Deal
This week’s e-Drum deals focus on two drum modules that can give your e-Drum kit a real boost at a great price!
Those of us who play e-Drums will often cite the ability to play any drum sound we want as one of the big reasons we use such things. It doesn’t have to be drum sounds either. But flexibility and variety is always key.
GEWA G9 Drum Workstation
There is an increasing trend of drum modules with big touchscreens. Manufacturers have finally caught on that what we e-Drummer’s like is to see details! I’ve rarely used my drum brains, favouring using my MacBook Pro and a plugin.
GEWA’s G9 Drum Workstation gives us the best of both worlds; big screen and big sounds! And now we can have it at a smaller price. Featuring a 10″ touchscreen with 1280x800px resolution, the G9 has a very clean and simple interface. Just four rotary controls with everything else being handled on-screen.
Underneath the gorgeous screen sits a huge amount of sounds. 901 in total! These are laid out across 40 preset kits with space for 128 user variations. Each instrument has up to 1000 samples each, many of which were recorded in Berlin’s legendary Funkhaus Studio. There’s even a 3D Sonic Image mode.
Users can import up to 100 WAV samples of their own. Total user sample length is 320 minutes in mono, 160 in stereo. There’s a ton of FX included. A compressor and 3-band EQ for each pad and a compressor and 4-band EQ for each output. There are 12 types of reverb and nine multi-effects.
The G9 is no slouch when it comes to connectivity. There’s WiFi for updates, Bluetooth audio and MIDI and 14 trigger inputs. USB Audio and MIDI and regular 5-pin MIDI are present. Audio outs are well catered for too, including monitor outs and a 48kHz SPDIF stereo out.
ROLAND TD-17 Drum Module
At the other end of the price range comes the Roland TD-17. Roland is the undisputed king of e-Drums and their V-Drum modules come packed with great sounds. The TD-17 is no exception and you can now get great V-Drum sounds for less!
The TD-17 is a compact unit with an intuitive user interface. The bulk of the work is done with the large data jog wheel surrounded by eight direct access buttons. This is linked to a detailed screen that gives you all the feedback you need.
The sounds are all inspired by those found on the flagship TD-50 module. 310 of them in total, spread across 50 preset kits. Users can create 50 more kits of their own. Detailed adjustments can be made to these sounds, including pitch, attenuation and even snare tension and buzz!
There’s Bluetooth connectivity for streaming audio from a mobile device or for sending MIDI to other Bluetooth MIDI devices. Users can also import their own WAV samples via the SDHC card clot.
You can hook up eight pads via a multi-pin connector and two more via regular TRS jacks. There’s audio in, USB Audio & MIDI as well as traditional MIDI connections. There’s a good helping of FX and the unit also features a tray at the rear for your mobile device.
2BOX SpeedLight Kit
Rounding off our e-Drum Deals this week is a kit from a manufacturer we haven’t spoken of much here before. The 2BOX SpeedLight kit is the latest in their range and is a compact, high-quality kit with a small footprint.
Featuring the DrumIt Three drum module at its heart, the SpeedLight kit offers four mesh-head drum pads (10″ snare, 3x 8″ toms). Cymbals consist of a 13″ hi-hat with stand, a 12″ dual-zone crash with choke and a triple-zone ride, also with choke.
There’s a kick drum pad and a sturdy rack stand to hang it all off.
The drum module is the star of the show here. It comes with 4GB of sound memory, with all drum sounds sampled at 44.1kHz/24bit. The included library features sounds recorded by professional and famous drummers such as Randy Black & Simon Philips. There’s even a drum editor application for Windows & Mac.
It features 15 universal drum trigger inputs that support triple-zone snare and cymbals. Other connectivity includes USB for data, MIDI In & Out, Line in audio, four audio outs and a headphone jack.
The 2BOX SpeedLight is a fantastic mid-range kit that ticks all the hardware boxes but benefits from a superb drum module that will give you everything you need.
*Note: percentage discounts may vary according to your region and currency conversion rates on the day of purchase. Displayed percentage discounts are guidelines only.
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