Korg Forums

[PianoManChuck]

I have a Wavedrum and loving it! If anything, I'd love to get a 2nd wavedrum as I could do a lot more with 2 side by side.

A friend of mine disagrees and thinks a Wavedrum and a Wavedrum Mini would be a better setup.

Just curious as to your thoughts & opinions on this?

[WaveDrummer]

Hmmm...that's an interesting question. Tough call, but it really depends on what you want to achieve and whether or not you'd be using them more for live or for recording...or just having fun!

I have two Wavedrums AND a Mini!

Two Wavedrums makes for a very potent combo. The range of sounds and the depth of expression is unsurpassed. For more "pro" situations I would probably recommend going with that.

There are, however, a couple of reasons to consider the Mini.
Obviously, it is more affordable than the full Wavedrum (and will probably be more affordable than has been advertised).

Combining a Wavedrum with the Mini plus the external trigger of the Mini will give you three separate surfaces to play from (depending on what you attach the trigger to) if that suits your needs.

The rhythm overdubbing and looping feature of the Mini is a lot of fun. But the rhythm tracks (as with the Wavedrum) are fixed tempo and can not be changed, so that might limit the performance aspects. The loop feature allows you to pick any tempo and to overdub on top of that, but it is not as versatile as many after-market looping devices (no pedals to control the loops, no ability to save loops, etc).

If space is a consideration, then obviously the Mini is more compact and the trigger can be attached to something even smaller, like a small practice pad or such. Again, it really depends on your personal situation. Mounting the Mini might require a bit of creativity though. It will fit into many snare stands, and it can be strapped to your leg or simply placed upon a table-like surface, but it may not be as "sturdy" a setup as the full Wavedrum offers (this would be more of a live performance issue).

The portable aspect of the Mini is something to consider as well. If using the battery option and built-in speaker is something that appeals to you, then it might be nice to have one in your arsenal. The speaker is more effective on some sounds than others, but for an impromptu rehearsal it might suffice. An external speaker (or a good set of headphones) is a must to fully realize the quality of the sounds of the Mini though.

I suppose I would summarize by saying that the Mini is a great way to expand on the Wavedrum with some fun sounds and a cool trigger that can be attached to many different objects including other percussion instruments (tambourine, etc) without having to spend too much extra money.

For the most powerful, expressive and dynamic experience, I would say that two Wavedrums is hard to beat. The pressure sensor, the full-size head, the multiple layering of sounds—these features make for an extraordinary musical instrument with many, many applications. I find that two Wavedrums compliment each other quite well.

The only thing I would add is that if you don't already have the Oriental version of the Wavedrum, that would be the one to get if you do add a second one to your collection.

Hope this helps.

[Bertotti]

Wavedrummer have you followed any of the other threads lately. An industrious fellow here has figured out how to change rhythms in the WD, quite simple actually and how to do a external trigger on the WD! Also not terribly involved!

[PianoManChuck]

Wavedrummer - thank you for that very informative reply! I'm leaning towrads a 2nd wavedrum myself... as you said, the two make a very powerful professional combination. I would think the Wavedrum and Mini combination would be more for a live show with the clip on your foot to trigger a bass drum and the Wavedrum to be played as usual.

I envy your setup though... two Wavedrums AND a mini - seems the ideal setup to cover just about any percussive situation!

As a keyboardist, I like the Wavedrum as I can play both the keyboard and Wavedrum at the same time. In fact, that's exactly what I did when I first got the Wavedrum, just for testing purposes... you can check that out here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ss4BQHT-rQY

I'm no drummer, but the Wavedrum makes things very easy. I imagine that as long as I can tap my foot to a basic beat, I can have a bass drum at my control (via Mini clip) strapped to my shoe.

Thanks again for a very informative reply - I appreciate that!

[PianoManChuck]

Ok, in addition to my permanent Wavedrum... I borrowed a friend's Wavedrum AND just received the Wavedrum Mini that I ordered.

The two (full) Wavedrums are just AWESOME! However, the Wavedrum Mini is on its way back for a refund. From what I can see, unless you're a street musician, or just want something portable for practice, I honestly have no use for the Mini. Its more of a toy (for my needs) than anything serious. As for the pad on the mini, depending on how much or little velocity you strike it with, it seems not to be consistent in the sounds it produces no matter how hard you try to keep the velocity and location of the hit the same. Same thing with the clip... clip it to your shoe and it just doesn't produce consistent sounds. I took a large porcelain dinner plate and put it onto a snare stand, placed the clip on it, and unless I strike very close to the clip, I get nothing. I'm sure the sensitivity can be adjusted, but even if it could, I'm just not happy with it. The pricing is just way too much for something that's so unusable and unpredictable (in terms of sound consistency for each strike) for me.

I'm sure others will love this item... but for my professional studio use, no go.