bassace404 Posted April 29, 2002 Share Posted April 29, 2002 I am not a drummer....I am a bass player but I just wanted to get a drummers point of view on this instrument! I don't know how many of you are familiar with Bela Fleck and the Flecktones, but their "Beat Man" is FutureMan...and he plays this instrument called the drumitar...which holds like a guitar but sounds like drums or a drum machine or what-have-you. And I am pretty sure it requires technique to some level....but do any of you guys see yourself playing one over real drums...being that it may be more convienient that lugging all that equipment? Or would you trade in your wood and skins for it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christopher Posted May 1, 2002 Share Posted May 1, 2002 I wouldn't. I'd hate to think of what Futureman would do if the Drumitar was ever destroyed or stolen. I guess he could get a Zendrum, but it wouldn't be the same. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
djarrett Posted May 1, 2002 Share Posted May 1, 2002 Hey, BassAce: What this guy does with his machine is incredible, but I do believe that Christopher is correct. I think it is a one man machine. I think if someone were to produce one for the mass market, it would have to be much easier to understand than most drum machines out there! DJ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlChuck Posted May 1, 2002 Share Posted May 1, 2002 Actually it is a controller that's been on the market, though it's certainly not a mass market. It's called the SynthAxe, same thing that Allan Holdsworth plays, or used to play... ahhh, I see from the Flecktones website that it's been modified extensively so that there is, indeed, only one... http://www.flecktones.com/the_guys/futch.htm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve LeBlanc Posted May 1, 2002 Share Posted May 1, 2002 Well I hate it and love it... I mean as a gimmick it was cool but when he continued using it instead of playing real drums I was very disappointed. C'mon man...just play some freakin drums, the music would be SOOOOO much better. Maybe he's not that great a drummer...IDK. http://www.youtube.com/notesleb Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christopher Posted May 1, 2002 Share Posted May 1, 2002 Originally posted by AlChuck: Actually it is a controller that's been on the market, though it's certainly not a mass market. It's called the SynthAxe, same thing that Allan Holdsworth plays, or used to play... ahhh, I see from the Flecktones website that it's been modified extensively so that there is, indeed, only one... http://www.flecktones.com/the_guys/futch.htm It's actually Lee Ritenour's old synthaxe (heavily modded)! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fantasticsound Posted May 2, 2002 Share Posted May 2, 2002 Holdsworth and Ritenour are the most famous musicians known for using the Synthaxe. It was approx. $13,000 brand new, in the mid 1980's! You can understand why it never made serious inroads into the guitar synth market. (Roland was having decent success with their far less expensive GR synths, which could be used as real guitars as well as for synth sounds.) Someone, elsewhere on these forums suggested that the Zendrum was inspired or possibly created for Futureman. I don't know if there is any truth to this. I'm sure a quick check with Zendrum would clear that up. As for his abilities, several pro's here in Nashville insist he's an incredible kit player, so beware of insulting the skills of the man without hearing him play kit. If he's a tenth the musician any of his brothers are, that still makes him a great drummer. It's easiest to find me on Facebook. Neil Bergman Soundclick fntstcsnd Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve LeBlanc Posted May 2, 2002 Share Posted May 2, 2002 As for his abilities, several pro's here in Nashville insist he's an incredible kit player, so beware of insulting the skills of the man without hearing him play kit. If he's a tenth the musician any of his brothers are, that still makes him a great drummer.hehe, well I really was J/K about the not being able to play thing...I've also heard he can play...I'm getting sick of not seeing him doing it though. I do have the second Flecktones album where he played some kit so don't get the wrong idea about my earlier comments. http://www.youtube.com/notesleb Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
surfjunkie Posted May 3, 2002 Share Posted May 3, 2002 yeah, we've talked about that thing a few times over on craig's sss (you guys should stop by- we talk about all kinds of stuff, and not many drummers show up over there). i was shocked and stupified the first time i saw futureman play that thing (on tv in '92). i've seen the flecktones live a few times, and he's great- creative, groovy, and dynamic. i hadn't heard that it was actually holdsworth's old one, but it is indeed a custom modified synthaxe (midi guitar controller). futureman's picture is up at the zendrum website, but i've never seen him play one. the zendrum seems pretty cool to me, but that synthaxe is a work of art. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
djarrett Posted May 5, 2002 Share Posted May 5, 2002 Yes, the man can play. I have seen him live.He can throw down. Hey FantasticSound. I am in Nashville too. Welcome all you new posters to Drum Talk. DJ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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