Ddrum new drum kits and hardware for 2011

This January Ddrum not only expanded their product line but implemented a major upgrade their website. With a cleaner design and more informative structure, the new site is surely a welcome change for all Ddrum players and fans. The company is slowly growing in the market and their Artist Roaster includes giant drumming names such as metal drummer legends Dave Lombardo, Shawn Drover, Vinnie Paul and Carmine Appice. Known mostly for their ultra popular triggers for acoustic drums, Ddrum’s drum set lines continue to grow and being upgraded. For 2011, Ddrum has three new drum set-related releases and is introducing their new heavy-duty hardware line, The Heavy Hitter Hardware.

Ddrum’s Alder shelled, warm and focused tone drum kit, The Reflex Series, is getting a new beautiful finish, making over the series with a striking new look. Some of the new astonishing finishes include Grey Bubble Wrap and White Bubble Wrap. This affordable and naturally equalized kit will try to persuade new players not only by its balanced sound but also by its new look. Another drum kit release from Ddrum this year is the Vinnie Paul Signature Limited Edition drum set that also features alder shells. This limited edition kit comes with shorter and smaller toms (9” x 12”, 10” x 13”, 16”x 16”) bass drum (20” x 22”) and snare (7” x 14”) when compared with Vinnie Paul’s Artist Signature kit. The snare drum features Dunnett throw off system and the kit has a unique look with Vinnie Paul’s Custom Dragon Wrap.

The third and last drum set release from Ddrum this month is a new version of their smaller, entry-level and road friendly D2 kit, the new D120B differs from the D2 by featuring smaller tom, snare, and bass drum sizes. It comes with Basswood shells, D Series oval lugs, crash, hi hat, and ride cymbals, stands and throne. A great option for your youngster or for the van-traveling, pub-playing drummer.

In addition to drum kits, Ddrum is also coming out with their new heavy duty hardware. The Heavy Hitter Hardware is comprised of straight cymbal stand, HideWay Boom stand, Short HideWay boom Stand, add on cymbal arm, and three beautiful professional thrones. The Heavy Hitter is now Ddrum’s top of the line drum’s hardware series. 

Sabian releases OMNI and new China cymbals

Sabian, one of the world’s leading companies on cymbal making, is starting 2011 by adding four new cymbals to their catalogue. Two of them are part of the new OMNIcymbal models, comprised of AAX hybrid cymbals. Sabian is also releasing two new Chinese cymbals developed with Chili Pepper’s drummer Chad Smith, the Holy China.

Developed with the assistance of legendary drummer Jojo Mayer, the OMNI cymbals are not a crash, nor a ride, but hybrid of both. The concept behind the OMNI cymbals was to find a way to create a cymbal with outstanding sonic contrast both when played on its own or with other cymbals. The OMNI cymbals feature a medium-weight center in brilliant finish and an extra-thin, natural finish edge for a highly musical tone and careful balance of frequency. Available in 18" and 22" models, OMNI is the latest cymbal innovation from SABIAN, and it’s covered by the SABIAN two-year warranty. See exclusive OMNI video featuring Jojo, Chris Pennie, Mark Guiliana and Elliot Jacobson at www.SabianOMNI.com
OMNI Facts:


Sizes & Retail Price: 18" ($225), 22" (#315)


Weight: Medium Bell, Extra-Thin Edge



Finish: Brilliant Bell, Natural Edge



Metal: B20 Bronze


Warranty: Two Years

The explosive new Chinese cymbal model, the Holy Chinas, feature a higher profile to raise the pitch, holes for volume and sustain, and a large, unfinished bell for cut and durability. They are a true mark of Sabian’s promise of offering innovation to the cymbal market. The secret on the Holy China cymbals can be traced to its combination of 51 holes (19” model, 64 for the 21”) that create a smooth attack and enhanced volume without distortion. See Chad Smith and the Holy China Attack, informative and humorous videos atwww.SabianHolyChina.com
Holy China Facts
:


Sizes & Retail Price: 19" ($269), 21"
($319)


Weight: Thin
Finish: Natural (Brilliant is optional)



Metal: B20 Bronze



Warranty: Two Years

For more information please visit www.sabian.com.

Zildjian’s Gen16 releases Acoustic Electric Cymbal

At NAMM 2011, Zildjian, one of, if not the most recognizable cymbal brands in the world, has shown that it has embarked for good onto the electronic path with the release of their very first line of Electro-Acousticcymbals under their new jurisdiction department for cymbal development, the Gen16. The Gen16 was created last year at the Zildjian headquarters and attributed (with the help of many Zildjian customers) with shaping this new breakthrough line. Last November, Gen 16 released their very first software, the Digital Vault, containing samples of many of the most widely known and used Zildjian cymbals. Now, they’ve come out with a mechanism through which one can usufruct these virtual technologies in a performing way. The Gen16 is clearly reshaping Zildjian character in the music making market.

You might ask yourself what makes this new release stand out from many other electronic cymbal pads out there. The answer can be found in the words from Zildjian’s Director of R&D Paul Fracis, “For us at Zildjian, we've always been about the real feel. Most of what's currently available for drummers are rubberized, cymbal-shaped trigger pads, and they typically lack the feel and responsiveness of a real cymbal. One of the most important things for us in creating the AE Cymbal was that it had to feel and play like a real cymbal”

Zildjian reached its goal by making the Gen16 Acoustic Electric cymbal a low-volume acoustic cymbal that utilizes a unique dual microphone and DSP engine to amplify and model the cymbal’s output. The Acoustic Electric cymbal was designed to work with most cymbal setups and hardware. This one of kind technology will enable drummers to not only play with classic Zildjian cymbals sounds but also create an array of non-traditional sonic textures.

For more information about Zildjian please visit www.zildjian.com. More information about the Gen16 can be found at www.gen-16.com

MEINL Releases 75 New Products for 2011

German cymbal company MEINL is entering 2011 with a series of new releases that include new cymbal models for their world renowned cymbal lines, new accessories and even a whole new cymbal line.

Within the new releases you can find seven new models ofM-Series including 8 ½” bell, 10” splash, 13” medium and 14” heavy hi hats, 16” & 18” heavy crashes and 20” heavy rides. Also included are two new models ofByzance Traditional (16” medium hi hats & 20” extra thin hammered crash), two new models of Byzance Dark (15” hi hats and 22” rides), four new models of Byzance Vintage including 14” sand hats, 16” & 18” trash crashes and 22” sand rides; three new models of Sound Caster Fusion (16” & 18” thin crashes and 19” powerful crash), and the new cymbal line Classic Custom that offers professional sounding cymbals at moderate prices and feature various sizes of splashes, chinas, hi hats, crashes, rides and matched cymbal sets. Five new matched cymbal sets (two Sound Caster Fusion, Classics Custom, Mb10 and Mb8), six new cymbal sets (3 HCS & 3 MCS), new designer cymbal bags as well as artist cymbal bags from Chris Adler & Aaron Gillespie, new cymbal dividers (14” & 22”), new cymbags for all cymbal sizes (6” to 24”), two new practice pads (6” & 12”), two new designer drum rugs (5.25ft x 6.5ft) and many more. A s@#*load of new products to make any MEINL aficionado go insane.

Besides all these new additions to MEINL’s catalogue, the company also released their own online magazine,PURE METAL, which will feature MEINL product releases, interviews and news. PURE METAL will be updated quarterly so anyone can be on top of what’s happening inside MEINL headquarters.

MEINL’s online magazine PURE METAL can be found on the following linkhttp://meinlcymbals.com/onlinecatalog2011/catalog_cymbals.html

For more information about MEINL please visit www.meinlcymbals.com