GEAR EXPO 2022: While big-ticket items such as new kits, fancy electronics and shiny new snares are top of our wishlist, it’s the smaller stuff that we all purchase regularly to make our time at the kit simpler and more enjoyable.
This January there’s plenty to get excited about. Here are our highlights of the hottest accessory releases for 2022 so far.
Vic Firth Bluetooth Isolation Headphones
Vic Firth’s Isolation Headphones have been a hit wit drummers for years - whether it’s the mute hearing protectors, or speaker-equipped models. For 2022, Vic Firth is responding to requests from drummers to add wireless capability to the line-up, with the Vic Firth Bluetooth Isolation Headphones.
The closed design drops ambient noise by 20 decibels, so you’ll only hear the sound you want in your ears. As well as Bluetooth 5.0, they’re equipped with a 50mm Mylarcon speaker, a rechargeable battery offering up to 20 hours of use, plus you can still connect them via the included cable if you need to.
Evans Snare Tune-up Kits
Evans is looking to rejuvenate your snare drum this year with the introduction of its Snare Tune-Up Kits. Available in two flavours - with either a UV1 or Calftone batter head - the kit also includes a whole host of accessories for caring for your snare.
Inside, you’ll find an Evans 300 Snare Side head, Puresound snare wires (Custom Pros with the UV1, Concert with the Calftone kit), Evans Branded Microfiber cloth, drum key, Lug Lube and Hardware Polish, Barney Beats-branded ProMark Rebound 5A drumsticks, a Snare Side 300 drumhead and a pair of Evans EQ Pods dampening gels.
Meinl Drum Tech Kit
If you’ve ever found yourself in a mid-gig gear emergency, then Meinl’s Drum Tech Kit could be the most important release this year. The 40-piece accessory bundle is packaged in a handy container, keeping all the spares that you’re likely to lose or break to hand.
It comes with cymbal stand sleeves and felts, washers, rubber O-rings, a variety of replacement tension rods and screws, cymbal stand wingnuts and more.
Tama Electronic Pad Stand & Electronic Pad Holder
Electronic and hybrid drum setups are becoming more and more popular each year, and Tama has announced two new products to help integrate your electronic gear into your acoustic setup for 2022.
First up, the Tama Electronic Pad Stand is a full, double-braced stand with a tripod base. It not only allows Tama hardware completists to match the rest of their setup, but offers greater flexibility over positioning thanks to its included boom arm - which will support the weight of a sample pad such as a Roland SDP-SX or Alesis Strike MultiPad.
If you’d prefer, Tama has also made the boom arm section available as a product in its own right with the Electronic Pad Holder. This features the same ratchet holder, capable of gripping a 12mm-24.5mm tube, but can attach to a stand of you choice thanks to the integrated Fast-Clamp.
ddrum Vinnie Paul Triggers
The drumming world lost a true legend in 2018 with the death of Pantera/Hellyeah/Damageplan’s Vinnie Paul Abbott. At the time of his death, Vinnie had been playing ddrum acoustic kits for a decade, while he added triggers to his live kit to help cut through the wall of heavy guitars and bass.
For 2022, ddrum has honoured Vinnie Paul with a range of signature triggers, available individually or as a Tour Pack set. Based on ddrum’s Acoustic Pro series, the Vinnie Paul triggers feature a satin black finish, along with printed Vinnie Paul badges.
They feature improved transducer designs for increased sensitivity, and the familiar ddrum XLR socket for tour-tough connections and are available for snare (dual-zone) toms (single zone) and kick (single zone).
ddrum’s VP Tour Pack includes 2x kick triggers, 3x tom trigger and one snare trigger, as well as a Y cable for the snare, 5x 6999 cables for the rest of the pack. The Tour Pack comes in a foam-padded hard shell road case.
