Transitioning to V-Drums: It can...and it can't

As I mentioned in an earlier post, I acquired a set of Roland V-Drums earlier this year, and I've been documenting my transition and trying to clarify the strengths and weaknesses of the electronic kit.

Let's start with a couple of "can'ts."

It can't give you realistic feel and response. Probably the most obvious weakness is the hi-hat pedal. When playing jazz, the hi-hat "chick" sound is all but worthless. Not only is the sound mushy as all get out, you have to absolutely crank the level (and drop everything else) to get an adequate relative level for swing and latin grooves.

If you can imagine the differences between a grand piano and an electronic keyboard, you're close - at least in concept. This is the way I've begun to think about it: with acoustic, real drums, you are limited by physics - by the literal wood, metal, plastic, metal and wood (I know I repeated metal and wood, but that was for effect) - and by your own skills and creativity. With the V-Drums, you're limited by the programming of the computer module and the capabilities of the triggers.

That being said, you really do have to think about acoustic drums and electronic drums as two very different instruments, and thus approach playing and making music differently. You might play them with similar technique, but they are as different as the aforementioned piano and keyboard.

And if you're thinking about them this way, you realize quickly that the number one strength of the electronic drums is that they have literally hundreds of sounds onboard. You can adjust - within limitations - the samples to reflect shell material, diameter and depth, as well as a limited bank of cymbal sounds. You can literally change kits every song - or every chorus if you want!

Another huge benefit is that you can play virtually silently. With headphones (I mentioned this before), I can rock out at 2 AM without waking the kiddos. And with an audio input jack, I plug in the ol' iPad and practice with a track and be almost totally silent. The feel is close enough that this is really a great benefit. It's not like you're going to have to make a huge adjustment when you go back to acoustics.

This, in fact, is one of the reasons I was encouraged to get a virtual kit - to keep the stage as quiet as possible during performances. Combined with in-ear monitoring, the only live sounds on stage are acoustic guitar and voices. It's eerie and cool at the same time. The bass, electric guitar and keyboard players all plug directly into the system, amp-less.

I do miss the "thump" of the live sounds. Even when using the in-ears, you can feel the vibration of the drums and amps, and I do miss that. But it is nice to be able to pull out one ear, and then have a relatively low-level conversation while playing a tune. It's gotten almost a little silly at some of the less intense (read: background music with zero audience) gigs because we're catching up and chatting it up on stage.

One last thing for now. This may seem backward, but I miss having to play with good dynamics. In a small venue, I used to have to choose my sticks and play so carefully so as not to overblow the band, and in a large venue I had to work pretty hard. Now, it's all in the hands of the engineer - I've even cut my stick bag down to one pair (minus the bag) when I take out the V-drums.

And that's just weird.

Anyway, enough of my rambling for now. As always, I welcome comments, opinions, input and feed back below.

Happy drumming!

Gear Up: Protect your hearing!

There are a few things that amaze me in the modern world. For example, smoking. With all of the research available, why in the world would anybody choose to smoke?! And yet people do, all over the world. The tobacco industry makes billions of dollars off of humankind's stupidity every year.

Another thing that amazes me is a drummer who won't protect their hearing. And, trust me, I've heard  - and used - all of the excuses. But the facts are plain and simple: loud sound, especially sustained and repetitive (can you say cymbals?) can quickly, seriously and permanently damage your hearing.

I'm writing this post for myself just as much as anybody else, but I sincerely hope you will take the necessary stops to prevent hearing loss (or further hearing loss) and tinnitus - the high-pitched ringing in your ears.

Let's take a quick second to talk about tinnitus (tin-eye-tuss). Have your ears ever started ringing after a loud noise or something like a rock concert? Imagine that noise never going away, getting worse, and getting louder. Some of my musician friends (who didn't do enough to protect their hearing) call it, "the chorus of hell." I've got a little tinnitus myself because I didn't start protecting my hearing soon or consistently enough, and it's a bad, bad deal. Worse, it's irreversible. There is nothing that any doctor or medication can do to fix it.

Your hearing is truly a once-and-done proposition. Abuse it and ruin it, and it's gone. Try watching TV for an hour with no sound. Or go to a restaurant with friends with earplugs in. Again, it's a bad, bad deal.

So, let's take a quick look at some things you can do to protect yourself and still fully enjoy music and drumming.

Musicians' Earplugs
The people at Etymotic Research are awesome! I've never met any of them, but they have a wide range of products that are far superior to foam ear plugs. Their goal is to make plugs that evenly reduce all frequencies. Simply put, everything sounds the same, just softer.

A couple of downsides  are the cost (mine were about $140), and the time it takes to get them. I had to go to an audiologist and have molds made of my ear canal (read: the Dr. pours goop into your ears).

These are very effective plugs, and provide the best result. They're comfortable, and easy to adapt to. (Bad grammar, I know...)


In-Ear Monitors
Similarly, in-ear monitors are essentially earplugs with tiny speakers in them, sort of like hearing aids. They aim to block out all of the natural sound and "feed" your ears only what comes through the speakers. This allows the user to drastically reduce the amount of sound the ears are exposed to while practicing and performing.

Again, in-ears are costly, but they are saving musicians' ears everywhere. Compared to the traditional setup of having open monitor speakers on-stage (which are often almost as loud as the main or "house" speakers) which have to compete with all of the natural sound on stage (like a drummer), having in-ears is truly a no-brainer.

Isolation Headphones
A more affordable method, especially practical for drummers, is isolation headphones. It's the same idea as earplugs and in-ears in terms of blocking out (reducing) the natural sound to which the ears are exposed. And you can get them with speakers or without. This, of course, affects the price.

I've got a set of Koss isolation headphones that I use all the time. They're great for practice sessions, especially for metronome work and playing along with tracks.

The Bottom Line
Really and truly, I don't care which of these methods you use - even if you use 99 cent foam plugs - USE SOMETHING!! Protect your hearing. No matter how old or young you are, whether you have serious damage or no damage - start protecting your hearing now. And do it consistently.

Happy - and safe - drumming!!