Vintage Simmons Drums (UK) Users Group

Greetings,

   Well I just joined the Simmons group. What a pain per all the 
Yahoo pages you have to go through to sign up...and no, I don't want 
the Yahoo Toolbar! :>)

   I own two SDS-8 setups in nearly mint condition with all the 
original Simmons hardware/stands. Nearly mint as all the hardware 
looks perfect, but one of the kick drum sensors went bad, and I 
never got around to finding someone to replace it (know anyone?). I 
bought one set in the '80s new when they first came out for around 
$1600.00. It was so new then the manual looked like a Xerox copy!  I 
bought the other on the Internet from a guy in New Jersey years ago 
who never really played them. Like me, he wasn't a pro musician, 
just an at-home-toy to play with. Then I combined the two sets 
together for an impressive setup.

   Over the years, I added DW Drums hardware per hi-hat and kick 
pedals, Zildjian "A" cymbals, and some Yamaha PCY80 2-zone cymbal 
pads. I also added a more sensitive pad per use as a snare, (forget 
who made it), and a DrumKat Turbo (which is a complete percussion 
MIDI unit all-in-one). Thanks to eBay, I also have two Simmons MTMs 
(MIDI Trigger Modules). The end result is a combination of the best 
of electronic and acoustical sounds (real cymbals) in one setup.

   So for the past 20 years I've been keeping them polished rather 
than actually playing them. I've learned a lot of tricks per getting 
an old Simmons system to keep its new appearance. For example, Armor 
All will restore the strike pads to like new condition, and with 
enough rubbing, even removes the stick marks! A good automotive 
paint scratch remover/wax in liquid form will make the plastic 
shells shine like new...providing the scratches aren't too deep, and 
there are no cracks. Chrome cleaners with Hydraflouric acid as a 
percentage will remove oxidation from chrome hardware (use gloves as 
HF in it's pure form will melt skin and liquify bones).

   So now I'm interested in Simmons again, but how to set it up to 
actually play it? I'm thinking an Alesis DM-Pro (maybe two) for all 
the inputs. Just the channels for the Simmons, Yamaha, and Drumkat 
pads require 23 inputs. Then I still want to incorporate the 
original Simmons SDS-8 brain for those '80s sounds and to once again 
twist all those knobs! Finally I'm thinking the Roland PM-3 drum amp 
system to hear it all. But I also have two JBL 15" Eon-G2s I could 
use. Only problem is I don't want to blow them per percussion hits. 
Anyone used Eons in their setup?

   I once setup the Simmons in the '80s per a company party in Los 
Angeles. There was also a Yamaha acoustical setup. We did a battle 
of the drums per "Wipeout" by the Ventures, acoustical vrs 
electronic. The Yamaha's of course won as real skins are a lot more 
sensitive than the Simmons skins. But if I had my DrumKat then, 
where you could program multiple hits per one strike of the pad, 
then the result might have been different!

   But Simmons was never really about competing with acoustical 
drums. Simmons was about presentation with style and a new look, and 
with sounds no acoustical drum could ever match. The "Wipeout" 
battle was just for fun.  The sound is why I kept them for so many 
years. I went to a birthday party last month where the theme was 
the '80s. I wore my Indiana Jones brim hat and an Amiga T-shirt! I 
also brought over a basic SDS-8 kit hooked up to an old Roland R8M 
drum module feeding into their Karaoke System. Not great, but the 
sounds of the '80s from the drums still got a few squeals from the 
audience! 

   Anyway I'll post a pic of my gear as soon as I figure out how to 
do that. I also have the manuals for all the Simmons gear I have if 
anyone needs a copy. I'll probably charge a few bucks per the cost 
of copying, etc. But I think most are also on the web somewhere.

   Glad to be here on the Simmons group.  Hope you enjoyed my 
ramblings...

   Best Regards,
   George