Category Archives for "Performing & Touring in Bands"
Videos and articles on performance, set-up, products for live performance, etc.
Videos and articles on performance, set-up, products for live performance, etc.
The newest single from Copper Core since debut album release (self-titled) available on all streaming sites.
About Copper Core:
Copper Core is a solo electronic act executed by the American drummer and percussionist, Robin Rapsys. The music can be described as instrumental improv electronic music. It is performed by triggering an eclectic mix of original clips, loops and effects while improvising live drums and percussion. This allows for an uniquely expressive and organic live experience. Acts like RJD2, Shigeto and DJ Shadow all have similarities with Copper Core's sound.
Here we are with part 2 of the coolest drum gadgets you will probably buy on impulse in the next few minutes! It's one of them moments where you scream, "Take my money!". I have found so many new cool gadgets that I had to make a second article! Check 'em out!
Drumnetics Magnetic Kick Pedal
DOUBLE BASS or SINGLE BASS PLAYERS! All drummers that use a bass drum pedal! You have to check this out! The Drumnetics Pedals are bass drum pedals driven by magnets rather than springs! As a disclaimer, I have not bought one of these myself but I would love to get one! This design is truly unique and innovative. This is a new product and a young business and the few people that actually own one right now have nothing but good things to say about the fluidity and movement. Luckily the construction is very heavy duty—resembling Trick drum products. You can get single or double pedals in short or longboard styles. I will be getting one soon! Check out the features and adjustment options in this video:
Sunhouse Sensory Percussion
Sunhouse Sensory Percussion is so cool! It is the future of electronic drum sound and experimentation. Simply put, these are drum triggers that clamp onto the drum and have a variety of sensors to capture the vibrations of the entire drum. But they are not MIDI drum triggers. They connect via microphone cables (XLR) and can read 10 different zones with high precision dynamics. This is far more sophisticated than basic on/off messages with MIDI.
This is what makes the Sunhouse Sensory Percussion system literally 10 times that of a MIDI trigger setup. They work with regular or mesh drum heads and you can use them with any third party interface and connect them into the Sunhouse Sensory Software on a Mac or PC. You could buy mesh drumheads for any old inexpensive drum set and turn it into a electronic kit or create any hybrid setup you can imagine. This is where you could get artistic and make drums out of unique materials, devoid of sound because the Sunhouse system will turn them into whatever you want. The sound manipulation is far more advanced than anything you can do with MIDI triggers. You have to take some time to really check out this amazing and innovative tool! Watch their demo videos:
Yamaha EAD10
I am so impressed with some of the new products coming out right now! The Yamaha EAD10 is a single mic system for your entire drum kit that clamps your bass drum. With extremely intelligent technology, the EAD10 listens to your entire drum kit and can discern each drum within a 4 foot range of the unit. This unit attaches to a module and gives you a wide variety of mix and effect options. I am amazed at the quality of recording you can get out of a one-mic setup for your entire kit. This is the ultimate option for people on a budget wanting to start making their own drum videos. Watch the demo video put out by Sweetwater where he explains all of the features:
Hi-Hat Quick Release Clutches
After I fell in love with Trick Drums Cymbal Quick Release, I found myself still spinning threaded nuts on hi-hat clutches. I knew there had to be a product that could solve this issue as well! The Gibraltar Quick Release Hi-Hat Clutch is a super solid, steel constructed product that combines the same idea of the Trick Cymbal Quick Release on a hi-hat clutch. They also make the Gibraltar Quick Release Hi-Hat “DROP” Clutch for double kick players.
With some deeper research, I found that Tama has their own version called the Tama Quickset Hi-Hat Clutch. It is based off of the Tama Quickset Cymbal Mate design. I did not prefer the quickset cymbal mate design with it’s clunky closure and tendency to pop off every so often. However, since the grip clamps to the lip of the customized clutch instead of threads on a cymbal stand, it seems like a solid design.
At this point I would have called the Gibraltar Quick Release Hi-Hat Drop Clutch the winner…but then I found something that I never knew existed. If you read my previous article “The Coolest Drum Gadgets You Didn't Know You Wanted”, I spoke about the seemingly discontinued product, the Tama Cobra Clutch. The Tama Cobra Clutch essentially gives you a drop clutch with the option of tightly closed or sloshy hi-hat cymbals while playing double kick. The hack I created was much cheaper and was achieved by putting a spring on your hi-hat stand. However, the Tama Sizzle Touch Drop Clutch gives you the slosh option WITH the quick release. Honestly I wish Gibraltar had the spring option as well since their quick release construction is better AND they are much more affordable. So with that, I leave the decision up to you!
Snareweight M1 and M80
Everyone knows about muffling gels and similar products for dampening their snares or toms. This is an alternative that I think is a little more elegant, sturdy, and effective. The Snareweight M1 and M80 are essentially a snare dampener made of a leathery flap that clips on the rim of the drum. You can turn it off by simply pushing back on it until it magnetically sits off the drum. This turned out to be more sturdy than sticking muffling gels on the drum, especially when they have stopped sticking. The M1 is the small version of the M80. With the M80, you can essentially push back the side flaps to make it the same size as the M1 really giving you two products in one. I highly suggest that you experiment with your drum’s tuning to get the sounds you want without muffling but this is definitely a quick adjustment that can be useful in many situations. They come in brown, black, and white colors.
Firefly Ratcheting Drum Key
Ratcheting style drum keys are super useful when changing heads. The Firefly Ratcheting Drum Key takes it a step further because it is silent when you reverse your movement rather than clicking. This can be ideal in gig and studio situations. This is definitely the best ratcheting drum key out there!
Tru Tuner Rapid Drum Head Tuner
The Tru Tuner Rapid Drum Head Tuner is a fantastic way to get evenly tuned drums on every lug. You place the included drum keys on all of your lugs and put the “tuning plate” on top of all the drum keys and turn all the lugs at the same time. One setback is that you can’t test the drum sound while the plate is on the keys. But if you have a ballpark of 1 or 2 full turns to get it close, you can be rest assured that every lug is evenly tensioned. You can literally remove and install a new drum head in under 1 minute.
Dialtune Drums
When I first found Dialtune Drums, I immediately saw them as the future of how we tune drums. Tuning drums for so many players at the beginning and intermediate levels can be so overwhelming. It is a time consuming skill to learn which takes away from what you actually want to be doing: practicing and playing! Not to mention all the drummers that are so uninspired by their drum sound because they can’t get their drums to sound good. It is literally the biggest problem for drummers right now!
Dialtune Drums use a pulley system to allow you to evenly tune one head of the drum just by turning one knob located on the side of the drum. There is one knob for the top head and one for the bottom head. The hardware attached to the drums do make them quite a bit heavier than a regular drum. I think the ease of tuning far outweighs the heavier weight (no pun intended).
This is a brand new company that just started offering products to the public at large. As of right now, they only offer 6.5”x14” maple snare drums. As they gain momentum, they will be adding different snare size options, tom options, and eventually full kits. I would keep our eyes peeled for more companies to start building drums like this.
Vic Firth Hingestix
The Vic Firth Hingestix are ideal for teachers and beginners alike. They are basically an removable rod that screws into 1 of 2 pre-made holes on the sticks to help remind you where your fingers and/or fulcrum should be. If you have trouble sliding around your stick, they do help a little bit with grip as well.
Tru Tuner FX Series
In addition to their Rapid Drumhead Tuner, Tru Tuner also came out with an FX series of gadgets that are really cool. Essentially, they are small and inexpensive attachments to your drumhead, kick pedal, cymbal, or sticks to add shaker or tambourine sounds while you play. I think all of these have great uses and they are super easy to switch out between songs…or in the middle of songs! There’s a quick release mount attachment for you bass drum beater, a sticky drum muffling gel and a mount to place onto cymbals or drumheads, and a butt-end stick mount. With these mounts you can add a shaker or a mini-tambourine cymbal. My favorite was the sound of the tambourine and muffle gel on the snare drum.
Thank you for reading! I hope the products were helpful in simplifying your drumming life. If you haven't checked out some of my other helpful articles, do so below!
Part 1 of this series:
The Coolest Drum Gadgets You Didn't Know You Wanted
Other articles that may interest you:
Everything You Need to Become an Online Session Drummer - Part 1 – Getting Gear
Definitive Drum Practice Guide from Beginner to Advanced - Part 1 - Scheduling and Gear
Definitive Drum Practice Guide from Beginner to Advanced - Part 2 - Practice Session
**Full Disclosure: I earn a commission if you click any of these links and make a purchase, at no additional cost to you.**
Most drummers might think that you only need to chart songs if you’re filling in or joining a new band AND that you need to know how to read music to do it. I have found that charting songs can be helpful in ANY context and you don’t have to know how to read music to do so.
Aside from the obvious uses, I have used song charts for writing music, learning or reworking cover songs, remembering new original material, helping new members learn songs, prepping for online drum sessions, or any type of song organization. Whether your writing music with other musicians in jam situations or all by yourself, it’s very helpful to write out song forms and audition different structures.
There are many types of ways to chart a song. There are tabs, transcriptions, and charts. Tabs and transcriptions are usually exact notation, or at least close depending on the author. They can be helpful if you would like to learn exactly what the original artist played on that song. They are also a good way to learn cool beats and fills from your favorite drummers that you can’t figure out by listening to the recordings. Then you can add these your arsenal.
Song charts are much more of an abbreviated version of a tab or transcription. They can sometimes be pretty long and specific depending on the author. However, they can also be short and simple without any notation at all. When you’re at a level where you need to learn a lot of songs in a short period of time, song charts are more than adequate. That’s because you probably already have a tool box of beats and feels to choose from to use in a song so you wouldn’t need any beats or fills written out exactly.
The point of a song chart is to remind you, in brief, of what the form of the song is and guide you in making decisions on what to play throughout the song.
As a drummer, I found a few key elements that can guide you, on the fly, to play what you intend to play for a song. My simple song chart can cover the grounds of being a “simple cheat sheet” all the way to having written out rhythms, beats, and fills. The key elements are: section name, amount of times, amount of bars or measures, what sound source to “ride” on, notes, and a staff with rhythms or beats.
Section
The section name is obvious, whether it be the verse, chorus, interlude or some section name you come up with. It will usually help remind you where the energy level is as well. Here are some basic suggestions that are commonly used when referring to different sections of a song.
Amount of Times
This is where you specify how many times that particular section is repeated. If there is a 4-measure verse progression that is repeated, let’s say four times, sometimes it helps identifies the length easier than reading “16 bars”.
Amount of Measures
Knowing how many measures the section is can be helpful, especially if it’s an odd transition.
Sound Source
It’s helpful to know what the basis of the beat is when entering a new section. You could be riding the hi-hats, the ride cymbal, the toms for a jungle tom groove, or the snare drum some type of a second line groove. This can be telling of the energy level too. Just abbreviate the sound source (such as: RC, SD, HH, BD, etc.). This is the only element in this chart that is "drum-centric". If you are an instrumentalist looking to use this sheet, you could use this column for the key of the song or the chord progression.
Keyword Notes
The “keyword notes” are very helpful when you need to describe the beat a little bit in your own way. Sometimes I will use descriptions like, “half-time closed HH” or “SD build”. It could be anything that might remind you of the unique characteristic of the part.
Staff
The staff is useful if you need to write out a specific beat or rhythm to follow. It might be full ensemble hits, or a defining rhythm of the entire section that should be followed. This is your last resort when you just need to write out the part. This column can be omitted by those that don’t read music on a staff.
Remember, these charts are for you, so you can use whatever abbreviations and notes you like that will help you. These charts are simple enough that you can glance at them during a gig to give you a heads up about the next section.
If you print them out but want to be inconspicuous, just place them on the floor by your hi-hat or tape them to the top of your bass drum. If you put them on an iPad or tablet, you will be able to flip through as many songs as you need to get through the gig. Tablets mounted on kits are so common these days, you won’t look like you’re looking at a song chart during the gig.
Sometimes it's necessary to write out the parts a bit more for a drummer. Especially if you are a composer writing a part for a drummer. I really like how Goran broke down how to write drum charts in his article here. These charts would be more of a simplified but notated which would work great to communicate a drum part without over-complicating things for a competent drummer. Check that out here: Goran Grooves - How to Write an Efficient Drum Chart
Of course, I have provided my simple song chart for you to download and print for free. Grab it right here:
We’ve all seen the “top gifts for drummers” and “essential gear” articles, but I haven’t seen many articles listing the uniquely useful drum gadgets. Some of these you have probably heard about but I’m willing to bet you haven’t heard of all of these. I use almost all of these regularly and I plan to eventually buy all of them. I just couldn’t wait to share all of the cool drum gear that you didn’t know you needed with optional drum hacks!
Tama Cobra Clutch (DISCONTINUED)
The Tama Cobra Clutch is a product that has solved a problem for double bass drummers ever since Louie Bellson brought them to the bandstand. When you move your foot from your hi-hat to your second bass drum pedal, you relinquish the control of the hi-hat foot pedal and how much you want the cymbals open or closed. This clutch allows you to set your hi-hat at any level of openness with the push of a pedal. You can have your hi-hats tightly closed or slightly open for a sloshy sound while you play double bass.
Regular hi-hat clutch users, such as myself, have long desired having an option for the amount of slosh when playing double bass. Most drummers remedy this by setting their hi-hat to slightly open and never touching it. This is at the sacrifice of not having the option for a hi-hat wide open nor a loud 'chick' sound when using the hi-hat with your foot. At a hefty price tag, you can solve these problems with the Tama Cobra Clutch. This pedal sits to the side of your hi-hat pedal to easily set and unset.
Drum Hack
I think their needs to be a more affordable product to achieve the slosh sound when playing double bass. Long before this even came out, I came up with my own drum hack that literally costs around a dollar. Simply buy a strong spring that can fit around your hi-hat shaft. Most hi-hat stands have a 1/4" shaft so you would need a 3/8" spring like this one: 3/8" by 3/4" spring. Cut it to length and place it in between the two cymbals. This will hold the top cymbal up slightly when your regular hi-hat clutch is dis-engaged for a slosh and still allow for your pedal to work when the clutch is engaged.
However, this only gives you the option for slosh when playing double bass. Gavin Harrison likes to have the option for slosh or tight as he explains in this official Tama video:
Meinl Cymbal Tuners
A lot of people talk about the Meinl tuners in articles like this so you have probably heard of them. There are mixed reviews on these and I think there's a couple things that need to be said about them. First of all, they don't just make you cymbal quieter. They transform your cymbal into a different but more quiet cymbal depending on where you place the magnets. I like the sounds I can get out of these, but it does depend on the cymbal you are using. I would urge your local drum shop to keep a set of these in the cymbal room so you can test them on different cymbals.
So, yes, these do make your cymbals more quiet at the expense of sometimes wanted overtones. If you want quiet cymbals, you really need to learn to play them more quiet with finesse. This is an important skill to work on especially when you're in the studio. If you are playing your cymbals too loud, it will bleed into the other microphones requiring you to gate or use other production techniques. It can also completely take over your overhead mics forcing you to turn down the overheads at the expense of losing bulk and essential overall room sound. Keep that in mind if you buy this product.
Drum Hack
There are some cheaper options to achieve this but they may not work as well as the Meinl tuners. I used to put duct tape on the underside of the cymbal but it left a nasty residue. Then I heard about these super strong neodymium rare earth magnets online for a fraction of the cost. You just need to put some sort of adhesive felt on them so they don't scratch your cymbal. I have not tried this but have heard that they work just as well. Comment below if you have tried this!
Gibraltar Shock Mount Cymbal Adapter
I usually have more cymbal stands sitting around rather than mic stands. This is perfect for that. It mounts to most cymbal stands. This product is intended for use on a cymbal stand when you have a cymbal mounted as well, that is why it also has shock absorption. It also absorbs the shock when you mount the stand on a rack.
I have wrapped tape onto cymbal stands so I could mount mic clips on them but this only works for a while until they fall off, damaging your microphone. I was definitely happy to find this product! I see the reviews aren't very good but that's because the rubber piece, which absorbs the shock, breaks...just be careful!
Drumgees
This product allows you to "bungee" any sound source to a drum. If you have ever experimented with putting pans, towels, or anything else on your drums, these hold them in place. They also have clips that can quickly and easily secure them into place. This is right up my alley, I just wish they weren't so spendy!
Drum Hack
I hate to suggest this option because I like to support small businesses but there are some decent options that are WAY cheaper. Just buy a mini bungee cord with a plastic hook (to prevent scratching). I found these elastic buckle cords on Amazon and the hook works well with a drum rim. You can untie the bungee and put a second hook on it. They won't work as well as the Drumgees though...especially with their the ease of use when playing live.
Drumlites
These Drumlites are amazing! I have an acrylic "see-through" drum set but these also work great with wooden kits. The remote control allows you to pick a bunch of different presets and colors. I chose to buy the Global DMX Controller so I could have the lights react to my music. This is definitely the way to go because with DMX control, you can do anything.
I will mention that the Global DMX Controller only allows you to show the same color on all the Drumlites you have (hence the name global). However, the Independent Controller with DMX Function allows you the ultimate control to do anything...at a really hefty price tag!
They also sell Drumlites that are triggered by sound, but they are not interchangeable or upgradable to the DMX controlled lights. I easily found a way to trigger the DMX controlled lights by sound with my setup in Ableton Live. But, in order to use it on each drum separately, I would have to buy the independent controller. That's where the triggered Drumlites are much more affordable. I still chose the Global DMX Controller for now with hopes to eventually upgrade to the independent controller.
My drum transcription video of "Moon" by Little People shows the first time I programmed my Drumlites in sync with the music. Check it out here: Moon by Little People - Drum Transcription by Robin Rapsys
Here are a couple official videos from Drumlite with Coop3rDrumm3r explaining their setup and uses. The second video shows their "triggered" version which cannot be interchangeable with the DMX controller. Like I said, with a little setup, you can easily do this with Ableton and a DMX controller. I will be releasing some videos on how I do this soon.
Trick Drums Cymbal Quick Release
The Trick Drums Cymbal Quick Release is by far the best of its type. There's a reason they're so expensive! They screw onto almost any cymbal stand, include felt washers, adjust for tightness, and of course...quick release when you pull on the top. And trust me, they do not "accidentally" pop off.
I have to be honest, the Tama Quick-set Cymbal Mates do not work very well; they fall off numerous times on a gig. The Vater Slick Nut works pretty well but you do have to adjust them with an allen wrench every so often and they can also mess up the threads on your stand. I spent $60 on three of the Trick Quick Releases and I am set forever...no more problems! Amazon also offers the Trick Cymbal Quick Release as a 2-pack or a 1-pack.
The KickStrap - Bass Drum Creep Solution
This is the best solution for bass drum creep I have found. It's basically a strap that hooks to your bass drum pedal or hi-hat foot pedal and then to the center pipe of your drum throne. There's another product out there called "KickLock" which is similar to this product. However with KickLock, the strap hooks to one of the throne legs so I would have a concern of accidentally lifting my throne leg while I'm playing and disconnecting the KickLock. It also wouldn't work with raised bass drums because the strap attaches to the lugs of your bass drum causing the strap to sit up off of the ground and trip you up when you move or stand during play.
The people at Kickstrap are very nice and have great customer service. That kind of thing goes a long way and I like to support businesses that care about their customers! When you order, they will help make sure you are getting the correct KickStrap that will fit your pedal. I had a great experience overall with Benson's Music and the KickStrap.
Meinl Cymbal Bacon
The Meinl Cymbal Bacon is a pretty well known product to create a sizzle effect on your ride or crash cymbal. I found this one to work the best because it's not so bulky and the built-in washer fits right on top of your felt washer. I didn't like the Pro-Mark Sizzlers because they were too bulky. The built-in felt and plastic piece didn't fit on some cymbal stands too.
Drum Hack
Of course, you can always take a necklace and drape it over you cymbal stand. Sometimes you need a piece of tape or something to secure it to the cymbal stand. I found that the "dog tag" style necklaces create the best sound which is the same material as the Cymbal Bacon. However, most necklaces will cost more than the Cymbal Bacon and require an extra step to secure it. But, if you have an extra necklace lying around, it could be a quick solution.
Zildjian Anti-Vibe Sticks
Have you seen the Zildjian Anti-Vibe Sticks before? They've been around for a while, but they've come a long way. They now offer them with colored dip grips, birch, natural, or maple and nylon or wood tips. There is a little nub on the back end that drastically reduces vibrations from coming down the stick which can cause wear on your wrists, elbows, and shoulders. They feel really nice but the rebound is very different and they take some getting used to. If you have any sort of pain in your hands, wrist, or arms, these sticks can help with that. I think the vibration reducing sticks will become more common in drumming. Anything to prolong the ability to play drums is a good thing!
Pearl Drum Key (Multi-Tool)
I used to keep a little ziplock bag in my stick bag with allen wrenches, screwdrivers, drum keys, etc. This Pearl Drum Key Multi-Tool alleviates all of that. Vic Firth, Tama, and Zildjian all make a similar version of a multi-tool but Pearl's design is better. It has more allen wrench sizes, more screwdriver sizes, and longer shafts. CruzTOOLs also makes a very similar product that is great, but Pearl 'one-upped' them by adding a bottle opener and a couple more screwdriver sizes. I prefer using this to tune my drums as well because the grip is better than any standard drum key. Definitely the best drum multi-tool on the market.
Tama Tension Locks
Tama Tension Locks lock your tension rods in place so your drums don't go out of tune while you're playing. There are a bunch of other products out there for this issue but these are the best ones. Why? Well, some of the other products out there wrap around the tension rods underneath the drum hoop which make tuning and changing heads a complete headache. The products that snap onto the top of the rods (Gibraltar Lug Locks, Pearl Tension Keeper, Tuner Fish Lug Locks) are easier but Tama Tension Locks are the only product that allow you to tune the drum while they are installed.
They just push onto the top of your troublesome tension rods and the O-ring allows you to tune the drum while they are on. These are probably one of the more expensive products of this kind but that is because they are the best! You don't need to put these on every rod of every drum either. Only install these on the lugs that seem to fall out of tune due to rim shots.
Evans Torque Key
I am a big proponent of tuning your drums by ear. Recognizing pitches and overtones is an important skill for any musician in general. That is why the Evans Torque Key is the best aid in getting your drums close to "in tune" followed by fine tuning by ear. The DrumDial and Tunebot are so much more expensive of a product when you are only using them to get close.
To use the Torque Key, just turn the bottom dial to a desired tension and turn the key on the tension rod until it clicks. After tuning that same tension on every rod, the drum should be very close to in tune. Record your "tension number" when you find the best tuning for each drum.
I will mention that the Torque key only works well with higher quality drums and tension rods free of rust. Lower quality drums will tend to have inequalities in their tension rods that can lead to uneven torque.
Thank you for reading! I hope the products and/or hacks were helpful in simplifying your drumming life. If you haven't checked out some of my other helpful articles, do so below!
Part 2 of this series:
The Coolest Drum Gadgets you Didn't Know You Wanted - Part 2
Other articles that may interest you:
Everything You Need to Become an Online Session Drummer - Part 1 – Getting Gear
Definitive Drum Practice Guide from Beginner to Advanced - Part 1 - Scheduling and Gear
Definitive Drum Practice Guide from Beginner to Advanced - Part 2 - Practice Session
**Full Disclosure: I earn a commission if you click any of these links and make a purchase, at no additional cost to you.**
This tutorial will show you how I set up my Ableton live session for live performance in my electronic solo act, Copper Core. It covers a little bit of my composition technique that coincides with how I improvise while muting and unmuting tracks along with all the settings you need.
You will need a virtual midi port setup for this to work. Here is an article on how to set that up for Mac or PC: Ableton Help: Using Virtual MIDI Buses
I have also provided a printable STEP BY STEP GUIDE if you want to save this for later. Grab it: