NAMM 2026: Our bass drum pedals form an integral part of our setups, yet attempting to convince a drummer to change pedals is a hard-fought challenge. Mapex is clearly giving it a solid go, though, as its new Design Lab Swift bass drum pedal brings a plethora of design points that might well encourage you to dip your toe.

First, it’s the product of the Mapex Design Lab - a gang of top-level designers and artists who collectively devise, build and road-test new creations. From this, the Swift arrives at a belt-driven design, tethering the footplate to the pedal’s cam with a solid, lag-free connection.

Now, one of the stand-out features of the Swift, is it’s conveniently-placed Quick-Set Spring Tensioner. It works in conjunction with the similarly easy-to-use Spring Tension Guide by giving a top-mounted thum-bolt. So what? Well, this means no more awkward, two-handed spring adjustments. Instead, it’s easy to reach, and puts finely-tuned spring tension quite literally at your fingertips.

Moving on, and it’s clear that the Mapex boffins have been thinking hard. From the independently-adjustable beater hub –– which allows for perfect placement of the beater angle, without affecting the footboard height –– to the super-smooth footboard hinge which is designed to keep the pedal movement slick, silent and durable.

Elsewhere, Mapex has equipped the Swift with an easy-reach hoop clamp, which can be attached and adjusted single-handedly from a seated position, and, when it’s time to break-down your kit, you can remove the springs quickly in order to stow the Swift in the included smart-form case.

The Mapex Swift is available now, for more information or to find a stockist, visit the Mapex website.

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.

Axis and Alex Bent have announced the release of the Trivium drummer’s signature pedal, which is making its debut at the NAMM Show in Anaheim, California this weekend.

Adorned with graphics courtesy of martial arts apparel brand, Half Sumo Collective, as well as the Trivium 'T sword' logo, Alex Bent’s pedals appear to be a visually customised version of Axis’ Longboard pedals, which Bent has long been a user of.

As well as the artwork, Alex has opted for the Axis Sonic Hammer beater — designed to place the beater in front of the shaft to increase power while maintaining a light feel — shown with the felt playing surface and standard spring tension assembly. 

Alex Bent unveiled the pedals via a promo video posted to Trivium’s social media accounts. “I’m super-stoked to have my own pedal with Axis.” says Bent. “I’ve got custom artwork on these from 1/2 Sumo Collective, they do custom art for gis, a lot of fight apparel so I’m super excited to have them be a part of this. We put a lot of time and effort into these, I hope you guys dig them as much as I do. Go check ’em out!”

There’s no pricing or availability info at the time of writing, but keep your eyes on the Axis website for updates and pre-order information.

NAMM 2019: Drum Workshop’s 5000 Series pedal is a stone cold classic. Despite being launched almost 40 year ago it’s still a popular choice from weekend warriors to stadium pros. For 2019, the Californian company has introduced a single chain option.

The new model brings the distinctive feel and playability of classic single chain pedals, alongside a retro 5000 footboard shape that harks back to the original 5000. 

The pedal, available in single and double configurations, is loaded with plenty of modern features too, including the Tri-Pivot Toe Clamp, lightweight aluminum bass plate with new rubber grip surface, a Dual-Bearing Spring Rocker, Accelerator cam and 101 two-way beater and more.

On the new model, DW founder Don Lombardi commented: “The 5000 pedal is the very foundation of our company.  Since the early days, we’ve released many new models, but through it all, the 5000 has remained a top choice.  That’s the greatest compliment we can receive.  This new model gives players the feel of the original single chain-and-sprocket 5 with some of our latest advancements.  We think drummers will love it!”

See DW for more info.

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NAMM 2019 - all the news

The dust is settling, but our ears are still ringing. You'll find all the stories that counted in our massive news hub. Below, enjoy our findings as we regrouped at the end of the show.

Dixon’s new Precision Coil bass drum pedals incorporate an innovative rotary spring mechanism, which promises a more efficient action and improved playability. 

While not being a completely novel concept (similar ideas have featured in a handful of vintage pedals), it’s a fairly radical departure from mainstream pedal design and the level of engineering and degree of adjustment available combine to make a thoroughly modern piece of kit.

Build

With a few notable exceptions, bass drum pedal designs have remained largely unchanged for decades. Yes, the materials have become lighter and more exotic and the names more outlandish but, by and large, the blueprint centres around a vertical tension spring located either inside or outside the upright shaft. 

Each depression of the footboard stretches the spring and its ensuing contraction returns the beater and footboard to their starting points. Dixon considers such a design to be inefficient, leaving drummers having to “devote considerable time and energy to developing technical solutions that compensate for what is essentially a mechanical problem”. 

So, the Dixon team set out to build a pedal that offers a “mechanical solution to this mechanical problem”.

During the painstaking two-year development process no option was discounted as the company stripped pedals down to nuts and bolts before reassembling the chosen components in what it considers the ideal format. 

A total of four prototypes were built, each one an evolution from its predecessor with the aim of producing a pedal with as few moving parts as possible.   

There are a few examples of rival manufacturers dispensing with tension springs, stretching from decades ago right up to the present. Back in the day, Ludwig was something of a pioneer in this field, producing both the legendary Speed King (compression springs) and the equally forward-looking Ghost (coil-sprung). Images of rickety-looking vintage coil-sprung Slingerland and Sonor pedals can be found online while Premier’s ahead-of-its-time 252 model and contemporary high-end Trick pedals also feature compression springs. 

Dixon concluded that the best option was a coil spring and proceeded to build the Precision Coil pedal around this design. The result is a purposeful-looking pedal carefully contoured to emphasise the acres of gleaming metal punctuated by azure blue highlights. The coil spring is housed in the cylinder to the right of the beater at the top of the upright. 

From a machined slot in the cylinder one end of the spring protrudes to locate in the blue collar that partially overlaps the cylinder. This in turn drives the beater/pedal gearing, ensuring that all of the torque is generated and released in line with the rocker shaft. Adjusting the spring is achieved by turning the knurled wheel at the end of the cylinder and locking off via the standard tension rod on top. 

Various springs were tested and discarded before the carbon steel spring was settled on. Dixon is confident that it’s good for the life of the pedal, but it can be renewed by a Dixon dealer.   

In order to facilitate maximum customisation to each individual’s playing style both the footboard angle and the beater angle can be adjusted independently of one another. Embossed scales for both components make an incredibly handy visual reference point so that you can remember previous positions, while the dual surface beater pivots to make full contact with the kick drum’s head.  

Hands on

Dixon sent the Precision Coil pedal to an impartial Swiss inspection and certificate company called SGS for testing. SGS confirmed that the Precision Coil’s transfer of energy is superior to conventional pedals - which, in layman’s terms, translates as smoothness. 

So, is it smoother than a car dealer one sale away from hitting his annual bonus? Well, yes... the action is silky, silent and definitely quick. Straight out of the box it’s obviously a flighty pedal; taking the time to tailor the individual adjustments to my preferences it soon begins to feel like an extension of our right foot. 

Particularly impressive is the way it copes with dynamics, taking in barely-kissing-the-head to full-on sumo-style stomping with equal composure. The pivoting beater is bang on target as well. 

Moving onto the double version brings more of the same and any lag from the slave unit is as good as undetectable. It really is twice the fun and stops my left foot from feeling left out; full marks to Dixon for not only making a left-sided double version, but for doing so (quite rightly) at the same price. Despite the visual flourishes incorporated to make the pedal look sleek there’s no getting away from the fact that it is big. 

Such bulk - while probably leaving jazzers and buskers looking elsewhere - does bring with it a feeling of solidity and reassurance. Stamp on it as hard as you like all night long and all you’re likely to dent is the head.

Domenic 'Nicky' Palermo has taken more than one man's fair share of brow-beating in his life.

The Philadelphian shoe-gazer started life in one of his home city's more destitute areas, eventually finding a home in hardcore bands. However, an aggravated assault charge led to time in prison and what followed was a period of soul-searching and setbacks that must have seemed like a cruel joke.

"When I was sent home from prison, a good friend of mine that I always had written music with, we had some plans to do some stuff," explains Domenic.

"He built a little studio up and we went to work, but within a year of me being home, he got killed in a motorcycle accident, so it was like, 'Damn… right back to it again.'"

In the coffin

Eventually, he ended up living in a "coffin" room with just a laptop, guitar and a mattress to his name… and the songs started pouring out.

"I just kind of went to work, got fucked up in the night and then I'd just wake up in a panic and just start writing and recording all of this bullshit that would never see the light of day, but I was writing out of pure desperation at that point."

When his music reached the right ears and an offer was put forward to release these burgeoning, bruised shoegaze jams, Nicky named his band Nothing - as if describing it as 'something' would tempt fate to take it away again.

Now Nicky and his crew of knob-twiddling reprobates are anticipating the release of second album, Tired Of Tomorrow.

"This record was different because people gave us some shit and it was fucking sick. Fender sent us a bunch of guitars, Earthquaker Devices sent us some pedals and we even had fans sending us vintage stuff. It was fucking awesome."

At it's core the tried and tested mix of Fender Strats and Jazzmasters through Twin Reverbs remains, but the blissed-out Stone Roses and MBV tones on the likes of Everyone Is Happy are hitting a higher plane. Are we seeing a lighter side of Nicky begin to emerge?

"I'm actually a pretty happy-go-lucky guy," protests Nicky. "There's things that linger on forever and there's things that you move past, but there's always new things to dwell on. I have a feeling that in my lifetime, there's never going to be a lack of inspiration, for better or worse."

• For fans of: My Bloody Valentine, Stone Roses, Deftones

• Hear: Vertigo Flowers

Pearl's famous Eliminator bass drum pedals have become a popular choice among professional and amateur drummer alike in the 15-plus years since their inception.

This popularity can be put down to their trusted reliability and the sheer scope of customisation available. The new Eliminator Redline aims to take this to the next level.

Build

Aesthetically, the pedal doesn't stray far from the previous versions.

The footboard and heel plate are finished with a brushed steel while the proprietary customisable grip plate is a darker grey. The removable and interchangeable rubber disks in the grip plate are now red instead of black which matches the gratuitous go-faster stripe down the centre.

Other original Eliminator features include the patented interchangeable cams (the pedal comes with four but two others are available) and the 'Powershifter' function which allows the entire footboard to be moved up and down on the base. Shiny new additions include Control Core Quad beaters (two felt sides and two plastic), Click-Lock Spring Adjustment and NiNja precision axle bearings.

The latter are established skateboard bearings, already used in Pearl's flagship Demon Drive pedals. According to Pearl, this new functionality allows the Redline to perform 85 percent better than its predecessor in velocity testing.

The Redline is available as a chain or belt-drive option, both as single or double versions with conversion kits also available. For review we have taken receipt of the chain-driven double model.

Hands On

Despite the almost infinite scope for customisation, the Redline performed well straight out of the box.

Readily equipped with the 'linear' round cam (black), the pedals felt solid and responsive in a medium-tight spring tension. Quickly exchanged for the 'radical progressive' red cam, the amount of energy needed for a convincing stroke was greatly reduced. Great for speedy doubles.

With so many set-up options available it can take a long while to work your way through each variation and choose a preference. With almost every component movable or changeable they can easily contradict each other.

The bottom line is though, for those willing to tinker away the hours finding their perfect set-up, there really is a pedal for everyone in the Pearl Eliminator Redline.

If there's one problem with drum machines, it's that they're too damn precise; there's just no danger of going off-piste like you would with a real drummer… until now, as BeatBuddy announces its new Sobriety Function.

Adjusting the pedal's Sobriety setting takes the BeatBuddy from sober (playing normally) to tipsy (drifting on the tempo), drunk (prone to losing the 'one') and wasted (drum solo) - the saving grace is that a swift turn of the dial sobers BB right up again.

The Sobriety Function is part of a firmware update that also bolsters the BeatBuddy with a sleep mode, visual metronome while drums are stopped and complete MIDI control.

But let's face it: the BoozeBuddy drunk machine is the real star of the show here. We'll kick off with Whisky In The Jar - bottoms up…

It's been almost 25 years since Japanese drum and hardware giant Tama set out to create "the ultimate bass drum pedal".

Since then the Iron Cobra pedal has continued to evolve and improve to meet not only the demands of the modern drummer, but also its clear mission statement: "rock solid strength and versatility". So, how will the newest version compare to its much revered predecessors?

Build

At a glance, one could be forgiven for assuming that there is nothing particularly new and noteworthy on the new Iron Cobra pedal. The truth is though, as ever there are a host of improved features on board the brand new pedal.

The width of the pedal has been modified with the aim of completely eliminating any chance of side to side movement. The whole frame has been widened by 15mm from the previous model, along with 12mm in the baseplate.

The first thing to catch your eye with the new model will likely be the new beater design. The beater faces have a considerably smaller diameter than a regular sized beater (the size of 10p piece) yet are a lot deeper.

The Power-Strike beater on the Iron Cobra uses a dense black foam which Tama claims will deliver a punchy low to mid frequency response from the bass drum.

As ever with Iron Cobra beaters, the angle of the face is adjustable to ensure a square contact on the drum head. The mechanism that attaches the pedal to the hoop has been completely overhauled (again for both pedals) which adds further support and stability to the pedal.

The 'Para Clamp II Pro' has the ability to pivot quite freely in position which should help get a good fit from almost any angle using less pressure. It also has a much thicker coating of rubber which reduces, if not completely eliminates, marring.

Another upgrade that the Iron Cobrahas been treated to is the Lite Sprocket. Originally exclusively a Speed Cobra feature, it has 40 percent less mass than the previous cam mechanism making the action feel smoother and lighter.

Saving the best until last, the real magic that takes place in the mechanical department has to be the innovative swivel spring. This feature allows the bottom of the spring to move back and forward in a pendulum-type fashion as the cam moves at its top.

This means that the spring is always completely in-line with itself, resulting in less wasted energy and 'turbulence'. Tama claims that this will make the pedal smoother and result in an improved stroke.

In addition, the pedal is double chained, comes with proprietary hard plastic carry case and features the patented Cobra Coil.

The Iron Cobra is available in the usual Power Glide (as review) and Rolling Glide options. It is also available in a double pedal model.

Hands On

For review we have a single Rolling Glide Iron Cobra. Without a shadow of a doubt, this pedal is impossible to fault. The Iron Cobra feels smooth and agile but still manages to provide that familiar weight under-foot.

The sound of the new beater is definitely worth checking out for yourself. The punch they bring to the table is simply immense, especially considering the size. The beater also has a tremendously satisfying feel against the bass drum.

Thanks to this month's Rhythm magazine you can win yourself the brand new Mach 1 bass pedal from Ahead.

Launched at NAMM 2015, the pedal was given the Rhythm once over last night, with reviewer Dave Holmes saying, "With the aid of the Eccentric Systems Eccentric Drive and Quick Torque cams, this is an impressively fast pedal."

The Quick Torque that Dave mentions is the spring cam which is mounted to the end of the beater shaft, and it is said to make the pedal not just smoother, but also 30 per cent faster.

You can test it out for yourself by bagging yourself one this month. In the shops this pedal will set you back £175. To stand a chance of winning just head to www.futurecomps.co.uk/mach1comp.

Ahead's catalogue is absolutely bulging with an eclectic mix of drum-related products including snare drums (metal and wood), drum stools, drum cases, ear plugs, accessories etc.

It was the highly innovative aluminium sticks which rocketed them to fame and from which it derives its name, AHEAD: Advanced High Efficiency Alloy Drumsticks.

Build

Hot from the Winter NAMM show is this brand new Ahead Mach 1 bass drum pedal. While a double version is also available, we have the single here for review.

Imminently following in the footsteps of these pedals is a range of Ahead hardware including a boom cymbal stand, snare stand and hi-hat stand complete with matching Mach 1 footplate.

At a passing glance, this piece of hardware appears to be similar to the many chain drive pedals currently available on the market.

Before taking delivery, we were sure any new kick pedal from Ahead would be out of the ordinary - perhaps with aircraft-grade, laser-cut aluminium foot plate, CNC-machined, direct drive etc. We are talking about a product hailing from the home of the truly revolutionary aluminium sticks.

However, once we start digging deeper it becomes clear that there is more to this hunk of pedal metal than first greets the eye. There has been some pimping on a fairly standard kick pedal base and there are many familiar components here including dual beater posts, heel rest and the usual anti-creep measures of rubber pads and spiked bolts.

Going up top there is a thoughtfully-included drum key with its own holder. Other additions are side-access hoop clamp adjuster and multi-positioning clamp foot which enables the pedal to self-level on an uneven surface.

Drive comes courtesy of a duplex chain which is linked between the cast aluminium pedal board and an Eccentric cam. This fully adjustable 'Eccentric Drive' is mounted on the stainless steel beater shaft and is designed to help rapidly accelerate the beater onto the batter of the bass drum.

This method was originally designed in the USA by Eccentric Systems, as far back as 1980 and through the years there are similar designs found on many of the world's kick pedals today - this Ahead Mach 1 pedal is fitted with a genuine Eccentric Systems cam.

And now this is where things just get far more intriguing - there is a second cam (also designed by Eccentric Systems), which has a chain wrapped around its outer edge.

This 'Quick Torque' spring cam is mounted at the end of the beater shaft and the 'S' hook of the spring is attached. This patented design is said to make the pedal smoother and up to a staggering 30 percent faster.

Hands On

As with any fairly complex, fully-adjustable piece of machinery like this pedal, devoting time and patience to setting up is fundamentally important to get the best out of it.

As well as the supplied drum key, Ahead has also provided two Allen keys necessary for the various adjustments. First job is to alter the position of the beater to about 45° and increase the spring tension a little higher than would be the playable norm.

This makes the beater 'sit up' so we can make any alterations to the cam. Once this is done, the beater angle is adjusted via the two bolts using the smaller of the two allen keys.

Spring adjustment, incidentally, is via two knurled nuts around the lower spring bolt. This has a flat face to one side with a tuning bolt tight against it to ensure that even if the nuts do come loose, the spring will not go slack - nice one.

Next (after the spring is slackened off), the lower section of the spring cam is tilted slightly towards the head using the allen key and the spring adjusted until the smallest amount of tension is applied.

The cam comes into action as the beater is sent towards the head and, with its graduated eccentric motion, aids a smooth and rapid return - that's the theory anyway!

The action takes some getting used to as there is little or no resistance from the spring initially - it's at rest at this stage and it is alarmingly slack. The beater moves so freely it fools you into thinking it's going to be like that for the whole stroke.

With a little more pressure applied, the spring and footplate tenses as resistance rapidly increases with the resulting energy transferred from the spring/cam and directly onto the beater in an instant.

Despite our fairly coarse description, the action is actually incredibly smooth and after only a few minutes we quickly warm to the feel and enjoy the speed of the pedal motion.

When anyone chooses cam/beater position for their preferred feel it will often be a compromise between power and speed, and it's the same with nearly every model out there.

The difference with this pedal is that the second-spring Quick Torque cam helps alleviate at least a proportion of this effect as the two cams play off against each other meaning that the usual power/speed compromise is less of an issue.

We revisit Rhythm's original review of the groundbreaking bass drum pedal, DW's 9000 series...

Pretty much every major drum manufacturer has a range of hardware to be proud of these days. With competition as fierce as it is and technological advancement allowing for high performance at low prices, there simply isn't room for poor pedals in today's market.

But there's one company whose metalwork is held in particularly high regard, and has been for some years, despite the various drum advances elsewhere. Drum Workshop not only craft some of the finest shells around, but also produce hardware - bass pedals and hi hats especially - to match the exemplary standards of their woodwork skills.

The 5000 Series is something of an institution, with the line's pedals appearing attached to many a non-DW bass drum, but now it's time for the new 9000 range to take the limelight.

The two sexy (and they are sexy - for humble drum hardware at any rate) pieces we have here are the new double chain 9000 pedal and its double pedal counterpart, the 9002. Footplates are silver rather than DW's trademark black with silver logo, as are baseplates, and the black frames are immensely chunky without being clumsy.

Perhaps the most significant factor in the construction quality of the pedals is the use of a 'floating rotor' rather than one fixed to a drive shaft as in conventional pedals. The rotor (that's the bit that the double chain is attached to) thus spins smoothly and noiselessly around the drive shaft (the metal bar between the two upright posts), which itself is free to spin - the goal is a super-slick, sophisticated feeling assembly.

Another major factor in ensuring ultra responsiveness in these pedals is the location of the tension springs. Instead of being positioned at the end of the drive shaft, DW has moved the spring to the inside of the frame, closer to the centre of the unit. The aim here is to maintain "the vertical alignment of the moving parts", according to company blurb and, in theory at least, it makes sense.

Elsewhere, the drive set-up, and as such the whole feel of the pedals, can be tailored with a nifty torque adjustment arrangement. Whereas certain other manufacturers allow for such tweakage with interchangeable cams, DW goes for a hex bolt and slide bar combo that enables the user to set the rotor up for 'Accelerator' or 'Turbo' operation.

In fact, there are any number of in-between settings - all you do is slacken off a bolt underneath the rotor and slide the bar which holds it in place backwards or forwards.

This in turn moves the front face of the rotor, well, backwards or forwards - in the fore position (Accelerator) the motion is eccentric - much like this writer's bass drum playing as it happens - as you move the bar back the chain sits flush with the rotor and you arrive at a concentric (Turbo) setting.

The Accelerator option effectively shortens the length of the stroke and is suited to demanding gigs where speed and control are of paramount importance. Turbo is for those that favour a direct relationship between the footplate and beater and where power and consistency are necessary.

And if that weren't enough, DW offer a Pedal Customising Kit with footboard weights and stacker heels with which to adjust the response of the 9000s even further. A nine-position Elevator Heel Plate arrangement is arrived at through the use of three different-sized heel sections that can be used in conjunction with one another - the higher the stack, the greater the control.

So, how do they handle? Well, quite frankly, they're a joy to use. These pedals offer wonderful responsiveness and a grace and elegance that is pretty much unbeatable. Both pedals are rock solid in operation and give the impression that they are working with you.

Like the best musical equipment, after a short period they almost disappear - we're not going to gush further and describe the feeling as like the pedals 'become part of you', or any of that tosh, but you get our drift. The blend of workhorse and thoroughbred is pretty inspiring though, we can tell you.

This cutting edge MDD (Machined Direct Drive) pedal is the first product from DW's new MFG range.

The hardware equivalent of California Custom Shop drums, DW MFG (an abbreviation of DW Manufacturing) is intended to showcase unashamedly high-end, US-made pedals and hardware; if this first fruit is anything to go by then we have much to look forward to.

Build

Launched at NAMM 2014, the MDD pedal is currently available in the single and double guise reviewed here; a left-sided double has not yet been slated for release.

Something of a departure from DW's familiar pedal designs - which though not short on innovations or features can nonetheless be traced visually back to the firm's original 5000 series pedal - the MDD looks more like the product of a Formula One team.

Its arrival is the realisation of a three-year project which has 'consumed the life' of DW Production and R&D head Rich Sikra. And not for nothing, as the MDD is effectively a ground-up redesign, sharing only around 10 percent of components with existing DW pedals - everything else is new.

Aluminium dominates the construction, with some parts - such as the direct drive cam - being machined from solid blocks; in fact it's almost easier to spot the components that are made from other materials.

The pedal's layout is relatively conventional but has clearly been designed with no little panache. The two upright posts have clean lines and feature cigar-shaped apertures along with polished outer faces.

Stowed inside the right-hand post is the spring tensioning mechanism which is operated by turning a bolt with a drum key. Making adjustments is not only comfortable (compared to fighting with the equivalent knurled nut held tight by the spring's tension), but can be done with an almost unprecedented degree of accuracy.

Taking centre stage is the perforated solid aluminium footboard which has been anodised in a shade of gun metal and then highly polished. This tails into DW's patented Delta Hinge before continuing on, ending with an elegant fold in the contoured heel plate.

The direct drive assembly of linkages and pivots that connects the footboard to the cam is similarly striking and makes a complex piece of engineering seem logical and straightforward - exactly as DW intended.

A wide spread of adjustment is again possible and, despite our best efforts, there is absolutely no lateral play to be found at all. Further fine-tuning can be achieved by adding up to four brass weights to the back of the beater head, which is itself an all-new design with three different faces to choose from.

Hands On

DW studied the geometry of direct drive pedals and wanted the feel of the MDD to appeal to chain drive players; it would seem to have achieved this aim.

The pedal can be set up with a surprisingly natural and smooth action that seems to glide the beater into the head. At the turn of a few bolts it can be reconfigured at the other end of the scale to reveal an aggressive speed-driven machine more suited to barrages of blast beats. In all the other points between these two extremes it is the dictionary definition of precise.

Once set at our preferred stance it soon begins to feel like an extension of our foot rather than a mechanical interface - if anything is preventing us from carrying off adventurous-to-the-point-of-mindless kick flurries, it's our technique.

The MDD is also the quietest pedal this writer has ever played; it is completely - and we really mean totally, utterly, pin-drop territory - silent.

If the single MDD leaves us with the hint of a smile on my face, swapping it for the double finds us breaking into a near manic wide-eyed grin. The sense of equilibrium in the response is uncanny; it is genuinely impossible to tell both sides apart.

Suspecting that we're being a little too credulous, we try playing the slave pedal with our right foot but we're not mistaken - it really is that close. Clearly no stone has been left unturned in the development of this pedal and, while it is expensive, the results are exceptional.

Percussion Kinetics' Vector G3 is a radical new pedal that claims to improve the drummer's stance across the entire kit. The brainchild of Swedish-born Berklee College alumni Goran Kjellgren, the concept is based around his desire to benefit not just the foot action but the playing experience as a whole.

Build

For years, Goran was bugged by what he considered to be his unbalanced playing stance. Being right-sided, he planted his right leg square-on to the bass drum, turning his left side towards the hi-hat. Sounds familiar?

To Goran, this positioning seemed fundamentally flawed as it inhibited fluidity across the kit, especially on the right-hand side. He felt the solution lay in a more ergonomic stance: what if the right foot could be placed off-centre, allowing the drummer to face forward with equal access to both playing sides?

The Vector pedal is Goran's attempt to solve this conundrum and enable the drummer to place his feet (as on a clockface) at five-to-one rather than ten-to-twelve.

Ruggedly handsome, the G3 sits on a polished stainless steel baseplate which widens dramatically at the hinge end, providing the most obvious visual clue to the pedal's capabilities.

It houses a slot which allows the heel end of the footboard to slide through a full 10cm of left/right positioning. Adjustment is simply a question of loosening off the single Allen key bolt; once in its chosen position it locks tightly thanks to a hefty jaw clutch.

Offsetting the footboard on its own is only a partial solution; in order to maximise the effect, the cam can also be slid along the rocker shaft. On a regular pedal the chain would struggle to cope with such a diagonal slant; the G3 incorporates a spherical bearing into the top of the footboard which moves in three planes, ensuring that the chain always hangs straight and turns smoothly.

It is for this reason that the G3 uses a single-width chain - Goran reckons that, while it would be possible to fit a double-width chain, it would be sluggish and less responsive. The beater holder can also be slid along the rocker shaft, so wherever the pedal footplate is angled the beater is always hitting the centre of the head.

In addition, the pedal clamp can also be moved along its own axis, allowing even more positioning flexibility. Conspicuously absent from the G3 are threaded spikes to prevent pedal creep while the footboard angle (up and down) can only be altered in conjunction with the pitch of the beater (ie: not independently).

A left-hand version of the pedal - where the cam and beater holder swap places - is available, while a double version is reportedly under construction.

Hands On

Setting up the G3 we're struck by how smooth and quiet the action is - in conventional alignment it feels solid, accurate and quick.

Applying some adjustment - by moving the heel end leftwards, raking the cam (and with it the top of the footboard) to the right and sliding the beater over to the left - it loses none of these qualities. Considering how disjointed the components appear - slewed footboard and beater shaft nowhere near the cam - the response is both razor sharp and silky smooth.

But according to Percussion Kinetics the whole point of the G3 is that its influence spreads all over the kit. Advocates of the pedal speak of an instant moment of conversion when everything clicks and falls into place.

For us it's more of a gradual realisation, as though the years (well, decades actually) of our embedded stance and technique can only be unlearned slowly. During our first session with the G3 we catch my foot straightening out (ie: pointing back towards 12 o'clock) several times.

It's only after more prolonged exposure that we feel completely settled with the new layout and are able to concentrate on simply playing; we notice a new lightness in our efforts, an ease of execution that wasn't there before. Sometimes the smallest of tweaks can reap the healthiest of rewards

NAMM 2014: 2013 was a huge year for Sakae, and going by their NAMM showing, 2014 is set to be even bigger.

Hot on the heels of their well-received Trilogy line, Sakae has come up with the Celestial and the Almighty.

The fantastically-named Almighty is a six-ply North American maple kit which Sakae claims packs excellent attack thanks to its sharp bearing edges. The large lugs, meanwhile, ensure vibrations are focused.

The Celestial, on the other hand, is a North American Maple and African Bubinga-shelled range.

Here's an upclose look at that lush Pearl White finish.

And Sakae's quest for world domination doesn't end there. Oh no, there's also the X-Calibur bass pedal.

Available in single and double pedal versions, this beaut features a solid bass plate and frame. In the flesh it looks absolutely rock solid.

As Nick Moulin of UK distributor Fender explains, "Solving drummers' problems and responding to their needs is what we're good at, and we wanted to find out what was really important to the player. Function, simplicity, aesthetic, feel and weight are all influencing factors of the design."

Build

The finished pedal is, quite simply, beautiful - so it ticks the aesthetics box right away. Single post pedals have been seen before and are usually eye-catching on account of their rarity. However, the way that the G-Class's post arches up in one direction before curving back over the bearing assembly brings a new sophistication to pedal design, a world away from the conventional blueprint of hard angles and military-like detailing (along with faintly preposterous macho names, which Gibraltar has been equally guilty of in the past).

Housed within the post is the spring, which adds to the sleek, uncluttered look of the pedal. A knurled wheel for adjustment is located discretely within the post, above which sits a second slot containing a gauge.

The post is attached to a cast aluminium/ steel alloy baseplate that also contains the pedal's innovative Helix mounting system. An alternative to a conventional wingnut- operated hoop clamp, the Helix system is based around a racheting mechanism that tightens in one small movement.

Fine adjustments can be made at the clamp on the front of the pedal - if required - and once this is done, attaching the pedal to the drum is simply a question of sliding the Helix lever from three o'clock to five o'clock. We have to confess an initial feeling of slight unease along the lines of, 'Is that it?'

Compared with the usual routine of tightening a pedal clamp down, the Helix system takes a fraction of a second - it's almost too quick. Having since gigged the G-Class, we can confirm that it remained glued limpet-like to the bass drum for the duration. Removing the pedal involves flicking in a small release button on the lever and reversing the movement back to three o'clock.

Both the beater and footboard angle can be adjusted independently of one another, while the twin-surface bright red acrylic beater contains craftily concealed stowage slots for up to three weights. The weights are cylindrical and slot into the underside of the beater head. They are magnetic and so don't require any locking down - once slid in, they stay put. Experimenting with all four weight variations (none/1/2/3) finds a surprisingly wide range of feels attainable.

Hands On

Further adjustment is available in the shape of the G-Drive, a two-position cam. Rather than having interchangeable cams, Gibraltar has devised a single movable cam that, according to its position, alters the characteristics of the action. The cam is mounted on a centre block which in turn is connected to the bearing mechanism.

Adjusting the cam's position is achieved by loosening-off a single tension bolt and moving the cam along the block. Care needs to be taken to ensure that the double chain is properly aligned when retightening the bolt.

With the cam at the back of the centre block, the action is fluid, balanced and suitable for many styles of (non-extreme) playing. Moving the cam to the front of the block brings a more aggressive feel, making each stroke accelerate to accentuate the power. We doubt we need to suggest which sort of player this configuration of the pedal might appeal to...

Whichever tuning of the pedal we tried, underlying the action was a feeling of utter solidity and reliability. Providing a good range of adjustment while keeping a pedal accessible is not easy but Gibraltar has nailed it with the G-Class. Such qualities can only improve a drummer's confidence, and with it their playing.

And it gets better: by the time this review is published, a double version of the G-Class should also be in the shops.

Gibraltar has officially unveiled its brand new bass pedal - the G-Class.

The G-Class has been designed with the high-performance player in mind, and features a sculpted single-pillar frame, two cam drive adjustment points and a variable-weight beater, says the hardware giant.

Ken Fredenberg, Director of Product for Gibraltar, had this to say about the pedal: "Gibraltar's new G-Class pedal has many useful control features that allow the high-performance player to tailor the action and feel to their specific style."

Even better, Gibraltar has released a video of You Me At Six drummer Dan Flint putting said pedal through its paces:

For more information, visit GibraltarHardware.com.

This year marks the 20th anniversary of Tama's Iron Cobra pedal, a huge milestone in the life of any product. With the popularity of the company's flagship pedal higher than ever, Tama has decided to realign its lower range pedals under the Iron Cobra banner, introducing the new 200 Series at this year's NAMM show.

Build

The 200 Series pedals are lightweight single chain designs, but decidedly business-like. They are equipped with solid baseplates, twin surface beaters and are available as doubles (though surprisingly no left-sided versions are offered as yet).

The Iron Cobra shape recognisable today was first coined in 1998 when the second generation of IC pedals was introduced; while various tweaks and improvements have taken place since then, the basic visual blueprint remains the same. The lineage of the new pedals is unmistakable, from the classic bulging footboard to the tapered upright posts. Tama uses its black powder coating shrewdly to help demarcate between the series, sprinkling the most on 900 pedals, with smaller but significant (in the areas treated) amounts used on each model down.

Hands On

The 200 Series pedal's chosen cam is Power Glide and follows the same shape as that on the 900 Series Power Glide Iron Cobras. The 200 Series pedals' equipment also includes the anti-twist Spring Tight rod, a locking spring nut and adjustable beater angle.

As well as the strong visual resemblance to the 900 pedals, the new models successfully capture much of the solidity that is one of the defining characteristics of Iron Cobra pedals. They feel planted underfoot, as though they have sunk foundations into the floor below.

The 200 Series pedal feels remarkably stable in comparison to its bigger brothers in the 600 and 900 Series, with a degree of sure footedness that is almost incongruous with its price-point. It's a tough and responsive pedal that feels anything but cheap. The double version performs equally well, with the full spec connecting bar ensuring that there is no discernible lag from the slave side.

All the components engage efficiently, making for quiet, unruffled operation that's distinctly at odds with the blurred footwork taking place.

This year marks the 20th anniversary of Tama's Iron Cobra pedal, a huge milestone in the life of any product. With the popularity of the company's flagship pedal higher than ever, Tama has decided to realign its mid and lower range pedals under the Iron Cobra banner, introducing the new 600 and 200 Series at this year's NAMM show. Here we look at the 600 Series.

Build

The 600 Series Iron Cobras are twin chain and feature an innovative reversible cam along with components that have either been borrowed from or inspired by the 900 Series. They're equipped with solid baseplates, twin surface beaters and available as doubles (though surprisingly no left-sided versions are offered as yet).

The Iron Cobra shape recognisable today was first coined in 1998 when the second generation of IC pedals was introduced; while various tweaks and improvements have taken place since then, the basic visual blueprint remains the same. The lineage of the new pedals is unmistakable, from the classic bulging footboard to the tapered upright posts.

Tama uses its black powder coating shrewdly to help demarcate between the series, sprinkling the most on 900 pedals, with smaller but significant (in the areas treated) amounts used on each model down. The 600 pedals are the only pedals of the two new series to have 'The Legend in Innovation' inscription scrolled across their footboards. Similarly, the inclusion of a hard-shell case is also limited to 600 pedals.

The Duo Glide Cam is a double-sided cam that can be flipped through 180°, offering both Power Glide and Rolling Glide cams. While interchangeable cams already exist, to date they require a box of spare cams to transport around. The beauty of the Duo Glide Cam is in that it is attached to the pedal, so there is nothing to lose or inadvertently tread on. Switching the cam around requires the loosening of a single tension rod and can be accomplished in around a minute.

Hands On

Elsewhere the 600 pedal also features the same double chain found on 900 Series Iron Cobras and the Para-Clamp, a hoop clamp that automatically adjusts to the angle and height of the bass drum hoop (ensuring that the pedal remains flat). Further drop-downs include the low friction Speedo-Ring and Spring-Tight, a specially-shaped rod which prevents the spring from twisting.

As well as the strong visual resemblance to the 900 pedals, the new model successfully captures much of the solidity that is one of the defining characteristics of Iron Cobra pedals. They feel planted underfoot, as though they have sunk foundations into the floor below. The 600 does a decent job of reproducing the level of effortless power normally found in Iron Cobras - not surprising considering its double chain.

The action feels smooth and seamless and, when the beater makes contact with the head, it does so with what seems like a disproportionate amount of force. With the Duo Glide Cam set on Rolling Glide the pedal is perfectly balanced and responds eagerly to every twitch from the foot. Switching the cam to its Power Glide alternative invokes a more aggressive feel which is more suited to rapid fire bursts of intensity.

Yorkshire-based company HighWood has built up a richly deserved reputation for making quality hand-crafted drums at sensible prices. Though it manufactures many of its own hardware components, creating a whole new kick pedal from scratch, would seem like a mission impossible.

HighWood's Gareth Heeley jests that it's a change from his usual "wood bending" - he would never have imagined four years ago he would actually be engineering bass drum pedals!

HighWood claims that The Malleus is "the last pedal you will ever need". So, with a wide and varied choice of seemingly similar direct-linkage models available from Pearl, Bullet and Kitch, Axis, Trick and Polish company Czarcie Koptyo, what makes the Malleus stand out from the crowd?

Build

The Malleus (meaning Hammer), doesn't come loaded with flashy gimmicks - in fact it is rather understated. It is, however, the most robust looking pedal we have ever seen. It has truly muscular proportions.

The drive shaft wouldn't look out of place on a small car and the solid aluminium bearing posts seem fit to pitch their own against an army of feet, let alone just two. The 10mm thick footplates (even with their cut-outs), appear tough enough to take the stomps from the heaviest pair of size 12s.

Each Malleus pedal is made from quality materials including stainless steel, high-tensile steel and high-grade aluminium. Gareth Heeley shuns the use of die-cast and white-metal components, which he says would compromise the functionality and longevity of the pedal.

Every component has been precision-machined using the latest CNC Lathes and Mills and all moving parts are fitted with bearings, making it both resilient and as smooth as possible.

Highwood has included a selection of four Allen keys to set the pedal up and make any fine adjustments. These include beater positions, beater angle, lateral pedal positioning, beater/pedal distance from the drum and much, much more.

One of the questions we posed to Gareth was the use of Allen-type screws, rather than the more convenient square-headed tuning bolts. He says "the pedals have 'dog point' screws made from high-tensile steel that, once in place, 'bite' without the need for locking washers etc". Any adjustment is likely to be during the initial stages of ownership - once set up, it should never need changing.

One of the most unique features (credited to HighWood's machinist), is the bass drum clamp which pivots on a round peg like a tow-ball. The 'C' clamp attaches to the bass drum and the tow-ball peg (located on the actual pedal), slots into the clamp.

With the Malleus' modular design and construction, everything is bolted onto the footplate. This means it can be easily converted for a left-handed player or used as two entirely individual single pedals.

Hands On

As with most kick pedals, there is a degree of user-adjustment necessary when using it for the first time. With the Malleus, the first thing to do is attach the 'C' shaped 'tow-hitch' clamp onto the bass drum hoop.

This is centred in position in between the lower tension rods and securely tightened by the single Allen bolt. The foot of this bolt has a plastic tip, which together with the rubber insert within the clamp, helps avoid damaging our precious maple hoop.

Once the clamp is attached, the next time the pedal is used, it's simply a matter of lowering the drum onto the 'tow ball' - and it's attached! Now, it's not that we don't trust this unique system but, to begin with, there are one or two tentative strikes watching if the drum and pedals stay put. Once our confidence builds, dishing out a few good wallops confirms this is simply not going to budge.

After only minor tweaks of beater throw, spring tension and pedal distance from the drum head, the increase in performance is immense. Even making the most subtle changes, it becomes clear that adjustment potential is virtually infinite and will make tailoring the Malleus to any style of player a breeze.

With the beaters sited equidistant within the drum hoop, a flurry of brisk strikes flows smoothly and seamlessly. Whichever technique or foot motion is used, the pedal follows closely and faithfully.

Considering its robustness, the Malleus remains silky smooth and responds with formidable and fearsome accuracy. From the most delicate flick of the toes, the heaviest heel or good blast from the balls of your feet, it's immediate and positive - which is awesome.

When the original Demon Drive drum pedal made its debut at NAMM 2009, its ground-breaking features had it voted 'Best in Show'.

What made this show-stopper so radical wasn't necessarily down to its direct linkage drive, or the fact that it was indeed wickedly fast and (with the assistance of NiNjA skateboard bearings) smoother than eels in a bucket of silicone - it was (and still is), a piece of engineering brilliance which awards the pedals their immense versatility.

Build

Instead of the direct drive, these new models sport a more conventional chain drive system consisting of a 'perfect circle' linear response cam (inspired by motor racing), and a dual chain, complete with NiNjA rollers.

The modular construction starts with a steel baseplate on which the various cast aluminium components attach with Allen bolts. Beaters feature an internal 'elasticore' which acts as a form of shock absorber.

Pearl has retained all of the features which makes the pedals so unique - the 'Duo-deck' footplate allows it to be used either as a standard 'short' pedal or extended, giving extra power but with less control. The beater stroke can also be positioned further away from the batter head or closer to it - again a compromise of power over controllability.

The double pedals attach to each other via the zero latency 'Z-link' (also inspired by motor racing) aluminium drive-shaft with its smooth gyroscopic joints. The pedals' modular construction allows the double to be converted into a right-hand remote - giving lefties the chance to enjoy the pedal too!

It is interesting to note, if initially purchasing a single pedal (but later deciding to go for a double), the single can be easily converted into a double with the optional components available from Pearl.

Hands On

Within a second or two of performing with the pedals (double and single), it became clear that we previously must have been playing in some stodgy treacle, with our old pedals holding me back. To check whether we would experience the same type of feel on the double, this was given some additional testing where we played the left remote with our right foot and managed equally impressive results.

After playing for a short while (back in the usual seated position!), things felt so comfortable that we had to remind ourselves we were playing on some new models with frequent 'did we just play that?' moments.

Back in 2009 Pearl launched the Eliminator Demon Drive Pedal to much fanfare. In 2013, the same year they re-launched the Export kit, Pearl has introduced the Demonator bass drum pedal.

The Demonator is a single-chain drive pedal, equipped with a Demon Style Powershifter long-footboard, an interchangable cam and infinitely adjustable beater angle, allowing you to customise to your desired feel and power. The pedal also comes equipped with Pearl's Click-Lock spring tension keeper and Control Core Beater.

The Demonator single pedal is included in Pearl's new 930 and 830 Hardware Packs and double pedal and double pedal conversion kits are also available. The 930 Demonator also ships with the new Export.

NAMM 2013: We have more from the frontline of NAMM 2013 for you right here, check out this brand new pedal from Gibraltar.

The G-Class pedal has been designed by Gibraltar with power, speed and style in mind and is loaded with features to guarantee exactly that.

Features include a variable weight beater, a two-point G-Drive dual cam drive and a sculpted single pillar frame with enclosed spring tension system.All of which basically means that even the pickiest of players will be able to find a set-up that suits.

For more information head over to www.gibraltarhardware.com.

NAMM 2013 PRESS RELEASE: Combining the Pro X Kick bass drum pedal and StealthKick 2 compact trigger pad, the Alesis StealthKick Pack is an unrivaled combo for kick drum performance.

StealthKick 2 Compact Trigger Pad

• Compact size easily fits into any setup
• Rugged metal chassis with non-skid traction tape
• 1/4 ˝ link input for double-bass setups

StealthKick 2 is a premium low-noise compact kick trigger solution. The low-profile design integrates easily into any type of new or existing percussion rig.

The rugged metal chassis is equipped with non-skid traction tape that helps keep your StealthKick 2 in place, minimizing crawl. The Link jack allows two StealthKick 2 units to be connected together to create a double bass drum setup.

Pro X Kick Bass Drum Pedal

• Double chain-drive construction
• Toothless X Cam delivers smooth precision
• Inverted beater and cable included

The Pro X Kick drum pedal comes ready to adapt to any style of drumming. Offering gearless stroke-length adjustment, an ultra-high tension adjustable spring and a toothless X Cam, the Pro X Kick allows you to dial in the exact feel you want, providing power, smooth precision, and speed. The inverted beater transfers your pedal stroke at full power.

Thanks largely to heavy metal and its sub-genres, the last couple of decades have shown incredible growth in the popularity of double kick pedals. With incredibly technical players such as Joey Jordison, Derek Roddy, Virgil Donati and Jason Bowld, to tantalise you, this is hardly surprising.

Of course, playing at the mind-blowing speeds these amazing drummers achieve would be impossible with a single pedal, and Gear4Music offers you the chance to get your hands - and feet - on a double pedal at a fraction of the cost of many single models. But while this double pedal set appears to represent incredible value for money, what sort of quality can we expect?

Build

At first glance, these doubles seem to be robust and appear well-engineered. They have the same dimensions and are virtually identical, except that the pedal intended for the right foot has provision for two beaters and features dual springs. On the base plate of this model, Gear4Music has included a push-fit bracket for the supplied drum key and hex keys - all the tools necessary to adjust the pedals.

The key is chromed plated and quite chunky - not the usual cheap-looking, throwaway types we've seen with even some of the more expensive kits. Armed with these tools you can adjust the spring tension, spring position (relative to the bearing shaft), and the lateral beater position.

The base of each model is constructed from a single piece of 1mm pressed steel, shaped to provide optimum strength and rigidity, while helping to keep the overall weight down. This base gives it a solid attachment point for the cast steel bearing posts, side adjustment bass drum clamp and the heel plate of the die-cast pedalboard.

Additional strength and rigidity is given by an integral steel bar positioned between the two bearing posts - an unusual but worthy inclusion. The drive on both pedals is provided by double chains over a felt-lined cam; the felt helps keep the pedal action quiet.

To either side of each of the pedals are adjustable knurled spikes that go through an aperture in the base, protruding out and down to help hold the pedal in position on any carpet-type surface. On the underside there are further anti-creeping devices in the form of two strategically grooved, rubberised pads, which assist with any pedal wandering on most types of playing surface.

Interestingly, the double pedal can be split and used as two separate pedals by simply removing the left hand (remote) beater, putting this into the remote pedal and temporarily dispensing with the linkage arm. A downside with Gear4Music's double pedal is that it can't be used with the remote on the right-hand side - not so great for left-handed players.

Hands On

The side clamps come in handy as the main pedal slides over the bass drum rim and is locked into place with ease. The link bar is extendable by up to 70cm (around 2.5ft) which gives plenty of scope for positioning, although most tub thumpers prefer the remote pedal to be positioned between the hi-hat and snare stand, so you can sit comfortably without performing the splits.

Immediately impressive is how quiet the pedals are - no squeaks or buzzes here. When the beaters are left to spring back on their own they have a pendulum-type effect and are smooth and well balanced. The pedals and their footplates faithfully interpret exactly what we try to play - when our technique is good, the pedals respond well. When it's bad, well, even this double set can't help with that!

Sonor's Perfect Balance pedal marks the culmination of a personal project that has occupied brilliant Swiss drummer Jojo Mayer for over half a decade.

After realising that he only felt comfortable playing vintage pedals Jojo began constructing his own pedal, going through many prototypes before reaching the design that has gone into production. He researched the market thoroughly, concluding that modern pedals provide plenty of power but are inherently unbalanced.

Build

Jojo's design aspires to incorporate some of the calibration and balance qualities of pedals from earlier eras into a modern chassis. The results are absolutely beautiful; the pedal is a vision of minimalist elegance, so much so that we're in two minds whether to play it or mount it on a plinth. The single post, chrome-plated footboard, round cam, strap drive and classic felt beater are all present for solid functional reasons, but boy, do they look good with it.

Hands On

Rather than offer endless adjustments, Jojo's pedal allows you to tweak a few key areas to your personal preference. This is refreshing as, ironically, too much choice isn't always a good thing. Initially the action feels a little light compared with our own pedal, which hurls the beater into the head with more gusto.

However, after a few minutes our technique begins to acclimatise to the Perfect Balance. The clue is definitely in the name, as each stroke feels absolutely equal to the following return. Prolonged playing finds us becoming even more acquainted with the pedal, to the point of finding it almost effortless - fast and fluid yet always poised and able to respond to the subtlest of touches.

The fibre strap doesn't lag, flutter or impede the action and is silent in execution. When folding the pedal down for packing (which it does in one ingeniously smooth movement) the strap doesn't scratch the footboard in the same way a chain would. Reversing the folding action to set the pedal up tightens the clamp straight onto the bass drum hoop without the need for further adjustment. Perhaps unsurprisingly, there are no plans to produce a double model.

To Jojo Mayer's credentials of world class player, educator and all-round advocate of percussive enlightenment, pedal designer of repute can now be added.

For Stewart Copeland, playing "outside your instrument" is what makes music really sing. © Peter Foley/epa/Corbis

Over the course of his storied career, Stewart Copeland has tangled and tussled with band members, music execs, drum sets, film directors, polo players, and just about anybody and everything necessary for the advancement of his myriad passions and pursuits.

And the day that we speak with the legendary drummer and composer, he's engaged in another battle, albeit a more personal one: "I'm getting over a flu," he says, which is surprising because he sounds both chipper and robust. "I'm not so bad now, but my head is still full of phlegm. Hopefully, I won't make too many coughing and retching sounds."

Timing to a drummer is, of course, everything, and if one simply must get the flu, Copeland found just the right pocket: He recently wrapped a residency at Southern Methodist University's Meadows School of the Arts in Dallas, and in early July he heads to London for the UK premiere of his three-movement composition Gameien D'Drum. After that, he'll hook up with his onetime Animal Logic bandmate Stanley Clarke for a European tour.

With a resume and history as full as Copeland's, there's much to talk about. "If the subject is me, I'll be endlessly fascinated by our conversation," he jokes, and indeed, during our lengthy chat, one which covers topics such as his time in The Police, how he approached his drum solo on the David Letterman show last year (and what he thinks of solos in general), his friendship with Neil Peart (whose band, Rush, he doesn't listen to), double bass drum pedals, the concept of "playing outside the instrument," and why keeping a simple beat offers infinite possibilities, Copeland proves to be a gripping raconteur.

And this is just Part 1. Keep your eyes peeled for the conclusion of our interview with Stewart Copeland.

Last year, your good friend Neil Peart told us about a term you came up with, the 'Eric Clapton Factor,' stemming from the fact that Clapton hated not being able to go out and play the guitar casually - he felt the pressure to be brilliant all the time. Neil said you stopped playing the drums for a while for the very same reason.

"Well, it wasn't so much that. For about 10 years, I was a film composer, and I was quite consumed with that. Bashing on the drums just receded into the distance. But then, during those times when I was called upon to play something, and the chops had vanished - they were long gone - I felt a responsibility to be Eric Clapton, as in 'Eric Clapton is God,' and I didn't feel like I could deliver, and so I became very reluctant to play drums in public. Until Les Claypool called and said that it was my civic duty."

Which was the start of Oysterhead.

"Yeah. That's right."

And Oysterhead, like The Police, is a trio. What do you find so fascinating about the three-piece approach?

"It leaves a lot of room to do stuff. In fact, the trio is a good format for making a band. But actually, playing with 10 guys on stage, or 50 or 90 guys on stage, is just as much fun and can be even more fun. The trio thing is really about forming a band and having a unit, and when you have a creative collaboration, the fewer cooks the better. Just make sure they're the right cooks." [laughs]

But whatever the number of people - or cooks - it's still a matter of finding ways to fill the space.

"That's what I've been saying for years. But I have discovered that when you play with lots of guys and they're filling up the spaces, it allows you to be more economical in your own contribution. Collaboration is what it's all about. The joy of playing music is the joy of collaborating. For instance, if there are a lot of percussionists on stage, it gladdens my heart - all those 16th notes that some other guy is playing are things that I don't have to play, and I can look for other places to put the pocket."

Last year, you participated in Solos Week on the Late Show With David Letterman, as did Neil Peart. We talked with him right as he was preparing for his segment -

"Did he give you his sorry tale?"

A sorry tale? Well, he was trying to shorten the live solo he had been playing on tour to fit the time constraints for TV. In fact, he was doing some serious math…

"See, I was having the exact opposite problem: I was trying to figure out how to drag out my three chops to last long enough to be called a drum solo, as opposed to a drum break. I don't do drum solos. In fact, I've only done two in my life: one time was on Letterman, and the other was in Africa when I was performing for lions. [In a scene in his 1985 film The Rhythmatist, Copeland plays drums in a steel cage while surrounded by savage, hungry beasts.] That second time, hitting the drums as loudly as possible was the only thing that saved my skin."

So the Letterman crowd was a better audience?

"Than the lions? Yes, they were much more appreciative. The lions were a very cold audience. They ran away - which was pretty much the desired result."

It's interesting that you did the solo on Letterman; Neil said you were very "anti-drum solo."

"Mmm… not so much. I pull Neil's chain on this at every possible opportunity, of course. You know, when I was a kid, I dreamed of playing a 17-hour drum solo. Then I grew up."

Because you had to stretch the solo you played on TV, did that mean it was more improvised?

"It was composed. I figured out 'First, I'll do this bit here, then I'll go to that and do that little bit here, and then I'll go over here and do that.' And I remembered that the last time I'd composed a drum solo was in college, which entailed me stringing together my coolest chops.

"Then, as I say, I grew up and became a professional musician. Years went by, decades went by, and I was called upon to actually do a drum solo in front of an audience. It was pretty much the same process, and it took me back to that water tower on the grounds of the college."

By the way, just curious: What did you think when Rush added some Police-type elements to their music in the early '80s?

"I had only heard of it. I didn't actually listen to Rush albums, and I couldn't tell you one from the other - although Neil is a good buddy. [laughs] We agreed to disagree on certain things, and it is a measure of his greatness as a human being that he is completely over whatever my feelings might be about Rush.

"This truly is the case: He's never heard me say a wonderful thing about his band. He's read a few comments that I wish he hadn't read. In unguarded moments, things tend to slip out. Musicians tend to be snippy about one another, and I'm generally not. I generally love all music and all players.

"There was a time when bands like Rush were the epitome of what The Police were theoretically against, which was an overemphasis on musicality. Our ethos in the early days was about the primal scream and that musical technique was a distraction from that mission. There may have been a few comments that I might have made regarding Rush's position on that debate, and it is really, really to Neil's credit that he's over that debate. And we get along great."

Yet, at the same time, it's no secret that The Police packed a lot of musical sophistication into some pretty tight songs.

"Yeah, but that was by accident."

Some years back at a drum clinic, you startled the crowd when you played nothing but a simple beat for two minutes straight. Do you feel that drummers still miss the point you were trying to put across?

"The point was that there is so much expression in the execution of a mantra-like rhythm, that when you strip it right down, the tiniest things, the most minute fluctuations of the 16th note hi-hat, have great effect. And you don't get that effect unless everything else is extremely streamlined. The point I was trying to make is that within the confines of a very strict, repetitive loop, you can really have a world of expression."

You proved as much with Every Breath You Take. For the most part, you keep the beat simple and steady, but you throw in crashes out of the blue. So many drummers can't get those moves down.

"Nor can I. I think at the last Police show, we were still arguing how to get from the chorus back into the verse."

Are you considered a lefty? You write with your left hand…

"I'm left-handed, but I play instruments right-handed. It's just more convenient that way. And because most instruments require both hands to be working real hand, I find that you have to be ambidextrous. Like most left-handed people, I am close to being fully ambidextrous."

So on the drums, you're kind of a Ringo.

"I guess. I wasn't aware that he's left-handed."

He's a lefty and plays with his kit set up for a righty.

"But see, it's a right-handed world, and for lefties, our right hand is better than the left hand on righties."

Ringo would always say that the reason his playing was so unique was that, unlike other drummers, he played with his kit set for a righty, but he would still lead with his left.

"Mmm… I think that's an interesting thing for him to say, but I don't know if it's true. He leads from his heart, which is what makes him such a good drummer. Which hand does what follows where in his solar plexus he feels the rhythm is. All hands and feet are on the same mission.

"Certainly, sometimes you lead with the left and sometimes you lead with the right, depending on what you're doing - and also which hand is more tired at any particular moment. When practicing, which is different from playing shows or playing music, you work on making both hands just as strong."

Performing at the La Mar de Musicas Festival, Spain, 2011. © JOSE ALBALALEJO/epa/Corbis

You once talked about "playing outside your instrument." When did you come up with this idea, and can you speak about what it means to you?

"It came to me when I was playing polo - you 'play outside your horse.' If you're thinking about your horse and your equestrian skills, and things like proper riding and hitting the ball, let alone playing the game and putting your horse in the right place on the field…

"See, you shouldn't even be thinking about the horse. You have to be outside the horse. Your body and horse are one. You shouldn't be thinking about riding. You have to think, 'Here's the ball. I need to get it there. I need to stop that guy from getting to the ball. Uh-oh, there's a pass and that's where I gotta be.' When you do that, you're thinking outside your horse. You're playing the game.

"Put this to music: The mechanics of playing an instrument should be furthest from your mind. You've got to think outside your instrument, play outside your instrument. You've got to think about the music: 'What is the music? Where are the other players are? What's going on? Where's the groove?' - things like that. What drum you're hitting, what your technique is - that should be completely subliminal."

When you sat down at the kit with this concept in your head, did you feel as though you played differently?

"I had always thought that way. It was only when I came up with the polo analogy that it crystallized into something that I could make into a riff when talking to people such as yourself."

A while back, you started using a double bass drum pedals.

"Yes! That little bastard in Slipknot…"

Although you seem to have gotten by just fine with a single pedal. Did you ever think of going all-out rock and playing a double bass drum kit?

"Well, I did in Curved Air, much to own personal and musical ruination. [laughs] I don't know why - maybe it was maturity as a musician or something like that - but later on, after seeing what Joey Jordison can do without losing that throb… and they also invented the double bass drum pedal using only one bass drum, which meant that the ergonomics were extremely improved… I don't know, it worked out better when I came back to that.

"I don't use the double bass pedal a lot - just for the occasional flash and effect - but there is one particular thing that it can do; it works like a paradiddle: If you've landed on your foot but you need to get back up to your snare drum, but you need two beats to get your there, you can do go, 'ba-da-bahh!' It's ergonomics.

"Now, John Bonham would have just done that with one foot because he was John Bonham. Because he was... the mountain."

Copeland (seen here in 1980) is Tama Drums' first and longest-term artist endorser. © Lynn Goldsmith/Corbis

Let's talk about The Police a bit. In the early days of the band, you had to make records fast and, one would assume, cheap. Did that youthful hunger, and the limitations you worked with, lead to a certain creativity that was different from when you had lots of time and money in the studio?

"There was certainly hunger, and the hunger was the driving force behind getting up in the morning, figuring out a studio, making that call, calling the other studio and seeing if you can haggle the price down - the mechanics of getting a band going and working and just being were driven by hunger and fear. Once we had slain those dragons and had gotten into the sacred grove of a studio, then it was all the opposite; it was joy, it was creativity, it was the reward, it was the upside.

"However, if our hunger had gotten into the sacred grove, then we would have been more commercial. Basically, we were trying to do something that was really cool. Once our rent was paid, we weren't thinking that we had to make money. In the Police room, we were doing what we thought was the coolest thing that we could do. We weren't thinking about the marketplace at all.

"Back to the hunger thing, yes, outside the band room, I was thinking, This is what we've got to do. We've got to wear this uniform. We've got to fly this flag. We have to spout this ethos to get us into a niche in the music market called punk. You know, we can get in there, we'll cut our hair, and we're jussssst about young enough to squeeze into that demographic. All that calculation - certainly. But in the band room, we just did what we thought was cool."

Andy Summers' embrace of guitar pedal effects predated The Edge by a couple of years. As a drummer, how did you work with the different spaces and sounds he created?

"He created such an orchestral effect that I just wanted to listen to it. Shut me up. What Sting played on the bass pumped me up and made me want to blaze away; it got me all excited. But then I'd hear Andy play one big fat chord that would ring out with those sounds he had... and I was just listening."

Jojo Mayer has spent years toiling away creating his perfect bass pedal, and here it is. Jojo’s Perfect Balance pedal is a real labour of love, hence that the Nerve man had plenty to say about it.

We’ve got an interview with Jojo about the pedal in our brand new issue, but here’s a little more for you.

Jojo: "The pedal has an almost invisible, stealth feel that will smoothly translate the movements of your foot to undistorted, linear and perfectly balanced strokes. Also, it can be folded up for transportation to and there’s no need to tighten a wing nut to mount the pedal on to the hoop. The clamp attaches to the bass drum automatically."

Jojo: "I guess another aspect that sets my pedal apart from other pedals, is that it was created by a working drummer to enhance his own playing. It has the professional working drummers concerns in mind. It was not just built out of hypothesis, marketing or price point considerations , but mostly experience on the road.
"

Jojo: "To get the right balance between the moving parts took a long time as it was basically a process of trial and error. I initially started out to cannibalize pedals and combined parts that I liked from different brands into my own Frankenstein pedals. Eventually, I moved onto customizing parts like drive cams and footboards myself. Eventually, I had the specs for the blueprint of the perfect balance pedal and showed it to Sonor. This was the start of our collaboration and the engineers at Sonor started to look for solutions that allowed the pedal to be folded up for transport and mount itself on the bass drum automatically. I guess I’m a hard guy to please, so I have to give the folks at Sonor props for not loosing their minds over my neurotic compulsive escapades concerning my vision."

Jojo: "I’m definitely happy to have accomplished this and I hope that it will turn out to be useful for drummers out there. At this point though, I also have to mention that I was fortunate enough to have the pleasure to collaborate with many great and creative individuals on this project. Without them, the notion of the pedal would still exist, but not the pedal. I thank all of them for their trust, support and hard work."

Anyone who has checked out one of Jojo Mayer’s clinics or DVDs will know his mind-boggling attention to detail, and he’s gone and furthered his quest for perfection by designing his own bass drum pedal.

The pedal has been designed over several years by Jojo and aims to offer perfectly balanced movement.

It also handily folds up at the push of a button.

We got our feet on one at the Musikmesse show earlier this week and can confirm that it really is feather light to play and clearly a real labour of love.

For more details take a look at www.jojopedal.com.

FRANKFURT MUSIKMESSE 2012 PRESS RELEASE: Alesis, the world´s leading manufacturer of tools and instruments for today's musician, introduces the Pro X Kick, a professional bass drum pedal for drummers of all kinds.

With the Alesis Pro X Kick, drummers get a professional bass drum pedal built for rock-solid performance. Made for use with acoustic or electronic drumsets alike, the Pro X Kick is loaded with heavy-duty adjustable components, making it the right choice for every drummer and the perfect addition to any drumset.

The Pro X Kick is built to take a beating. Its double-chain drive system gives drummers explosive power and ultra-tight response, and the entire assembly is locked to a solid steel power plate. A two-sided beater with easy height adjustment and memory lock make the Pro X Kick perfect for drummers who want precise attack and tight control over their kick drum.

Adaptable

The Pro X Kick comes ready to adapt to any style of drumming. With gearless stroke-length adjustment, an ultra-high tension adjustable spring and a toothless X Cam, the Pro X Kick allows drummers to dial in the exact feel they want, providing power, smooth precision and unparalleled speed.

One of the Pro X Kick's most convenient features is its offset hoop clamp which allows drummers to clamp the Pro X Kick to their bass drum in seconds at every gig, meaning they´ll spend less time setting up and more time playing.

“We wanted to create a professional kick drum pedal that every drummer could afford,” said Dan Radin, Alesis Product Manager. “The Pro X Kick is solid, tight and responsive, built with hardware you´d expect to pay a lot more for.”

Information taken from official press release, for more visit Alesis

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First launched in 1981, Tama's Camco pedal was in production for two decades before being discontinued in 2001.

Such is the pedal's enduring popularity that many drummers are still using ageing examples of it today, among them talented metal monster Gene Hoglan. After years of requests Tama has relaunched the pedal, albeit on a limited basis.

"Underfoot, the sleekness of the design really makes sense, as the action is smooth, eager and blindingly quick."

Build

From the mid-'50s to early-'70s, Camco was a respected US drum and hardware manufacturer. Dennis Wilson of the Beach Boys played a Camco kit for a time and these days the company's drums are reasonably collectible.

Camco's name and rights were eventually divided between Tama and a small LA-based collective called Drum Workshop - the signature turret lugs found on all DW drums are derived from a Camco design. Camco's influence can also be seen in first-generation 5000 series pedals.

Back in 1981 Tama took the Camco pedal design and added a chain drive and toothed sprocket; little changed over 20 years of production.

The 30th Anniversary model features an improved frame construction and upgraded rocker cam, but otherwise it's a faithful reproduction of the original. The curvaceous and ribbed footboard still sports the main Camco logo with a much smaller Tama insert.

Hands On

In comparison with today's 'engineering triumph' class of pedals, the Camco looks physically slight. There is no baseplate, the beater is of the symmetrical felt variety and the hoop clamp wingnut is located directly beneath the footboard.

Such retro details are part of the pedal's charm. Rather than offering endless adjustability, the Camco is an uncomplicated, built-for-speed tool.

Underfoot, the sleekness of the design really makes sense, as the action is smooth, eager and blindingly quick. While modern, heavy-duty pedals have the edge in terms of sheer power and solidity, I found the Camco's razor-sharp reflexes and all-round responsiveness a liberating playing experience.

I confess that I owned one of these pedals first time around so my feelings are warmed by nostalgia. However, with a strong market for classic drums and cymbals, surely classic hardware deserves equal recognition?

The arrival of Mapex's Falcon bass drum pedals last year raised the company's profile at a stroke. Combining innovative design with pro specifications and user-friendliness, the Falcons are now competing strongly at the top end of the pedal market.

Initially available as a chain-drive pedal with an additional strap-drive option, direct-drive single and double Falcons have now been released.

Build

As well as being fitted with the direct-drive linkage, the new pedals are shipped with both chain and strap-drive alternatives, plus the two cams (glide and pursuit).

Not to leave out drummers who already own a Falcon, Mapex is also making a direct-drive conversion kit available as an add-on in its own right. The provision of direct-drive has not required any redesign of the Falcon's architecture; retro-fitting the direct-drive linkage to a chain-driven model takes only a few minutes and requires no more than a drum key.

All other aspects of the pedals remain the same, with the slim and elegantly sculpted footboard providing a striking outline.

Hands On

Playing a spring-drive pedal you can sense the physical link between the footboard and the beater. Direct-drive is aptly named as it really does seem like your foot is connected straight to the beater - just a wiggle of the toes is enough to swing it towards the head.

While the feel is super-fast and the action is almost devoid of friction, getting the best out of a direct-drive pedal requires both discipline and controlled technique. It's not as forgiving to play as a spring-drive and simply stamping on the footboard with all your might won't exploit the amazing speed and smoothness on offer.

The difference between spring and direct drive is a bit like hitting a punchbag while wearing boxing gloves to then going bare-knuckle - you can't beat the feel and closeness but a mistime could leave you wincing in disbelief.

Both of the pedals responded to our footwork instantly and executed everything fluidly and seamlessly. The double pedal felt perfectly balanced, to the extent that it was genuinely difficult to tell the two sides apart.

They were also incredibly quiet - when not connected to a drum, the zen-like silence in which they performed was at odds with their frantic movement.

Direct-drive pedals are definitely in vogue at the moment. Behind the trend is the fact that such pedals can offer a superior feel and action over their spring-driven counterparts; if you've got smooth technique then a direct-drive pedal can feel as though it's not there.

These Falcons are more expensive than existing versions of the pedal, but the price difference is roughly that of the direct-drive conversion kit (twice in the case of the double pedal with its two direct-drive linkages), which explains the extra cost.

Meinl joins forces with Germany's highly regarded pickup experts Shadow to offer the player something that's completely unique, great fun to use and might well raise an eyebrow or two at your next rehearsal!

Build

The Meinl FX is essentially a self-contained collection of 10 familiar percussion sounds that are housed in an effects pedal-style casing. The body is made of steel with the sides featuring attractive and sturdy oak supports.

A Wah-Wah style foot pedal acts as a trigger for the sounds and has an easy action as well as feeling and looking like it'll survive the knocks. The sounds are changed with a simple step on a metal guitar pedal-style foot switch, and you can see what sounds you are navigating to via a large red LED numerical display.

The included sounds consist of three kick samples, two tambourine, two cabasa, clave, hand clap and dry cowbell. Unfortunately you are limited to these sounds only and somewhat surprisingly there is no way to load further sounds into the unit.

The pedal has both mono and stereo outputs so you can connect it to a decent bass/keyboard amp or PA system. There's also a volume pot and mains 9-volt power supply socket and power lead.

Hands On

In action the FX pedal is easy to incorporate into a variety of hand percussion set-ups, which means you could add a kick to timbale grooves and clave or cabasa to your congas. The FX also has much potential when adding sounds to your cajon playing and its shallow design means it doesn't get in the way while you're sat at the kit.

The three kick sounds are diverse and effective, ranging from a powerful 'kick bass' to an electronic 'cyber kick' and a cool 'tribal bass' sample.

The tambourine and cabasa samples come in straight or double-action versions and with the double version you can trigger one sample as your foot goes down and another as it comes back up.

There is also a decent clave, 'dry cowbell' and the classic electronic hand clap.

Meinl has always brought exciting new ideas to the percussive table and the FX pedal is a fun way to expand your rhythmic possibilities. It's well made and really easy to play and the sounds (although pretty limited) are all good quality samples.

With a piece of kit like this you'll certainly have fun integrating it into your playing, but by using it in the right musical context you'll definitely avoid any novelty-factor issues.

Our only reservation is the fact that you are limited to these few sounds only, but as with many other electronic products, Meinl might consider an updated design whereby you can load your own samples - and then we'd really be talking!

NAMM 2011: Easily the cymbal and percussion giant's biggest release of the show, the Meinl FX Pedal features 10 sounds in a smart-looking oak and steel foot-controlled box. It looks incredibly simple and has the potential to really boost a drummer's or a percussionist's live set.

Here's the info from Meinl's product page…

The Meinl FX Pedal features 10 different sound options that you can add to your beat. Cycle through the effects with a touch of the toe button. It's a whole percussion kit in a box! Plug in and groove…

Features

Microprocessor controls
10 different sound options
Sound select button
Stereo/Mono output
Made in Germany by Shadow

Materials

Oak (Quercus (robur) pedunculata) and steel box

Sounds

0 - Kick Bass
1 - Cyber Kick
2 - Tribal Bass
3 - Straight Tambourine
4 - Double Tambourine
5 - Clave
6 - Hand Clap
7 - Dry Cowbell
8 - Straight Cabasa
9 - Double Cabasa

Includes

Velcro with spikes
International power converter

There are just a handful of bass drum pedals that can claim to be classics. Unlike kits and cymbals, kick pedals that have proved themselves worthy of legendary status are few and far between.

Camco, DW and Ludwig have all produced such beasts, as has Japanese drum giant Tama. Its Iron Cobra pedal is truly a drum world icon, having been relied on by countless big-name artists on the world's biggest stages over many years.

"It's easy to dismiss 'Speed Spring' or 'LiteSprocket' as marketing waffle, but when pressed into action the Speed Cobra does a fantastic job of silencing the cynical."

But now comes a new pretender in the form of the Speed Cobra, with features borrowed from its well-regarded older sibling and a host of innovative design tweaks to boot.

Tama's tagline for the Speed Cobra is 'Extreme Velocity, Serious Power'. That is a pretty well-defined raison d'etre, and as such the Speed Cobra's new features have two simple goals in common - to increase speed and to increase aggressive response.

Tama points out that these two aims have traditionally been mutually exclusive, with fast pedals losing some power, and powerful models reacting slower than some would like. So what solutions do Tama offer?

Well to start with, a quick overview of the features which the Speed Cobra shares with the Iron Cobra. Such things include the Oiles bearing hinge (as used in the aerospace industry no less), the patented Cobra Coil spring - which is located beneath the footboard to quickly return it to its default position after each stroke - and the Vari-Pitch beater holder that enables adjustment of the footboard link angle independently of the beater angle.

To that already impressive mix, the Japanese company has added several significant new features. The first and most obvious of these is the 'Fast Foot' footboard. Longer than on the Iron Cobra, the Fast Foot board is designed to increase speed of response but at the same time require less effort than previous designs.

In addition, the face of the board is smooth to reduce friction, which Tama reckon will improve control. On top of this there's an impressive new bearing assembly in the shape of the Fastball bearing on the end of the drive shaft, a true round sprocket (which Tama have named, brilliantly, 'LiteSprocket') that's evidently 40 percent lighter than the Iron Cobra's, and the new Projector Beater.

The beater allows the choice of narrow or wide 'striking surfaces' simply by changing the head angle - go for punchy, defined attack with the former or a fatter, fuller response with the latter.

All this talk of new features (and we haven't touched on the chain drive's new Recessed Setting which increases the angle of attack for super speed and light action, nor the new 'Super Spring', designed to offer less resistance at the beginning of the pedal stroke) has left us little space to discuss the actual build quality of the Speed Cobra.

Fortunately, little space is required for this, as it is stunningly good. The Speed Cobra is beautifully engineered and does the Cobra name proud.

Hands On

If your eyebrows headed skyward at the number of clever feature names Tama has bestowed on the Speed Cobra, a word of warning. For sure, it's easy to dismiss 'Speed Spring' or 'LiteSprocket' as marketing waffle, but when pressed into action the Speed Cobra does a fantastic job of silencing the cynical.

For starters it's an incredibly smooth-rolling pedal. An objective appraisal of the impact of the new bearing mechanisms, for example, is well out of the scope of a review like this, but subjectively it feels wonderful.

As far as we're concerned, hardware that so closely unites player with kit as to almost disappear is the Holy Grail, and such is the sweetness and slickness of the Speed Cobra that it gets very close. We're not Derek Roddy, but even we appreciated the discernible ease with which fast strokes translated from bodily movement to bass drum response.

For metal drummers dishing out high-bpm double bass battery, the Speed Cobra could be your new best friend. But that's not to say Tama's newbie is a one-trick pony. It's so well-conceived and built - with the kind of near-endless adjustment that high-end pedals offer these days - that it could be pressed into service in any genre with aplomb.

DW's pedal expertise goes back to its earliest days as a manufacturer. Back in 1977, the company's second ever product was its now legendary 5000 Series pedal. Over the years DW has introduced many more pedal ranges, mostly offering enhanced design and ever increased durability.

Taking the brand into less ventured territory is the new 2000 Series of pedals - an entry level range that claims to offer DW quality at more than reasonable prices.

Build

The introduction of the 2000 Series pedals coincides with a rationalisation of DW's hardware lines. Pedals now begin with the 2000 Series and then climb through 3000, 5000, 6000 and 8000 ranges before reaching the pinnacle of the 9000 Series.

Before this reshuffle, ranges such as the now discontinued 4000 and 7000 Series made the graduations between pedals less obvious. But DW say that there is more to the 2000s than a simple re-badging exercise.

Single and double versions of the pedal are available, though not a left-sided double model. For obvious cost reasons 2000s are made in Taiwan (as indeed are a fair few of DW's pedals), but have to pass a strict quality control test before being shipped.

Tracing the lineage of any DW pedal back to the first 5000 from over three decades ago is not difficult. DW's original design has proved so enduring that, while the company's premium pedals have bulked out, their lines have deviated little from the original concept.

Being budget pedals, the 2000 models are slender in build and so bear an even more striking resemblance to the first 5000s. This design heritage is immediately apparent in the classic DW ovalised footplate bearing the DW logo and triangulated 0s of the series number. Similarly, the standard DW 101 dual-faced beater gives a choice of playing surfaces while also hitting the right visual note.

Beneath the footplate is a steel baseplate fitted with Velcro strips and retractable spikes. With the exception of the retro-chic 6000 Series pedals, all DW pedals share the same stabilising feature. The bearing spring rocker assembly - described by DW as being similar to that found on its high-end pedals - has a scale printed on the side for judging the angle of the action.

Adjusting the rake of the beater moves the footboard up or down by an equivalent amount. The footboard angle can also be altered independently by moving the chain's fixing point along a series of seven evenly-spaced holes on the cam. Based on the Accelerator AD3 drive found on 5000 Series pedals, the cam is designed for both speed and sensitivity.

Hands on

Not all of the elements of higher range DW pedals make it onto the 2000s, with the Delta Ball Bearing Hinge being among the omissions. Cost alone prohibited its inclusion and instead the footplates are pinned to the heelplates.

Undoubtedly the most impressive feature that has been drawn down is the single post casting of the slave side of the double version of the pedal. A DW patent, the design allows for quick movement between the hi-hat and pedal and adds a look of purpose that is hard to beat.

Attaching the pedals to a bass drum was straightforward as an offset hoop clamp means that they can be tightened on without having to reach under the footplate. Once underfoot, the pedals gave a smooth and fluid action. I'm not keen on a huge amount of resistance in a pedal, and the 2000s were easy to set up to my preference. Such fleet-footedness was achieved in near silence too, with little in the way of operating noise.

Dialling more tension into the spring brought about a firmer feel without any loss in speed or feel. The double pedal was equally quick to respond and both sides felt in balance. Overall the pedals were positive to play; it's fair to say that they didn't feel like the most heavy duty pedals out there, but given their pricepoint that's no great surprise.

© Tim Mosenfelder/Corbis

Jason Bonham may have landed the gig just about every drummer wanted when he sat in with Led Zeppelin a few years back, but it didn't come without its Spinal Tap moments.

Bonham, who earlier this week played a blistering, intimate set with new band Black Country Communion, told Nightwatcher's House of Rock that his bass pedals got the better of him while rehearsing for the historic reunion show.

He admitted: "I was having an argument with my drum pedals. I actually took them outside, and drove over them several times with the car. Shouting at them and telling them they'll never work again."

Whether said bass pedals have worked since remains unconfirmed.

Imagine a world of one-handed guitarists - it doesn't make sense for a guitarist to only use one hand, but many drummers still stick with a single bass drum pedal. With the rise of the relatively inexpensive double pedal, however, more and more players are experimenting with playing the bass drum with both feet.

Almost all double pedals follow the same basic design - a main pedal that clamps to the bass drum hoop, and a slave pedal that's connected by a linkage, usually positioned next to the hi-hat. A common issue with this design is a loss of power through the linkage, resulting in an inconsistent feel between the slave and main pedal. Until now, the only alternative was to use two bass drums - hardly cost- or space-effective.

Hailing from Australia, Don Sleishman thinks he has a solution to these problems in the new version of the Sleishman Twin pedal. Sleishman's original Twin pedal concept dates back to 1972, so Don's had plenty of time to refine this incarnation. And this is the result...

Build

Looking for all the world like it's stepped out of a 1950s sci-fi film, it's obvious that the Twin is like nothing that's come before, comprising two rocket-shaped machined footboards bolted to a black powder-coated frame, with two curved aluminium protuberances that sprout from the footboards and connect to what appears to be a standard 'chain and cam' set-up.

However, the posts on which the cams are mounted are both canted inwards by about 10 degrees, and are set centrally between the footboards, which in turn sit either side of the bass drum, allowing you to sit centrally, facing the bass drum. The beaters are dual sided, and the cams allow independent beater and pedal angle adjustment, allowing you to fine-tune to the nth degree.

The frame has an adjustable baseplate which clamps to the whole of the bass drum hoop to eliminate slippage, and spikes to prevent unwanted carpet creep.

Hands on

Unpacking the Twin pedal from the included soft case bag, it's clear that it's a well-assembled piece of kit. With the included instructions, set-up was a doddle - but integrating it into the kit took more time.

Because the pedal is designed so you face the bass drum directly, getting comfy necessitated some re-arranging. We placed the snare directly between two rack toms and moved the floor tom further out. Once we'd got used to the new position it meant the kit was laid out with everything in easy reach. With more time it would have been easy to develop an open-handed style, although placing the hi-hat right next to the left pedal meant the cymbals came perilously close to the rack toms.

Once set up, the pedal worked flawlessly. The immediate feel was a little light, but a bit of tinkering and a couple of beater weights sorted that. Pedal response between each foot was similar, as there's no linkage to degrade the response - although it's noticeable when playing that the toe-end of the pedal isn't directly connected to the beater. Toe-stops are, however, included in the bag.

Quick patterns were easy to execute with none of the differences in volume or accuracy often found on conventional doubles. One minor niggle was that the snare stand feet kept catching under the pedals, but you can adjust the distance between the pedals or the angle of the footboards to counter this easily. The spikes proved extremely effective at countering bass drum creep - so much so that they lifted the carpet tiles of the rehearsal studio, necessitating a quick getaway!

Gibraltar's revamped Prowler now comes with a vented pedal board that gives it a no-nonsense look. It boasts an offset cam and heavy-duty bearings, and the action is suitably powerful, though also supple.

Also with an easily accessible hoop clamp and funky dual-sided beater.

Yamaha's entry-level pedal is not big on features but, like all Yamaha hardware, it is beautifully put together and has an air of reliability about it.

Lightweight design means that the pedal is seriously portable. Its chain drive delivers a suitably smooth, quiet action and the beater angle is adjustable. The supplied symmetrical felt beater is somewhere between school music room naff and retro chic, depending on your viewpoint.

Dubbed 'Iron Cobra Junior', Tama's HP200B pedal is a solid, powerful piece of gear. Boasting the same Power Glide offset cam found on the road-proven Iron Cobras, the pedal has a wickedly fast action that really propels the beater into the head.

A host of other features borrowed from or inspired by Tama's flagship hardware line complements the pedal, from the Para-Clamp hoop clamp to the spring tension adjustment.

It is also supplied with its own rigid case.

Sporting the company's trademark yellow base plate, this pedal is unlikely to get lost on a dark stage (useful when you're scrambling to clear your gear offstage at a shared-bill gig).

It's well equipped with an adjustable cam and a chain drive mechanism identical to that found on Mapex's 900 series pedals. The action is consummately smooth and the pedal is fast, though the Tama's HP200B model shades it for power. Also unique to Mapex is the three-sided (wood/plastic/felt) beater, giving three distinct sound/feel options.

Long the pedal included with each Pearl Export kit, at first sight Pearl's P-120P could easily be confused with one of the company's Eliminator pedals. Since 2007 it has been equipped with Pearl's unique moveable Powershifter heel plate, which dramatically alters the feel of the action.

A round cam and chain drive make it quick and responsive to play, and improvements to the spring ensure a silent performance. The bottom of the base plate, meanwhile, features a foam coating that grips surfaces like a limpet. With future upgrades in mind, Pearl has also cleverly designed the P-120P ready to be converted into one half of a double pedal.

You look amazing sitting behind that double bass drum setup. So why are you still lugging your pedals around in your sister's bowling bag? The new Protection Racket double pedal bag is just the thing.

Not only is the Protection Racket double pedal bag designed to protect valuable pedals, but its internal rigid separator is fully adjustable and helps prevent the pedals from knocking together during transport. Other extras include the handy elasticated holder on the bag lid to secure the pedal drive shaft in place.

Being that providing superior protection for double pedals is not enough, Protection Racket has included an additional zipped pocket to provide a safe, secure place for bass drum beaters, drum/allen keys and other accessories. The outer fabric is manufactured using rugged Racketex, Protection Racket's high-abrasion resistant, 100 percent waterproof, polyester that won't fade, crack or shrink. The case is made to exacting standards to ensure every attention to detail such as extra strong zips, luggage tags, heavy duty stitching and webbing. Coming with a choice of strong ergonomic carry handle or detachable padded non-slip shoulder strap is another plus.

One could even carry a bowling ball in this bag -- just an idea. For more information, such as pricing, visit the official Protection Racket website.

Bigger, better, faster, more. Isn´t that the way of progress? Apart from the ‘bigger´ bit (hi-tech stuff just gets smaller and smaller), the phrase does seem to sum up what we all want and what manufacturers strive to give us. And it applies even to the humble bass drum pedal.

‘Better, faster, more´ may or not be the sole guiding principle for Duallist´s Kevin Mackie, but it pretty well sums up what the brand´s current pedal line aims to deliver. ‘Better´ in terms of material choice, ‘faster´ as judged by response and ‘more´ where the extraordinary Double and Triple units are concerned, the Duallist range is currently pushing boundaries as hard as ever. Even where the company´s simplest offerings - the traditional-looking D1 and D2 - are concerned…

Light fantastic

The immediately remarkable thing about these pedals is their lightness. They may be better and faster than others too but it´s their relative lack of weight that impresses on initial inspection. This is the result of Duallist using DuPont Zytel polymer as a raw material for the chassis and baseplate of the D1 and D2 duo. Sounds hi-tech? It is.

Designed for situations needing a tough, load-bearing material or where high temperatures are involved (when playing blazing double bass parts, perhaps), Zytel is used in Audi´s awesome V8 TDi engine and a brand of Turkish coffee machine amongst others. So Duallist pedals are in good company on that front.

The units aren´t flyaway in terms of their weight, however, and they lack nothing in terms of robustness and rigidity. The design of the pedals - and specifically the way that the frame and baseplate are integrated - eliminates any discernible flex, which bodes well for transfer of energy from the foot to the bass drum.

Talking of bass drums, one of the pedals´ neatest little features is a sliding clamp that allows you to alter the distance between the pedal and the kick drum itself. Slacken off the two bolts on either side of the clamp´s top jaw and simply slide the section forward or back and tighten them again. It takes but a minute and although it might not be something that we´ve all been clamouring for, the extra tweakability is welcome.

Use and abuse

Much of the rest of the D1 and D2´s modus operandi will be familiar to those who have owned or used other high-end pedals. And the general feeling with this pair is that they´re a match for various other good stuff that´s out there. Every last element here is of sufficient ruggedness to inspire real confidence in its longterm, real world abilities - and the smoothness and efficiency with which the components work together is befitting of high-end pedals.

The D1 and D2 stick to tried-and-tested functional principles rather than sporting features like DW9000´s series, with its Free-Floating Rotor Drive and infinitely adjustable cam. But that´s not to detract from their qualities. The level of adjustability and ‘personalisation´ on offer here is everything that you´d expect, from spring tension to beater angle and chain adjustment. There´s also a slickness to the pedals´ feel that is extremely welcome.

As such, whatever you´re after in terms of tactile response and resistance is only going to be a few allen key fiddlings away. Both the D1 and D2 should find favour with a broad audience, despite what their leery looks might suggest.

Step in the ring

If you´re a real die-hard fan of the snatchy, super-quick feel of some offset cams, you might not get on with the Duallists as well as others will. But this is an observation common to any pedal that doesn´t sport such a feature. It´s not a criticism and for the majority of players, either of these two will offer plenty of appeal.

Another particularly gratifying aspect of the Duallists´ performance is their near-silence. A boon for recording drummers in quieter settings, the complete lack of squeaks and creaks (due in part to their largely non-metallic nature) increases the overall perception of smoothness. Not a deal-breaker if you´re in a death metal band of course, but it´s attention to details such as this that ensures the Duallists will hold their own in some elite company.

While Duallist´s previous offerings stood out on their own, with little or no alternatives where the double and triple units are concerned, the D1 and D2 pedals place themselves directly in competition with some real heavyweight favourites. That would be seen as folly, if it weren´t for the fact that the pair stand up to scrutiny so well. As a result, the market is now home to another perfectly valid and individual pair of pedal choices.

According to the Chicago Public Libary's Information Center, a 35th wedding anniverary is the coral or "jade" anniverary, while the 50th is the "golden" anniversary. Drum Workshop, or DW, simply couldn't wait, so they threw their golden anniversary 15 years early. And with a bass pedal this stunning, who could blame them?

For 35 years, DW's 5000 Series bass drum pedals have remained the drummer's choice and the standard of the industry. DW is celebrating this anniversary by offering the Gold 5000 Accelerator Single Pedal. Fully functional and plated in real 24-karat gold, this pedal is a working collectors' item that captures the spirit of quality and innovation that infuses DW hardware. Complete with matching gold case and drum key, the Gold 5000 will be limited to 1,000 units and comes with a numbered Certificate of Authenticity.

The DW 5000AD3 Accelerator Chain-Drive Single Pedal features a host of refinements and upgrades to its original, performance-proven design. The 5000AD3 features a strap drive accelerator (offset cam) system. It also features an aluminum hex shaft, pedal plate and linkage, stackable heel plate, dual/side adjusting hoop clamp, 101 two-way beater, built-in spurs, plus all the versatility, adjustability, and reliability that allow players to customize the feel and performance to fit the way they play. Includes pedal bag (not gold-plated -- sorry).

U.S. list price is $833.99. And hey, it's worth its weight in...you know what.