David Simmons Gear Page

Welcome to the rig page! Here I'll give you some insight about what I use and why. I think any serious musician who's looking for "their sound" and wants to achieve substantial musical goals should be very passionate and particular in choosing their gear. We must remember that above all the gear should enhance the musician's talents, as well as the music that is being performed. The Music of today is very demanding, with all of the programming, looping, and just being able to perform with click tracks. This is one example of why it is necessary for us to choose our gear carefully. I've been very fortunate to tour with a few high profile acts. This has given me the luxury of being able to try out a variety of different kits, whether by choice or not. I have always found myself coming back to Pearl Drums however, because in my opinion all of their kits have a consistent sound. I have found that no matter what style of music you may play, Pearl has a kit that will suit your needs.

My personal kit is a 5-piece MLX maple series with a few alterations. I use 10", 12", and 14" power toms all mounted with the original rims system for optimum tone and resonance. Occasionally I might add an 8" or 16" floor tom depending on the nature of the job. I strongly believe you should always experiment, look for your sound, and find what works best for the music. My snares vary between a 3 1⁄2 X 14" brass free floating piccolo, a 6 1⁄2 X 14 free floater, and a 8" X 14 brass free floater all of which have interchangeable shells which allow me to use custom wood shells. I use Evans heads exclusively on my entire kit. For cymbals I use all Zildjian (check layout). Pedals are DW Double 5000 turbos with dual chain drive. Hardware is all Pearl.

	In this technological age, the computer dominates a great majority of businesses. For musicians this can be a very intimidating factor, but to stay afloat you must adapt to the times. Most electronic musical equipment these days are compact computer based products, which communicate with each other through MIDI (Musical Instrument Digital Interface) technology. Much of today's music that is produced using this technology results in the reproduction of various instruments on the live stage. As drummers we at some point have to accept, embrace, and utilize electronics to our advantage.
Early on in my career I was asked to either work with a drum machine or a click track machine. This allowed me to keep the music tight and promote a fuller sound for the band. The knowledge that I have gained has become a considerable asset both musically and financially. Slowly I started investing in electronic gear. I now have a small, but powerful electronic setup that allows me to perform as a one-man band when needed.

Here's my E-Rig! To begin with, I use a drum Kat controller - this is the brains of my rig. It allows me to access and play the sounds in my samplers or sound module with total expression of every sound. In my opinion it's the best pad-controller on the market. Second, I use an Akai MPC2000XL, which is a drum machine, sampler, and sequencer all in one. This piece of gear can be used alone because of its versatility. This is also where I store most of my custom samples, vocal shouts, and effects. I also use it for my personal sequencing, and drum programming. Third, I currently use the Akai S-2000 rack mount sampler for additional synthesized sounds, effects and loops. Both samplers are fitted with enough memory for maximum capacity. The sounds are stored on a 250mb zip drive. Fourth, I use a Roland JV1010 sound module. This unit is used for the majority of my keyboard sounds that I use during my solo performances, or just to help cover small keyboard parts during an ensemble performance.

	Finally, I also use an Alesis D4 drum module. This is a great piece of gear for several reasons. One it's good for enhancing your acoustic drum sound, which is known for triggering great on board acoustic sounds! This process eliminates the hassle of micing in some situations. Also, the trigger response is excellent whether you use trigger pads or acoustic drum triggers. Finally, it's relatively inexpensive. I also use a Roland AX-1 remote keyboard controller which allows me to leave behind the drum-kit and literally walk around to play drum sounds, loops, samples or whatever. Lastly my triggers are a combination of Ddrum, Pintech, and dauz pads.

Some of my influences of drummers who are on the cutting edge of electronic drumming are Tony Verderosa, Akira Jimbo, Will Calhoun, Roy "Futureman" Wooten, Bill Bruford and Mickey Heart to name a few.

Dave currently endorses Pearl Drums, Vicfirth Sticks, Evans Drumheads and Zildjian Cymbals.