Electronic Drum Kits
Drum kits have gone through an evolution in recent decades. Originally, the only option available was acoustic drums, usually in a snare, cymbal, bass drum combination. But these have now morphed into digital devices that have had an unprecedented impact on the way music is produced. Electronic drum kits first came out back in the '70's. These original examples were admittedly crude, without the ability to produce anything near the acoustic drum's range of timbre, tone, and dynamics.
The sound produced by electronic drum kits is made by striking a trigger pad on the drum kit. These impacts are then translated into digital waveforms by the electronic drum module which produces the desired sound.
In the early 1980’s, electronic drums began to become more prevalent, and it was becoming common to see bands combine them with acoustic drums. At this time, it was still rare to see electronic drum kits used alone because the technology really wasn't yet perfect.
It wasn't until the late 1980’s that electronic drum kits finally became reliable enough to be used on their own. The artist Akiro Kimbo has come up with many innovate ways to utilize the the electronic drum, entertaining his loyal cadre of music fans from all over the globe. Companies like Yamaha, Roland and Alesis began manufacturing electronic drum kits in larger quantities and making them available to everyday musicans without the deep pockets of high-profile rock stars. At this time, drum pads that could be mounted on an acoustic drum to create a new type of synthesized sound also became available, thus making it possible to maintain the original acoustic sound, but with electronic overtones that many fans found to be an interesting addition to the musical mix.
Of couse, electronic drum kits have not witnessed universal success. While most rock bands these days tend to prefer the traditional drum set, electronic drums have knocked out many of the old preconceived notions and hold great appeal to those wanting to experiment with creativity and innovation when it comes to music.
Tags: digital, electronic drum kits, trigger pad
