I'm disappointed in this first offering from the new Simmons featuring Dave Simmons. I've been assured by others on the many threads on Facebook that this is just the beginning and future products will be better. But, I just don't see it. If your first product is an unimaginative cobbling together of current 2Box, Roland and Alesis brains with pads that don't capitalize on the iconic Simmons design and look more like what you'd get with a video game, I just don't have faith in the leadership of the company. And, when you throw in the poorly done website (pic of SDSV in the SDX blurb, most of Quiz being wrong, ham-handed tying in of two completely distinct companies as one seamless history, etc.), and the terrible sounds in the demo video, all I see is another average electronic company swimming comfortably with the pack. Don't get me wrong - I would love nothing more than to see Dave on top of the electronic drum market again making revolutionary products. But, this bumbling start does not give me hope.
Lastly, the SDSV patch from the demo is unforgivable. If you told me this was a patch called 'Vintage Hex' from a Roland kit from the '90's I would not be surprised. But, to come from the kit hailed as 'Dave's Triumphant Return' is just sad. If there was ONE patch they HAD to get right it was the SDSV patch. Make a machine that'll do an outstanding SDSV emulation and you'll gain the respect of us old-timers as well as the kids. But, based on the demo, this just doesn't do it. Again, I would love to have faith in this new incarnation but I'm having a tough time seeing past all the missteps.
Fire away!