Dad3353

Not strictly true; one free 'one number up' upgrade (5.nn to 6.nn, for example...), but then a new license is required (when 7.nn is released, for example...). One doesn't have to buy or use the newer version, of course. Still, over a decade or so, I've paid a total of 80€ or so. Great value.

No problem here; at the end of our concerts, I usually stagger away to a bit of free space, often outside, to lie down, flat on my back, limbs outstretched, trying to breath. Kind folk bend down to inquire as to my health, and my band mates reassure them that it's all OK; 'He always does this; just let him recover for a while...' So far, I've always recovered; maybe one day...

Ooo I do soooooo hate it when that happens.

Adepts of the Moeller technique have a way of controlling the rebound, with or without a drum head. Worth a look..?

Not much of an issue, for me, as I would normally be recording the drum track first. I can always move a track right or left anyway, if they're not in sync. Not an issue for 'live', either, as the others are playing 'live' too, and would be playing to what they hear from the e-drums.

Ah, but you can sing, which helps. I have trouble breathing at all, so 'beat-boxing' is a no-go for me.

The speed of the 'strike' determines the velocity, so a gentle tap sounds very different to a 'bash'. The current version is temperamental in this regard; I'm certain that the newer version will be good enough, without rivalling an acoustic kit in all respects. A lot of the demos I've seen seem to be lumberjacks, so not much scope for recognising velocity, but they can be played with nuance.

See above ^^; my present set are only for home use, but this new version should be much better still. I was 'in' from the outset with the Kickstarter campaign, and ordered early, so I had a good price. I was already satisfied with my present set; now I'm just waiting for them to start production and shipping. Soon...

I'm going to see if I can use them on stage, as a novelty, connected to my e-kit. I have the previous (current..?) version, which needs good lighting and a neutral backdrop, so it works at home, but is temperamental. This new version coming out uses infra-red, and should be much more stable. We'll see...

I'm waiting for delivery of these Aerodrums (February, I think...) I have the previous version; they're very good. This new one should be even better. Aerodrums ...

As long as one has a Macintosh.

Yes, I get the same sort of remark every time I go out in the Bentley. 'Strapped for cash, so sold the Roller and laid off the chauffeur, eh, old chap..? Here, have a cigar...' (I don't smoke, of course...)

^^ Word.

Only if one is bothered by it. If it's a nice instrument and worth paying to asking price, what difference does it make, unless it's for investment purposes, and needs to pander to a collector's market..? Whether it's the 'real deal' or not is only of interest to those looking at financial value, rather than (subjective...) quality for the Buyer. Either a thing is worth its price or it's not.

It's all in the design, getting it to clip together as it does, and having a nice finish is a real bonus, so the shop cost doesn't seem excessive. If one was stuck for a stand, however, it looks like a promising way to go, as a 'one-off' private project. The folk that made that one certainly new what they were doing. I like it.

How hard would that be to make..? It's basically two identical sides, a front and back spreader and a top seat. Granted, that looks like a quality finish, at surely low production runs, but it's half a sheet of ply and some padding for the seat. Anyone with a band-saw could do that, I think. Is there a woodwork class at a nearby school or college..? T'would be a nice project, making something along those lines. Just a thought.

Horn players have to anticipate their notes to compensate for the physics of air producing the sound. Most noticeable for the bassier stuff, such as tubas, sousaphones, bass trombones et el.

I use a Sonuus i2m for recording MIDI tracks into my Reaper DAW. I'm not worried by delay, as I can shift the resulting track to line up with whatever else is there. It wouldn't do for real-time synchronising, such as you seem to want to do. A 'standard' audio interface (Focusrite and the like...) should give much better results. Keep the i2m solely for MIDI conversion when synchro is not an issue; it does a pretty good job for that. Hope this helps.

Yes. ...

Frivolous..? Good gracious, no..! I'd pop it straight into the savings account, awaiting a thunderbolt from the blue. Ha Ha..! Take that, Fate..!

My first e-kit was simply for commodity, to have a practice kit to stay 'on form'. I learned what was missing from my point of view, and upgraded, twice, until I got the e-kit that does what I want it to do. This involved adding a laptop and a screen, all in a flight case with an audio interface, so that it's a quality feed going to the PA, whilst I enjoy my perfect dosage in my wired iem's. We don't gig much nowadays, but I'd now rather take the e-kit out than dismember my acoustic kit, which stays in our micro-studio, semi-retired. We did a rare gig a few weeks ago, though, using the e-kit, and it worked perfectly. If I add up the cost of an e-kit such as mine, with the laptop, screen and software, it's still at least half, probably less still, than the cost of any equivalent acoustic kit, with decent cymbals. Far easier and quicker to set up, perfect volume at every gig, with the option of swapping drum sounds for every song, if required (I don't do this now, as I've set up a sound that works well with all our current repertoire, but I can dial in timpani, or steel drums, or even marimba if needed...). If it's only the 'look' that counts, count me out, as it's never been a concern; others may have a different opinion. Weird..? Maybe, to some, but, as a drummer, I'll take 'weird' if it means getting so many advantages. There are a few things it does less well, such as brush swirls for light jazz numbers, or changing sticks mid-song for timpani mallets, but for most modern or classic pop-rock, it's all win, I say. One does need a decent PA, of course..!

It must have been a similar shock when the first players to use an electric bass turned up, leaving the Luddites drop-jawed when they realised that there was no 'bass fiddle'. The Stratocaster looked a little strange, too, when it started to replace the Dreadnought folk guitars everyone was using. It's just the wheel turning, s'all; it's all done with software on an iPad now, anyway, so even these new-fangled novelties are 'old hat'. One gets used to it all after a few generations.

I'd vote for Jack Casady, Phil Lesh and Ashley Hutchings, were they to appear on the list.