127th AES Convention Coverage (New York, NY Oct. 9-12)

Modern Drummer "New & Notable" (Feb 2006)

Di Berardino Drums

Di Berardino Drums are claimed to offer "unique sonorous, technical, and aesthetic characteristics." A special cable tuning system allows both heads on a drum to be uniformly tuned in less than ten seconds, from the top of the drum. A quick-release head system is also employed.

Drums are available in two series: Prestige (stave construction) and Classic (ply). Shells are 8 mm thick, with 45° bearing edges. All standard drum sizes are available. Gloss or satin transparent finishes allow the grain of the wood to show through. Colors include ebony, red, yellow, emerald green, and Prussian blue; custom colors are also available. The finishes are offset by the gold-plated wheels involved in the cable tuning system. Toms and snares feature 5-mm steel rims tapered toward the inside; bass drums come equipped with maple hoops. Toms come with Remo Ambassador batters and Diplomat resonant heads. The bass drum is fitted with a PowerStroke 3 batter and an Ebony front logo head.

The snare drum features a special snare system that utilizes twenty coiled strands supported by a center coil that passes from one side of the strainer to the other. This is said to ensure a clean sound even at low dynamic levels. www.diberardinodrums.com

Drum Art Snare Drums And Drumsticks

Drum Art snare drums are hand-crafted by percussionist/builder Silvano Biancucci. Shells are made of 3 cm–thick solid wood staves, joined together using a peg made of the same material. This construction method is said to make the shell a "strong, powerful resonance box, able to greatly amplify the snare head vibrations." Different sounds are achieved according to the types of wood used. Those woods include olive, maple, walnut, padouk, cherry, imbuja, and pine.

Drums also feature MicronTune precision strainers, solid aluminum lugs designed to favor shell vibrations, stainless-steel tension rods, and plastic rod spacers. All (except one signature model) feature Purecusson snare wires. Available dimensions include 12", 13", and 14" diameters, and 4" through 8" depths.

Drum Art also offers precision-crafted drumsticks in five different models. Four models are offered in hickory and maple; one model is available in ebony, palisander, rosewood, and other exotic woods. www.drumart.it

Decisions...Decisions

Peace Paragon Pro Choice Drumkits

Drum Art snare drums are hand-crafted by percussionist/builder Silvano Biancucci. Shells are made of 3 cm–thick solid wood staves, joined together using a peg made of the same material. This construction method is said to make the shell a "strong, powerful resonance box, able to greatly amplify the snare head vibrations." Different sounds are achieved according to the types of wood used. Those woods include olive, maple, walnut, padouk, cherry, imbuja, and pine.

Drums also feature MicronTune precision strainers, solid aluminum lugs designed to favor shell vibrations, stainless-steel tension rods, and plastic rod spacers. All (except one signature model) feature Purecusson snare wires. Available dimensions include 12", 13", and 14" diameters, and 4" through 8" depths.

Drum Art also offers precision-crafted drumsticks in five different models. Four models are offered in hickory and maple; one model is available in ebony, palisander, rosewood, and other exotic woods. www.drumart.it

Kilt Not Included

Premier HTS 350 Pipe Band Snare Drum

Premier Percussion's new HTS 350 pipe band snare drum has been designed to offer student players the performance and projection of Premier's high-end HTS 700 pipe band snare. The HTS 350 features the HTS 700's 6-mm/6-ply shell construction, but with a "downsized" 7x14 birch shell for reduced weight and improved carrying comfort. The HTS 350 is said to offer this comfort without compromising on sound quality, snare response, or articulation.

The HTS 350 also incorporates Premier's "free floating" shell design, which the manufacturer says eliminates sound restriction and heightens projection, tone, and clarity. The drum is available with a wide selection of finish options, and comes fitted with new Cybermax drumheads by Remo. List price is $805 for standard finishes and $940 for premium finishes. (781) 659-4969, www.premier-percussion.com

Getting Personal With Dennis

Zildjian Dennis Chambers Artist Collection Stick Bag

Zildjian and Dennis Chambers have combined to create an Artist Collection stick bag that reflects Dennis's style and personality. The bag features a repeating DC pattern, as well as a large DC on one side and Dennis's signature embroidered on the other. The vibrant yellow color is reminiscent of Dennis's favorite kit.

For drummers who prefer to lean their bag against their floor tom, two loops are designed to secure a drumstick across the open bag to prevent it from collapsing. The carrying handle, shoulder strap, hardware, and tom ties are all finished in black. List price is $39.95. (781) 871-2200, www.zildjian.com

Death Of The Click Track?

The Laser Metronome

The makers of the Laser Metronome believe that their new timing device may force click tracks into obscurity. Instead of a blinking light or audible signal, the Laser Metronome swings a laser beam back and forth at the desired tempo, providing a timing reference much more like that of a human conductor. By following a continuous visual cue, musicians have more freedom to let their time "breathe" a bit, without feeling like they're fighting a click track.

For studio use, the Laser Metronome is capable of communicating via MIDI, and is usually slaved to the recording hardware. For live performance or rehearsals, the Laser Metronome has a program mode with forty-eight storage locations for tempos, which can be cycled through using a standard footswitch. List price is $129.99. (978) 270-3193, www.lasermetronome.com

Tie That Sound In A Bow

Nady Ribbon Mic's

Nady Systems has added four new models to its line of ribbon mic's. In addition to the original RSM-2 ($249.95), the line now also includes the RSM-1 ($199.95), RSM-3 ($359.95), RSM-4 ($399.95), and RSM-5 ($379.95). All five models offer the sound of a classic ribbon (velocity) mic', but each is designed differently for better suitability in specific applications. The RSM-4 is particularly recommended for miking instruments; the RSM-3 is a great ambient mic'; the RSM-1 and RSM-5 are best for use in applications requiring a compact mic'. The original RSM-2 is well suited for all-purpose ribbon-mic' applications.

All models feature a low-tension aluminum ribbon design and "large, mellow" audio reproduction, with extended low and high ends. They also are said to have fast, accurate transient response, ultra-high SPL capability, and "overall stunning realism." According to Nady, the affordability of the entire RSM Series could allow studios to acquire all five models for about the same cost as most competitive single units. (510) 652-2411, www.nadywireless.com

Drumming Up New Houses

Spectrasonics New Orleans Strut Benefit Loop CollectionSpectrasonics has released the New Orleans Strut mini drum loop collection to benefit the victims of Hurricane Katrina. All sales proceeds will go to Habitat For Humanity's effort to build homes for hurricane victims in New Orleans and Mississippi (www.habitat.org).

The loop collection includes grooves by Abe Laboriel Jr. (Paul McCartney), Alex Acuña (Weather Report, Whitney Houston), Billy Ward (Joan Osborne), Gregg Bissonette (Ringo Starr), John Ferraro (Steve Morse, Aaron Neville), Bob Wilson (George Benson, Herbie Hancock), and Eric Boseman (Liquid Grooves, Justo Almario). Included are authentic jazz, blues, Cajun, zydeco, funk, and second-line feels. Drumkit loops, brush loops, and unique percussion loops (oil cans, refrigerator lids, and spoons) are included. None of the performances have been released before.

The loop library is available in several formats, including Groove Control activated S.A.G.E. format for Spectrasonics‚ Stylus RMX groove instrument plug-in, Apple Loops format for Apple GarageBand/Logic users, and also as standard audio loops in AIFF/WAV formats, which can be used in nearly any audio application.

This special New Orleans benefit collection is available exclusively via Internet download through Spectrasonics' Web site: http: //techshop.spectrasonics.net. Because of its large size (approximately 100 Mb per format), a broadband Internet connection is required. The price is $25. www.spectrasonics.net/neworleans//color

Solid Sounds

Luka Percussion Solid-Shell Drumkits

Luka Percussion now offers solid-shell drumkits in maple, oak, beech, and ash. Each shell is crafted from a cross-section of a log, and all of the shells in a given kit are made entirely from the same tree. LuKa currently offers drums from 8" to 22" in diameter, in all conventional depths. A five-piece kit has a street price near $4,750 US, with delivery in six to eight weeks. (514) 295-1981, www.LuKaPercussion.com

And What's More

THE CD SELLER is a professional and affordable point-of-purchase CD display and sales tool for musicians and bands that market their CDs at live performances. The rugged and attractive display holds twelve CDs. It has a locking cash box, a 9" x 5" sign holder for displaying custom advertising banners, and a threaded fitting so it can be mounted on any standard microphone stand. The unit is available exclusively online, at a list price of $39.95. www.thecdseller.com

GIGSKINZ offers the GSDRUM5 standard five-piece drum bag set. The bags are crafted with Gigskinz' water-resistant high-carbon fiber style material, and they feature plush fur lining to protect their contents. The GSDRUM5 bags also feature a Gigskinz dragon screen on the side for a stylish look. Each bag comes with a lockable zipper, a high-tech rubber carrying handle, and a padded shoulder strap. List price is $159.99. www.gigskinz.com