History of Electric Drums

While drums are ancient instruments, electric drums are quite new.

The true origins of the drum itself are certainly lost to antiquity. It is one of the oldest musical instruments and was a part of human culture before recorded history. The history of the electric drum (or electronic drum), however, is much newer. That makes it easier to get a good view of how this instrument has developed over time.

First Attempts

A rudimentary drum synthesizer was used on a 1971 Moody Blues album.

On the 1971 Moody Blues album "Every Good Boy Deserves Favour," drummer Graeme Edge used a type of drum synthesizer on the song "Procession." It was a device that he and Brian Groves created. This was probably the first use of an electronic drum, but it wasn't a very feasible device. It was never manufactured beyond that one prototype. Moog developed a synthesizer that was triggered by a controller connected to drums in 1973.

The Syndrum

The first electric drum that was commercially available arrived in 1976. Pollard Industries was responsible for that development and called its offering the Syndrum. Graeme Edge was again one of the first drummers to get on board with this new technology. In addition to the standard Syndrum, Pollard marketed a less expensive version called the Syndrum CSM. Professional use of this represented the first public exposure to electronic sounds as it permeated a lot of popular music.

The Synare

The Synare was created in 1977 by Star Instruments. This unit gained widespread use in disco and electronic music. There were three versions of this produced: the Synare, the Synare 2 and the Synare 3. For an example of the sound produced by the Synare, check out Anita Baker's "Ring My Bell" as the Synare handles the first beat of every measure.

Simmons

Simmons was the first company to produce full electronic drum sets. Many music aficionados probably have seen the familiar kits with hexagonal drum pads. These were used to trigger the synthesizer that produced the sound. Drummers like Bill Bruford jumped onto the technology. The early models were strictly analog as Simmons continued to develop the technology digital sounds that were added to the mix. The company also worked on some problems drummers had with potential injuries from the pads.

Beyond Simmons

By the start of the 1990s, the fascination with electronic percussion had waned. Drummers were making their way back to acoustic kits. That triggered the downfall of Simmons. Other companies had come on board by then, though. Even acoustic drum manufacturers like Tama had started producing electric drums. The instrument might not have the kind of saturation or infatuation power that it did when it started, but electronic drums are still popular today.

References

• The Electronic Drum Experts: Vintage Electronic Drums