NAMM Report #4: Sticks, Mallets and Heads

It is sunny and warm in Southern California and today is the last day of the NAMM show. It has been a great show full of new products. In this final post, I will talk about some products from Vic Firth, Remo and Innovative Percussion. I realize that I have only begun to scratch the surface of all of the releases at NAMM. If you have anything to add, please leave your reviews in the Chattr Section.

REMO

The big news from Remo was the introduction of the Powerstroke Pro Bass Drumhead. With all of the noise on the showroom floor, it was difficult to hear the true sound of this drumhead, but if you are a fan of the Powerstroke Bass Drum Head, I think you will be really happy with this head. According to Remo.com, the drumhead is “constructed with 10 mil film, the Powerstroke Pro features our new Pressure Dampening Profile and permanently mounted acoustic foam that provides maximum volume and projection while producing controlled highs, accentuated mid and maximum low range frequencies. The Ultrasonically Welded Profile alleviates separation and unwanted noise, making it ideal for live and studio use. Powerstroke Pro is the new standard in subsonic bass drumheads delivering unmatched sound, feel and performance.” Check it out and let us know your thoughts.

VIC FIRTH

Vic Firth introduced thirteen new items at the NAMM show. For a complete list, visit their NAMM site here. Some of the highlights include:

1) The Peter Erskine “Big Band” Signature Stick. This stick combines the shaft dimensions of a 5A and a 5B with a long taper for effortless rebound.

2) The Stefon Harris Signature Vibraphone Mallet. This mallet is a redesign of his original mallet with a reduced head size and increased overall length for improved playability.

3) The 5B “Chop-Out” Practice Stick. This is a 5B with a rubber tip with an elongated taper to simulate the balance of the 5B.

4) The Ralph Hardimon “Hammer” and the Ralph Hardimon “Chop-Out” Practice Stick. The “Hammer” is a scaled down Hardimon, made in Sta-Pac for added weight and sound production and the “Chop-Out” is the “Hammer” with a rubber practice tip.

INNOVATIVE PERCUSSION

The highlights of Innovative Percussion new products were the new David Friedman vibraphone mallets, two redesigned Chris Lamb chime mallets, and two linen phenolic core bells. (Full disclosure – I am an endorser of Innovative Percussion mallets). If you haven’t tried the new chime mallets, I would highly recommend checking them out.

I had a lot of fun attending NAMM. I would love to hear what you thought of NAMM and the coverage we did on DrumChattr.com. Next year, we plan to expand our coverage and do some videos of the new items. Thanks!

—–

Originally posted on DrumChattr.com on November 5, 2010.