JH Audio JH16 Pro In-Ear Monitors - from £260 - www.handheldaudio.co.uk/www.jhaudio.com

AddThis Social Bookmark Button

 

JH Audio JH16 Pro In-Ear Monitors

No holding back the fold-back with JH Audio’s IEMs

As any regular gigging drummer will know, not hearing the rest of the band over the kit is one of those bugbears that we all have to try to overcome. Particularly when you’re playing venues of all shapes and sizes, it’s sometimes hard to get a good mix onstage. But that mix, and feeling connected to what’s going on, can make the difference between a good gig and a bad gig. In my own experience, rarely does having a huge speaker or wedge produce an accurate reproduction of the band’s sound (think plenty of fuzzy bass and piercing vocals), and what’s more, you need to have it at a deafening level to hear it. This is where in-ear monitors (referred to as IEMs) come into their own. They can be expensive, such as the range-topping JH16 professional IEMs we road-test here, but JH Audio offer a range of custom IEMs to suit all budgets. The company can boast the likes of Linkin Park, Aerosmith, Alter Bridge … even Lady Gaga herself in their line-up of endorsees. Well, if they are good enough for them …

Custom Fit

All JH Audio’s IEMs are custom fitted. The monitors will be unique to your ears only and will guarantee a comfortable fit, but also better sound reproduction. This requires an impression of your own ear canal to be taken by a professional audiologist. I contacted a local audiologist (thanks to Curtis Alcock at Broom Reid and Harris of Exeter) who promptly took impressions of both ears by inserting into the ear a resin that sets. This wasn’t uncomfortable at all and was a quick process. The impressions were then sent off to JH Audio for the IEMs to be created. The custom IEMs were turned around and arrived with me (from the USA factory) within 10 working days!

In Detail

The JH16s are JH Audio’s flagship model. Ambient noise reduction (known as attenuation) is at -26dB (as are all JH Audio IEMs), which cuts out all of the onstage clutter. JH Audio state that the JH16s are the first IEMs available with eight drivers per ear. Essentially this means that the phones can handle a wider frequency range. In this case the range is 10Hz – 20kHz. Compare this, for example, to a half-decent pair of MP3 headphones which can handle around 19Hz – 21kHz. Double dual low-frequency drivers used within the JH16s produce accurate bass without distortion. The piece that fits into the ear canal has three chambers to channel the sound into your ear. A gold-plated 3.5mm jack connects the JH16s to your monitoring source. The JH16s are clear (custom colours and designs are available), making them discreet while wearing onstage. What’s more, they come supplied with a personalised, very tough hard case complete with carry pouch and cleaning tool. 

In Use

Once you get used to popping the IEMs in and out of your ears (it takes a little practice), they soon become familiar. They are comfortable and unobtrusive. Even without anything going through the cans, the level of attenuation (isolation of external noise) is high – it’s even difficult to hear people talking to you. This is a good sign, however, as the higher the attenuation, the more you’ll be able to hear onstage. Behind the kit, the JH16s reproduce sound with incredible clarity. Bass frequencies are faithfully reproduced without distortion or fuzz, thanks to the dual low-frequency drivers. Vocals, guitars and snare are clear as a bell thanks to the excellent mid- and high-range frequencies of the drivers. Hearing the mix over the onstage noise was no problem at all, and you have a sense of connection with the band when using IEMs that you otherwise wouldn’t have.

Conclusion

Using IEMs does take a little getting used to. The temptation is to turn up the volume as perception says you’ll need to. Not so. The attenuation with the custom-fit JH16s was so good that volume could be kept down, thereby protecting your hearing. But it was the reproduction of sound that impressed the most: staggering clarity and faithful sound reproduction are the JH16’s hallmark. Although you are, as ever, at the mercy of a good sound tech for a sweet mix, certainly you feel more a part of what’s going on, which in my experience only helps to make the gig smoother. You’ll also require a wired (cheaper) or wireless (more expensive) monitor device to go with your custom ear monitors. The JH16s are top of the JH Audio range, but the JH5s or JH7s are more affordable and promise a sound introduction (get it?) into the IEM experience. If you truly value your performance and that of your band, and if your activity justifies the outlay, you should invest in a pair of these babies.

 

Remo Powerstroke Pro - £50.20 - www.remo.com

AddThis Social Bookmark Button

Remo Powerstroke Pro Drummer Magazine Review

New skin from Remo...

I first saw the Remo Powerstroke Pro at the winter NAMM show, back in January. At that point it was a prototype model, but I remember being impressed. The Powerstroke Pro has been a long time in the making and Remo had to create new tooling and manufacturing processes specifically for the head, which gives you an idea of how much development Remo have put into it.

In detail

We have the clear 22” version here, but coated and ebony versions are available. The head is single ply, 10 mil, with a ‘pressure dampening profile’. Essentially, this is an inlay ring which is sonically welded (rather than glued, which can unstick) to the outside of the head. This has two purposes: 1) it applies pressure to the outside of the head, which dampens the head and then promotes low-end frequencies; 2) it pulls the head naturally taut in its unmounted state, so you don’t need a great deal of tension to get the best from the head (if you tap the head unmounted, it produces a deep note). Inserted into the ring of the pressure dampening profile is a layer of acoustic foam, backed with felt. This provides further damping of the head. Finally, a narrow piece of foam is mounted on the outer edge of the inside of the head.

In use

When I mounted the head, only a quarter or a half turn on each rod was needed to get the wrinkles out of it. At this point it was at its lowest pitch, and this, for me, was when the head performed best of all. There is plenty of initial attack (helped by the supplied carbon Falam Slam patch) from the head, and the sub frequencies are indeed aplenty, with very truncated, warm overtones. I preferred the head after removing the layer of felt-backed acoustic foam from the ring. This allowed the head to ‘sing’; those killer sub frequencies remained, yet it had more resonance, more ‘slap’, and felt more natural under the beater. Unwanted overtones were still removed by the mix of the sonically welded dampening profile ring (which feels very secure and won’t fall off) and the layer of foam on the inside of the head. Cranking the head up promoted more of the warm overtones, making it sound a little wooden, but it was far from unpleasant.

Conclusion

This is a good multi-purpose head, but is perhaps best for live and touring use. It’s low maintenance (you could lose a tension rod or two from your bass drum before you noticed a change in pitch!) and naturally produces a fat, low kick drum sound. Those looking for something very specific from their bass drum, or those who are experts at tuning, might prefer to stick to a Powerstroke 3, but this is a great head to have in your arsenal, especially for live work.

Ahead Armorcases - from £33 - www.brdistribution.co.uk

AddThis Social Bookmark Button

Ahead Armor Cases Drummer Magazine Review

A new range of cases for your prized kit from the long-lasting drumstick masters

Armor cases are a newly launched set of soft cases from Ahead, the company that brought us the critically acclaimed long-lasting synthetic drumsticks, as well as a range of various snare drums and accessories. We all know of the drum, percussion and hardware cases out there that many of us have used for years to cart our beloved drums around in, but there are some unique design features that make these Ahead Armor cases worth checking out.

Construction

Each case is constructed from thick heavy-duty polyester which is designed to be waterproof (useful, considering this country’s weather) and virtually indestructible, with a very soft, almost luxurious inner layer of deep-pile fleece lining to keep your tubs as protected as they need to be to withstand the rigours of regular gigging. The first, unique point here is that the Armor cases aren’t actually round, but teardrop in shape, meaning that they quite comfortably accommodate toms with attached mounting systems, as well as drilled bass drums with tom brackets. As any drummer who has struggled at the end of a long gig to get their kit packed away in a hurry will know, you can sometimes struggle to fit some drums into their cases due to the external hardware, so this feature makes a welcome change. This goes a step further: the zip of each case not only goes around the circumference of the case, but actually down the side as well, so that when opened, an access panel flips down, meaning that you can grab or place a drum in with one hand. To keep the cases in shape, between the outer polyester fabric and inner fleece lie two layers of high-impact foam (the company calls this the DX-Core), which offer a high level of solid protection, as well as adding a degree of rigidness to the cases. One neat little feature that I particularly liked is that on the bass drum case you have two extra heavy-duty rubber handles (one top, one bottom) so that you can carry the bass drum in front of you with two hands à la marching drum – particularly useful if you have a heavy bass drum or just like knocking people out of your way as you load/unload! 

In use

The selection of cases we were sent are certainly very well made – all feature heavy-duty double stitching and look and feel solid. Placing drums into these cases is very quick and easy thanks to the unique shape and zip design, giving that side access. And these heavyweight cases are remarkably lightweight to carry, which as any gigging drummer knows is a big plus point. The less weight you have to carry in and out of venues the better!

Conclusion

These Armor cases are well made, using good quality materials and are robust. The clever teardrop design and side opening feature do make for easy access to your drums. Each drummer will have their own opinion on whether to use soft or hard cases to transport their valuable instruments around. In our experience, good quality, well made soft cases provide more than adequate protection for most drummers. And these Ahead Armor cases look to be made of sturdy stuff and should protect your drums from the rigors of gigging.

DrumTuna ‘Hero’ - £49.95 - www.drumtuna.com

AddThis Social Bookmark Button

DrumTuna 'Hero' Drummer Magazine Review

A handy analogue gauge to give your tuning skills a tune-up...

Drum tuning is, in my opinion, a bit of an art. Every drummer has their own way of tuning and it takes time and practice. There’s no right or wrong as such (not like with, say, guitar tuning), but there are some fundamentals that apply. One of those is that for a drum head to be ‘in tune with itself’ you need even tension at each tension rod. Usually you would check this by listening to the pitch at each tension rod. But with a tuning gauge you can go a step beyond and check the tension using a precision instrument. That’s where DrumTuna come in. They offer a range of tuning gauges to help drummers to be as accurate as possible.

In detail

DrumTuna have a digital (the ‘Flip’) and an analogue (the ‘Hero’) gauge and we have the latter here. The ‘Hero’ has an easy-to-read dial display that gives a read-out when placed upon the drum head. The precision needle that lives inside the solid-aluminium housing is accurate to 0.01mm (known as the gauge resolution), so fine-tuning with this DrumTuna model is a given. The dial bezel physically rotates so that you can calibrate it before using. A drum key is also included, with a handy stowage space on the back of the dial.  The supplied instructions give suggested tuning. The Tuna comes supplied in a handy, protective soft case as well so that you can protect it when you’re on your travels. The build quality and components used here are of great quality.

In Use

How better to test something than to use it in a ‘real-life’ situation. I had a call from a studio engineer friend who was in the studio with a band. They were having trouble getting a good sound from the kit and couldn’t get it in tune, so they asked for my help. Starting with the batter heads, I raised each head to the desired pitch and then checked the tension at each tension lug. Although to my ear each lug was at an even pitch  (I’m pleased to say I was in the ballpark) the DrumTuna gauge helped me to iron out any discrepancies. In tuning, just a small amount of tension at each rod makes a big difference. Only using the gauge could I be assured that I had a head that was totally evenly tensioned and in tune. The result was a drum that sounded great because it was truly at an even pitch, on both top and bottom heads.

Conclusion

Not all drummers are concerned with 100% accuracy in tuning, but they should be, particularly when in the studio, where your kit is effectively ‘under the microscope’. Believe me, the engineer will thank you for getting it right! The DrumTuna gauge allows you to be accurate. The suggested tensions within the manual will be a great help and will get you on your way to achieving a good drum sound, even if you’re learning to tune or honing your tuning skills. Considering that most of a drum’s sound comes from the head, and that to get the best from a head it needs to be evenly tensioned, this is a very worthwhile investment. The analogue ‘Hero’ model offers great value for money as well. I’ll be sticking mine in my kit bag for sure.