28 Year Old Avenged Sevenfold Drummer James “The Reverend” Sullivan Found Dead
RIP The Rev
As many of you may know, Avenged Sevenfold drummer James “The Reverend” Sullivan died recently at only 28 years of age. He was reportedly found dead in his home, and so far it has been stated that he died of natural causes.
James was a fantastic drummer, and was one of the top modern metal drumming icons. This is an extremely sad occurrence, as The Rev undoubtedly had a very long musical career ahead of him. Not much info has been released about his death, but I did find some Artisan News (linked here–>) YouTube press coverage that sums up this series of events pretty well. Below I have included a few various videos of The Rev in action, to give you an idea of how great he was.
All the Pieces of My Personal Cajon Setup Revealed, and Broken Down
I recently received an inquiry about my personal cajon setup. I was asked to explain all of the pieces of my “cajon kit,” so this post will address exactly that. I must apologize for not being more prompt about this post, the last few days were unexpectedly crazy!
In the last few months, I have had to expand my cajon setup to accommodate new artists, and some bigger venues. It’s been a blast for me to tinker around with new, interesting pieces, and come up with some rather unconventional parts in order to replicate recorded sounds. Below I will take you through each piece, and tell you what exactly I use it for.
Bird’s Eye View of my (Mostly) Complete Cajon Setup
This is, for the most part, my whole cajon kit. It includes:
Meinl Cajon
Rhythm Tech Mountable Tambourine
LP Egg Shaker
Zildjian 20″ K Constantinople Flat Ride with “Poor Man’s Sizzle” (For more info on this please refer to this post)
Throne
LP Softshake
Vic Firth Brushes
Regal Tip Wood Handle Blast Sticks (With Plastic Rods)
1)Meinl Cajon
This is the centerpiece of the whole kit. This is my bass drum and snare drum tones, and throne.
2)Rhythm Tech Mountable Tambourine
This tambourine stays under my left foot on my cajon kit. I add it to certain sections of songs (usually choruses and sometimes bridges) to lift the dynamic feel of that section. It’s pivotal in separating quiet parts from loud parts, and can really bring emphasis to sections that need it. I treat it much like bouncing a hi-hat, as I typically add it only under the backbeat, or keep a quarter, or 8th note pulse with it through an entire section.
3)LP Egg Shaker
I have found a fairly unconventional way of adding an extra shaker part to certain sections, and that is by rolling an LP Egg back and forth on the ground under my right foot. I like the dynamic response and feel of an egg shaker for this purpose. I feel it brings up the volume and textural thickness of the groove just enough in most cases; however, any shaker will do as long as it’s round and sturdy enough to sustain the weight and movement of your foot on top of it. Again, I usually bring this in to add an extra texture where needed in a tune. It’s much more subtle than adding a tambourine, and can help you delicately separate certain parts from others. The result I get from this can also be achieved with the (linked here ->) Meinl Foot Cabasa which is a foot shaker of sorts.
4)Zildjian 20″ K Constantinople Flat Ride with “Poor Man’s Sizzle”
This is the newest addition to my kit. I added it to achieve the release I would normally get from a crash cymbal on a full drum set. I knew a crash would be to loud and obnoxious among all of these delicate textures, so I chose to use my 20″ flat ride which is extremely dry, and increase it’s sustain by adding my own sizzle. This gives me the perfect release at the end of sections.
These are my time keepers. These are the tools that I use to simulate my hi-hat, and ride cymbal tones (besides my throne which is just my table for everything) For the most part I use a brush in my right hand, and leave my left hand bare. I will play the front of the cajon with a brush much like I would play my hi-hats on a full kit, but I will often bring out kick drum accents with the brush as well. I leave my left hand bare to get the proper attack for a backbeat, and to help with certain bass drum accents. I will sometimes use brushes in both hands for train grooves, or any tunes with a driving 16th note feel. I use the LP Softshake for choruses, or parts of songs that I want to be the biggest. In this case I will use the shaker in my right hand, and leave my left hand bare. I only use the regal tip blast sticks when I want a different kind of attack for my backbeat or hi-hat tone.
There are a few other items I sometimes use that are not pictured here. I will occasionally put a cowbell right next to my cajon on the left side, and use that as my backbeat for tunes with a reggae, or island feel. I also use various other time keepers in my right hand such as a nut shell shaker, or a cabasa.
I hope you enjoyed reading about my personal cajon setup, and that you got some ideas to use for yourself. Please let me know of any cajon concepts that you come up with. I love incorporating new things into my setup, and learning about what others use in their playing! Below I have included a few videos of me playing cajon on various gigs, so you can see all of these tools in action. Thanks, and please let me know what you think by clicking on this post title, and commenting below it.
Create Your Own “Poor Man’s Sizzle” For Just over a Nickel
Many styles of music can be greatly enhanced by the presence of a nice, smooth sizzle. The problem with incorporating a sizzle into your setup is having to drop the money on a new ride cymbal, and for those of us who are operating on a budget, this can be hard to swing. If you are not familiar with what a sizzle is, it’s simply a cymbal with rivets pressed loosely into pre-drilled holes in the cymbal. The rivets vibrate when you hit the cymbal creating a beautiful vibration (sizzle) that slowly tapers off, and has a long sustain. I have provided a picture of a Zildjian A Custom Sizzle Ride below so you can see what one looks like. Also, next to it you can see the rivets they use to create the sizzle effect.
As you can probably guess this is not a cheap investment, and even a used sizzle at a vintage shop, or bought from a private owner will still likely run you $100 or more. Well my friends, I have a solution that will cost you just over 5 cents.
Lets call this the “poor man’s sizzle,” and for this more than sufficient substitution, you will need nothing more than a nickel (yep, the actual US currency) and a piece of tape. I prefer medical tape, or some kind of tape that’s fibrous rather than plastic. It tends to stick to the cymbal better, and is more free moving to allow for maximum vibration of the nickel.
Now I’m gonna take you through the steps to create your very own “poor man’s sizzle.”
1)Tear off a thin piece of tape (I like to divide my tape roll in half, as pictured, to maximize the number of strips I can get out of one roll)
2) Attach your nickel to one end of the tape strip
3)Stick the other end of the tape to your ride, and your done!
The great thing about this sizzle solution, is that you can add or take away as many nickels as you want in order to intensify, or decrease the amount of sizzle (I have used up to 5 on mine before.) You can also move the nickels around the cymbal to get different amounts of vibrations, and sustain. Putting the coin closer to the outside edge will allow for maximum vibration/sustain, and closer to the bell will decrease vibration/sustain. Lastly, try getting creative and using different types of currency to create different sizzle tones. I sometimes use dimes, or even quarters for louder music. Heck, you can even throw some Canadian money on there, and see what you get.
Let me make it clear that I am aware that there are other sizzle substitutions out there. I own a ProMark Rattler that is basically just a beaded chain attached to a felt that dangles on top of your cymbal. I have found that these types of products are hard to control, and somewhat cumbersome. I have even gotten my stick tangled in the chain before and had to ditch my stick and grab a new one. I have included a picture just for reference.
So next time you are in need of a sizzle, just remember that you need look no further than your medicine cabinet, and your coin jar. To see this sizzle in action, check out yesterdays post (just below this one) where I play my “poor man’s sizzle” at Hotel Cafe with singer songwriter Kim DiVine. Have Fun!
A Video of Me Playing My Expanded Cajon Setup at Hotel Cafe with Kim Divine
I recently did a gig at Hotel Cafe in Hollywood with a singer songwriter named Kim Divine. She’s great and her music is perfect for cajon. I use a bit of an expanded setup when I play with Kim as you can see in the video. To my normal setup (cajon, foot shaker, foot tambourine, various brushes/shakers) I add a sizzle ride, and a few more percussion tools that I keep on hand. The following video was shot from the show I did with Kim, and features her new song, “Easy on Me.” Let me know what you think by commenting below the post. Thanks!
Josh Freese Playing the Song “Wish” Live with Nine Inch Nails
Josh Freese just posted a new video of himself yesterday, playing the song Wish on tour with Nine Inch Nails in 2008. Josh recently left NIN for good after touring with them for years off and on. This video was taken with a few flip cameras that Josh set up around his kit, and looks and sounds incredible. Enjoy!
Pearls New E-Pro Live Electronic/Acoustic Drum Set Hybrid
Yesterday I did a post about a brand new product that Pearl is coming out with called E-Pro Live. It features the slogan, “Get Real. Be Real,” and was shrouded by rumors and theories about what this product could be. It looks like the majority of those rumors were right. E-Pro Live is Pearl’s new revolutionary electronic/ acoustic drum set hybrid. It will cost you a pretty penny (somewhere in the $3,000-$3,500 range), but it really is two kits for the price of one. It also features Pearls new R.E.D. Box module. I have listed some features of the kit, and module below.
Real wood shells, drum finishes, and hardware (mounted on a modified Icon rack)
The ability to remove all of the electronic heads (held on by standard hoops) and put on acoustic heads, converting it into a fully acoustic kit
Lifetime warranty on all hardwear
New Tru Trac heads, coated for realistic responsiveness, and playability
Pearl R.E.D. Box Module
1000 build in HD sounds
100 preset kits, with space for 100 custom user kits available
Ability to download external virtual drum sets from Toontrak, BFD2, Sonic Reality, Ocean Way Drums, Steven Slate Drums, and Virtual Drumline from Pearls web site
12 individual volume faders
Built in sequencer, allowing you to record and loop yourself
Now we just need to see this kit in action! The video belowincludes an explanation of the E-pro Live features, as well as demonstrations by Dennis Chambers, and Joey Jordison.
As many of you may know, the NAMM show is happening this weekend! If you don’t know what NAMM is, it stands for the National Association of Music Merchants. It’s basically a giant trade show where every company in every field of the music business display their latest and greatest products in order to sell them to buyers. It’s also come to be a sort of musician networking opportunity. It’s the only time where all of the reps from all of your favorite companies are in one place at one time. Most companies are very secretive about what products they are going to debut prior to the event, but some do give a few hints. Let me make it clear that I don’t know what this product is, but it’s fun to speculate.
Pearl has lately been advertising a product called E Pro Live. The popular thought is that pearl is getting into the electronic drum game for the first time ever. The slogan, “Get Real. Be Real” which appears under the ad, has led many to believe that this may be some type of acoustic/electric hybrid which may incorporate actual wood shells, or even real heads. Despite all of the speculation, a Pearl marketing associate assured everyone on the Pearl drummers forum that it was in fact not what they thought it was. Either way it sounds cool!
The NAMM show actually started today, and runs through Sunday the 17th. It can be a little difficult to get in, but if you can it’s definitely worth going. Hope you find a way!
Achieve Your Ideal Personal Mix with the Aviom A-16II Mixer
I recently had a chance to use Aviom’s A-16II mixer, and was pleasantly surprised, and impressed with it’s user friendly format/layout, and it’s outstanding mixing capabilities. This 16 channel stereo mixer gives you personal control over everything you would ever want to adjust on stage.
This is the first time I have ever felt truly comfortable with my on stage mix, and I’m not even picky. Whether you’re on an external monitor system, or using in ears, there is usually someone else in charge of your mix. Most of us do the best we can to let the sound guy know how much to adjust each level in our monitors, but usually end up settling on a mix that is less than ideal. Again, I am really not particular when it comes to my mix, but this Aviom system opened my eyes to what kind of mix is achievable on stage.
Now let’s get to the features of this device. Below I have put a picture, and a few functions of the A-16II (which were pulled straight fromAviom’s website)
16 Channel Stereo Mix
Fully Adjustable Individual Channel Pan/Volume Control
Auto Detect Mono/Stereo Circuitry (So No Dealing With All Those Pesky Cables)
Simple Set-Up With Cat-5e Cables
16 Preset Locations For Storing Custom Mixes
Pan/Spread Control With LED Readout
Channel Volume Control With LED Level Readout
Master Volume, Treble, and Bass Controls
Easily Mountable
As you can see, these are just about all the features you would want in order to achieve the mix that is right for you. The Independent volume control allows you to change a level on the fly, and the custom mix option let’s you store a separate mix for every song if you like. The possibilities are truly endless, and I would definitely recommend this for the gigging musician.
As you may have noticed, my blog was recently hacked. It took me a few weeks to get everything sorted out, and get my blog back up and running, but now I’m back in business! Luckily nothing was deleted, and I have snuffed out all of the hacked files so I am again ready to start posting about all things drums! Please keep checking back for the latest drum news, info, tips, advice, lessons, and tons more. I hope everyone had a great holiday season/new year, and I greatly appreciate you spending a little time on Boomdrum!
