Technology

My Review of Trixon’s Unique Cocktail Drum Kit

My Trixon Cocktail Drum kit is here and I love it!! I love trying new and unique products while improving what I do… Playing drums

The basic cocktail drum set consists of a 14 to 16″ (diameter) floor tom that is generally 16 to 25 inches tall with legs mounted. The floor time has 2 heads that are used independently. One on the tom and another on the bottom. The bass drum is used on the bottom of the drum and a reverse foot pedal is attached. There are many different and many variations of cocktail drums, but most usually have a holder for a “popcorn” box of corn” and is usually 8″ in diameter. This eliminates the need for a box mount. Another holder is used for the small tom, which is usually about 10″. An additional holder is used for hi-hats, cymbals, cowbells, etc. and can be easily customized to suit the drummer.

The Trixon Cocktail Kit was easy to set up and came out of the box with instructions and details on this unique set. It came with a cowbell, reverse pedal with stand (used to hold the pedal in place), a hi-hat and cymbal stand, an 8″ popcorn box, a 10″ tom, a 10″ floor/kick drum tom. 15″ , and they included a pair of drumsticks too!

The most challenging part was tuning the drumheads to my liking. I loved the sound of the 8″ popcorn snare, but it sounded like the other drums. The kick and floor tom combo was the hardest to tune. I’ll be replacing the clear Trixon heads, which aren’t bad actually. I plan to try the 4 PLY heads from Remo or Evans

A well known tour producer advised me to use “egg foam” on each drum. He suggested that I use around 60% on each drum, but I tried and played with each drum using less. I later found that using 60% proved to have better tone and made it easier to tune the drums. The floor tom/kick drum was still hard to tune because they sounded the same. It was hard to differentiate the sound since we shared the same drum. I’m still testing different options, but overall I like how they’re tuned to my specific taste.

I found I was pretty exhausted after playing for 1/2 hour while standing up. I can usually play drums for 1 1/2 – 2 hours without stopping, but since I’m standing and balancing on one leg while pedaling, I was surprised at how much power it takes to play comfortably. I played around with heels in my video below, but next time I’ll try flats/sneakers and see if that makes a difference. We’ll see if it makes a difference, but cocktail drums are really fun to play.

How much are these drum kits?

Depending on a few factors, these kits can range from $250.00 to $1300. They are sometimes sold as collector’s items and the value can depend on the model, age, accessories and condition of the drums. Some of the newer sets offer additional toms or cymbal stands, snares, and other additional items. The price may also depend on the type of wood. Variations like 9 9 PLY wooden shells or some are made with birch shells. Some kits offer beautiful lacquer finishes.

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