|
An electronic drum is an electrical device struck by a drummer, played in real time (using either hands, sticks, brushes or other implements) to produce a selection of sounds, instruments and effects, from either samples or modeled sounds contained in a processor or drum module. Some would designate it an electronic synthesizer that can, with developments in the last decade, replicate the sound of an acoustic drum kit credibly and with good quality. Strictly speaking, according to a somewhat narrow definition, sequencers and drum machines are therefore not actually an ''electronic drum''. (the definition employed here cf: -'The Case for Vintage Electronic Drums' by Michael Render, page 1 (originally published in the Not So Modern Drumming Magazine) & sourced from "The Electronic Drum Experts" web site ) The electronic drum (pad/triggering device) is usually sold as part of an electronic drum kit, consisting of a set of drum pads mounted on a stand or rack in a configuration similar to that of an acoustic drum kit layout, with rubberized (Roland, Yamaha, Alesis, for example) or specialized acoustic/electronic cymbals (e.g. Zildjian's "Gen 16"). The drum pads themselves are either discs or shallow drum shells made of various materials, often with a rubber/silicone or cloth-like coated playing surface. Each pad has a sensor that generates an electric signal when struck. The electric signal is transmitted through cables into an electronic drum module ("brain" as it is sometimes called) or other device, which then produces a sound associated with, and triggered by, the struck pad. ==Electronic drums history== The first electronic drum is said to have been created by Graeme Edge, drummer of The Moody Blues, in collaboration with Sussex University Professor Brian Groves. The device was used in the song "Procession" from the 1971 album "Every Good Boy Deserves Favor".〔Render, Michael. The Case for Vintage Electronic Drums. (), accessed June 21, 2011〕 In 1967, however, Felix Visser, at that time a drummer playing with the VIPs, a Dutch pop band, modified one of the pre-Roland era rhythm boxes, called Acetone designed by Mr Ikutaro Kakehashi who later founded Roland Corporation Japan. As with all rhythm boxes and later drum computers, before "human feel" was invented, they sounded like machines. In Felix's modification, the Acetone box was extended with a large flat board holding 12 printed circuit boards of approximately 4 × 4 inches, the copper traces intertwining like forks, forming the touch surfaces for the sounds generated by the Acetone box. Each touch pad was sensed by an electronic circuit driving very high-speed Siemens computer relays found in surplus shops, which were connected to the drum and percussion sounds of the rhythm box. Although it was a crude way of playing electronic drum sounds by hand (like a percussionist playing bongos and congas, etc.), it worked well and certainly added human feel and even a new type of virtuosity (e.g. rolls on bass drum). The unit did serve for many more years in Frans Peters' studio in radio city Hilversum, Netherlands. Felix acknowledged that the system was over-sensitive to humidity:
From an interview with Graeme Edge:
The first commercial electronic drum was the Pollard Syndrum, released by Pollard Industries in 1976. It consisted of an electric sound generator and one or more drum pads. It quickly caught the attention of numerous high profile drummers/percussionists at the time, such as Carmine Appice and Terry Bozzio. But the Syndrum was a financial failure and led the company to monetary ruin in the following years.〔 In 1978, the Simmons company was created in order to produce commercial electronic drums sets. Its most notable product was the SDS-5, released in 1981. With its characteristic hexagon shaped pads, the SDS-5 was first used by Burgess on ''From the Tea-rooms of Mars ....'', "Chant No. 1" by Spandau Ballet, and "Angel Face" by Shock. After its debut on the top musical chart shows and parades, the electronic instrument garnered significant attention from various established and influential rock/pop musicians. The sound of the SDS-5 is often described retrospectively with phrases such as "awful" or "sounded like trash can lids" by those who employed them at the time. Despite the critics, the distinctive Simmons "dzzshhh" almost light sabre-type sound was extensively used during the 1980s by pop/rock & synth-pop groups such as Duran Duran or Rush, among others, and is often viewed somewhat nostalgically by those who began to experiment with these early forays into electronic drums and percussion. In the following years, other companies started selling their own versions of electronic drums, notably Roland and Yamaha. At that time, the electronic drums were similar to today's entry-level kits. They consisted of rubber coated pads mounted on stands. The pads were created to be velocity-sensitive and the sound was generated through single or multiple-layered sampling. In 1997, Roland introduced its now famous TD-10 model, which had two important musical/electronic innovations. The first and more controversial innovation was its method of providing a sound for the drums/pads themselves to trigger, instead of generating its sound through samples of an instrument. The TD-10 used mathematical models to generate its sounds. While some drummers lamented the fact that the produced sound was not a "pure" sample of an acoustic sound, many would now argue that it is neither desirable nor positive to simply try and emulate a purely acoustic sound, when technology is today at the forefront of modern electronic composition and simple replication of an acoustic drum is not the goal. Secondly, instead of only rubber-coated pads, Roland featured a new mesh-like pad, produced in connection with acoustic drum skin manufacturer Remo. The mesh-head pads look and feel approximately like a smaller-sized acoustic drum. The Remo/Roland mesh surface is made from a double layer of taut woven mesh fibers, fitted with several electronic sensors or triggers. The playing feel is close to that of striking an acoustic drum, but with more bounce than an acoustic skin. Roland termed its innovative commercial drum set "V-Drums", which later became the marketed brand name of its electronic drum line. Together, the mathematical/computational modeling, mesh-head pad surface and improved trigger sensor technology greatly increased the quality of sounds, volume levels in practice and the "realistic" feel of electronic drums.〔Greg Rule & Steve Fisher. V-Drums History. (), accessed June 21, 2011〕 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「electronic drum」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
|