For more completely impartial, HD video reviews, please subscribe to our YouTube Channel: www.youtube.com/drummersreview and click on the bell icon to be notified as soon as each new video is released. You can also follow us on our social media channels:
All of Drummer’s Review videos are recorded in a top quality studio with the finest equipment. To get the best from our reviews and really hear the instruments perform be sure to listen on good quality speakers or headphones!
Porter & Davies are delighted to welcome new additions to their ever growing family: Joel Amey of Wolf Alice, Jack Lawrence-Brown with White Lies, Ashton Irwin of 5 Seconds of Summer and many more.
Joel Amey, of multi award winning band Wolf Alice, has recently purchased not one, but THREE BC2s. This light, portable, tough tactile monitor allows him to feel and experience what he plays with unparalleled response and sensitivity. Carl Griffin, Wolf Alice Tech and Monitor Engineer said: ‘It was instantly a game changer. Can’t express how much I love those things! Joel was instantly more comfortable on the kit and with monitoring too.’
Jack Lawrence-Brown, drummer with arena band White Lies and Ashton Irwin drummer with 5 Seconds of Summer also now use BC2s. Others include, Ben Barter (Lorde), Mikey Randon (Bruce Foxton), Drew McKeon (Michael Bolton), Børge Fjordheim (Session Drummer), Jeremy Hoenig (Melvin Seals) Bruce Briggz (Cirque Du Soleil), Dave Anderson (The South) and Ben Anderson (North to Nashville) who also purchased a Porter & Davies Gigster.
Mark Pusey, long term session drummer for Ed Sheeran will be joining him on his world tour for the first time. The production team of the 2022 Brit Awards Songwriter of the Year, purchased the BC2rm for Pusey to use on the tour. It has the same features as the BC2 but has been designed in a 2U 19” rack-mount layout.
Purchasers of TT6 Equipped Thrones, both round and saddle formats include Chris Reeve, drummer for Avril Lavigne, the multi Grammy Award nominated singer. He recently recorded her new album Love Sux and will be accompanying her on her world tour using his saddle throne. Talking about his TT6 Equipped Throne Reeve said: ‘The TT6 has just been incredible. I could never go back. It’s a whole body experience that has me so connected with my drums it’ll be sad to play without it. So thank you so much guys. I’m ultra-proud to be part of the Porter & Davies fam.’
Veteran drummer, Sean Moore of festival headliners Manic Street Preachers, Jim Macaulay (The Stranglers), Steve Rodford (The Zombies) and Gunner Olsen will also be using their TT6 Equipped Thrones for a busy summer of festivals and tours. With the Porter & Davies bespoke 1000W TT6 super transducer the thrones have all the sensitivity, speed, dynamic range and punch of the Porter & Davies regular ones with the added advantage that they can be driven by a stage amp from the monitor desk position.
Moa Munoz, bass player with Grammy Award winner, Olivia Rodrigo, named Woman of the Year 2022 by Billboard magazine, now uses a KT Platform. The KT Platform is a highly versatile piece of kit, used by bass players, keyboardists, guitarists and DJs. It is a portable platform musicians can stand on to feel and hear their playing internally. Users can choose to monitor their own instrument, or a mix from the monitor board.
To find out more about Porter & Davies and to purchase their hand-assembled products please go to porteranddavies.co.uk/.
The team over at our sister-show, The UK Drum Show, has announced that New York native Greyson Nekrutman has been added to the list of performers joining the main-stage line-up at The UK Drum Show 2023 at The ACC Liverpool on Saturday 30 September & Sunday 1 October.
As one of the most explosive young players in the drumming world, Greyson has gained a legion of fans since bursting onto the international music scene just a few short years ago.
While in middle school in Long Island, and despite an extremely isolated youth (3 years of hospital stays as a result of health struggles), Greyson practiced on hospital bedrails, mastering one rudiment after another with help from his teacher as well as watching global-level professional drummers on TV and the internet.
In high school, his drumming caught national attention when he was named as one of the “Top-Performing High School Jazz Musicians” in the country, and selected as the drummer for the 2019 All-National Honors Jazz Ensemble. But that’s not what launched Greyson into the global spotlight: with over 250,000 Instagram followers, his ‘singlehanded rejuvenation’ of the Big Band/Swing drumming of the Louis Armstrong and Benny Goodman era, launched him into his very own international spotlight. His highly energetic, note-for-note / side-by-side video transcriptions of iconic drummers such as Buddy Rich, Philly Jo Jones, Louis Bellson (and many others) is filling a musical gap that was largely vacant for decades, picking up millions of viewers along the way.
Grayson recently wrapped up an album with Alice In Chains vocalist William Duvall “11.12.21 Live-In-Studio Nashville” Which is slated to release on June 10th 2022. The effort captures an explosive power trio performance recorded live direct-to-disc at the famed Welcome To 1979 Studio in Nashville on November 12, 2021. No “fixing” or remixing took place after the fact whatsoever. It’s as supercharged, raw, and exciting as it gets. Nekrutman has also performed or recorded with Bakithi Kumalo, Darren Criss, Drumeo, Pearl Drums, Meinl Cymbals and has been featured in articles by Rolling Stone Magazine, Rhythm Magazine, Rhythm and Drum Magazine (Japan), and Sweetwater Music.
Greyson Nekrutman will be appearing on the main stage on Sunday 1 October 2023 at 14.15 in association with Meinl Cymbals. Tickets for the show are on-sale now from: www.theukdrumshow.com
Latin Percussion (LP) is delighted to partner with Maná drummer Alex Gonzalez to introduce our newest cowbell to its range of world class percussion instruments. Made in the USA, the Alex González Signature Cowbell is an 8” mountable cowbell with a rich cutting sound, that is low pitched and moderately dry.
Alex and his band Maná created a revolución in music by becoming the most successful Latin-American band of all time, winning multiple Grammy, Latin Grammy and Billboard Latin Music awards. The versatile drummer deftly manipulates the many stylistic changes in the band’s sound, elegantly switching between energetic reggae grooves and hard hitting rock anthems.
The LP Rock Ridge Rider cowbell has been a part of Alex’s arsenal from the very beginning and we are honored to work with him to create the Alex González Signature Cowbell, an instrument that truly reflects his personal sound. The collaboration resulted in a distinctive cowbell that is embellished with a striking rose graphic synonymous with Maná and familiar to fans all over the world. The rose artwork is embedded into the metal using LP’s proprietary process to deliver long lasting, great looks.
The bell is loud and rock ready. The high impact ridge offers just the right overtones, making it perfect for both studio and stage. The patented Jenigor bar dampens sound and resists denting giving the instrument a long-playing life. The patented LP® Vise-Clamp tightly grips 3/8” to 1/2” diameter arms, making it a go to bell for heavy hitters.
“This Cowbell is just awesome!!!” Says Alex Gonzalez. “I’ve been playing LP since 1984 ,and to this day their instruments are such and important part of my sound. This cowbell represents and celebrates the history I’ve had playing LP and I’m so honored that LP made this happen!! I hope MANÁ fans all over the world will love this cowbell as much as I do! Viva LP! Viva MANÁ!”
To find out more about the Alex González Signature Cowbell, plus all the other Latin Percussion products, please go to lpmusic.com/#wearerhythm
The biggest event on the UK’s drumming calendar, The UK Drum Show, has announced the first two main-stage artists confirmed to be joining them at The ACC Liverpool over the weekend of 30 September / 1 October 2023.
Louie Palmer
Louie Palmer – Saturday 31 September 2023 @10.00am
Originally from London, Louie Palmer is a renowned jazz rock drummer who currently resides in Los Angeles, California. Palmer began playing the drums at the age of 5 after being introduced to them by his father, who is also a drummer.
Louie attended Berklee College of Music as a scholarship recipient. With a career spanning almost three decades, Palmer has performed with legendary artists such as Mike Stern, Randy Brecker, Jason Rebello, Gary Husband, Tim Lefebvre, Luis Conte, Mitch Forman, Bob Franceschini and many more.
In addition to performing, Palmer records for clients around the world from his studio in Los Angeles and he is the founder of the online drum school PlayBetterDrums.com. The school is utilized by thousands of professional and aspiring musicians from around the world to improve their ability on the drums.
Louie endorses Pearl drums, Meinl cymbals, Pro Mark sticks, Evans drum heads and sE microphones.
Louie will be appearing on the main-stage on Saturday 31 September 2023 at 10.00am
Richard Spaven
Richard Spaven – Saturday 31 September 2023 @11.15am
With roots in the U.K. club and hip-hop scenes, Richard Spaven brings a fresh approach to the instrument that’s at once modern and traditional.
Combining machine-like accuracy with jazz-influenced improvisational sensibilities, Richard Spaven’s drumming has landed him gigs with vastly varied artists such the late Guru of the hip-hop duo Gang Starr, producer Flying Lotus, electronica/jazz group the Cinematic Orchestra, jazz/hip-hop vocalist José James and Brainfeeder artist Jameszoo. Spaven’s brilliance is evident beyond his world-class performance abilities; he’s equally impressive in production and compositional territories. And most recently, the drummer released his fourth solo album, Real Time, which once again showcases his multifaceted talent.
Richard is appearing in association with Yamaha Drums, Meinl Cymbals, Vic Firth Sticks and Remo Drum Heads
Richard will be appearing on the main-stage on Saturday 31 September 2023 at 11.15am
For full details about The UK Drum Show 2023 and to grab your tickets, visit: www.theukdrumshow.com
Taking place between 14th and 21st May 2022, DrumathonLIVE will feature fifty top flight drummers from high profile bands such as, Coldplay, Kaiser Chiefs, Duran Duran, Imagination, Culture Club, Stormzy, Girls Aloud, Tom Jones, Madonna, Kasabian and many more.
Scheduled to drum for 2 to 24 hours in a continuous stream, day and night for the entire week, our featured professional drummers will be joined by a thousand amateur and semi-pro drummers picking up their sticks to create their own events, broadcasting across the UK on social media.
This year, DrumathonLIVE partners with musical equipment manufacturer Roland, Jobecky, JHS, Vici Drums, Adoro Drums, Zildjian Cymbals and Dream Cymbals to extend its fund raising initiative to UK schools and youth organisations, inviting them to create their own DrumathonLIVE events during the same week, playing alongside our pros and amateurs across the entire country in the biggest drumming event ever.
Schools are invited to play drums and percussion instruments or make their own drums and shakers to participate in a 30 minute Drumathon, driven along by the sponsorship and support from family and friends.
We are also inviting music and rock schools, drum corps, scouting groups or any other youth organisation that can drum up a storm to get on board at www.drumathon.live to register and download an activity pack.
DrumathonLIVE 2022 Partners
Adoro Drums, Boomwhackers, Code Drumheads, JHS, Los Cabos, Roland Corporation, Vici Drums, Zildjian Cymbals.
DrumathonLIVE 2022 Charitable Organisations
The Anna Freud Centre, Child Bereavement UK, UK Trauma Council, Variety Club of Great Britain.
About DrumathonLIVE
DrumathonLIVE is the creation of husband and wife musicians Errol Kennedy and Bev Sage, who started the organisation during the first COVID 19 lockdown in 2020 when Errol played non stop for 24 hours for the NHS. The first full event followed and involved twenty drummers, raising over £50k for the NHS. In 2021 fifty drummers played over seven days and have so far raised over £60k – and counting. DrumathonLIVE also inspired and participated in the Children in NeedDrumathonwhich to date has raised £3.6m.
Errol and Bev Kennedy are available for interview. Errol is the original drummer with the 80’s pop sensations Imagination. Bev is an artist and founder member of the Techno Twins.
Elektron invites you into a sonic metropolis that melts analog and digital synthesis into one instrument of outrageous opportunity. All your sound crafting, sequencing, and performance needs are fulfilled, in an all-round music mega box that fits in your lap.
Syntakt is a drum specialist, full of percussive possibilities, but its four analog and eight digital tracks can be used for melody, harmony, and bass sounds too. Experience epic sounds from the past, pulling others into existence from the future, using 35 analog and digital machines.
“The team here cherishes the musical creativity and output of the Elektron community,” said CPO Gösta Wellmer. “When designing Syntakt we always had the musician in mind. Our goal was to design a highly creative instrument, that is consistent to navigate but with many side tracks to shape your own unique, individual sound. We can’t wait to see and hear what people dream up.”
Add analog distortion and filtering to your mix or separate tracks, using the FX block. Run wild and free with the four expressive modifiers, with different velocities, retrigs, and varied settings of other parameters at your fingertips. Access a variety of different scales via the keyboard mode. And create dynamic soundscapes with the phenomenal sequencer.
Welcome to a new era of sound-crafting expression. A melting pot combining the warmth of analog with harmonic digital sounds.
There are 35 sound-generating machines to call on, some reimagined from Analog Rytm and Model:Cycles, with deeper sound control for the latter, while others are entirely new to the world. For you to create and personalize your sound, we’ve made sure you’ve got a set of parameter controls tailor-made for each machine. They let you quickly tweak the nature of each type of sound, showing you just the relevant options. If you want to invite your other instruments to Syn City, they’re more than welcome. A MIDI machine can be assigned to any of the 12 synth tracks.
The graphics more than play their part too, with plenty of animated icons offering visual guidance and extra clarity on how each parameter affects the sound. The joys of tweaking shouldn’t only be for the ears after all.
The streets of Syntakt are never-ending, the neon lights are never-dimming, its underground is fathomless. Discover worlds within worlds.
Syntakt lets you route any of your synth tracks or external audio sources through the FX block. This gives you analog distortion and filtering, and a couple of LFOs to go to town with. Additionally, you can also call on Delay and Reverb as powerhouse send effects.
And all of the above effects can be sequenced with the FX track. Have them kick in at just the right moment. Add accents and dramatic changes to the selected tracks or external audio. Or use it as a master track for ducking and gating effects.
With up to four Modifiers, you can set your parameters to four levels of intensity. Unleash your sounds with different velocities, retrigs, and varied settings of other parameters. This offers a bunch of bouncy playability when performing live, and can also be recorded to the sequencer to make sure you capture the good stuff.
Syntakt comes full of filter and envelope goodness. All tracks have a Multimode filter to put to use allowing you to emphasize different parts of your sound, with the digital tracks also able to call on Parametric EQ and a Base-width filter – an additional filter giving you even more sonic control.
Choose from two amplitude envelope types to define the ideal contour of your sound. Try out the ADSR envelope – for your wicked synth lines – or the simpler AHD envelope – perfect for transient percussive sounds.
Product Specifications
Digital track features (×8)
10 × selectable machine
1 × Bass drum
2 × Snare drum
1 × Cymbal/hihat
1 × Percussion
1 × Clap
4 × Tonal synth
1 × digital overdrive per track
1 × digital multimode filter per track
1 × digital base-width filter per track
2 × assignable LFOs per track
Switchable to MIDI machine
Analog Drum track features (×3)
15 × selectable machine
6 × Bass drum
4 × Snare drum
2 × Rimshot
1 × Dual VCO synth
1 × Impulse
1 × Noise generator
1 × analog overdrive per track
1 × analog multimode filter per track
2 × assignable LFOs per track
Switchable to MIDI machine
Analog Cymbal track features (×1)
12 × selectable machine
5 × Hihat
3 × Cymbal
2 × Cowbell
1 × Impulse
1 × Noise generator
1 × analog overdrive per track
1 × analog multimode filter per track
2 × assignable LFOs per track
Switchable to MIDI Machine
FX track features (×1)
Delay and reverb automation
Analog stereo overdrive
Analog stereo multimode filter
2 × assignable LFOs
Assignable to each track
External in
Performance features
1 × Retrig modifier
1 × Velocity modifier
2 × Assignable trig modifiers
Keyboard mode with 36 different scales
MIDI Machine features
4 note polyphony per step
8 × assignable CC controls
2 × assignable LFOs per track
Sequencer features
64 steps per pattern and track
Individual pattern length per track
Individual time scale multiplier per track
Parameter locks
Trig conditions & trig chance
Retrig
Micro timing
Send effects
Delay
Reverb
Hardware
128 × 64 pixel OLED screen
2 × ¼” impedance balanced audio out jacks
2 × ¼” audio in jacks
1 × ¼” stereo headphone jack
48 kHz, 24-bit D/A and A/D converters
Hi-Speed USB 2.0 port
MIDI In/Out/Thru with DIN Sync out
Physical specifications
W215 × D176 × H63 mm (8.5″ × 6.9″ × 2.5″) including knobs, power switch and rubber feet
Here’s our review of a Yamaha DTX8K-M eKit, featuring…
Kit:
12″ snare pad,
3 x 10″ tom pads,
Yamaha KP-90 kick drum pad,
all tom/snare pads featuring short birch shells in Black Forrest finish,
toms/snare feature Yamaha Mesh heads,
13″ dual-zone hi-hat pad,
2 x 13″ triple-zone crash cymbals,
15″ triple-zone ride cymbal
Yamaha black tube rack, tom arms & cymbal arms,
single-braced hi-hat & snare stand included.
Module:
Yamaha DTX PRO
712 on-board sounds with option to upload 1000 user samples,
40 pre-set kits & 200 user patches,
on-board effects: For each Instrument: EQ / Comp / Transient / Insertion*, For each kit: Ambience / Effect 1 / Effect 2 and Master Comp / Master Effect, For overall: Master EQ / Phones EQ (* Insertion effects can be used only for specific Instruments)
comprehensive on-board click feature.
Connectivity:
10 pad inputs,
stereo outputs,
USB to device, USB to host,
Midi out,
aux in (stereo mini jack),
headphone out,
Yamaha says…“DTX Drums’ high-grade standard model. The DTX8 series comes equipped with the DTX-PRO module that possesses the same tone generator as the DTX-PROX module. The birch shells are painted the same way as Yamaha’s acoustic drums, resulting in new pads that are as beautiful as the real thing. The DTX-PRO features real sounds and real sampled room ambience recorded in world-renowned studios, KIT MODIFIER knobs that inspire creativity, and hardware that is sturdy and easy-to use. This new standard DTX captures the very essence of the flagship model.”
For more completely impartial, HD video reviews, please subscribe to our YouTube Channel: www.youtube.com/drummersreview and click on the bell icon to be notified as soon as each new video is released. You can also follow us on our social media channels:
All of Drummer’s Review videos are recorded in a top quality studio with the finest equipment. To get the best from our reviews and really hear the instruments perform be sure to listen on good quality speakers or headphones!
Latin Percussion (LP) is proud to announce another milestone collaboration with multi Grammy Award winner and philanthropist, Carlos Santana. The existing line-up of Santana branded drums and collectables now features Africa Speaks and Black Magic instruments to further complement the line.
Santana’s relationship with LP spans more than fifty years. During that time, he and his band members have played a wide variety of the company’s percussion instruments, both live and in concert. The band’s signature blend of Latin infused rock, jazz, blues, salsa and Africa rhythms have become synonymous with LP.
The all-new Africa Speaks congas are constructed utilizing 3-ply Siam Oak staves, and are finished in a Yellow Stain Lacquer that is embellished with the “African Mask” graphic art from Santana’s 2019 release. Included in the collection are matching Bongos (LP201AX-SAS), Quinto (LP522X-SAS), Conga (LP559X-SAS) and Tumba (LP552X-SAS). All are custom fitted with handpicked rawhide heads and chrome Comfort Curve II® rims.
Also new to the LP Santana offering are a newly-designed set of 10 and 11-inch Aspire Black Magic congas. The drums come complete with a sturdy double conga stand (LPA646-BM), while a matching set of bongos (LPA601-BM) is also available. The Siam Oak shells are finished in a stunning Black Sparkle Lacquer with black powder coated hardware and natural rawhide heads. Watch the video on the Aspire Black Magic congas here.
To satisfy LP and Santana fans alike, two new Santana mini-tuneable congas have also been added to the collection. The first design is an exact mini replica of the Africa Speaks pro conga. Others include an elegant Black Lacquer drum featuring the Santana Lion Art album artwork and a White Lacquer drum with the classic Abraxas artwork. The tuneable and playable minis are 11” tall with 4-1/2” rawhide heads, a mini Comfort Curve® rim and brushed nickel plated hardware. Watch the video on the Mini congas here.
Carlos Santana commented “It is an honor to partner with LP and share the Africa Speaks & Black Magic Congas/Bongos with the world. Since the 1970’s LP has been the heartbeat of music and especially Santana music. LP products have impeccable integrity, craftsmanship and are a must have for any percussionist. Combined with the vision-art of Santana, these Congas and Bongos are the condiments, nutrients and ingredients to a delicious life.”
To find out more about the Africa Speaks, Black Magic and mini-conga ranges, plus all the other Latin Percussion products, please go to lpmusic.com/ #wearerhythm
Drum Workshop, Inc. (DW) in conjunction with Latin Percussion (LP) are delighted to be gear support sponsors for the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival (Jazz Fest) 2022.
Jazz Fest takes place over two weekends, 29th April to 1st May and 5th to 8th May 2022, at the Fair Grounds Race Course in New Orleans, LA. The first-ever concert event was held in 1970 in Congo Square New Orleans, the open area space where enslaved African Americans gathered on Sundays in the early 1880s to create sounds that ultimately influenced all American Music. The inaugural event, featuring legendary artists such as Fats Domino and Duke Ellington had a modest audience of hundreds. Today the event is one of the nation’s largest spectaculars with an annual attendance of over half a million.
Over the half century, many globally renowned artists have played DW and LP instruments at the festival, with this year being no exception. Announced acts include The Who (Zak Starkey), Stevie Nicks (Drew Hester), Death Cab for Cutie (Jason McGerr), Jimmy Buffett (Roger Guth), Elvis Costello (Peter Thomas), Trombone Shorty (Joey Peebles/Weedie Braimah), Galactic (Stanton Moore/Anjelika ‘Jelly’ Joseph), The Avett Brothers (Mike Marsh), Chris Isaak (Raphael Padilla), Antonio Sánchez, Boz Scaggs (Branlie Mejias), Erykah Badu (Frank Moka) and many others!!
Founded in 1972 and celebrating 50th Anniversary as the Drummer’s Choice, DW is world renowned for its award-winning custom drums, pedals, hardware, and accessories. The company’s industry-standard products are widely regarded for studio-friendly sound, build quality and road-proven performance.
Since the 1960s LP has grown to be the best-selling percussion instrument brand available today. The world’s top professionals choose Latin Percussion instruments for their authenticity and innovation.
“The rich heritages of DW, LP and the Jazz Fest fit together perfectly,” said Juels Thomas (Education & Events Manager for DW Brands). “We’re proud to help support both the wealth of musical talent that the Fest showcases and the amazing crew behind the scenes.” FestivalExecutive Director Stage Production Reginald Toussaint commented, “We would like to welcome DW Drums to The New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival and we look forward to a long-lasting relationship.“
