FEATURE BIG HITTERS
Bang up to date
From full kits, electronic ranges and the seemingly ubiquitous cajon, Jon Newey takes a look at the important drum and percussion launches of the last few months and notices an unexpected trend or two….
B
ack in 1963 folk and protest singer Pete Seeger had a minor hit with the song Little Boxes, a
jaunty but pointed dig at conformity and the mass proliferation of post-war suburban tract housing in the USA, many constructed in identical size, shape and colour. Fast forward to 2011 and the song
could easily be re-worked as a paean to the mass proliferation of cajons: the wooden box drums that have become so ubiquitous in recent years. With acoustic drum sales
down 30 per cent worldwide since 2006 and harsh economic cuts having a real impact on disposable income, the cajon provides umpteen reasons to be cheerful, and for retailers ticks all the right boxes (if you’ll forgive the pun). It’s an effective and versatile percussion instrument – almost a drum kit in a box – and can be used across most music genres, is easy to master, fun to play and, importantly, is very affordable,
26 July 2011
The all-pervading cajon comes in all manner of styles
with a number of good models starting at way under £100. But there’s plenty else in the drums and percussion market to indicate that the sector is thriving in terms of innovation and design while not neglecting its traditional strengths.
Electric billing
Electronic drum kits are once again catching up close to sales of acoustic kits, and there are notable launches from Yamaha, which has new DTX entry level and mid-price kits bristling with top-end features, and Roland, which has upgraded both the entry level V- Compact and mid price V-Tour kits, the later with redesigned V cymbals. In a move that should push the electronic kit trend still further, Zildjian has launched the first ever dedicated electronic cymbal. Gen 16 is an acoustic/electric hybrid that’s made from the Zildjian alloy, but with
a mesh design that reduces volume by 75 per cent and has twin pick-ups built
into its integral cymbal holder. It plays with all the nuance of regular cymbals, but together with its sound processor opens up a world of possibilities. But while electronic kits are mostly
being purchased for home recording, as practice kits and for the studio use, it’s acoustic kits and percussion that still rule for live work and, like last year, the accent for the next 12 months continues to be on upgraded quality, retro and legacy styling, lower price points and new finishes, with just a handful of brand new ranges that are particularly newsworthy. Turkish based cymbal companies continue to emerge, with well over a dozen appearing at the various trade shows this year. At this rate the idea of a Turkish cymbal hall may yet become reality. Or will the world shortage of tin slow the march of the young Turks?. The big news last year was Marshall’s acquisition of the Natal percussion company and this year it capped it with the launch of the first ever Natal drum range – not that surprising since Jim Marshall began his career as a drummer. Right from the get-go these drums stand
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