Meinl Percussion |
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Can I refer you to an article entitled "Blueprint for The Future" from the Jan. 2005 edition of Drummer Magazine? The article states that "Meinl have grown from a company making entry-level instruments, to one that is breaking new ground with innovative products". Now, although there is no doubt that Meinl did indeed begin life manufacturing "entry level instruments" it is the transition from that status to "ground-breaking" that we are now concerned with. In particular I put it to you that the word "innovative" is often too casually bandied about by salesmen and PR people more concerned with promotion than with actual reality - more prone to "sales-speak" than to speaking the truth. So without further ado, let's examine the evidence. |
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| The MC-SH shaker holder (designed by
renowned percussionist Jen Lowe) is simple, effective Now these Wah Wah tubes are fun, and
possibly even innovative! It is a very simple instrument The difference with the is the shape,
which makes it easier to play because it is balanced better than conventional
round tambourines, and therefore feels lighter and easier to
Meinl manufacture a wide range of chimes
but today we are concerned with the CH27ST, which I have had a long-standing aversion
to polyblocks, being of the opinion that "if you want a Upbeats: Downbeats: Prices (correct as of June 2005): MC-PTS - square percussion table
- £42.95 Distributed by: Tel: 01892 603730 Web Links: |
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OK, before we bring these items out for
perusal we need somewhere or something to stand them on, and these percussion
tables would appear to be made for the job - which in fact they are.
Constructed of fibreglass, they are therefore reasonably light and hardwearing.
The larger being 18" x 12" in size with the smaller being 12" x 12".
The metal bracket attachment has a simple but sturdy clamp which enables
you to attach the table to any common stand, which could be a cymbal
stand if you are a sit-down drummer wishing to have some hand percussion
close to er.. hand, or perhaps a microphone stand if you are a vocalist
who also needs to shake your percussive stuff. The table is actually
shaped like a tray with raised sides, which should prevent instruments
from rolling off, and is "carpeted" inside with special Meinl percussion
tray carpeting to prevent instruments from slipping. On the larger table
the tray section can also be detached from the bracket, turned and fixed
horizontally if preferred. Apparently the table's "innovative design"
(that word again) allows the angle of the table to be adjusted - well
that feature was just too innovative for me because I could not see
how that could be done.
and does exactly what it says on the tin. It attaches via
chunky wing nuts and bracket to any stand (could be cymbal stand, hi-hat
stand or mic stand) and holds any size shaker in a comfortable position
and in easy reach for when you need it. The claws are covered in rubber
to prevent damage to the shaker and are adjustable lengthways to accommodate
any length of shaker. This is far better than having to grope around
on the floor, in the dark, when your special shaking moment arrives.
Which in fact is now as we move swiftly on to the SH9-L-BK and SH10-L-BK
shakers.
The SH9-L-BK shaker is designed to cut through loud live
music by virtue of a black aluminium shell which does create a loud,
penetrative (some might say harsh) sound. Whereas the SH10-L-BK is a
plastic shelled "studio shaker" which, as expected, creates a gentler,
warmer sound more suited to the recording studio where its sound level
can be controlled and manipulated. Both shakers are lightweight and
therefore comfortable to play, and both fit snugly into the MC-SH shaker
holder as expected (although, sadly, not at the same time).
really, consisting as it does of an aluminium tube which
you basically hit with a rubber mallet. The tube is open one end and
has a sound hole near the top, which if you cover and uncover after
striking the tube gives a very atmospheric and effective "wah wah" effect
to the sound. If you choose not to wah wah then a pleasing evocative
bell-like tone is achieved which sustains forever! There are two sizes
of wah wah tube, the smaller WW1BK (for high pitch) and larger WW2BK
(lower pitch). Really an "effect" instrument the wah wah tube may be
ideal for use in recordings or on film/TV soundtracks.
handle. I can certainly get more agile using this tambourne
than using my conventional circular beast, and can therefore play more
intricate patterns and for longer periods of time without fatigue setting
in. The tambourine is said to be very durable due to the "ABS" frame
which consists of the various parts assembled into a type of "sandwich"
- tasty! Certainly the rubber handle is very comfortable and the nicklesilver
plated steel jingles create a bright, cutting sound. But that is not
all. Being an innovative company Meinl have decided that just being
a tambourine is not good enough for the TMT1. Hence this tambourine
has ribbed edges which when scraped with a beater of some sort produces
a quiro type sound with added tambo jangle! What a great idea! And with
a bit of practice you can actually combine your guiroing with your tambourining
to produce a hybrid rhythm which we can perhaps call "guirorining"?
Now that is truly innovative.
The JG1 AB Jingle Guiro is a variation on this theme being
in reality a jingle stick with comfortable padded handle, nicklesilver
plated steel jingles and a guiro style edge which offers many interesting
sound possibilities including of course the newly discovered "guirorining"
style rhythm. It is also worth pointing out that the jungle sticks are
available with alternative jingles made of solid brass or aluminium
depending on your taste and aural requirements.
are 27 bar studio chimes, and the CH33HF-R, which are 33 bar chimes.
The studio chimes feature light, thin bars made from gold plated aluminium
alloy fixed to a sturdy, pleasing looking wooden bar using nylon cords
which should prevent chime loss through breakage. The sound, as expected,
is light and airy in a kind of "enchanted forest" way. The CH33HF-R
chimes are a different beast altogether, the "R" standing for "Rock",
which gives you a clue to both the sound and usage. If the CH27ST is
the "enchanted forest" sound then these chimes are "the enchanted forest
at night - in a thunderstorm - being chased by a dragon" sound. The
chimes are much thicker and heavier and therefore produce a much fuller,
louder sound which rings out with clarity and force. Both sets of chimes
are very nice indeed, and should sound great recorded or "live".
wood-block
sound then use a woodblock f'chissakes!" I guess the point is that polyblocks
(or percussions blocks as Meinl will have it) are more hardwearing than
a genuine woodblock would be. But that, as far as I can see, would be
the only advantage because the sound, to these ears at least, is just
not as good as a woodblock in terms of tonal quality and warmth. These
sound harsh and artificial to me. On the plus side they will never break
or splinter and come with a nice sturdy and adjustable clamp to enable
you to mount the block on top of your hi-hat or on some other suitable
stand at exactly the angle you require. The MPE1R is smaller than the
MPE2R and therefore delivers a higher pitched sound than its bigger
brother who has a lower voice, as one would expect.
Finally, if one-man-band-dom is on your
aspiration list then the PM-1 Pedal Mount is for you! Essentially it
enables you to play any 
percussion instrument that you can mount on a stand (polyblock,
cowbell, tambourine etc) via a bass-drum pedal. All common bass drum
pedals should work with the pedal mount, which is also height adjustable
and comes with two different sized L-rods on which to mount instruments.
It is made from black powder coated steel and is therefore very robust,
and has metal spikes which can be coaxed from the rubber ensconced feet
by use of the supplied Allen key should your playing surface or stage
demand it. I had great fun playing a pedal mounted cowbell while simultaneously
"guirorining" which meant that I was creating 3 types of percussion
rhythm whereas before I would have only been able to create one. And
that is truly innovative.