PEARLELIMINATOR DEMONDRIVEP3002D BASSDRUMPEDA

EXCLUSIVE
94 RHYTHM JULY 2009
T
he Demon Drive is a major
departure from Pearl’s previous
chain- or strap-driveEliminator.
Chains have ruled the roost sincethe
1980s, but the big news is the Demon has a
direct, rigid-link drive. Yamaha and Gibraltar
make cheaper,simpler directdrives around
the £100 mark, but the pricey Demon is
closer to the well-established Axis pedal from
Axis Percussion.
Build
The hi-tech orange and brushed aluminium
image recalls the Axis or the extraordinary
Trick Pro1-V,both of which have machined
parts. The Demon is predominantly cast
aluminium, but still looks strong and high
quality. The footboard is aluminium but has a
steel spine.
Where the Demon really scores is on
versatility. It has three major new adjustment
features. These allowyou to move both the
direct link and the beater stroke mechanisms
closer to, or further from, the batter head –
resulting in lighter or heavier feels – and also
to change the footboard from traditional
short(ie,with hinged heel plate) to long.
Workingthrough all the permutations, that
adds up to eight basic set-up options,
something that no previous pedal has
managed. And that’sontop of the fi ne
tuning, which is standard with most pedals
(ie, spring tension plus length and angle of
the beater stroke).
Added to this there’s the silent, precise
action due to the NiNjA bearings Pearl has
shelled out on forthe beater assembly.NiNjA
bearings are top quality, supremely smooth
Japanese skateboardbearings.They’re
micro-polished via alaser process, the same
as used for satellite telescopes. There are also
self-aligning spherical bearings in the direct
linkage, alleviating the stress caused by
drummers who foot the board at an angle or
rock side-to-side.Clever, huh?Another nice
touch is the way the spring tension is locked in
placebyaclip so it can’t vibrate loose.
The main and slave pedals areconnected
by a gleaming, gyroscopic Z-link drive shaft –
‘Z’ standing for zero tolerance, ie, no wobble
or lag. Because the action is unforgivingly
direct, the felt or wood beatershave
shock-absorbingorange‘elasticore’ innards.
Elasticore is the same material used in golf
clubs to cushion the blow.
Structurally,the Demon’s asingle post,
modular design, available as a single or
double pedal, or a slave unit. If you buy a
double, the left-side pedal can be adapted as a
single pedal. So should youevergothe whole
hog and get asecond bass drum, youwon’t
have to buy single pedals all overagain. The
modular design is completely fl exible,soyou
can actually change a right-footed twin pedal
to a left-footed twin, needing no extra parts.
Lastly, there’s a compartmentalised
carryingcase in black fabric.Extras include
NiNjA oil, Allen keys and special universal key.
Because of the extensiveuse of aluminium the
pedal and case aresurprisingly lightweight.
Hands on
This isn’t the sort of pedal you just grab and
play. There’s the little matter of eight basic
settings to investigate. Luckily, swapping
between light or heavy positions on the direct
link drive and the beater shaft holder is
simple,requiringanormal drum keyand
taking a matter of seconds. It’s amazing,
though, just howbig adifferencethese
options make to the feel.
The only option that takes time is changing
the ‘Duo-Deck’ footboardfromshorttolong,
sincethis involves eightscrews. But then,
you’ll probably only do this onceortwiceever.
The long board gives a slightly more sensitive
and speedy feel.
The footboardhas aset of fi ve orange
aluminium ‘traction’dots –lookinglike an old
fashioned telephone dial – and these too can
be moved into different positions to give your
foot grip where you need it most. What’s
more, the spots can be changed for rubber
ones for extra friction.
So to the big question: what’s it like to
play? Well directaction is exactly the right
description. It’s almost like there’s no board
and your foot’s making direct contact with the
batter head. And the slave pedal really does
feel exactly like the main pedal. There’s no lag
or whip,everythingmoveswith an eerie
silence and friction-free smoothness. I
remember a similar sensation the one time I
tried an Axis. It’s so ‘transparent’ you could
say it lacks ‘feel’ in the way older strap/chain
pedals had (good or bad) personality. But this
is aprecision tool foranultra-precise age.It
takes getting used to and I spent hours trying
to find my ideal set-up. As of writing I’m still
only 70 percent acclimatised, but that’smore
my fault than the Demon’s.
Verdict
The emphasis on ever moresubtle double-kick
technique defines our age.Aseach new
PEARL ELIMINATOR
DEMON DRIVE P-3002D
BASS DRUM PEDAL
From £329 Will Pearl’s devilishlyhandsomeDemon
transform your pedalling? GeoffNichollshas theanswer…
PRICES:
Single pedal with case,
£329
Double pedal with
case, £699
DRIVE
Direct, solid aluminium
link with zero tolerance
slave drive
BEATER
Felt or wood with
elasticoreshock
absorbing lining
FEATURES
Eightbasic set-up
options
Two-position heavy
or lightdirectlink
and beater stroke
adjustment
Duo-Deck convertible
long or short footboard
High speed NiNjA axle
bearings
Zero-latencyslave
pedal linkage
Full aluminium bass
plates with Velcro
Click-lock spring
tension
CONTACT
Pearl Music
Europe B.V.
Craenakker 28
NL-5951 CC BELFIELD
The Netherlands
Telephone
0800 515351
(freephone Holland)
salesuk@pearleurope.
com
www.pearldrum.com
ESSENTIALSPEC
THE FOOTBOARD MIGHT
be aluminium, but asteel spine
makes forasolid, reliable build
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RHY165.gear_pearl 94 21/5/09 10:08:7am