With Christmas fast approaching, what do you get the electronic drummer who has everything? I know we’re just at the start of the month, but with more people being at home at the moment (at least for the next couple of days here in the UK) it’s worth having a think, and also as this article goes up at the start of the month, it will give your loved ones around three weeks to get you something!
We are a fussy bunch, but I’ve been wracking my brain trying to work out what would be good presents in different price ranges for anyone who has an electronic kit.
Lets start simply;
Phone / Tablet holder for mounting on a kit
Firstly a clamp on phone holder or iPad/tablet holder is always useful these come in all shapes and sizes, but I found that buying the clamp and the holder separately and putting them together often gives the best results.
For instance Amazon (other more tax friendly companies are available) have a very good clamp which mounts pretty much everywhere on a drum kit and various phone holders and tablet holders can screw directly into it. It’s very useful.
This is the clamp –
https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B01MG76CYC/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o07_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Buy that, unscrew the threaded microphone adaptor, and screw this onto the threaded bit which is left…
It works!
Edrummers Swiss Army Knife
For those with a bit more money, then I heartily recommend the eDrumin 4 mini module. I talked about this last month – it’s a eight channel trigger to midi interface about the same size as a packet of cigarettes (remember those?). It’s incredibly powerful and allows you to use (almost) any pad with any module. Its easy to use, flexible, and incredibly useful.
For more info go to https://www.audiofront.net/eDrumIn.php
Playing material which will help your playing improve
For those who actually want to get something out of their playing, then I would also very much recommend ‘Beats Exotiques’ by Gary Leach. This is a book designed to improve your independence by taking various foot patterns and giving you hand patterns from all over the world (Africa, Brazil, Cuba, Egypt, Jamaica, Spain, UK, USA etc) over the top.
Not only is it great fun but I can actually feel it improving my coordination and independence as I’m doing it. It’s a big book too, so great value for money. It’s also great for DJs and producers who want to add a little bit more interest to their rhythms rather than just a straight eighth note high hats. It was reviewed on this very site a while back. Great fun too.
https://www.beats-exotiques.com
Sticks!
I’ve been reading an awful lot of rubbish recently online about how are you’ve got to use nylon tip sticks on electronic kits. Let me say it once and for all, this is complete rubbish!
I really don’t like nylon tip sticks and I’ve used wooden sticks for as long as I can remember. I use them on mesh, silicon and rubber surfaces and I’ve never had a problem or broken a head.
Obviously if the end of your drumstick looks like the top of the pineapple then you need to replace them but seriously, don’t worry about using nylon tips specifically for electronics.
At this point I should point out that hopefully your loved ones (i.e. those of you who are reading hoping to find an idea to buy your loved one) should already know your favourite stick size. If not, they need to sneak behind your drum kit, and find the most common stick in your stick bag. It will be something like a 5A, 5B, 7A or 2B… something like that. Then just go out and buy some more from your local music store! We can never have too many sticks so it’s always a good present for drummers.
Lessons
And I don’t mean drum lessons – electronics lessons! Learn how to use your gear better!
Go on a course and learn Ableton Live (essential for every drummer, regardless of whether they are an edrummer or not).
Learn how to program so you can be useful on ANY session, regardless of whether or not you are playing drums or not. It will open up a whole new area of work (essential in these times) and you might even enjoy it.
Finally, thank you for sticking with us this year. And what a hell of a year it’s been. I don’t think any of us will forget this in a hurry. Amazingly we may be able to see light at the end of the tunnel now. Hopefully by next year the world will be a very different place, and hopefully a much happier one.
I really hope that you have a very, very unexpectedly good Christmas, with lots of peace and happiness, and see you all in January.
Happy Christmas, Happy New Year, here’s to 2021.
Simon Edgoose
December 2020
