DrumsAnywhere turns any surface into a drum kit

First we had the Aerodrums, which allow you to play the drums simply by swiping your hands through thin air, and now comes DrumsAnywhere, a new PC software-based system that can turn any surface into a drum kit.

Setting up is said to be simple: just connect a mic to your surface (a piezo model is recommended), mark out where you want each kit piece to go, and then tap a few times to indicate positions. Then, thanks to the DrumsAnywhere software, you should have a low-latency electronic drum kit ready to go.

The system is said to be velocity sensitive, and a variety of kits come supplied (acoustic, rock, jazz, epic, TR-808, classical, dubstep and Latin). There's a MIDI output, so you can use DrumsAnywhere with your DAW.

You can find out more on the DrumsAnywhere website, where you can also download a demo for Windows 7/8. Two versions are available to buy: DrumsAnywhere Lite comes with four drum pads and three sound libraries and costs $49.99; DrumsAnywhere Pro comes with eight drum pads and nine sound libraries (plus the option to use your own samples) and costs $89.99.

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.