< PreviousTHE NEW GEWA G3 – BORN TO PLAY! The GEWA G3 uses the same high-resolution sound samples as the GEWA G9 and G5 modules! Real Sounds Real Feel Real(ly) Simple The GEWA G3 uses the same trigger technology as the GEWA G9 and GEWA G5 kits. It offers 3-zone cymbals, all with a 360° playing surface – even for the Hi-Hat! The GEWA G3 module is very simple to use. Switch it on, complete the Setup Wizard, and you’re ready to play! BORN TO gewadigitaldrums gewadigitaldrums gewadigitaldrums gewadrums.com //GEWA music USA, Inc. | 8787 Snouffer School Road | Gaithersburg, MD 20879 PLAY!!Modern Drummer November 2022 10 What Drummer’s Don’t Like By Peter Erskine T here are reminders, and then there are painful reminders. I was on the receiving end of a most-unpleasant reminder recently concerning what I don’t like, and I thought it would be useful to pivot the negative experience into a teachable moment. The purpose of this month’s column is to spark conversation between the drummers who read this and their musical colleagues. Hence the title, “What Drummers Don’t Like.” Please share this with your immediate circle of musician friends, engineers, fans, and drum companies. For the sake of clarity, I will list these dislikes numerically but in no particular order. 1. We do not like gimmick-sound clicks like cowbells or cross- sticks when recording. The industry-standard for a headphone click (that metronome musicians listen to when recording) is the UREI (pronounced “your-E” with an emphasis on the rst syllable). “UREI” is an acronym for United Recording Electronics Industries. They were a manufacturer of recording, mixing, and audio signal processing hardware for the professional recording studio, live sound, and broadcasting elds. Their “click” sound is precise yet blunt-enough as not to cause high-end pain, discomfort, or damage to one’s hearing. It is also less prone to leakage. In short, there’s a reason it has been the recording industry standard for over fty years. This is the available “classic” click sound in Pro-Tools (UREI or MPC), and if you’re an Apple Logic user, you will nd it under the name “Klopfgeist.” (Why a German word? Because Logic was originally a German software product). ANY substitution carries the risk of a headphone accident, which is what happened to me the other day. I had my volume set to the UREI click, when suddenly, this pre- recorded cowbell click sound shot down the cue line with a sonic ferocity that resembled a pistol being red directly into my ear. This was a bit of a session-stopper to say the least. Also, a steady cowbell beat in place of a click resembles nothing more than the Saturday Night Live skit (“more cowbell”) having fun at Blue Oyster Cult’s expense. All of this is to say: make sure the project you’re working on has a UREI click or similar metronomic reference. This is just my opinion, but anything else isaskingfortrouble . 2. We do not like it when the front-of-house sound mixer adds dynamics to the band. I’m a musician. If the bass player begins to take a solo, I play softer. The bass does NOT need to become louder than normal. And a horn soloist should not suddenly be louder than the rest of the band. Find a balance, then please sit back, watch the show, and enjoy the music. WE know where the softs and the louds are, you (the mixer) don’t. 3. Which reminds me, NOBODY in their right mind likes subwoofers. 4. Okay, nobody likes the injudicious use of subwoofers. Which is, unfortunately, most of the time. 5. Drummers do not like to be told which cymbal to play when or where. Period. 6. If the drummer begins to play a more OPEN or SYNCOPATED beat, that is NOT THE CUE for the bass player to do the same. This is the result of our playing o the existing bass pattern or feel in order to create counterpoint and generate some rhythmic ideas of interest. Likewise, if the bassist begins to stray from the steady pulse they’ve been playing, that is not the cue for the drummer November 2022 Modern Drummer 11 to follow suit. The change is in response to — and is depending on — the current feel continuing. The same can be said or applied to comping: no “Mickey Mousing,” please. Be original, be inventive, but be consistent when it comes to providing meaningful rhythmic information to the band. 7. We do not like printed-out drum parts that are 18 pages long. Drummers tend to use both hands while playing, so please consolidate your measures into a manageable page count. Also, please kindly consider page turns when notating important rhythms. 8. On a related note: musicians do not like drummers who do not know how to read music. Period. 9. Drummers do not like having microphones placed around the drums until they have nished setting up. Soundpersons: please wait until the drummer indicates that he or she is ready for the kit to be mic’ed. 10. Drummers don’t like it when every song has the same boring order of soloists, with the bass solo being followed by trading 4s, etc... In fact, no one likes it. BORING. Jazz musicians: don’t be lazy. 11. Drummers don’t like stage risers or platforms that bounce. 12. Drummers do not like imsy drum rugs. 13. Drummers do not like cymbal stands that weigh as much as a 1957 Chevrolet engine block. 14. Drummers do not like it when other drummers over-tighten common hardware. 15. Drummers REALLY don’t like it when another drummer sits in and moves parts of their kit around, and then does not take the time or care to move those pieces back into their original position. JUST SIT DOWN AND PLAY. I was called to replace a drummer on a recording session-in- progress because the drummer got food-poisoning. I rushed to the studio where his drums were set-up and mic’ed. The engineer kindly asked me if I would like to move anything. I replied, “Nope. These are his drums, and this is his session. I’ll be ne.” And I was. In fact, it’s always interesting to play another drummer’s set-up. It makes the mind and senses that much more alert to everything that’s going on. Or, in other words: JUST SIT DOWN AND PLAY. 16. Drummers (or ANY musicians) do not like it when someone grips their hand too tightly for a handshake! On a more personal note — in addition to all of the above — what else don’t I like? I do not like a snare strainer that causes a snapping sound to be heard when I engage the snares; silence is golden. I also do not like Velcro being placed on the bottom of the bass drum or hi-hat pedals (see dislike #12.) Such a practice should be declared illegal in all 50 states of the union as well as in Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. And I do not much care for a snare stand that weighs as much as a sumo wrestler. Otherwise, I like to consider myself easy-going in addition to being easy to please! What are YOUR pet-peeves? No matter what, I will suggest that you follow my newly adopted motto which I learned from a student. Whenever possible, and in all circumstances, don’t choose violence but choose peace. The Peter Erskine Library Check out Peter’s drummer pro le page, and get a copy of his Legends book at modern drummer.com I *do* like touring with a great band (w/ Darek Oles, Alan Pasqua and George Garzone)Modern Drummer November 2022 12 ROLAND ANNOUNCES MULTIPLE VDRUMS PRODUCT UPGRADES Updated Sound Modules, New Upgraded Kits, and V-Drums Acoustic Design Lineups. Roland, a world leader in electronic drums and percussion, announces multiple upgrades to the company’s award-winning V-Drums product lineup. New TD-17, TD-27, and V-Drums Acoustic Design models have been released with signicant hardware upgrades to previous-generation kits. In addition, the sound modules included with the kits have been updated with a variety of new features. TD-17 and TD-27 Drum Sound Modules: Version 2.0 Updates Updates bring powerful enhancements to the TD-17 and TD- 27 modules. The Version 2.0 update for the TD-17 module features 10 all-new preset kits and 10 kits previously exclusive to the module in the VAD306 V-Drums Acoustic Design set. The added kits employ 26 pre-loaded samples that can also be used to create custom kits. Reverb and Kit Comp eects have been added as well, along with 11 more MFX types for shaping drum tones. The module also includes support for content on Roland Cloud , where users can explore an ever-growing range of artist kits and more. With Version 2.0, the TD-27 module gets even better with 10 additional preset kits and newly enhanced versions of the three most popular kits from the original release. New pre-loaded samples are also included. Layering features have been expanded, while parallel compression options and transient shaping enhancements provide even greater sound control. The module interface has also been improved for faster sound selection and drum customization. New kits based around these modules will ship with the Version 2.0 updates. Later in 2022, owners of existing TD-17 and TD-27 modules will be able to download the Version 2.0 updates on Roland Cloud with a free Roland Account. TD-17KVX2 and TD-17KV2 V-Drums Since its launch in 2018, the TD-17 V-Drums series has powered the progress of developing drummers everywhere, combining expressive sound and authentic playability with powerful coaching tools and built-in Bluetooth for playing along with music from mobile devices. Now, the journey continues with two new kits that build on the top-tier models from the original lineup. Along with the updated TD-17 module, the new TD-17KVX2 and TD-17KV2 kits add thin V-Cymbal pads that oer more natural movement and improved stick feel. The TD-17KVX2 features two 12-inch CY-12C-T crash cymbals, while the TD- 17KV2 comes with one CY-12C-T. Both kits come with a 14-inch CY-14R-T ride cymbal with three- way triggering for edge, bow, and bell sounds. TD-27KV2 V-Drums Equipped with advanced digital trigger pad technology and other top V-Drums features, the TD-27KV2 brings serious drummers premium playability and agship-level expression at an aordable price. The updated TD-27 module includes many next-generation technologies derived from the top-of-the-line TD-50X. And with the TD-27KV2’s spacious layout and large, comfortable pads, players can use all their standard acoustic drum techniques without compromise. Expanding on the digital snare and digital ride pads included with the previous TD-27KV model, the TD-27KV2 adds a VH-14D digital hi-hat. The 14-inch top/bottom cymbal design mounts on a standard acoustic hi-hat stand for an authentic look and feel. Playing dynamics, stick techniques, and foot articulations are all captured with perfect detail, thanks to the high-resolution detection system and lightning-fast module processing. The TD-27KV2 also includes 12-inch CY-12C-T and 14-inch CY-14C-T crash cymbals with thin proles to further enhance the acoustic playing experience. The new TD-17, TD-27, and V-Drums Acoustic Design models will be available in the U.S. in October 2022. The TD-17KV2 and TD- 17KVX2 kits are priced at $1,599 and $2,099, respectively, and the TD-27KV2 is priced at $3,499.13 November 2022 Modern Drummer TRX CYMBALS ANNOUNCES NEW MODELS New Dark, Dry DX Series Expands TRX Popular-Priced Special Edition Line. The TRX Cymbal Co. has announced the introduction of its new Special Edition DX Series. The line expands the company’s high-quality, high- performance, handcrafted Special Edition line by adding a darker, drier tonal option to the existing KX (mid) and AX (bright) range. Available in a full selection of aordably priced Rides, Hi-Hats, Crashes, and Eects, TRX Special Edition DX cymbals are currently played by 2008 Guitar Center Drum-O Champion Jerome Flood, Jr. (Floodgeight), 2014 Hit Like A Girl winner Fer Fuentes (NIKI) and a growing number of today’s leading drummers. To learn more, visit the TRX website at www.trxcymbals.com TACKLE INSTRUMENT SUPPLY CO. INTRODUCES AN INDEMAND CYMBAL CASE FOR AN INDEMAND DRUMMER. As one of the most in-demand drummers in Southern California, Marcelo Bucater spends a lot of time driving from gig to gig. On a typical day, he might start out teaching at The Los Angeles College of Music in Pasadena, then he drives out to Hollywood to do some session work, this is followed by heading down to Orange County to rehearse for a Disney show. Eventually he makes his way back up to the San Fernando Valley to end the day performing with The Little Brazil Trio. The Tackle Instrument Supply Original Waxed Canvas Cymbal Case serves Marcelo very well for this type of round the town gigging on the go. It holds all of the cymbals that he might need and has plenty of room for snacks on those days that there’s no time to stop for lunch. Be like Marcelo and pick up a Tackle Backpack Cymbal Case today! •Available in 22” and 24” with dividers •Available in 3 colors: Black, Brown and Forest Green •Backpack straps and handle •Stick case attaches easily •Reinforced bottom HIT LIKE A GIRL AND PLAYDRUMS.COM LAUNCH A NEW PEERINSPIRED COMMUNITY PROGRAM. Leading drum industry organizations Hit Like a Girl and PlayDrums.com have joined forces to launch the Drumming Connects Us Community – a peer-inspired community designed to encourage and engage young drummers and draw new players into the excitement and benets of active music participation. Drumming Connects Us Community encourages adolescents (18 years and under) to play drums and support each other through social media engagement. Young drummers receive tips on how to get started on drums, how to connect with other drummers around the world, and how to be safe online from a group of six exceptional young players – Recker, Lola, Austin, KBG, Lil D, and Kii. Young drummers can get their posts and videos featured on the PlayDrums.com social pages by tagging and following @playdrumsdotcom and @ hitlikeagirlcontest and using the hashtags #drummingconnectsus and #playdrums. “This new Drumming Connects Us program is a way for drummers (under 18 years of age) to highlight their skills while sharing the fun of drumming with other kids on social media,” states Antoinette Follett, Executive Director of PlayDrums. com and the Percussion Marketing Council. “To launch the program, our featured drum community inuencers have created a reel to help promote positive messaging and safe social media sharing.” View at: www. playdrums.com/dcu-community “As new generations have emerged, and music has become more accessible and diverse, we’re seeing the start of a new wave of drummers and music makers,” says David Levine, Hit Like a Girl Executive Director and drum industry consultant. “Today’s players have 24/7 access to videos, play-along’s, and educational content on the internet. The Drumming Connects Us Community oers a way for kids and teens to nd, share, and inspire each other.” Additional elements of Drumming Connects Us Community as well as a companion program called Drumming Connects Us Outreach will be announced in the coming weeks. To learn more, visit www.playdrums.com/dcu-community and @PlayDrumsdotcom on Instagram and Facebook.Modern Drummer November 2022 14 Roland SPD-SX PRO By Jason Mehler S ince the company’s establishment in the early 70’s, Roland Corporation has produced arguably some of the most iconic and inuential electronic musical devices known to the world. Their products have shaped popular music in ways that are hard to quantify. The Roland story of innovation continues with the release of their latest sampling pad, the SPD-SX PRO. Roland announced the release of the SPD- SX PRO in September 2022 as the new agship model in the long-running SPD series. It boasts several professional improvements to their road-tested touring-standard SPD-SX model,. These improvements were based on user feedback. This month we will be taking the SPD-SX PRO for a test drive. The immediate and obvious dierence between the SPD-SX PRO and the Original SPD-SX is the larger 4.3-inch color LCD screen. Its generous size makes it very easy to read and navigate the settings. The on-screen menu is nicely laid out and colorized, which is a huge visual aid, especially with the pad LED settings. Many of the front panel buttons are backlit, making them easy to read in low light situations. If I had to suggest any improvements for future models, I’d request that the panel labels be backlight as well. They are currently painted on the metal and dicult to read in dark surroundings. Once the unit is powered up, the pad LEDs light up in various colors, as opposed to the one red light from the original SPD-SX. The LEDs are easy to see from a distance and can be very useful. The utility of the colorized zones became clear to me while I was rocking out on the blue- lighted pads and accidentally hit a yellow pad that triggered a loop, wrecking my wicked drum solo. You can apply colors to individual pads, group them with tags and change how they behave when the pad is struck. I experimented with this feature a bit and made the vertical LEDs remain lit while the horizontal pad LEDs only illuminated when struck. You can dial in and ne tune your own custom colors using the onscreen RGB controls, just in case you want your pads to match your 80’s uorescent face paint & jewelry. As a drummer with a “techie” brain, my approach to the SPD-SX PRO (and new gear in general) is to just dive in and try to make it do things that I want it to do, like plugging in old trigger pads and an o-brand pedal to control the HH. Luckily for me, both of those things worked, although I’d recommend the Roland HH control pedal as that is what it was designed for. The HH control input is new on the PRO and can either be used to control the HH or to attach an expression pedal. Among the other additions to the back panel are four additional trigger inputs (eight total) and four balanced direct outs. I noticed that the headphone jack was moved to the far right of the back panel all by itself, which made it very easy to nd without ipping the unit around. Not sure if that was on purpose, but it helps. I spent a lot of time scrolling through the preloaded drum kits and loops. They all sound great, as you would expect from a Roland product, and the improved pad sensitivity and low latency while pad switching was impressive. Roland’s press release mentioned that the sensor structure of the 3 shoulder pads were revised to allow better sensitivity at shallow mounting angles. I gave it a try by laying the unit at on a table and playing almost parallel to the pads. The shoulder triggers had a great response and the improved crosstalk protection that Roland mentioned, is certainly doing its job. I tried to force some crosstalk between pads by cranking the sensitivity, blasting the speakers, and hitting the pads hard but I failed to produce any crosstalk. It is hard not to just scroll through and play around with the 43 pre-loaded drum kits which utilize some of the 1500 high-quality sounds stored in the SPD-SX PRO from the factory. Playing along to the pre-recorded loops is fun. I always get stuck on the TR-808 recreating 80’s hip hop and freestyle grooves (FYI, it’s kit #026, you’re welcome!) That’s always a huge request at family gatherings. While traversing the internal kit layouts, I like how you can start a loop from one kit and then ip through to play another kit while the old loop is still playing. If things get too messy or you accidentally start a loop out of time, there is the trusty panic button on the front panel labeled “All Sound O” that stops anything that is producing sound except for the click in the headphones. I can see how that would come in handy at a show when a loop goes rogue, or the band loses the tempo. After getting my ll of the factory presets, I decided to try some customization. The SPD-SX PRO has a new layering feature that allows you to layer two dierent sounds per trigger, and you can control how those sounds interact with each other. It’s very easy to do. There is a great little graphic representation of layers A & B that shows you where in the Jason Mehler November 2022 Modern Drummer 15 sensitivity range that each layer is triggered. There are multiple layer types, for example, you can set the layer type to MIX which would cause layer A to trigger at low sensitivity. Then as you play louder, layer B in comes in with the second sound. I decided to create a snare drum with two layers so that I could completely swap sounds at a certain sensitivity. For this you only need to change the layer type to SWITCH and pick your sounds. This is great for practicing accents and taps or if you wanted to play kick and snare on the same pad with one hand. There are many options for editing individual sounds such as ne tuning the waveform or applying eects. Recording samples directly to the unit is easy with the direct input on the back. I was able to sample a snare drum in under 3 minutes, including mic setup, recording, and editing the start position of the sample’s waveform. The 32GB of internal memory is twice as much as the SPD-SX has and seems like enough space to store a ton of sound samples. You can also store data on a ash drive and access it via the USB memory port on the back panel. Thanks to the great foundation provided by the original battle- tested SPD-SX, the SPD-SX PRO does a lot of things right. There’s very little to dislike about this sampling pad. What it does, it does well, and most tasks are refreshingly easy to carry out. The Roland SPD-SX PRO retails for $1,199.00 . roland.comModern Drummer November 2022 16 Felipe Laverde Alex KluftNovember 2022 Modern Drummer 17 Carl Palmer: Welome Back My Friends... By Mark Griffith Carl Palmer is a drumming legend. Name another drummer who had #1 hits with four different bands? His drumming in Emerson, Lake, & Palmer is epic and renowned. His drum parts and playing in the band Asia are unforgettable. His larger-than-life drumsets are etched in drummer’s minds around the world. He is one of the drummers that lit the torch for virtuostic and long drum solos in rock music, and he is still carrying that torch today. This month, Carl will continue the tradition of playing the big rock and roll hi tech stage productions that ELP began in the early 70s. His new Welcome Back My Friends, The Return of Emerson, Lake, & Palmer Tour is going to amaze and inspire a new generation of musicians and ELP fans. But this tour does raise some questions, and Carl isn’t hiding from them. Both Keith Emerson and Greg Lake were musical icons who died in 2016. So how can this be The Return of Emerson, Lake, & Palmer? Listen to Carl’s honest explanations about this new tour, his musical intentions, and the long process of putting this tour together. We also explore his drumming and musical background, the misconceptions of ELP, the new Emerson, Lake, & Palmer Singles box set, the differences between English and American drumming, and the many lessons that he can share from 50 plus years as a professional musician.Next >