2box DrumIt Five Preview
Having neatly placed another feather in his cap, Bengt decided to take a break from the business. “I was painting my basement at the time and I had a flash of inspiration. At that point, I decided it was about time Rik and I got back into electronic drums.”
If kooks could kill
As Bengt ushers us into 2Box’s modest workshop and office space, we’re struck by the dictionary definition of a hive of activity. Cymbal and drum stands litter the floor, two large computers flash 3D hardware designs, leads hang from hooks in spaghetti-like clumps and various bits of rubber top prototype drums on a small table. Standing proudly amid the chaos is DrumIt Five itself and, well, it looks amazing. The first thing you notice is its unashamed ‘orange-ness’. It’s utterly glorious and positively radiates from the drums. Matched with a black bottom and the hardware’s frosted grey, it looks incredible. Ostentatious? Absolutely. Vibrant? Of course. It’s everything a modern digital drum kit should look like and will certainly catch the eye in the scrum that is retail floorspace. The five drums that we see hanging from the rack are in different sizes: there’s a 12-inch snare, 8-inch and 10-inch rack toms, a 12-inch floor tom and a 14-inch, satisfyingly round, bass drum. Bengt tells us that the first model is unlikely to be available in exactly this format, but the size differentials instantly make it resemble an acoustic kit and would make even the most die-hard drumming technophobe feel at home. Sure, the sizes are a little truncated when compared to a traditional rock kit, but future custom options will see these gripes disappear. On each of the drums (including the bass drum), are black mesh heads, but more on these beauties later…
Cymbal ideas
Flanking the main body of the kit are four rubber cymbals, one of which is set up as a hi-hat. Round, thick and re-assuringly thwack-able, the material used provides a surprisingly lifelike rebound, whether the cymbal is being crashed or ridden. With three playing surfaces (bell, edge and body), as well as the 54
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ability to choke, the thick black pads seem electronic in appearance only. The hi-hat is just as impressive. The pedal allows vertical motion and there’s enough give in the clutch to resemble the action of open hi-hats. All of this eye-catching goodness is hung from grey aluminium hardware. Two thick poles arc around the kit horizontally, with the top pole supporting the rack toms and cymbals, the bottom supporting the bass drum with an added supporting vertical screw on the drum’s base to ensure maximum stability. The snare drum, hi-hat and floor tom are supported by two auxiliary arms and legs that swing from the rack’s main structure. It allows maximum manoeuvrability, enabling the drums and cymbals to get into the most awkward of positions. On top of this, the snare drum’s cradle allows a 360-degree tilt, and the custom-built mounts enable the drums to be adjusted to suit the most awkward of playing styles. Being that we’re in Scandinavia, perhaps it’s inevitable that DrumIt Five is also one of the greenest bits of music technology you’re ever likely to encounter. There’s barely a sniff of chrome anywhere on the kit (chrome’s bad for the environment, kids), and aluminium makes up the lion’s share of the drums and the hardware’s construction. This is good for two reasons: firstly, it makes DrumIt Five incredibly light but also portable and durable; secondly, virtually the entire kit can be recycled. We’re guessing the chances of you wanting to recycle the kit, however, will be pretty slim.
Unfinished business
Despite our positive first impressions, Bengt keeps reminding us that DrumIt Five is still a work in progress. “It’s not going to be perfect. We’re trying to re-create human nature – it’s never going to be perfect!” In the short term there are still tweaks to be made before its retail release which is due in October. Most pressing is a studio session to record some of the brain’s samples. “It doesn’t matter how impressive the technology is, if the samples sound bad, the kit will sound bad. It’s as simple as that,” says Bengt. Despite considerable interest in the instrument fueled by Bengt and Rik’s history, and an impressive showing at Frankfurt’s Musikmesse trade show, the 2box founders still believe there’s work to be done on the kit in the long term. The real litmus test, says Bengt, will be when the kit is put in front of real players. “It has to get out there and be played. We’ll get feedback from drummers and take it on board. A project like this is never really finished – it’s constantly a work in progress.” We can say it’s a more impressive ‘work in progress’ than we’ve seen for a while. We’d also bet the modest number that hits the shops this autumn will provoke a similar response. We hope to get our hands on one of the very first units in time for a full review in Issue 2 of MusicPlanet – so keep an eye out. mp
The brain We have the technology As DumIt Five is the brainchild of those behind Ddrum, it’s perhaps not so surprising to learn that the technology behind DrumIt Five is staggeringly impressive. It comes with 128 editable kits, all monitored with 24-bit playback. There are 20 dynamic ranges for each drum and cymbal, with each sound within those ranges made up from a combination of samples – virtually eliminating the ‘machine gun’ effect of repeated samples. Throw in the ability to instantly change the balance of the kick, snare and toms from volume pots on the brain, and a function to adjust the levels of the sample combination, and you have a very sophisticated sound module indeed. Not impressed yet? OK, how about the software for your PC and Mac that, via USB, will allow you to drop in your own samples and update the software on DrumIt Five’s brain? On top of that, the brain is compatible with Roland pads and vice versa, allowing players the utmost of flexibility and the broadest of sound palettes.
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18/8/08 12:03:29