Zendrum
Encyclopedia
A Zendrum is a hand-crafted MIDI controller
that is used as a percussion instrument
. It is the commercially available version of the Drumitar, invented by Future Man
. There are two Zendrum models that are well-suited for live performances, the ZX and the LT. The Zendrum ZX is worn like a guitar and consists of a triangular hardwood body with 24 touch-sensitive plastic pads which act as MIDI triggers. The Zendrum LT can also be worn with a guitar strap, but it has 25 MIDI triggers in a symmetrical layout, which provides an ambidextrous playing surface. The pads are played by tapping or slapping with the fingers or hands. As a controller, the Zendrum does not make any sound by itself. It uses an electronic interface called MIDI to control a synthesizer or electronic drum device that generates the musical sounds.
or percussion instrument
parts, but it can also used to perform the sounds from tuned instruments, ranging from steel drums or vibraphone to piano, bass, guitar, or bells. Sustained sounds like organs or string orchestra "patches" can be played, but they are awkward and difficult to control. A sustain pedal can be plugged into a Zendrum, but it is tricky to coordinate tapping the pads and depressing and releasing the pedal. Musician Jonathan Coulton
uses the Zendrum to perform live mashups and remixes of his song "Mr. Fancy Pants" by associating pads with samples from the song, sometimes rickrolling
his audiences by throwing in samples of Rick Astley's "Never Gonna Give You Up".
The playing styles and techniques that work best on the Zendrum are quite different from those of a traditional acoustic drum
. Traditional drumming (especially for a drum kit
) requires a certain amount of "limb independence," whereas the Zendrum requires more "finger independence." Also, traditional drumming is more than just triggering sounds; a drummer playing a physical kit gets important feedback in the way his or her sticks bounce and react from the drums and cymbals. This feedback is limited in MIDI drum kits, and missing completely from the Zendrum. The Zendrum is worn like a guitar, which allows the player to stand up and walk around, within the limits of the MIDI cable. Some Zendrummers even go as far as using wireless MIDI technology so that they can move about without cables.
to allow drummers to play synthesizer drum sounds (or other sounds) using their regular drum kit. Futureman (a.k.a. Roy-El, a.k.a. Roy Wooten), the percussionist for Béla Fleck and the Flecktones
, uses a Synthaxe Drumitar to trigger drum sounds on several MIDI sound modules. In 2008, the Zendrum ZAP (Zendrum Articulated Programmer) was released. It is a smaller Zendrum with a hexagonal layout designed for studio and 'desktop' use.
controllers
MIDI controller
MIDI controller is used in two senses.*In one sense, a controller is hardware or software which generates and transmits MIDI data to MIDI-enabled devices....
that is used as a percussion instrument
Percussion instrument
A percussion instrument is any object which produces a sound when hit with an implement or when it is shaken, rubbed, scraped, or otherwise acted upon in a way that sets the object into vibration...
. It is the commercially available version of the Drumitar, invented by Future Man
Future Man
Roy Wilfred Wooten , also known as "RoyEl", best known by his stage name Future Man , is an inventor, musician, and composer...
. There are two Zendrum models that are well-suited for live performances, the ZX and the LT. The Zendrum ZX is worn like a guitar and consists of a triangular hardwood body with 24 touch-sensitive plastic pads which act as MIDI triggers. The Zendrum LT can also be worn with a guitar strap, but it has 25 MIDI triggers in a symmetrical layout, which provides an ambidextrous playing surface. The pads are played by tapping or slapping with the fingers or hands. As a controller, the Zendrum does not make any sound by itself. It uses an electronic interface called MIDI to control a synthesizer or electronic drum device that generates the musical sounds.
Playing
Once the Zendrum is hooked up via MIDI to a sound module, and connected to an amplified loudspeaker or headphones, the player can tap or slap the pads. The pads on a Zendrum are velocity sensitive, which means that the volume of each note depends on how hard the corresponding pad is hit. The Zendrum is often used to play drumDrum
The drum is a member of the percussion group of musical instruments, which is technically classified as the membranophones. Drums consist of at least one membrane, called a drumhead or drum skin, that is stretched over a shell and struck, either directly with the player's hands, or with a...
or percussion instrument
Percussion instrument
A percussion instrument is any object which produces a sound when hit with an implement or when it is shaken, rubbed, scraped, or otherwise acted upon in a way that sets the object into vibration...
parts, but it can also used to perform the sounds from tuned instruments, ranging from steel drums or vibraphone to piano, bass, guitar, or bells. Sustained sounds like organs or string orchestra "patches" can be played, but they are awkward and difficult to control. A sustain pedal can be plugged into a Zendrum, but it is tricky to coordinate tapping the pads and depressing and releasing the pedal. Musician Jonathan Coulton
Jonathan Coulton
Jonathan Coulton is an American singer-songwriter, known for his songs about geek culture and his use of the Internet to draw fans...
uses the Zendrum to perform live mashups and remixes of his song "Mr. Fancy Pants" by associating pads with samples from the song, sometimes rickrolling
Rickrolling
Rickrolling is an Internet meme involving the music video for the 1987 Rick Astley song "Never Gonna Give You Up". The meme is a bait and switch; a person provides a hyperlink seemingly relevant to the topic at hand, but actually leads to Astley's video...
his audiences by throwing in samples of Rick Astley's "Never Gonna Give You Up".
The playing styles and techniques that work best on the Zendrum are quite different from those of a traditional acoustic drum
Drum
The drum is a member of the percussion group of musical instruments, which is technically classified as the membranophones. Drums consist of at least one membrane, called a drumhead or drum skin, that is stretched over a shell and struck, either directly with the player's hands, or with a...
. Traditional drumming (especially for a drum kit
Drum kit
A drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
) requires a certain amount of "limb independence," whereas the Zendrum requires more "finger independence." Also, traditional drumming is more than just triggering sounds; a drummer playing a physical kit gets important feedback in the way his or her sticks bounce and react from the drums and cymbals. This feedback is limited in MIDI drum kits, and missing completely from the Zendrum. The Zendrum is worn like a guitar, which allows the player to stand up and walk around, within the limits of the MIDI cable. Some Zendrummers even go as far as using wireless MIDI technology so that they can move about without cables.
History
MIDI sound generators have long been able to make realistic drum sounds, but the traditional keyboard of a synthesizer is not well suited to playing percussion. MIDI triggers can be retrofitted onto the traditional drum kitDrum kit
A drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
to allow drummers to play synthesizer drum sounds (or other sounds) using their regular drum kit. Futureman (a.k.a. Roy-El, a.k.a. Roy Wooten), the percussionist for Béla Fleck and the Flecktones
Béla Fleck and the Flecktones
Béla Fleck and the Flecktones is a primarily instrumental group from the United States, that draws equally on bluegrass, fusion and jazz, sometimes dubbed "blu-bop". The band formed in 1988, initially to perform once on the PBS series Lonesome Pine Specials. The Flecktones have toured extensively...
, uses a Synthaxe Drumitar to trigger drum sounds on several MIDI sound modules. In 2008, the Zendrum ZAP (Zendrum Articulated Programmer) was released. It is a smaller Zendrum with a hexagonal layout designed for studio and 'desktop' use.
See also
- Percussion instrumentPercussion instrumentA percussion instrument is any object which produces a sound when hit with an implement or when it is shaken, rubbed, scraped, or otherwise acted upon in a way that sets the object into vibration...
- DrumDrumThe drum is a member of the percussion group of musical instruments, which is technically classified as the membranophones. Drums consist of at least one membrane, called a drumhead or drum skin, that is stretched over a shell and struck, either directly with the player's hands, or with a...
- Drum kitDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
- Electronic drumElectronic drumAn electronic drum is an electronic synthesizer which mimics an acoustic drum kit.The electronic drum usually consists of a set of pads mounted on a stand in a disposition similar to an acoustic drum kit. The pads are discs with a rubber or cloth-like coating. Each pad has a sensor which generates...
- Drum machineDrum machineA drum machine is an electronic musical instrument designed to imitate the sound of drums or other percussion instruments. They are used in a variety of musical genres, not just purely electronic music...
controllers
- MIDI
- SynthAxeSynthAxeThe SynthAxe is a fretted, guitar-like MIDI controller, created by Bill Aitken, Mike Dixon, and Tony Sedivy and manufactured in England in the middle to late 1980s. It is a musical instrument that uses electronic synthesizers to produce sound and is controlled through the use of an arm resembling...
- KeytarKeytarA keytar is a relatively lightweight keyboard that is supported by a strap around the neck and shoulders, similar to the way a guitar is supported by a strap. Keytars allow players a greater range of movement compared to conventional keyboards, which are placed on stands...
- List of keytars