I view “creative percussion controllers” as three separate categories. Category 1 is a completely self-contained set of electronic drums that are designed by instrument manufacturers that create all the drum and cymbal samples. We simply plug in great headphones and start playing drums. This is the most popular category because it offers instant gratification. Category 2 is for the “Hybrid Drummer.” These are professional drummers that need to trigger a few custom samples and 808 hand claps live on stage by incorporating extra pads into their acoustic drum set up. In more advanced hybrid set ups, the drummer may also trigger backing tracks on each song using stems via Ableton Live and a multi-pad device. I call Category 3 “Radical Hybrid Drumming”. These drummers are deeply engaged in the world of sound design, music composition, and sonic exploration. There are no rules and no road map to follow. This category […]

July 2022 Issue