I just got wind of this TrapKat, and have been all over the web looking at demo videos and info.
It's got me really excited about electronic kits again.

The ease of setup! No mess of wiring, big heavy stands & Pads. This thing Rocks!
It's simplicity reminds me of the Bose L1 system...hence the title of this post.

Check out some pics and websites here:
Videos
A user
Another user

This has got me pumped! I've got to try it out.
There is a guy in Carmel, Ca (very close to the Bose-Os West Gathering) who is using it.

I'm thinking of selling off 2/3 of my drums if this thing works like the videos show.
I could fit this and both my Bose systems in my Jeep! No more big trap case, bass drums, toms...etc.

I'm about to jump out of my skin. Haven't been this (potentially) excited since I got my first Bose.
Can you imagine this thing and A Bose. I don't even care that it doesn't look like a drumset.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: DrumrPete,

Hey Pete,

That looks amazing, like seeing an electric Guitar. That is - a familiar user interface but unfettered by the mindset of the physical instrument, optimized for live performance. I ordered the CD too.

Too much fun!

As Punxsutawney Phil would say, "Gopherit"

Thanks for mentioning the CD...i missed that on first look at the website.

It looks to me that even if "feel" is compromised, which it will be, there is still the major bonus of simple setup and way fewer pieces.

The electronic kit I bought and returned was way more time consuming to setup than my acoustic kit.

Another problem with the roland set was that I was always having to change kits for different songs. With this pad, you can have multiple snare (at different volumes) onboard at any one time for different styles. Same with percussion & cymbals.

Cool too, is that is doesn't look like drums at all. I see nothing wrong with that, the Bose doesn't look like either a guitar amp or a PA system. Why not look totally bizarre, the studio-on-a-stick approach?

I look forward to trying this out with my stock Alesis D4, then if it works, move up to a nice module.



It seems as if all the other electronic drum makers are trying to let drummers look like they have a real drumset and bulking us down with unneccessary gear...individual pads, complex stands, real looking cymbals. Who cares?

I want "easy".

quote:

It seems as if all the other electronic drum makers are trying to let drummers look like they have a real drumset and bulking us down with unneccessary gear...individual pads, complex stands, real looking cymbals. Who cares?

Pete, I `m not trying to offend you , but your statement is not what drum company are trying to do. They are trying to give us more options in sound and things we can do that you can`t on an acoustic kit. We don`t have the volume thing to deal with either, I like to have the option of dialing in different kits for songs we do and you can set them up on the TD-12 so they are one click away from each other. I can sound like who ever I want, and the Bose will let you hear it. I looked at the trapkat years ago and felt then as I do now , it looks kool, but as the "newness" weres off, it won`t have the feel and it won`t have the looks and all that easy stuff will soon die as fast as the excitment came. I do some beta work for a small company here in South Carolina that makes E drums, they make drums so you can put together a drum kit to fit your needs feel as close to a real kit as they can. I made a small kit with two lite weight cymbal stands, a HH foot pedal and bass pedal for real small gigs we do. Again, not trying to offend or knock down a product, if you want to chat send me a PM and I `ll leave my phone number. Greg

No offense taken Drumsgreg, I can totally see your point of view. It's just that when I bought the Hart/Roland kit, I found it to be quite more troublesome setup wise than my Pearls. I was hoping for simplicity to go along with my newfound sound system simplicity.

I think the Kat people are in tune to that. I'm not putting down the big kits, they looks sweet, but I am not going to go thru that much trouble...just lazy I guess. I also like the idea of playing drums off of a "keyboard" looking thing.

That's why I posted this as "The L1 of electronic kits". This pad set is a whole new approach and is going to be attacked for it's oddness. I don't need it to look and feel like a drum kit. The further away, actually, the better.

To be fair...when I try this thing out, I might hate it just as I did the electronic Kit. The "dynamics might still be a problem for an old-school drummer like me, but I won't know till I try it.

Thanks for your comments, I appreciate the full panorama of views on this. I am hoping for others who might own one of these to chime in as well, with comments, good or bad.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: DrumrPete,

So.. did you try it yet?

Edit: I just checked your profile, and hey! Today is your 2-year bose-forum-day. Your posts have been very educating, hope you'll stay here.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Flaat,

Hey Pete
The TrapKat is a pretty cool electronic drum kit; I think you will enjoy it. I owned a DrumkKat back in 92 when Bill Katoski the founder of Kat was the owner. It was great for practicing but the drum sounds available at the time were pretty weak .That has all changed now.
The only thing I did not like about the Kat was the base drum pedal. I think you would be wise to invest in the Yamaha kp 65 kick pad that is offered at the Kat web site for 69$ and use your own pedal.
I checked out the videos of Dennis Chambers and realized I had those videos on a VHS that I got in 1995. Do you think they could be the same ones (he is wearing the same shirt?)
I hope you enjoy your TrapKat. Rick
P.S I found an interesting article called Inside Kat in the March 92 Modern Drummer, It’s pretty interesting.

Thanks Starvin & Flaat,

I did just get a Trapkat on eBay, cheap!

Don't have time to go into detail, but I like it alot. Used it for rehearsal last night (thru a D4) and it's very responsive, more than I expected. Quite complicated to tweak, but I'm warming up to it fast.

The guys in the band liked it as well. I doubt if we will use it out live for a while...got to get comfy with it first.

If I like it, I'll upgrade to the 3.5 software and get a nice sound module.

I'm sorry I threw out all my old Modern Drummer mags a few years back, I'd like to read the review.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: DrumrPete,

cool to hear that you like it, Drumr. Be sure to post on the crowd-reactions when you start gigging with it. Since it looks so different, I am sure you're bound to get some feedback on it. Just like with the Bose.

Drumr,
I'm really interested in hearing your opinions on the TrapKat! Doe's it have positional sensing?

quote:

Does it have positional sensing?

No it doesn't

Then again, I didn't think the Hart pads with a TD-12 did a good job of that either...ONLY on the full sized snare pad did that work. Toms and cymbals didn't vary at all over the surface of the pads or by velocity.

The TrapKat is quite dynamically sensitive, tracks fabulously, and with 24 pads available, I am putting different tunings and volumes of the same instrument in the same "Kit" so I can vary the snare sounds. As soon as I upgrade to the lastest software I will also be able to layer, so I will set up a snare/rimshot combo on one of the pads.

The band & I decided to take the Trapkat out this weekend, we have 3 gigs, a private club, a rowdy bar, and an elegant winery. So we should be able the run the gamut of reactions to it. My only worry is that this is our first gig at the winery and if they don't like our hi tech look (for a country/oldies band) we may not get invited back. However, I'm sure they will like the volume.

I will probably videotape one of them and post a clip or two .

PS

An afterthought. I had the mom's over for mother's day and I played the Kat for them. My wifes mom said that when she closed her eyes she would have sworn I was playing real drums! She also said that when she heard my old rolands back in the late 80's that she didn't think they sounded "right".

That is what made me decide to try them out live this week. I had been sceptical up to then. She is not one to compliment lightly.

Here is how I have mine setup for my basic "country" kit. (remember, I'm a lefty)

This message has been edited. Last edited by: DrumrPete,

Nice. Looking forward to seeing the videos. Auf wiedersehen!

Hey Drumr,
I don't know if you saw my other post, but I called Alternate Mode to see if they had any refurbs .... and they did. Got a great deal on a trapkat and they are going to let me send it back if it's not what I want. Very nice people.
Anyway... it will be here on Friday.. can't wait.
Nice setup!! How long did it take you to program the basic setup?

Way to go! Hope you like it.

Never thought to check with THEM for a used one.

I called A.M. yesterday myself. Got prices on refurbing my unit as well. I have one trigger that is weak, a couple of dinged up bar-pads, and my display light flickers. With the purchase of all new triggers, a new rubber pad, software update, and the display, it's going to cost me $500, and I will have a totally new Kat!
I'm going to wait to upgrade until after I use the Kat out live this weekend. To decide if I really want to use it that way.

Setting up my Kat was a bit of a challenge, but it gets easier to understand everyday. I read the manual every morning at breakfast. I've spent about an hour a day for two weeks tweaking it out, about done.

Problems I encountered:

1) Groove sequences would not work "out-of-the-box" with my Alesis D4, they are supposed to, but Kat's midi # and Alesis's don't jive. Tried their forums and email...no replies, gave up.

2) When assigning midi note numbers FROM the Kat, I had trouble, ran into lots of blanks, #'s with no sounds due to difference between Kat's note numbers and Alesis's. Was time consuming, so I wound up leaving Kats note numbers as is and changing the sounds on the D4 itself. Much better now.

3) Program change from the kat is important, when changing Kat kits, it will change D4 kits as well, so you need to make sure each Kat kits program change number corresponds to your modules kit number.

4) Their online manual is very clear about "training" pads and all, but I had a problem there. When I tried to train the loud and soft hits on the pads, the gap between loud and soft came to quickly, and was too loud. I never could get it smooth from soft to loud, so I reset the Kat to default factory settings. They are good enough.

So what did you pay for your refurb? Mind me asking? I will have about $1000 in mine if I do all the fixes.

What module are you going with?

This message has been edited. Last edited by: DrumrPete,

Hi Drumr,
I paid $795.00 for the TrapKat. I also ordered the Hart EPro Hi Hat Pedal they sell, and a Gig bag for the trapkat. I also order 2 mounting brackets and I'm going to use a Gibralter rack that I already have. I'm going to use a TD12 module to start with. I have a TD20 that I'm using with my Hart/Roland Ekit but I think the TD12 will be perfect for the gigs I will be playing with the trapkat. My ekit is to big for some of the places we're playing (and I'm becoming more lazy). I originally got the TD12 to use as a backup for the TD20.
I hope the TD12 and the TrapKat talk the same talk!! I tend to loose a lot of sleep when I have computer or module issues. I even dream about the damn things!

quote:

I tend to loose a lot of sleep when I have computer or module issues. I even dream about the damn things!

I do the same thing!

You really have top of the line modules there! I had to make sure the Kat was going to work live before looking for something better than the D4 (anything would be better).

I debuted it tonight at a gig, it worked like a champ. Most people who'd seen us before didn't even notice the change.

Here are some pics.

When the drum volume was right for the audience, it was too much for me, so:

Played the Trapkat again on saturday night and sunday afternoon. The thing is friggin' amazing!

I've had NOTHING but compliments from patrons, and the Wow-factor, as if the L1s aren't enough. We now look totally geeky...I love it!

I have some excellent sounding video clips to follow. On the E-drum websites all you see is amazing drummers soloing their butts off, sure that's impressive, but what about blue-collar Joe just playing a country beat? Will that work at all? Uh huh...and Wipe Out was pretty cool too, I talked to the guy who requested it while playing the solo! Keep ya posted.

Well, the reform has taken place, I'm now a confirmed E-drummer, no turning back.

(You might also notice we have dropped the PODs and gone with tiny amps. Getting simpler by the day.)

This message has been edited. Last edited by: DrumrPete,

quote:

Well, the reform has taken place, I'm now a confirmed E-drummer, no turning back.

Drumr, I just knew this was going to happen to ya, wait till you get a great module like the TD-12 and some Vexpression packs to go with it, you would NEVER turn back then. I just got the new Extoics pack and man alive it sounds great. Greg

Pete,

Very clean, compact setup. You guys are gonna have all kinds of elbow room on those tight stages. (lots of room for another L1)


Trapkat was a nice move!

Jeff
www.theunmentionables.com