Aframe electrorganic frame drum

This marks some great innovation in sound and instrument design, I think. I’m not sure how much interest other 'Naughts have in stuff such as this, but I’d love to pair it with the OT.

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Oooh like!
Seems really expressive, on the big side, guess that adds to it feeling like an instrument.

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These are not comparable instruments, or skill levels, I think. Jeremy plays everything real-time, while the A-frame is looping the recordings, so it doesn’t sound as alive.

I have to agree with @mkdsl that the instruments aren’t comparable. Pad controllers aren’t in the same league of expressivity as the A frame. Maschine is great as a polyphonic percussion controller (and Mr. Ellis seems very fast but not terribly nuanced with his instrument) but having owned one and having also owned various hand drums over the years, including a 19" Persian daf (frame drum with chain jingles), I can tell the Aframe is light years ahead of Maschine in terms of human skin to instrument skin nuance and expression. But yeah, two different instruments with different appeal.

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My issues with the A frame are that it’s (rightly) expensive. And I’ll have to give up my C/D inputs on the OT (was going to use my remaining stereo pair for a cue fx loop). But it sounds amazing :grinning:

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You can have similar for less money with the Korg Wavedrum, which is also round and has a metal frame and uses a standard snare drum head (easy to replace). And you can hit it with sticks. Editing the sounds is a real pain though, and there is no USB or any way to edit with a computer.

Also, on the Maschine you can set up the repeat function so that when you play the pads live your tapping is quantised on the fly, so Mr Ellis may well be cheating.

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I’ve been watch this one for a while, and really like it and it’s definitely on my list.

I’ve got some other ideas too:

Similar and Alternative Products

In a similar category to me is:
Jambé
and
JamKAT

and then something inexpensive that could be adapted in this way:
Mogees

The Pearl Malletstation (using Keith McMillen technology) looks pretty cool too, though it’s different.

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I’ve been interested in a Wavedrum for quite awhile, but always heard it’s a bit of a pain to edit. Definitely much cheaper, though! I’ve tried one awhile back, maybe not quite as expressive as the Aframe (but not having owned the later, I obviously can’t say) but definitely an alternative.

Sounds like some cool alternatives :smile: I’m glad electronic percussion is experiencing a lot of innovation right now.

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Damn, the editing for this instrument is way deeper than it first appears. I think a few better demo videos would lead to it becoming a cult classic. This thread got me hooked: https://www.muffwiggler.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=178117

And the manual too: http://www.atvcorporation.com/en/support/drums/aframe/file/634/aFrameReference_en_01.pdf

It seems to be way more expressive and much easier to edit than the Wavedrum.

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Thanks for the links :smiley: This thing is right up my alley - electroacoustic frame drum. Kind of the electronic percussion instrument I’ve been waiting for.
I’d thought of a setup with a Mid-East style frame drum mixing piezo inputs with sounds from an Intellijel Plonk module, but the Aframe does all that plus effects, and assignable pressure sensor. Time to start saving …

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I don’t know, seems fragile and the angular shape is not very nice.

Not nice looking or nice to play? It seems very suited to lap style or hand held frame drum technique. I’ll admit it did look a little strange to me first seeing it, yet the ergonomics of it are logical to my percussionist sensibilities.

Not sure about perceived fragility. Doesn’t seem any less robust than most other electronic instruments. Time will tell, though.

The Wavedrum definitely gets the response and feel right. The dynamic range is insane (from barely touching the skin to banging it with sticks). I should play it more but I worry about my neighbours :blush:

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Yeah- that’s like a really expensive Wavedrum, I think. Maybe it’s material and method provides more expressivity? But the wavedrum seems like the best physical modeling synth I’ve heard with a plethora of methods to register playability.

Perhaps at NAMM Korg will actually perfect the wavedrum with a better sound editing interface and midi control in/out

That would be awesome but unfortunately Korg have moved on from making serious gear …
MIDI control wouldn’t cut it as MIDI just doesn’t have the bandwidth for the amount of control messages needed.

Better to have it in an incomplete fashion than to not have it at all. Velocity, x-parameter, y-parameter and then have a few assignable midi controls- perhaps macros for combined control(electable in the software editor)

I know they will probably never make another iteration of the Wavedrum- but to dream is the apex of humanity

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I remember lusting over the original Wavedrum… it had a wooden rim and a remote editor, and cost over a grand. When the mk2 came out at less than half price I nearly had an orgasm. It is an amazing instrument and I should play it more. I 'm going to get some nylon brushes for more quiet playing.
But yeah, editing it basically requires you to have the manual next to you all the time.

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I had a MicroKorg for a little while- and I hated the sound editing on it. The editing of the Wavedrum makes the MicroKorg seem like a pleasant stroll in a beautiful meadow.

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I don’t know, none of their synths since the Prophecy and Z1 had anything special.

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