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Your name on your bass The proliferation of full-size bass drums in e-kits has presented a blank canvas for self-expression. As Allan Leibowitz reports, e-drummers, like their acoustic counterparts, are now able to personalise their kits with custom bass heads, and mainstream head-maker Evans has launched a product to tap into the need for creativity. EVANS’ NEW “INKED by Evans” programme allows drummers to print a large, colour graphic on bass drumheads with a new high-resolution printing system. There are a few options. Drummers can choose from a range of stock designs and backgrounds or upload their own images. They can also add text, with several fonts and a range of colours and sizes available. For its test, digitalDrummer decided to go all the way. The first step was to access the Inked by Evans website and select the “Build it now” option. There were three choices: Gallery, with a range of textures and images, from big band-style crests to screensaver-like nature images; Showcase, with a number of ready-made designs, from Woodstock artwork to the work of Al McWhite; Custom, where you effectively get a blank slate for your creativity – for an extra US$15. I chose the last option, selected a 20” head (without mic hole – for obvious reasons, and not just to save $5). I uploaded my band’s logo, an octagonal traffic sign 30
with “City Limits” in the middle, and experimented with various sizes. The beauty of the online design process is that you get an instant preview and I soon realised that no matter what size I selected, the traffic sign would look like a sticker – almost an afterthought. So I enlarged the logo until I got a solid red background filling the whole head – which looked really striking. The next step was to add even more personalisation – putting my name on the head. Now some people have names that are just perfect for drumheads, but “Allan Leibowitz” is not one of them, and no matter what font I tried, the name was either too big and dominant or too small to read. So, hard as it was to settle for anonymity, I deleted the name and proceeded to the next step, hitting “I’m done”. The order window asks for your geographic location and depending where you are based, you can select your “regular” Evans dealer – if you have one. Note the message: “Please review your custom drumhead carefully. It will be printed just as it is shown here.” They’re not kidding. No-one at Evans will check your spelling – nor will they make sure the resolution of your image is good enough. This can be an issue for some people, especially those who type faster than they think and those not too familiar www.digitaldrummermag.com