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| Ddrum Defiant 6Drum kitReviews : Drums: AcousticDdrum are taking no prisoners with their new Defiant kits, having drummed up a single-minded acoustic assault with kits specifically aimed at metal players. Dave Holmes
For many years now, guitarists have been spoilt for choice, with manufacturers producing a selection of instruments to suit a huge variety of musical genres, and creating some outlandish axe designs along the way. We drummers have had the slightly rougher end of the stick, as it were, with drum manufacturers being comparatively slow on the uptake — sure, we have seen jazz, fusion and rock kits, but very few cater for the metal players among us, and all too often this exciting genre gets overlooked. Far from treating it like a subculture to be swept under the drum mat, Ddrum have grabbed the drum world by the lugs with an uncompromising marketing strategy that is about as hard hitting as the players it is aimed at. Up until fairly recently, the name Ddrum would be far better known for their excellent but undeniably expensive electronic kits. Surprisingly, they only began to produce acoustic kits as recently as 2005, but while they still produce electronic kits, and make and market some of the finest acoustic drum triggers available today, it's the titanic thrust of their acoustic drums that is clearly taking the drumming world by storm. Having defied those cynics who once branded Ddrum as "that electronic company trying to make acoustics", the smiles have been well and truly wiped from their pessimistic faces by an ever-expanding range of acoustic drums. It's not just the range of Ddrums that is on the up — the rate at which endorsees are being charmed by Ddrum is just plain scary. This list already includes the likes of Trivium's Travis Smith ("the sickest feet in metal"), Korn's new boy in the driving seat, Ray Luzier, Dave McClain from Machine Head, and watch out for Mike Terrana — this guy spends much of his time twirling the sticks but still manages some pretty fancy chops. I have heard from the horse's mouth, so to speak, that this guy is seriously good, but equally terrifying! Having checked out the Ddrum website for a full list, I personally wouldn't like to meet up with any of these endorsees on a dark night! Each kit in the Ddrum range has the requisite initial 'D' in its name and, of these, it's their Defiant kit that's up for review this month. This is an entirely new series and possibly the least aggressively named of all their available kits. Even those setups such as the Diablo Pink Punx, (especially made for those who prefer drums with a pink exterior) still manages to evoke a 'got-to-bash-it' response, and this seems to be the general effect throughout the range — from the reasonably priced D2 all-in-one starter kits, up through the Diablo, Diode (an acrylic kit), and at the top of the shop, the Ddrum USA Custom — each of these Ddrum kits has attitude. As well as an excellent range of superb snare drums, Ddrum also produce sets of 6-inch diameter drums called Deccabons — these are similar to Tama's Octabans, except the Deccabons come in ten different pitches. Out of just two cardboard boxes (both having TARDIS-capacity interiors!) appear drum shells, heads, counter hoops and a whole variety of mounting hardware — all wrapped snugly in an abundance of packing materials. Very soon I found myself knee-deep in polystyrene and bubble wrap, eventually pulling out the drums one by one until I had the six-piece shell pack. This comprised 10-, 12- and 16-inch toms, a 14-inch snare and last, but certainly not least, two hefty 22-inch bass drums. A third box contained a small selection of Ddrum's 300 series hardware, and while the hardware isn't included with the shell pack, this should at least give me some idea of its quality. I was supplied with two cymbal stands, snare and hi-hat stands, but only one bass drum pedal — which I found a little odd, considering I was also supplied with the two beefy bass drums. The Gray Sparkle finish of this kit is one of only four colours offered for the Defiant series, with the three remaining Sparkle alternatives being Red, Black and Blue (which confusingly looks as if it is only available for the single bass drum option). The solid and punchy looking design of the metal badge, and the black powder-coated hardware (the metalwork bolted around each of the shells), give the overall effect of an extremely solid steel-like casing — a robustness that is echoed by the chunky 2.5mm counter hoops. It would be easy to mistake the beautifully sprayed metallic finish on these 100-percent basswood shells for a laminate — it appears so dense to the eye, and really catches the stage lighting with its silvery glitter particles. The uniformity and depth of the application is excellent. Bass Drums  All the drums here feature high-tension, low-mass lugs and 2.5mm counter hoops in black powder coating. All the drums here feature high-tension, low-mass lugs and 2.5mm counter hoops in black powder coating. Both of these imposing 22 x 18-inch beasts feature low-mass nut boxes, which bear many similarities in design and placement to the Noble and Cooley lugs employed on Yamaha's Maple Custom kits. Although each of these high-tension lugs appears to be almost lost in the great vastness of the full 18 inches of undrilled bass drum surface, they do manage to provide an excellent contrast to what at first appears a rather dull and unexciting greyish background. Taking a good look around the inside shows a blemish-free interior, and a close examination of the bearing edge shows a razor-sharp, 45-degree, precision-cut profile that has also been superbly machined and very well finished. Each rim is held in position over the eight-ply basswood shell by no fewer than 10 claws, giving ample capacity for accurate tuning. These are not just ordinary pressed-steel claws, though — the type that are allowed to groove and gouge into the precious rims. Instead, they are smooth to the touch and superbly finished in a black powder coating. Each of these comes complete with a fixed rubber gasket to help avoid any of that unwanted (and unnecessary) rim routing. All of the tension bolts have nylon washers to aid a smooth tension process, while helping to maintain the desired tension. In a departure from Ddrum's former logo (which was sited centrally and towards the top of the front head), this is now positioned much like the way the drummers from the dance band era used to have them, with a striped emblem running vertically, over on the left-hand side. I am not sure how many would agree, but I think this looks a lot more stylish. Both of the UK Remo heads have built-in dampeners to ensure a good out-of-the-box bass drum sound, without those unwanted overtones. The 'UK' designation of these Remos can be a little confusing and slightly misleading, because these, like the drums themselves, are actually made in China, and not in the UK as the name might suggest. As with the rest of the hardware around the kit, the chunky, telescoping bass drum spurs are also black powder coated and look robust and tough enough to stop any potential drum slippage. Angular adjustment is made easy by a large, winged bolt, and a predefined angle stop allows quick setup. The telescoping spurs are adjustable via a standard square tuning bolt, which allows them to extend out for the optimum height. Jutting out from the substantial rubber foot protrudes an even more generous spike, for that nice deep lock into an unsuspecting wooden stage surface or perhaps even a drum mat. Snare Drum  The toms are all made from 6-ply basswood, and come with UK Remo batter heads and single-ply, un-badged resonant heads. The toms are all made from 6-ply basswood, and come with UK Remo batter heads and single-ply, un-badged resonant heads. Considering the relatively shallow depth of the colour-matched 14 x 5.5-inch wooden snare drum, it feels surprisingly weighty. Having then noted the eight plies of basswood, it is perhaps not so much a revelation as expected. However, the 2.5mm steel counter hoops really are far heavier than a 'standard' model hoop, weighing in at nearly 2kg each — with these bolted in place, this is one chunky snare! This drum has eight lugs aside, and each tension bolt has a small steel washer (unlike the bass drum with its nylon equivalent) provided for a smooth tuning process. Again we see those UK Remo heads included, with a coated white for the batter and an extremely thin, un-branded snare head provided for the underside. A 20-strand steel-wire strainer is supplied, together with some nylon straps to attach it onto the drum. Standard, square tuning bolts and a clamp grip the nylon straps in place, holding the strainer at one end, while to the opposite end a similar clamp is attached to the snare strainer lever. A single strainer fine-adjustment screw is probably the most complex item here on this fairly basic assembly, with a small lever operating a cam that lifts and lowers the strainer into position. Toms  The floor tom is suspended by three knurled legs, which are held firmly in place by these superb clamps. The floor tom is suspended by three knurled legs, which are held firmly in place by these superb clamps. All three toms are constructed from 6-ply basswood and have a single breather hole, which, unusually, is not a feature of the metal badge — many manufacturers employ the breather hole as a rivet to fix their badge onto the shell. The 16 x 14-inch floor tom is very well supported by its three chunky, knurled legs, which are held in position and made vertically adjustable by some highly commendable clamps. These are hinged at one end, and a large, winged nut tightens them around the tom legs. These are so very effective that the knurling is probably a bit of design or manufacturing overkill, or perhaps some additional non-collapsing insurance for those very heavy hitters. This model features high-tension, low-mass lugs and the familiar 2.5mm counter hoops in black powder coating. A clear UK Remo head is supplied for the batter side and, again, the resonant or lower head remains anonymous. The eight lugs aside will be ample to keep these heads up to tension. Both of the 10 x 7-inch and 12 x 9-inch suspended or rack toms are fitted with a clear, single-ply UK Remo head for the batters, while to the underside, a very thin resonant head is fitted. These toms are mounted by a system of isolation hardware, in a similar fashion to the RIMS mounts, which comprises a semi-circular steel ring sited just above four of the batter head lugs. The basic philosophy behind this hardware is that the shells are allowed to vibrate without hindrance. Most 'quick' toms (shallow-depth models) are usually comparatively easy to tune and have a fast stick response, with the resistance felt from the resonant head and the sound waves passing on rapidly through the drum. Usually these models will have quite a short sustain, but this is more than amply made up for by the fast attack. The chunky, black powder coated mount is held in position by four of the tom tuning bolts, and these, together with a set of four rubber grommets, help avoid any possible metal-to-metal contact, while isolating the shell from the mounting assembly. A hinged clamp (similar to the type employed on the floor tom) grips around the knurled spike of the resin ball mounting post. A memory lock provides further insurance from any possible slippage down the post, and has the job of 'remembering' the tom height for a speedy set up at each gig — then it's just the small matter of remembering to use the same mounts each time it comes to the task of setting up! Hardware  The Gray Sparkle finish looks fantastic under stage lighting! The Gray Sparkle finish looks fantastic under stage lighting! Bill Lewington Ltd, Ddrum's UK distributors, have supplied me with a relatively small selection of Ddrum's Agenda 300 series hardware. While Ddrum suggest that their Agenda 400 series hardware be used with the Defiant kit, it helps me form a pretty good impression of the sort of quality expected from the chromed-steel assortment. All of the telescoping tubing has nylon bushing, and every tube section is fitted with the obligatory memory lock. The quality of the chromium plating looks excellent and the various component parts of the stands are of a high standard. The Agenda 400 series Hardware Pack is not included with the shells, but retails at £279. Performance It's now time to roll up those sleeves, attach the leather wrist bands (studded, of course) and get down to some good, honest metal. With the lugs being the only hardware components pre-fitted to the shells, the only problem I have is that I've got to put the whole ensemble together before I even pick up a stick! Although I had a wealth of components to bolt into position and heads to stretch in, quite rapidly everything was in place, and with relative ease the bass drums were the first to be tuned — a procedure that is fairly pain free, thanks to the pre-damping and well-machined components. The rest of the drums were tensioned finger tight and individually tuned until I was happy there was little or no possibility of stretching and rapid de-tuning. One of the most important points with this kit (and any kit!) is making sure the drums are in the best position without having to strain those precious muscles and over-stretching the much-needed limbs. Getting the two cannon-like bass drums at the right angle was a little awkward at first, but I chose a naturally seated position with my feet comfortably upon each pedal. After playing for a few hours, the last thing I wanted to do was look as if I'd been sat astride an elephant for the night! Getting the position of the hi-hat right was probably the hardest thing, but the model supplied was of the two-legged variety, and this could go right up to the side of the left-hand bass drum. Pedals to the metal It probably goes without saying, but the first drums I just had to hit, strike or bash were the bass drums. I couldn't resist it — well, could you? I have to say that when I got kicking, the grin was permanently applied and took some wiping to remove — these drums are absolutely immense! Perhaps, before I go any further, I ought to mention that I usually play with a single bass drum, but use a double pedal, and love it. The general consensus, however, is that having two separate bass drums gives each one some chance to 'recover' from each strike of the pedal. This effect seems to be quite noticeable here as there is a wall of sound which emanates and radiates around the stage, fills the air and really does shake the whole area. Equally impressive is the tone and overall response from each of the toms. The 'quick' rack models do exactly as their name suggests — these are rapidly fast to react to each and every stroke of the stick. Rising to their peak volume very quickly, immediate volume and cut certainly do not seem to be a problem here as there is plenty of attack to be had. The relatively thin heads may help to produce a slightly longer sustain, and the overall sound coming from them is really good, but with such lean and thin heads, I don't know how long this will last. The contrast of the drum sizes is quite staggering, and the tonal range huge — stretching from the high-pitched crack of the snare, down through each of the three toms and way down really low to the refined but indefinable pitch of both kicks — great stuff indeed! Although the snare only has eight tuning lugs, the tension process is incredibly smooth and the tuning range is excellent. The quality threads on the nuts boxes and tension bolts make the whole process a breeze. The tuning range is probably the biggest surprise here — most drums in this price bracket reach a level where the tension bolts just refuse to budge, but this model just keeps applying that pressure on the batter head. This snare cracks out some furious whip-like sound directly in front of you, and not only does this have the ability to cut, it also has some character and body to its sound. Ddrum describe the sound of the basswood shells as possessing a "sonic bite". With this drum (and the rest of the kit!) I fully agree. Conclusion There is only one area where any long-term improvement could possibly be made, and this is in replacing the batters of the toms and snare with something a little more resilient — perhaps some USA-made Remos (or very similar), which may not significantly improve the overall drum sound. I have no doubt the supplied models will suffice for the first few full-on practice sessions, gigs or band rehearsals, but striking hard (and this is what this kit was designed to handle!) will almost certainly result in 'dent city'. However, offering two bass drums in a kit costing much less than a single bass drum from a top-of-the-range kit, can have a certain amount of appeal (he says, with certain understatement) and this, I think, is a masterstroke, and one huge dangling carrot for any potential double bass drum fanatic. Initially I didn't find the Gray Sparkle finish particularly attractive, but as the setup and review progressed, I found myself warming to the contrast between the hardware and the shells — overall this kit looks the business, and the double kicks make this a real head-turner. However good a kit may look, though, it's the actual build quality, components and attention to detail that can provide longevity to any instrument. Fortunately, this set up has a superb sound, and features that will provide years of good service. This kit represents great value for money. 0
Options The Defiant kit is available in a six-shell configuration, as reviewed here, or with seven shells. The Defiant 7 kit includes one 22 x 20-inch kick drum, 8 x 7, 10 x 8 and 12 x 8-inch rack toms, and 14 x 14 and 16 x 14-inch floor toms. The Agenda 400 Hardware Pack, which Ddrum recommend for use with the Defiant kits, is sold separately for £279.
Published in PM July 2008
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Ddrum Defiant 6 £699 This is the first full Ddrum kit I have had the opportunity to review, and I am pleasantly surprised at the standard of Chinese manufacture. Although these kits are designed in the USA and made in China, Ddrum keep a close eye on every aspect of manufacture, and this shows with the high standard on offer here. I have checked the RRP several times in disbelief but it is correct and I am a stunned! If this is the sort of example of the standard we are now to expect from the bargain-priced setup, then I just can't wait to see what their top-of-the-range gear offers!
information Bill Lewington Ltd +44 (0)1268 413366 Tech Spec Defiant 6 Six-shell pack. Two 22 x 18-inch kick drums. 10 x 7 and 12 x 8-inch rack toms. 16 x 14-inch floor tom. 14 x 5.5-inch snare. 100% basswood shells. 8-ply bass drums and snare, 6-ply toms. 2.5mm counter hoops. UK Remo batter heads. Black powder coated hardware. Available in Gray, Black, Red and Blue Sparkle finishes. |
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