In this video we are starting with the basic rack structure for a two tiered keyboard set up and from there you can build custom keyboard stands to suit your style. With our hardware you can customize to fit any style or set up you’re looking for. The rack is very sturdy offering maximum stability while still being extremely light weight. It also makes those fast stage changes easier as it’s quick to set up and break down as it’s just three parts.
Plus there are many accessories you can use to add a laptop, a mic or another rack for additional keyboards.
Monthly Archive for September, 2011
Whether you play in a steady band and/or float as a freelancing gypsy, serving as a fill-in drummer comes with its fair share of rewards and challenges that you must be prepared to deal with.
The biggest perk of being a fill-in drummer is pure exposure to the larger music marketplace, assuming you do a good job at the practice or gig. Showing up early, not getting drunk, and keeping your drum parts basic but musically interesting will inevitably lead to more freelance work. The single biggest marketing plan for any musician is getting your name out there on the local scene, and developing a reputation for being able to play multiple styles of music. Being professional at all times builds upon those prerequisites. And being low key and cool with a fun attitude takes you a long way, especially since most other musicians expect drummers to act that way.
THE DOWNSIDES
The downsides of being labeled a fill-in drummer are as varied as the upsides. Being a regular freelancing drummer comes with the “tag” or “label” of serving in that capacity. If you expect to play in a permanent band of your own while moonlighting on the side, like I do, then you must be clear and up front with your bandmates from the start about your performance ambitions. If they are true friends, they will cut you the slack needed to achieve your dreams, but you also must reserve quality time for them as well. Don’t drop your upcoming band gig for an impromptu fill-in opportunity.
Filling in on drums also requires you to often play someone else’s drum kit, which you need to treat with kid gloves. Bring your own snare, throne, foot pedals, sticks and even select cymbals to fill-in practices and gigs. Otherwise, the money you earn filling in may be poured right back into the other drummer’s equipment repairs. If you break a drum head, offer to pay for it. And ask beforehand if you can adjust tom-tom and cymbal positions, as some drummers are very finicky about that.
Bands often seek fill-in drummers because they are not happy with their current regular skinner – a back door audition, if you will. Be wary of bands looking to throw their own drummer under the bus because you could be the easy replacement, and that could put you in a very awkward position. My best advice is to ask to have a conversation with that band’s regular drummer before accepting the freelance gig. If the band leader says no to your request or buffers it with criticism of him or her, then Houston we have a problem. Advance research is key to getting good fill-in jobs. Drummers don’t stab other drummers in the back. It’s a cardinal sin in our clan – or at least it should be.
HOW TO PREPARE YOURSELF
The best way to market yourself as a fill-in drummer is by watching for ads in the trade magazines and online forums, checking the band postings at local music stores, perusing Craigslist, and also attending rock and blues jams, which are a prime time to get you chops ready for a more permanent fill-in gig and meet other freelancing musicians.
The other thing drummers can do is some good old-fashioned homework, including:
• Master as many rock and blues standards as you can
• Learn to read sheet music and know how to chart out your own drum parts
• If you possess vocal ability, nurture that talent by singing aloud while practicing
• Clean your drums and ensure everything is properly working
• Answer your phone or text messages on the first call
The real trick to being a fill-in drummer is your ability to adapt to adversity, and having a willingness to say thanks but no thanks. Choose your gigs and fellow musicians wisely.
- Tim Kane is an independent drummer, instructor and writer living in Massachusetts. He writes a regular blog for Gibraltar Hardware.
With Gibraltar Hardware you can build custom and portable DJ racks to fit any set up. Here is the basic building block with a simple out of the box package from Gibraltar. From this starting point, if you can imagine it you can customize it and build your rack set up with style.
The drum set up photos include (in order) drummer Aquilles Preister from Brazil. The first Gibraltar rack created for the RCI Starfire Drum Kit 2009 and John Otto’s monster drum kit.
The music for the video is titled FTTKTBB and was created by LA based artist JLabs. This breakbeat track is 137 bpm and produced in Ableton Live.
JLabs has played several notable venues and festivals including: Vanguard, King King, PEX Summer Festival, Burning Man, Elysium Festival, Boogaloo Mountain Jam, Dialect Gallery at Lightning in A Bottle, Cinespace, Supperclub and Area 33.
Here is additional information for JLabs:
http://soundcloud.com/jlabs
http://facebook.com/jlabs
http://thegoodvibe.la
http://facebook.com/thegoodvibe
Here is the parts list for the basic DJ Rack.
Part # Description
1X GMPR GIB MULTI PURPOSE POWER RACK
3X SC-GEMC Electronic Mounting Arms w/ clamps pair
1X SC-EA100 Extension Arm
1X SC-GMBA Short Mic Boom Arm
1X GEMS-TTOP Top section of GEMS stand
Like some cymbal package deals, there has long been a great misnomer floating around about drum hardware packs; that being many of them are too flimsy and cheap to be sold separately.
We spent a good deal of time at Gibraltar Hardware packaging our 4600 series hardware together exclusively as a sweet bundle deal with our sister company, Gretsch Drums, for obvious reasons. Because of the 4600 series line’s ever growing popularity, however, we have decided to offer them individually for the first time.
The 4600 series hardware includes a hi-hat stand, snare stand, 1 boom rod and 1 straight cymbal stand, and a kick drum pedal. It was originally designed to give Gretsch drum customers instant kit playability leaving the retail store or delivery truck at a reasonable price, but with the same high quality as our other individual lines. While the Gretsch/Gibraltar hardware packs are no longer Gretsch specific, they still very much pack a punch.
This gear solves several problems for the both the practicing and gigging drummer, especially for those who either are new to the drumming community or looking to upgrade their outdated equipment. First, it’s the perfect way to upgrade to great, low mass double braced hardware to expand your current gear offerings, have back-ups in case of emergency, or to finish off a shell kit purchase. If you don’t place your cymbal positions well above head level or love to thrash hard all the time, then the 4600 cymbal stands (boom stand extension ranges from 30-57 inches tall) are perfect for you. That said, the 4600 series cymbal stands are designed to hold virtually any cymbal weight. It is just a matter of how hard you rock them.
Because the 4600 series cymbal stand bases are a double braced tripod design with hinged height adjustment, drummers can also envision alternative set-up treatments as yet another advantage to owning such components. We’ve seen skinners mounting a tom-tom, cowbell, tambourine, and other percussive devices on these babies with no problems.
As for the 4600 series hi-hat stand, drummers can find an advantage in that the top height extension of 36 inches will certainly make it easier to fit the stand in a standard drum hardware bag without having to collapse it. And its rotating base tripod leg certainly helps provide more foot space for double bass drum players and those fitting a drum kit in tight stage or practice spaces.
The 4600 series snare stand gives drummers the same quality all cast adjustment points, but without the added weight. This may not be the best option for drummers with heavy 6.5-inch deep snare shells, but for smaller piccolo-like snare players and as secondary snare stand option, you can’t beat the price or quality.
And as for the 4600 series bass drum pedal, it is one of the better packaged deal pedals on the market today as a simple and fast pedal, styled with the Wave pedal board and hammer dual surface beater that delivers speed and ease of use. It is the perfect pedal for those learning how to play kick drum, or for old drummers who want a more efficient and transportable piece of gear.
You can see from the product description advantages above why we have decided to break this series out as separate Gibraltar Hardware options. We think you will find the series offering as the perfect individual addition or replacement, or complete line.
Our Turning Point hardware features light weight aluminum based stands. It’s double braced just like our traditional 9606 brake tilter stands and just as solid but much lighter. The stand still has memory locks for fast set ups including a memory lock for the base to memorize leg height.
Included in the innovative design of the Turning Point is our Swing Nut technology. The Swing Nut offers drummers a faster set up and eliminates losing your nuts before, during or after the gig!
Recent Comments