Vintage Simmons Drums (UK) Users Group

any advice on buying monitors for the simmons?Sorry to say this but are the fake simmons monitors a copy of the originals and do they produce decent sound?thanks

A powerfull Bass Amp would be worth trying. As in times of SDSV the market for E-Drum amplification was below zero, the pro's used stuff like Ampeg towers for personal monitoring.

--- In Simmons_Drums@yahoogroups.com, "Brian Horton" <brianhorton21@...> wrote:

>
> any advice on buying monitors for the simmons?Sorry to say this but are the fake simmons monitors a copy of the originals and do they produce decent sound?thanks
>

I use the amplifier I got with the purchase of my electric bass. I 
seldom play the bass anyway. :) It's mid-sized Park from the 80's. Works 
well for home use.

I wouldn't get the chinese GC-crap since that'd be pissing on Dave and 
his vision, IMHO.

-- 
electronically yours, jesper

- -- --- ---- ----- ---- --- -- -
www.electronic-obsession.se



superwolle70 skrev 2012-01-24 11:43:

> A powerfull Bass Amp would be worth trying. As in times of SDSV the
> market for E-Drum amplification was below zero, the pro's used stuff
> like Ampeg towers for personal monitoring.
>
> --- In Simmons_Drums@yahoogroups.com
> <mailto:Simmons_Drums%40yahoogroups.com>, "Brian Horton"
> <brianhorton21@...> wrote:
>  >
>  > any advice on buying monitors for the simmons?Sorry to say this but
> are the fake simmons monitors a copy of the originals and do they
> produce decent sound?thanks

Hi Brian , 
no the fake GC simmons are not copies at all of the original design...
Just the name is a copy with chinese low cost electronic inside...
They use (& communicate on) "SImmons like" models name to exactly give you that doubt ;-)

I still consider their intention really stupid... as Simmons is a big name for people that knew it  , but not really for the actual kids. & that last ones are the marketting Target ...
so really what's the point .. but anyway that's another story.

GC did a Massive Marketting Error using that name. It's giving them a bad image instead of the strong expected one.
The guy who decided that at GC is an idiot & should be fired.

It's like "Fisher Price" buying the Moog name to sell Toys ...

For your monitoring, you need at least (!) a 15inches boomer.
a fast amplifier section. 
some bass amps can do the job but they do change the spectral result , some Keyboards ones too...
Ampeg ... waow ..; must be cool :-)
you could also use some real stage Wedge Monitors in stereo, with a good strong amp (Crown, Crest audio or whatever) & a small mixer.
or even small PA with a Sub system...
Depends how loud you need to sound... if it's for home then the choice is easier...
But for stage don't underestimate what you need. you need serious choice if you wanna have a Nice sound, you know what strong low frequencies our babies can send.
I would strongly recommend to invest also in a compressor ;-)
But ... 1st question what will be the application. ?

hope it helps
P.

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

I use a pair of Prophecy monitor wedges and a little sub with Crown amps......small lite weight system that fits the stage, is very low profile and easy to move and setup....the sound is killer!  Here is rig setup for keyboard and mallet and a shot of monitor itself.
D

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

I use a Roland KC-550. It's got a relatively small footprint, and it sounds great with my Simmons kits and my Moogs.

 
.:.  Cris Logan  .:.
.:.  1314 Dwight Way  .:.  Berkeley  California 94702 .:.
.:.  tel: +510 845 6635  .:.  mobile: +415 465 2543  .:.

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Which Moogs do you use Chris, and how are they triggered....via Simmons?..how about a pic.
D
Sent via my  CrackBerry 

-----Original Message-----
From: Cris Logan <low_gunner@...>
Sender: Simmons_Drums@yahoogroups.com
Date: Tue, 24 Jan 2012 08:46:47 
To: Simmons_Drums@yahoogroups.com<Simmons_Drums@yahoogroups.com>
Reply-To: Simmons_Drums@yahoogroups.com
Subject: [Simmons Drums] Re: monitors

I use a Roland KC-550. It's got a relatively small footprint, and it sounds great with my Simmons kits and my Moogs.

�
.:.  Cris Logan  .:.
.:.  1314 Dwight Way  .:.  Berkeley  California 94702 .:.
.:.  tel: +510 845 6635  .:.  mobile: +415 465 2543  .:.

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]




[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

even those behringer powered dealies from a few years back can be great.

cheap.
pretty good sounding.
indestructible.
self contained.

we used a pair for our laptop/reason rig for years and never even broke one!

z


 
NEW ALLIANCE EAST!!!!


--------------------------------------

http://www.newallianceeast.com

http://www.newallianceaudio.com

http://www.myspace.com/newallianceaudio

http://www.c4rt.com

www.myspace.com/thecampaignforrealtime


________________________________

 From: Cris Logan <low_gunner@yahoo.com>
To: "Simmons_Drums@yahoogroups.com" <Simmons_Drums@yahoogroups.com> 
Sent: Tuesday, January 24, 2012 11:46 AM
Subject: [Simmons Drums] Re: monitors
 

  
I use a Roland KC-550. It's got a relatively small footprint, and it sounds great with my Simmons kits and my Moogs.

 
.:.  Cris Logan  .:.
.:.  1314 Dwight Way  .:.  Berkeley  California 94702 .:.
.:.  tel: +510 845 6635  .:.  mobile: +415 465 2543  .:.

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]


 

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

This is a topic I can address, having done so many pro audio related things including freelance recording out of my house and live sound. 

   Guitar and bass amps are rolled off at particular frequencies that would be too low for electronic drum applications. They're also voiced for their respective instrument applications. A solid keyboard amp would suffice in a pinch but then you lose stereo field, monitoring from one point. For fun w/ my Simmons SDS-V, SDS-7, Clap Trap, SDS-1000 and Silicon Mallet, I'd plug them into my mixer and monitor through (Mackie HR824) active studio monitors. Now, if you want a full range stereo monitoring set-up the least you should do is get active P.A. monitors. I'm not endorsing but, Mackie makes those, too. They handle transients (the attack) well and have enough low end for extremely low tuning of toms and bass drums. You can plug directly into them and you're done. However, if money allows, I reccommend getting a small mixer, perhaps 4 or 8 channels, a compressor and inexpensive multi-effects processor. The mixer will allow you much more flexibilty. You can plug the individual outputs of a Simmons module into seperate channels, then adjust each drums level, equalize each to taste and spread them out across the stereo field any way you like. You can practice in private through the seperate headphone jack or route the sound to your monitors. The mixer also gives you more on stage. You would set-up your own mix, route it to your own monitors and send a feed to the Front Of House P.A. for the audience to hear.
   As for the compressor, you could connect that in line with your monitors but if you get a small mixer you could plug it into the Insert Jacks of the main output. The compressor will do two things: control the dynamic output of electronic drums and it will firm-up their sound. Very important in a recording or live situation.
   I mentioned a multi-fx because Simmons didn't come w/ any, affording the player a sound that came across as "produced" like the more modern electronic drums. A cheap unit will give you, at the very least, reverb and chorus which, in moderation really fills out the sound of vintage Simmons.

This is a topic I can address, having done so many pro audio related things including freelance recording out of my house and live sound. 

   Guitar and bass amps are rolled off at particular frequencies that would be too low for electronic drum applications. They're also voiced for their respective instrument applications. A solid keyboard amp would suffice in a pinch but then you lose stereo field, monitoring from one point. For fun w/ my Simmons SDS-V, SDS-7, Clap Trap, SDS-1000 and Silicon Mallet, I'd plug them into my mixer and monitor through (Mackie HR824) active studio monitors. Now, if you want a full range stereo monitoring set-up the least you should do is get active P.A. monitors. I'm not endorsing but, Mackie makes those, too. They handle transients (the attack) well and have enough low end for extremely low tuning of toms and bass drums. You can plug directly into them and you're done. However, if money allows, I reccommend getting a small mixer, perhaps 4 or 8 channels, a compressor and inexpensive multi-effects processor. The mixer will allow you much more flexibilty. You can plug the individual outputs of a Simmons module into seperate channels, then adjust each drums level, equalize each to taste and spread them out across the stereo field any way you like. You can practice in private through the seperate headphone jack or route the sound to your monitors. The mixer also gives you more on stage. You would set-up your own mix, route it to your own monitors and send a feed to the Front Of House P.A. for the audience to hear.
   As for the compressor, you could connect that in line with your monitors but if you get a small mixer you could plug it into the Insert Jacks of the main output. The compressor will do two things: control the dynamic output of electronic drums and it will firm-up their sound. Very important in a recording or live situation.
   I mentioned a multi-fx because Simmons didn't come w/ any, affording the player a sound that came across as "produced" like the more modern electronic drums. A cheap unit will give you, at the very least, reverb and chorus which, in moderation really fills out the sound of vintage Simmons.

atmospherics4@... skrev 2012-01-24 18:17:
> Which Moogs do you use Chris, and how are they triggered....via Simmons?..how about a pic.

All good gear can be triggered from e-drums. If not direct, then via 
MTM, TMI etc. I've played sets of toms on a number of my machines. Never 
any of the Moogs though. :)

-- 
electronically yours, jesper

- -- --- ---- ----- ---- --- -- -
www.electronic-obsession.se

I can say I completely agree with this assessment.
As a keyboard player primarily, this is the kind of thinking that can and should be applied to drums.
I use for the front end, a Yamaha digital mixer to mix down all the keyboards.....for the mallet, I pan the outputs to 10am and 2pm. All of the compression delay, reverb chorus and eq can be handled by the mixer, whose direct lowZ outs to FOH and the monitoring out to my amp rack. The digital out can go to broadcast truck or recording desk...I trigger a Yamaha TX 816 and a Kurz HX1000 horn rack synth from the Mallet.
I cannot emphasize the importance of the monitoers themselves. The wedges I use include a 15" woofer, isolated and ported in its own chamber....an 8" mid and compression horn in seperate chamber...no cone movement enteraction.....low power requirements..very effeciently.
Sent via my  CrackBerry 

-----Original Message-----
From: "sovereigng" <sovereigng@...>
Sender: Simmons_Drums@yahoogroups.com
Date: Tue, 24 Jan 2012 20:10:08 
To: <Simmons_Drums@yahoogroups.com>
Reply-To: Simmons_Drums@yahoogroups.com
Subject: [Simmons Drums] Re: monitors


   This is a topic I can address, having done so many pro audio related things including freelance recording out of my house and live sound. 

   Guitar and bass amps are rolled off at particular frequencies that would be too low for electronic drum applications. They're also voiced for their respective instrument applications. A solid keyboard amp would suffice in a pinch but then you lose stereo field, monitoring from one point. For fun w/ my Simmons SDS-V, SDS-7, Clap Trap, SDS-1000 and Silicon Mallet, I'd plug them into my mixer and monitor through (Mackie HR824) active studio monitors. Now, if you want a full range stereo monitoring set-up the least you should do is get active P.A. monitors. I'm not endorsing but, Mackie makes those, too. They handle transients (the attack) well and have enough low end for extremely low tuning of toms and bass drums. You can plug directly into them and you're done. However, if money allows, I reccommend getting a small mixer, perhaps 4 or 8 channels, a compressor and inexpensive multi-effects processor. The mixer will allow you much more flexibilty. You can plug the individual outputs of a Simmons module into seperate channels, then adjust each drums level, equalize each to taste and spread them out across the stereo field any way you like. You can practice in private through the seperate headphone jack or route the sound to your monitors. The mixer also gives you more on stage. You would set-up your own mix, route it to your own monitors and send a feed to the Front Of House P.A. for the audience to hear.
   As for the compressor, you could connect that in line with your monitors but if you get a small mixer you could plug it into the Insert Jacks of the main output. The compressor will do two things: control the dynamic output of electronic drums and it will firm-up their sound. Very important in a recording or live situation.
   I mentioned a multi-fx because Simmons didn't come w/ any, affording the player a sound that came across as "produced" like the more modern electronic drums. A cheap unit will give you, at the very least, reverb and chorus which, in moderation really fills out the sound of vintage Simmons. 




[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

I really like my Roland PM-30. It has two little monitors you can mount on
your drum rack (so the sounds seem to come from the pads) or above the
woofer. The woofer can be set to behave as either a full-range speaker or
as a sub. And it's on wheels, so you can move it around easily. It has a
built-in mixer so you can have your toms to the left and right and center
pan the bass & snare. The sound is amazing for the size. It gets almost as
loud as my acoustic kit before the low end starts to distort; plenty loud
for practicing with a band or playing out in a small space.

The new Simmons (sic) amps seem to be better suited for practicing alone
in your bedroom or apartment at a volume that won't disturb the neighbors.
When I demoed a few in the store I realized pretty quickly that they
weren't nearly powerful, punchy or clear enough for use when playing with
other musicians.

Before picking up a PM-30, I'd been using bass amp/cab combinations but I
always heard coloration from the head. Sometimes that was a good thing,
sometimes it wasn't. Bass amps tend to trash hihats and cymbals, but they
give a nice oumf to the toms and snare. Back in the day, nearly all the
drummers I saw using Simmons were using real cymbals and hats, so using a
bass amp would have sounded great.

all my best,
- Scott

thanks for all the information i know monitors are important as the six sided gretch set sounded good at the store till i took them home ,then thankfully sent me to simmons 30 years ago.Good to know you are all still on this site

After seeing this thread I thought about the monitor rig we used for Dixie Chicks years ago.....this was thought to be cutting edge!
How technology has changed.

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

I'd love to see the Dixie Chicks with Simmons gear :-P


--- In Simmons_Drums@yahoogroups.com, atmospherics4@... wrote:

>
> After seeing this thread I thought about the monitor rig we used for Dixie Chicks years ago.....this was thought to be cutting edge!
> How technology has changed.
> 
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>

Sorry if I wasn't completely clear, guys. I don't have my Moogs (Little Phatty Tribute Edition, Opus 3) slaved to my Simmons kits, I use them independently with the Roland amp for rehearsal. The Simmons kits I have are all later model SDS9s. A yellow 5-piece, white 8-piece and a matte black HexaHead 5-piece. I know I don't need all those pads, but damn are they lovely.

 
.:.  Cris Logan  .:.
.:.  1314 Dwight Way  .:.  Berkeley  California 94702 .:.
.:.  tel: +510 845 6635  .:.  mobile: +415 465 2543  .:.

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]