|
Post by windmill on May 29, 2020 21:35:22 GMT -5
The drummer on the band has said he has abrought a set of electronic drums and wants to use them at practice.
He said he will plug them into the PA,
So is there any differences worth noting ?
I am thinking that as a bass player, I am always listening for the bass drum.
If the sound is no longer coming from where the drummer sits, is there an adjustment needed to co-ordinate with the drummer ?
I have a mental issue with the rubber cymbals, I just cant accept that they will make a metallic sound
|
|
Grizbear-NJ
Wholenote
"I'll do the BEATING around here"
Posts: 217
Age: 71
|
Post by Grizbear-NJ on May 29, 2020 23:46:49 GMT -5
As a drummer, who just got a set of electronic drums, I can tell you there will be certain aspects that will be different for all of your band members.
First off, depending on the brand & model of the electronic set your drummer has; any band members with any knowledge of electronics, should check out the mixer/module to determine the sets capabilities, and it's compatibility to your PA system. Make sure you have multiple copies of the units manual, and keep them handy. This way you can all discuss and contribute ideas (in general) on the overall sound (for the band) that you want.
If you already "mic" the drums for rehearsal, recording, or live situations; that mic system is no longer necessary. That function is addressed with the units module/mixer; dedicated, specialty mics are no longer needed to balance the overall drum sound. One function of the module is (should be) individual volume control and tone control (like your amp) for each trigger input of the set (drum pad or cymbal). The module should have a master volume output control, and that goes to the PA mixer. From the PA mixer you can balance your overall volume in conjunction with other instruments or vocals without changing the overall drum sound and the bands overall sound. The drum sound can also be put thru the vocal monitors (via the main mixing board) so each individual player can hear the drums. Your sound people will have to experiment to get the right mix.
As far as the "rubber" cymbal issue. The cymbals and drum pads are triggers, the desired sound you want is created in the module. That is why it is important to understand the capability of the module.
If you don't mic the drums; I recommend a small, independent sound system (small tilt back speakers) and one drum monitor for the drummer to utilize. Either way you will notice more "definition" in the drum sound. There shouldn't be any adjustment needed to coordinate with the drummer, but the overall "feel" will be different. It won't take you long to get used to it.
Good Luck
|
|
|
Post by ninworks on May 30, 2020 2:29:31 GMT -5
I played in a band once where the drummer used an electronic drum kit. The thing that really stuck out to me was how good the band could sound at a very low volume. Real drums need to be hit at a certain velocity to make them sound good. Since the volume of the drummer usually dictates the volume of the band it was easy to turn everything down and still have a good sound as a unit.
|
|
gunny
Quarternote
Posts: 10
|
Post by gunny on May 30, 2020 8:25:12 GMT -5
I had rehearsals with a fellow that was a fill-in for our regular drummer who was going to be out of town. The gig got rained out but that's not the point. In rehearsals, I discovered that the kick drum created 'notes' that were out of phase with my bass and that resulted in partial cancellation of certain notes I was playing. His set was a good one - Roland. No knock on Roland. If were were doing this full time, I'm sure we would have worked something out to fix the problem. I've recorded 2 albums where the drum kit supplied was electronic. It was perfect. The drummer has an electronic kit at home so it wasn't a big adjustment for him to use similar stuff in the studio.
|
|
Grizbear-NJ
Wholenote
"I'll do the BEATING around here"
Posts: 217
Age: 71
|
Post by Grizbear-NJ on May 30, 2020 20:05:52 GMT -5
Hey gunny: question for you? When you say the "kick drum" created notes that were out of phase with your bass; are you referring to the kick drum sound being out of sync, (as in timing) or possibly too much sustain programmed in. The reason I ask is that I had a similar problem with an acoustic drum set awhile back. The drummer and bass player complained about "stepping" on each other with certain songs. The solution was simply readjusting the muffling on the bass drum to shorten the "sustain" (AKA flattening the sound) thru the PA system. Once we identified the problem, it was a simple fix. I'm just wondering if I can apply the same logic if I come across a situation like that with the electronic drums?
|
|
Ayns
Wholenote
Posts: 767
|
Post by Ayns on May 31, 2020 3:59:59 GMT -5
We had a "dep" drummer for a couple of gigs last summer. He had an electronic kit. If I remember correctly he used a monitor so we could all hear the drums on stage. From memory the sound was ok, and he was probably a little bit quieter than our normal drummer, which was better for our on stage sound.
The main thing I remember was that he took about 10 minutes to set up, and about 5 minutes to break down so he was the last to arrive and the first to leave, which is the polar opposite to our normal drummer :-)
|
|
gunny
Quarternote
Posts: 10
|
Post by gunny on Jun 7, 2020 6:45:35 GMT -5
Grizbear-NJ: I was not referring to timing being out of sync. I think it was an out of phase type of cancellation that affected any G note played on the E string.
|
|
Grizbear-NJ
Wholenote
"I'll do the BEATING around here"
Posts: 217
Age: 71
|
Post by Grizbear-NJ on Jun 7, 2020 12:21:02 GMT -5
Interesting.
Thank You gunny; That gives me something to think about, and look into, for future reference.
|
|
|
Post by HenryJ on Jun 8, 2020 6:35:27 GMT -5
I know nothing about electronic drums and am thus formulating questions. I have also been out of serious instrumental music for a long time. When I was actually studying music, drums and cymbals were all of "indefinite pitch." (Not counting tympani, of course.) My question is, gunny, did that electronic bass drum produce a definite pitch that conflicted with the bass guitar? Otherwise, what was the cause of the phase cancellation between the bass drum and the bass guitar?
|
|
Fat Tony
Quarternote
Posts: 20
Formerly Known As: Tony Wright
|
Post by Fat Tony on Jun 18, 2020 8:14:30 GMT -5
Around 2003 I played with a drummer who used eDrums. I have no idea what brand, but I do know that he never quit "tweaking the sound" of his drums to make him happy. He played in another band AND at church, so he needed to be versatile and tweaked to his inner ear.
He used to ask me if I liked the settings and, being an "honest to a fault" guy, I told him, "It all sounds the same to me."
But he never tweaked the settings at a gig. Before I left the band, he had gone full circle and was playing standard acoustic drums. And YES, between songs at rehearsal, he tweaked with a drum key and gel pads to get the sound he heard in his head.
|
|