80's Simmons Drums anyone ??

Ok there is a lot of talk about the vintage drum machines like the TR-808/909, but what about the Simmons drums kit ??

I have a soft spot for the Simmons electric drums soudset, I wonder if I'm alone in this situation. Flock of Seagulls used these drums extensively and I really like the result.

Do they rhyme with cheesy 80's, or are they old enough to become trendy again ???

BTW I did a new piece using my Simmons sample set if anyone is curious.

Listen to ''Sun Wave''

http://www.myspace.com/steamofdusk

I think they are interesting. Don't forget the LINNDRUM is coming back also. I think one of my toys has Simmons samples in them and I will be using them in the near future. Use whatever ya like and make it sing. I like the "DOOOVE" Toms sound. nothing else really sounds like that

Heck, if you think about it, that stooopid CLAP sound that populates the current top 20 is one of the oldest, boringest, stupidest, fakest clap sounds in existance, but nobody cares and it's charting.

No thanks. Too many scars to my psyche from disco.

Hey, I listened to "Sun Wave" and really dug the sound, but then again, I like 80's music and am not ashamed of saying it.

Even if they are cheesy 80's do you really care if they are?

Regarding the typical Simmons sound, I feel the way mate_stub does.

However, the SDS-5 was pretty cool.

Thanks sevensinner.

In fact every decade has a lot of {censored} and some gems. (well maybe more {censored} today and less gems)

I hated the cheesy top 40 in the eighties as much as I hate the current top 40.

But I loved the alternative music and the underground new wave.

I remember the nights spent recording on tape cassette the early Flock of Seagulls, Depeche Mode, Xymox, The The, Tears for Fears, Soft Cell, Human League, Simple Minds and many others.

And every 2-3 weeks going downtown in Montreal to buy the specially priced mini LP or Maxi single. (like the 4 songs ''Carnival'' mini LP from Duran Duran)

I still got a lot of those vinyl stored with my ''vintage'' SL-D2 Technics turntable.

i would love to have an SDSV brain in my rig.

you can make a tonne of different sounds with Simmons drums. the reason they are equated with a certain tom sound is because everyone wanted rototoms back then and that was the approximation of rototoms you could make with the SDSV and it became a cliche sound.

but yeah i want that cliche sound too. i like rototoms.

Just bought a SDS-V brain a few weeks ago. It sounds awesome ! You can get killer kick and snare sounds that could fit in any genre of music IMHO. Powerful analog BOOM !!

I think the V is the only model that is mostly analog. The other models are mostly samples. Sounds great.

There was a guy at the most recent PNW synth gathering that has the V and was triggering it with an 808. Bad-ass.

Bzzzzzt. The last model - SDS-1000 - is mostly analog with exception of the snare. Analog synth engines are CEM3372 (or CEM3374).

Ha! Good catch. You'd think I would know that, since I owned the SDS-1000 back in the day.

If I remember correctly, the knobs on that thing were pretty darn small, making it harder for tweaking.

Had the full set of pads and the TMI too.

"Boooooooo"

just awesome man !!! check tarzan boy by baltimora for this great drum machine sound...actually its a drum module and not a dm...

DA SOUND of italo disco !!!

The drummer I jam with picked up a Tama TS-305 kit a few months back. The brain is huge: six channels, each its own analog generator, in a 5 or 6 U rack space. It can get disco-boop and can also get some 909/808-ish sounds. Much fun.

I think, properly processed, you can open up a wide range of not so dated sounds.

Some history about the Simmons Drums :

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IwB1xdr7rfs

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_OgD-qp1K_M&feature=related

I love the simmons analog drums. I can't get enaugh of it.

hmmm.... I have an old SDS-8 sitting in a closet somewhere. Need to break it out and give it a listen.

Jean Michel Jarre used Simmons Drums to become lighting triggers and so did Tina Turner i think. Jarre would press a key to trigger the Simmons Drums

I have the raging horn for the SDS-V, and plan to incorporate the sounds (if not the actual unit!) into my live drum rig as soon as I figure out the best way of doing it. Out of everything the company made, that was my favourite.

I have owned a Simmons SDX a sampler and 7 pads drumkit.

Here is a very big Simmons SDS 5 kit :

like this :

[YOUTUBE][/YOUTUBE]

That actually sounded kickass and brought back some memories...

It's my favorite drum sound of the 80s. I should try and find a sample set.

If the OP is still lurking around, I'd love to know what other synths were used on that song, especially that pad.

Neil Peart used Simmons starting with the Grace Under Pressure tour, and still incorporates electronics in his kit.

Not cheesy at all.

The Golden Age of Wireless has Simmons drums on it as well. they sound amazing.

Do you want Drumsolo on a Simmons SDS 5 with 10 toms i think :

[YOUTUBE][/YOUTUBE]