John Emrich - BFD, Zendrum&Guru MIDI Controller Demo

[cliffistheman]

What are you using to trigger the kick drum?? I don't see your fingers hitting the kick.

[zendrum1]

Im a zendrummer... and i also play the drum kit and love them both....but the zendrum is fun to learn how to play..took me 1 year to get it down and still learning more and more each day..i like it because i sing a lot and the zendrum allow me to come out front...and do my thing....singing drummers gets no respect they always got some person in the band standing in front of them doing nothing while the drummer is back in the dark singing his ass off...so this is good for me..i love it!!

[spercoco]

This is definately not for me. I think the whole reason I love drums is the look and feel and also using my feet and hands together. I'm a very physical person though. Most people I know embrace technology easily; young and old. I feel like a frigan caveman! I can't even get into electronic drums even though you use your feet for those. I can't quite put my finger on it but even if electronic drums were cheap I would not spend the money on them.

[tolgapala]

@spercoco i definitely see your point. these types of equipment needs a totally different approach and concentration even though the goal is to get a decent drum part. also the feel of these are quite different and involves a lot of issues to tackle first so it not as straightforward as playing on an acoustic drumset. acoustic drums are pure in that sense. but edrums and such bring a whole new level to drumming and is in fact are fun. :) cheers

[spercoco]

@tolgapala different strokes for different folks but I wouldn't say that drum set is more straight forward. As a drum teacher I've found that people are really not as coordinated as I originally anticipated when I began teaching 25 years ago. I think it is much easier for the majority of people to use their hands than their feet and hands combined. I noticed that everything the person is playing in this video is either one thing at a time or two but never 3 or 4 like in real drumming.

[tolgapala]

@spercoco oh no i totally agree, i was merely trying to compare the setup and how effortless and straightforward and pure setting up an acoustic drumset to get a sound from and start playing right away no matter what your level is as it is purely physical/mechanical in that sense. however these require a whole different way of approach. edrums are a closer substitude in that sense in terms of playing feel and limb coordination.

[spercoco]

@tolgapala I forgot to ask before. Do you know if this unit is the same I saw Billy Cobham playing a few years back? It was quite a while ago; I would say maybe 15 or 20 years ago. He and Stanley Clarke jammed for about 10 minutes straight with Billy first behind the kit and them coming up front with something that looked like the unit in this video. BTW saw you playing to a country tune on your page. I see you have a wide array of influences like myself. Interesting that your 2nd tom is smaller

[tolgapala]

@spercoco well, i don't recall seeing that performance from billy cobham but definitely sounds interesting. :) i should look for that. and yes you are quite right on your observation that i do have a wide array of influences not only limited making or playing music but recording techniques and electronics/gears that are involved. and a big yes that you got me there with the reverse ordered toms as a billy cobham influence. gives a different flow to fills. :) i think he's a phenomenal drummer.

[DOKTOR242]

Nothing is with out a doubt until me touch ......

[vampiremonkiesgohome]

Zen as well as Rolands stuff really has to be approached as a differnet drum all together. it's like learning a new instrument But if you play percussion if def makes it easier. I wish my HD had some of its functions , as being a hand drummer/conga player it better suits my playing style. This is better for button pushing tech heads.

One can sound too busy on these type drums because everything is so close together...my word of advice,give a little space don't dominate.

DD

[OrbVroomer]

Great demo ,John > just came from your kat video. You should be a demo artist !! Now I want a Zendrum. I think I could get some John Bonham beats going -- if I had your set-up. I play keys ,so I think I could quickly adapt to the Zendrum.

[jancivil]

I've seen him elsewhere, def using a kick and a hat pedal.

He seems to have a number of things mapped to a single key, which can be really tricky; there also may be variable articulations involved. Certainly with a hat pedal he is using variable articulations in BFD maps.

[bmusic10]

The Zendrum is meant to be an alternative way of expressing ones self rythmically and to take the drummer from behind the kit. John sounds good because got good limber fingers and rythm most people playing Zendrums are not able to tranfer the sound and feel of a real drumkit being played to their fingers, he does. Good job John

[legendsandpros]

This is NOT a negatrive comment but I just can't see where you could use this as a substitute foe a drum set in any band, but I could be wrong...also, lloking at pricines it would cost about $5000 and you would have to be techniqually sound to operate the different programs...great idea but I like roy wootend rumiatar which isnot for sale but Bravvo to Dave haney!

[tolgapala]

hey there. there are a number of zendrum videos on youtube which could demonstrate usage of zendrum in a band lineup. i realize the equipment is pricy and could seem redundant in a band performance and totally agree it needs a certain amount of technical issues to be tackled but hey once you nail them it is a lot of fun to play with. cheers!

[drsnazzy]

Hands down the best Zendrumming video on YouTube. John, do you teach Zendrum, too?

[selfreflectionII]

awsome!

are you using hihat and kick pedals? (double kick pedal?)

I can't see

[tolgapala]

you are asking about john emrich i suppose. honestly i do not think so because his drum map as you probably have noticed has a lot of different sounds for the various triggers he's using with his fingers on the zendrum. i personally do not think other gears like a kick or a hithat pedal is needed. cheers!

[Hilsee]

This has got the be the best video. Informative, and then adds some nice zendrum shredding at the end.

[tolgapala]

exactly. it is probably by far the most comprehensive and impressive vst drumming video i have come across.

Last issue of modern drummer magazine also covers vst drumming with john emrich's article where he covers the most basic issues and talks about the affordable gear, where to start etc. thanks for the comment.