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‘Gretsch Heritage’ Live Stream Show, Now On Drum Network

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Gretsch Drums is launching a brand new live stream show called ‘Gretsch Heritage’, bringing to life the brand’s rich history. Every other Wednesday, each episode will feature special guests who continue to play important roles in the ongoing story of Gretsch Drums today.

The first episode of the new show, hosted by Lucas Von Gretsch, a 5th generation Gretsch family member, is called ‘Alone on a Steamship 1872-1895’.  It looks at the early history of the brand, focusing on the company’s founder Friedrich Gretsch. Later episodes chronicle the legendary drum company’s history and reveal the challenges and successes of his ancestors.

Mark Schulman – Photo credit David Phillips

Special guest in the first episode is long time Gretsch drums endorser, Mark Schulman who has toured, recorded and performed with some of the biggest names in the history of pop music including P!NK, Billy Idol, Cher, Foreigner, Velvet Revolver, Sheryl Crow, Stevie Nicks, Tina Turner, Amy Grant and many more. Mark is a prolific session drummer, a music producer, audio engineer and co-owner of West Triad Studios, a recording venue located in Venice, California. Mark joins Lucas for a live discussion about his career, influences and history with Gretsch. A further guest spot features one of the skilled artisans at the Gretsch factory talking about their area of expertise and answering any audience questions.

Commenting on the show Lucas Von Gretsch said: ‘I’m looking forward to hosting the Gretsch Heritage show. It’s going to be a comprehensive behind-the-scenes look at the family, history, artists and artisans behind That Great Gretsch Sound!”

Starting Wednesday 14th October 2020, at 10.00am PST, the Gretsch Heritage show also offers the opportunity to win prizes in the Trivia question on the day.  Check out the show information on Drum Network, the source for all Gretsch live streaming shows and online programming. For the complete, up-to-date Drum Network show listing visit www.dwdrums.com/drumnetwork. To find out more about the Gretsch drums please go to www.gretschdrums.com/.

GEWA Drum Workstation G9 online Deep Dive with G9 artist Ben Barter on Zoom

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The GEWA G9 team have prepared something special for all of those who haven’t been able to attend the amazing GEWA G9 workshops at the NAMM show 2020.

Ben Barter, one of the major players in the game of electronic drumming has prepared a new performance to showcase all the amazing features of the G9. And no matter where you are located at in the world you can easily be part of this using ZOOM!

Ben will give you an exclusive insight into his drum-setup, how he uses electronic drums and participants of the webinar will have the chance to ask all questions about the G9 and electronic drumming in general. The webinar in English is completely free and the number of attendees is limited to 100.

We’ve got a date! 22 October // 8-9 pm CET

Individual registration is required: https://gewamusic.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_N8slLVMJTIyP1VmIurU-UQ

Practice Pad Comparison – Drummer’s Review

The Drummer’s Review team take a look at and compare a selection of practice pads from various manufacturers, featuring the P4 and Quiet Pad from Drumeo; a Button Pad and Knee Pad from Bill Sanders; an ALLN1 by Russ Miller and 6” VRT Combo Pad from ProLogix Percussion; an Evans RealFeel Pad and a ToneAlly Design 5 Deluxe practice system.

Drumeo P4

drumeo_P4_practice_pad
Drumeo P4

Features…

  • Multi-zone pad designed in conjunction with renowned educator Pat Petrillo,
  • 12″ diameter,
  • Weighs: 3.1lbs,
  • four separate coloured rubber pads to represent different areas of the drum kit,
  • main blue area is traditional standard gum rubber to replicate the feel of a snare drum,
  • harder neoprene black pad to give the feel of higher tensioned toms,
  • softer, quieter grey section ideal for strength building and resembling a looser-tuned floor tom,
  • extra hard red surface to mimic the response of cymbals.

RRP: £79.99

www.drumeo.com

Drumeo Quiet Pad

drumeo_quiet_pad
Drumeo Quiet Pad

Features…

  • Double sided 12” pad,
  • full side of fairly hard blue gum rubber,
  • softer, quieter black pad on the reverse,
  • black side is (roughly) 8db-10db quieter than the blue side,
  • black side also features a heavier response to help build strength and stamina.

RRP: $35.00 (plus shipping)

www.drumeo.com

Bill Sanders Button Pad

bill_sanders_button_pad
Bill Sanders Button Pad

Features…

  • 4″ pad,
  • 3mm thick ‘Lifetime’ black rubber playing surface,
  • 10 year guarantee,
  • non-slip rubber base,
  • 4mm solid steel weight beneath the rubber.

RRP: £26.99

www.practicedrumkits.co.uk

Bill Sanders Knee Pod & 7″ Mini Pad

bill_sanders_knee_pad
Bill Sanders Knee Pod

Features…

  • 7″ standalone pad,
  • Knee pod docking station,
  • 3mm thick ‘Lifetime’ black rubber playing surface,
  • 10 year guarantee,
  • non-slip rubber base.

RRP: £54.99

www.practicedrumkits.co.uk

Prologix ALLN1

prologix_ALLN1_practice_pad
Prologix ALLN1 Practice Pad

Features…

  • Designed in collaboration with Russ Miller,
  • 14.25” diameter (with a 13″ playing surface),
  • weight: 5lbs,
  • 0.5” deep, non-marking Poly Tech rim,
  • multiple playing surfaces,
  • green light resistance rubber blend to give a very natural rebound,
  • grey, fabric covered, rubber open cell insert that increases resistance,
  • white, thin, textured surface that is designed for practicing brush technique,
  • non-slip rubber base (which also works as a separate 12″ pad).

RRP: £105.00

www.prologixpercussion.com

Prologix VRT Combo Pads

prologix_vrt_combo_pads
Prologix VRT Combo Pads

Features…

Pad 1:

  • 6″ diameter,
  • dual-surface pad,
  • light resistance, 0.188” gauge, green rubber playing surface,
  • thick layer of blackout 0.750” gauge open cell rubber with a fabric top on reverse.

Pad 2:

  • 6″ diameter,
  • dual surface pad,
  • medium resistance, red 0.188” gauge all-natural rubber playing surface,
  • black 0.187” open cell rubber on reverse.

RRP: £29.99

www.prologixpercussion.com

Evans RealFeel Pad

evans_realfeel_pad
Evans RealFeel Pad

Features…

  • 12″ single-sided pad,
  • 11″ playing surface,
  • 5mm thick gum rubber playing surface covered in grey fabric cover,
  • rubber non-slip base.

RRP: £35.99

www.daddario.com

ToneAlly Deluxe 5 Practice System

toneally_deluxe_5_practice_system
ToneAlly Deluxe 5 Practice System

Features…

  • six upright posts which create alleys in which the sticks travel designed to help drummers build muscle memory,
  • works with German, French, American grips,
  • both matched and traditional,
  • soft, thin rubber playing surface,
  • height-adjustable ‘wiggle bars’ to help focus on ghost note playing,
  • removable rubber pad enabling you to place on a snare drum and play directly onto the head.

RRP: £124.99

www.toneally.co.uk

Check out how each of the practice pads sound in the video above! 

For more completely impartial, HD video reviews, please subscribe to our Drummer’s Review 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:

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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!

Zultan Announce The “Impulz Cymbal Set”

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Zultan is proud to announce the launch of Impulz, a great-sounding and versatile new cymbal set painstakingly designed to deliver outstanding response, clear tones and rich harmonics at a price point affordable for all. Zultan’s latest set covers a huge range of musical styles, from rock and metal to pop and beyond, and consists of a 14” hi-hat, a 16” crash and a 20” ride. The entire series is crafted from 100% hand-casted B20 bronze (20% tin and 80% copper).

Made in Turkey by experienced craftsmen to exacting quality standards, Impulz is suited not only to beginners but also offers the dynamic response and nuanced sound prized by professionals. Zultan is one of very few cymbal manufacturers worldwide able to offer a complete, high-quality cymbal set at a price as affordable as the new Impulz Set. With its big, bright yet sophisticated sound, Impulz is a new reference point for quality cymbals available for players on a modest budget.

www.zultancymbals.com

 

Will Calhoun Joins Gretsch Drums Artist Family

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Gretsch Drums is delighted to announce that Grammy Award winning drummer, Will Calhoun, is now an official endorser.

Best known as the drummer of the alternative rock band, Living Colour, Calhoun’s extraordinary creative vision and drumming talents have seen him contribute to many and varied music genres including jazz, rock, hip-hop, ambient and much more. At the same time he is prolific songwriter, producer, has scored several films and has performed and recorded with a diverse array of notable artists such as B.B King, Mick Jagger, Paul Simon, Lou Reed, Carly Simon, Herb Alpert, Ronnie Wood, Wayne Shorter, Run-DMC and Public Enemy. Calhoun has released six solo albums including his latest, celebrating the great Elvin Jones. He is also currently working on a new Living Colour record.

Calhoun recently took delivery of his Gretsch USA Custom Kit in a Custom Grain Yellow Gloss. His preferred sizes are 16”x 22” and 16”x 20” bass drums, 8”x 8”, 9”x 10”, 10”x 12” and 11”x 13” toms, 14”x 16” and 16”x 18” floor toms with a 6.5” x 14” Bell Brass and 6”x 13” Chrome over Brass snares. Check out Will unboxing his new kit here.

Will adds “It’s an honor and a pleasure to join the Gretsch drum Family and its legacy of great drummers including Art Blakey, Roy Haynes, Max Roach, Elvin Jones, Tony Williams, Charlie Watts, Mitch Mitchell, Vinny Colaiuta and Bronx legend and architect of Hip Hop Erroll “Pumpkin” Bedward. I’m looking forward to exploring and expanding many musical frontiers in my partnership with Gretsch, starting with my Gretsch USA custom drum set!”

For more than sixty five years, the Gretsch USA Custom, round badge drums have underpinned ‘That Great Gretsch Sound’. Their legendary 6-ply Gretsch-formula maple / gum shells combined with 30-degree bearing edge, special ‘Silver-Sealer’ interior finish and rugged die cast hoops, allows the drums to resonate and absorb sound frequencies to produce their distinctive sound. New for 2020 is the Heritage Build which authentically recaptures the classic look and vibe of Big Band and Jazz era of Gretsch.

For more information about the USA Custom, other Gretsch drums and Gretsch artists please visit gretschdrums.com/

KAT Percussion Introduces malletKAT 8.5 with Groundbreaking gigKAT 2 Controller

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There’s a saying that you can’t teach an old dog new tricks, but KAT Percussion is proving that saying wrong. While not necessarily old, the malletKAT 8.0 has been using a controller process that has been around for a very long time; hooking into a laptop in order to control the malletKAT, and to adjust, program and store sounds, patches and settings. Today, KAT Percussion is excited to announce that you can now ditch that bulky laptop. The new malletKAT 8.5 comes with the brand new gigKAT 2 controller module. The gigKAT 2 does everthing for you. There has never been a module like this before. The gigKAT2 has 256 voices of polyphony and can play simultaneously on all 16 MIDI Channels. Just call up the User Kit on the malletKAT and enjoy. Included in the sound set are many vibes, marimbas, timpani, steel pan, chimes, bells, xylophone, crotales and orchestral and Latin hand percussion and drum sets. KAT Percussion has also taken the time to update the playing surface to NuBAR™ pads which provide better response and feel. The NuBAR pads are also UV resistant, making the malletKAT 8.5 an optimal choice for outdoor performance use.

This is in addition to the 127 Factory Setups designed to work with General MIDI sound Modules and 127 programmable User Setups that include features like Splitting, Layering, Poly/Mono Modes and more that come standard with every malletKAT model. All models also incorporate FSR technology, delivering superb feel and response. The MalletKAT is an incredibly expressive and powerful alternative to traditional marimba and vibraphone instruments.

“We market the malletKAT as The World’s Most Powerful MIDI Percussion Controller,” says Dave Cywinski, Sales Manager for drums and percussion at Hal Leonard. “And with the addition of the gigKAT 2 it makes the malletKAT the undisputed leader and innovator in this category!”

“I am so excited about how the gigKAT 2 fundamentally changes the setup, and the scope, of the malletKAT,” says Mario DeCiutiis. “And everyone will be blown away by the sounds this module produces. It’s absolutely stunning! I’d also like to point out that existing malletKAT users will not be left out in the cold. Anyone with a malletKAT 4.0 or newer can upgrade to the new gigKAT 2 module with the purchase and installation of a moderately priced new chip.”

There are 3 models in the MalletKAT 8.5 line. The MalletKAT Express offers a compact and lightweight 2-octave design which can be expanded to 4 octaves. The MalletKAT Pro offers a 3-octave design and can be expanded to 4 or 5 octaves. And the MalletKAT Grand offers a standard lightweight 4-octave design which can be expanded to 5 octaves.

katpercussion.com

Code Introduce the Signal Head

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Code Drumheads have introduced the Signal range of heads to their already extensive catalogue.

The Signal represents one of Code’s most hard-wearing heads to date. Its construction is a single 14 mils PET film ply, held in place with Code’s unique Grip-Tight ™ rim technology. The combination of the rim design and thicker single ply gives the heads a stunning mixture of depth, projection and attack. Ideal for both snare and tom batters with a kick drum version featuring an internal deadening ring to help calm any unwanted overtones. A great all-round head that will take the strain of the heavy hitters out there, yet be sensitive enough for gentle snare drum brush work when required.

Available in both Coated and Smooth White options and in sizes 6” through to 24”. The 13”, 14” snare drums and 22” bass drum coated heads are available now from Active Music, with the full range available over the winter.

www.codedrumheads.co.uk

 

Yamaha Absolute Hybrid Maple Shell Pack – Drummer’s Review

Here’s our review of a set of a Yamaha Absolute Hybrid Maple shell pack, featuring…

  • 20″ x 16″ bass drum,
  • 12″ x 8″ rack tom,
  • 14″ x 13″ floor tom,
  • 16″ x 15″ floor tom,
  • 14″ x 6″ matching snare drum,
  • Vintage Natural finish (outside & inside),
  • 7-ply hybrid maple shells – 1-ply Wenge sandwiched between three inner and outer ply of maple (8mm bass drum, 6.2mm toms & snare),
  • Hook lugs,
  • YESS III rack tom mount,
  • Remo heads fitted throughout.

Yamaha says…“Tonal requirements vary among drummers, differ with dynamics, and change, from band to band, song to song, moment to moment. With the Absolute Hybrid Series drums, Yamaha has succeeded in addressing this, with a drum set that possesses an extraordinary degree of expressive power, allowing drummers to pursue a level of expression that perhaps they’ve not experience before in their other drums. These drums offer a wide dynamic range that allows them to respond accurately to each and every stroke, and follow changes in dynamics, nuance, and touch, letting you play what you want to play.”

Find out our thoughts in the video above!!!

RRP: (‘street’ prices available – search online for best deal)

Yamaha Absolute Hybrid Maple

20″ x 16″ Bass Drum: £1486.60

12″ x 8″ Rack Tom: £576.00

14″ x 13″ floor tom: £738.00

16″ x 15″ floor tom: £806.40

14″ x 6″ snare drum: £662.40

www.uk.yamaha.com

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:

Facebook: @DrummersReviewUK

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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!

Ludwig Black Beauty 8-Lug Snare Drum – Drummer’s Review

Here’s our review of a set of a Ludwig Black Beauty 8-lug snare drum, featuring…

  • 14″ x 5″ shell (14″ x 6.5″ also available),
  • 1.2mm seamless brass, black nickel plated shell,
  • 8 x Imperial lugs,
  • 2.3mm triple flanged hoops,
  • Ludwig P88 snare throw off,
  • 20-strand snare wire,
  • Ludwig Heavy Weather-Master batter / thin clear snare-side heads.

Ludwig Drums say…”The industry’s most revered snare drum takes on a new standard configuration! Introducing the new Black Beauty 8-lug. This drum is outfitted with standard Phonic series hardware: imperial lugs, 2.3mm triple-flanged hoops, P88 throw-off, and P35 butt-plate. This traditional lug configuration results in a drum with an elevated response that brings out a grittier tone with an enhanced presence in the sustain.”

Find out our thoughts in the video above!!!

RRP: 14″ x 5″ – £958.00, 14″ x 6.5″ – £1029.00

www.ludwig-drums.com

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:

Facebook: @DrummersReviewUK

Instagram: @drummersreview

Twitter: @drummersreview

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!

DW Launch Space Carbon Snare Drums

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Drum Workshop Inc. (DW) introduces the all-new Collector’s Series Space Carbon snares, an out of this world sonic alternative to wood and metal snares!

The versatile properties of carbon fiber have given the composite material a legendary reputation among notable drummers across several musical genres. Its impressive strength-to-weight ratio combined with a non-porous, glass-like reflection make it the perfect snare material to deliver brightness, articulation, volume, projection and dynamic range.  Its unique tonal properties offer a completely different sonic quality to that of metal or wood drums.

DW Drum Designer John Good comments, “These drums do something completely different from any of the wood species I’ve tried, or metal for that matter. We’ve even used concrete!  There have been so many different materials over the years, both organic and synthetic, but this one has a character all its own.  Big thanks to our good friend Jim Keltner for sending us in this direction, he’s Mr. Experimental! ”

Utilizing upcycled, high-grade carbon fiber from private sector space manufacturing, the stealthy snares are available in DW’s most popular (6.5×14”, 5.5×14”), as well as new Piπ (3.14×14”) sizes. Assembled by hand at the California Custom Shop, Space Carbon snares can be ordered in any available hardware color option; choose from chrome, satin chrome, nickel, black nickel and gold. Professional-grade features include MAG or Mini MAG Throw-Off™, 3P (3 Position) butt plate, True-Pitch 50™ tuning, True-Hoops™, True-Tone Snare Wires™, DW Heads™ by Remo® and more.

The otherworldly Space Carbon snares are extremely versatile and produce a truly heavenly sound. To find out more please go to dwdrums.com.