Frequently Asked Questions...
Advice on getting a digital drum kit?
I really want to give drumming a go but cant get a proper kit as next year il be in a flat with no sound restriction. so i want to get a digital kit but don't have a clue about them. so does anyone have any suggestions as to what to get for a complete beginner with not too much space either
any suggestions would be great thanks
Answer:
It all depends on how much you'v got to spend, and usually the more you spend, the beeter you get when it comes to electric kits.
There's two areas to consider, the physical capabilities and properties of the drum pads themselves, and the capabilities and quality of sound you can get out of the drum module..or, computer thingy. lol
With the drum pads, you can get really basic ones where you hit them and it makes the same noise every time, you can have touch sensitive ones which give a louder sound if you hit hard and softer one when you hit it light, then realistic ones that have a stretched, rebounding skin on them, you can hit the rims of the drums and get that clicking sound, and you get different sounds out of the cymbals depending on where and how you hit them, you can also grab them and 'choke' the cymbal, to cut the sound off abruptly.
Each kind will get more expensive depending on how advanced its capabilities are.
With the computer that runs the whole thing, the module, there's any number of bells and whistles you can have, and even the most basic ones will do the trick, its mainly just about adjusting the drum sounds and volumes and changing to different kits and stuff.
If you get one with a midi in/out input, then you'll be able to connect synthesizer wracks and drum software to it, and play limitless numbers of drum sounds on the same kit.
Basically, if you find a cheap kit that has decent pads and a midi in/out plug, then it doesn't matter how flash the sounds are on it cause you can always trigger better sounds with computer software.
If you're just after something really basic though that you can learn on, a begginer style kit will probably be around 1 to 2 grand, yamaha or roland are good brands but just try it before you buy it and if you like what yuo hear, then great =]
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Digital Drum
Yamaha DD65 Digital Drum Set
Why Drum And Bass Vinyl Records Represent A Body Blow To The MP3
When it comes to drum and bass vinyl records, it really seems to make little sense to use any other format. Despite all of the advances in technology and computer file storage and compression, not to mention portability, it is gratifying to know that there are still forms of music, genres and sub genres being created today which demand and require a form of storage and media which turns entirely away from the digital era.
For all of the advances in computer power, with CDs and MP3s seemingly everywhere you look, from websites to hanging round the necks of teenagers, from mobile phones to glued to the front of magazines and newspapers, there seems to be no escaping the older formats of music, the vinyl records, with genres of music thriving on the vinyl disks, and not just thriving - but actually needing such a format to be fully appreciated.
I've talked a lot in the past about the way that vinyl adds a quality to music which is bleached out by the digital manipulation of binary files. The computerized digitization of music seems to erase any individuality, any spark of individualism. But the popularity of drum and bass music has meant that vinyl represents more than just a pleasing alternative, an individual style or a more versatile way to experiment with the performance.
The fact is that artists and producers creating drum & bass vinyl records are not expecting the music to be transferred to any other format, and this is more than obvious if you've ever tried listening to a D&B track on your iPod. You might start to wonder why the introduction is so long, and why when the song is finished the drum and bass routine just seems to go on forever. There's a good reason for this - you weren't meant to hear that part. Or at least, you weren't meant to hear that part of the drum & bass track because it was designed to be played about with by the DJs.
As with most house music, whether garage, RNB, hip hop, jungle, breakbeat or the many other genres and sub genres which exist within the urban music culture, it is not intended for you to just sit back passively and listen to the music, but for you to participate in it. This is very true with D&B or drum & bass vinyl records. The intro and outros have been extended deliberately to allow DJs to mix, fade and play around with the tracks, creating unique ways of incorporating the music into the session.
This is so much the case that in several cases artists and producers have provided DJs with either pre-release versions to experiment with, to make sure that the D&B tracks are played, tested and experimented with, or even exclusive D&B tracks with extended intro and outro sections. It's for this reason that it makes almost no sense at all to just sit passively and listen to this extended routine of drums and bass.
This is also the same reason why when it comes to drum & bass music vinyl is the only practical answer. You can't effectively scratch, mix or fade MP3 files into each other. I know that software exists that enables you to simulate these sorts of effects, but they have a real disadvantage - there's no hands on feel involved. Just pushing buttons offers little in the way of spontaneous creativity. Top DJs don't use computers, MP3s or even CDs as the main way to play with and experiment with the music.
It's important to be able to get physically involved with the music - whether that's dancing or actually getting your hands dirty in the vinyl basket. Drum & bass is very much about feeling the music. Most home systems just simply can't handle the bass effectively, and the whole idea of this music is to feel it through your body as much as listen to it. This is another reason why plugging your earphones in and listening to it on your iPod seems to make little sense. You're never going to feel the music. But getting yourself out to a house event, a nightclub or rave party where drum & bass music is in evidence will very much allow you to feel the music.
Whether feeling the music as vibrations rushing through your body as you dance the night away, or getting your hands on the grooves and playing about with the drum & bass vinyl records in a tactile and experimental way, there's no denying that when it comes to drum & bass music vinyl is the only practical form of media to use in order to fully appreciate the genre.
About the Author
Barnaby Milne is a musician, DJ and avid collector of music from the 70s to today, particularly drum & bass vinyl records and for drum & bass music vinyl is his top recommendation.
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