Percussion

Many musicians are also dedicated gearheads and tinkerers. And a good number of garage hackers are musicians. When both creative passions merge, wondrous things happen. We've selected a few of our favorite one-off instrument creations to whet your appetite for homebrew sonic experimentation.

​Japan's electronic instrument maker ATV Corporation has revealed a digital percussion instrument called the aFrame. The hand drum has a playable surface stretched over a bamboo frame and is claimed able to respond to playing subtleties like no other digital percussion instrument can.

More than a year after the release of the excellent BeatBuddy drum machine/pedal, the team at Singular Sound has announced the arrival of a baby brother: the BeatBuddy Mini. Gizmag has been putting the new device through its paces for the past few weeks, so read on for our impressions.

​Thought to have originated as a simple communication tool, the cajón has been accompanying traditional music for many years. More rhythmic flavors have been added to today's boxes in the shape of snare springs and kick pedals. Roland has now married acoustic with digital for the EL Cajon EC-10.

Singular Sound has revealed a smaller, cheaper and slightly less capable version of its ultra-realistic drummer-in-a-stomp BeatBuddy pedal. The Mini retains many of its bigger sibling's key features, but the sound quality has taken a slight hit and there are fewer songs to choose from.

The creators of DrumPants, the wireless device that converts your pants into a wearable MIDI controller and music sequencer, are running a beta test program that uses DrumPants sensor strips to control smart appliances and to give a voice to those who have none (through a connected mobile app).

Designers from the Yamaha Corporation and the Yamaha Motor Co have changed places for a special project called Ah A May (that's Yamaha backwards). Let's have a look at the part of the project where folks from the motorcycle design house were let loose on a pair of percussion instruments.

It's been another strong year for instrument innovation, making the task of choosing a top five quite a challenge. Join Gizmag as we take a look back at some of the top groove gadgets of the last 12 months.

When musician David Packouz couldn't find a stomp-based drum machine that didn't sound, well, like a drum machine or one that could provide fills, changes and accent hits on the fly, he set about designing and building his own. Gizmag reviews the BeatBuddy drum machine pedal.

Teenage cajon maker Stephen Henderson has designed and built a new series of wooden box with a 5-way snare lock mechanism and integrated kick pedal.

With what's got to be one of the shortest campaign pitches on Kickstarter, Ken McCaw is putting second production run hopes for his Hammer Jammer percussive guitar attachment in the hands of players.

In 15 years as a percussionist with British electronica band Faithless, Sudha Kheterpal has exerted her fair share of energy. She has now teamed up with designers and engineers to develop Spark, a shaker that harnesses kinetic energy to bring power to the developing world.