Print Page - GEAR REVIEWS (by members)

(http://img3.musiciansfriend.com/dbase/pics/products/tn/44/444335.t.jpg)
YAMAHA Erskine Free-Standing Stick Bag (http://service.bfast.com/bfast/click?bfmid=5607334&siteid=40906838&bfpid=444335&bfmtype=gear)

well i did it. ive been talking about getting one of these for a while and finally did it. its hard to shell out $50 for a peice of gear that isnt "fun" and doesnt make noise, but sometimes its worth it. thats the case here (no pun intended ... i swear)

last week i had an audition callback. its pretty dynamic music and i had to switch between brushes and sticks and mallets (oh my!) all the time. i had my bag on the floor (cause it wasnt hanging off the floor tom right) so i was reaching down there or pulling em off the bass drum if they werent falling off of thier own accord. i got the call that i got the gig yesterday, and bought the stick bag today. its absolutely vital for the kinda stuff im going to be doing.

pros and cons:

simply put ... its amazing. stroke of design genius even. roomy, plenty of flat pockets as well as stick pockets. and even some small ones for those drum keys we all loose. its practically bulletproof as well. i am slightly concerned about its structural longevity though. its reliant on cardboard (i assume) and velcro to function to its full capacity. not the materials that launched the space shuttle, but should work for quite some time if you take care of it. my other gripe is a slightly odd one. the stick pockets are sewn to single V edge at the bottom. as opposed to a square or U edge. which would be fine in most cases, even with a good handful of sticks. but i use more than sticks. i use mallets with double ends among other things. and those mallets dont quite stuff all the way down well enough because of this bottom edge. which also means they take up more space. a huge problem? no. not even for me really. but an issue none the less. if youre more of a "bunch of sticks and maybe some rods or brushes" kinda drummer. shouldnt be an issue at all. these pockets are plenty roomy really.

to sum up:

incredible design. highly usefull. generally well built. but i would like to send the following ideas to yamaha for version 2.0. that wierd drum case plastic for rigidity insted of cardboard. maybe use a tentpole-in-the-pocket system to hold the "table" up instead of velcro. square off the bottoms of the pockets.

8 out of 10

I have TWO of the Erskine Stick Bags. The first one is the earlier model (black/purple/green combo) that Beato made for Yamaha. I really like the first stick bag, but it doesn't have the tray like the second one (see photo below). They also improved the durability of the handle and a few other minor items.

(http://img.musiciansfriend.com/dbase/pics/products/44/444335.jpg) (http://service.bfast.com/bfast/click?bfmid=5607334&siteid=40906838&bfpid=444335&bfmtype=gear)

Both versions of Erskine stick bag has one issue that really bothers me ........ the pockets. It's not the pockets themselves, but rather the stitching inside the pockets. If I put a pair of sticks that has really be chewed up along the shoulder (ie. rimshots), the wood splinters get hooked on the lip of the pocket ... and start to mess up the bag. I've got stitching coming out, or portions of the pockets kind of pulling away. I have to fight with the bag to get it to let my sticks go! They get material stuck in the splinters on the stick. So that's a bit frustrating ... but I still love the bag. I think they need to redesign the bag's pockets so that there's no way for anything to hook or snag on the inside of the pockets where you keep your sticks. I had Tuxedo Bags do the same thing; their stick bags that is.

I still give the stick bag a BIG "thumbs up"!!!

FINALLY!!! ;D a place where I can rave to people who will appreciate this piece of gear. I'm sure many of you have seen it. The RockBag Hardware Caddy (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/redirect?link_code=ur2&camp=1789&tag=drummercafe-20&creative=9325&path=external-search%3Fsearch-type=ss%26keyword=RockBag%20Hardware%20Caddy%20%26index=mi-index&platform=gurupa). It's a hardware bag mounted to a dolly. I know they have made things like this before, but this one was only $95!! I have had it for about a year and it is awesome. I can fit hi-hat stand, 3 boom stands, 2 straight stands, 2 snare stands, tom mount, pedal, 2 mic cases, a stool (minus the seat), and a stick bag. Not to mention the front pocket that holds my cowbell and jam block. This is the best piece of equipment I have bought in years. It fits in the back of my Jeep Cherokee and leaves plenty of room for the drums. It's a bit heavy to get in and out of the car, but once it's on the ground, it rolls like a dream :) Saves my back from wear and tear, doesn't require another person or take up too much room, and won't break the bank. THUMBS UP.

After almost 3 months of waiting I finally received my
(http://images.amazon.com/images/P/B0002GO6PW.01-A34VCPZVL7E6XQ._SCMZZZZZZZ_.jpg)
Sonor Giant Steps Twin Effects Pedal (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B0002GO6PW/drummercafe-20/104-7800441-4141512?%5Fencoding=UTF8&camp=1789&link%5Fcode=xm2)
Don't buy this unless you want your mind blown.

For those of you living under a rock the past year this is a pedal which has two beaters...the left activated by the heel and the right by the ball of your footski. It is a single pedal with two beaters and as sonor states not intended to replace the double pedal. It is wild what one can aspire to do with this thing...I can imagine having two or even 4 or them with gajate brackets, triggers, or kicks.

Not only is this thing well made (compare it to an axis or dw and this thing is right there if not better- parts are beautifully die cast, painted and machined) the feel out of the box is outstanding.

I'm not going to get into it...the beast comes with a video, nice embroidered, padded case and the "docking station" which is really slick (no more chewing up your BD hoop).

I got it for 400 beans out the door. I think they retail for over $650. I think it is a very fair value and that is hard for me to say about anything in the music bizz.

I think I love it, but it is like doing something incredibly mind expanding for the first time. It is going to be long haul to really get this thing happening but I was doing this flammed 1/8 note triplet osti with my left foot this morning and it was blowing my mind...as soon as I add the rest of the kit...voila! Instant ass kicking solo- just add a Giant Step.

You are going to have to get over your preconceived notions of heel down and heel up playing. In other words you are going to have to really get your balance/seat/center of gravity happening...no more resting on your heel or kick drum head boys. One will use muscles in their foot they aren't used to- this thing is not for wimps. It's not as tough if you are familiar with heel/toe technique, but it's not like buying a snare drum and banging out whatever you did before. THIS IS A NEW THING. I've already got sixteenths happening on it and I actually played a jazz samba with that ostinato happening on the left foot! And when I go to bang out a 2/3 clave with just the ball of my foot I don't notice any problems with the other beater wanting to activate- I can leave the main beater in the jam block or let it rebound. Your foot just sorta floats on the thing- I don't know...you just have to get one.

The action will blow you away on the heel and the ball portion of the beater...there are over 14 sets of ball bearing/needle bearings in the thing!
So don't worry about the pedal performing, it is the smoothest pedal I can remember ever playing! All you need to do is get your foot happening.

DW TERRY BOZZIO BEATER SOUND ENHANCERS

so i play a lot of percussion, and when im on kit i like to bring some of that sound with me. ive been known to tape mini maracas to sticks or bass beaters, and have been planning on getting a gajate bracket for more options. i saw these dw bass beater accessories a while back and was always intrigued. today i just bought 'em.

what they are:
shaker - nylon ball, pellet filling
jingles - 4 steel tambourine style jingles
zils - finger cymbals

how they work:
the set comes with a little black sleeve that fits over your beater shaft and locks inplace with a drumkey screw. on one end is a threaded hole. each accessory has a short tension rod through it with a lock nut on the end about an 1/8 of an inch down. you simply screw the exposed end of the tension rod on the accessory into the threaded hole on the sleeve. viola. they are extremely light weight. i didnt even really notice any weight difference on my beater.

how they sound:
remarkable. all of them were plenty loud enough to cut through the kit, but not so loud as to be annoying.
the shaker is a simple golf ball looking thing. nice, mellow sound, not to bright, but enough to cut. very sensitive to your pedal movement too. i could pull some hits before they hit the head and got neat 8ths and 16ths with the shaker while playing 1/4's on the bass.
the jingles have that tambourine sound. nothing shocking. its not quite as sensitive as the shaker. it would move, but its sound was nominimal with faked beats.
the zils intrigued me most. i couldnt visualise how they worked. and i have spent some time on my own trying to devise such a device. so to see the ingenuity in it function, and to see just how simple it is, was about worth the cost alone :) one zil is stationary at the lock nut end of the tension rod that goes through them. the other isnt fixed, but can slide easily. there is a light spring between them. it keeps them apart till the momentum of a bass hit, pulls the moving zil forward against the stationary one. TIIIIIIINNNNGGG! as for sensitivity, obviously its the least sensitive of the three. and thats good. its easy to overdo TIIIIIINNNGGG!

overview/useability:
at 25$ its a cheap way to add some flavor to your kit. obviously not for every song. but if you want to spice up a track its great. i highly recommend them to percussionists with busy feet. the joy of percussion is all the fun little noise makers out there. adding some shaker to your left foot cowbell clave could add a nice unexpected touch ("how many hands does that guy have?" etc ;)) i see myself setting up a pedal with nothing on it just for these little gadgets. add some zils to my dumbek solo ;)

I hate schlepping my cymbal bag through airports, because it weighs a ton, and after 9-11 I get hassled trying to bring it onboard as a carry-on. So I decided to look into a hardshell alternative that I could actually check as baggage. I wanted something durable, easy to carry, and secure from the sticky fingers of baggage handlers.

I found this cool-looking case made by Gator (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/redirect?link_code=ur2&camp=1789&tag=drummercafe-20&creative=9325&path=external-search%3Fsearch-type=ss%26keyword=Gator%20cymbal%20case%26index=mi-index&platform=gurupa) at Mars music:

(http://www.spider-engineering.co.uk/acatalog/gatorcymbal.jpg)

It's got rollerblade-style wheels, and a telescoping handle - very slick. But to open it, all you have to do is unscrew the threaded knob in the center, and I was worried about the handle sliding up when I didn't want it to, possibly getting mangled in the cargo hold of the plane. So I knew I'd need to modify it before I'd feel safe checking it with my suitcase.

My solution was to keep the original knob in my stick bag, and use a wrench to put on a locking nut (those metal hex-shaped nuts with a nylon insert that increases friction on the threads), and then another nut on top of that, tightened against the original nut. It would take a thief at least a minute or two to get these off, and they'd need to have a wrench to do so, so I doubt most would take the risk to even try it. I also painted my name on the side of the case.

I bought a nylon strap at a luggage store, and looped it around the case, holding the telescoping handle in place, so it won't open unexpectedly. And the strap provides one more layer of interference between thieves and my cymbals.

I just did a round trip from Fort Lauderdale to Los Angeles, and it worked like a charm. For local work, I just use the regular threaded knob that came with the case, but for flying I've now found a system that I feel comfortable with.

With Mars going out of business, you may be able to get a good price on one of these cases. I give it two thumbs up!

RETRACTION:
I'm sorry to say I need to retract that. I've only flown with this case three times, and already it's cracked! I'm very disappointed.

I'd love to get my money back. There's just one problem: I bought it at Mars Music, and they've gone out of business!

Quote from: Louis on November 02, 2002, 01:55 PM

Has anyone experienced problems traveling with their kit? I am in the process of building an airline friendly trunk for my complete kit, but in the past have always hand carried my cymbals, snare and kick pedal.

How many cases does all that fit into? Some airlines I've flown recently only allow ONE carryon , so you'd have a hard time bringing all that on board. That's one of the reasons why I bought a hard case for my cymbals.

Check with some of the airlines that you use to see what their latest rules are. They're starting to loosen up a little, although I still get frisked every time I fly, and I have to pack all my tools and hardware-oriented stuff with my checked baggage - they are extremely tough on that stuff at the security checkpoints.

PS - they do NOT like metronomes. I guess I can't blame them - a battery operated thingie with flashing lights and a timer? Not something most people want to see on airplanes. ::) So I always throw that in my checked suitcase!

REVIEW: Sabian Jojo Mayer Signature Fierce Ride

Ever since I heard recordings of Elvin and Tony - particularly Tony's work on Miles Davis' "Four and More" - I've been in love with that DARK ride cymbal sound for jazz playing.

Over the years I owned several old Turkish K's that were nice, but never quite what I was seeking. Paiste used to have a ride called (if I remember correctly) a Sound Creation Dark Ride that came close, but you needed a second mortgage to buy the thing. I've made do with a weird 20" pressed-metal cymbal (the sort that comes with a drumkit you'd buy from Sears) that a now-famous bass player sold me - he'd bought it for 20 bucks in a pawn shop, but sold it so he could buy some pot. It had a suitably dark "tang" sound, but lacked the feel and projection of a professional grade cymbal.

Well, my search is over. I bought myself a 21" Sabian Fierce Ride sight unseen (since I couldn't find any in local stores), just hoping I'd dig it. It arrived about a week ago, and when I held it on one finger and tapped it with a stick, I was kind of disappointed. The bell seemed choked, and the cymbal seemed too washy. Oh well.

But I hadn't actually PLAYED it, so last night I put it up on my jazz kit for the first time, and OH BABY - I'm in love! While it does have a lot of wash, it has a VERY distinct stick sound that I don't think will get lost. And while the bell is not as powerful as that of a rock ride cymbal, it's not choked, and still great for those Elvin latin drum grooves.

I'm really digging the cymbal, and am SO glad I took the time to try it out on a kit, instead of just tapping the thing. I think I'm going to have a lot of fun with this - now I just gotta rustle up a jazz gig! To my ears that's the only scenario where it will really fit, although I might try sneaking it into a couple of my tuxedo gigs - the audience will never know, and it will probably sound sweet on the swing numbers.

It's also a cool-looking cymbal - all dark and hammered and exotic looking. It's part of Jojo Mayer's Singature series, which also includes crashes, which I'm interested in checking out, too. I gather Jojo uses this ride for high-energy D&B music, but I think it's a great bebop ride!

http://www.jojomayer.com/html/signature_gear.html

(http://www.istanbulcymbals.com/images/img-cus-sultan.gif)

istanbul sultan

technical info:
hand hammered, hand lathed, B20 alloy

alright i picked up my first in what will be a small collection of these cymbals. i got an 18" ride that is actually from the pre-split era of istanbul (both agop and mehmet) but since i figure theyre all handmade and prone to slight differances anyway, that it didnt really matter much, same basic people, same materials and methods. that said, this series is essentially the same as the bosphorus ferit series.

first obvious bit is the lathe pattern. the sultan series has a completely lathed bottom and the top is mixed. unlathed bell and ~2" stripe around the middle. this is what makes the cymbal stand out from more traditional designs. not just in looks but in sound and functionality. they are also unfinished, it doesnt seem as though they have a protective coating or anything like that. gotta keep 'em clean.

the overall character of these cymbals is dark, warm and complex. this one was a touch on the heavy side (for me, its a medium by most makers standards) which combined with the smaller diameter gave it some high end sparkle that a 22" wouldnt have had :) but there wasnt so much that it was "bright", just enough to blend in with the darker tones. give the whole thing some added color.

the lathed stripe isnt that thick. the lathing on the top was apparently done just a hair past the surface. so it doesnt make a HUGE difference. it simply excentuates the characteristics that are already there. when you play a ride on the edge, you get a more active sound with overtones and edge wobble. you get that with this cymbal because the edge is lathed. when you play a ride in the middle of the bow you get a more controlled & focused sound, less overtones, and less wobble. the unlathed stripe excentuates that. its even more solid & focused ... "pingy" if you will ... on that stripe. same with the bell, the bell of any cymbal is pingier than the edge, the unlathed sultan bell simply excentuates that.

that is the sultans strength. by excentuating a couple already evident characteristics without eleminating others, you get a cymbal capable of more color, character, and variety than others. these are "if you could only take one cymbal" cymbals.

im getting these cymbals to use with my "pop" band. most of my work with them is ride cymbal driven so i need a variety of ride sounds to keep things fresh. i typically use 3 (crashable to some extent) rides, a crash, and hats. i plan on getting sultans for all of them. this 18" is gorgeous, but a bit on the high end side for a main ride for me. i plan on getting a 22" and 20" as well. between these three i should really have all id ever need.

istanbul agop's (which are what the rest of mine will more than likely be) arent that expensive really. a 22" agop sultan can be had brand new for $240 at idaho percussion. average for big 3 prices, low for hand made boutiques.

Yamaha 6.5x14 Maple Snare Drum (http://www.yamaha.com/cgi-win/webcgi.exe/DsplyModel/?gSDM00006MSD-0106)

I'm fortunate enough to do a lot of fly-in gigs, where I play on rented gear. This affords me the opportunity to play a nice variety of upper-line drums.

Last weekend I played at a gorgeous casino called the Mohegan Sun - it's near Hartford, CT. Their house kit was a Yamaha Maple Custom - nice kit! I'm seeing more and more of these being used by production companies and casinos, probably because you can always count on them to sound good.

But the standout of the kit was the snare - a Yamaha 6.5x14 Maple (http://www.yamaha.com/cgi-win/webcgi.exe/DsplyModel/?gSDM00006MSD-0106)drum.

This drum KILLED. It had as much crack as most metal drums, with the added warmth and fatness of a wood shell. Yamaha wood shells always seem to have a more "controlled" sound, which I'm not always wild about when it comes to their toms. But for a snare, it's perfect.

We were working with the legendary Uptown Horns (http://www.phunque.com/uptown/) as our horn section for this gig - these guys have played with everybody - from the Stones to Joe Cocker. They kept commenting on how great the snare sounded, as did our musical director, so I knew it wasn't just me that dug it.

I loved playing it, and think it would make a very versatile primary snare drum. I mostly play metal snares, except when I'm in the studio, so this represents a big shift in thinking for me. Also, I usually go with a 5" or a 5.5" depth - this is significantly deeper, but it wasn't too deep-sounding to be a main snare. Appearance-wise, I'm not wild about those little gold-colored lugs, but the drum sounded so good I wouldn't care.

I give the drum two thumbs up - check it out!

22" Istanbul Agop Sultan Jazz Ride ... (mouthful i know)

(http://www.istanbulcymbals.com/images/img-cus-sultan.gif)

from thier site: SULTAN SERIES
The bottom side is lathed. The top side has lathed and unlathed parts that follow eachother ; beginning with a lathed edge , ending with a unlathed cup.

this is part 1 - the excited because i just got it today initial reaction part. ill add part 2 (to this same post) later this weekend since i plan on using it on a gig tomorrow.

(note, i was using a guitar center 7A. a .540 diameter stick with a ball tip. these are my controls. they can have a brighter sound than i often like, so if i dig it with the ball, ill love it with the teardrop)

my first reactions were to the physical nature of this cymbal and how handmade it really is. its got some rough spots in the lathing, the signature is smudged, and its absolutely gorgeous. to the cymbalholic, good hand hammering is like the facets on a diamond, in the right light it becomes a whole new cymbal, with light reflecting off every dent. beautiful :) the unlathed bits are accordingly multicolored, showing the wierdness that heat adds to metal. varying shades of reds and violets. the bell on this thing is pretty wide at 5 1/2 inches, but relatively flat.

now to the sound. i got a "jazz" model. which is thinner than thier standards. according to idaho percussion a normal 20" averages around 6lbs, a jazz around 5. i wanted a thin 22 because i wanted dark, and washy ... i love sustain in a cymbal. this delievers in spades.

when riding the unlathed edge it gets going and just rolls there ... for days ... each stroke after the first looses its attack a bit, so your strokes arent so much well defined "pings" but more a simple peak in the wash. like a whitecap on windy water. that alone could turn off a lot of folks. but to me? YUMMY. and this is where the true strength of the sultan line lies. if you want more ping on top of that underlying roar, you just move your stroke up a couple inches to the unlathed stripe. viola. your attack is sharper, but you retain that warm fuzzy wash. and thats the reason that stripe is there :) ingenious design.

when crashing the edge it opens right up and that sustain is right there after it. more than most rides because of its thinness, but less than a normal crash obviously, its a 22 after all. what i do a lot instead of using crash cymbals for accents is to crash my rides. not with a swing persay, but while riding just bear down on the edge a bit more, so you get a big soft roar in the midst of your riding. again, this cymbal nailed that.

the bell is an odd duck. im not much for bell sounds so im not too particular, but i checked it out because i know a lot of folks are. being as wide as it is, makes it an easy target and combined with its unlathed-ness gives it a solid "tang" when hit with a shoulder. its a fair bit weaker when played with the tip of the stick, but a nice audible ping that doesnt really activate the sustain.

to sum up, big, fat, dark, warm, with complex overtones and tremendous depth and wash. controllable with a lighter touch, roaring with a heavier one. and oh so purty ;D

22" Istanbul Agop Sultan Jazz Ride

part 2 - on the road

so i had a gig with this ride last night. the sound onstage was utter $hite, but i figure thats a norm anyway right ;) (my kick drum was the angry voice of god though, that was nice ;D )

i had no cymbal or overhead micing so it was me against the world. mixed in that sort of environment, the lowend of this cymbal wasnt nearly as prominent, that includes that huge sustain. to my ears it had a lot more attack and ping than it did at rehersal. the sustain blended with the the guitar in a lot of respects, adding to the overall underlying drone of our band (a good thing) but its sticking managed to have more definition than i had heard before, which aided in keeping time, another good thing, since the whole mix was pretty mucky. the only time the sustain really showed itself well was when it was left alone as the band dropped in dynamic. which is exactly what i wanted, since thats where i need it the most.

so, part 2 summary ... more solid sounding than originally thought. still plenty dark and wet, but can stand on its own in the right setting. maybe a heavier stick like a 5 (instead of my 7's) would add to that.

i still wouldnt think of it as a live "rock" cymbal. it wouldnt cut through a mix enough for most rock music. maybe good as an option for those kinda players though. to add some depth to your ride options. otherwise id leave it for the jazz, and mellower pop folks. if the tonality and character intrigues a rock player maybe try the regular or heavy instead of the jazz.

Bosphorus Jeff Hamilton "Hammer" 14" Hi-Hats (http://www.bosphoruscymbals.com)

as i was looking for some cool hihats, i stumbled upon these at Drummer's World. became a big fan after getting my Diana Krall Live in Paris DVD, so i thought, "what the hey?"

Looking at 'em, they were done nicely in a brillant finish with the dark navy logo set starkly against it. all along the surface are those tried and true hand hammered marks that looked like rippling golden waves.

had a very little bell, and both hats were rather shallow looking. picking up the top, you cant but notice its suuuuuper thin and light. even has a freaky wobble when you crash the hats. while, the bottom hat had a more pocked and dirty, unlathed look and also felt medium weight/thin.

playing 'em yielded a Harry Caray approved, "Holy Cow!" ;D

closed hat chicks had a very sweet chirpy tone that oozy sizzly overtones. foot chicks were mellow, yet sizzly as well. the lighter than average top really made the foot work very responsive. and, the open hat crash tones were actually good enough to use as crash tones! nothing too trashy, dissonant or offensive about 'em. very harmonious. the bell also yielded some sweet pings that sounded like mini dinner bells.

downsides? a bit too sloshy and soggy. tho the top's light, the overall feel isnt as articulate and pinpoint as my Paistes. still, with tone this good, who cares? ;) also, the top hat seems sooo thin, it almost feels fragile. kinda makes me wince if i hit the hats too hard. :(

compared to the pricier Zildjian KCon 14" hats, the KCon's had waay more trashier accents, especially in the open hat sounds. stick sound was similar, but a little tighter and articulate, and not as sloshy.

compared to my Paiste Trad's, lets just say, i think they're quaking in the cymbal bag! the Hammers made them seem almost bland. not as sweet a chick, brighter & more inyourface open hat sound, while not nearly as vibey.

funny, but i also tried a wafer thin, Hammer 20" Crash/Ride, and didnt dig it as much. tho, it had a sweetly bright, controlled, yet somewhat dry stick tone, hitting it harder gave some after/overtones that were just too trashie for me. like beating on a finely tuned trash can lid from outside. still, would give any vintage buff sweaty palms.

i havent played all that many vintage hats, save for what Mark at the shop had, but overall, if you're looking for a sweet vintage vibe in your hihats, your search ends here (http://www.bosphoruscymbals.com/go.php?pg=artists_hammer).

(http://www.sonor.de/neu/german/news/news-images-2002/GSMIDDL1.jpg)

I finally added this to my kit. This is the Sonor Giant Step Middle Pedal (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/redirect?link_code=ur2&camp=1789&tag=drummercafe-20&creative=9325&path=external-search%3Fsearch-type=ss%26keyword=Sonor%20Giant%20Step%20Middle%20Pedal%26index=mi-index&platform=gurupa).

I took some rearranging of my kit to get this contraption to hook up and quite frankly, I had my doubts.

My kit is much more centralized now, which is kinda bizarre because my body feels more balanced than before. My rack toms and kick are directly in front of me and the snare hats and floor are almost in line behind them.

So I have been playing this way now for a couple of weeks. This is the fastest pedal I've played currently. I have not tried the dw titanium or axis longboards, but for my ability, it goes as fast as I can.

The big difference I noticed is that it was faster than my dw (5000 accelerator model) double pedal but the beaters did not have the velocity/ impact power. I have had to adjust my technique (play harder). I expected this with a new pedal.

It's a very quiet pedal, comes with nylon or chain drive. I put the chains on when I got it FYI. It's plenty quiet with the chains but silent with the nylon strap.

I never realized how an adjustable toe stop/footboard help my playing...yes you can adjust spring tension and all that, but the giant step pedal has an adjustable "target" (you can see the red dot on the footboard in the pic) and this little movable toe stop. Pretty cool, you can get your feet flying and spend less energy keeping your feet where they need to be and focus more on what you are playing. My feet are looking and sounding good IMHO.

It comes with two carrying cases and of course the "docking" station which is very nice.

Nothing is perfect. It is expensive, no doubt about that. They retail for almost $1200 so you have to really want one of these things until some other company starts ripping them off and the price comes down.

The drum key it comes with is generic. Which I think is BS.

The beaters could be a little heavier, but I think I'm just getting used to the new pedal and this could be a subjective opinion.

All in all, it's a bizarre piece. I like it, especially combined with my twin effects pedal, two gajate brakets and hopefully two remotes in the not to distant future.

Just when you think you know how to play a little drums.

(http://img3.musiciansfriend.com/dbase/pics/products/tn/44/440326.t.jpg)
Sabian B8 PRO Cymbal Performance Pack (http://www.anrdoezrs.net/9b108y1A719PRUTSQQTPRQTYRSZX?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.musiciansfriend.com%2Fproduct%2FSabian-B8-Pro-Cymbal-Performance-Pack%3Fsku%3D440326&cjsku=440326)

The pack came with 14 med high hats, 16 and 18 med crash and a 20 med ride. These cymbals are not bad at all for the money. I went in with about $500 to spend on cymbals tested some Zildjian Avedis and K's some Sabain B8 and B8 Pro, HH and AA...

After about an hour of testing and some dirty looks from the sales people I came to the conclusion that Sabain has great High hats. Every pair I tried was great! The B8 pro's sounded just as good as the AA's. The B8 pro's have good sound on the crash's I did like the AA's abit better the meduim thins were amazing, but for $215 couldn't pass up the deal. The avedis line makes good rides for my taste but still the B8 Pro was not that far off. I know these are looked at as cheap in most peoples eyes, but I think they are worth the money!

Charlie

Vic Firth American Jazz 5 (AJ5)

Firths AJ page (http://www.vicfirth.com/product/NEWPRODUCT/amjazz.html)

most of the american jazz series are relatively normal, with the differance being in the longer taper. the AJ5 takes that a step further. as far as i know the AJ5 the thinnest non-timbale stick on the market. .490 diameter. your average 7A is .540 ... so, super skinny, acorn tip, 16" length, hickory construction.

this thing is great if youre a fan of skinnier sticks. anyone used to anything over a 5A will probably loose thier grip and chuck 'em at thier guitarist ... but 7A users will probably love 'em. the acorn tip brings out some of the depth that a lighter wieght stick can loose and the long taper feels great (the AJ6 has a super thin taper if you want 'em bouncier). not a lot to say ... its a stick and its skinny. just wanted to vouch for the excellent feel of such a small stick. great for lighter combo gigs or generally more touch sensitive playing.

one comment for firth though ... they could make these in maple and call 'em "cocktail sticks" ... we all get it that smaller sticks cut your volume, and that maple (as opposed to hickory or oak) does as well. with the exception of freaks like me, one of the key uses of the AJ5 would be to keep a stick feel and sound where lower volumes are a plus. make 'em in maple and youd have the ultimate cafe stick. quiet, but still well defined and still very natural. even in hickory though, they are a nice combo.

(http://rcm-images.amazon.com/images/P/B0009V8YZS.01-A102741HTMO4U3._SCTZZZZZZZ_.jpg)
Pro-Mark Tubz (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/redirect?link_code=ur2&camp=1789&tag=drummercafe-20&creative=9325&path=external-search%3Fsearch-type=ss%26keyword=Pro-Mark%20Tubz%26index=mi-index&platform=gurupa)

Overview:
Tubz are designed by Paul Wertico, percussionist (one can only assume) for the Grammy Award winning Pat Methany Group. They are, in essence, plastic tubes designed to add a wide dimension of sound and color to your percussion when used instead of sticks. They're supposed to add an overlying "toong" sound to everything you strike them with, adding kind of a "tribal" feel to the music.

I originally bought these, because I thought they would sound good in a song that my guitarist and I concocted. I needed an exotic, tribal-sounding part for it, and these looked very promising. Before buying them, I looked around online for reviews, and finding None. Nary a one. To my recollection, this review is the first of it's kind. I tried to simulate the sound on my drumset using paper towel rolls, and they sounded good. After looking at the Tubz themselves, I can only assume that paper towel rolls where their inspiration-because they are, in fact, just basically plastic paper towel rolls. They're the exact same diameter. In fact, I was wishing that they were paper towel rolls after trying them.

The Tubz did nothing. They didn't make any kind of extra sounds when played on drums. Even at rimshot angles. Whereas, the paper towel rolls from my tests did. The only time they made any kind of audible sound was when struck on a Ride cymbal, and only then it was slight.

Pros: Tubz don't cause gingivitis, persitus, or scurvy. In all honesty I think that's the nicest thing I can say about these peices of garbage.

Cons: The really BIG Con to these things is the fact that paper towel rolls, which are in essence free, do the job better than these 7 dollar monstrosities.

Conclusion: A waste of money if I ever saw one. Purely a gimmick. If you really want this kind of percussion effect, just get some paper towel rolls. These Tubz, from what I can determine, have no resonant properties. If you can get sound out of them, great. But you'd be much better off by just using some paper towel rolls and putting this money to better use.

Sabian AA Mini
Paiste Signature Medium
Meinl Alien "Marco Minnemann"
Zildjian A Custom Mastersound
Zildjian A Special Recording

in my search, i realized i LOVE 12" hihats. all the hats were quick responsive, and cutting. easily heard in a relatively loud mix.

after using these hats, going back to my Paiste Trad's was like riding in a semi after zooming around in a Z3. 8)

too long a list to go into detail, but...

the A Special's were ok at best. nothing amazing to write about. good solid quick foot chick. nice stick chick. small sounding, open hat splash. overall kinda dull. least fav. seen them on ebay for $130 new.

A Custom's were fast and brite, but overly piercing to my ears. really ear splitting open hat splash. but with that rippled bottom, they were definitely one of the fastest and responsive feeling along with the Meinl hats.

the Paiste Signatures were prolly the best sounding for all around use. great silky open hat sounds. splashing with my foot yielded some very sweet tones. had a nicely defined, silvery, yet loud stick chick. not as obnoxious as the A Customs. just an overall bolder feel than the rest. about as loud as my K/Z combo. great set, but very expensive, and the most sluggish of the lot. if you want something suuuper responsive that only a 12" hihat can give, yet loud enough for most other apps, definitely look into these Paistes.

the Meinl Alien hats were very cool. thinnest of the lot, and the lightest. suuuuuuuper quick and responsive. like the hihats were made of air. also, the most concave, so had a bit of that annoying "air-cupping" sound. had 4 jingles underneath made for a really fun set of hats to jam on. but the metal felt kinda flimsy and cheap, so i didnt expect any silky sounds. but, had a cool funky tonality. the foot chick is great with the jingles, but not very loud. had a tinny sounding open hat sound. not very pretty, but again, still really cool. stick chick was a bit too trashy sounding for me, especially after comparing them to the shimmery Paiste, but flipping the hats with the jingles on top, made for some fun and unique tones. its the least expensive, so tho, i wouldnt use it as a main, it'd prolly make a killer auxillary.

Sabian's AA mini's were like a poor man's Paiste. nice shimmery stick chick, and sweet open hat splashes. 3rd in terms of loudness after the loudest Paiste's, then A Customs. flipping the hats made for a lower volume yet, sweeter stick chick. felt about as heavy as the Paiste's, so overall juuuust a wee bit sluggish, but still waaaay more responsive than my 13" K/Z. for something without the rippled bottom, had the least of that "air cupping" sound. still there, but not as annoying. for the price, my winner.

Masterwork Cymbals (http://www.masterworkcymbals.com/) (which needs work)

ronn dunnett has begun bringing these handmade turkish cymbals to the states, and lucky me, he and i live in the same neck of the woods, so my local shops get some of these. i visted one today and i thought id share my impressions of the masterworks i tried.

first let me say, i was using a 7A with a acorn tip. nothing fancy, but since a lot of folks use 5's i thought id mention it.

there was a range of 18-21's in both the ca and vk series, as well as some ca hats.

my initial impression was that the ca's were very well rounded cymbals. clean and clear with a dark undertones, but overall a brighter quality, not a BRIGHT bright, but more like the kinda bright that would cut a mix real nice. though one of the 18's was marked crash but was easily used as a ride without washing out. the sustain on these was really nice too. long enough to keep going between hits, but never out of control. they had a shimmer that was cleaner than a typical trashy ride, more like even harmonic than odd, but plenty of 'em. from an aesthetic standpoint i really like thier understated logos. the hats i tried were crisp but lacked depth or warmth. and they didnt really strike me as all that interesting. tonally they worked with the others in the line, but they lacked the character the rides had. all and all id say the ca's are a great all around cymbal. very nice build, play, and sound. a little too bright for my tastes, but those are my tastes. as the guy at the shop said "theyre darker than most cymbals today". if i did session work and needed a set that could do anything with some degree of success, for those "dont know what youll be doing gigs" i think these would be a good call. warm, clear and vibrant and probably very mic friendly.

the vk's were another story. imagine the ca's have a tone knob. not bass/treble, but tone. now turn it down about halfway. i really dug the direction these cymbals took. warm, wet, dark and funky with nice woody stick definition. they sounded old, like they have that patina built in that cuts the high end. when you played 'em mid bow they sounded a little dead to me. the bell was solid, and the edge opened up well though, so the "sweet spot" definitely needs to be found on these. the balance between attack and sustain was centered. there was enough wash to bring sticking volume down, but you never lost it all together. in lower volume, small combo type gigs youd still be able to keep time no problem. but anything more and youd probably drown it out.

the one oddball there was a 20" ca jazz ride. unlike the other ca's this one had another round of sparser hammering that produced small dimples (about 1/8th") that were deep enough to avoid being lathed. this gave the cymbal this odd pock marked look. kinda like ostritch leather if you know what that looks like and i wouldve taken this one home if i had the cash. its like they took a ca and added just enough vk to make it deeper and darker. to reuse my previous analogy, this ca had bass/treble controls as opposed to tone, and the bass was brought up. the vibrant qualities of the ca were tamed by a more prominant low end warmth. this was a great dark fuzzy cymbal that seemed to sit right between the the ca and vk lines with the best qualities of both. i hadnt heard anything about this design but would highly encourage continuing it.

all in all id give masterworks high marks, but are by all means a play before you pay maker. they have that depth and character that you want from a handmade turkish, but as with all cymbals, the sound really has to be to taste. and for that, i commend them. they have created thier own sound, like it or not, and thats a very good thing. if they continue to develop thier own sounds only good things will come.

Yamaha Maple Custom Absolute (http://www.yamaha.com/cgi-win/webcgi.exe/Specs/?gDSH00006MAPLE+ABSOLUTE) Drums

I played a set of these yesterday at a big outdoor gig - it was my first time seeing/hearing a set of these, and I've been wondering what the difference was between "regular" Maple Customs and Maple Custom Absolute.

Wow. BIG difference.

While hanging on to the low end power that all Yamahas seem to have, this drumkit is much more open-sounding, with a brighter sound and (to my ears) a LOT more volume. These drums were LOUD. (Of course, I was playing loud, and at times I was "swinging like a monkey on crack" as 563 likes to say - see photo below) ;). But the drums also responded well at low volumes.

(http://keithcronin.com/drumstuff/crack_monkey.jpg)

Bottom line: I LOVED them. Best Yamaha drums I've EVER heard. I'm blown away.

To me it's the best of both worlds. Some maple drums can be a bit brash (although I don't really mind), and Yamaha drums always seem a litte more "controlled" - but they are often TOO controlled for my tastes. But not these drums - these drums are wide open - there's nothing choking them. But they still have that certain Yamaha sound to them - slighty more focused than most Keller-shell drums. Really nice.

I like the hardware better, too. They have chrome lugs which, although small, are more substantial than the lugs on regular Maple Customs. And to me, the fact that they're chrome is a plus - I never liked the gold-tone lugs on Maple Customs.

The bass drum KILLED. It was the loudest, fattest, best sounding Yamaha kick I've ever played. It was either a 16x22 or 18x22 - I didn't measure - and had a Powerstroke batter and some padding inside. I don't put anything in my bass drums, but when playing rental kits, I use whatever muffling setup the soundman is comfortable with. The front head was a black Yamaha-logo head with a small-to-medium hole for the mic. I used the hard side of a DW reversible beater. Great sound!

The 10x12 rack tom (I only used one) was mounted on Yamaha's "YESS" mounting system. The drum moved around a fair amount when I hit it - more than it would on RIMS mounts or their equivalents. I play hard, and this motion could get excessive - if I bought a set of these I might remount them on RIMS. The drum had a clear emperor on top and a clear ambassador on the bottom, and sounded great. I don't really like 2-ply heads, but if the drum sounded this good with one, I'm sure it would kill with some single-ply heads of my own choosing. It was easy to tune, and held its tuning well. It sounded particularly good tuned to a low pitch - a characteristic that I've found to be a strength of all Yamaha drums.

The 16x16 floor tom was a great sounding instrument, and well balanced with the rack tom. The legs were adjusted with a drum key instead of a wing nut, which could be a hassle, but once I set the height, it was solid as a rock. Same head configuration as the rack tom. I used no muffling on either tom, and we got a good sound through the PA right away. The slightly brighter sound of these drums allowed the drum to articulate better than most Yamaha floor toms I've played.

Unfortunately I didn't get to check out any snares from this line. The production company provided me a Ludwig Supraphonic reissue with tube lugs. It was nice, but I ended up using my trusty Acrolite.

I'm weird about Yamaha. They make extremely high quality instruments, with possibly the best quality control out there. For that reason, I usually request them as my rental kit for fly-in shows. But I've never bought a set of them, because their sound is a little too controlled for me. I prefer the more open sound of vintage Gretsch and the new Fibes.

But this changes that.

I'd be VERY happy with a set of these - finally Yamaha has made a drum with the kind of sound I LOVE - not just a sound I LIKE. While I used these on a high-energy rock gig, I could tell from playing them that they would respond over the entire volume spectrum, and would make great all-around drums for drummers who value versatility.

They really did it right this time. TWO THUMBS UP!

(http://img3.musiciansfriend.com/dbase/pics/products/tn/44/445015.t.jpg)
Slug Percussion Power Head Jazz Pro Titanium Beater (http://www.kqzyfj.com/fc81mu2-u1HJMLKIILHJILQJKRP?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.musiciansfriend.com%2Fproduct%2FSlug-Percussion-Power-Head-Jazz-Pro-Titanium-Beater%3Fsku%3D445015&cjsku=445015)

Got a chance to try the Jazz Pro Titanium (http://www.kqzyfj.com/fc81mu2-u1HJMLKIILHJILQJKRP?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.musiciansfriend.com%2Fproduct%2FSlug-Percussion-Power-Head-Jazz-Pro-Titanium-Beater%3Fsku%3D445015&cjsku=445015), and Pro Jr. the other day with a bud, and our impressions were a little mixed.

For the review, we used my trusty Speed King and a friend's Tama Iron Cobra Power Glide, both on my 18x16 bass tuned with an Evans EMAD (3/4" ring) setup with a Ludwig drum lift, and his Sonor 22" tuned with an Evans EQ3 batter & accompanying reso.

For comparison, we had my Axis Sonic Hammer, Axis wood beater, a plain jane Ludwig Felt beater that came with my Speed King, and my bud had his Tama felt beater that came with the pedal, as well as a wood version.

the Jazz Pro is up first. the head is the lightest of the line, and made from the similar beater material as the others known as "Hytrel" which according to Slug, "reproduces low frequency sound especially well, and does not color bass drum sound with high frequency attack or click sounds."

playing it didnt feel any lighter than the Axis Sonic, but about the same as the Tama without the little memory ring. had a good balanced feel, and did feel fast. had more power than the wimpy feeling Axis Sonic, and about as fast. impressive.

using the exposed Hytrel, the clicky sound didnt seem anymore different than the Axis wood beater. but, the felt side was a little disappointing vs. the fuller and bigger voiced Ludwig felt. made the bass sound very indistinct, and dare i say, more muffled. maybe if the surface area wasnt a small silver and more meatie like the Ludwig, i'd get a fatter sound.

while the beater was in the pedal, i could easily rotate the beater's head for either the Hytrel or felt sides. my friend thought it was a great idea for the studio, but i thought it was useless, considering the felt side was so lacking.

the head also was able to automatically adjust itself to properly hit the drumhead at a flat profile, which i thought was a great idea. no more fooling down below. still, my bud thought that was a little pointless, and thought that later down the road, what if it starts "wandering" as it ages.

the Pro Jr. is just like the regular Power Head, but with a shorter shaft. had a much nicer weightier feel, and seemed better for louder apps. the felt side was just as disappointing and wimpy as the Jazz Pro. but the Hytrel side, remarkably, seemed to help my small bass sound punchier! my bud remarked from a few feet out, that the bass had a nicer lower end than the other beaters. interesting...

on the 22", the Pro Jr. hit the head a wee bit lower than what my bud was used to, but it was still pretty nice! we could only imagine what a regular length Slug, or the more powerful PunchCollar version would sound. the Axis wood didnt feel as nice nor as balanced, and overall sounded a little "splattery", compared to the more focused rounded attack of the Slug. besides, dawning on us why sooo many metal and hard rock drummers were endorsed by Slug, we starting seeing how this Hytrel stuff could be pretty cool.

also, due to the tapered shaft design, at a certain point, the shaft would get too fat for either the Ludwig or the Tama pedal thusly making lower head adjustments problematic. with the Pro Jr., it was about right. with the Jazz Pro, i had to lift the drum a bit higher to accomodate the head. the 22" was fine. but, you'd think with a "Jazz Pro" version, the Slug boyz woulda made something lower and smaller for bebop kinda guys. :(

also, even at its furtherest angle, the beater face didnt quite hit the small bass squarely without a little futsing in pedal adjustment or bass height. on the regular 22", both were just right.

overall, you could go either way with these impressions. the ideas are either "why didnt i think of that?" or utterly useless. but, the tone of the heavier Slug was pretty cool. so, again, the choice is yours. is a beater worth $25? or not?

in the case of my Axis Sonic, yea, only cause it literally added another adjustable dimension to my pedal. doesnt the Slug do that, too? well, this one might be up to your humble own. ;)

Over they last year or so, I have picked 3 cymbals that
are in the same line. This was not done so that they "look" like a nice match, but because I really do like the sound and how they compliment each other.

The cymbals are from the Sabian AA series and specifically the El Sabor models (http://www.tkqlhce.com/7o70cy63y5LNQPOMMPLNMPVVTSU?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.musiciansfriend.com%2Fhome%2Fnavigation%3Fq%3Del%2Bsabor). I have the 13"splash, 16" crash and the 18" Sabor which is a crash/ride type of deal. The series also has 14" hats and a 20"ride.

Anyway, these are listed by Sabian as being for "Latin" type music but I can't see whay they would be limited to that at all. The cymbals all have a slighty flanged edge which is not really that easy to see and supposedly makes playing them buy hand easy - ouch :)

The 16" explodes very easily and has a darker sound. The 13" splash is more like a small crash and just screams when stuck even moderately. I first heard one of these at the 2002 MD Festival. Robby Ameen used it and just fell in love with it. I actually looked up what he was using in the program after hearing him use it in his performance. Then the 18" is a really nice combination of a medium ride and a trashy sounding crash and also has a great unlathed bell as does the 16".

I'm not sure why these cymbals are not more popular. Maybe it's because of how they are marketed by Sabian But if you are looking for something a bit different, and ever see them at a shop, give them a whack or two. You might be surprised.

Quote from: crashride2 on March 03, 2003, 08:33 AM

I'm not sure why these cymbals are not more popular. Maybe it's because of how they are marketed by Sabian But if you are looking for something a bit different, and ever see them at a shop, give them a whack or two. You might be surprised.

El Sabor cymbals rool like Ozzy! I use my 18-inch El Sabor Crash/Ride (http://www.tkqlhce.com/7o70cy63y5LNQPOMMPLNMPVVTSU?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.musiciansfriend.com%2Fhome%2Fnavigation%3Fq%3Del%2Bsabor) all the time, in a wide variety of musical settings. Like you said, it's a great crash-ride. And the bell is loud enough for a metal band - I LOVE this cymbal.

I also have a pair of El Sabor hihats (http://www.tkqlhce.com/7o70cy63y5LNQPOMMPLNMPVVTSU?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.musiciansfriend.com%2Fhome%2Fnavigation%3Fq%3Del%2Bsabor) that are pretty cool, too.

They're durable cymbals, too, even though they're fairly thin. I hit hard (like a monkey on crack), but I've only broken one 18" El Sabor in ten years.

Vic Firth American Heritage AH5A

(http://www.vicfirth.com/product/NEWPRODUCT/amheritagewood.jpg) (http://www.dpbolvw.net/bn104wktqks79CBA88B798BG9AHF?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.musiciansfriend.com%2Fproduct%2FVic-Firth-American-Heritage-Drumsticks%3Fsku%3D443970&cjsku=443970.645.029)

I was in the shop the other day after work, and literally stumbled upon a box that was in the way of the aisle. i noticed on the box was scrawled, "Vic Firth - maple," and thusly piqued my interest.

just to qualify things, i'm a fan of maple sticks for the lighter weight and more responsive feel. but, i found them to be very inconsistent. i was a fan of the SD4 Combo, but the ones i've picked up have been splintery, gummy, and rough feeling. so much so, i moved to Vater looking for a nicer pair of sticks. also a big reason why i dont like Zildjians, too.

at any rate, i picked up the AH5A (L = 16", Dia.=.565") which is similar to my beloved Vater Cymbal teardrop tipped sticks (L 16" D .570") which happen to made of maple and have a similar tip as well.

overall, i was surprised to find i liked 'em alot. their surface had a nice smooth feel. none of the rough, splinters. the weight was VERY light, and yet had a nice beefy feel of the 5A. going thru a couple pairs, i found that they were overall a few ticks lighter than my Vaters. one pair literally felt lighter than the stray Hot Rod pair i found on the adjacent counter!! :o

as expected, the feel was suuuuper quick and responsive. faster than my Vaters. took little effort to crank out a few paradiddles, etc. might something to do with that .05" difference in thickness and slightly slimmer taper.

but, given their lightness, i'm sure a heavier player could chew thru these in a matter of days. my Vaters felt waaaay more solid and balanced.

the salesman in the store said they only had the AH5A's that day, cause they didnt get a shipment of the more in demand AH7A's. next time i'm in the store, i'll definitely try those out as well.

if you do jazz, or low volume stuff, or need a stick that's light, easy to control, yet beefy, or dont hit nearly as hard as break sticks every other gig, or all of the above, i highly recommend you check 'em out. and yes, Virginia, they rool like ozzy. ;)

Regal 7A Sticks

(http://www.regaltip.com/products/images/207R_7A_Wood.jpg) (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/redirect?link_code=ur2&camp=1789&tag=drummercafe-20&creative=9325&path=external-search%3Fsearch-type=ss%26keyword=Regal%207A%26index=mi-index&platform=gurupa)

these definitely take the cake as the thinnest, skinnest, lightest sticks i've tried. waaay lighter than those AH5A's i wrote about. prolly lighter than air. ;)

they're about as thin as timbale sticks and about 16" long, all with a olive shaped tip. they literally remind me of chopsticks. made of hickory, so they feel solid, altho incredibly thin. my ProMark 7A's and Vater 7A's feel positively obese compared to these guys.

these are BY FAR, the lowest volume stick i've used. good solid backbeat, rim click, and has a sweet light touch to the cymbals. controlling them was NOT a problem. literally felt as easy and balanced as my CoolRods.

if you want something as easy as Cool Rods, rather than the bulkier HotRods, these should do the trick.

funny, but i always wondered what those bamboo chopsticks would sound like on my set... ;D

anywho...

Sabian Hand Hammered Raw Dry 20" ride (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/redirect?link_code=ur2&camp=1789&tag=drummercafe-20&creative=9325&path=external-search%3Fsearch-type=ss%26keyword=Sabian%20Hand%20Hammered%20Raw%20Dry%20%26index=mi-index&platform=gurupa)

(http://www.sabian.com/english/cymbals/Ride/images/l_13900.gif)

i tried one out recently, and WOW, what a killer ride. seems like Sabian's answer to Zildjian's very cool K Custom Dry Lite ride.

the RD was thin, and very flexible. bell was a little larger than i'm used to on thin jazzy rides. on the wall next to it, i could see it looked similar to a K Custom Dry Lite with the burnt, unlathed look, but it wasnt "sand" blasted looking like the KC nor the Sabian Encore next to that.

had a bright & lively sticking tone, with sizzly overtones like it had rivets. also, had a dark yet complex sounding wash that was very controllable with a rather short sustain. bell had a clear open, ping that was kinda indistinct and yet not very penetrating. what i liked best about it was the lack of trash. some guys love that for jazz, but i shy away from it, and look for something a bit more musical. tho the sustain wasnt too long, i can imagine its brighter sticking being easily heard in a big band. crash tones were nice as well. nothing too trashy.

like i said, similar to the K Custom Dry Lite, but the Raw Dry isnt as brash and has more body. similar to its couz, Sabian's own Jack DeJohnette Encore ride, but again, i preferred the Raw Dry's darker undertones that gave it a smokier, more meaty voice.

faults? unlike my Bosphorus Trad Lite, the feel was more brittle and not quite as buttery. and the purple discoloring that's quite prevalent on the finish might be offputting to some.

but the best thing about the cymbal was the price. compared to the aforementioned cymbals, the Raw Dry was easily $50 cheaper.

IMHO, a killer setup would be to have the Raw Bell Dry ride or a Leopard ride on the left with a Raw Dry ride on the right. that would be sweeeeeeeeeeeeeeeet.

had i not had or heard my sweeter than honey Bosphorus Traditional Lite 20" ride, i woulda bought it right then and there.

much recommended.

(http://images.amazon.com/images/P/B0002GY79C.01-A14L2MX88GSRVI._SCMZZZZZZZ_.jpg)
Remo Quicklock Clutch (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/redirect?link_code=ur2&camp=1789&tag=drummercafe-20&creative=9325&path=external-search%3Fsearch-type=ss%26keyword=Remo%20Quicklock%20Clutch%26index=mi-index&platform=gurupa)

So the bottom nuts on my hat clutches always wriggle loose. i hate that. so i was checking out options and was going to get the DW clutch that has the drum key lock on the bottom nut. seemed like a good solution, despite the annoyance at setup/breakdown. then i found the remo. there are no pictures of it anywhere, ill try and get one of mine this weekend.

how it works is by spring tension and the "quicklock". the bottom of the clutch center has "J" shaped notches cut in it, and the nut has little posts sticking into the center. you slide your cymbal on as you would any other clutch, then the bottom felt (again, as normal) then the posts on the nut, line up with the notches in the clutch, and it slips on, you turn it and the pressure holds it down. what this means is that to get your top hat on or off its just a simple 1/4 twist. since its not a screw design it cant loosen. its either on or off. and very stable once its on.

at a recent gig i had my kit up, but no cymbals. the sound guy said "ill give you a few and then we'll check" i said "gimmie a sec" and before he could process that thought, my hats were up and running. super fast set up and break down. solves the DW lock screw problem.

because of its spring tension, the action feels a little different than a regular clutch, and to me, its much more responsive and sensitive. i could get smoother opens and closes, and never felt like i was going to stomp my hats inside out. the tama cobra lever glide stand i have is butter already, this clutch made the feel even more fluid. a good thing.

i felt dumb spending $20 on a clutch, but this thing has relieved worries, sped up my setup/breakdown times, and improved the feel of my hats. cant argue with that.

yet another funky gadget review ;D

Everyone's Drumming Mounting System

im always trying to work my hand drums into my kit. especially this little 8" aluminum darabouka that i love so much. and all my ways till now have been functional at best. but ive always been sacrificing stability or flexability (positioning etc) ive found a solution. unfortunately not a 100% perfect one, but a great one for this drum.

(http://www.everyonesdrumming.com/images/ms2k.gif)

everyone's drumming site (http://www.everyonesdrumming.com/mountingsystem.html)

essentially what youve got here is a 1" nylon strap (long enough to fit around your entire family) attached to a tom mount clamp, with a cinch fastener. nice and simple in design really. the mount clamp comes prepared to fit a fat pearl mount, but it comes with inserts for smaller mounts as well (which i used with a standard cowbell L-rod) they fit the tom arms snug and securely. you adjust the latch on the strap to where its just long enough to fit around your drum. the latch then fits over a hinged clamp which snaps shut. it takes some adjusting to get the length right, and it could be easier, but im afraid that would mean less secure, so ill take the hit on setup time since it wont be often.

now, hows it work on a variety of drums? well, my little darabouka excelled with this thing. i could position it right where i wanted and it was rock solid, with hands or sticks. very cool. i tried it on my 16" frame drum. i cant see a whole lot of practical use for this setup, but they show pictures of it so i thought id call 'em on it. the results were less spectacular with the frame. it was easy to position, and held up well under hands and sticks, but because of the size it had a little too much bounce for my tastes. but if youre used to playing on rims mounts it might be normal to you. then i tried it on my tabla. i thought "wow, a single based double tom stand with two of these and ive got kit tabla!!!" well ... im not sure. first let me mention that ive got wrench tuned tabla so wrapping a strap around 'em wouldnt effect tuning like strap tuned tabla. my dayan (the smaller wood drum) seemed too heavy for the mount. it held, and held securely. but i just was hesitant to trust it. the fact that the mount relied on plastic didnt ease my worries. but youll notice on thier site they show djembe's and ashiko's etc all strapped in. but you can also see (as in the pic above) that the drum gets piggy backed on the tom arm itself. i think with the setup they show in that pic, it could actually work quite well. and yes, they do include a couple of those little foam pads :)

all in all, id grade it a B. works well and worry free for small accessory hand drums. if you wanted it for larger things, id contact them first for hints on how to use it best.

note to everyone's drumming ... forget the plastic. try aluminum for more stability and longer life expectancy.

(http://img3.musiciansfriend.com/dbase/pics/products/tn/94/941344.t.jpg)
Russ Miller's The Drum Set Crash Course DVD (http://www.dpbolvw.net/dg103y1A719PRUTSQQTPRQTYRSZX?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.musiciansfriend.com%2Fproduct%2FWarner-Bros-Russ-Miller-Drumset-Crash-Course-DVD%3Fsku%3D941344&cjsku=941344)

just picked this up in my ongoing home-tutored study of drums. ;) and, its a great DVD.

now, i've been hunt for a few good instructional DVD's, and lemme tell you, for some reason, in the DVD realm, the good ones are few and far between. i've found the bad ones to either be mindless performance pieces, or a bunch of unprepared, poorly taught exercises. thankfully, this one isnt either. its not exactly perfect, but overall Russ' DVD turned out to be a winner.

the beginning of the DVD is mostly baseline stuff ala the first half of Steve Smith's DVD, and focused mostly on working on your time: keeping steady, moving about the meter, adding your own feel, and locking the groove. the majority of the rest is about learning different popular styles that Russ believes every drummer should have an understanding.

The Good?

like Steve's DVD, i was really impressed by how Russ really knows how to clearly communicate and show what he's trying to teach. its apparent he's a pro when it comes to his clinics. to the more intermediate schooled drummer, the DVD may seem to lean on the elementary side. but i really like how Russ is able to articulate the mechanics of something i've always done, but never quite understood.

He more than helped me have a better grasp of what i was doing. e.g. he's made me more aware of my "internal" dynamics, and gave a better understanding of being able to move about the meter, whether in front, on, or behind the beat, which always used to mystify me for some odd reason.

and the "crash course" in differing styles would prolly help anyone build up their knowledge of different grooves. the rock and funk ones are so-so, but the second line, afro cuban, afro brazilian, bossa, calypso, reggae, etc. are especially interesting. Russ, as usual, explains them nicely, and progressively builds upon that style andk/or lessons to teach you the next important variant of that style, so you really have to pay attention.

also, his Yamaha kits are pretty sweet! the man has great taste. i especially dug the woodhoops, and the wood looking bass drum reso heads. very cool.

The Bad?

most of the stuff taught sorta stays on the elementary side, and doesnt quite get into more difficult areas like Steve Smith's DVD. but this is prolly more a time issue on the DVD. not everyone gets the luxury of a two DVD set.

also, the individual lessons arent broken up into individual chapters, which is really annoying. so if you have to fast forward or rewind back and forth between chapters to see a particular lesson again. e.g. all of the time keeping lessons are all scrunched up in the "opening" chapter. >:(

also, besides the music being kinda muzak'y :-\ , with some of the grooves, he merely does permutations of each, and doesnt quite explain how you can make each groove different or your own.

bottom line, for anyone who's just beginning and needs to tips on how to work on their time, or anybody who'd like to expand their knowledge of grooves, this 2 hour DVD really is worth getting. there's also a book that goes along with it, which is something i'm definitely checkin' out as well.

(http://images.amazon.com/images/P/B0002E2YYE.01-A26YF6IE4OQDOU._SCMZZZZZZZ_.jpg)
Puresound Equalizer™ Snare Wires (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/redirect?link_code=ur2&camp=1789&tag=drummercafe-20&creative=9325&path=external-search%3Fsearch-type=ss%26keyword=Puresound%20Equalizer%20Snare%20Wire%26index=mi-index&platform=gurupa)

These things surprised me. As some of you, may or may not know I have a very sensitive metal snare. And as great as it sounds it has been a serious pain in the tucos dealing with the sympathetic snare wire buzz.

So I picked up this set of the Puresound "equalizer" wires and put them on.

It reminded me a little of a 40 strand bed of wires with the middle bunch of wires removed but not as wide. The equalizer is I bought is an 18 strand...I believe you can get 16's as well. The are slightly wider than your stock 20 strand set of wires- very well made with copper ends and high carbon wires.

Not only is the buzz greatly reduced, it has evened the buzz out so that not just one drum activates the wires- all my drums activate the wires now, but just a little bit. It's great. I don't have to wring the daylights out of my strainer and I still have a really big snare sound- open and fat (what more can you ask for?) I don't know how they did it, but I'm glad they did. I thought the drum might dry up too much- no way. These things are well made, but they cost. I got mine for about 25 bucks.

Hybrid Hardware Case (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/redirect?link_code=ur2&camp=1789&tag=drummercafe-20&creative=9325&path=external-search%3Fsearch-type=ss%26keyword=Hyrbrid%20Hardware%20Case%26index=mi-index&platform=gurupa)

Got this Hyrbid case direct from Hyrbrid off the eBay for 89.00 not counting shipping. I had been looking at the cheaper bags around the shops, but this seemed like a decent deal for 120.00 total shipped to my door.

The case is made of 1/8" rubberized polyethelene bound with aluminum and riveted together. The lid closes down using two 1 1/2" nylon straps with metal clasps. There are also 4 - 2" casters bolted to the bottom and a handle on each end.

It measures 36" x 14" x 12", which is a little small compared to the big SKB monsters, but still large enough to hold a variety of stands folded down.

In my case (pardon the pun), I'm storing three boom stands, a straight stand, snare stand and throne. When the stands are folded down, I found I'd room left over to thow in the throne top in it's gym bag as well.

Since the case is not long enough to store the hi-hat stand without disassembling it, I'm packing it separately in a duffle bag.

The poly construction seems first rate. The wheels on each side of the case are attached to a plywood platform which is then bolted to the underside of the case. The wheels roll smoothly and freely.

Not a bad case for the $$, and cheaper and larger than most bags at this price point. The casters make loading and unloaded it in my mini van easy, as I just put one side up in my van and then lift and roll it in.

Since the case is only about 15 inches off the floor, the handles aren't effective for pushing or pulling it.

Hybrid shipped the case out the same day they recieved my payment which was on a Monday, and I recieved it four days later on Friday. It arrived well packed in a box from UPS.

-bruce

(http://www.animaldreams.net/solcongas1.jpg)
(http://www.animaldreams.net/tumba.jpg)
(http://www.animaldreams.net/quinto.jpg)

I figured this would be fine as a Percussion Corner item, especially since most of you play kit. But, 563 suggested it should go in the gear review thread,, so here it is!

Maybe some of you will be amused even if it's not your ballgame. :D

Well, we've played them about 4 or 5 times now. And I say "we" and not "I", because I'm not really playing them with soul until the whole Cuban Rumba study group comes over and we get down and polyrhythmic. That's the real test for a set of congas, in my opinion. ;)
Tonight we played GUA-GUAN-CO & learned YESA for the first time.
Just to give you an idea of how one of these things we play looks on paper, the following jpg is sheet music for Yesa. This song is in 4/4.
The dark notes are bass notes done with a flat hand in the middle of the head, the empty notes are tones - palm of hand on edge of drum, the stricken through notes are muffled tones - hand slightly cupped heel slightly hangs over edge, The Ts are touches, the notes above the line are left hand, and below is right hand.
(http://www.animaldreams.net/Yesa.jpg)

We played all the parts of Yesa except for the second bell.
Mp3s soon to come.

For the first tuning we only had to tweak two of the drums a tiny bit and they were all amazingly in tune with each other, nor were they too high - even though they were made in San Francisco and transported to Colorado!
That, was only the first of many astonishments.
Everyone in the group with experience and know-how was pretty freaked that the drums sounded "warm" as if they were already broken in. Apparently congas take years, sometimes a decade to get warmed up and sounding right. But these came sounding really nice and full of character right from the factory.
Somehow Akbar at Sol was able to get his new drums to not have that ringing sound that new congas always have! Everyone keeps saying over and over "I've never seen drums so green (new) that play that well! Just wait until a year from now! They'll sound even better than this!" The sound is already round and mellow, but strong and very present.

The workmanship on these drums is superb.
The heads are nice and thick and fairly soft. Well oiled, but not so much that they're glassy. A friend of mine suggested that since they're in a dry climate now, I might want to add some shay butter,,, but I don't think they need it.
The top edge of the shells are slightly sharper than the more rounded LPs, more like the old classic Gun Bops. This provides for a tiny bit sharper attack on slaps and tones, but the same mellow bass.
The head is not attached to the top of the drum the same way most other drums are attached, in that the skin is pulled at about a 45 degree angle away from the side of the drum with the use of large diameter outer ring and fulcrum. This ensures that the excess skin never vibrates against the drum. This is often what causes the obnoxious rattling and fuzziness in cheaper drums.
The heads are all that perfect 1 inch height from the rims - already stretched to where they're supposed to be.
The hardware is nicely anodized bronze and the wood is Virginia Red Oak. The base of the drums have brass rings inlaid amazingly tight with no apparent fasteners to protect the bottom of the drum from scraping and cracking.
They're heavy, but solid enough for a tractor to roll over them. And, nicely narrowed at the base for comfortable leg support when played in a seated style. I'm used to having the fatter Rumba drums slip away from me, and these stay right with me through a whole night of playing!

They cost what they're worth,,, so it's a lot...
Retailing for $800 a drum. I was very lucky to have a very nice dealer in Boulder give me the killer discount, so wasn't that bad, but well out of my normal price range - just happened to be the right time - after the tax refund windfall...

Each time I walk by them, I can't resist a slap here or a tone there. Can't wait until the next practice!

If you're getting congas and have the mother load of cash on hand,, get 'em! They're awesome!

Here are some more observations about the Sol congas, though in the negative realm..

When we shuffle drums around from player to player to change from part to different part, we have gotten used to a careless brushing of the lugs on the sides of the drums when they scrape by each other.
With these drums we noticed tonight that they're so heavy that they can unscrew the lug nuts on the drum they brush past.
This has never been a problem before with our lighter congas.

Also, for the first time we noticed the drums almost completely lose their tone within the same sitting.
The temp today got up to 94 degrees, then after dark it dropped quite a bit - (maybe 60s.) It was probably just due to having the sliding door open.

Yeah,,, whatever, just feeling a balance in the Force OB1..

Dave

XL Specialty Protechtor Elite Series Cases

I purchased these cases in January and have put a few miles on them and thought I'd give my impressions.
What I bought:
Toms- 8x8, 8x10, 8x12, 9x13, 14x14, 16x16
Snare- 5.5x14
Bass- 16x22
Cymbal case

Pros: These things are indestructable. They are made of heavy rotational molded plastic. They offer strong metal handles and the bass drum case has built in casters. One side of the case is extended to allow for suspension mounts. The cases have small pads on the top and bottom that suspend the drum by the rims. This keeps the drum from rubbing the inside of the case. Very slick. The protection they offer is incredible. I had a tom fall about 7 feet and hit the floor. The drum came through without a scratch. Also, a careless roadie let one of the drums fall out of the van and hit the pavement. Again, not a scratch. Great cases.

Cons: The cases are heavy. Might be hard on a person of small stature. That is it.

Overall, I'd recommend these to anyone looking for a quality case at a reasonable price. Worth a look.

I was looking for a more durable, synthetic alternative to Hot Rods. While I love the way Hot Rods sound, they just don't hold up that well. When playing out, the additional adrenalin would sometimes prove to be too much. Splintered and broken dowels slowly diminish the attack of the sound and eventually, you end up with not much more than a short, ugly broom that sounds like an old hair brush.

(http://img3.musiciansfriend.com/dbase/pics/products/tn/44/443689.t.jpg)
Vater Acousticks (http://www.tkqlhce.com/b8103shqnhp469875584658D67EC?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.musiciansfriend.com%2Fproduct%2FVater-Acoustick-Sticks%3Fsku%3D443689&cjsku=443689)

I was speaking to one of the sales guys at my local mega store and he showed me the Acousticks. I had some reservations when I saw the plastic strips that surrounded what looked like a slimmer version of the Hot Rods. The plastic looked highly breakable to me initially but after further inspection, it’s strong and pliable. I tried them on a kit in the store and I was pleasantly surprised. They have a great "attacky" type sound but still spread out more than a stick. They feel a tad more rigid than Hotrods, just a little stiffer. I found that after a couple of minutes of getting accustomed to them, I liked them. The stiffness added more stick like playing to come through. Bounces, drags, rebounds, that type of thing. I liked the grip area as well, a comfortable rubber. Better feeling than the Hot Rods red vinyl.

There are three rubber rings, one wide and two thin, that can be adjusted to change the spread of the plastic strips. Slide the rings back toward the grip and you get more spread, a more “brush like” type sound. Slide them toward the tip and you get more of a stick sound. An interesting sound, much like a shaker, but with slap, can be had by having the rings in brush position and using an over exaggerated stroke. Pretty cool.

The Acousticks are louder and seem to have a greater articulative ability than Hot Rods. This is no doubt due to what Vader calls (in a big, booming commercial guy voice) “strips of impact resistant Polymer.” You gotta love marketing guys.

All in all, I like them and I look forward to using them live. I’ll let you know how they stand up.

Sabian 21" Andre Ceccarelli Signature Ride Cymbal

I got this cymbal last week, as part of my quest for a great set of cymbals for jazz drumming. Andre is an excellent European drummer with a light touch and a simmering cymbal sound, so I figured I'd like his signature ride. I was right!

(http://www.musikundtechnik.de/bilder/SAAC2111.jpg)

The cymbal is extensively hammered, even on the bell, and has a very shallow profile, which is unusual on a Sabian. It seems to be designed more along the lines of an old K. Zildjian cymbal in that respect - some of them had similarly low profiles. Explanatory note about profiles: If you lay this cymbal on a flat surface, its height at its highest point (center of the bell) is lower than most modern cymbals. I don't know much theory behind cymbal design, but I've owned a lot of Sabians and this is the first time I've seen this shape.

The cymbal's pitch and stick sound are medium-to-high pitched - this is NOT a "Tony Williams" cymbal. But it's got a complexity and a shimmer to it (probably from all the hammering) that separate it from typical Sabian AA or Zildjian A sound. The closest sound I can think of is the pre-Tony ride sound you hear on some hip jazz records from the 60's, which were probably played on old A's or on not-too-dark K's.

The bell is wonderful - loud and sharp with a complex variety of tones.

The cymbal has a moderate amount of wash, and great stick articulation, particularly around the middle or slightly closer to the bell. Its crash is okay - not amazing, but nice and full.

Overall, a pretty nice jazz cymbal.

But then I decided to try the Bart Elliott Patented Nickel-and-Tape Sizzler.

Oh baby - THAT is a sweet sound! ;D

This cymbal comes alive when you give it a little sizzle. I bet it would sound great with rivets, but I'm quite content with just the nickel. Bart's nickel trick is the most effective non-rivet sizzler that I've ever tried.

The cymbal also blends very nicely with my other Sabians. My jazz setup includes a 21" Fierce Ride, a 19" Fierce Crash, and 14" HH Manhattan Groove hats, and this cymbal fits right it. Currently I've got it set up as my primary ride, with the Fierce Ride to the right, and the Fierce Crash to my left as a crash-ride. The set sounds great together.

I haven't heard much about the Ceccarelli cymbal, perhaps because he's not as well known in the US. But if you're looking for an excellent jazz ride, I'd suggest you add this to the list of cymbals to investigate. Two thumbs up!

Here's the dope on the new cymbals I scored last week.

(http://img3.musiciansfriend.com/dbase/pics/products/tn/4/5/9/258459.jpg) (http://www.kqzyfj.com/pe122uoxuowBDGFECCFBDCFKDELJ?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.musiciansfriend.com%2Fproduct%2FPaiste-Signature-Dry-Heavy-Ride-Cymbal%3Fsku%3D447141&cjsku=447141.299)	Dry Heavy Ride 21" Weight: heavy Volume: medium to very loud Stick Sound: pingy Intensity: medium dry Sustain: medium long Bell Character: separated Sound Character: Bright, high pitched, metallic, full. Wide range, clean mix. Heavy feel, controllable, with bright pronounced ping over dark, complex wash. Very strong, cutting ride for articulate, loud playing.
(http://img3.musiciansfriend.com/dbase/pics/products/tn/5/6/0/258560.jpg) (http://www.kqzyfj.com/e381p-85-7NPSRQOORNPORWPQXV?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.musiciansfriend.com%2Fproduct%2FPaiste-Signature-Series-Reflector-Dark-Crisp-HiHat-Cymbal-Pair%3Fsku%3D447478&cjsku=447478.080)	Dark Crisp Hi-Hat 14" Weight: medium thin top / extra heavy bottom Volume: medium soft to loud Stick Sound: pronounced Intensity: lively Sustain medium Chick Sound: full and tight Sound Character: Fairly dark, full, crisp. Wide range, complex mix. Very responsive feel. Full, slightly dirty open sound. Crisp, strong chick sound. A very articulate and versatile hi-hat.

I also aquired 3 matching Sound Formula thin crashes. A 16, 17 and 18.

The sound forumula line been discontinued by Paiste. They probably needed to make room for the new 2003 Dimension series. I don't have any Dimensions but I can compare these new plates to Signature crashes (I have 3). The sound formulas have a more definite pitch on the attack, so the crash is very defined. The overtones are also "brighter" and more defined, not as soft or transparent as my signature crashes. They have more power than my thinner fast crashes but respond faster than my Signature full crash. The bells on the sound formulas project better than my sigs also. That's awesome in my book.

The ride is very heavy, so you would think it might be clangy or suck up your stick. Hah, neither is evident. Just a musical ping and it sounds great whereever you hit that sucker. If you graze the bow of the cymbal with the shank of your stick to maybe "open up" a ride pattern in say a swing type feel you even get a nice controlled fast and usable wash. Don't worry about buildup, not going to happen. I was actually cranking some swiss triplets on my kick and doubling them on this cymbal, talk about a cool effect, this cymbal can take the "punishment".

The crown jewel of the set are the hats. Period. I first set them up in my studio and kicked them over with an 8th note sloshy rock groove. I didn't wanna stop. They also tighten up great for articulate playing and have a great closing sound and "chick"- these are more versatile sounding than any hats in my stable, and I have some decent sets of hats I think. I've owned a fair amount of hats and I am really impressed by these.

Together they worked great this weekend and I have no complaints- 5 star rating.

Recently I have putchased the ROLAND SPD-S (http://www.dpbolvw.net/ec106uoxuowBDGFECCFBDCFKDELJ?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.musiciansfriend.com%2Fproduct%2FRoland-SPDS-Sampling-Percussion-Pad%3Fsku%3D449910&cjsku=449910).

First off let me say that I am new to the world of electronic drums. I've played them, but never have I tried to "play with" them. This is all new to me, so read this review knowing that much. Also, I take a lot of infulence from bands like Radiohead and The Cure. If your familiar with their sounds, then you'll know why I like this so much. ;D

(http://img3.musiciansfriend.com/dbase/pics/products/44/449910.jpg)
Roland SPD-S Sampling Percussion Pad (http://www.dpbolvw.net/ec106uoxuowBDGFECCFBDCFKDELJ?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.musiciansfriend.com%2Fproduct%2FRoland-SPDS-Sampling-Percussion-Pad%3Fsku%3D449910&cjsku=449910)

Here are the specs:

9 velocity-sensitive pads
8-voice polyphony
360 seconds of sampling @41kHz
128 patches, 399 waveforms
CompactFlash slot
30 effects
2 waves assignable to each pad
MIDI in/out
1 Trigger input (can be split for 2 triggers)

Basically it will do what you expect a drum pad to do. But wait theres more! With the SPD-S you can sample just about anything your creative mind can produce. With a compact flash card you can sample literally hours of whatever you like. With MIDI inputs and the flash card, I have been able to sample from any CD, MIDI keyboard, or create something on my computer (FruityLoops anyone?) and use that as well. On top of that, you can modify these samples with 30 effect options. You can even edit the effects as well. Wow! :o

I'm still learning this unit and its almost overwheming what I can do with it (eventually).

So you have the pros. Here's the (somewhat) cons... Although the manual is user friendly, I think it should be more detailed and more descriptive. Sometimes the info is too vague. Additionally, the SPD-S does not have the ability to connect directly to a computer except via CompactFlash. A firewire or USB direct connection would help temendously in modification of waves and patches as well as startup & recovery of the unit.

Overall, I love this thing. Its great, and I can't wait to use it more often. I've tried it in one show along with my acoustic set and it was a wonderful addition.

Trueline TG Drumsticks - Nylon Rock model

(http://img3.musiciansfriend.com/dbase/pics/products/44/442630.jpg)

finally a got a hold of a pair. seems like they've caused a bit controversy, cause you either love 'em or hate 'em. well, i cant decide... :P

first off, the ball grip is pretty nice! i really like how my hands do in fact feel much more relaxed. i dont have to grip as tightly, and the stick stays in within my fingers. helps with my annoying, backbeat interfering, stick slippage. actually, really cool for trad grip, too. almost feels like i'm cheating. ;D

but the particular "rock" model i'm using, which is .535" dia, 16-3/8" long, are a little too tip heavy. that translates to lots of power on tap, but does feel sluggish. makes me kinda whip the stick, rather than have more control.

thus, i've found the natural balance point of the stick to be much further up the shaft than where the ball grip actually is. i kinda met it halfway, and instead of having the ball grip between my fore and middle finger, i have the grip btwn my middle and ring. it helps, but kinda bummed, the ball isnt further up where it should be.

also, the ball does kinda get in the way for cross sticking on my snare. you do get used to it, but it does get a little cumbersome, making sure the ball end is on the outer edge of the snare, when in the middle of an intense passage.

for another viewpoint, my buddy who normally uses Vater Fusion's, says he loves 'em. he too found them just a tad too tip heavy, but he got used to it really fast. says, cause his hands were more relaxed, he felt freer. so there you go. *shrug*

but for me, the idea is very cool, but quite honestly, its not quite as well excuted as i'd like. krisdrum, a forumite from a few other forums, was kind enough to send me the lighter thinner, "jazz" pair, so we'll see how that pans out.

I've been on a quest for many months to find a 6.5x14 vintage Acrolite. These are very rare - I've only seen one in the last year on eBay, and the bidding price was out of my range.

So I finally broke down and bought one of the new Acrolites - they have aluminum shells with a "black galaxy" powdercoated finish. New ones in the 6.5x14 size go for around $225, but I found a slightly used one on eBay for $170.

(http://www.drumcentral.com/images_lud_snare_drums/lud_acrolite.jpg)

The drum, similar to the one on the right in the photo above, looks great. The black galaxy finish is a cool-looking black sparkle, and it's on both the outside AND inside of the drum. The drum weighs significantly more than my '66 5x14 Acro, but it's deeper and has 10 lugs, as opposed to the 8 lugs on my old snare.

For the last couple months, I've only played this drum at home. I noticed it sounds NOTHING like my old Acro, and actually sounds more like a wood drum. It also seemed much quieter than my old Acro, which seemed particularly odd for a significantly larger drum. But it has a nice sound, so I figured I'd use it for soft gigs.

I put an Aquarian New Orleans Special batter head on it, and replaced the stock snares with 42-strand snares (my personal recipe for "instant good snare sound"). The 42's livened it up, making it more responsive at lower volumes, and giving it a crisper overall sound. But it still had the complex tonal color of a wood drum, with none of the volume and brightness I associate with metal drums.

Finally this weekend I got to use it on an actual rock gig (this was the Summer of Wimpy Sensitive Drum Gigs). Clarence's band played a 1500-seat ballroom in Boca Raton, so I brought several of my snares to the gig, to see which sounded best in the room. My old Acrolite sounded great as usual. My new Yamaha JR Robinson "Nail" drum was loud as hell and a little dry for the room. Then I tried the black Acrolite.

Holy backbeat, Batman! The drum absolutely KILLED.

What a difference a room makes! I think the combination of the acoustics of my living room and my own shyness about really cutting loose on my drums at home prevented me from seeing what a great rock drum this is. What had seemed like a conspicuously soft-sounding drum absolutely came alive on the big wooden stage. It had tone for days, and I noticed none of the volume constraints I had observed at home. It still had a woody "honk" to it, but now I also heard its metallic crispness. It was louder than my regular Acro (which is a fairly loud drum), with a fullness that just thrilled me. Sort of an Aronoff-meets-early-Bruford drum, with a touch of Bonham. It sounded utterly awesome onstage, and the sound man loved it, too. I used it all night, with the old Acro as my backup. We played a wide range of volumes in our show, and the black Acro rose to the occasion in a big way.

I'm really thrilled with it, and highly recommend it to anybody looking for a metal drum with a more colorful, complex tone than most.

So I guess the only thing better than an Acrolite is .... another Acrolite! ;D

Quote from: Mister Acrolite on October 22, 2003, 11:02 AM

Holy backbeat, Batman! The drum absolutely KILLED.

I'm really thrilled with it, and highly recommend it to anybody looking for a metal drum with a more colorful, complex tone than most.

I recently picked up the 5.5X14 version of Mr_A's Blacrolite, and while I don't have comparable onstage experience with mine, and while I haven't had the chance to A/B it with a keystone Acro (got one on the 'Bay recently, should be getting it any day now), and the one Acro they have at the drum shop where I teach, is a b/o badge, which sounds OK but...well, I don't like the way the other teachers at the shop tune their drums, let's just leave it at that...

ANYWAY...

I can second Mr_A's comments about this being a SCREAMING drum. I've got mine in Bruford/Copeland range tuningwise, with a coated Ambassador on top, and the rim shots will take your head off from twenty paces away. It sounded good tuned lower, too, but the higher tuning really fills a void in my snare drum arsenal. If I ever get called for an R&B gig where I need that high-pitched "crack," this is the drum I'll take.

I pulled the internal tone control out of mine about three minutes after I got it home - outside of one drum I've got that needs it, I can't stand having those things attached to the shell. The drum doesn't need it - the sustain is just perfect as is.

I had 42s on it for a bit, and it sounded great, but I was getting too much sympathetic vibration from my small tom. (I'm leaning towards trying again - not that it sounds "bad" with 20-strand snares by any means!).

Once I get ahold of my keystone Acrolite, I'll see if I come up with any good comments to add to Mr_A's exhaustive review.

(Note to Mr_Acrolite: next time you're up at Mohegan Sun, you'll have to borrow my 5.5" Blacro to try out at the sound check, if you're so inclined...)

The Sennheiser Monitor 300

(http://images.dj-store.com/sennheiser/04768_pro2.jpg)

I have been looking for a good set of in ear monitors for a while. Shure seems to be the industry standard, but my local guy carries and uses Sennheiser in his own band. On his recommendation I got the ewIEM300 Monitor.
Let me just say that I truly believe that “in ears” or a much better way to go than a monitor wedge for a few key reasons. In ears are a lot less likely to feed back, thereby making your sound guy's job a lot easier! The wireless in ears gives you freedom of movement on stage with out losing your monitor! They go where you go! Plus, with the right earphones, you can substantially reduce the volume attacking your ears and save your hearing! Try them when you get the chance and see exactly what I mean.
First of all, Sennheiser is not cheap. Suggested retail is about $1,600.00 US. I’ve seen them on Ebay for $700.00 to $900.00 US.
The first thing that impressed me about this rig is construction. Sennheiser's transmitter is heavy steel construction. It has balanced 1/4" inputs in the back for left and right or you can switch to mono by inputting to left only. Plus the transmitter also has a headphone out in the front. This allows your sound guy to plug in and hear your mix from the console or monitor desk! Very cool feature! So your sound guy can set or adjust your mix while you play and hear what he's doing! Smart! It’s very simple to operate and I was able to hook it up in just a few minutes. In a band with several members? The Sennheiser has 8 channels of UHF frequencies to select from so everyone has their own mix without interference from anyone else. That’s cool too! You can also preset your personal setting and save them in the receiver! If some else borrows or rents your ears, just recal your settings and you’re ready to gig again! You can also lock the unit so your setting can’t be bumped or changed accidentally and lost.
The receiver or belt pack is also very durable. The only plastic parts are the little slide cover over the LED face and buttons (to prevent accidental button pushing) and the volume and balance knobs. The case is cast aluminum! It too is programmable, lockable and very easy to operate! It requires a 9 volt battery. I recommend using good batteries on any wireless unit! The belt clip is made from spring steel. Not plastic! This is a tough little unit.
The earphones are the IE1. I have to say they are my least favorite of this otherwise very nice rig. You can buy the IE1's for $8 to $11 separately. I was hoping that for what this system cost, Sennheiser would include some high quality earphones. The IE1’s don’t make the cut in my book. So for CHRSTMAS I’m looking at some Shure E2’s or E1’s! I think those will fit my ears better and will be sonically superior to what came with the system.
After using them live at a show, I was very pleased with them. They sounded great. Clean and crisp and I ran them barefoot! No eq. No compression. Just right out of the console to my ears. Plenty of volume and I could hear great! I truely believe that the new earphones will make a huge difference on an already very cool tool! ;)
Overall this is a killer rig and I’m proud to have it! There are cheaper models that will do the job, but I really think the Sennheiser ewIEM300 is well worth the money. I recommend you give them a listen. It’s a great investment on your hearing!

Another needed addition to my gear this year is the Pearl DR-80 Drum Rack. Pearl also makes the "Big Brother" the DR-500. The difference between the two is the DR-500 use a bigger square tubing and the lateral bars are height adjustable. The DR-500 is also called the "Icon". It's also more expensive than the DR-80 and THAT was the major reason I chose the DR-80! ;)
One of the other reasons is, I see no need for the lateral bar having to be height adjustable when I can make the height adjustments on the tom arms or cymbal holders. ;D The DR-80 is also a bit lighter than it's big brother and that's another reason I wanted a rack! I have eliminated the need for carrying around five double brace cymbal stand bottoms. I'm not sure what the weight difference is from stands to the rack, but because the rack is carried separate from my hardware case, it's a much easier haul for me! The Rack actually weighs about 30lbs (that’s the shipping weight anyway) so it's no problem for me to carry by myself.
One of the great features is the lateral bars are square tubing! This means NO SLIPPAGE when you set the clamps! I love that about Pearl racks! ;D
The DR-80 also saves me time in set-up too! A great deal of time! Rather than setting up 5 stands, the DR-80 sets on the gig rug, the tom arms and cymbal booms are numbered matching the clamps on the rack. MY GUITAR player can now assemble my kit! You just pop the arm or boom in the matching clamp. Slide it in until the memory lock falls into the slot and snug a wing nut! Easy as pie and a lot less work.
When the gig is over, the drums go in their cases. The hardware goes in it's (much lighter ;D) case, cymbals go in the cymbal bag and the rack folds up to a very nice skinny size that fits right in our trailer.
For scuffs...it's a flat black finish that’s very easy to touch up! ;D So it stays looking new!
Retail price for the DR-80 is $249.00 US. But I've seen them in stores for $149.00 US. It comes with 4 PC-8 clamps. I ordered 4 more with my rack. It's extremely sturdy so now there's a lot less "sway" when I'm banging away on the kit. I really love this little rack! ;)

(http://img3.musiciansfriend.com/dbase/pics/products/tn/70/701368.t.jpg)
M-Audio MobilePre USB (http://www.jdoqocy.com/tr67biroiq57A986695769E78FD?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.musiciansfriend.com%2Fproduct%2FMAudio-MobilePre-USB-Portable-Audio-Interface%3Fsku%3D701368&cjsku=701368)

Quite simply a great, cheap, versatile interface for portable studios or home/self computer recording. I picked mine up at G.C. for $150 out the door because I asked for a deal and the guy liked the group on my t-shirt.

The basics : 2 - xlr ins with phantom power, 2 - 1/4" line level ins, 1/8" stereo mic in, 2 - 1/4" line outs (unbalanced), 1/8" stereo line out, 1/8" headphone out, usb connectivity and power (no wall wart!).

Its not fancy, not for anyone expecting the sound quality of a Neve console. Its for location recording to a laptop, or solo at home recording. Ive got it hooked up to my laptop with N-Track and the stereo out running to a pair of powered monitors. I tried it out with a guitar direct into the line in, and a pair of AKG C-1000's. I had read reviews that said that phantoming two mics at once results in signal degradation. I chose these mics for testing because they can also be run on 9 volt batteries so I could A/B the results. I think theyve made an upgrade since the first edition. Not just because now they are silver instead of white, but because I experienced no signal change with both mics running on phantom.

Installation is easy though paticular. Read the instructions! The only issue I found with its setup was that it usurped control of my audio functionality on the laptop. So when I wanted to watch a movie, in another room, unhooked from the MobilePre, I had to remind my computer to use its internal speakers. No biggie. Just worthy of note.

With recording software, its easy. Just make sure your software is using the MobilePre as its sound source (check your preferances). All you have to do is plug in the source, turn up the gain, and hit record on your software. Voila. It has a hardware monitor function, so you can hear whats going to tape instead of whats coming from it. This saves a bit of processing time and gives you better latency response. Which I have to say, was nil on my machine (1.8G processor with 512 ram). Very cool. And its full duplex, so as long as your software is setup to play audio back through the MobilePre, you can hear your previous tracks while you record new ones just fine.

Hows it sound? Just fine. Like I said, as long as you dont go into it expecting to hear $2000 Manley tube pres, you wont be dissappointed. Easily on par with my Mackie and Behringer mixers.

One tech note that may concern folks. It has a max sample rate of 16bits, and resolution of 48kHz. Thats fine for pretty much any and all home recording and rough takes (CDs are 16/44.1). But folks who want 24/96 will have to spend a little more. Again, this isnt designed for hardcore pro use.

Final note, a great buy. I was looking at more expensive units but realised Id be paying for features I dont need. I have no use for balanced outputs, midi, or a control surface. I just needed high quality, simple I/O for my laptop with mic pres. I got it, and at half the price of most competition. M-Audio cut exactly the right corners with this one. They kept the nice pres of thier higher end units, but trimmed the fat to make it a quick and dirty basic interface that sounds good.

And it came with some really cool music apps, like Appleton Live and a couple VST machines!

DRUMMER CAFE - Community Forum

MAIN LOBBY => Gear / Equipment / Instruments => Topic started by: Bart Elliott on July 02, 2002, 05:54 PM