My Pearl Demon Drive Double Bass Pedal Review **Pics Included**

Muse FTW

Member
Well I was pleasantly surprised today when I went to pick up my new Roland SPD-S from Sam Ash: They had the Demon Drive!
I tried it out in store and the guy told me that I could bring it back in 45 day and get a full refund so I figured, what the heck, I'll try it! Now in the stores I tried the single pedal but I purchased the double because that's what I play (usually for fills, occasionally for metal).

So I bring it home and after 10 minutes of basic assembly, they are ready to go. I stick them on in place of my 3 year old Tama Iron Cobras and I look to see if there are any quick adjustments that need to be made.

Once I begin playing, I notice that both are EXTREMELY fast. You will practically fly on these bad boys. That said, I noticed that my left foot was slacking a little so I changed some of the settings to fit my needs.

Now keep in mind that these are currently in shortboard mode.

After getting an imbalanced feel I tampered with them for another 20 minutes trying to figure out what the problem was. I'm pretty sure that it was just me, but for some reason, they just didn't feel "right". Maybe I'm just used to the old slack and chain effect and have become accustomed to that and that's why it doesn't feel right but whatever; I decide to switch to longboard.

Holy crap. One of the main features of the pedal is the easy transition from Short to Long board (as if somebody is going to keep switching back and forth, right?) and while it is easy, it does take a decent amount of time because of the sheer amount of screwing in and out of 2 different kinds of screws, but hey, I've gotta complain about something.

Once they are in place and I adjust the settings again, the pedal is pure bliss. It is almost like walking on air. The pedal goes super fast because of the direct drive and almost to the point of losing control of the pedal! While I can't say (yet) whether it is or is not "better" than the chain link I previously owned, it really cannot be compared.

I have tried Axis longboards and there is quite a difference between the two.
In my opinion, both have a significantly different feel to them, and although I have not played them for more than 4 hours yet, I do like them more than the Axis I had previously tried: they simply have a better feel and there are more settings that are customizable to anybodies preference. Now the general consensus here is that the Trick Bigfoot pedals are the best direct link pedals out on the market right not, and I have not tried them yet, so I cannot judge them against the DD.

Pros-
Nearly infinitely customizable settings
Both a short and long board pedal
Easy to adjust
Comes with nice carry case


Cons-
Hefty price tag may deter buyers
Takes time to get used to the direct drive, the speed, and the control of the pedal
Essentially rips off of the ideas of other competitors (executes them better though)

Final Verdict: Try the pedal before you buy it because it has a VERY different feel than pedals that you are probably used to, especially if this is your first direct link pedal or even your first double bass pedal

I will upload pictures of the pedal, case, contents, and setup as soon as I get my camera working (and will probably edit this post with more info)

Hope this helps with your decision on the Pearl Demon Drive Pedal
 
Hope this works! Enjoy!
 

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Thanks for the pics and review. I'm currently debating between the Axis and the Trick Dominator but I may have to add this one to list of current possibilities. Pretty hefty price though.

And correct me if I'm wrong, but the single DD can't be converted to a double later on right? That's one thing I like about the Axis and Trick.
 
Thanks for the reply. Sweet name by the way (my favorite band). How did you get your hands on them so early anyway? What Sam Ash did you go to?
 
And correct me if I'm wrong, but the single DD can't be converted to a double later on right? That's one thing I like about the Axis and Trick.



Correct. This is a major problem many will have with this pedal. The single cannot be upgraded to a double, and I am unsure if the double can be separated into 2 individual pedals.
It's kind of a drag considering the amount of money they are charging you for.

Oh, and I went to the one in Huntington, New York. That's the closest one near me.
They only had 2 in-stock: one singe and one double
 
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I can't imagine pay that much for a double pedal.

But ever since trying them at NAMM, I can't stop thinking about buying them.
 
One cool thing that has been rarely brushed on, your demon comes with a carrying case. You'd think for $700+ my Trick bigfoot would have one too. I don't even know if they make one for it. My DW 9000 had a nice hardcase. So did my $300 cobras.
 
One cool thing that has been rarely brushed on, your demon comes with a carrying case. You'd think for $700+ my Trick bigfoot would have one too. I don't even know if they make one for it. My DW 9000 had a nice hardcase. So did my $300 cobras.
No the Tricks dont come w a case. If that cardboard thing where they come in is suppose to be the case shame on Trick. For the $$$$ they can do way better. Also the beater and the velcro under the base m.... not very efficient
 
I'm getting mine tomorrow. Stoked.

I'm going to try and spend the next month evaluating the Pearls against the Longboards in my new studio with a few different projects I'm working on. When I get my Tricks back from repair, they face the winner!

This is all hobby-ish fun, gearhead stuff to me. It's like comparing a Porsche against a Ferrari and a Lamborghini. They're all great and, in the end, it's probably a matter of feel and personal preference.nd
 
Thank you very much for your review and photos! Very much appreciated!

I have been playing Axis Longboards for a few years and switched to Trick Pro-1V big foot six months ago. Both amazing, Trick is naturally one step above because it came out years later and knew what to correct..

Now with both of the above you can convert them easily to two singles (which is great for me as I use 2 bass drums).

Pearl hasn't come clean on this and I think it's because the pearl demon drive is not meant to be converted to two singles.
Can it be done? Perhaps the owners can tell us and maybe it can be done with some modifications and the proper tools, not sure though.

Personally, I find it very weird to pay 650$ for a double pedal and cannot convert it into two singles if I want.

With all that being said, I'd love to try the demon drive and maybe even get one.

thanks again for the review!
 
Pearl hasn't come clean on this and I think it's because the pearl demon drive is not meant to be converted to two singles.
Can it be done? Perhaps the owners can tell us and maybe it can be done with some modifications and the proper tools, not sure though.

Personally, I find it very weird to pay 650$ for a double pedal and cannot convert it into two singles if I want.

With all that being said, I'd love to try the demon drive and maybe even get one.

thanks again for the review!

Yeah u can go from a double to singles. What u cant do is go from single to double. Info already mentioned a few posts down
 
Hey there, Muse. I read the specs for this pedal and it mentions an adjustable traction plate, what's up with that? That disc on the footboard doesn't look very traction friendly.
 
Hey there, Muse. I read the specs for this pedal and it mentions an adjustable traction plate, what's up with that? That disc on the footboard doesn't look very traction friendly.

The traction plate basically unscrews from the back and you can turn it which ever direction you please, and while it isn't very traction friendly, the orange circles can be removed and I guess they could be replaced with the (rubber?) ones from the eliminator to improve traction.
 
Cool enough. I'm growing in excitement about these pedals, and since I'm looking to upgrade from my old IC and cheapo Pearl 122 pedals, these are fast becoming a viable option, being the only "problem" that I have to save for a little while to get'em, but that is true for any pedal brand I might decide on. Thanks for the info, Muse
 
I JUST WANTED TO CORRECT SOME INFORMATION I POSTED EARLIER!!!

I talked to Al Rep from Pearl in regards to the switching of a Single Pedal on the Demon Drive to a Double, and this was the answer I quote...
"We have a P3001D DD drive conversion kit w/case that converts your single into a double."

So it is possible to go from Single to Double as Axis or Trick


Lastly on the traction topic of the pedal, the oval shape on the board is good enough but if u wanted to add rubber where the orange circles r u can (as mentioned it will be from the rubbers used on the eliminators)
 
So it is possible to go from Single to Double as Axis or Trick
Not exactly true. With Axis or Trick, you can buy two standard single pedals and then buy the connecting rod and slave beater assembly to make a double pedal. With all Pearl pedals, you need a special main pedal with two beater holders, while the standard single can only be used as a slave pedal.

On the other hand, it is possible to convert a double into two singles, though the beater holder assembly would either have to be moved from the main to the slave, or a new assembly would have to be bought to be placed on the slave side. Also, the spring assembly would have to be moved from the main to the slave side.
 
I tried the DD at GC today and I have to say it was nice, but it didn't ultimately enhance my playing or anything like they make it out to do. I would upgrade to it from my eliminators if I had a ton of cash to blow, but it isn't something I would save for as a first upgrade. Nonetheless it did give me a few extra beats with my playing, but again not significant.
 
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