INDIE

Today's hot release from XLN Audio's Addictive Drums forge. So there are 3 ADPaks now which I can't choose from. Life is hard!

Steinberg CMC-PD Pad Controller - I want it!

I was mapping the drum track of a song I want to remix yesterday with my LPD8. All the takes I recorded were sluggish. Of course not because I cannot play well, but my LPD8 are not sensitive enough. ;) So I googled sensitive pad controller to see if there is any better. After scrolling through the ones I have seen before I noticed the whole new CMC-PD from Steinberg. It's one piece of the many modular controller they have released recently. Pretty shiny. :) As Kiran explains it, all I have to decide is which one I need and which one I only want.

Pandeiro

A new percussion I have found today on the Roland TD-9.

Pandeiro Jingle on Roland TD-9 sound module

  1-Baiao by Cassio Moura

Yep, it's quite familiar from Rio carnevals, isn't it?

Second to none

Second gig, Second to none.

We had a TGIF party tonight at the office. It was a special occasion as the "Karaoke from Hell" band was invited. So people could sing karaoke while a live band is playing! I think it's a pretty good idea! Some of my friends tried to sign up for singing, but obviously the free slots were sold out quickly. Apart from the familiar name I didn't know what this event is all about so I haven't even consider signing up. Actually I thought that the local band from the office is playing and others can sign up for singing karaoke. Ok, that's already too much background so let's get to the topic:

I was playing drums in front of ~200 people, second time ever on acoustic drums, on the top of that they were my colleagues and I switched with the official drummer in the middle of the song. =)

Hard to describe the feeling. I remember I was happy last time at the small bar when the crowd were shaking their head. And now I feel that's nothing. The audience was even beyond my senses apart from two faces for a short moment; two girls actually, but I don't know why them. All my senses were focused on the rest of the band and the music. They were all turned to me as they immediately accepted me when we switched with the other drummer: It's not a solo game after all and being part of a band, actually a professional band is a feeling second to none. They were helping me signaling the changes & the intensity of the songs with all their bodies. E.g. when the kick-drum part begin or, when the song was ended. I didn't need the help at the end, but the their help was really helpful for realizing the beginning of the kick-drum only part. E.g. even if I missed the end, from their signals it was obvious that after the ending two strikes it's over. I couldn't play more, even if I didn't know the song. And by the way the song was Sex on Fire from Kings of Leon. =)

I'll have a band, because the feeling is awesome.

Update: Thanks for Csaba & Zoli for the video!

Beat

BEAT from or bar-el on Vimeo.