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The British Drum Co. Welcomes Russ Piner

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The British Drum Co. Welcomes Russ Piner

In what has already been a whirlwind year, the British Drum Co. are pleased to announce the latest addition to their artist family, Russell Piner, who joins as an independent marching artist.

Piner is a serving member in the Corps of Drums of Her Majesty’s Royal Marines. His extensive career has afforded him many opportunities to excel as a composer and as a drummer; writing multiple compositions and gaining his diploma in Snare Drum & Natural Trumpet in 2012. In 2017 Piner became Bugle Major Training at the Royal Marines School of Music and is responsible for the development of all Royal Marines drummers and buglers.

He has had the privilege of performing with some of the world’s best drum lines, including Top Secret Drum Corps, West Point ‘Hellcats’ Field Music Group and The Old Guard Fife and Drum Corps. In 2016 Piner became a member of the United States National Association of Rudimental Drummers (NARD), and in 2018 he was appointed to the education committee for the Society of International Rudimental Drummers (SIRD). Piner is also the lead organiser for the 3rd International Rudimental Drummers’ Symposium taking place in Portsmouth, UK between the 18th and 20th June 2021.

The British Drum Company, which launched in September 2015, was founded by master drum maker Keith Keough; Kasabian drummer Ian Matthews; top-level marching specialist Stu Warmington; product designer Alan Kitching; and award winning comedian and drum enthusiast Al Murray, aka The Pub Landlord. The ranks expanded when in 2017 The Verve & Charlatans drummer, Pete Salisbury, joined the company.

Commenting on Piner’s appointment, Marching Division Manager Warmington said, “Having Russ come onboard brings a whole new style of drumming to our ever-growing family of marching artists. Russ plays in, arguably, the best military drum corps in the world and it’s a privilege that he’s chosen to join the British Drum Co. Russ will be using a variety of drums from our highly successfully Regimental Series.

For more information please contact marching@britishdrumco.com or

visit www.britishdrumco.com

Aston Element – Final Voting Session now LIVE

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Aston Element – Final Voting Session now LIVE

Aston Microphones have announced their 3rd and final public test session for the all new Aston Element, the world’s first ‘People’s Microphone’.

As Aston enters the 3rd month of public voting to help create the final sound of their new mic, they are teasing us with yet more information in this stunning new product. Rumours have been circulating about accessories and we’re now able to give you a first look at the entire package.

Like all Aston mics, Element incorporates a huge amount of innovation. Everything from new capsule technology, the chassis design, the uber-cool magnetic pop filter and custom shock mount, and even the backlit-LED logo 48V phantom power indicator (or as Aston likes to call it, ‘the cool light!’) go way beyond the limits of products in this class.

Over 4000 customers from across the world have helped, so far, to define the sound of Element in peer-reviewed blind listening tests against the biggest brands in the business. During the course of this 3-month public testing series, Aston have developed the sound of the mic using data collected from these comparison tests, which have included major brand competitors such as Blue, Rode, AKG, Audio Technica and Neumann.

To take part in the 3rd and final round of public voting, register here: https://www.astonmics.com/votingform.aspx

James Young, Aston CEO, comments “We chose to put Element up against the mics we consider to be the best in their class, so we could push the boundaries of performance. All these brands make superb products, but our goal was to make a mic which is able, in blind tests, to be consistently voted as the favourite. Of course, this doesn’t mean it’s the ‘best’ because mic choice is very subjective. However, what it does mean is that, in these public tests,  the majority of people prefer the sound they get from Element compared with big brand competitors… and that means that at the very least, you can be absolutely confident that you’ll get superb results every time.”

Have Your Voice Heard

 Session 3, the final round of public voting for Element, is now open. Aston still need your help to perfect the sound of what they are dubbing ‘The world’s first People’s Microphone’. To get involved in blind listening tests and have your say in the final sound of this stunning new mic, all you need to do is register to vote at https://www.astonmics.com/votingform.aspx, download the audio files, listen and then rank them in order of preference.

As well as playing a vital part in helping Aston to create the Aston Element, registered voters will also be given Aston Family Developer status, receive a certificate of participation, stickers, badges and the opportunity to pre-order a limited edition Aston Family Developer mic bundled with shock mount and pop shield at special introductory price.

About Aston Microphones

 Aston Microphones has become a major player in the global microphone market in the 4 years since our launch in January of 2016. Our products were nominated 3 times in 4 years for a prestigious TEC Award winning Best in Show for ‘Starlight’ at NAMM 2016, and winning Best Microphone at the recent NAMM 2020 TEC Awards… a string of successes never before accomplished by ANY Pro Audio company in their first 4 years.

 

John Bonham Drumstick Bag now available

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John Bonham Drumstick Bag now available

Now you’ve got Bonzo’s sticks, you need somewhere to store them!

Promuco Percussion are pleased to announce the release of the officially licensed John Bonham drumstick bag.

The compact stick holder is designed to hold 8 pairs of sticks in 2 primary internal compartments.  It is made from woven nylon and is complete with grab handles, a shoulder strap and metal clasps for attaching to drum hardware.

Outside, the Promuco John Bonham Drumstick bag is adorned with the John Bonham name and the famous three ring symbol plus has embossed union flag zip-pulls.

This drumstick bag is the latest addition to the Promuco brand, which – on top of a range of quality regular sticks – has already re-issued the Bonham drumsticks: replicas of Bonzo’s original signature Promuco sticks from the 1970s.

With the Promuco brand now available across Europe, North America and Asia, drummers can get their hands on the sticks, the stick bag and even official Bonham T-Shirts through many retailers across the world.

Promuco John Bonham drumstick bags will have a recommended retail price in the UK of £15.95.

For more information, visit www.promuco-percussion.com

Alesis Introduce Crimson II Special Edition Drums

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Alesis Introduce Crimson II Special Edition Drums

Alesis have announced a new nine-piece premium electronic drum kit featuring all-new white drum heads and the powerful Crimson II Drum Module, packed with in-demand sound and complete kit customisation options.

The Alesis Crimson II Special Edition features mesh heads, enabling quieter play in home or in the studio and natural feel. It features an 8-inch kick, 12-inch dual-zone snare, two 8-inch dual-zone rack toms and a 10-inch dual-zone floor tom, along with a 12-inch hi-hat with pedal, two 12-inch crashes with choke and 14-inch triple-zone ride. A premium quick-lock steel 4-post rack with separate double-braced snare stand keeps everything solidly anchored.

The included Crimson II Drum Module features 74 drum kits (54 factory + 20 user) with over 671 sounds and 120 play-along tracks built-in. To further sharpen your skills, there’s a built-in metronome, real time recorder and 1/8-inch input for playing along with your mobile device. Drummers can then listen back with the 1/4-inch stereo outputs, headphones or with your favourite virtual instrument via the built-in USB MIDI output.

The Drum Module also features a USB memory stick input to load your own WAV samples for the ultimate flexibility. Once the .WAV samples are loaded, you can assign these to any zone of any pad on the Crimson II Special Edition Kit. You can also load in WAV files for play-along tracks using this input.

Features 

  • White mesh drum heads for enhanced feel and playing response
  • Five-piece pad set with 8/8/10” dual-zone toms, 12” dual-zone snare, and 8” Kick
  • Four-piece cymbal set with 12” hi-hat, (2)12” crashes with choke and 14” triple-zone ride
  • Crimson II drum module with 74 kits (54 factory + 20 user) and 671 sounds
  • Load .WAV or .MP3 samples and play-along tracks via USB memory stick
  • Real-time recording (5 tracks internally; up to 99 tracks via USB memory stick)
  • USB/MIDI output for use with virtual instrument and recording software
  • Premium 4-post quick-lock steel rack with double-braced snare stand
  • All connection cables, mounting hardware and power supply included

www.inmusicbrands.com

Pearl Modern Utility Floor Snare – Drummer’s Review

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Pearl Modern Utility Floor Snare – Drummer’s Review

Here’s our review of a Pearl Modern Utility 14″ x 10″ Floor Snare, featuring…

  • 6-ply, 5.4mm maple shell,
  • Satin mahogany finish,
  • 1.6mm hoops,
  • REMO UT heads (coated batter, thin clear resonant side),
  • Pearl CL Bridge lugs with rubber backing,
  • Pearl SR700 snare strainer.

Pearl says…“Shallow floor tom or a monstrously deep snare? Why choose? With our Limited Edition Modern Utility 14”x10” snare floor you can have both. Pearl Modern Utility 14”x10” duo snare doubles as a floor tom, saves you some space and add an extra touch to your sound. Equipped with a throw off that easily turn it into a Floor Tom and back. 100% Maple shell.”

Find out our thoughts in the video above!!

RRP: £250.00-£280.00 (approx.)

www.pearldrum.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:

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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!

Progressive Snare Solos eBook

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Progressive Snare Solos eBook

UK-based drummer and educator (and Drummer’s Review’s very own product demonstrator) Nick Carter has just launched his brand-new eBook ‘Progressive Snare Solos’ available exclusively from his website: www.nickcarterdrums.com priced at £10.00.

The 75-page book features a collection of 25 solo pieces written specifically for beginner through to advanced players in a range of time signatures and different styles. Alongside this, the book contains further sections that take an in-depth look at rudiments and sticking patterns as well as comprehensive warm-up exercises and a host of hand development exercises to help drummers of any ability to gain more control, strength, stamina and finesse within their technique.

To celebrate the books release, Nick is offering followers and fans of Drummer’s Review a very special 25% discount. To take advantage of the offer, simply head to www.nickcarterdrums.com/store, select ‘Progressive Snare Solos’ and enter the code ‘DR2020‘ when prompted at the checkout.

For full details of this and the rest of the titles in Nick’s eBook range, head to: www.nickcarterdrums.com/store

Aston Microphones Announce Limited Edition Spirit Black Bundle

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Aston Microphones Announce Limited Edition Spirit Black Bundle

Following the clamour to own one of the 2000 limited-run Black Origin studio production bundles released by Aston Microphones in January 2020, which sold out in less than a week, a large number of the British brand’s followers have been making a lot of noise about giving the same treatment to their flagship condenser mic, the Aston Spirit.

Not to disappoint, Aston have announced the Black Spirit Bundle, another strictly limited edition release of only 1500 individually numbered pieces. The box-set is centred on the multi-pattern, high performance Spirit mic which is a go-to with artists including Noel Gallagher, Radiohead, Tory Lanez, Don Broco, Jamie Cullum, Bullet For My Valentine and many other major artists, producers and engineers.

The bundle includes a highly collectable, black textured version of the Spirit, plus the best-in-class Aston Swiftshield pop filter and shock mount set – everything you need for high-class recordings of vocals, instruments and most other sound sources.

The Aston Spirit Black Bundle, like the Black Origin before it, is expected to become scarce very quickly, so snap yours up now before they’re all gone:

https://www.astonmics.com/EN/product/Mics/SpiritBlackBundle

Aston Spirit

The Aston Spirit is a multiple award-winning high-performance switchable pattern condenser microphone utilising a 1” gold evaporated capsule. A switch on the mic body selects from Omni, Cardioid or Figure-of-Eight polar patterns. It is versatile enough to use with most instruments and excels on acoustic guitar and vocals. Its Aston 33 panel selected capsule is teamed with high-end transformer balanced circuitry using only the best components.

Nominated for the prestigious NAMM TEC Award in 2016, and holding a host of other international awards, it is universally acclaimed as one of the best condenser mics you can own at any price point, even up against mics 10 times its cost

The Spirit is designed to deliver a beautifully open sound with sparkling harmonics. This highly accurate microphone gives a stunningly natural and transparent recording, capturing all the detail in the high range but without adding the harshness that some condenser microphones seem to.

The mic features Aston’s signature Wave-Form Mesh head, a built in ‘stainless steel wool’ pop filter, direct to stand mounting and the, now famous, tumbled stainless steel chassis, for beautiful and near indestructible performance.

  • Professional, transformer based cardioid condenser mic
  • Detailed, transparent, beautifully open sound with sparkling highs
  • Selectable polar patterns; cardioid, omni, figure of eight
  • Shock-resistant wave-form spring head
  • Direct to stand mounting
  • Built-in pop filter
  • Beautiful and tough tumbled chassis

Eco-Friendly Packaging

When it comes to Aston’s packaging, simplicity is king. They have created protective, re-useable, environmentally sensible packaging that doesn’t cost the earth… 99% recycled materials, 100% recyclable.

The Aston Sound – Aston 33 Panel

Right from the birth of the brand, Aston engaged many of the top audio professionals in the industry to create a development panel for blind testing each new mic at prototype stage, ensuring each was best in its class before production. It is this process, unique within the audio industry, which has been rolled out to the public with Aston’s most recent mic in development ‘Project Element’, the world’s first ‘People’s Microphone’… and it is undoubtably this development of sound by professional peer review process which makes Aston mics world leaders in performance to price.

Specs

  • Transducer Type: Condenser
  • Acoustic Operating Principle: Pressure Gradient
  • Frequency Response: 20Hz – 20kHz (+/-3dB)
  • Equivalent Noise Level: 14dB A-Weighted
  • Sensitivity at 1kHz into 1kohm: 23.7mV/Pa
  • Maximum SPL for THD 0.5%: 138dB
  • Signal-to-Noise Ratio (rel. 94dB SPL): 80dB A-Weighted
  • Polar pattern: Omni/Cardioid/Figure-of-Eight
  • Pad Switches: -20dB/-10dB/0dB
  • Low-Cut Filter: 80Hz
  • Product length: 175 mm / 6.89 in
  • Product width: 54 mm / 2.13 in
  • Product weight: 625 g / 1.38 lb

Aston SwiftShield

 SwiftShield combines the Aston Swift shock mount and the Aston Shield pop filter into one bundle to give you the perfect setup for your studio vocal mic. The Aston Swift shock mount takes microphone mounting to the next level of ease. With 2 quick release spring clips designed to fit the Origin, and a wide range of other mics, from 40-60mm diameter, mounting your microphone takes seconds.

Aston have reconceived the shock system, and as with all their products, worked from the ground up on an entirely new design idea. The ‘ShockStar’ suspension eliminates the need for fiddly rubber bands, but offers a high level of elasticity for maximum isolation.

Growth Rings: A Short Film Narrated by Neil Peart

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Growth Rings: A Short Film Narrated by Neil Peart

In 2015, when Drum Workshop Inc. (DW) began working with Edge Factor to create the Masters of Resonance documentary, Neil Peart was rehearsing for Rush’s final R40 tour in the on-site Drum Channel studio. A chance introduction between the film’s writer/producer, a fellow Canadian, Jeremy Bout and Peart resulted in a short film Growth Rings. Written and narrated by the revered drummer and wordsmith, it chronicles the importance of music in marking key life moments, and historic milestones.

Since its quiet release on the 12th June 2020, this vivid and thoughtful reflection on the importance music has struck a chord with many people and is fast becoming a viral internet sensation. Its prescient and measured tones resonate in a world that is full of uncertainty and challenges and as Peart reminds everyone music is  ‘the weather of its time’ embodying ‘the moods and movements that gave it context’, just like the growth rings of a tree. Peart continues ‘communal music has the power to bring people together, to inspire and reinforce their shared beliefs’.

Global Vice President of Marketing, Scott Donnell, comments, “This project was a labor of love. It’s an inspiring message that means so much to so many in these turbulent times. Neil was truly the Word Whisperer.”

The Professor, known for his meticulous and intricate drum work, was also Rush’s primary lyricist and conceptual brainchild, adept at weaving his philosophic thoughts into many of the band’s catalog of critically acclaimed songs. The perceptive words of this short film will, like many of his song lyrics, become ‘milestones and eras of our lives’ and ‘resonate with us during these times’.

Peart passed away in January 2020, after a lengthy battle with cancer, sending shockwaves through the music world and drumming community. Considered one of the best rock drummers in history, his legacy  continues to echo through people’s lives because as he concludes in the film, ‘when you find that singular focus, the thing you were created to do, your art will take root’.

Aston Element Heads Towards Worldwide First

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Aston Element Heads Towards Worldwide First

Last month DR published news of a worldwide first, with Aston Mics planning to design and produce a mic that would be wholly sound crafted by the public.

Only 4 years old, this British business has already been nominated for 3 NAMM TEC Awards, won Best in Show, and won their first TEC this January… “No other Pro-Audio company in the world, in any niche, has ever achieved this, and we’re up against some very big hitters” states Aston.

With production for the Aston Element commencing on July 15th, having launched a campaign to create the first ever microphone, through a global public process, contributors will see the final outcome of their vision and direct participation, by public vote in blind listening contributions online, become a reality.

In what appears to be a first, Aston have empowered the public to have a say in how their recordings sound, by giving thousands of home studio recording enthusiasts the chance to get involved in a global music project from home while under CV1-9 lock-down.

This UK manufacturer, was keen to add its great British Bulldog attitude to keep calm and carry on, coping with manufacturing and export under lock-down, with business more than tripled since March, which is a reflection of how many people are engaging in home recording as something to occupy their minds right now.

Aston work directly with more than 600 of the biggest names in music…  Stevie Wonder, Ariana Grande, Coldplay, Don Broco, Nothing but Thieves, The Royal Shakespeare Company, IDLES, Noel Gallagher, Kylie… to mention a few.

The project runs until July 15th, at which point Aston will be moving to the production phase.

www.astonmics.com

Zultan Cymbals Celebrates 20th Anniversary

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Zultan Cymbals Celebrates 20th Anniversary

Zultan – The Cymbal Brand celebrates their 20th anniversary this year and launches a special limited edition cymbal set. This Anniversary Set consists of a 15” hi-hat, 17” and 19” crashes and 22” ride which are 100 % handmade B20 cymbals manufactured in Istanbul, Turkey.

Zultan state this anniversary set of cymbals “respond excellently in all dynamic ranges and offer a delicate, nuanced tone while keeping the harsh overtones to a minimum.” “With a more earthy tone, medium dry decay and articulated response, the Anniversary Set is perfect for jazz, funk and ”grungy” rock styles.” *Drummer’s Review are taking a look at this latest offering from Zultan in the next few weeks, so stay tuned*

Zultan continue, “The manufacturing technique of these cymbals work the metal harder. At the same time, it’s crucial to keep the natural appearance which means careful management of every step of the manufacturing process.” “The captivating range of rich, dark and detailed sound as well as the peculiar dark look of the set has been obtained by skipping the lathing process and by using a larger and more pointy hammer.”

Zultan was launched at the dawn of the third millennium. Introducing any new product is an exciting event. But they decided to present these cymbals at the Musikmesse trade show in Frankfurt without a brand or product name. Naked, you might say. They wanted to keep their origin and maker a secret, ensuring that nothing would prejudice the drummers who gave their opinions on sound and quality. Thankfully, the response was positive across the board Zultan concluded. “Even disregarding their price point, these cymbals had held their own in terms of finishing, quality and sound when compared to cymbals by renowned makers,” claim Zultan. That was the first chapter of the Zultan story, written before these cymbals even had a brand name.

The first series was christened the Rock Beat series. As is typical for a debut release, the range was limited in terms of the breadth of its appeal. Consequently, the new cymbals weren’t able to satisfy all tastes. Louder cymbals such as the Q and F5 were added to the portfolio, named after nature’s fiercest storms. Over time, they extended their Rock Beat and CS series, incidentally one of the world’s only cymbals made using B25 bronze. Next came the Aja series, produced in East Asia. Its name was a nod to the Steely Dan album that marked the breakthrough of Steve Gadd.

All other series are manufactured in Turkey. There the know-how and expertise of local artisans and their experience with traditional manufacturing enables Zultan to offer an enticingly diverse range of products, delivering aesthetic and sonic variety thanks to a multitude of different processing techniques and tools.

When planning the market debut and distribution strategy for their cymbals, they chose to forge their own, less worn path. When they decided 20 years ago to offer our cymbals only online, many thought the internet was a poor sales medium for cymbals. It was no surprise that many drummers were sceptical. But that spurred us on towards an approach that was radically new at the time: make cymbals audible on the internet.

Zultan was the first brand in Germany (and probably worldwide) to offer audio files of its cymbals as part of the product description content. This was before YouTube even existed. From that point on, they have continually extended their cymbal range. Currently this encompasses 12 different cymbal series as well as attractive accessories, with each and every product displaying consistently high level of product quality despite the exceedingly attractive pricing.

Official website: www.zultancymbals.com 

Facebook: www.facebook.com/ZultanCymbals

Instagram: www.instagram.com/zultancymbals 

YouTube channel 

 

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