Oh boy oh boy oh boy oh boy oh boy, Can we see them now? Can we? Pretty please? I'll wash the car....
Hahaha, it needs washing Larry. 600 mile round trip, it's pretty dirty. Just landed back now, & I'm very tired, so I'll offer a brief insight.
As I'm now used to the sound of the prototype kit, I never expected to be blown away by our latest evolution, & I wasn't blown away, but both Dean & myself were very pleased. Essentially, we managed significant improvements in the areas where the prototype was weak, & small improvements where the prototype was already strong. So, using the prototype as the control, this is what we got, & expressed as a percentage to give you some idea of magnitude:
Purity of tone = zero improvement (expected)
Shell resonance = + 10%
Shell tone sustain = + 30%
Head sustain = + 30%
Projection = + 50%
Dynamic response = zero improvement
Dynamic headroom = + 20%
Sweet spot range = total transformation, couldn't find one as the entire tuning range was sweet & full.
Tuning range = + 20% upper range, - 10% lower range
To conclude; the new design had all the qualities of the prototype (except a slight loss of lower tuning extension) but with the tuning range flexibility, projection & dynamics of our existing stave shell drums. The sum of these improvements takes it's performance beyond anything weve either tested or experienced from ourselves or from our peers.
Does it offer a breathtaking difference compared to the best out there? = no, but nor would you expect it to when compared directly to the best stuff on the planet. The principal of diminishing returns applies equally to this project as it does to anything else. We uncovered a range of production & design challenges that will need to be worked through over the coming months, & it wll take many months before we're ready to go into production & take orders. Our aim is to have these drums ready & fully road tested for official release at the London Drum Show this October.
Thank you to everyone for the good wishes & kind thoughts.
TTFN, Andy.