E-Drumming

 Gen16 AE Cymbals are in select stores now and those drummers who are getting to experience them are loving them. Milano Music in Mesa Arizona just received their first Shipment of 6 Boxsets and Tom, Eric, Joe and Rulon couldn't wait to open up a box and experience it for themselves, and their video is a great demo of how fast and easy it is to set up GEN16 AE cymbals for the very first time.

Unpacking a GEN16 AE BOXSET is like opening an awesome Christmas gift. Even the packaging is impressive. The owners manual is a contemporary work of art reminicent of a hi-end APPLE product and all components are individually  packaged in internal boxes in  GEN16 signature blue. Everything is included to get you up and running quickly.

BUT WAIT, there's more!

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This changes everything!

 The New line of products  from Zildjian’s Gen16 Intelligent Percussion division have hit select stores this week. Go in and try them out; this changes everything.

The beauty of these cymbals is the beauty in the cymbals. As a low volume acoustic cymbal that plays at 25-50% of the volume of a standard cymbal, this is a must-have addition to every drummer’s cymbal bag. The high end shimmer and clarity can’t be found anywhere else. The feel and control of the 20” ride cymbal is reminiscent of a flat ride and allows ride patterns to be distinct and articulate. And the look…. Game Over! With the beautiful, shiny nickel plating reflecting the cool blue lighting effect emitted from the Gen16 pickups, the AE cymbals may become a welcome  addition to your living room decor.

But these are more than just great sounding cymbals with an awesome appearance, these cymbals give you new creative power.  While being designed to improve the cymbal performance experience when added to E-Kits, these cymbals let you put on the head phones and experiment with a whole new palette of  sonic possibilities.

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Aquarian has been busy finishing up upgrades and adding new features to the inHEAD line of acoustic/electronic percussion products. While no release date has been set at this time for the flagship inHEAD force sensing trigger head, PP is excited about the opportunity to give sneak peaks at designated Southern California Percussion Partner dealers. Stay tuned for locations.

While you are waiting for the new product launch, check out this a great SUMMER NAMM demo of the inHEAD given by Chris Brady of Aquarian for Classicdrummer.com. This is a good demonstration of the tracking ability of this awesome triggering tool. The inHEAD sounds great, plays great and works equally as well in all the popular electronic drum modules including those from Roland, Yamaha, Alesis and even new Simmons units. It is going to be inSANE!

Zildjian is offering you the opportunity to own some the family's most coveted and exclusive master "reference" cymbals in digital format. These are original, one of a kind cymbals that all production models are patterned after and that no amount of money can buy.

Check this out.

Also included are rare, limited-edition cymbals never available to the public. Each cymbal has been hand-selected by Zildjian's Master Cymbal Tester Paul Francis from the "cymbal vault" at the company's Norwell, MA workshop, and meticulously recorded with multiple articulations and performance nuance by BFD's John Emrich.

The Gen16 Digital Vault  features the cleanest, most accurate and realistic digital cymbal sounds ever created.

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I was an early adopter in the midi/ electronic drum category way back in 1986 and was a member of the original KAT electronic percussion team. My passion has always been the interface: I want what I THINK and what I PLAY to be translated into the performance I ENVISION. The quality of sounds are not that important to me , but an accurate translation of my performance is! I really feel that the new technologies being put forth by miditronix and Aquarian do just that. So let's talk sensing surfaces and interfaces!

The inHEAD is meant to be an affordable "open source tool" to give us all of this ability to let our creativity shine with existing electronic percussion modules and sound sources. DIY people.. Use it as you wish!

Have questions about the inHEAD and the applications?

Lets talk at Percussion Partners Facebook discussions:

Aquarian inHEADs and Acoustic/Electro drum application

Post your thoughts, questions or concerns.  I look forward to talking with all of you early adopters and innovators.

Mike the Rep

You are going to start seeing a lot more information soon about the Aquarion/miditronix inHEAD. More drummers are going to unleash their creativity and technique when they apply the acoustic/electo combo.

Chris Brady from Aquarian spent the day in the studio with Aquarian drumset artist Mike Bennett and the inHEAD.
As told by Chris..."This little clip shows the acoustic sound of the inHEAD blended with the Roland TD20X module. The inHEAD is on the snare and the floor tom. Mike cooked up a unique percussion patch on the TD20X that the inHEAD is triggering to sit underneath the acoustic sound of the snare and floor tom. We had a great time pulling in Addictive Drums sounds as well which we then blended with the acoustic sound and the Roland sounds."

By combining the natural sound of your acoustic drums with digitally enhanced  percussion sounds, you can come up with new grooves and textures that are rich, full and fun!

I can't wait!

AQUARIAN inHEAD is a hit (literally) at NAMM 2011!

At NAMM 2011, in a small sound booth in HALL D, creative drummers have finally found the missing piece to the puzzle: the piece that gives them the ability to flawlessly trigger electronic drum modules from their very own drum set. That piece is the Aquarian inHEAD powered by electronic drum wizards, Miditronix. Drummers who have been on the cutting edge of the creative use of electronic for live performance have been amazed at its performance and are rejoicing at the potential live performing opportunities

The inHEAD really works! The demos have exceeded the expectations of everyone who has played it. And play it they have. This inHEAD has been tethered to a Roland TD20 for three solid, non-stop grueling 8 hour days of playing. It has been challenged by the toughest of NAMM attendees and the performance has been FLAWLESS! The inHEAD has been hit.. and Hit… and HIT!!!  No loss of sensitivity. No loss of dynamic range. No misfiring. No crosstalk. NO disappointment!

This will be a huge "hit" when it hits the market in Spring 2011! Stay tuned for more info.

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Coming to NAMM 2011, the inHEAD acoustic/electronic hybrid drumhead by Miditronix and Aquarian Drumheads will give the drummer the ability to have the best of both worlds- great sounding acoustic drums and the power and the control that comes with triggering electronic drum sound modules.

You play your drums your way; no sacrificing your technique or adjusting your playing style to accommodate the unnatural feel of an electronic  practice pad. The inHEAD let's you play YOUR acoustic drums and access YOUR electronic drum module with no unwanted crosstalk, double triggering or loss of low end sensitivity.

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Throughout the centuries, the Zildjian family has given us the tools that  have helped shape the music of the time. Responding to the requests and needs of creative musicians, Zildjian cymbal innovations have helped color and influence the music of all genres with new sounds and performance applications.The latest is a product of Intelligent Percussion by Gen16, a division of Zildjian, and it is going to have a real impact on how we perform.

The first offering from GEN16, the Digital Vault line of Virtual Instrument (VI) products, was directed more towards the use of digital applications of unbelievably realistic cymbal sounds for composing and recording situations. The sounds in the collection are the best that have ever been offered and are a must for anybody doing digital recording. There are soon to be 7 collections available.

This latest offering from GEN16 is specifically a drummers tool. A real Cymbal. A Hybrid Acoustic/Electronic Cymbal that sounds great and is so much fun to play! This is welcome "electronic" addition to put into your cymbal bag.

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For over 386 years and 14 generations, Zildjian has been the "ONLY SERIOUS CHOICE" of drummers who were expecting cymbals of the highest quality in sound, integrity and innovation. Now Zildjian's GEN16 ( named for the 16th generation of Zildjian's that will be ushering in a whole new era of intelligent percussion innovation) is the "ONLY SERIOUS CHOICE" for those who are expecting the same quality of sound and musicality from cymbals  in the digital world.

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