Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Electronic Percussion
M ARCH 2, 2015 / 3 COM M ENT S
This article originally ran in the Nov/Dec 2012 issue of Drum Business.
by Ben Meyer
Drummers are drawn to electronic percussion for the same reasons today as we were back in
the early ’80s, after the introduction of the Linn LM-1 and the Roland TR-808 drum machines:
low acoustic volume, versatility, portability, and the ability to trigger and sequence MIDI
performances. For songwriters and producers, skipping the need to find a reliable drummer—a
task in itself—and to rent a studio to adequately record him or her was a big selling point, as
was being able to house an entire percussion section in a handy multi-trigger pad. These days,
more and more drummers are embracing electronics, which is helping to keep sales thriving.
In this article we’ll address some of the common categories of electronic percussion
instruments.
Electronic Drumsets
Several prominent manufacturers offer options ranging from basic to luxurious electronic kits,
to suit everyone from the beginner to the seasoned pro. Roland’s V-Drums and TD series and
Yamaha’s DTX line lead the pack, along with less expensive offerings from Alesis, Simmons,
and others. Trigger quality, sound-module features, and the number of inputs help determine
the price tag on these complete kits. Be sure to point out the flexibility of sound modules that
include MIDI and USB outputs for their ability to work with computer VST instruments and
recording programs like Pro Tools, Ableton Live, Studio One, Cubase, Sonar, and Logic.
Other common non-sampling multi-trigger pads include the Roland SPD-30 Octapad, Alesis’s
PerformancePad and PercPad (a value standout with a street price of only $99.99), and the
Simmons SDMP1.
Though not exclusively a percussion-oriented piece, the Roland SP-404SX and SP-555
samplers are favorites among working DJs for creating and triggering one-shot samples and
sound effects. They can also be of use to percussionists who don’t need a stick-friendly
interface.
Triggers
Electronic triggers for acoustic drums provide the ability to create digital signals that track
dynamics and capture a player’s feel better than some electronic pads can. The Roland RT
series and ddrum’s broad range of triggers stand out as industry leaders and can be used with
the sound module of your choice. Great results can be achieved by combining miked drum
sounds with triggered sounds, to fatten up or otherwise enhance a drum’s acoustic tone.
Some players even use triggers on stage in order to utilize the exact sounds from their band’s
records while retaining the look and feel of acoustic drums.
MIDI
Despite having been around for thirty years, MIDI can cause much confusion among
consumers. The main thing to understand about MIDI is that it’s not audio; it’s a data format
designed to allow musical instruments, triggers, sound modules, and computers to
communicate with each other. First introduced in 1983, MIDI makes it possible to record and
edit pitch, velocity, note duration, and clock data, along with aftertouch, if the trigger devices
and VST/sound modules being used have that capability.
You can make entire songs using MIDI, and it’s often difficult to differentiate MIDI tracks from
real acoustic performances. Most consumers use MIDI to trigger samples of classic and vintage
keyboard instruments like Fender Rhodes, Wurlitzers, Hammond organs, analog synths, and
high-quality acoustic pianos.
In Use
As with any situation when you’re considering a purchase, we suggest that you think
about how your electronic percussion gear will be used, in order to find the best models. And
don’t forget about common add-ons like balanced and unbalanced patch cables, XLR cables,
direct boxes, mics, mic stands, mixers, DBX DriveRacks, and other pro-audio components. For
instance, small-capsule condenser mics such as Audio-Technica’s PRO 37 and Sennheiser’s
e614 are great for xylophone, marimba, vibraphone, and other keyboard percussion
instruments. They’re easy to mount, reject feedback, and capture the full range of the
instruments.