Drum anywhere with Aerodrums 'air kit'

First shown at the NAMM Show earlier this year, Aerodrums is a new kind of electronic drum kit that comprises... well, not much at all really.

Designed as a portable and quiet substitute for a drum it, the idea is that your drumming movements are read by a Sony Playstation 3 Eye camera (this has to be purchased separately) and translated into audible hits by your Mac or PC.

What's more, the system can now output MIDI, so you could use it to record drum parts into your DAW.

"I had to stop drumming when I went to college because of noise and lack of space. Now I can carry Aerodrums in my shoulder bag and my neighbours can't hear me drum when I wear headphones." said Richard Lee, co-inventor of Aerodrums.

The manufacturer says that Aerodrums provides "musical expressiveness on a par with acoustic or electronic drum sets," which is quite a claim. It's available now from Amazon priced at £100/$160/€120, and you can find out more on the Aerodrums website.

Ben Rogerson

I’m the Deputy Editor of MusicRadar, having worked on the site since its launch in 2007. I previously spent eight years working on our sister magazine, Computer Music. I’ve been playing the piano, gigging in bands and failing to finish tracks at home for more than 30 years, 24 of which I’ve also spent writing about music and the ever-changing technology used to make it.