Gear Reviews
Detailed assessments of the latest drum kits and accessories
ROLAND'S NEW WIRELESS TRIGGER TECHNOLOGY, PORTER & DAVIES ON TOUR, NEW 64 AUDIO ASPIRE UNIVERSAL IEM MODELS, WAVES FREE PLUGIN PACK
New Roland DrumLink Wireless Products Roland has announced the official release of the DrumLink wireless system and related products. Developed in partnership between Roland and Drum Workshop (DW,) DrumLink is a new wireless triggering technology for electronic pads, cymbals, and drum…
1928 Leedy Ship Silhouette and Indian Scene Trap Drum Sets
The year 1928 is a very important year in drum history at the Northup Drums Museum. Many of our early trap drum kits with factory painted heads are from the 1928-30 era. From about 1924 to 1940 both the Leedy…
THE DRUMMER WALLET 2.0
I’m not sure why drummers often double as inventors. Maybe it’s because, unlike guitarists or keyboard players, we can pretty much hit anything to make music. That type of freedom tends to spark some wild ideas and endless experimentation. One…
ALESIS STRATA CORE
In October of 2024, Alesis Drums announced the launch of the Strata Core, a compact yet fully featured addition to their Strata Series of e-kits. With a 30% reduced footprint compared to its sibling the Strata Prime and a lower…
NEW VATER STICKS, EVANS HEADS, DDRUM E-FLEX BT8 ELECTRONIC SET, CLEARSOUND BAFFLES, ORANGE NOISE CANCELLING HEADPHONES
New Vater Chad Sexton Signature Stick Vater has been quietly working with Chad Sexton on an updated stick model to perfectly align with his newfound needs as a player. Although it is the same width as his previous model, the…
David Garibaldi's Drums and Cymbals
Since David Garibaldi retired from Tower of Power, (but certainly not from drumming), he’s still writing, teaching, recording, performing, pushing his own limits, and exploring new styles of music. David’s career with Tower of Power spanned 55 years. He left…
TUNE-BOT STUDIO
Overtone Labs of Denver, CO introduced the first Tune-Bot over 12 years ago. Since then, Tune-Bot has become a leader in digital drum tuning, offering a more precise and consistent tuning method for drums. For this month’s Product Close-Up, I…
NORDIC SHELLS - DIY SNARE KIT - WATERFALL BUBINGA
Nordic Shells of Maple Grove, MN has earned a reputation among drummers and custom drum builders for producing some of the finest shells on the market. Their refined manufacturing process and Grade-A materials ensure that each shell delivers exceptional tone,…
The Return Of Slingerland
The wait is over, the Slingerland Drum Company, steeped in decades of drumming history, is back! Formed in Chicago in the 1920’s by H.H. Slingerland, the Slingerland Drum Company was known for its iconic kits and snare drums. In the 1930s, the brand…
New Pedals From Drum Workshop Redesigned DW 2000 Pedals
Drum Workshop, is introducing the redesigned, upgraded entry-level 2000 Series Accelerator Bass Drum Pedal. These pedals are suitable for drummers who want to start playing DW pedals or as a backup or practice pedal for more established players. For more…
1929 Ludwig Winter Scene, 1929 Mountain and Lake Gold Sparkle Trap Sets
This month we are featuring two 1929 Ludwig Trap Sets, both with original factory painted scenes on the bass drum heads. These are two wonderful examples of a working professional drummer’s set from that era. These two sets also show…
NAMM 2025
Toca Percussion Congas Tempo Drums Tama Signature Snares Tama ImperialStar Pat Petrillo and his P4 Pad John Otto Limp Bizkit 2024/2025 when they’ll be opening for Metallica OC Percussion Tour Kit Matt Starr and Seven Antonopoulos Ludwig Stainless Sonor 150th…
X-Percussion ARC MK1 Trigger Pad
X-Percussion ARC MK1 Pro Trigger Pad Founded in 2020, Gruv-X LLC is known for its flagship product, the X-Click: a hand-crafted Crosstick accessory that mounts to the tension rods of a snare drum. In 2024, they released a single zone…
KickTone Microphone
Last month I reviewed the KickPort Bass drum enhancer, which I found to noticeably improve my bass drum’s tone. For this month, I’m testing a companion product from KickPort, the KickTone. It is a bass drum microphone that uses two…
