington and Count Basie.
Hakim’s big break came in 1980, when
vibraphonist Mike Mainieri hired him to play
in Carly Simon’s band. He later joined the
fusion band Weather Report.
digitalDrummer, February 2018 35
PHOTO: ROLAND US
Omar demonstrated the Roland TD-50 at NAMM 2017
famous musicians lived in the neighbourhood: school. I auditioned for a special high school in
James Brown had a house there, John New York City called Music and Art High
Coltrane lived there, Count Basie had a home School. During my time there, I connected with
there, Louis Armstrong lived in Queens. So, people like bassist Marcus Miller, and Lisa
Queens, New York had an incredible music Fisher who was a backup singer for the Rolling
culture. And there was a keyboard player who Stones for many years, great jazz drummer
played for a band that had regional hit records Kenny Washington, Steve Jordan and Bella
on the radio, a band called Creative Funk – his Fleck - it was incredible. So, I would go to
name was Denzel Miller – and he heard me school during the semesters and during the
play at a club. Denzel flipped out and took me summers, I would go on the road. But
under his wing and I ended up doing my first throughout the year, I had weekend gigs. I was
tour with him when I was 15 years old as fortunate that I was very busy. It was just a part
members of the Jae Mason group. Jae was a of our culture, part of our neighbourhood and
big R&B singer with a beautiful voice, signed to with my dad being a musician, it was just
Buddha Records back then. And it was a lot of something that was always there.
fun for us because I ended up on the road
opening for Hall and Oates all around America. dD: And what would you define as your “big
We played with Sha Na Nah, a ‘50s nostalgia break”?
act. It was awesome to play with some great OH: That's an interesting question because I
acts at these rock festivals around America at had big breaks on different levels. I would say
age 15. It was a really incredible time – around that at age 15, the Jae Mason group was
1974. And then, right after that tour, I answered definitely a big break, because it sort of
an ad in the Village Voice newspaper looking catapulted this kid into playing these giant rock
for a drummer and a guitarist. So, together with festivals that blew my mind and ultimately led
Jae Mason’s guitarist, Eddie Martinez, I to Labelle. After high school, Marcus Miller and
answered the ad and it ended up being Pattie I were really busy together and he introduced
LaBelle and her band, and they were flying me to Mike Mainieri, and Mike, in turn, was a
high on a record called Lady Marmalade. So, break in another direction. He had his group,
at 16 years old, I'm touring with Labelle and Steps, but he was also producing pop singer
also was starting to do recording sessions. Carly Simon. He approached me one day and
The tour happened right before I got to high said: “Hey, I know you play rock and I heard
that you can sing. Can you sing and play music and I love jazz, I didn't have a sort of
drums at the same time?” I said “yes, I can”, snobby purist attitude toward any one style of
and since Steve Jordan (from Music and Art music because I love music so much. My goal
High School) wasn’t able to do that tour, it was was to just have musical experiences that
a lucky break for me, and he hired me to play would allow me to keep growing as a musician.
on Carly’s tour. But at this time, I was also And I wanted people to not think of me as a
working with African trumpet player Hugh specialist in one style, but as a trusted musical
Masekela and did a couple of albums with a collaborator that they could trust to make a
wonderful trumpet player named Tom Brown. contribution to whatever the musical moment
And then in 1981, I met gil Evans, arranger for was.
Miles Davis, and he took me on my first tour of
Europe. And in that band was saxophonist dD: That was a varied journey from acoustic
David Sanborn. After the tour, we started styles to Madonna, where you needed to
working together and made a record called As programme beats and use electronics. So, let’s
We Speak. And then we started touring – that talk about your early exposure to electronic
would have been 1981/82 and I did a lot of percussion.
work with David all over the world, and then, I OH: Well, it was a matter of survival actually
think through gil, I got connected with Joe because in the early 1980s, a guy named
Zawinul. Roger Linn changed every drummer's life -
So, it was an incredible time in New York City. I every session drummer’s life at least – with the
was busy, playing my buns off just trying to get invention of the LinnDrum. There was a
as much work as I could and expose myself to segment of work prior to that drum machine
everything that I could from jazz to rock to funk that we used to call the ‘demo’ session. And
to R&B. You know, it was too competitive to what that meant was that songwriters and
say no. jingle writers would hire musicians to play on
their demos for song publishing houses or
dD: Sounds like one of those situations where clients so they could use that as an audition to
when you’re hot, you’re hot … get the final budget to go and do the real thing.
OH: Yeah, but that only works if you develop But the moment that the producers could
the skills and do your best to deliver the goods. programme drums, they didn’t need drummers
And I think that for me, because I love rock for the demo sessions anymore. And so that
PHOTO: EDDY WESTVEER

sort of middle range of work went away just as designed the Oberheim Xpander, so it had the
I was coming into the recording session same kind of display window and navigation.
business. I decided I couldn’t let this get me And also being a composer that likes to use
down before I even started, so I went out and keyboards to compose, I also owned
purchased one of those machines and learned synthesizers, so I wasn't afraid of technology. I
how to use and how to programme it and actually had a synth before I had drum
added it to my business card: machines, so I already loved gadgetry and it
drummer/percussionist/programmer. And I got was easy for me to wrap my head around the
a lot of work from it because they already idea of making music with electronics.
trusted me as a drummer and it was a sort of
no-brainer because I understood the dD: That was a very brief phase and we
technology and they didn't have to think about quickly saw electronic drums disappear from
it. And at that point, it also went from a sort of the main stage after that Simmons era. Did you
utility tool to the flavour or sound of pop carry on using them?
records. It became the sound of the ‘80s. OH: What was happening was that MIDI
technology was getting more solid and
dD: Okay, so you had the LinnDrum early in expanding. We started seeing new controllers,
the piece. What else were you using? and products like the drumKAT, and I started
OH: Well, then they started coming out with using that to control the Dynacord brain but
devices you could play with the drumsticks – also with triggers from transducers that I
things like the Syndrum and the early Simmons popped on the toms, the kick and the snare.
drums. One of my favourite early analogue kits And there were two samplers that were
was a product by a company called Dynacord, popular back then: the Akai S900 and Casio
the ADD-One. I would say that's probably one had a sampler with a really cool library. But the
device I'm sorry I ever got rid of because it drumKAT had what was probably one of the
really did have an incredible sound. The best trigger to MIDI converters because Mario
interface was designed by the same guy who (deCuitiis) was always looking at improving the
PHOTO: ROLAND US
expressiveness by leveraging the MIDI something close to anything that I heard and
protocol and he did some really amazing work. then I could edit it to sound like anything else.
In fact, that was my main TMI, even up to my And so, I found that with the TD brains over the
time with Madonna where I used it with triggers years, I had that kind of power where I could
and KAT pedals and Akai samplers on her manipulate the sound into whatever I wanted
tours. and I could also put a pick-up on some of the
drums and do a hybrid concept. But, because
dD: So, we’re moving away from analogue of the playability of the V-Drums, I haven't
sounds to more hybrid integrations of needed to do that (add acoustic drums) as
electronic percussion? much. And I got to a point where half of my
OH: Well, I had situations where I was just gigs were clients specifically requesting V-
playing the ADD-One, but other times I was Drums and the other 50% was for me playing
doing hybrid stuff, mostly with Madonna. acoustic drums and percussion.
dD: And skipping forward, what are you using dD: That’s interesting. What kind of gigs and
electronically today and how are you using it? what styles of music required electronics?
OH: For the last 20 years, I’ve been a Roland OH: Typically, recording sessions, particularly
V-Drums artist and I've gone through every where people didn’t have a big studio where
iteration of the TD system – TD-10, TD-20, TD- they could mic drums up. Once these clients
25, TD-30 - and right now, we’re up to TD-50 heard the V-Drums and what could be done
which incorporates sample playback and with them in the hands of somebody that really
management into the brain. The only reason understood the system, they really loved using
they didn’t do it before was because the them. I made a lot of satisfying music and did a
processing wasn't fast enough to control lot of fun sessions with various V-Drums kits
samples and the COSM engine at the same that I had. And it's just so much fun to see a
time. But processors are so fast now that they client flip out when they experience what you
were able to solve that. But the COSM engine can actually do with that system.
was so deep that I almost didn’t need those
two things to be mixed together because the dD: And that was primarily using the stock
editing and tweaking that I could do in a TD sounds, not VST libraries?
brain was so much deeper than just OH: You know, I’ve never only used the stock
manipulating a one-dimensional sample. At a sounds. I’ve always tried to think about these
certain point, I didn’t even need to use drum modules in the way that keyboard
samplers anymore because there were enough players use synths. The keyboard players I
sounds in the TD brain that I could find have worked with who are professional players
digitalDRUMMER 39
never use stock sounds. They always get a

keyboard in their studio and they make that
PHOTO: ROLAND US
keyboard theirs, no matter what it is. And so,
maybe because I came from a keyboard
mindset, I didn't feel restricted by the stock
sounds. They were just a starting place. The
moment I dug deeper into the engine, I
realised I've got an equalizer, I've got
compression, gating, limiting, a full-on effects
rack, all kinds of modulation, ambience and
reverb effects. The only reason somebody
doesn’t leverage that power is because maybe
they don't understand that the TD drum brains
are really a virtual drum studio that combines
synthesis and studio processing in one box.
And now, with the TD-50, you add sampling to
that and the ability to layer the internal sounds
with external samples that you load in; it's
really fun what you could do now.
dD: So you must be slightly conflicted because

you’re a Roland electronic artist and a Pearl
acoustic artist – and Pearl has just released a
game-changing electronic drum module. Are
you tempted to reconsider your allegiances?
OH: Well, I think that I don’t need to reconsider
because, philosophically, they are two different
instruments. I think the Pearl user interface is
incredible and the sound is just stellar thanks developed, we're going to see a whole
to their collaboration with Slate. What can I generation of e-drummers emerge in the same
say? But in many ways, I feel like, if anything, I way that we saw electric guitarists emerge.
want to be like an old-school keyboard player There are guitarists that don’t play acoustic
that has an array of instruments. They’ll have a guitars: their careers are solely based on
Moog, a Fender Rhodes, a Yamaha CD 70. electric guitar. And I think for the first time, we
Really, with some of these electronic tools, do I have that possibility with drummers – that they
have to limit myself to one, or do I take this can be just electronic drummers. It sounds
moment to leverage the power of all of these crazy, but, maybe in 1940, if you had said to
instruments and let them shine with what they the guitar community that that was possible
do best? Philosophically, those two with their instrument, they probably would have
instruments are different, but at the same time, thought that was crazy, too. But then along
whatever choice you make, you've got some comes Eric Clapton and Jimi Hendrix, Jeff
incredible sort of creative power that you can Beck and Steve Vai, and the electric guitar did
work with. what it did. The history is there for us to refer
to.
dD: Yeah. In a sense, 2017 has been pretty
dramatic for electronic percussion. I mean, the dD: Increasingly, when I speak to professional
choices and the quality and the options drummers these days, the consensus is that
available last year, in particular, are quite anybody serious about drumming shouldn’t
astounding. And really, there should be no even contemplate getting into this career
excuse for anyone not to dip a toe in the unless they have some understanding of
electronic market at this stage. Previously, yes, triggering and loops and the possibilities of
there were performance issues, triggering electronics – and I think your career validates
issues and there was latency, but now in that.
particular, there would be no excuse. OH: There’s no question about this. It would be
OH: Oh, I agree, those days of the instrument a huge mistake to try to go out there into the
not being a reliable and satisfying tool are over. world today (without an understanding of
It’s really amazing with what's happening out electronic drums) and I would say that you
there right now. Because of the way the tools really wouldn’t be prepared or able to leverage
PHOTO: ROLAND US
the opportunities out there. The drummers that Berklee’s recording studio facilities just blew
are going to do this study and do this my mind. They are just as good as any pro
homework are the ones that will be prepared to facility that I've worked with anywhere on the
collaborate and create the art of today and planet. So, it's remarkable that the kids have
tomorrow. In fact, there’s a big trend to access to this level of equipment to be around
drummers as music directors for these big and, as time goes on, I'll have the ability to
tours. In pop music, we’ve seen the basis of take what is already here and enhance it with
creation move from keyboards to what we call my personal experience and really get a
the beat-maker perspective. So, some of the balance of offering the traditional skills they’ll
singers of today naturally look to the drummers need to become strong musicians and then get
as their main musical collaborator. Many the exposure and information about technology
drummers are not only playing, they’re also or electronics that would make what they’re
programming; they make beats with loops and doing here relevant in the real world. That's my
samples. Right now, what you need to have in goal here.
your tool belt to succeed is even different from
when I was a kid. I was sort of at the cutting dD: Speaking of the real world, let’s look at the
edge at that moment, but somebody coming changing business model of drumming. As you
into it now has to know more than I knew. said, the changing economics of music mean
that gigs like demos have disappeared, but
dD: Well, you have a great opportunity now to there are now new revenue streams, like your
ensure that the tool belt is full in your role as sample packs on Loop Loft …
chair of the Percussion Department at Berklee OH: I can talk about what happened to me
College of Music … because, like you said, we discussed the early
OH: What's incredible about Berklee is that shift because of the drum machine, But, not
they have this focus and perspective in place. just the ‘80s. go back to the early 2000s, when
They completely understand it. And what I’m there was a proliferation of home recording
observing (I’m only like in my third month) is gear which had become more affordable and
that there is quite a bit of technology study the price point and the capability of the
happening and quite a few professors are equipment kind of met. It was amazing! When
teaching courses in recording technology for you start thinking about what was happening
drummers that need to understand the process with Pro Tools back then, Digidesign created
of being a studio session drummer. quite a few different levels at which you can
get into that product and it was interesting for was clear to me was I was introducing myself
me to be a part of that, because as home to a new community that would discover the
recording started becoming stronger, another loops, like them and go back to my history and
segment of work went away as the mid-level see what I’d done. And I have gotten quite a bit
studios started to die. People could do what of work because of those loops. Like you said,
they were doing in their own house. When I maybe the loops were satisfying: wow, what
saw that happening, I realised that I could also happens if I actually get him to interpret my
offer my services from my home studio. And I music? Let’s be honest: the loops can have an
started doing that back in the days of the expiration date on them, but your interaction
ADAT. I realise that a lot of kids don't even with the artist doesn't – that is still a special
know what an ADAT machine is. When I relationship.
mention that, I see blank stares out there! (It’s
a tape format that was used for the recording dD: Well, Omar, we've covered a lot of ground
of eight digital audio tracks onto a Super VHS and you've been very open and frank and I
tape.) But that was the transition between appreciate that. So, maybe as a close, can you
analogue tape and digital hard disk recording. I tell us what the future holds for you?
did a few records like that for people all over, OH: You know, what I've always done is try to
sending around those VHS tapes via FedEx. keep my mind, my ears and my eyes open to
And then, Pro Tools happened and I could do all possibilities, to always stay in a place where
the same thing but I don’t have to use FedEx I'm prepared to learn and grow and I think, in
anymore. People can upload their stems and I that way, it keeps me fresh.
can grab them, pull them into my system, I always hear doctors say they have a practice.
record drums for them and send them an MP3. Well, I have a music practice. And in the same
They can approve it and then I would send way that medicine evolves, music also evolves
them the separate tracks back for their final as the time and the culture make a new
mix. demand on musicians. A new culture or a new
And also it was interesting that when I started age always ushers in a new perspective on
doing the Loop Loft loops, I noticed that people how things are done. And the technology
were grabbing and using a lot of them. They they’re working with is also an influence. So,
love them - and I'm getting ready to do Volume it’s important for me as a musician to keep
Three soon with a different concept. I try to do listening, keep exploring and keep looking for
something different every time. ways to grow.
dD: I wanted to ask about those because, in a

sense, you're almost competing with yourself
as people get to have Omar Hakim
playing on their songs without actually
having to hire you. But I guess the flip
side is that the loops would never be
enough for anyone really serious about
tapping into your talent …
OH: That’s true and that was a huge
consideration for me. I mean you
nailed it. And oddly enough, before
Loop Loft came along, I was asked to
do loops several times and I turned
them down. But when that came up, I
analysed where I was. It was
2014 and I’d just finished
working with Daft Punk. I
was seeing how they were
using my work in the
studio. And I also realised
that the Loop Loft was an
opportunity to also introduce
myself to a whole new community of
musicians. So, yes, one might argue that
you're shooting yourself in the foot. But what
performance
How I use e-drums
Touring with Noah Cyrus, Tyler Zarzeka

uses electronics to blend recorded sounds
with his acoustic drums.
I'VE SPENT THE last 10 years learning and I also perform some weird 808s and unique
embracing two sides of the music industry, sounds from her record, which is the beauty of
performance and music production. I’ve had the SPD-SX: it allows me to perform more
the chance to work with some of the biggest “live” rather than having the tracks play
artists and bands in the world such as Usher, everything. It does pose a challenge, however,
Demi Lovato, Hanson, and performed with in that I can’t drag or rush what I'm performing.
Charlie Puth, Emblem 3, Cher Lloyd, and many I have to play very robotic-like and yet not feel
more. These opportunities have taken me too stiff.
across the world and allowed me to see places
I haven’t had a gig in the last eight years that
I've always dreamed of, and meet people who
didn't incorporate electronics on an acoustic
have changed my life for the better.
drum kit. I’m sure some drummers feel
Currently, I’m on the road with Noah Cyrus, opposed to using electronics, but it’s the way
supporting for Katy Perry’s “Witness the Tour”. of our current industry and isn't going away
This gig is much more drum-oriented than my anytime soon.
other artist, Kiiara. With Noah, I'm of course
using the Roland SPD-SX, a standard for any Tyler’s gear list
pop act, but only using a kick and snare trigger Drums: Mahogany Q Drums
for certain sounds. This is perfect for blending 22 x 16” kick drum
sounds from her record to my acoustic drums. 13 x 9” rack tom
With Kiiara, music director Mitch Cohn (Chris 16 x 16” floor tom
Brown) was very specific about recreating the 14 x 7” brass plate snare
show to feel and sound like the record. For Cymbals: Zildjian
this, I use a Roland KT-10 set directly next to 15" A New Beat (top)
my kick pedal and a PD-8 to my left as a side 15" K Custom Special Dry (bottom)
snare. Most verses were performed on the KT- 10" Trashformer
10 and I would move my foot over to the 10" EFX
acoustic kick drum for choruses. Since my 18" K Custom Fast Crash
main snare (Q Brass) is perfect for most big 14" Trashformer (top stack)
choruses and outros, I put all the small high- 18" K EFX (bottom stack)
pitched snare sounds on the PD-8. 20" K Custom Special Dry Crash
Electronics:
These days, most pop tracks have multiple Roland SPD-SX
snare tones or layers of effects on top of claps PD-8 (drum pad)
and snaps. I dedicate any of the nine pads on KT-10 (kick trigger pedal)
the SPD-SX to these samples.
digitalDRUMMER,May 2017 45
performance
Mixing with
the best
Monitoring e-drums is sometimes a challenge,

particularly when you’re performing live. Roger
Whitsett shares his tried-and-tested solution.
I STARTED PLAYINg drums in 1974 and since Currently, I’m playing with a variety band,
then, I have played with and opened for Pizazz Band, covering various genres of
national, regional and local acts. I began using music. We try to play each genre as close to
electronic drums in 1988, starting with a original as possible, sound-wise, and play 60
Simmons SDS5. Then, I purchased an Alesis to 70 shows a year.
HR-16 drum machine to learn how to
I’m using various Roland pads and cymbals,
programme drums and how to play with a click
Alesis D4 and DM5 drum modules, Zildjian L80
track. From there, I bought a Roland Octopad
13” hi-hats and Westone UM 30 Pro Triple-
2, and Alesis D4 and DM5 drum modules to be
driver in-ear monitors. I can monitor my sound
able to trigger electronic drums using external
by using either my mixing board or my
triggers on acoustic drums.
headphone amp.
Roger’s monitoring solution. Blue is

signal flow from the e-drums, while
red is the mix feed.
The band decided to go with a “quiet stage” channel Yamaha mixer that has four line
because of the venues that we were starting to in/outs and two separate monitor outputs. I run
play in. There are no monitors, side fills, amps, five outputs from the Alesis module to my
or acoustic drums on our stage. mixing board, and then I run four line in/outs
and one monitor mix to front of house. The
In the past, you could go to smaller venues
separate mixes allow me to set my mixing
and play with amps, acoustic drums, etc. and
board to the level and EQ that I like and it
loud sound wasn’t an issue. Nowadays, most
doesn’t affect what goes out to front of house.
venues want the music at lower, more
controlled volumes. I strongly believe that the I also have a line in from the Behringer digital
band going the “quiet stage” route has allowed board that has the vocals, keys, bass, guitar,
us to get more shows. There isn’t ANY venue backing tracks and click sent to my mixing
that we can’t go in to perform and have to board. My band runs the monitor mixes in
worry about the music or instruments being too stereo. My iPad monitor mix has separate
loud. volume controls for vocals, keys, bass, guitar,
backing track and click. I have the choice of
Playing with all instruments and vocals running
setting each level as I see fit.
through the digital mixer allows my band to
have a quiet mix onstage. We all use in-ear This set-up allows our sound man to adjust the
monitors and every member has his own sound of the drums for the room that we’re
personal monitor mix (Behringer X-32 monitor playing in.
mix).
I also record every show using Ableton Live 9. I
When I joined Pizazz Band, the requirement run a stereo mix from my mixing board to my
was to own and play an electronic kit, be able laptop.
to play with a click track and be comfortable
Using electronic drums helps me to keep my
with the use of an iPad. I wanted to use my
drum sound consistent, night after night. I’ve
Roland TD-15 drum module instead of the
had a lot of compliments on my drum sound,
Alesis modules, but the band wanted individual
but mainly compliments on how I have my
control of the snare, kick, toms, cymbals, hi-hat
drum rig set up, what kind of equipment I use
and percussion. That is why I’m using Alesis
and how great the drums sound!
drum modules. The Alesis modules have a
total of eight outputs (four on each module). My advice for drummers who are considering
However, I will soon be upgrading to a Roland getting into using a full electronic drum rig (not
TD-50 bundle pack. hybrid) is to get the best possible equipment
that you can afford. I use Roland pads and
After several shows with the band, I couldn’t
cymbals because of reliability and durability.
get the drum sounds that I wanted to hear
I’ve never had to replace a single pad or
coming from the Behringer X-32 digital mixer. I
cymbal. The only thing I replace on occasion is
decided to submix my drums using a 12-
audio cords.
sampling
SPD-SX meets
Ableton Live
The recent update of the Roland SPD-SX range
with an SE model has rekindled interest in the
multipad. This provides a good opportunity for
Tobi Hunke to explore its capabilities with its
bundled DAW.
THE SPD-SX HAS been around now since 2011 (replacing the SPD-S launched in
2003) and has become one of the most used sample pads for drummers. It has lots
of inbuilt options and control functions, especially its various Audio Out routings
and the on-board control of the click, headphones and master volume as well as
the FX.
While there’s a lot of on-board control, drummers still miss some features and
techniques they may need in a rehearsing, performing or production situation.
That is where the computer comes to the fore, helping to customise
performances.
Lots of drummers now rely on computers for live performance. From smaller
cover bands playing in pubs to the big-scale mainstream hip hop acts, it is
becoming normal not only to see some sort of electronic drums and pads on
stage, but also to have a laptop next to the drummer. Triggering drum samples
or backing/click tracks, sending out a MIDI clock to other musicians’ hardware,
controlling the lights and/or video or being employed for audio effect
processing for (acoustic) drums, the use of computers on stage for live music
drummers is growing rapidly.
Roland has reacted to this trend by including an Ableton Live Lite licence with
the new version, the SPD-SX SE.
Ableton Live has been around since 2001 and has had a huge impact on the
electronic music scene by rethinking the concept of the digital audio
workstation and facilitating the integration of external MIDI hardware.
So, let’s look at some of the features you will get when combining the SPD-SX
with Ableton Live.
SPD-SX as external sound card
When rehearsing or performing with a computer/laptop, you may want to use
an external sound card for improved sound quality right without impacting on
your computer’s processing resources. The SPD-SX can function as an
external sound card, sending the sound from your computer, for example from
Ableton Live, to your headphones and/or to the PA.
Check out how this works here.
Record and loop your SPD-SX into Ableton Live

The sound card function not only works as an
output from your computer, but also as an input,
meaning you could send the audio from your
SPD-SX to your computer and record this into
Ableton Live. You can now easily record loops
and layer them.

Tempo and MIDI clock sync

You can generally sync two MIDI devices with internal tempos, with a MIDI clock sent
from one device to the other. Unfortunately, the SPD SX is not able to send a MIDI
clock, but is able to receive and listen to one sent, for example, from Ableton Live.
This could be handy for triggering loops on your SPD-SX and/or if you want to use the
internal click from the SPD-SX and have it synced with a backing track from Ableton
Live

Tonal sounds and samples
As Ableton Live is used for music production and sound design, it comes with various
presets for sampler and synth instruments. The number of instruments varies in the
different versions of Ableton Live, but the bundled Live Lite version includes a range
of real instrument samples that can be triggered with your SPD-SX.

◆ Tobi Hunke is a drummer and Ableton Live instructor whose resources can
be found at www.abletondrummer.com.
Introducing the ja mKAT™ MIDI Hand Percussion Controller
ja mKAT The twelve FSR pad layout of the jamKAT™ was designed
specifically for hand percussionists. Allowing for natural
hand movements, gestures, and techniques found in
playing instruments such as congas, bongos, tabla,
shakers, etc.
“A new instrument
for a new way This instrument has an amazing feel, response and
of playing.” dynamic range thanks to the power of the DITI. For the first
time, you can play with just your fingers, expression never
realized on any hand drum controller.
The DITI incorporates many “gestures” designed for hand

drum playing. It knows when you want to sustain a sound
simply by pressing on the pad. It can send out controller
information such as pitch bend, panning, expression, etc.
The DITI can play alternate note patterns, velocity shifting,

note shifting, etc. It can even play different sounds
depending on the pressure of another pad. You can play
chords and transpose patterns.
Alternatemode.com| @ALTERNATEMODE
training
Jazzing it up
Click to watch the video
In this month’s training program, Raul Vargas

looks at a genre not often played with e-drums.
IN THIS EDITION, I'll be sharing with you some exercises inspired by jazz.
It's not very common to use electronic drums in this kind of genre, but thanks
to recent technological advances, we can use electronic drums or
percussion for any kind of music genre or style.
Let's talk about "comping". Nowadays, the musical concept of comping has
become the base element of jazz playing. Comping is a rhythmic
accompaniment used around the drum set, but we'll focus on playing a jazz
pattern on the ride and hi-hat, adding the bass drum and snare drum.
We’ll be working on a series of coordination exercises and jazz patterns to
help you to develop these techniques.
Play and repeat the following co-ordination exercises on the bass drum and
on the snare drum as written. This will form the basis of the rhythm to which
we’ll add the jazz pattern on the ride and the hi-hat.
A suggestion is to play the exercises until you feel comfortable. Maybe try
them first without a metronome, and once you have completed them, you
can focus on tempo, using a metronome to play faster or slower.
Every two-bar comping phrase has a musical idea or theme. After
completing these exercises, try to create your own musical phrases.
‘A’ is played with a triplet feel, but the eighth notes should be interpreted as
"swing eights". That applies to the five comping phrases.
You'll find a swing pattern with the ride in ‘B’ and it is commonly played in
this way.
I hope these exercises help you expand your musical skills and give you
some new ideas to expand your musical language.
Until next time!
Jazz Pattern A)
Jazz Pattern B)
Comping Phrases

Roland artist Raul Vargas is from Victoria, Tamaulipas, Mexico. His
music education includes a qualification from Berklee College of
Music in Boston. He was this month crowned E-drummer of the Year
in the digitalDrummer Readers’ Choice awards.

gear
MONSTER
My
kit
We head to chilly southern Finland for
this month’s monster kit, courtesy of
Jukka ‘Fatalii’ Kilpinen.
Jukka’s kit Jukka’s Story
Drums: Drumming has been my thing since I was
10 years old, but it was always quite clear
14” BANg Drums custom snare; 6” Fatalii
it would be a hobby rather than my main
Custom Drums tom; 8”/10”/12”/14” Pearl
occupation. These days, I’m a drummer
Vision toms, 20” Pearl Vision kick and
and producer whenever I have time -
various other drums.
mostly at night. My e-drum kit is ideal as
Triggering: Drone internal triggers and the sound of the acoustic cymbals
Remo SilentStroke heads doesn't carry too far and my pads with
Module: 2box DrumIt Five Drone triggers are almost totally silent.
My drum kit is an ongoing project, and I
Sensory unit: Porter & Davies stool
am working on adding some Octobans
Pedals: Axis doubles now. The project can be followed here.

gearGuide
2BOX SAMPLES E-DRUM KITS
op St
do tim ud
io
wn ize sa
loa d m
pl
fo for es
d
ro 2
nly bo
€6 x
Ludwig™ Black Beauty

1920s sample for 2box™
™
From the developer of the hi-hat conversion
d modules for 2box™ DrumIt Five & Roland™
FD-7, FD-8, FD-9, VH-11 VH-12 and VH-13!
ZOURMAN
www.zourman.com
or visit our resellers
D R U M S Drum-tec (Germany), Jobeky (UK)
or Electronic Drum Center (US)
CONVERSION KITS MESH HEADS
Electrify any kit
Convertible Percussions
allows you to convert any kit
in just a few minutes
for less than $50 per drum.
Easy to install - no soldering.
Visit us at
convertiblepercussions.com
Or search for us on Ebay
and YouTube
gearGuide
CONVERSION KITS TRAINING
MESH HEADS E-DRUM KITS
ONLY A FEW LEFT

Hart Dynamics has stopped trading and
its famed mesh heads, made by Aquarian,
are fast disappearing.
This is your last chance to grab these
quality heads in Australia.

Our greatest hits

... in one volume
Over the years, digitalDrummer has reviewed scores

of products and produced a number of market-leading
head2head comparisons, helping you choose the most
appropriate solution.
Of course, all our back issues are available
online, but to save you the time and trouble of
searching, we have compiled our reviews into single
volumes, ready to access with just one click.
From triggers to mesh heads and VSTs, to download
your preferred compilation, click here.
Everything you need - just a click away.

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digitalDrummer_Feb_2018.

qxp_Layout 3 28/1/18 11:54 am Page 1

Edition 33 • February 2018 US$10

CREDITS HYBRID DRUMMING HAS been around for a while, although

digitalDrummer FEBRUARY 2018

Advanced Trigger Variants

A bit of this, a bit of that, a lot of fun

Simmons flagship tested

Preferred products and people

Wham, bam, NAMM

34 Profile: Omar Hakim

How I use e-drums

46 Mixing with the best

48 SPD-SX meets Ableton Live

digitalDRUMMER, February 2018 5

ATV’s long-awaited pad, cymbal and hardware

FOLLOWINg ON FROM its debut aD5 drum The drums

13” floor tom (left) and 13” snare (above)

digitalDRUMMER, February 2018 7

The hi-hat is, without

digitalDRUMMER, February 2018 9

Put your best foot forward.

MDD Direct Drive Ad 3 - 2017 (Digital Drummer).indd 1 10/4/17 4:20 PM

digitalDRUMMER, February 2018 13

Before you pull

... Check out

Simmons has made a lot of its new direction

digitalDRUMMER, February 2018 17

Alesis mesh head conversion Triggers

Drum mics from the specialist How to

Electronic, acoustic and hybrid drumming

682Drums_A4-adv_digitalDrummer_v3.indd 1 27-6-2017 21:58:17

Our readers have spoken, with some clear

PRODUCT OF THE YEAR - HARDWARE

PRODUCT OF THE YEAR - SOFTWARE

E-drum Product of the Year (Software) goes, unsurprisingly, to Toontrack’s Superior

digitalDRUMMER, February 2018 25

E-DRUMMER OF THE YEAR

RETAILER OF THE YEAR

AND A SPECIAL ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

Autentic Acoustic Artware

PHOTO: JESSE GRANT/GETTY IMAGES

ATTENTION IS ALWAYS focused on the big

digitalDRUMMER, February 2018 29

Surge Mesh kit and

digitalDRUMMER, February 2018 31

Yamaha had already revealed its electronic goodies ahead of

ddrum debuted two new electronic kits – the DD

Around the booths: Michael

digitalDRUMMER, February 2018 33

PHOTO: EDDY WESTVEER

New Yorker Omar Hakim has accompanied some of the

Omar Hakim began playing drums when he

PHOTO: EDDY WESTVEER

never use stock sounds. They always get a

dD: So you must be slightly conflicted because

dD: I wanted to ask about those because, in a

How I use e-drums

Touring with Noah Cyrus, Tyler Zarzeka

Monitoring e-drums is sometimes a challenge,

Roger’s monitoring solution. Blue is

Record and loop your SPD-SX into Ableton Live

digitalDRUMMER, February 2018 49