MI Pro

Release Date	Out Now
Vendor	Roland, Yamaha, P&R Howar, Alesis, Pintech

SECTOR GUIDE - Electric Drums

Pity the drummer. Pity the cumbersome nature of his instrument, the space it takes up, the volume of noise it generates, and the amount of family and neighbours it drives to madness.

It’s a heavy price that is paid to simply play an instrument, but it’s the drummer’s lot, and one that they have to live with. For the majority of hard up gigging musicians and wannabe homebound schoolboys, there are two main problems with the drums – space and noise.

A bedroom that is both big enough to house a full drum kit and sound proofed in order to keep parents and neighbours happy is a rare thing, and a luxury most drummers get by without. Electric drum kits are therefore far more than just an addition to a drummer’s arsenal. They are a vital practice tool, a lifesaver for musicians in built up areas who are desperate to rehearse their chops, and the only realistic way for little Johnny to work his way up to Keith Moon like levels of brilliance without driving the whole street mad with hours on end of relentless rhythmic pounding.

When electric drums first rose to prominence in the late 70s and early 80s, electric drum kits occupied a strange place in the musical universe. Thanks to often unreliable electronics and limited scope in terms of timbre and expression, not to mention a slightly silly appearance that was all angles, strangely reminiscent of the robot in Short Circuit, they were widely ignored by rock drummers.

Being seen as little more than sequencers triggered in real time by human hands instead of serious percussion pieces, the electric drum kit became a staple of many disco acts, thanks to the obviously synthetic samples that suited the heavily produced drum sound of the genre.

As the 80s progressed, many pop bands picked up electric drums sets as an alternative to traditional acoustic drum sounds, and in keeping with the general aesthetic of mainstream popular music throughout the decade became a common sight on many a music video and Top Of The Pops performance.

With the advent of the 90s and a return to a more earthy, organic sound as the dodgy synthesisers and processed percussion that had dominated faded into baggy pantalooned memory, electric drums once again maintained popularity with techno producers and various other dance subsets.

As technology has improved, the area of the market that electric drum sets occupy has shifted; while in the current musical climate you would be hard pressed to find a gigging band whose drummer favoured an electric kit, owning and utilising a kit for use both at home and in the studio is growing in popularity.

As one of the few areas of the MI market experiencing steady sales growth, electric drum kits have become almost as much of a lifestyle accessory as a musical tool. With Roland, Pintech, Yamaha and others all producing kits that are pleasing to the eye, many non-drummers have installed this latest piece of must-have gadgetry primarily because they look fantastic and are great fun to play.

Mucking about on a drum kit for the sheer hell of it (something that anyone, no matter how non-musically minded, can get a kick out of) becomes a much more attractive option when the player can only be heard by him(or her)self.

With drum brains now providing an assortment of different kits, from traditional rock to samba sounds at the flick of a switch, bedroom rock stars are able to play to their hearts content. The technology involved in the actual kits has shifted a huge amount, with mesh heads and cutting edge computer technology ensuring that kits both feel and sound incredibly close to the real thing.

Prices have also dropped by a huge amount; what was once the preserve of moneyed drummers looking for a different sound is now an easily affordable fun item to have at home.

A look at the kits currently available on the market reinforces the fun, affordable aspect of electric drums that has been so crucial to their resurgence in popularity. P&R Howard, for example, the East Kilbride-based distributor, has been doing a roaring trade in this area of the market with the Session Pro DD 505. Thanks to a retail price under the £500 mark, the Session Pro kit has proven to be hugely popular; since it was picked up by P&R Howard it has been a key area of growth for the company.

“It’s selling very well, it’s probably our best line at the moment, and we’ve got plenty coming in at the moment,” comments sales director Tommy McGinley. “It’s the right product at the right time. The electronic drum kit is the product of the moment. I think the key thing is that it is a product that appeals to non-musicians and non-drummers, there are people in the general public who think it is a cool thing to have. It came in about spring time this year, we’d seen the success others were having, and we saw a gap for a kit in the £350 to £400 price range, and this was the right product for us.”

The technology available for the price is astonishing, and it is easy to see why the 505 has been such a success – something P&R Howard is keen to follow up on. “There’s a new model coming in, the 506, which has a recommended retail of £499,” adds McGinley. “It has chokeable cymbals, rim shot on the snare, and it has USB on the computer, so it’s certainly worth the extra £100 on retail over the 505.”

One name that many will be unfamiliar with, even though the company has been around for some time, is Pintech, a US manufacturer of trigger pads and kits that is starting to make its name in the UK. Having established a UK base of operations headed up by Ranald Mackay, MI retailers will no doubt be hearing more about this product in time, as its predominantly high-end products are fast becoming an open secret among the drumming fraternity.

With a line packed full of extremely high-spec, well made rugged and reliable kits that are tailored toward serious drummers both on the road, in the studio and at home, Pintech also has one eye firmly on looks, with some stunning examples of electric sets that both look and play like a professional product. Although it currently does not manufacture a dedicated Pintech drum brain, the company’s EU operation has plans in place.

“We’re developing a module here at the moment that we will be bringing to the market soon, which will be very high spec, much higher than anything else currently on the market,” says Mackay. “We’re doing a lot of development work, and our long-term aim is to be manufacturing over here, and when we reach a certain level we will manufacture under licence from Pintech in the US.

“We restructured the company into Pintech EU six months ago, so we can do our own thing, and we are working on bringing Pintech to the High Street. It’s a tough market that is dominated by big names, but any people who are au fait with electronic drums work with us, and we have many owners who upgrade their kit to our mesh heads.

“We aim to be able to provide kits that include everything including the drum module in one box, so that people can take home the kit and play it that night, and we’re getting there.”

Alesis remains a presence in the electric drum market; the DM5 is a popular entry level kit, with rubber pads instead of mesh heads, that features a quick set up and a versatile module with 540 sounds, 21 programmable kits and Dynamic Articulation, a system that maintains realism by alternating the drum sound depending on how hard the trigger has been hit.

The slightly more up market DM5 Pro has mesh heads, an option favoured by many drummers thanks to the more realistic feel of the mesh, and remains a consistently popular seller.

Perhaps one of the most popular and well regarded electric drum brands is Yamaha, with its DTX range. The DTXplorer for example is designed as a ‘plug ‘n’ play’ kit, with ease of use a priority. Featuring 32 preset kits and 192 various drum and percussion sounds, CD and MP3 compatibility are also included, allowing players to jam along with whatever takes their fancy.
“Our DTX range counts for over 50 per cent of our ever-growing drum sales in the UK; and this will grow even more with the developments we have planned,” comments Yamaha’s drum product manager Gavin Thomas. “The electronic percussion market has expanded dramatically over the years into what we see today.

“The division between acoustic drums and electronic drums, which was very distinct and defined some years ago, has pretty much disappeared; and as more and more people pick up the drum sticks and either learn to play or rediscover their passion for playing drums. Electronic drums can offer the silence and versatility that an acoustic kit just can’t offer.”

By far the biggest name in the electric drum market, however, is Roland. With its V-Drum system, it has set the benchmark for electronic drum manufacture and remains a huge draw for those looking to invest in a kit, thanks in no small part to the versatile nature of the system and the high standards of quality in both construction and sound samples. In fact, the hi tech giant is claiming to be the world’s biggest drum manufacturer now, based on its worldwide sales.

Thanks to a very versatile set up, V-Drum triggers and modules are designed to work together, ensuring that a basic kit can be expanded to virtually any configuration a drummer could require – Roland has built a huge presence in the market that doesn’t look set to wane any time soon.

At the top end, kits such as the TD-12 and the flagship TD-20 are examples of just how far electronic drums have come in recent years; mesh heads, realistic two-piece hi-hat triggers and V-Cymbals, which are weighted to respond as real cymbals, allow drummers to have a satisfying and incredibly realistic kit at home, in the studio or on stage with almost zero ambient noise.

A recent addition at the lower end is the HD-1 set up. This features a basic Roland kit, is incredibly compact and the presence of additional pads and noise reducing technology make it a perfect purchase for bedroom players. The HD-1 is an ideal entry point for beginners and those keen to learn but with limited funds.

Roland has been keen to tout the HD (‘home drumkit’) as the kit for non-drummers, capturing considerable column inches in the national press and periodicals and the manufacturer seems confident in it becoming a must-have gadget for the home.

And who would argue? It remains true for all e-kits – everyone at some time has wanted to beat seven bells out of drum kit. It’s easier now than ever.