Gear Reviews
Detailed assessments of the latest drum kits and accessories
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…
NEW SNARES FROM DW, NEW COLORS FOR DWe, SENSAPHONICS CELEBRATES 40 YEARS OF IEM INNOVATION, SABIAN MIKE PORTNOY MAX COLLECTION, NEW IEM's FROM BEYERDYNAMIC, LP SIGNATURE MARTIN COHEN CONGAS AND BONGOS.
Drum Workshop, Inc. (DW) introduces the Limited Edition DW MFG True-Cast Snare Drum built in collaboration with longtime DW artist, renowned drum educator, and session player Dave Elitch. These snare drums offer a unique and powerful voice that’s dynamic and…
Todd Sucherman's Entire Pearl Styx Kit
After 53 years, 17 albums and countless world tours, Styx is rocking harder than ever and playing over 100 shows every year. They’ve sold 54 million records and are the only band to ever release four consecutive triple-platinum albums. Todd…
KickPort 2- Bass Drum Enhancer
Although the KickPort by KickPort International has been on the market for years, I thought it would be worthwhile to take a fresh look at its latest version, especially since Modern Drummer hasn’t previously reviewed it. For this Product Close-Up,…
Earthworks Audio DK6 Drum Mic Kit
Earthworks audio has earned its reputation for producing high-precision pro-grade mics and equipment. I have seen their products in-use on several major tours while filming rundowns for Modern Drummer. In July of 2024, Earthworks unveiled the DK6 Drum Mic Kit.…
Ludwig Universal Model Snare Drums—Six Sweet Cherry Plies
Let’s take a Modern Drummer Product Close-Up look at the newest version of an iconic classic snare drum from yesteryear. But first, let’s take a quick look back in time. The Ludwig “Universal” Model Snare Drums were first introduced in…
DW COLLECTOR'S PURE CHERRY EXPANSION PACK, NEW SHURE SMART MICROPHONE
DW Collector’s Pure Cherry Shell Expansion Pack Now Available DW Soundworks™ has added the DW Collector’s Series® Pure Cherry Shell expansion pack to its growing range of drum samples. Cherry is a very musical wood that produces brighter attack, melodic clarity, and slightly darker…
The Rikki Rockett Poison Drum Collection
Rikki Rockett co-founded Poison in 1983 with his longtime pal Bret Michaels. The band slugged it out for years in their hometown of Mechanicsburg, PA before heading to west to CA. Their debut 1986 album Look What the Cat Dragged…
Baldman Percussion Presents: The Junk Hat 2.0!
New Junk for Sound Junkies! Mike McKee and his partner in comedy (or rather, drumming!), Danny Young, are two bald headed working drummers and percussion builders based in Nashville, TN. They call themselves Baldman Percussion. Through trial and error, these…
