Vintage Simmons Drums (UK) Users Group

Hey folks, 

Like Diego, I first saw Simmons on TV ( I was raised in West 
Virginia, no jokes please!). Seemed everyone had them. The sets that 
are most in my head are of course, Phil Collins on "Home by the Sea" 
and the "Brazilian" playing his SDSV's, Chester Thompson with Genesis 
playing the Montreaux Jass Fest - White pads and white Paistes!! Then 
of course Bill Bruford and his Crimson sets. But everyone had a few 
Simmons or other e-drums if not just for looks...

Oh yeah, gear! My first electrics were a Simmons SDSV set (second 
hand) which I got in 1988 with the hard plastic pads; I got a second 
hand Tama Techstar set at the same time. The good ol' days... That 
first SDS% brain got stolen later:( These days, after selling a few 
Simmons pieces,  I have had the good fortune (aka "hard work") to 
have at my disposal:

8mb Simmons SDX - with 21 pads! 16 at a time though...
7 module SDSV - with cymbal and hihat module (found at pawn shop)
12 module SDS7
4 octave Simmons Silicon Mallet
Simmons SPM8.2

I've owned at some time the SDS8, MTM, and EPB. Somebody "borrowed" 
then left town the  SDS8. Bastard. Maybe it's hangin' with my stolen 
SDSV... 
If anyone cares here's some other goodies, 

Korg Wavedrum (w/ RE-1)
Roland TD-10ex
Yamaha DTX2.0
Drumkat 3.8 (on the IR)
Akai S5000
Akai Mpc2000Xl
Korg MS2000
Korg Kaoss
Roland JV-1080
Alesis AirFX
Alesis Datadisk (also on the IR)
Alesis Midiverb4
Yamaha REV-100
Dbx 1066
Mackie 1604-VLZ
Pearl SC-40
Nobley & Cooley 7 piece acoustic kit
Tama Rockstar! 5 piece kit
Too many Zildjian cymbals
various DW and Drumtech electronic pedals
plus some other less exciting junk. Wingnuts, cymbal sleeves...


I know some might say that's a bit overboard (it is), but I love all 
this stuff and Simmons has always been my favorite on many levels. As 
I've gotton older I've been blessed that I was able to buy the gear a 
saw and wanted as a kid, but sometimes it's more fun to try and push 
the limits of just one machine; to make it do what you have. Like in 
my SDSV, Techstar days. I never was told this thing could do this 
that or the other... With no extra dough and a Radio Shack reverb, I 
tried to push these old drum modules to the limit. I miss that 
feeling a bit with this much gear. I have damn near any sound I can 
think up. Will I downsize? Naw! Anyone seen a SDS6 or Notron 
sequencer?? :) I think it's an affliction...

Peace, 

Graham

Hi Graham

if you don't mind a 'smiling' observation you seem something of a 
gear junkie. Perhaps I'm simply jealous! 

Do you think the Simmons thing is infectious? Oohhh ... feel that 
chunky quality.

I noticed from your posting that you have owned both the SDSV and 
SDS7 units at one time. I've tried to stir up some debate with a 
posting as I own a 12 module SDS7 like you. What are you views of 
their respective strengths and weaknesses; particularly regarding 
their oscillators? Flexibility /Usability?

Best wishes

Stephen

Hi stephen et al., 

Yes I know, gear junkie... Shame on me! I justify it to myself and 
everyone else by playing all of it! I don't need another place to 
rest drinks on... Anyhow, I really must say that I like a clean sdsV 
better. Clean meaning a taken care of and not noisy unit. The "7" I 
enjoy, but in different way. Even when using a sound with all of its' 
analog parts working, and no digital, the 7 just doesn't osund as fat 
to me as the V does. I've owned three diffent v brains and they all 
have a meatier sound than the 7. I, of late, have been using them 
together with the 7 supplying the bass and snare and the V covering 
most eveythind else. The accessability of the knobs on the V lend 
itself to more hands on approach as far as changing things as you 
play, as I like to do. I am however getting my sds6  out of the shop 
in the next couple days and maybe I can get some more flexability out 
of the 7 whilst I have the 6 play it for me as I change one sound 
around a bit. We'll see. I've been entertaining the thought of 
letting go of the 7 as I use it the least of all my units. I recently 
got a silicon mallet for $150 (with roadcase and all the stands and 
pedals!!!) that I want to use more, but I've run out of space in my 
small studio. I don't think I could ever part with my V now... I've 
spent all this time getting an actual full set - cymbal chinese hat 
pads! - and plus the pads have 1/4" jacks as well so I can use them 
to fire my v-drum brain if I so choose. 

Anyway, I don't think Simmons themselves are infectious. To me,  
electronic and acoustic drums are infectious. If something is good, 
and I like it , and is playable then I might get it. Simmons just 
seems to the best on the front end of e-drums. I really don't enjoy 
any brains after the 7 before the SDX, and I've played most of 'em. 
I've played or owned the Tamas, the Roland DDR-30, The Yamahas (pads 
and PMC-1 were great - I used some of 'em to fire my Simmons brains), 
the Dynacords (never got the to play the ADD-one or two), the 
Pearls , and even the older ddrums, but I always felt the older 
Simmons were the best for me personally for the sounds alone. If I 
had to sit down and play someone's Techstar's or the old Dynacords, I 
would, and I'd be fine with it, I just wouldn't own something I 
wasn't proud of. Just my thouhts...  but I'm glad this board is 
picking up. 

Peace, 

Graham



-- In Simmons_Drums@yahoogroups.com, "sevebc" <seve.bc@s...> wrote:

> Hi Graham
> 
> if you don't mind a 'smiling' observation you seem something of a 
> gear junkie. Perhaps I'm simply jealous! 
> 
> Do you think the Simmons thing is infectious? Oohhh ... feel that 
> chunky quality.
> 
> I noticed from your posting that you have owned both the SDSV and 
> SDS7 units at one time. I've tried to stir up some debate with a 
> posting as I own a 12 module SDS7 like you. What are you views of 
> their respective strengths and weaknesses; particularly regarding 
> their oscillators? Flexibility /Usability?
> 
> Best wishes
> 
> Stephen

I am however getting my sds6  out of the shop 
> in the next couple days and maybe I can get some more flexability 
out 
> of the 7 whilst I have the 6 play it for me as I change one sound 
> around a bit. 

Now Graham's really trying to make us all jealous with mention of his 
SDS6 sequencer!!!

I've just purchased a Tama TSQ-1000 6 output drum sequencer from 
Patrice (who should be joining us shortly) but I do crave an SDS6 
(both from a collecting point of view and for its usability) but 
they're pretty scarse here in the UK. 

The point made about "well looked after SDSV's" is well made as I 
believe some early models had weak power supplies and noise could 
also be a problem. I was going to purchase an SDSV unit recently 
until it seemed in worse condition than first represented - three 
missing knobs (Jesper do you have that source of knobs in Sweden?) 
and a non-funcioning slot which could have simply been down to those 
funky plastic locators or something more ominous. 

The consequences of a car crash and heavy medication have forced me 
to adopt a more pragmatic approach to timing and anyhow its fun to 
experiment.

On another note has anyone any experience of changing the power 
supplies in any of the earlier SDS Simmons units?

Stephen