April 5th, 2017 – Bad Berleburg, Germany. Sonor, one of the world’s leading drums and percussion manufacturers, today introduces their new SQ1 Series, a new dimension in sound. SQ1 drums are made of pure European Birch and feature ´Sound Sustainers´, a true innovation in drum technology that offers unparalleled sustain and better projection. Together with exclusive matte lacquer finishes, SQ1 is a professional drum concept for live performance and studio recording. Made in Germany.
Birch – the secret behind acoustic versatility
“Over my professional career, birch drums have been my ‘go to’ choice when it comes to recording in the studio. I’ve recorded many records and studio sessions with that rich birch sound.” says Ryan van Poederooyen who plays with the Devin Townsend Project, “The boosted high frequencies, slightly reduced midrange and excellent low-end punch best describe what birch drums are all about. In my opinion and experience, a birch shell has this naturally equalized sound that covers all the frequencies required for many styles of music, in a live or studio scenario”.
When developing SQ1, Sonor tested several combinations of shell materials and shell configurations. Sonor’s conclusion was that pure Birch provided the most versatile sounding drum. Whether in a live setting or in the studio, birch drum shells offer a brilliant, distinctive tone with lots of volume and projection.
The SQ1 birch shells are manufactured in Sonor´s German factory using Sonor‘s unique CLTF Cross Lamination Tension Free process. Furthermore, these shells have Optimum Shell Measurement (OSM), slightly narrowed outside shell measures and 45 degree bearing edges for optimized shell contact. Finally, all drums come with Sonor´s TuneSafe system preventing tension rods from loosening, giving maximum tuning stability.
“The SQ1 birch shells have that really big sound, with great versatility and full tone – even at lower tension…these drums roar!“ says Chris Coleman.
Sound Sustainers – the intelligent drum mount
Back in the 1980´s Sonor developed the Advanced Projection System (APS) with the Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt in Braunschweig, the National Metrology Institute of Germany. Since then, Sonor equipped tom mounting systems, bass drum mounts and spurs as well as floor tom legs with APS rubber insulators. They prevent direct contact between wood and metal, ensuring uninhibited sound projection and allowing each drum to perform with maximum sustain.
“The Sound Sustainers are a logical next step in thinking about insulation. Vulcanization technology is widely used in the automotive industry, for example in engine mounting”, says Karl H. Menzel, Managing Director of Sonor. “The technology has developed to a level that we now can apply to our drums, resulting in a tremendous sustain for both rack toms and floor toms. All that, with a simple but very smart mount”.
Sound Sustainers contain a 2-component connection (rubber to metal) that enables complete isolation of the metal mount and the wooden shell. This guarantees a particularly long lasting and clean decaying sustain, not just for toms but also all floor toms in the SQ1 series.
From Cruiser Blue to Roadster Green – inspiration for a new look in drums
“We have a few petrol-heads in our team that always look at classic cars and motorbikes to see what colors are popular,” says Frank Boestfleisch, product manager drums at Sonor. “The colors and finishes of those classics inspired us to come up with four different modern matte finishes in blue, red green and black.”
The unique look of SQ1 drums is defined by a new range of four exclusive matte lacquer finishes combined with natural wood finish bass drum hoops. This beautiful combination offers an outstanding appearance on stage or in a studio setting. All lacquer surfaces are handcrafted with Sonor’s precision sanding, polishing and lacquer procedures. A special lacquer is used to seal all inside shells.
Program
The SQ1 series is a modular drum system with 3 basic shell sets (3-piece) and a full range of add-on drums for great configuration flexibility.
The SQ1 Series has the following specifications:
- Birch Shells, Chrome Hardware
- Configurations (NM = No Mount):
| 320:
20“ x 16“ Bass Drum (NM) 12“ x 8“ Tom 14“ x 13“ Floor Tom |
322:
22“ x 17,5“ Bass Drum (NM) 12“ x 8“ Tom 16“ x 15“ Floor Tom |
324:
24“ x 14“ Bass Drum (NM) 13“ x 9“ Tom 16“ x 15“ Floor Tom |
- Add on program:
| 14“ x 6,5“ Snare Drum (Dual Glide) | 8“ x 7“ Tom
10“ x 7“ Tom 12“ x 8“ Tom 13“ x 9“ Tom |
14“ x 13“ Floor Tom
16“ x 15“ Floor Tom 18“ x 17“ Floor Tom |
20“ x 16“ Bass Drum
22“ x 17,5“ Bass Drum 24“ x 14“ Bass Drum |
- Finishes:
– Cruiser Blue with Natural Walnut hoops
– Hot Rod Red with Natural Beech hoops
– Roadster Green with Natural Walnut hoops
– GT Black with Natural Beech hoops
Sonor’s SQ1 series will be available in stores early April 2017.
For more information, please see www.sonor.com/sq1 or visit Sonor at the Musikmesse Frankfurt, April 5-8, 2017, Frankfurt, Hall 11.0 Booth D65.
