Simmons SDSV Analogue electronic drum set demo SDS5 # 1

[skullsies]

I love you... beautiful... :,)

[SovereignG]

I own a few of these. A main rack and some spares, including the hi-hat and cymbal. It's funny how people know so little about these and tend to write them off as being goofy relics from the '80s. Through proper monitoring they will easily produce the elusive brown note. They're outstanding in a studio environment. Programming is a cinch and they blend well, once EQ'd & compressed when using them to supplement a poor drum sound on a recording.

[tompricedrummer]

Great video! If anyone has a set of these for sale in the UK, I will buy them!!

[KHemans]

Do u know where I can purchase a set like this?

[Kadyium]

back when electric sets looked cool! Why did they ruin them?

[Matthew112a]

If you ever miss a drum on this set then you suck. Lol

[Iceiarz]

GREAT SIMMONS - THIS SOUND IS...EWERYWHERE OF MY LIFE. Thank You for You working & presentation. You'are BIG presentation men. Thank You. Jacek Lodowski POLAND.

[Sybertronic7]

HAHAHAHA YES!!!! TOTALLY LIKE RETRO AND kinda 8 bitish! SWEET!

[albundie3]

Wow reminds me of king crimson's good ol days

[Rockonforever88]

These so remind me of Alex Van Halen.

[masterofall66]

I wish so hard I had samples of this thing.

[ahmet123456ish]

woow holl ich mir auch

[RetroElectroville]

Pseudo Echo - A Beat For You - live

[APHEXSHAMAN]

thats awesome, is it possible to buy these second hand anywhere?

[Pied777]

Sounds really great ! Awesome analog drums kit

[static1994]

I have a question: what dop the Knobs on the far right-hand side of the brain control?

[MrRitchieDrums]

@static1994 Volume & sensitivity for each channel

[static1994]

@MrRitchieDrums thanks. so that means two sets of those knobs have no function because there are only 5 channels right? thats pretty cool... Why not purchase the extra two modules for added functionality? (or would they have made much of a difference?)

[mefistofeles666111]

Very nice! 

[catnip213]

BADASS. 80s music is the best

[C5Rigzz]

I miss this stuff. These were the bomb back in the day!

[FiveThirty3]

I love the Hexagonal drum pads. I wish they still had them.

[static1994]

anyone know where i can get some simmons SDS5 drums? i like to experiment.

[potrezaml]

@static1994

Be ready to pay the price ! They are quite rare by now; and if you find some on eBay or somewhere else, they might not be in the best condition...(or in spare parts : exple : only the brain, or one or two pads alone...)

[static1994]

@potrezaml well, ill check on ebay or something... if MrRitchieDrums was able to keep his kit in such good condition, maybe someone else was able to as well, and hopefully it will be a reasonable price.... It would probably be best to buy the kit in all spare parts though, such as the toms and cymbals (providing that the brain supports them) what do you think?

[potrezaml]

@static1994

Well, honestly, I would prefer to find a drum kit that had been kept entire by the guy who own it... I mean : it would not be a so good idea to get spare parts from different sellers... This being said, just three weeks ago, I found a full Simmons drum kit (from the 1980s) on eBay, I don't know if it's still there...there are still some findable from time to time (seldom,though...)

[static1994]

@potrezaml i suppose you're right... whose to say what condition the parts would come in, and if i purchase the right one? a full set is probably the way to go, but you say that they're scarce.... i wonder if Moog synthesizers ever created a drum kit... they said in a video on this site that they still use analog circuitry to make sounds, so i could try there. how does something as amazing as the electric drum kit go out of style?

[potrezaml]

@static1994

Yes, try it and see... I don't know,though, about Moog... they were rather specialised in keyboards,but it's possible that they created drum kits, I know that Pearl - for Instance- created drums in the 1980s , with a shape copied on the Simmons (hexagonal). On eBay, I know that there were still two or three, between 400 and 600 $, approximately...you gotta check if they are still there. As for the electronic drums, I think that they went out of style cause it was a 1980s thing..

[static1994]

@potrezaml well, unfortunately i doubt my landlord will let me bring a drum kit into the house, especially since she lives below me, so i would have to find a different place first. im thinking about buying keyboards though, if i can. there is a lot of stuff to consider in this neighborhood.

i dont think that 80s synths should've gone out of style though.... my favorite bands still use them (at least one of them im positive still does)

[Mcsquishy21]

@static1994 You can hook up an electric drum kit to headphones so no one can hear but you

[static1994]

@Mcsquishy21 that is pretty handy to know. thanks. still, when you hit the drum pad, is there a disruptive amount of vibrations? if you hit the pad hard enough it may be audible where i live... sound proofing may not be an option but maybe i can lay down a blanket or something... what do you think?

[Mcsquishy21]

@static1994 Even if you hit the pad as hard as you can, it doesn't make very much noise. THe pads are made to try to make the actual sound of the stick hitting the pad as soft as possible, so the electronic sound is better.

[VinskieZ]

duran duran - hungry like the wolf anyone ?

[static1994]

@VinskieZ awesome song. i listened to it on cassette yesterday. :)

[fkthewhat]

dude... you can't use round speakers with these drums! They sound terrible! Buy some of the hexagonal speakers that are meant to go with them to hear what they really sound like!

[VanCanucksFTW]

I love those old 80's electric drums! Someone needs to get these back in style

[Saiyajin92]

Each time I watch this video of you playing these super awesome electronic drum kits that were once used by Duran Duran just make me want the Simmons SDSV more and more and more! =)

[Edwardo1993]

It's amazing how the electric drum kit has come along. Just look at the new Yamaha's available!

[static1994]

wow that was cool. Ive been thinkin about getting a kit, and that video pushed me more toward the "yes." my only problem is my neighbours...

[MultiJames95]

These are the best drums in the world

[garyc2]

I think that some of the sounds on these older kit are a bit better than there modern digital counterparts 

[uncled39]

Great sound.

[Mattyuk1]

Damn these sound so phat!! great set up.

[drumtravelfun]

Cool but they need to be bigger...

[FanManLover]

how old are these?

[MrRitchieDrums]

@FanManLover This set was purchased in 1982

[FanManLover]

@MrRitchieDrums wow thats cool! how much do you think it was?

[MrRitchieDrums]

@FanManLover Full set was around $3000.00 new.

[FanManLover]

@MrRitchieDrums wow thats alot was there a hexagon bass drum i could not see it, does it have cymbals that it came with and a hi hat top?

[FanManLover]

@MrRitchieDrums is there a hexagon bass drums?

[WiiClassic2usb]

@MrRitchieDrums - The sound of these drums reminds me of a toy I had when I was like 5... I think they were called Kik Stiks" or something like that and you played them in the air... also that "cut to commercial" outro in Knight Rider. *doov-doov-doov-dit-dit-doov*

[LaugermanPROductions]

Second Home by the sea - Genesis

[weteringoost1]

So Boring man. Buy a life!!

[MrRitchieDrums]

@weteringoost1 INTERESTING that you have the time to post USELESS COMMENTS, but I NEED TO BUY A LIFE................GET A JOB LOSER!!!!

[FanManLover]

where do you get these models from and where?

[dvamateur]

This is absolutely fantastic! Unfortunately the '90s luck of taste killed it. Hopefully someone will produce something like this again, because the new Simmons make me wanna puke when I look at it.

[RootsAddicts]

I hope you play with a band because you are incredible on those drums! Pure inspiration!

[TrainmasterCurt]

Naked Eyes "Always Something There To Remind Me" would be nothing without Simmons drums!

[earthacademy]

ps. I meant YMO's "AFTER SERVICE" :-P

(its all on Youtube)

[earthacademy]

I have the same kit in my house, which I bought off a guy who had a hit in the UK charts (previously we had Adam and the Ants white (with twinkly stars) Simmons kit).... excellent work! you reminded me again of why these electronic drums are so cool. For me the best example of these drums you can hear in the live show in Japan, Yellow Magic Orchestra's "Service" album (drummers: David Palmer & Yukihiro Takahashi)

[audiotrax2000]

Fantastic! Thank you so much for sharing this. I just know these are going to come back in style again. Then the used market will sky rocket. Wonder if there's a vst software version of these anywhere?

[zdzbzrz]

@audiotrax2000

lol..." I just know these are going to come back in style again" Really ? You think that ? You seem positive about it; I respect your opinion,but I -personnally- doubt it !

[LIGHTRONIX]

I just discovered a whole knew world of drumming!! analog synthesis meets my instrument!!! YES.

[Meteotrance]

the tom sound of this is a classic, you can heard on a lot of Jan Hammer track or a lot of New Wave and 80's pop ^^

[myownservant]

Sweet.

[RikJamezBich]

cool but they didn't include cymbal sounds?

[SkateAddiction1]

worm saloon. indeed. seagulls in wisconsin are named gregger

[jtc95]

alex van halen used these in live without a net i would mind as set like he had some, and used as toms in the dvd and he used an acoustic snare and kick drums

[Dojocho]

Anyone remember simmons had large 3d heads with pads on them originally....carl palmer used 3 of them with asia in the early eighties.

[MrRitchieDrums]

@Dojocho These Hex-Pads were the original. That "Mt Rushmore" set with the human heads was a custom order...........

[Bang0r]

Awesome video. I just purchased a set of old Simmons pads and I was just wondering what kind of stands you use to mount them. Thanks!

[MrRitchieDrums]

@Bang0r Pearl Tom Arms.........

[Shinjinkiru]

steven hawking?

[drjeffamatrixx]

THIS IS COSMIC. LONG LIVE HExAGONS!!! WORLDPEACE.

[numanuma20]

I can see why most people used this drum in th 80's. This thing is so cool, and you can use real drum cymbals.

[dwilmer7]

I like cheeseburgers AND simmons drum pads.

[MrRitchieDrums]

@dwilmer7 Me Too!!!

[lionelvillahermosa]

''excellent''

[armouredantz]

It's a real shame they don't make these anymore.

[sauermusicDE]

@armouredantz Yes, indeed. Those hexa-pads looked soooo cool. But at least the company is back with a new kit called SD9K (unfortunately it looks like any other modern kit from Roland etc.).

[MrRitchieDrums]

@sauermusicDE Unfortunately - The New Simmons are Junk.

[nielswil]

@sauermusicDE

The SD9K isn't Simmons btw. It's an i believe an American company which lets this sets manufacturing in Asia with different names= Simmons, Fame. If you look any closer to the eectronics you see to many similarities.

[VintageSoundsNumber1]

@sauermusicDE

lol... mind you that these you talk about are actually not really Simmons drums...well, not "real" ones ...the Bristish company ended in the very early 1990s (the last hexagonal drum kits being produced in 1990...if I'm not mistaken...) ...So : in fact, the drums with the modern look that are sold today (round pads...etc) and labelled "Simmons" are not "real" ones...

[VintageSoundsNumber1]

@sauermusicDE

...it's the firm "Guitar Center" that just "bought" the rights to use the name("Simmons") -if I dare say- and sells them under that name...besides -as it was pointed out- they are crap compared to the original/1980s' ones ...

[Edwardo1993]

@armouredantz Why?



[armouredantz]

Can you buy these ones anymore?

[MicahTheBeast]

Not new... they show up used on eBay occasionally.

[JeremyHerreraTV]

Simmons for life. SDSV looks nice. Especially other kits, such as SDS7, SDS8, SDX, and SDS-2000.

[boibad12]

i know bill bruford used these alot during the 80's except his set was much more advanced (no offense)

[MrRitchieDrums]

No offense taken, but you need to know the history. All SDSV kits were the same, including Bruford's. He then went to the SDS7 around 1983 and finally the SDSX kit around 1988. Those kits were more advanced including MIDI. My video is a demo for the SDSV model ONLY.

[boibad12]

oh ok thanks

[buddhadonut]

whoa...6,666 views

[FUHGI]

this machine must have some filter... its not just pitch-noise-decay there has got to be a filter in there ¡¡¡¡

[higuerenosDISA91]

Nice thats a cool simmons drum kit anyways im looking 4 1 do plan on selling it?

[kirkmach32]

Playing these sucked way back then. They had such bad, lifeless action compared to real drum heads. Technically they were simple, just about as simple as it could get. And the sounds, while curious in the beginning, were actually mediocre and tiresome once you go into them. But they brought electronic instruments to a new direction at an affordable price.

[MrRitchieDrums]

Well, considering a decent Used Car was about $2000.00 in 1983, the same year this drumset was $3000.00. I'm not sure how Simmons made electronic drums affordable. Also, the SDSV appeared on just about every Pop-Rock album from 1984 to 1986. Even Alex Van Halen used them on the Entire 5150 album.......So eventhough most drummers found the pads uncomfortable, they certainly used them A LOT!

[cwoodfield]

I had a kit with an SDS9 brain - you're correct that the drum heads are literally blocks of wood in a plastic case with a rubber drum head and a contact mic inside. If you ran the cable from the pad into an amp instead of to the brain, you'd be able to hear the stick hits. I wound up wearing gloves when I played them because of the vibrations going back to the sticks instead of to the drum head.

[chrisbern75]

Great! 5 stars... It is truth, Videos about SDS5 are very rare on YouTube :(.

Could You make a tutorial about sound editing on the "brain" of SDS5? I know great video from simmonsmuseum, but I need more! :)

[nermalthebunny]

i have the module with hi hat sadly turned down the pads 20 years ago ,what is the moitor you are using?,other wise it must be the peizos which i can fix thanks

[YouJustGotPrankedTV]

Nothing like entersandman if thats what your were playing

[mrsandmanxj9]

no idoit thats not what he was playing

[jbospunk]

@YouJustGotPrankedTV YOU ARE A POOR EXCUSE FOR A PERSON< WHY BOTHER POSTING WITH SUCH MINIMAL INTELLIGENCE?

[swrace]

how much did one pad cost and how much was the machine

[cwoodfield]

Something I remember reading about Neil Peart's use of these - since the sounds were more-or-less hard coded, he took an entire RACK of SDS7 (and later SDS9) brains on tour, each with a different sound set, and had a custom switchbox built to route the signals from the pads to the appropriate brain for each song. Oh, the days of analogue.

[MrRitchieDrums]

He probably did that for the SDSV set. 99 presets were available on the SDS7(which was 50% digital). I have no idea why Peart would have ever used the SDS9.........strange.

[simmonsdrumsrule]

These are sweet where did you find them? i've been looking but i can never find one thats in good condition or that work LOL

[Artstar]

Not only have I wanted one of these kits since I saw the YMO videos of them touring with these in '83 but you've got some mad chops!

[CircleCityEric]

Agreed!