What is it?

Following on from the release of the ’25 Series’ last year, which (as the name suggests) commemorated 25 years of cymbal production for Zultan, the all-new Alaris Series continues to expand an already vast array of traditionally manufactured cymbals for the German cymbal-smith.

Zultan now boasts a significant range of 16 different cymbal lines, catering for any style from rock to jazz and even orchestral. As one of Thomann’s in-house brands, each of the cymbal lines, which include Aeon, Dune, Heritage, Rock Beat, Z and several others (the majority of which have been reviewed here on MusicRadar), is exclusively available on the Thomann website.

Touted as Zultan’s high-end offering, the Alaris Series cymbals are Turkish-made and hand-cast from a B20 bronze alloy (20% tin and 80% copper). This is generally seen as the gold standard when it comes to professional-level cymbals, which puts them in good company alongside popular choices like the A and K ranges from Zildjian or Sabian’s AAX and HHX lines, plus the vast majority of other top-end cymbals from the likes of Paiste, Meinl and many others.

The complete Alaris range comprises 14”, 15” and 16” hi-hats, 20”, 21” and 22” rides (each also available in a light ride model), plus 16”, 17”, 18”, 19” and 20” crashes. A full price list can be found below, which is accurate at the time of writing. They are fractionally more expensive when compared to other Zultan cymbals, but still considerably more affordable when compared to the bigger brands.

In today’s market, we’d expect to pay around £400 for a ride cymbal from the aforementioned brands, whilst the rides in this set land between £228 and £254. On average, then, the Zultan’s are coming in at about 60% of the cost, which begs the question: how do they compare to the big dogs?

Performance

The Alaris cymbals feature a traditional finish with deep hand-lathing and hammering. The build quality is excellent and there are no noticeable blemishes or imperfections, which we’ve experienced with some Zultan cymbals in the past.

For review, we have been sent the 14” hi-hats, 16” crash, 18” crash and 20” ride. These make up the only pre-configured set currently available within the Alaris Series, which comes in at £615 including a Zultan-branded carry bag. This represents a saving of just under £200 when compared to the individual prices of each cymbal in the set – enough left over to allow for an additional crash, perhaps?

Overall, these cymbals have a fairly dark tonal quality and, despite a healthy decay, veer somewhat towards a dry and slightly earthy nature. That said, they possess a broad frequency response with higher-pitched overtones apparent in the stick response. This can be heard most clearly in the bells of the crashes, which are surprisingly cutting. Harder strikes open up these higher frequencies, which give the crashes an explosive nature, opening up quickly and resonating with complex overtones – giving them the ability to cut through a mix without being overbearing.

The ride bell is equally clear but lower-pitched and comes with an incredible amount of wash from the whole cymbal. Playing on the bow of the ride at lower volumes gives a delicate and sweet sound with a crisp stick definition, but any amount of power spreads across the cymbal, resulting in a loss of clarity and sound more akin to playing the edge.

This makes it well-suited as a crash-ride but not necessarily ideal as a main ride, depending on playing style. On a related note, the ride sounds just as good, if not even better, as a crash cymbal – exploding into life with a dark sound yet not overstaying its welcome and fading back into the mix relatively quickly.

The 14” hi-hats are actually quite cutting with a dry stick definition. They work well held tightly closed, but any loss of pressure underfoot causes a noticeable high-pitched sheen as the cymbals react together, which isn’t particularly pleasant. The hi-hats’ open sound is also surprisingly high-pitched and lacks the body possessed by the ride and crashes, which is somewhat underwhelming.

Due to the handmade nature of these cymbals, there is every chance that this isn’t the case with all of the Alaris hi-hats but is with these particular cymbals. We’d love to get our hands on the 15” and 16” models to see how they compare.

Verdict

With the exception then of the hi-hats, the Alaris set is well-balanced and they sit wonderfully with each other in terms of pitch.

Hands-on demos

Zultan

Alternatives

Specifications

Yamaha EAD50 review: What is it?

In late 2017 Yamaha unleashed the EAD10 (Electronic Acoustic Drum Module) to an unsuspecting public. The surprise announcement was made at a Yamaha Drums Show held in Paris to commemorate 50 years of drum production for the Japanese company.

As many drummers reading this will likely already be aware, this magical box of tricks is essentially a microphone interface and trigger module rolled into one neat package. The compact sensor unit mounts to the rim of your bass drum and captures a stereo image of the whole kit from a central position using two small internal mics, arranged in an X/Y configuration. This unit also cleverly doubles as a bass drum trigger, allowing pre-recorded or electronic drum sounds to be mixed seamlessly with the acoustic kit sound.

Now, nearly a decade later we’ve welcomed the EAD50, which centres around the same functionality, whilst offering a massive number of additional features. Most importantly, the upgraded module is able to run up to five separate mic channels, acting as a mixer or mic interface in its own right.

The sensor unit has had a complete overhaul too, which despite fulfilling the same function as the original, now also boasts higher quality mic sensors optimised for drums, plus improved triggering capabilities.

This is achieved by picking up vibration from the bass drum’s hoop rather than the drum head, as is the case with the EAD10 sensor.

The new DSU50 unit uses a 5-pin stereo XLR output and a separate jack connection for the trigger output, rather than the dual A/B jack setup of the EAD10. It’s also available to buy as a standalone product (currently $399/£350) which Yamaha says can be used as an extremely compact pair of overheads for augmenting and further enhancing your overall kit sound. The XLR output also means the unit can be used universally with any mixer or interface as a portable, all-in-one drum mic.

Other key features of the EAD50 include multi-track USB recording, wireless app control, additional trigger inputs, independent audio outputs and Bluetooth audio input. There’s also an SD card slot which can be used for playback or recording.

For the record, the EAD10 is still available alongside its new bigger brother and retails for around $599/£500, nearly a third of the current EAD50 price tag, which is around $1,599/£1,399.

Yamaha EAD50 review: Performance & verdict

I found the initial setup to be straightforward and it took me very little time to get up and running, particularly when compared to individually mic’ing a full kit. After mounting the sensor unit to my bass drum, I connected it to inputs 1 & 2 of the module via the included XLR splitter cable (and jack cable for the in-built bass drum trigger), then plugged in and powered on the module.

Also included in the box are two standard XLR cables which can either be used to connect the master left and right outputs to a PA system or to connect microphones to the additional XLR inputs. This is ideal for dedicated snare, toms or overheads. The only thing you’ll need that isn’t included is a stand for mounting the module as you would with an e-drum module. There are plenty of options out there for integrating a module within a kit setup and thankfully at least the mounting bracket is included with the EAD.

There are 70 in-built presets or ‘scenes’ on the EAD50 module which showcases its capabilities across a vast range of styles. Ranging from more straight ahead studio sounds to reverb soaked stadium kits, dub reggae style delays to hefty EDM powerhouses. These make for great fun straight out of the box, but also serve as inspiration for filling the 200 user slots with custom creations.

Six LED rotary dials called ‘modifiers’ allow convenient control of assignable parameters such as reverb, compression, delays, EQ, filters, pitch and much more (this is twice as many as the EAD10). There are quick access menu buttons for scene, mic/trigger, click, recorder, live set and main menu - these call up the relevant controls on the small LCD screen to the right of the module.

A decent amount of real estate has been given to the mixer controls which I found made life a lot easier than poking around complex menus when making quick adjustments. Each of the five mic inputs can also be edited in regard to volume, panning, EQ, compression and effects. Trigger inputs can also be controlled in the same way by simply pressing the trigger button to switch the focus of the LED faders. The module also features handy physical faders for aux-in, click, mic/trig, master output and headphones output.

The only real downside of using a stereo mic setup is that control is lost over mixing the individual elements of the kit, except of course by physically playing them louder or softer. This is because the kick, snare, hi-hats, toms and cymbals are picked up by the same inputs through the stereo microphones within the DSU50. Therefore, any adjustments in terms of effects and EQ will apply to the whole kit. Thankfully Yamaha has considered this and the use of XLR inputs for the DSU50 means it can be replaced by individual kick and snare mics should that be a concern.

I experimented with this while repurposing the DSU50 as an overhead and it gave me more control over a mix, although I did still encounter limitations with the toms. This is where running triggers on the kick, snare and toms brings that individual control.

There are so many options with ten trigger inputs (compared to six on the EAD10) that countless configurations are possible. There’s also plenty of room to run external pads which can be used not only for samples such as hand-claps and the like but even controlling playback. The EAD50 is capable of running 4-track audio directly from an SD card without needing to import to the module.

There’s no question that the EAD50 is an expensive bit of kit. However, when considering its sheer versatility in terms of application, it actually begins to represent incredible value for money. Indulge me if you will: it’s a mixer, trigger module, sample pad, multi-track playback unit, USB interface, looper and potential e-kit module (it even has hi-hat control through the foot switch inputs). This makes it an immensely powerful tool for recording, live use, rehearsing and practising, teaching, live streaming and more.

Yamaha EAD50 review: Hands-on demos

Yamaha

Cowboy Drummer

Guitar Center

Yamaha EAD50 review: Specification

• Sound engine: SWX100 with 512-note polyphony and 2GB of ROM
• Effects & modifiers: Studio-grade effects and 6 assignable modifier knobs for reverb, FX, triggers, and compression
• USB audio: High-speed interface supporting up to 8-in / 10-out, plus USB MIDI
• Wireless: Bluetooth audio (for streaming backing tracks) and Bluetooth MIDI (for wireless parameter control)
• App integration: Compatible with the Rec’n’Share and EAD Touch apps
• Outputs: 2 x XLR (balanced main outs), 2 x 1/4" (L/Mono, R), and 8 x 1/4" individual balanced outs
• Inputs: 5 x mono combo jacks, 5 x dual/triple zone trigger inputs, and 2 x 1/8" aux inputs.
• Other ports: 2 x footswitch jacks, MIDI Out, SD Card slot, and 1/4" & 1/8" headphone jacks
• Contact: Yamaha

Drum Workshop has announced the launch of the next generation of their flagship 9000 hardware series. It has now been “redesigned, re-engineered, and transformed” into the 9000X Series, which they promise is the “most drummer-friendly DW hardware lineup yet.”

In a statement, DW said that they had “listened to touring drummers and techs about their experiences and set out to design the 9000X hardware with the most demanding gigs and setups in mind. The result is a new level of functionality that considers every aspect of the hardware experience. Each stand is designed for simple, repeatable, time-saving setup at every gig.”

So what’s changed from the previous 9000 series? Well, one nifty innovation is the Auto Lock, a boom-angle adjustment that apparently tightens on its own.

Another is Inner Lock, a modular cable system that controls the height memory adjustment. It means that boom stands can now be completely collapsed before they’re transported and traditional memory locks really aren’t needed anymore, thus making it – in theory, at least – much quicker and easier to set up and take down your kit.

Also new are freshly-designed Air Lift cartridges that will aid height adjustment of heavy snare drums or toms, plus a quick-release hi-hat rod system and asymmetrical snare baskets that have been optimised for 10-lug snares.

According to DW, this hasn’t meant stability and durability have been sacrificed. “The new 9000X hardware is fabricated from the heaviest gauge, seamless steel tubing, with a flex-free Ultra-Rigid tripod base design. Stackable MOD weights can be added to either the tripod base or the stand legs for even greater stability.”

The new 9000X series comprises three cymbal stands ((9700XIL/9701XIL/9710XIL), four hi-hat stands (9500X/9500TX/9500XFX/9500XFTX), two snare stands (9300X/9339X), and three tom stand models (991X/992X/9791x).

For more information, head over to the DW website at dwdrums.com

What is it?

Back in the ‘90s, cymbal brands periodically leaned into the ever-increasing popularity of electronic music, offering drummers the opportunity to recreate the pitched-up, crunchy sounds emerging from sampled breakbeats used in hip-hop, jungle and house music. This led to a number of options from Sabian’s VFX line (a collaboration with Tony Verderosa), Meinl’s Generation X partnership with Johnny Rabb – who quite literally wrote the book on playing live drum ‘n’ bass – while Zildjian joined the fun with its Remix range.

Now, despite the fact that technology means it’s now easier than ever to not only replicate, but create a perfect facsimile of any given sound and play it from the comfort of our kits, options in the cymbal world are now far more varied than ever, too.

Zultan’s designers are clearly aware of this, because its 8” Raw series hi-hats tap into the more recent version of this trend, most associated with German groove-wizard, Benny Greb. Here, Zultan delivers a pair of B20 bronze cymbals, served up in their un-lathed but heavily-hammered Raw finish, where the cast blank is finished with a wax coating, allowing that earthy patina to really pop through. Oh yes, and there are holes. Six of them, to be exact, which removes a fairly large amount of the top cymbal’s surface area. Un-lathed, cast B20 bronze cymbals of this type are known for their already-dry tonal character, but with the additional perforations, we're expecting desert-level conditions. After a gulp of water, it’s time to dive in.

Performance

These are mini-hats, and are unlikely to be a first choice for ‘main’ hi-hats, but in order to try the full count of articulations, we begin with the cymbals mounted on a regular hi-hat stand. First up, it’s worth noting that while the top part of the hi-hat is missing (perhaps these parts fuel a Zultan B20 tambourine?), the bottom cymbal is intact and weighty. This is a classic pairing for hi-hats, designed to enhance the fatness of the ‘chick’ sound. It’s exactly the case here, with heavy attack coming both when played with the foot or – more likely for these cymbals – with a stick in a fixed position. Except it does so with a bit of a twist, because the combination of the dryness from the simplified finishing process and the Polo-ing of the top cymbal creates an additional layer of trash, sort of like layering a traditional hi-hat with a burst of electronic white noise.

Played semi-open open for tight barks and accents, you get a fast, dark response, with some of that trash still present, while separating the hats fully for more sustained eight-note lifts, the sound dries out again, bringing the effect of those holes into play.

Finally, we mounted them in the ‘Greb’ position (to the right of our rack tom) using a fixed X-hat on a boom. As an addition to a larger setup, this feels like the hats’ natural home, allowing for some cool two-handed patterns between these and a more conventional 14-inch pair of hi-hats, while also having the option for ‘riding’ on the mini-hats. We found the most responsive fixed clutch setting was to have them closed to about 85-90% of our X-hat’s range, delivering a solid, staccato note without losing the trashy element. One thing that stands out, though, is the versatility of these cymbals. Tensioned carefully and they’re a trashy pseudo-stack, but they could just as easily be incorporated into percussion and hybrid setups when you want to add some additional colour.

Verdict

You might expect a pair of 8-inch hi-hats to sound thin, high-pitched and great for reliving those early ‘90s Acid Jazz grooves (much like our long-lost Zildjian 10-inch Special Recording hats). But that’s not really what’s on offer here. These are chunky, organic, trashy and very characterful. The fact they’re made of ‘proper’ cymbal alloy means that they feel and sound quality, and let’s be honest – they should do. Zultan has been making its name for over 25 years, and while it has a reputation for making high-quality yet affordable cymbals, these hi-hats still cost just shy of £200.

They’re not going to cut it as a main pair of hi-hats in any sort of rock-derived band setup, and it’s debatable even outside of those genres. But they are a brilliant auxiliary addition, and as mentioned, can serve multiple purposes. In that regard, they represent excellent value and a lot of fun.

Hands-on demos

Zultan

Alternatives

Specifications

There was a time where there would be no point shopping on Amazon for drum gear. Beyond e-drums and the odd set of sticks, there was no reason to look beyond your local drum store or your friendly specialist online music retailer. But with Amazon’s Big Spring Sale in full flight, I wanted to dig a little deeper to see if I could uncover anything actually worth recommending. And it turns out… there is!

Honestly, my top pick from the offering below is the cheapest, too. Pearl’s tough-as-they-come multi-tool is an essential for any stick bag in my book. And with a 36% discount right now, it’s an absolute steal considering you get 13 handy tools in one. I also really rate Vic Firth’s stick bags, and the Performer series bag below is as spacious as they come and currently has 9% off.

Keep reading for more of my finds.

• Shop the full Amazon Big Spring Sale
• In the UK or Europe? Try Thomann’s up to 60% off Spring Sale

What is it?

The release of the brand new 25 Series from Zultan commemorates the company's 25-year anniversary of cymbal production. Forged using traditional Turkish methods, the German cymbal-smith offers a wide array of styles across 15 distinct families. As one of Thomann’s in-house brands, Zultan is exclusive to the well-known retail giant and offers relatively affordable prices when compared to your longer serving brands such as Zildjian, Sabian, Paiste and Meinl.

A full price list of the 25 Series can be found at the bottom of this review but to give you a rough guide, prices start at £68 for the smallest of the set – the 10” splash – and work their way up to £239 for the largest in the range, the 22” ride (accurate at time of writing). This is close to half the cost of professional-level equivalents from any of the ‘big four’ brands.

The lineup we’ve been sent for review includes the aforementioned splash and ride cymbals, plus 15” hi-hats, 18” & 19” crashes and a 19” china. Also available in the range are 16” and 20” crashes, 16” and 18” chinas, 14” hats, 12” splash and 16”, 18”, 19” FX type ‘Holey Crashes’.

There are two pre-configured sets available, which represent a slight saving over buying each individually. Set one consists of 14" hi-hats, 16" & 18" crashes and 20" ride cymbal (£675), while set two is made up of 15" hi-hats, 18" crash and 22" ride cymbal (£599).

The 25 Series is hand-casted using B20 bronze (20% tin and 80% copper) which is a trait shared with the vast majority of high-end cymbals. Each cymbal features a traditional finish with defined lathing lines, except for the bells, which have been left unlathed on top and bottom. This hybrid lathing approach not only gives the 25 Series a striking appearance and textured finish but also serves in drying their overall sonic characteristics. Up close inspection reveals extensive hand-hammering with shallow indentations covering the surface of each cymbal.

Generally, the quality of the finish is high, although there are some slight imperfections here and there. Taking the hi-hats for example, at certain angles it becomes apparent that there are some shallow scratches scored into the surface, potentially due to some haphazard lathing. There is also a small chip on the playing surface where a piece of metal has flaked off, again likely during the lathing process. The look of the 25 Series is relatively minimalist with only a printed Zultan logo and small “25” badge on top, and each cymbal’s model/size is printed on the underside.

Performance

Over the last few weeks, we’ve used Zultan’s new 25 Series exclusively for numerous gigs, ranging in style from heavy rock to funk, and have been suitably impressed by their versatility. They’ve also been used on our teaching kit, which has seen them put to the test at various playing volumes and in numerous musical contexts – both stylistically and in terms of acoustic surroundings.

Overal,l the cymbals are extremely dark and fairly low-pitched, particularly when played at lower volumes. Their relatively thin and flexible nature affords them a shimmer which allows a fairly long resonance, wonderfully balanced by the semi-lathed finish. This approach contributes not only to the earthy tone but also dries the overall sound. This is noticeable in the clear stick articulation, particularly when playing the bow of the ride, for instance. The result is a marriage of bold strikes supported by an underlying wash of complex tones created by the hand-hammered B20.

When played heavily, the tonal characteristics are altered, with much higher-end frequencies being released. This is a particularly welcome attribute in the crash cymbals, which explode with a myriad of high and low frequencies upon each strike. Still overall dark and moody, but now with a newfound ability to cut through the mix of a track or live band.

The 18” and 19” crashes are well balanced in terms of pitch, but there is a disparity in overall tone between the two. The 19” is slightly drier than its smaller sibling, which is noticeable mostly when riding it in a heavy groove or playing swells. The nature of handmade cymbals is that no two will ever be quite the same, which can be both a blessing and a curse. In this case, although only a subtle difference between the two is apparent, the preference would naturally be to have a perfect balance between them.

The 15” hi-hats are once again dry and extremely articulate. Their flexibility provides a satisfying feeling of ‘give’ under stick, which is also helped by their size (fairly typical of 15” hats). The bottom hi-hat is roughly twice the weight of the top which helps make the closed sound cutting and the open sound bold and low-pitched. All in, a fantastic pair of hi-hats that feel as at home in pop and rock as they do jazz and funk.

The china cymbal is also a triumph and ticks all the boxes in terms of volume and sheer attitude as it bursts into life on impact. Despite its large size at 19 inches, it is remarkably focused and works perfectly for those accented strikes that only a china can provide. Rock and metal fans, this is one to check out.

When we reviewed Zultan’s Z Series, the only cymbal we didn’t get on with was the splash cymbal, which unfortunately is the case again here. The 10” model doesn’t stand up to the tonal qualities of the rest of the set and sounds weak by comparison.

Verdict

Despite some minor cosmetic issues, the 25 Series looks as good as it sounds. A versatile set with dry and dark tonal qualities, it represents great value for money.

Hands-on demos

Zultan

Alternatives

Specifications

What is it?

After 30 years of success crafting both acoustic and electronic drums, Millenium Drums has released its first educational book, aimed to cater for absolute beginners and more advanced students alike. Written by Nuremberg-based session drummer Peter Söltl, the book is available in both English and German languages.

As Millenium is one of Thomann’s many in-house brands, Legendary Drumbook is available exclusively through its online store for £18.90 (at the time of writing).

Content

Chapter one

The Basics starts with an in-depth comparison of e-drums vs acoustic drums – weighing up pros and cons in regard to feel, size, volume and other important considerations. There are then step-by-step walkthroughs (with loads of images) on how to set up acoustic and electronic kits. The chapter also covers tuning, choosing the right sticks and headphones, posture, hand technique, foot technique and practice tips.

Chapter two

First Steps, is split into two age-dependent options. For under 13s, there is a stripped back and colourfully illustrated lesson which works though building basic co-ordination and grooves through a simplified image-based notation system (a paw for hi-hat, heart for snare drum etc). These pages are recommended for 6-12 years, while the alternative First Steps section is for older kids and adults. Despite this more grown-up portion working through a more typical notation standard, the patterns themselves are actually exactly the same.

This is a well-thought-out feature of the book which should make mastering the basics a little less daunting, and more fun for very young students (my five-year-old daughter certainly appreciated some of the drumming cats artwork).

In-depth content

Once the basics are covered, the book goes on to cover a massive amount of content including tons of grooves, fills and specific styles including blues, reggae, swing and Latin. Each exercise in the book is accompanied by a QR code which when scanned will open audio examples or video demonstrations.

Verdict

Legendary Drumbook does a remarkably good job of balancing the almost impossible task of pitching a book at such a broad ability range.

It does seem somewhat peculiar to conceive a book that introduces basics like ‘how to sit at a kit’ or ‘how to hold a stick’ (not forgetting the kids section littered with pictures of cats), yet also covers advanced concepts such as half-time shuffles, samba co-ordination and permutation studies. Needless to say, these are worlds apart.

Some might consider this to be a little too much to pack into one book, whereas others will consider it good value for money. Whichever side of this particular fence you fall, it’s worth considering that for the average student, this book represents at least a decade of dedicated practice.

The book is well presented and incredibly in-depth. There are detailed explanations of every concept plus additional notes with key terms throughout. It starts at a leisurely pace through the beginner parts and then ramps up in difficulty level fairly quickly when 16th notes are introduced.

The media content is also well organised and will undoubtedly be extremely useful in helping bring the pages to life. On that note, we thought that the video accompaniment for the kids' section could have matched the playful tone of the book more closely.

Hands-on demos

Millenium Drums

Alternatives

Specifications

With July 4th sales and this year’s Prime Day music deals all on the horizon, musicians are currently in a golden period of money saving. If you’re a drummer, now is a particularly good time to save. Whether you’re after hundreds of dollars off a big ticket item, or a good deal on some fresh sticks, the Sweetwater Drum Month sale has up to 60% off a range of gear until the end of the month.

If you’re in the market for an electronic drum set, the Sweetwater sale is a must, with savings on gear from big-hitters including Roland, Yamaha, Alesis and Zildjian. There’s also the opportunity to save big on Drum Workshop’s formidable DWe gear, taking it from eye-wateringly expensive to a serious consideration.

• Shop electronic drums
• Shop acoustic drums
• Shop cymbals
• Shop sticks and accessories
• Shop drum recording gear

Acoustic drum gear has a strong showing in the sale too, with hundreds of dollars to be saved on single cymbals alongside great value bundles, whilst there are some sweet deals on acoustic drums from Tama, Pearl, Gretsch and Sonor.

If your budget is smaller, then the Sweetwater Drum Month sale is the perfect opportunity to stock up on perishables like sticks and drum heads. I’m a Vic Firth fan and absolutely love this $20 saving on their 4 for 3 American Classic bundles, available in both 5A and 5B variants.

So, what are the highlights of this sale? E-kits are an essential tool for most modern players and there are some fantastic models with big discounts. The Alesis Strata Core was a big hit with our review team when it first launched. In our Alesis Strata Core review we said “there’s very little not to be impressed with here, from the extremely playable sounds to the slick and easy user interface.” For a limited time you can pick up an expanded version of the kit, complete with DW 3000 bass drum pedal and hi-hat stand, for just $2,299. Considering this kit is a compact version of the excellent Alesis Strata Prime - which is almost $2k more expensive - this is a lot of kit for your cash.

If it’s cymbals you’re looking for, I’d heartily recommend the Zildjian Studio Recording 4-piece bundle which currently has $170 off, dropping the price from $1,319.95 to $1,149.95. In the bundle you get everything to sound like a pro in the studio – 14” A series New Beat hi-hats for a crisp, cutting sound; a complimentary pairing of an A series 16” Thin crash and 18” Fast crash; and a 21” K Custom Organic ride which promises a quick, dry and penetrating tone. This set also comes bundled with a free cymbal bag and a pair of Bluetooth headphones. That’s some serious value.

Talking of recording, any drummer who intends to sound their best in the studio needs to invest in quality drum mics. Audix have been big players in the mic game for a long time, with their D6 kick drum mic an industry stalwart. For a limited time, you can get your hands on a D6, plus an i5 snare drum mic (including rim mount) for only $199. That’s a $50 saving on a pair of very capable, reliable and great sound mics.

Mixwave just dropped their latest drum library, one that’s certain to get the metalheads among us excited. Now, for the first time anywhere, anyone can have access to not only the distinctive sounds but the unique play-style of Sleep Token’s enigmatic drummer, II.

Featuring their Collector’s Series topline DW kit, Sleep Token - II is all of II’s classic 5-piece captured inside your computer. There are three different snares to swap in and out, two toms plus floor tom and a total of 11 crashes, rides, china, stacks and hi-hats along for the gig too. All – they say – sampled by II, at Mixwaves studio.

In case you’re not familiar with Mixwave’s libraries, they’re instruments carefully crafted within Native Instrument’s Kontakt using all of the market-leading sampler’s skills and unique graphical capabilities to bring sounds to life alongside easy-to-understand animations that let you see what’s going on and configure and play the kit in any way you want.

And you don’t need to own the full version of Kontakt to play them. All of Mixwave’s libraries load up in the latest version of NI’s free Kontakt player (supplied with the kit) allowing you to place them inside your choice of DAW.

Mixwave claim that they’ve captured every facet of II’s sound and style, capturing not only individual drum hits but, an expanded arsenal of articulations, and multiple velocity layers and tones.

You can customize the MIDI mapping to wherever you’d like it on your keyboard or drum pads, select your perfect velocity curves to suit your playing style and even activate Auto Double Kick, to automatically alternate between left and right sampled kick hits, delivering a more realistic performance.

And if playing II’s kit sounds like too much effort, let them take the strain with built-in grooves performed by II themselves. Simply drag and drop riffs and loops from the library to have one of metal’s most revered drummers play along with your composition.

The Offering

And, thanks to Mixwaves careful curation and Kontakt’s abilities, the sound of II’s kit comes through completely ‘mix ready’. There’s built-in snare and tom reverbs, and master overall, compression, EQ and saturation to tweak, giving you the sound of Sleep Token kit in a single stereo out.

Alternatively go in depth and choose the ‘mixed’ or ‘unmixed’ output to isolate and control each separate element and get your own ‘Token-inspired sound.

And, in an interview with Drumeo last year, II revealed some of the secrets that make their style so distinctive.

“I’ve always personally taken a lot of inspiration from the UK dance music scene,” II explains. “And listening to various subgenres of drum and bass, specifically, allows me to incorporate stylistic traits from those genres into my vocabulary as a drummer.

“I’m also a big fan of R&B and pop which has worked its way into my playing. I grew up primarily playing metal, so the next obvious step for me was to blend these other styles in amongst heavier playing to add versatility to my drum parts.”

“These days, I would describe my playing style as a mixture of that signature Abe Cunningham, Deftones-inspired, heavier sort of grooving with a linear style gospel influence.”

Here’s that full list of all of the bespoke Sleep Token artillery on board Mixwave: Sleep Token – II:

Kick
22 x 18" DW Collectors Series Maple/Mahogany

Snares
13 x 6" DW Collectors Series Custom Maple/Walnut/Maple Edge
13 x 6.5" Craviotto Custom Shop Steam Bent Cherry
13 x 6.5" DW Collectors Series Steel

Toms
10 x 7" DW Collectors Series Maple/Mahogany
12 x 8" DW Collectors Series Cherry/Mahogany
16 x 16" DW Collectors Series Cherry/Mahogany

Hi-Hats
13" Istanbul Agop Traditional Medium

Extras
Stick clicks

Crashes
17" Istanbul Agop Traditional Dark
18" Istanbul Agop OM
16" Istanbul Agop Xist Ion
19" Istanbul Agop Xist Dry Dark Brilliant

Ride
22" Istanbul Agop Idris Muhammad Signature

Stacks
10" Istanbul Agop Traditional Mini China & 10" Istanbul Agop Turk Splash (Stacked)
18" Istanbul Agop Xist Ion Crash & 16" Istanbul Agop Turk China (Stacked)

Splashes
8" Istanbul Agop Xist
10" Istanbul Agop Trash Hit

China
18" Istanbul Agop Turk

DW have announced a new technical breakthrough for the Collector’s Series, adding their SonicPly construction technology to their topline series of acoustic drum kits.

SonicPly bonds wood and metal layers together for strength and sound, producing drums that offer both huge projection and improved dynamic response. DW promises that drums with SonicPly shells will cut through mixes better, bringing enhanced presence to your playing, allowing every note to be heard with greater clarity whether you're performing on stage or in the studio.

They’re the company’s first new shell construction enhancement since the introduction of their PurpleCore drumsin 2021 and they’ve been produced in conjunction with a star designer.

John Good has been nicknamed the ‘Wood Whisperer’ by Rush drummer Neil Peart and is the brains behind DW’s latest innovation, having worked as a drum tech with Michael Jackson, Frank Zappa, and many more.

Wood has brought his encyclopaedic knowledge of the science of wood plies and their sonic properties to the project and, following two years of experimentation, has come up with a process for bonding aircraft-grade aluminum and North American maple plies with a special adhesive formula.

The result is a drum shell that balances the optimum qualities of both wood and metal, and gives drummers a whole new sound and presence to play with.

SonicPly drums come in sizes from 10” to 24” in diameter, each fusing eight plies of maple with a 0.6mm core of aluminum.

Meanwhile the snares go multiple steps further, using twelve plies of wood with two aluminium plies to deliver a sound with warmth and resonance (courtesy of that maple) but teamed with the attack, crack and sustain of that aluminium.

The SonicPly drums come with Collector’s Series hardware, including Suspended Tom Mounts (STM), full-sized turret lugs, True Hoops, and standard bearing edge and are available in all of the Collector’s Series finishes, including the more exotic veneers and custom lacquers.

To hear how they sound, check out the video by Thomas Pridgen of The Mars Volta, Trash Talk, and Fever 333 above and a demo by Frank Zappa and Allan Holdsworth legend Chad Wackerman below.

Find out more here. Price and availability TBC.

Zultan Cymbals is 25 years old. The brand – founded in Germany in 2000 – now offers 15 different cymbal series, as well as multitudinous accessories including drum sticks, drum rugs, and more.

Now, to celebrate their birthday, the famous brand is not only revamping its look but introducing a new limited edition range bearing a distinctive new ‘25’ logo.

The cross-brand revamp has given the company new branding all across a fresh, redesigned website and social media presence. Plus the company now has a new motto: “Crafted from Heritage. Tuned for Tomorrow."

Meanwhile, eager to mark the occasion further Zultan has produced a new, high-end "25" series of cymbals consisting of 16 hand-hammered instruments across the board, each being designed to meet the highest musical standards and suitable for use across a wide variety of genres. 

Hand-casted in B20 bronze
(20% tin and 80% copper) the 25 series is has been designed specifically to offer a high build and sound quality while still remaining extremely competitively priced.

The 25 series are made using traditional Turkish methods and characterised by a distinctive, dark and washy sound. At the same time, finely defined stick articulation ensures clarity and precise response, perfect for discerning drummers who value the ability to inject their performance with nuanced tonal details to fully take advantage of the new cymbals’ ability to produce expressive sound characteristics.

So, whether you need your cymbals extra smooth and differentiated for jazz, or need them to jump out as short, sharp accents for modern pop productions, the 25 Series is designed to deliver.

Find out more at the 25 Series website here.

Roland has great news for anyone wishing to add digital elements to their analogue kit but who aren’t keen on festooning their already complex physical set-up with ugly wires.

Their new DrumLink system has been developed in partnership with Drum Workshop and aims to make adding the flexibility of an electronic drum kit to your acoustic set-up (or simply getting rid of the wires on your digital kit) as simple and as seamless as possible.

Key to that goal is the wireless nature of the system. The new WT-10 Wireless Trigger Adapter takes the analogue trigger outputs from existing Roland drum pads and cymbals and converts them to wireless singles which are then picked up by the new DH-10 DrumLink Hub.

Each WT-10 has two inputs, meaning that it can take single- and dual-trigger pads and cymbals and communicate both to the hub, making it ideal for use with hi-hats and cymbals featuring bell and edge triggering. Alternatively, for simpler single trigger drums, you can attach two pads to one WT-10.

There’s an integrated flexible mount allowing you to effectively ‘hide’ each WT-10 as part of your kit, eliminating ugly cables and making pre-gig set up fast and worry free.

Most importantly though, the DrumLink system uses a proprietary technology developed specifically for the purpose of speedy transfer meaning that up to 30 channels can be at play simultaneously, all wirelessly, all delivering your hits to the Hub with lightning-fast response and rock-solid performance that feels exactly like you’re playing an acoustic kit.

Supported sound sources out of the box include the Roland V71, TD-50X, and TD-27 sound modules, SPD-SX PRO Sampling Pad, and the DW Soundworks software instrument. The WT-10 also makes it easy for owners of Drum Workshop’s DWe acoustic-electronic wireless convertible drums to integrate Roland pads into their set-ups.

Up to 15 units. Up to 30 channels

A single DH-10 DrumLink Hub can capture the trigger signals from up to 15 WT-10 units, which are sent to the sound module or a computer via a simple USB-C connection. The DH-10 also features a MIDI output for sending MIDI note messages and CC data to external gear.

And they’ve even created a bundle to get you started. The Roland 4CY-4WT-01 DrumLink Cymbal Pack allows you to quickly outfit a DWe acoustic-electronic wireless kit with Roland’s electronic cymbals. The bundle includes three CY-16R-T crash/ride pads, one VH-10 V-Hi-Hat pad, and four WT-10 Wireless Trigger Adapters ready to talk to the kit's DWe DrumLink Wireless Hub.

Drum Workshop also now offers complete four- and five-piece DWe kit bundles with Roland V-Cymbals and WT-10 units already included.

To learn more about the DrumLink system, visit Roland.com. And to learn more about DWe acoustic-electronic wireless drum sets with Roland V-Drum cymbals head to DWdrums.com.

Millenium is publishing a new book that will be of interest to drummers - both beginners and those who have already spent many happy years behind their kit.

The Millenium Legendary Drumbook is out now and available in both English and German versions. It also includes numerous multimedia features, including 25 linked video lessons and over 250 audio samples.

“Whether you're a beginner or an advanced drummer, this book offers exciting opportunities for you to improve and sustainably develop your rhythmic skills,” Millenium says in a press release.

As you’d expect, there’s all the basic information you need as a drummer – the correct sitting posture, drumstick grip and footwork. There are also sections that deal with comparisons between electronic and acoustic drum kits, as well as detailed instructions on tuning drums. This section includes practical warm-up exercises and daily practice routines to ensure rapid progress.

There is also a segment devoted to young players, for kids aged six and up. This includes playful notation, simple exercises and easy-to-follow instructions.

Millennium is keen to point out that the book works for both beginners and more established players. Indeed, there are specific sections for basic grooves, advanced grooves, fill-ins, different drumming styles and co-ordination.

“Featuring age-specific exercises and explanations, it enables players to develop their technique in a way that aligns with their individual abilities,” says the company. “Whether you are a beginner, an advanced player, or someone returning to the drum kit after a break, this book will serve as a reliable companion on your journey through drumming.”

For more information go to the Millenium website.

Alesis has a new member of its Strata Drum electronic drum set family – the new Alesis Strata Club, all set to deliver the pro-quality performance of their Strata kits in a new Club format that’s perfect for compact spaces, be that a crowded stage or a spare bedroom.

The Strata Club is a full 7-piece kit that shares the latest tech with its bigger cousins. It’s therefore ideal as a compact kit in its own right, for use as a practice kit, or even for enhancing and expanding an acoustic kit for players looking for more variety and range.

Front and centre of the Strata Club’s eye-catching features is its 7” touchscreen drum module, as found on the Strata Core, featuring a multi-core processor bringing the kind of controllability and speed of set-up we enjoy every day on our smartphones into the world of recording gear.

That touch screen gives unrivalled, intuitive navigation, DAW-style mixing, and drum set customization, alongside six rotary dials, push encoder, transport controls, and dedicated volume knobs for different outputs.

And that extra processor power means that the Strata runs the full BFD3 sound engine, Alesis parent company InMusic having acquired BFD’s maker FXpansion in 2020.

That means that the Strata comes with one of the best and most expansive drum libraries around, being 25 GB in size with 144,000 individual samples across over 370 different kit pieces and 800 unique articulations, along with compressors, EQ, filters and other audio tools – all built into the Strata from day one.

And with great sounds and ease of use built in, the Strata won’t let you down on feel and playability either. Strata features high-quality mesh drum heads with adjustable tension for perfect rebound and Strata's patented anti-hotspot sensor system for natural, expressive playing surfaces.

Key to the Club’s portability and footprint is its integrated rack system while still serving up a full 7-piece kit. This includes a 12-inch dual-zone mesh snare, a pair of 10-inch dual zone mesh toms and a 8-inch kick drum tower with a mesh head to deliver true-to-life rebound and response.

This is topped off with a 14-inch ARC triple-zone, 360° ride cymbal, a 12-inch ARC triple-zone, 360° crash cymbal and 12-inch ARC triple-zone, 360° hi-hat cymbal with Alesis’ Active Magnetic Hi-Hat Controller for extra realistic feel.

The ride and crash both incorporate ARC for 360-degree playing without dead zones, allowing players to choke cymbals by grabbing the edge just like the real thing, while the triple zones allow players to play bow, bell, and edge of all cymbals to trigger different variations on the sound.

Want even more? Go for the Strata Club Expansion Pack which adds one more 12” premium dual-zone mesh drum pad and one 16” ARC 360 triple-zone cymbal to the kit along with a new 28” crossbar and cables for easy connection to that drum module.

Needless to say the new module features USB/MIDI connectivity for seamless DAW integration, owners get the full BFD Player desktop application with virtual drum expansion pack and there’s even a 90-day free subscription to drum tuition platform Drumeo thrown in too.

"We’re proud to introduce the Strata Club, a kit designed to eliminate the compromise between space constraints and professional performance," said John Boudreau, Director of Product Development. "We've engineered a solution that gives drummers and producers the authentic feel and sound they demand— without requiring dedicated space or soundproofing."

The Alesis Strata Club is available globally starting today for $1,599 with the Expansion Pack coming in the early summer of 2025 for $349.

What is it?

If you’ve ever been near a studio, looked at photos of a recording session, or simply heard tell of the audio magic that occurs inside the most expensive playgrounds on Earth, you’re probably aware of Sennheiser’s MD 421 dynamic microphone. It’s the large diaphragm dynamic mic that has excelled at capturing broadcast dialogue, guitar amps, and perhaps most notably, drums since it was first launched in the ’60s.

Issued in various iterations over the decades, it’s recognisable visually from either the grey/cream or black housing, and sonically by its ability to deliver a wide frequency response, while also handling high SPLs. It’s these points that have made it such a constant success, lending the MD 421 to all kinds of applications.

But the MD 421 isn’t without its quirks. For a start, it’s blooming massive when compared to some other ‘instrument’ mics, which also means it can’t be mounted in a standard mic clip. So, if you want to use one, you’re going to need a stand, and in the case of a drum kit, you’re going to need lots of them.

Until now, because Sennheiser has put the MD 421 on a hot wash, and come up with the MD 421 Kompakt. It’s smaller, lighter, and comes with its own mounting hardware, making it ready to clamp to your drum hoop (although it can also be mounted to a traditional stand, natch). What’s more, Sennheiser reckons that the Kompakt delivers the same audio performance as the legend it’s derived from. Let’s find out if size really does matter…

Pricing

• Full price: $279 £229/€279

Performance

The Kompakt arrives in a cardboard box, lined with the usual foam. Somewhat bizarrely, the mic is shrink-wrapped to the underside of a piece of cardboard. However, once you’ve removed that, you’ll discard it and probably never think about it again (unless you’re writing a review, of course), because Sennheiser also packages it with a pencil case and the aforementioned drum clamp. Our first impression is that it’s surprisingly light. We’ve owned MD 421s before, and for many years captured the sound of our toms with Sennheiser’s E604 mics – live staples which feature a similar mounting system to what we find here – and the Kompakt is in a similar weight class.

Getting set up is easy – attach it to the clamp, clip it on the drum rim and you’re ready to plug in. But, while we're overjoyed with the fact that we can mount these mics without requiring an army of stands, the clip is also our first gripe. It’s a bit basic, with a friction-style screw determining the angle. Great news if you want to grab the mic and quickly change the placement angle, not so great when you find it’s slipping and pressed against the drum head a few bars later. It’s solvable by tightening the screw, but it would have been nice to see a small thumbwheel to secure it more firmly.

With that out of the way, though, we have to hand it to Sennheiser. On rack and floor toms, the MD 421 Kompakt delivers on its promises with a big, round capture of the lower frequencies, coupled by a bit of a top-end boost to aid with clarity. Unlike some drum mics, it’s fairly flat and transparent (as is its bigger sibling), giving you full control over the signal for processing after, and while this might mean that you need to get your hands dirty in order to carve out your sound, it’s all there as part of your canvas. It’s great on snare drums too, picking up plenty of body and crack, even from a fairly close position, and the reduced tail of the mic means that you can angle it correctly (despite some common misconceptions, the 421 is an end-address mic) without the exhaust end and cable getting in the way.

While it certainly works on kick drums, we preferred it as an ‘inside’ close mic for the batter head, delivering the click and attack of the beater rather than attempting to use it as the full-boom ‘kick-out’ mic. If it’s the only mic you have, it’ll cover the full spectrum of the bass drum, particularly in a live setting. However there are, of course, more tailored options designed specifically to go lower than the MD 421’s 30Hz floor, which actually rolls off and begins its descent at around 80Hz.

Verdict

There’s something about the shrinking of a product that makes us all believe that it’s going to be a stone cold bargain. The MD 421 Kompakt currently streets at around £100 less than the full-fat MD 421, and about £100 more than what’s likely to be a firm rival in the Audix D2 or 4. But, they’re for different customers. If you want a natural, open-sounding revision of a studio classic that’s better optimised for live use to boot, then it’s a great buy, and a convenient one at that.

Hands-on demos

Sennheiser

Alternatives

Specifications

What is it?

Now entering its 25th year in production, Zultan is one of several long-established, underdog cymbal brands that remain somewhat overshadowed by the ‘big four’ that dominate the market (you know the ones, right?).

Sharing in common with most of these well-known companies, Zultan’s cymbals are manufactured in Turkey using traditional cymbal-making techniques. The German brand boasts a massive 15 different product ranges, with a generous amount of size options within each. You’ll note from previous reviews of the Aeon, Dune and Q Series that we have been suitably impressed with what’s on offer. Launching with the Rock Beat Series in 2000, Zultan has since developed an orchestral set (aptly named ‘Orchestra’), a low-volume set (Mellow) and several others, which between them, aim to cover all bases in terms of stylistic needs.

Representing one of the most recent additions to Zultan’s expansive range, The Z Series has recently been expanded with 10 and 12” splashes, 13” and 15" hats, 16” and 18” chinas, 19” and 20” crashes. These are in addition to the existing 14” hats, 16”, 17”, 18” 19” crashes, 20”, 21” and 22” rides. Our review set comprises the 14” hats, 18” and 19” crashes, 21” ride, 18” china and 12” splash. Exclusive to Thomann, prices start at £76 for the 10” splash and climb to £239 for a pair of 15” hi-hats – a relatively affordable price for hand-made cymbals.

There are also two packs available – the Standard Set (£495) comprises 14" hats, 16” crash and 20” ride while the Professional Set (£595) also includes the 18” crash.

Although you might find cymbals from bigger brands at a similar price, there are several factors to consider in terms of the manufacturing process and alloys used. The vast majority of Zultan’s cymbals use traditional B20 bronze, with the exception of the Aeon and CS lines which use a B25 alloy. If you’re drawing a blank on these terms, allow me to hammer them home for you (excuse the un-forge-givable cymbal puns). If you’re already up to speed, feel free to dive into the performance and verdict section to see what we made of the Z Series.

In a nutshell, B20 (also known as bell bronze) utilises an 80/20 per cent copper-to-tin ratio which has become the go-to combo for its tonal qualities. Examples of these can be seen in almost all of the top-end cymbal lines such as Zildjian’s A and K ranges, Sabian’s AA, HH and Artisan, Meinl Byzanze, Paiste Signature – the list goes on. Cheaper cymbals tend to use B8 alloy which is made up of 8% tin and 92% copper. Examples of these can be found in Zildjian’s I Series, Paiste’s PST ranges, Sabian’s aptly named B8 and Meinl’s HCS. There have also been several B10 and B12 cymbal lines over the years.

The alloy itself is not the be-all-and-end-all of the cymbal’s final sound though. The process in which it's made, particularly things like hammering and lathing, will transform the end result. Entry-level cymbals are pressed from sheet metal, while pro-level cymbals are cast and worked by hand to reach the end result.

Pricing

• Standard Set: 14" hats, 16” crash and 20” ride - £495
• Professional Set: 14" hats, 16” crash, 18" crash and 20” ride - £595
• Zultan 10" Z-Series splash - £76
• Zultan 12" Z-Series splash - £84
• Zultan 13" Z-Series hi-hat - £189
• Zultan 14" Z-Series hi-hat - £213
• Zultan 15" Z-Series hi-hat - £239
• Zultan 16" Z-Series crash - £136
• Zultan 17" Z-Series crash - £144
• Zultan 18" Z-Series crash - £161
• Zultan 19" Z-Series crash - £204
• Zultan 20" Z-Series crash - £221
• Zultan 16" Z-Series china - £150
• Zultan 18" Z-Series china - £179
• Zultan 20" Z-Series ride - £204
• Zultan 21" Z-Series ride - £213
• Zultan 22" Z-Series ride - £230

Performance

The Z Series are predominantly un-lathed with the exception of a polished band across the bow, and another on the bell. The underside of each cymbal is left untouched with a pale, textured patina.

Set up in our acoustically dry studio live room, we’re struck by the impressive volume of these cymbals, with the 18” and 19” crashes opening up into a controlled wash upon the first strikes. In the mix of a groove, they don’t feel as overbearing as initially suspected and possess a full tonal character with plenty of spread. Unsurprisingly the 18” china takes the top spot for sheer volume, cutting through with an explosive and pangy nature.

There’s an underlying low-pitched wash to the 21” ride yet a brightness to each initial strike. The stick definition is clear when playing the bow surface, due in part to the hybrid lathing pattern. Like the crashes, the ride has a wide spread which is evident when each bell strike, although definitive, is followed by a wash of complex frequencies. A testament to the tonal complexity created by extensive hand-hammering.

The hi-hats are reasonably dry and well-balanced with a tight, closed sound. The open tone is higher pitched than expected when compared to the slightly darker, drier attack of the closed position. The edge is not too sharp – almost feeling more like 15s to play. We’d be interested to get our hands on the 15” hats to compare.

Last and unfortunately least, to our ears, is the 12” splash. It’s fast and glassy which can be a desirable characteristic in this type of cymbal, but the long decay with a myriad of overtones does not bode well for its overall usability. As splashes go though, 12” is a little large for our tastes and we suspect that we’d prefer the 10” model also available in the range.

When taking the cymbals on stage for a gig, there’s not only more natural ambience to hear them in a different light but also a full band to contend with. Within the mix of guitars, bass and vocals the Z Series cymbals project well and the crashes wash beautifully when ridden on the edge.

Despite a generally positive experience, we did find a couple of extremely minor flaws with the finishing of these cymbals. The china has a tiny imperfection of a millimetre or two on its edge and the un-lathed sections of some of the cymbals have whitened slightly – likely due to a lack of any protective finish.

Verdict

The Z series meets all the expectations anyone could have of classic Turkish cymbals made from cast B20 bronze. Their surface is intricately polished in a striped pattern. Attractive to look at, this stylish finish also means a quicker decay.

Due to the unique manufacturing process they have a controllable, well-balanced sound with a perfect blend of warmth and silky harmonics. These characteristics give them great versatility, allowing them to be used in almost any musical genre.

Hands-on demos

Zultan

Alternatives

Specifications

Always expanding and ever improving, the recently resurrected DrumCraft brand has just announced another new, attractively-priced drum kit aimed at the beginner and intermediate beat-maker.

Their new Urban Beats kit features high-quality poplar shells and comes in a slick, stage and street-credible matte black wrap finish. The eye-catching new kit features a compact form for easy placement on stage or at home and comes complete with a 20" x 12" bass drum, 12" x 8" rack tom, 14" x 13" floor tom. Each comes fully equipped with Remo drum heads for “a powerful sound”.

Neat features that keep the Urban kit's bulk down include that extra-slim kick drum and a versatile and adjustable tom holder to keep the kit as tight as you want it to be. Additionally, the kit comes complete with a cymbal mount that’s fixed to the bass drum to save floor space.

The poplar shells are 7-ply and feature 45-degree bearing edges which its makers promise delivers “a warm tone that allows for a wide range of applications”.

Similarly, DrumCraft promises that with the right amount of damping and adjustment (all of which is possible right out of the box) the Urban Beats is ready for any style of play, from acoustic jazz to pop, funk and hip-hop, all with a matte black look that’s sure to impress.

The DrumCraft brand started out as part of the GEWA drum and percussion empire, specialising in budget and beginner kits before being discontinued in 2010. However, in 2022 the all-seeing, all-knowing Thomann gear giant stepped in to resurrect the brand’s vibe and now continues to offer quality kits at the keen prices it was famous for.

Find out more about Urban Beats here.

OK. Valentine’s Day may classically be the day for delivering a mysterious card, a box of chocolates or a bunch of red roses, but what if the object of your affections needs a new drum stool? Or has a buzzing quarter-inch guitar lead? Or has recently reversed over their prized Gibson Kirk Hammett "Greeny" Les Paul Standard?

Well turns out that Thomann, the music gear retail giant that owns a whole town (and is dedicated to putting the gear you need into your hands in record time and at the best prices) has got you covered. Phew.

Their Valentine's Day special offers – rounding up a raft of favourite products at incredible one-time-only prices sees them pulling out all the (organ) stops to make sure that anyone with any brains delivers the goods and gets the goodies this Valentine's Day.

Now potential gifters can choose from 100 specially selected products across Thomann’s never-ending instrument classes and categories, including guitars, drums, lighting, and – if you’re feeling particularly romantic – PA equipment…

What more could any potentially love-struck musician need?

And their massive sale event kicks off NOW, running from today, 6 February right through to the big day itself on the 14th.

Go check out what’s hot at Thomann's valentine's day offers and give them a gift they’ll love. Or (whisper it) keep it for yourself.

NAMM 2025: Roland Corp, a long-term enabler of the hybrid acoustic/electronic drum set community, is showcasing the next generation of its highly-respected drum triggers at NAMM 2025, and look, ma, no wires.

The WT-10 Wireless Trigger Adapter and DH-10 DrumLink Hub aren't available quite yet, but when they do hit the shops, you'll be able to get your hands on a solution to all that irritating cabling. The WT-10 also enables owners of Drum Workshop’s DWe convertible drums to seamlessly integrate Roland pads to their set-ups.

Promising "lighting fast triggering" - a minimum requirement, frankly - the whole DrumLink set-up is aimed at pros, so we're confident it will deliver. All being well, we'll get hands-on in Anaheim very shortly to confirm that,

As you'd also expect, the WT-10 and DH-10 can be used with Roland drum and cymbal pads, RT-30 series acoustic drum triggers, the V71, TD-50X, and TD-27 V-Drums sound modules, as well as the SPD-SX sampling pad series. As mentioned above, the WT-10 can also play nice with the DWe Wireless Hub via DrumLink, the wireless receiver for DWe convertible drums.

We don't have a release date or price point yet but will bring those to you ASAP. In the meantime, stay tuned to Roland.com for more info.

Whether you like your drums real and in your face, or virtual and in your DAW then DW have got you covered. For drum hardware maestros Drum Workshop not only make some of the most highly prized acoustic and electronic drum kits available today, but can supply you with the sound of their distinctive drums via their own DW Soundworks software spin-off.

Yes, even if you’re not a master of the triple paradiddle you can still get the big punchy sound of DW’s drums into your tracks via soundset expansion packs using tech developed and released by DW themselves.

And the latest hardware to get the DW Soundworks expansion pack treatment is their DW Collector’s Pure Cherry Shell. “Cherry is a very musical wood that produces brighter attack, melodic clarity, and slightly darker tonality when compared to maple,” DW explain. “These sounds appeal to drummers who prefer a punchy, rounder timbre for dynamic styles like fusion, funk, gospel, and pop.”

DW make their expansion packs themselves, recorded at the DW factory and sampled at 24-bit, 88.2kHz in order to ensure that all the nuances and famous care and craft that go into the construction of their kits, make it through to the audio files in the sample collections that bear their name.

The sounds are supplied and controlled by DW Soundworks, their bespoke plugin that can be used with any DAW that supports AAX, AU or VST, allowing you to access the DW Soundworks library of virtual sounds and settings within the production workflow that you love.

The DW Collector’s Pure Cherry Shell expansion pack includes 12 custom presets to enable users to explore the sought-after sound of cherry shells, with that distinctive heavy midrange tone combined with a balanced sustain, all controllable within the plugin’s processing and effects, allowing you to fine tune your DW drum sound to perfection.

DW Collectors Pure Cherry Shell Expansion Pack delivered by DW Soundworks is available to purchase and download via Roland Cloud today.

Find out more at dwdrums.com.

Drumcraft, the German brand with a reputation for precision and design, has just announced its latest products - not one but three new double pedal sets, bearing the new and suitably imposing-sounding Nighthawk name.

In the mix we have a Standard version which is available out of the gate in both direct drive (Nighthawk Double Bass Pedal DD) and chain drive (Nighthawk Double Bass Pedal CD) options. These cost £715 each.

Both DD and CD feature solid aluminium construction, a silver with black foot board, smooth-running ball bearings, an independently adjustable beater and footboard angle, replaceable beater heads and side-adjustable bass drum clamp.

Those wanting to take the next step up can opt for the Max version (£844), which can be set up and used as either a chain drive or a direct drive out of the box – everything you need to personalise the hardware to style and get your pedal perfect is right there. The Max also offers additional adjustment options, enabling pro double-beater fans to get the maximum performance out of the pedal.

Additional features include side-adjustable spring tension and included beater weights and beater memory locks.

The pedals are all available now via Thomann.

Lewitt Beat Kit Pro review: What is it?

When it comes to gear, drummers are constantly at the ‘more’ end of the spectrum. First there’s our shells, which also require a snare drum, then the cymbals, and once we’ve acquired a full set of ‘noise-makers’ we need a backbreaking amount of chromed metal to beat gravity. But what happens when you want to record or amplify your whole kit? Well, you’re going to need microphones, and if you intend on maintaining control over every drum and the overall balance of your kit in detail, you’ll be needing lots of them.

There are a few routes you can take when purchasing enough mics to capture your kit. First, you can get a collection of identical all-rounder mics and position them around your kit, adding a bass-specific mic for the kick drum and a couple of condensers for overheads. Next, you can put together a piecemeal set of mics - possibly from a mix of brands - chosen specifically for the different elements of your kit. Finally, you can save yourself some research by opting for one of the many drum-oriented mic sets.

That’s exactly what we have here from Lewitt. Now, while you might not be as familiar with Lewitt as, say, some of the more established names in microphones, you’ll certainly be familiar with its founder’s pedigree. The Austrian company emerged 15 years ago when founder Roman Perschon flew the AKG coop, with an eye on shaking up the microphone market. Offering Austrian design paired with Chinese manufacturing, Lewitt’s catalogue now comprises dozens of mics aimed at recording and live use, and for us drummers the most exciting is the Beat Kit Pro which expands on Lewitt’s other drum pack - the four-piece Beat Kit - by offering a seven-microphone set.

But, it’s not just an increase in the number of mics, in fact, the only constant between Lewitt’s two sets is the MTP 440 DM snare mic. In the Beat Kit Pro, the snare mic is joined by Lewitt’s flagship DTP 640 REX bass drum mic, a pair of small-diaphragm LCT 140 AIR condenser mics, and a trio of DTP 340 TT mics, giving you enough mics to close-mic a five-piece setup with overheads.

The whole kit is supplied in a rather nice, foam-lined heavy-duty Peli-style case that is better quality than some of the more flimsy examples we’ve seen with mic sets, plus Lewitt includes clip-on holders for the snare and tom mics. This may not sound like a big deal, but given that you’re already going to need to factor in some extra money for XLR cables, not having to shell out for an additional seven mic stands is a bonus. Plus, on tight stages or in smaller home studios, the lack of floor-based stands will increase your cat-swinging space, as well as dramatically reducing the risk of anyone tripping/accidentally moving the mics. 

Lewitt Beat Kit Pro review: Performance & verdict

The DTP 640 REX bass drum mic comes packing a few tricks up its sleeve too. The big one is that this isn’t your regular AKG D112/Shure Beta 52A-style bass drum mic - even if visually, the built-in stand thread and angle adjustment thumb screw lean towards the latter. 

It actually houses two diaphragms - one dynamic, one condenser, both precisely aligned to avoid phase issues. Both diaphragms produce discrete signals, which are output from a single 5-pin XLR socket, and Lewitt supplies a splitter cable which will allow you to send each signal to its own channel on your interface or mixer. Why would you want to do this? Well, it’s a simplified way of offering the classic dual-mic bass drum sound of a dynamic to capture the beater attack and definition, while the condenser’s wider frequency response delivers the fuller sound of the bass drum shell’s thump. 

But, the tone-shaping doesn’t stop there, because it’s also equipped with a two-stage attenuation pad, which will drop the output signal by either -10dB or -20dB if you’ve got a particularly lead-heavy foot. But the real magic comes from the three-position switch for re-voicing the mic’s response. 

In the first position (=//=), both capsules are flat, delivering their natural response. In the second position (Dynamic EFR, labelled +//=) the dynamic side of the mic is tailored to give a little more colour, accenting the frequencies you’re likely to dial-in with EQ, via a big lift in the 30-150Hz area, and another boost to the high end between 4-16kHz. 

Finally, there’s the third mode (Dual EFR, labelled +//+). Here, there’s a dramatic tonal change to both sides of the mic, with fairly opposing voices. The condenser gets a heavy boost in the low end, and rolls off quite dramatically thereafter, while the dynamic diaphragm is filtered to have its bass removed and top end accented. To put it in scientific terms, in isolation you’ll get a woofier, thumper mic, combined with a thwackier, slappier side. Blend the two together and you’ve got the best of both worlds, with independent control of each element. 

It’s a useful inclusion - if you’re working with a live engineer then the first and third modes supply them with a pair of blank canvases, or two distinct yet complementary voices to mix, while the middle option is a great pre-coloured sound if you just want to plug in and get going. In a recording environment, the different voicings allow for either complete transparency, no-fuss plug-and-play capture, or some sonic experimentation.

The overhead mics offer a similar level of flexibility, and you’ll notice that these too include three switches offering a -12dB pad, low-cut which sharply filters out from 80hZ and under and the AIR switch. The latter provides a wide treble boost that actually starts to lift in the mid range, but becomes most pronounced with just under 6dB around the 12kHZ area.

With the AIR switch set disengaged, the performance of the LCT 140 AIR is quite flat, and perfectly useable for overheads. 

We set ours up in a spaced pair over our kit and recorded the same part with each setting. With the AIR switch engaged, we get a little more sizzle, and perhaps even a slightly wider sound when we hard-pan them on playback.

The low-cut switch is great for fighting unwanted, potentially feedback-inducing frequencies in a live environment, and also works well if you’re using your overheads more as ‘cymbal’ mics than a full representation of the kit. Otherwise, you might want to leave it in the neutral position. 

Finally, we have the dynamic mics, which individually retail for a hair under the price of everyone’s go-to ‘instrument’ mic, the Shure SM57. The MTP 440 DM follows a similar physical form to a 57, but with a little more dome to the top, which could arguably help to protect it from accidentally bearing the brunt of a backbeat. This of course comes at a slight cost in terms of size, making it a little more intrusive than the standard, but during our time using it, we didn’t find it to get in the way at all. It’s rugged, too, and while we wouldn’t recommend routinely drop-testing microphones of any kind, we think the metal casing will more than stand up to the rigours of gigging without any problem.

Response wise, it’s very similar to our 57, but with a little more brightness. It’s a very uncoloured sound that isn’t imposing very much of its own character on the sound, and we found it to work equally well as the bottom snare mic. It’s solid, both in terms of sound and its build.

If you’ve ever placed microphones on your toms, you’ll be aware of a couple of things - bleed, and the likely need to EQ them. The first one is, in many ways unavoidable, due to the close proximity of our drums when set up, not forgetting that the drum kit as a whole is an instrument and some bleed is what helps to make it sound natural. However, too much bleed can cause real problems when it comes to processing and balancing the toms, and if it’s really bad then you could end up with phase problems detracting from each drum’s output. So, Lewitt has made the DTP 340 TT mics with a hypercardioid polar pattern. This is tighter than the regular cardioid pattern, so the mic will pick up in a more directional way, eliminating spill from other sources. It’s not going to stop bleed, but it does reduce it, which can really help to keep things cleaner when you have seven mics in a small space.

This is the same pattern used by Audix on its popular D2 and D4 tom microphones, and similarly to those models, the DTP 340 features a more tailored frequency response. Which brings us to the second point about tom mics. Essentially, what you get is a flat mid-range, with peaks either side in the lower and upper frequency ranges. The result is punchy and clear without applying EQ, but with plenty of scope for applying more afterwards if you want to start chipping away at the sometimes-boxy midrange. The DTP 340 is small, but not stubby, making it easy to position without the cable getting too close to your cymbals, or getting into the danger zone on smaller toms.

Lewitt Beat Kit Pro review: Verdict

Lewitt has put together an excellent set with the Beat Kit Pro, and it feels like a collection of mics that has been designed for drums, rather than repurposing already-available, disparate products and putting them in a case. 

The DTP 640 REX and LCT 140 AIR offer a lot of useful options that, after some experimentation, will allow you to find your preferred sounds quickly. The snare and tom mics, on the other hand, offer a more instantaneous sound that works, requiring very little tweaking in terms of positioning. 

If you intend to use this set live, you’ll want to look after the proprietary cable for the bass drum mic, or consider buying a spare in case you lose it, and if you’re likely to want to use the filter switches on the 640, we’d recommend double checking their positions before you place the mic inside the drum!

Our only real complaint with the Beat Kit Pro relates to the included holders. We placed these on a mix of die-cast and triple-flanged hoops, and fresh out of the box it was a struggle to get the claw to stretch wide enough to grab the rim securely. We managed it, but not without gritting our teeth in fear of breaking it. Admittedly, the holder didn’t break, nor show any real signs of doing so, and we did find that after each one had been placed on a hoop, it became easier to remove/refit it in time.

Overall, the Beat Kit Pro is an impressive, rugged mic set that incorporates – and builds on – some of our favourite design points from popular drum mics, as well as bringing its own identity. It’s no small outlay, but it’s also reasonable for what’s included. We’re confident that it’s an offering that will have you more than covered for both live and recording situations.

Lewitt Beat Kit Pro review: Hands-on demos

Lewitt

Spectre Sound Studios

Trey Xavier

Lewitt Beat Kit Pro review: Specification

• Type: Drum microphone set
• Number of microphones: Seven
• Microphone types: 1X dual-element bass drum microphone (dynamic and condenser), 2x small-diaphragm condensers, 3x dynamic tom microphones, 1x dynamic snare/instrument mic
• Accessories: 2x microphone stand clips, 4x rim-mount holders and clips, ABS gig case, 5-pin XLR cable for DTP 640 REX
• Contact: Lewitt

Starting a new instrument is an exciting time, particularly when that instrument is a shiny new drum kit. But with so much already to consider in terms of shells, heads, cymbals, hardware, pedals and more, it can be easy to forget one of the most important parts of a new drummers’ toolkit: your sticks. With so much choice we want to help you overcome option paralysis with this guide to the best drumsticks for beginners.

For drummers, sticks are the primary form of contact between yourself and your instrument. A decent pair of sticks is an essential tool to begin your drumming journey, but how best to navigate a potential minefield of different options, sizes, materials, weights and colours? This guide aims to help budding drummers choose their perfect first pair.

This writer was a beginner once - and has taught many beginners - so knows exactly what to look for in a pair of beginner-friendly sticks. Let's take a look.

Best drumsticks for beginners: Product guide

Best drumsticks for beginners: Buying advice

How to choose the best drumsticks for beginners

To the uninitiated, a pair of sticks is just that – a couple of pieces of wood used for beating the tar out of a drum kit. Those in the know however will appreciate the considerable and tangible difference that just a few millimetres in the length or thickness of the sticks can make. Not only does this affect the feel and playability of the stick but also the tone that it draws from the drums and cymbals.

How we choose the products for this guide

Here at MusicRadar, we are experts in our field, with many years of playing, creating and product testing between us. We live and breathe everything music gear related, and we draw on this knowledge and experience of using products in live, recording and rehearsal scenarios when selecting the products for our guides.

When choosing what we believe to be the best drumsticks for beginners available right now, we combine our hands-on experience, user reviews and testimonies and engage in lengthy discussions with our editorial colleagues to reach a consensus about the top products in any given category.

First and foremost, we are musicians, and we want other players to find the right product for them. So we take into careful consideration everything from budget to feature set, ease of use and durability to come up with a list of what we can safely say are the best drumsticks for beginners on the market right now.

Find out more about how we test music gear and services at MusicRadar.

Related buyer's guides

• Best drum practice pads: sharpen your chops
• Best beginner drum sets: entry-level acoustic drum kits
• Best beginner electronic drum sets: affordable kits to get you started
• Easy drum songs every beginner should learn

You’re sweating, you haven’t slept properly in days, and you’re pretty sure that you’ve been talking to yourself.

Your search history is an endless stream of forums and reviews, and you’ve discovered that against all the odds you’re able to carry multiple completely opposing opinions in your head at the same time. You’re pretty sure that you’re about to lose it completely, possibly in a public place. You’re scared.

What you’re suffering from is a standard case of GAS, or Gear Acquisition Syndrome, and you are not alone. Every musician has suffered from this affliction at some point. It’s the all-consuming desire to expand your collection of gear, and it gets us all eventually. Bank balances have been battered and marriages destroyed, but by god there’s been some lovely gear bought.

Our handy guide to the seven stages of GAS will help you understand the signs and treat the symptoms of the syndrome. Read on, and remember: it’s going to be OK…

1. Dissatisfaction

There was a time when you loved everything about your guitar: the perfect finish, the way the neck seemed custom moulded to your hand, how it sounded when you let rip.

But of late, every time you see it you just… hate it. It makes you feel sick, like every other guitarist is playing something better and laughing at you behind your back. You feel cheated. 

Your guitar simply isn’t as pretty as all those other guitars, the ones online and in the guitar magazines that have prettier finishes and raunchier pickups. The grass is greener - and so is that surf-coloured Fender you've been hankering after.

2. Desire

You’ve seen the guitar you want, and it’s embedded in your brain like a want-splinter. Only this guitar can bring happiness. With it in your hands, your playing will improve and you’ll become a sexual colossus.

Without it, the future is bleak: your family will leave you, women will smirk behind your back and men will laugh in your face [exchange as appropriate for your sexual orientation].

You don’t just want it, you need it, to the point that you’re not entirely sure you’ll survive without it. It’s time to start edging towards making this new purchase a reality. To the Google machine!

3. 'Research'

If there’s one thing that defines the 21st century shopping experience, it’s the paralysing indecision that comes after a couple of hours spent poring over reviews of a product that you thought you wanted.

For musicians, the problem is much, much worse. Everyone - everyone - will have an opinion on your potential purchase, regardless of whether they’ve played it or not. 

One minute you’ll be feeling positive having read a lengthy, seemingly well-informed review, the next you'll see 200 comments below it that systematically destroy every positive point.

This is GAS crunch time. For those with a low-level infestation, the internet is usually enough to delay the idea of buying another guitar or synth, at least for a few weeks. But if the GAS is strong with you, no amount of online snark can alter the course you’re on.

These people don't know, after all. They won't love it like you will. And, besides, there's a finance plan. A finance PLAN. What could go wrong?

4. The purchase!

You know what you want, and you know what you’re willing to pay. All you’ve got to do now is ring every guitar shop within a 200-mile radius to check their stock and get moving.

After a few false starts, you finally stand before the gear you’ve been lusting after, and it is glorious. You ask the guy at the counter if you can try it, desperately trying to appear like you couldn’t care less, but your hands are sweating and you’re starting to shake.

The first strum is like a bolt of lightning: this is the one. This is the guitar that will change your life and quite possibly the entire course of musical history. It is going to make everything alright for everybody.

You begin the process of haggling with the guy behind the counter, but your heart isn’t really in it and he knows it. He offers you a paltry discount and you take it, because you’ve been blinded by love - and the awesome power of destiny.

Plastic is brandished and hard cases are sought. Your heart is close to bursting with joy. Inevitably, it won’t last…

5. Guilt

As soon as you leave the shop it hits you like a Strat to the balls: the all-consuming, crippling guilt. You’ve just dropped more cash on a guitar than you’ve ever spent on your partner, your mother or your wardrobe.

You’re not sure where you’re going to find the rent, there’s no food in the house and, obviously, your music career is paying precisely nothing.

For the next week, the guilt ruins your enjoyment of the lovely new guitar. You can barely even look at it for the shame, so you hide the shiny harlot under the bed. Whenever you think about it too much, you want to cry, but nobody has any sympathy for the man that buys expensive things that he can’t really afford.

This is basically how the credit crunch started. 

You are a sub-prime guitar-owner and it’s a cruel world. In penance, and because it's all your bank balance allows, you eat mainly beans.

6. Acceptance

It could be hours, days or even weeks (if you’re particularly unlucky) before the guilt lifts, but when it does you’re in for a treat.

For the beautiful instrument that you have lusted after, lost sleep over and nearly bankrupted yourself in attaining is finally yours to enjoy (providing you keep up the repayments).

Rejoice, consumer! You have temporarily satisfied your soul with a lovely New Thing! But better than that, you finally own the guitar of your dreams, the guitar that you’ll make your masterpiece with and take to your grave. Hooray! Except…

7. Relapse

The seventh, cruellest stage of GAS can hit anywhere between a year to eighteen months after the purchase, although the time passed invariably depends on the amount of cash spent and the amount of meals you've had to eat from a tin as a consequence.

If the purchase was relatively small - an effects pedal, say - then you can expect to experience GAS relatively quickly. You'll be on the bus home and looking up potential stompbox brethren on your smart phone without even realising it.

A high-end guitar? Well, you've probably brought yourself six months, maybe even a year or two. Eventually, though, the sense of glory diminishes, it gets harder to pick up and you could swear the finish is looking dull. 

Actually, you recall, that vintage guitar shop has just opened down the road - you'll just pop in and pick up some polish.

After all, what's the worst that could happen?

There's a raft of early Independence Day celebrations rolling in all over the US, and with them, some big, big sales. Historically, the 4th of July has always been a great opportunity to get discounts on homewares, tech and maybe the odd piece of furniture, but now you can save big on a huge range of guitar gear too. Until July 6, Guitar Center is offering up to 35% off over 800 products as part of its July 4th sales.

It's rare for us to see sales this big outside of the main sales seasons such as Black Friday or Amazon Prime Day, but this sale is offering some serious discounts that you won't want to miss out on. If you want to buy yourself a new electric guitar, acoustic guitar, electronic drum set, snare drum or PA speaker and don't want to wait until Black Friday to do so, now's your chance.

Although this sale is full of total bangers, we've got a few faves of our own we'd love to share. There's $250 off the humbucker-equipped Limited Edition Fender HSS Stratocaster which is now only $799 and has a luscious ebony fingerboard, an epic $200 off the Alesis Crimson II SE 9-piece electronic drum set with mesh heads, which is now only $899, $100 off the Casio CDP-S100 compact digital piano which is now only $349, and a wholesome $66 off the Ludwig Black Magic Black Nickel Brass snare drum - which is a 14"x6.5" beast, and will now only set you back $249.

There's also a sweet $100 off the Fender Ltd Ed Hot Rod Deluxe IV in Lacquered Tweed, which is now only $999.

For the bassists among us, there's $130 off the gorgeous double humbucker-equipped Sterling by Music Man StingRay Ray4HH bass in Chopper Blue, which now only costs $299, or if you'd rather shrink things down a bit, there's $150 off the Sterling StingRay short scale bass in Vintage Sunburst, which is now only $449.

Like we said, this deal is only live until July 6th - so don't miss out.

Related buying guides

• Love a bargain? These are the best cheap electric guitars
• And these are the best cheap acoustic guitars
• No more 'drawing it in': the best cheap MIDI keyboards
• Want more tech on a budget? These are the best cheap microphones
• And the best budget podcasting microphones

•GEAR EXPO SUMMER 2022: all the latest gear from NAMM and beyond

Welcome to Gear Expo Summer 2022. THE place where bands, artists, engineers and producers discover what new gear they’ll be lusting over for the year to come. 

Here, we'll pull together all the excitement from the NAMM Show (finally) taking place in California USA, alongside hot exclusives from all the big names beyond the show, and massive round-ups of all the freshest music gear emerging in 2022.

Whatever it is, wherever it is and whoever is making, rest assured that it we've got it covered right here.

First things first...

What is the NAMM Show and why is 2022 such a big deal?

The NAMM show is THE biggest music gear show in the world and with the last two years of shows being cancelled due to Covid, all eyes and ears are on this year's show to finally give us back what we've missed.

Traditionally the NAMM show comes in two distinct shapes and sizes. Winter NAMM (usually taking place in late January) has always been the big one, taking place in Anaheim, California (just along the way from Disneyland). It’s the place for the big reveal as all the major gear companies have all their engineers and inventors locked into an annual cycle of new developments and updates, just for January and NAMM.

Summer NAMM in Nashville has been a bit more come and go over the years. If the trade demands it the show flexes and bulges to accommodate. And, hey, who doesn’t love a trip to Nashville?

The BIG one is BACK

BUT with the past two years of shows being cancelled due to the pandemic, Summer NAMM 2022 just got powered up to the max. Get set for NAMM: The Comeback Special!

Taking place in its usual (much larger) winter venue – The Anaheim Convention Centre – the all-new Summer 2022 show is the biggest Summer NAMM ever as gear makers get to finally flex their creative muscle in public and show us what they’ve been up to during lockdown.

Naturally the MusicRadar team are on the show floor from curtain up to curtain down (and beyond) bringing you all the gear and celebs from the show itself as well as more than a few parties and top secret reveals in the Anaheim and LA area.

PLUS we've got the inside track from all the big names who won't be at this years show.

And we're pulling the whole lot together for our Gear Expo Summer 2022 online event!

All you've got to do is keep an eye out for our Gear Expo Summer 2022 flags and banners on the site and bookmark our hub page to make sure that you don't miss a thing from the biggest show in the world and beyond.

Want to get started? Take a look at our pick of pre-NAMM rumours and must-sees right here.

At the time of his death in 2018, Vinnie Paul had been playing ddrum acoustic kits for a decade, and while he preferred the organic sound of his kit in the studio, Vinnie regularly used triggers to bolster his live sound against walls of heavy guitars and bass. Now, for 2022, triggering pioneer ddrum has announced the release of its new Vinnie Paul signature series drum triggers.

With a metal chassis and form similar to ddrum's Acoustic Pro range, the Vinnie Paul series triggers are finished in satin black, with a white Vinnie Paul logo and signature graphic. ddrum says that they feature improved transducers for increased sensitivity, with an updated wiring harness and staple ddrum XLR output.

The triggers are offered individually - with dual-zone snare, single-zone tom and single-zone kick models - or as a six-piece Tour Pack comprising snare, 3x tom and a pair of kick triggers as well as a Y-cable for the snare triggers, 5x ddrum 6999 XLR cables, and a foam-lined hard shell case.

"I’ve learned over the years that nothing beats the sound of triggered drums mixed with real tones coming out of a PA system." Vinnie told Modern Drummer in 2010. 

"I still like the top end of the real drums because it’s so much more real sounding then if you use just triggered sounds by themselves. Those can sound like a computer: “dat, dat, dat, dat, dat.”  

The ddrum Vinnie Paul Triggers have an MSRP price of $79 (tom trigger) and $109 (snare and kick triggers), or $699 for the Vinnie Paul Trigger Tour Pack. However, we're expecting street prices to be in line with ddrum's current listed prices of $59/$79/$499 respectively.   

GEAR EXPO 2022: While big-ticket items such as new kits, fancy electronics and shiny new snares are top of our wishlist, it’s the smaller stuff that we all purchase regularly to make our time at the kit simpler and more enjoyable. 

This January there’s plenty to get excited about. Here are our highlights of the hottest accessory releases for 2022 so far. 

Vic Firth Bluetooth Isolation Headphones

Vic Firth’s Isolation Headphones have been a hit wit drummers for years - whether it’s the mute hearing protectors, or speaker-equipped models. For 2022, Vic Firth is responding to requests from drummers to add wireless capability to the line-up, with the Vic Firth Bluetooth Isolation Headphones.

The closed design drops ambient noise by 20 decibels, so you’ll only hear the sound you want in your ears. As well as Bluetooth 5.0, they’re equipped with a 50mm Mylarcon speaker, a rechargeable battery offering up to 20 hours of use, plus you can still connect them via the included cable if you need to.  

Evans Snare Tune-up Kits

Evans is looking to rejuvenate your snare drum this year with the introduction of its Snare Tune-Up Kits. Available in two flavours - with either a UV1 or Calftone batter head - the kit also includes a whole host of accessories for caring for your snare.

Inside, you’ll find an Evans 300 Snare Side head, Puresound snare wires (Custom Pros with the UV1, Concert with the Calftone kit), Evans Branded Microfiber cloth, drum key, Lug Lube and Hardware Polish, Barney Beats-branded ProMark Rebound 5A drumsticks, a Snare Side 300 drumhead and a pair of Evans EQ Pods dampening gels. 

Meinl Drum Tech Kit

If you’ve ever found yourself in a mid-gig gear emergency, then Meinl’s Drum Tech Kit could be the most important release this year. The 40-piece accessory bundle is packaged in a handy container, keeping all the spares that you’re likely to lose or break to hand. 

It comes with cymbal stand sleeves and felts, washers, rubber O-rings, a variety of replacement tension rods and screws, cymbal stand wingnuts and more.  

Tama Electronic Pad Stand & Electronic Pad Holder

Electronic and hybrid drum setups are becoming more and more popular each year, and Tama has announced two new products to help integrate your electronic gear into your acoustic setup for 2022.

First up, the Tama Electronic Pad Stand is a full, double-braced stand with a tripod base. It not only allows Tama hardware completists to match the rest of their setup, but offers greater flexibility over positioning thanks to its included boom arm - which will support the weight of a sample pad such as a Roland SDP-SX or Alesis Strike MultiPad.

If you’d prefer, Tama has also made the boom arm section available as a product in its own right with the Electronic Pad Holder. This features the same ratchet holder, capable of gripping a 12mm-24.5mm tube, but can attach to a stand of you choice thanks to the integrated Fast-Clamp.

ddrum Vinnie Paul Triggers

The drumming world lost a true legend in 2018 with the death of Pantera/Hellyeah/Damageplan’s Vinnie Paul Abbott. At the time of his death, Vinnie had been playing ddrum acoustic kits for a decade, while he added triggers to his live kit to help cut through the wall of heavy guitars and bass.

For 2022, ddrum has honoured Vinnie Paul with a range of signature triggers, available individually or as a Tour Pack set. Based on ddrum’s Acoustic Pro series, the Vinnie Paul triggers feature a satin black finish, along with printed Vinnie Paul badges.   

They feature improved transducer designs for increased sensitivity, and the familiar ddrum XLR socket for tour-tough connections and are available for snare (dual-zone) toms (single zone) and kick (single zone). 

ddrum’s VP Tour Pack includes 2x kick triggers, 3x tom trigger and one snare trigger, as well as a Y cable for the snare, 5x 6999 cables for the rest of the pack. The Tour Pack comes in a foam-padded hard shell road case.

There’s a lot going on in the world right now, but one of the more unusual news stories to emerge this week centres around sound replacement in professional darts broadcasts.

Tony Churnside, who’s describes himself in his Twitter profile as “Radio maker. Immersive/interactive audio expert. Sound PhD. Sound Design.” took to the social media platform to make the claim that the sound we hear through our TV speakers when a dart hits a dartboard is actually, in fact, a bass drum sample.

Tony made the revelation in response to a tweet from UberFacts, which asked “What company secrets can you reveal, now that you don’t work for the company anymore?”

His tweet read, “When watching darts on TV the sound as the dart hits the board is made with a contact mic mounted behind the board which triggers a sample of a kick drum. You may not have had your head that close to a dart board before, but a small point going into felt doesn’t go “thud”.

The tweet found its way to BBC Radio 1’s Greg James, who discussed it on his show, tweeting a clip of him reading Tony’s tweet accompanied by the caption “This is the biggest scandal of the day”.

James later followed-up with his own on-air ‘investigation’ on Wednesday, reading an email from Dave Allen, Head of Media for the Professional Darts Corporation which disputed the claim.

“Unfortunately, it’s not true that it’s a kick drum." Allen says. "There are four holes in the wooden backboard and these have microphones in them to pick up the sound. They’re behind the 20, 19, 6, 11. If people listen carefully they can hear the difference between his, ie. the triple-20 is different to the double-18, for instance.”

However James also contacted original tweeter, Tony Churnside, who pointed James towards a Radio 4 documentary, where BBC Sound Superviser, Andy James is quoted saying, 

“Darts is all about fun, so you know, we like to have a bit of fun with the sound. So what we do is we use the real sound of the dart hitting the board to trigger some samples. 

"We play around with kick drums, snare drums, dustbins falling over, anything else we can find. It just adds a bit of fun, really, to what can get a bit repetitive.” 

Meanwhile, Greg James has vowed to continue his so-far inconclusive investigation. 

Thomann is having a Big Xmas Giveaway, with over €1,500 of cutting-edge studio and recording equipment up for grabs, and the prize draw is open from 4pm CET/3pm UK today (Saturday 18 December).

Tune into the video above and let the hosts of Thomann Studio & Recording YouTube channel Sensho, Captain Pikant and Doctor Mix explain more, and introduce all of the gear that you can win. 

But if you need a little more time to pore over which prize you would like to win most, you can of course check out the full list here.

To enter, just head over to the Thomann Studio & Recording YouTube channel, hit subscribe, like the video and leave a comment letting them know which prize you would like to win. It is that easy.

The contest closes on January 1st at 11.59pm CET (10.59pm UK time), with the winners announced via pinned comment underneath the video on January 3rd 2022.

Good luck!

Terms & conditions: The giveaway runs from December 18th 2021 until January 1st 2022 at 11.59pm CET. The winners will be raffled on January 3rd and will be announced via pinned comment underneath this video ONLY! 

Make sure to subscribe to the Thomann Studio & Recording YouTube channel, like this video and leave a comment below, which content you'd like to see more of in the future and which of the products you'd like to win, in order to participate in our giveaway. Good luck!!

Thomann has announced a huge €5000 drum gear giveaway, and you can enter from 4pm CET/3pm UK today (Monday 6 December).

There's a tasty run-down of the gear up for grabs in the video above, and you can drool over the full list on Thomann's handy prize page.

To be in with a chance to win, simply head over to the Thomann Drum Bash youtube channel, hit subscribe and leave a comment on the prize draw video. 

Good luck!

The contest closes on December 20th at 6pm CET, and winners will be announced via pinned comment underneath the video on December 22nd 2021.

Terms & conditions: The giveaway runs from December 6th to December 20th 2021 at 6pm CET. In order to win, you have to subscribe to our Drum Bash YouTube channel and leave a comment below, which content you want to see more of in the future and what you'd like to win. The winners will be announced via pinned comment underneath this video ONLY on December 22nd 2021.

Despite the day itself being almost three weeks away, the Black Friday music deals are already in full swing. And here at MusicRadar HQ, we’re scouring the internet for the best deals on music equipment we can find, so you can bag your next piece of gear for less.

And this killer deal over at Musician’s Friend might be one of the best we’ve seen yet. Until Sunday (November 14), you can save a cool 15% off a selected, but impressively large range of music gear – from electric guitars to electronic drum sets to microphones – simply by using the code ‘HOLIDAY’ when you checkout. Honestly, in some cases, this could mean hundreds of dollars worth of savings, so if you’re in the market for some new gear, don’t hesitate because this deal isn’t hanging around for long.

We’ve highlighted what we think are a few of the very best bargains from the offer below, but you can head over to Musician’s Friend now and have a browse for yourself.

• Explore more Musician's Friend Black Friday deals

You might well be familiar with Elise Trouw thanks to her creative YouTube mash-ups which include live looping, sonic experimentations and even a collaborative reimagining of Metallica’s Enter Sandman alongside Travis Barker. Now, the drummer/multi-instrumentalist has teamed-up with Vater to release her own signature drum sticks.

Using a 7A grip as its starting point, the Vater Elise Trouw model is made from hickory and features a 16” length, rounded wood tip and custom pink finish as well as Elise Trouw’s logo. Vater reckons the sticks are “suitable across the full range of drumming experience from young beginners to advanced players alike”

Trouw says of the sticks, “I wanted to make a pair of stick that the nine-year-old in me would love. Working with Vater, we have made sticks that are also perfect for me today.” 

The Vater Elise Trouw signature sticks are available now from your preferred Vater dealer.

The right drum throne choice will make a significant difference to a drummer’s performance, whether that’s in the studio, in the rehearsal room or on stage. If you've ever tried playing an intense gig or long studio session on one of those wobbly, unsupportive drum thrones, you already know: what you sit on behind the kit really matters.

Your drum throne (or drum stool, as they’re also known) is the only part of your kit that physically connects you to every stroke, and grounds your body to the groove you’re playing. In this guide to the best drum thrones I’ve rounded-up the highest-rated options on the market right now, from no-nonsense essentials to boutique-level builds designed with spinal health and style in mind.

Whether you're piecing together your first home setup, upgrading from that raggedy old seat you’ve had since school, or you’re a touring pro who needs something rugged, there’s a pick here for you.

When it comes to picking the right drum throne, your build, how you sit, and how long you’re going to be there are all massive factors. Your height, weight, preferred seat shape, and even the kind of height adjustment you find least annoying will all play a role (I break all of that down properly in the FAQs section below).

A few standout thrones are worth spotlighting right out the gate. If you’re after no-nonsense comfort at a sensible price, the Gibraltar 9608 has earned its reputation as the go-to budget throne. It’s solid, dependable, and built for long sessions without breaking the bank. For most drummers, this throne will be just fine. However, drummers dealing with lower back fatigue or injury should look to the Ahead Spinal G: its spinal relief channel and memory foam top offer proper support without turning your setup into a chiropractor’s office.

And my personal favourite? The best drum stool for all-round comfort and adjustability is the Tama 1st Chair Ergo. That comfortable design really does take the pressure off, and the height system is quick and precise. This is the best gig and budget-friendly option I’ve tried.

Quick list

Best overall

The Tama Ergo gets so much right, it's hard to know where to begin. Can’t decide between a round and a saddle seat? This banger gives you the best of both worlds. With its eye-catching design, thick cushioning and cloth cover, it’s as classy as it is comfortable.

As well as featuring a hydraulic lifting mechanism for speedy positioning, it includes a two-piece locking hinge to make sure your seat remains firmly in place at all times: there’s no irritating wobble here.

Throw in a sturdy three-legged base and oversized rubber feet, and you’ll start to understand why Tama’s drum throne is such a popular choice among sticksmen everywhere. The thing about Tama gear - it just works. Designed by their consistent team in Japan, this drum throne is fit for rhythmic royalty.

Best budget

Reliable, sturdy, and absolutely no drama - the Gibraltar 9608E is a classic. It’s got a cushy round top, a heavy-duty tripod base, and a rock-solid feel. No gimmicks, just a well-built throne that works. In most cases, this throne will do the job for anyone who just needs a decent throne.

I’ve used this particular throne on many a tour. The 9608E was an essential part of my touring kit from 2014-2019, when I toured all around the world with Hannah Williams and the Affirmations.

Best with a backrest

Okay. Let’s just get this out of the way now: this seat is expensive. At roughly $/£400 (maybe a little less if you’re lucky), this piece of kit does not come cheap. For those of you who have not just spat out your coffee, read on. Comfort and functionality combine to make the Roadster D3500BR one of the best drum thrones you can buy right now.

Featuring multi-core foam technology and a computer-tempered seat top that eases the pressure while you sit at the kit, it’s a real treat for your backside. But that’s just the start. The throne’s seat-locking mechanism can be reversed to allow the top to spin (without changing the height) or lock in place, depending on your preference.

And the Roadster D3500BR also comes with an adjustable backrest for optimal support while you bash out those beats. If you’re after lumbar support, the Roadster D3500BR is a no-brainer. The adjustable backrest offers serious comfort for seated playing - especially for heavier rock drummers, and anyone putting in long hours behind the kit.

Best for live

Ask any drummer who’s made the switch to a Porter & Davies BC-X, and they’ll tell you they wouldn’t be without it. So, what’s all the fuss about? Well, not only does this throne offer a very comfortable driving position, it’s also loaded with a transducer. When hooked up to the included BC-X engine, it’ll pump your miked-up bass drum or electronic drum kit straight through your hide and into your skeleton (seriously!) for bass that you can not only hear but feel, too.

The BC-X is the most affordable offering from Porter & Davies, so those looking for a different-shaped seat will need to go up in price range. It’s also worth noting that the BC-X doesn’t include a base as standard, although many retailers offer bundled options to make purchasing easy.

Best for real estate

If you’ve never tried a square throne, don’t knock it until you do. Roc n Soc’s square seat offers more real estate and better movement for some players - especially if you’re using heel-toe or swivel techniques. Furthermore, you just know that any drum throne with that famous Roc-N-Soc logo etched onto it is going to be a dream to sit on, and the Square doesn’t disappoint.

Comprising a high-grade foam cushion clad in a stylish velour and vinyl covering, this handcrafted stool is credited with reducing fatigue on the lower back and legs. If you want to make the Square even more comfy, you could upgrade it with a Roc-N-Soc backrest. Just bear in mind that you’ll need to budget for a base, since this drum throne doesn’t come with one.

Best for back pain

This throne is a lifesaver for players with back issues. The split seat relieves spinal pressure, while the memory foam cushion adapts to your shape. It’s one of the few thrones out there that’s actually designed with biomechanics in mind.

And just to be clear - no, it’s not a tribute to Spinal Tap - the G stands for ‘glide’. It is so-named because of its ability to minimise spinal pain.

Boasting an 18”-wide memory foam seat, this throne has a gap running through the middle that allows the coccyx to “hang naturally, rather than being compressed”. With a height range of 18 – 24”, the Spinal-G can be adjusted to suit. It’s expensive, but ideal if you’re prone to posture problems.

Best for kids

We are aware that some beginner drum kits will come with a ‘hardware pack’, so that your little one can get playing right out of the box. I’m all for that - it’s an excellent thing for sure. At some point though, an upgrade will do wonders for their posture and pedal discipline.

Built for smaller frames, the MDT4 is a great choice for younger drummers. It’s lightweight, easy to move, and offers a surprising amount of stability for a compact throne. Not to mention, it retails at around $/£40, making it a very budget friendly upgrade to make.

The only thing to note with these Millennium thrones is that the legs have a tendency to grow slack if moved about too much, since there is no locking nut for them. So parents, this is something to keep an eye on. As long as it isn’t being thrown in and out of cars too often, and is being used for daily practice rather than gigs, this throne should survive many a band practice and jam session!

Also try

FAQs

How we choose the best drum thrones

Here at MusicRadar, we are experts in our field, with many years of playing, creating and product testing between us. We live and breathe everything music gearrelated, and we draw on this knowledge and experience of using products in live, recording and rehearsal scenarios when selecting the products for our guides.

When choosing what we believe to be the best drum thrones available right now, we combine our hands-on experience, user reviews and testimonies and engage in lengthy discussions with our editorial colleagues to reach a consensus about the top products in any given category.

First and foremost, we are musicians, and we want other players to find the right product for them. So we take into careful consideration everything from budget to feature set, ease of use and durability.

Find out more about how we test music gear and services at MusicRadar.

Why trust us?

MusicRadar first launched in 2007 and has been an authority on drum gear ever since, rigorously testing the majority of key launches since day one. The site is run by a diverse team of passionate musicians who live to gig, record and jam, alongside a core group of trusted specialist freelance writers. We understands what players need, because we’re players ourselves, and we test from this perspective.

Our team have been testing music gear for 18+ years, constantly refining our methodology, delving deeper into products and drawing on our experience of what has come before to understand today’s products better than anyone.

Read more:

• The best drumsticks for beginners to pros
• The best bass drum pedals for all budgets
• Sharpen your chops with the best drum practice pads
• The best low volume cymbals for quieter drum practice

Gear 2021: Drum Workshop Inc. has announced Drum Day LA for 2021: a free online event showcasing new products from DW, Gretsch, PDP and Latin Percussion, artist performances and more.

Taking place on February 5 (starting at 12:00 noon PST), the event will be live streamed from DW’s YouTube channel, with segments of the day available to re-watch on the individual brands’ channels afterwards for those who can’t make it.

As well as all the new gear from the DW stable, Drum Day LA will include a factory tour with John Good, plus the chance for viewers to chat with product experts using YouTube’s chat section. 

Of course, there’s a whole host of artist performances lined up too, including Keith Carlock and Gergo Bolai - who both have newly announced Gretsch signature snares - Stanton Moore, Thomas Lang, Tony Royster Jr and many more. 

DW’s John Good says “This has been such a challenging time for the entire world.  Each year we look forward to seeing our friends from near and far—and since we couldn’t get together in person this year, we felt it might be nice to carry on with the help of technology.”

Gear 2021: As well as its new Club-Jam Suitcase and Cocktail-JAM compact drum kits, plus the re-introduction of the Starclassic Performer, Tama has added a number of new finishes across its drum set line-up for 2021.

Tama STAR new finishes

First up are the new finish options to the flagship STAR Bubinga, STAR Maple and STAR Walnut series’ with Sunset Australian Acacia Burst, Emerald Sea Curly Maple Burst and Roasted Chestnut respectively.

Tama Starclassic new finishes

Meanwhile, each of the Starclassic ranges feature new options: Surf Green Silk Duracover wrap (Starclassic Maple), Lacquer Shamrock Oyster (Starclassic Walnut/Birch) and Caramel Aurora in the newly re-introduced Starclassic Performer line.

Tama Superstar, Imperialstar and Club JAM Flyer new finishes

Finally, Tama has added Gloss Lacebark Pine Fade as an Exotic lacquer to the Superstar Classic, Natural Zebrawood Wrap to the Imperialstar and Aqua Blue to its Club-JAM Flyer compact kit.

Gear 2021: Drummers: do you know where your drum key is? Going by the growing trend for high-end drum keys, we’d say that you probably do. If, like ours, your key disappears with your guitarist’s plectrums the moment you turn your back, Groovetech’s new DK Multi might be a good solution. It’s a multi-tool aimed at making sure you’re never without the most common tools you need to tweak your drums and hardware on-the-fly.

Incorporating a drum key and three common-sized hex wrenches (2mm, 2.5mm, 3mm), the drum key part of the DK Multi is forged rather than cast, while the rest of the ‘skeleton’ is made from chromed vanadium steel, covered in a polypropylene jacket to enhance grip comfort.

What’s more, Groovetech has managed to fit this into a footprint “about the same” as a normal drum key: a move that it reckons will make this. “your new favourite key”.

The Groovetech DK Multi is available now, with a suggested retail price of $12.95 (around £10). 

GEAR 2021: Adding to its Byzance Trash Crashes and Classics Custom Dark Heavy announcements, Meinl has also unleashed a number of accessories for 2021. Included in the haul of new releases are a Byzance drum key, drum rugs, cymbal rivets, expanded Drum Honey dampening dots and more!

Meinl Byzance Drum Key

Resembling an ornate antique more than a simple drum tuning tool, you won’t want to misplace this Byzance key. It’s plated with an antique bronze finish, featuring the Byzance logo on one side and the Meinl logo on the other. There’s also a hole for attaching a keyring to ensure it’s always close to hand (and that you don’t lose it!).

Meinl drum rugs

Adding to Meinl’s range of drum rugs, are four new additions in two finishes and sizes. There’s the Oriental: Meinl’s take on the classic and almost obligatory studio rug, plus additions to Meinl’s more subtle ‘black’ rugs.

All feature a non-slip rubber backing to avoid the dreaded bass drum-creep, and each rug comes with its own strap and bag for easy packing and transportation.

Sizes for both finishes are available in large (2m x 2m/6.5ft x 6.5ft) or small (160cm x140cm/5.25ft x4.6ft) sizes.

Meinl X-Hat cymbal stand adaptor

This nifty piece of hardware allows you to convert any 8mm cymbal stand thread into a mount for an X-Hat. Perfect for quickly adding an auxiliary hi-hat or stack to your kit, it also comes with a clutch.  

Meinl Sizzle Rivets

If you’re brave enough to drill your cymbal - or perhaps you have a cracked cymbal you want to repurpose - then Meinl’s new Sizzle Rivets offer an easy-to-install method of adding sizzle to your pies. You simply insert the rivet into your drilled hole, then fold out the two tabs. They’re available in brass or silver nickel.

Drum Honey Assortment  

Meinl’s Drum Honey dampeners are extremely popular, and now they’re available in a multi-pack with a selection of different sizes. The amber-coloured dots are washable, and come in a pack of 12 (6x 0,6”, 4x 1” and 2x 1.4”).

Gear 2021: You may or may not know it, but that character on the old school Evans logo is called Barney Beats, and for 2021, parent company D’Addario is marking their old figurehead with special edition Evans drum practice pad and ProMark sticks in his honour.

The pad is a single-sided, red version of the familiar octagonal RealFeel practice pad, and is the only Evans product to feature the Barney Beats logo. Meanwhile the sticks are a pair of 5As finished in white with red details and natural tips. 

Evans tells us, “Evans Drumheads is thrilled to announce the launch of a Barney Beats Limited Edition RealFeel Practice Pad. Drum Practice Pad sales have significantly increased on eCommerce this year, as quarantine has forced drummers to stay home and practice quietly. 

“This special edition practice pad comes in red and features the iconic Evans Drumheads Barney Beats logo, not printed on any other product. The gummed rubber is slightly thicker than our standard pads providing a unique sound and feel that is more responsive and makes practicing more fun.”

The Evans Barney Beats RealFeel Practice Pad will be available shortly, priced at $34.99.

• Essential drum accessories every player needs

Gear 2021: Ludwig has announced the release of two new additions to the legendary Acrolite series: Acro-Brass and Acro-Copper for drummers who want a slightly different take on the Aluminium classic.

Both snares feature a beaded, seamless shell like the Acrolite we all know and love. However, the Acro-Brass and Acro-Copper use a slightly thinner 1mm shell fitted with 10 lugs (rather than 8) per-side as well as Ludwig P86 throw-off and butt-plate.

• NAMM 2021 is cancelled, but we'll be covering all the big January gear announcements right here on MusicRadar.

Further features include triple-flanged hoops, Ludwig twin bow-tie lugs and aged Keystone badge. Both drums feature a brushed finish with clear lacquer, and are available in 14”x6.5” dimensions.

Price and availability TBC.

GEAR 2021: Usually around this time of year, we're on the ground reporting from the winter NAMM Show, which takes place annually at the Anaheim Convention Center, California, in the middle of January. As in so many ways, though, this year is different.

NAMM 2021: All the big gear news in one place

The sad news is that, like so many events, NAMM 2021 won’t be happening, an inevitable consequence of the ongoing global pandemic. 

But fear not, the big guitar, tech and drum releases are still happening and you can find them all in our NAMM 2021 news hub. 

And although the show won’t be going on, there are a couple of other things to look forward to.

The first is NAMM’s Believe in Music Week, a digital event that promises “a robust marketplace, cutting-edge education, entertainment and live music, and a platform to power our industry’s recovery and support those in need.” As well as being a networking event that will connect buyers and sellers, there will also be Believe in Music TV, which promises “programming to educate and inspire”.

Of course, this won’t quite be the NAMM Show that we all know and love, but there may well be a product launch or two, as some of the biggest names in the industry - the likes of Gibson, Korg, Roland and Yamaha - have signed on to showcase their latest gear. Whatever happens, we’ll be around to tell you about it.

Beyond Believe in Music, MusicRadar is also celebrating the new year with our very own Gear Expo, an online event that takes place on 29 and 30 January. This will gather together all the new products that will inevitably be launched as we crash land into what we’re told will be the sunlit uplands of 2021.

We’ll be bringing you more details after the holiday season. Until then, stay alert, stay safe and stay inside making music.

Allianz

We insure all types of instruments and equipment from guitars to amps, drums to studio gear, we’ve got you covered. From £33 a year, now including free legal protection cover.

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Audient

Audient release next generation iD4 MKII and iD14 MKII audio interfaces along with the EVO Start Recording Bundle

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EastWest Sounds

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IK Multimedia

Presenting UNO Synth Pro – New paraphonic dual-filter analog synthesizers elevate the UNO line to new levels of sound design, flexibility and connectivity.

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Kilohearts

Kilohearts are enabling new generations of successful music producers and sound designers by developing industry-leading, modular audio software with a focus on workflow and creativity. Flagship products include Phase Plant and Multipass.

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Krotos Audio

Dive deep into the immediate and intuitive patch-building workflow of Concept, the creative soft-synth from Krotos.

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KV331 Audio

KV331 Audio updates their flagship software synthesizer SynthMaster to v2.9.9 with major usability improvements.

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Musicians' Union

You are a musician, not an accountant or solicitor.

That’s why you need the Musicians’ Union.

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OEK Sound

Soothe harshness and spiff transients with help from oeksound, a small plug-in company from Helsinki, Finland.

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RockOutLoud

Are you tired of your Virtual Music Lessons sounding terrible?

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Yamaha

Yamaha's new Gear Expo releases join their wealth of offerings across guitars, drums and synths. Here's the latest

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We've been waiting all year for retailers to roll out their best Cyber Monday drum deals, and Sweetwater might have just delivered the drum deal of the week with its monster savings of up to $120 on Roland hybrid gear.

First up is the innovative RT-MicS combined mic/trigger/module. This tiny battery-powered device clips to the rim of your drum and can perform all of its functions at once, giving you eight useful preset sounds including snares, claps percussion and more.

With the MicS you can also import your own samples for triggering, and the onboard mic can blend the sound of your acoustic drum, delivering it direct to a PA system. It's one of the most flexible hybrid drum products on the market and here you can get it for just $99!

• Read more: Roland TM-1 review

Next is the Roland TM-1 trigger module, which gives you easy entry into the world of hybrid drumming. It can run from battery power or mains, and you can hook-up two single-zone triggers or pads, or a single dual-zone trigger or pad for simple and easy hybrid integration. 

The on-board controls give you simple, real-time control over parameters such as pitch, decay, sensitivity and volume, and it comes loaded with 15 kit sounds to help augment your acoustic drums. You can also load in your own samples using Roland's free TM-1 Editor. If you're looking to get started with hybrid drumming, this box will punch well above its $99 deal price. 

Best Cyber Monday drum deals around the web

• Sweetwater | Up to 80% off in their epic sale
• Guitar Center | 15% off qualifying gear with code BLACKFRIDAY15
• Musician’s Friend | Up to 15% off qualifying gear with the code BLACKFRIDAY
• Sam Ash | Up to 15% off with the code TRACK15 in the Black Friday Now sale
• Reverb | Save up to 60% on thousands of pieces of gear all week long
• Pro Audio Star | Save up to 20% with the code CM20
• Zzounds | Shop time-limited Cyber Monday deals
• Amazon | Explore all their latest Cyber Monday deals on EVERYTHING!
• Waves | Save a massive 60% off all plugins and bundle, PLUS buy 2, get 4
• Native Instruments | Save 50% in the Cyber Season Sale
• Plugin Boutique | Black Friday offers from £3.95/$5
• IK Multimedia | Shop all Happy Holideals, up to 50% off
• Loopmasters | Shop all the latest offers 

You’re probably sick of hearing ‘deal this, bargain that’ by now. Maybe you want to go and browse some music gear at your leisure rather than be told which Black Friday music deals you should buy? If that sounds like you, then we’re here to point you in the direction of five music shops who are offering massive discounts on instruments, software and more. What you buy is up to you.

Maybe you’ve been hanging on until now to pick up a new electronic drum set ready for a rhythmic 2021, or perhaps you’re looking to pick up a beginner keyboard for a Christmas present this year. Whatever is on your wishlist, you should have no problem ticking some things off in today’s epic sales.

We’ve rounded up the best ones below. Give them a click, take a browse at your leisure and happy shopping!

Pro Audio Star is getting in the pre-Black Friday music deals spirit in a big way, kicking off a range-wide sales event that will run all the way through November.

Two voucher codes will get you 15% off of all new gear, or a 5% saving on used gear.

The codes will work until the end of the month - check out the details below for savings on all types of music making, recording, audio and DJ gear.

The big day is nearly here, and we're just getting warmed up - keep an eye on MusicRadar for all the latest Black Friday music deals.

• Load up on software with the best Black Friday plugin deals
• Strummers! Explore our pick of the best Black Friday guitar deals
• Drummers! These are the best Black Friday drum deals right now
• Lay your hands on the best Black Friday keyboard piano deals
• Browse the latest Sweetwater Black Friday deals
• Explore the Guitar Center Black Friday deals
• Shop the Musician's Friend Black Friday deals
• Amazon US | Shop all early Black Friday deals
• Amazon UK | Shop all early Black Friday deals

BEST IN DRUMS 2021: With every passing year, the world of electronic percussion gear grows faster and broader. Our shortlist represents a selection of the finest and most innovative products to hit the shelves this year.

Whether you’re a bedroom e-kit player, an electro-acoustic experimenter or a weekend warrior, you were spoiled for choice this year. Find out who made our list and cast your vote below.

Want to have you say in more of our drum polls? View all of the Best in drums 2021 voting categories.

Voting closes at midnight on 21 November.

Replacing drumheads across our entire kit can be an expensive business, but since its launch, Code has strived to make pro-level drumheads accessible to everyone. Its latest addition comes in the form of the Signal range: single-ply heads that Code says are one of its hardest-wearing to-date.

Signal heads are manufactured from a 14-mil PET film ply, and feature Code's Grip-Tight rim technology. According to Code, the combination of the rim design and thick single ply adds up to a mixture of depth, projection and attack that can withstand heavy hitting.

The full Signal range will be offered in coated or smooth white finish options, and will be available from 6" to 24". Signal bass drum heads feature an inner dampening ring to help tame overtones. 

Code Signal 13" and 14" coated snare heads and 22" coated bass drum heads are are available now, with the full range of options becoming available over winter

If you've considered adding electronics to your kit but would prefer an easier solution than separate pads, triggers and a module, DrēmTrigger might just be the answer.

Looking a bit like a digital cowbell from the future, DrēmTrigger is an all-in-one solution comprising an acoustic laser trigger, two independent rubber trigger pads and 16GB of on-board memory.

As well as this, the DrēmTrigger can be used in standalone mode: outputting the audio from its 1/4" jack socket, or as a MIDI controller for a computer via the USB connection. DrēmTrigger is powered by an internal rechargeable battery, further cutting down on the number of cables required.

The unit mounts to your drum like a regular acoustic trigger, but rather than using traditional piezo transducers which make contact with the drum head, DrēmTrigger features a laser-sensing, contactless trigger for fast, crosstalk-free triggering of your samples.

Meanwhile, the two rubber pads are mounted to the top of the trigger, offering a total of three playable sources (including the acoustic trigger). Each of the surfaces can be configured using the included Launch software, with sample assignment and triggering parameters for both pads and the trigger. 

Launch provides a pack of free samples, and your settings can be saved as 'scenes', stored in the DrēmTrigger for instant recall and editing on stage via the DrēmTrigger's controls.

DrēmTrigger is available now in either gun metal grey or matt black finishes, priced at £349 (with finance options also available). 

Roland's TD-1DMK is one of the best beginner electronic drum kits you can buy, so if you're in the market right now, you should definitely take a look at this tempting deal from Sweetwater, complete with bundled PDP 402 double-kick pedal and Vic Firth 5A sticks. 

The bass drum pad is specifically designed to accommodate a double-kick, so the bundle makes sense, even before you consider the kit's 'tunable' all-mesh pads, for a realistic feel you definitely won't find on every entry-level kit, where harder rubber tom pads are often deployed. 

And while some competitors offer more than the 15 kits onboard here, we found them to be varied and of high quality when we subjected the Roland TD-1DMK to a full MusicRadar review.

This is just one of the many great deals that are beginning to emerge as we barrel towards Amazon Prime Day, so be sure to stay tuned and look out for the best Prime Day music deals on MusicRadar.

After launching its John Bonham Signature sticks at this year’s NAMM Show, Promuco has unveiled its new John Bonham drumstick bag.

Designed to hold eight pairs of drumsticks, the John Bonham drumstick bag features two internal compartments and is made from woven nylon, measuring 450mm long by 93mm wide.  

As well as the internal pockets, it comes equipped with a grab handle, strap and two metal clasps for hanging/holding the bag open from your floor tom while you play. The John Bonham drumstick bag also features Bonzo’s famous ‘three-ring’ (Boromean ring) symbol, as well as Union Flag zip pulls. It is set to retail at £15.95

Promuco was John Bonham’s stick brand of choice, referring to them as his ‘trees’ since he first started using them in the early '70s. Promuco ceased trading in the early noughties, but has since been revived by its original distributor, Barnes and Mullins. All John Bonham signature products are designed and made in close collaboration with Led Zeppelin, the John Bonham estate and licence holders.