Modern Drummer Review!


Kitano Titanium And Aluminum Snare Drums
"Pipe Dreams Can Come True!"


管楽器の理想・夢が実現できる。

From Modern Drummer Magazine, May 2003, used by permission

HITS
  • outstanding sound quality
  • stunning finish
  • great range of applications
長所
  • 際立った音質
  • 凄く美しいフィニッシュ
  • ジャンルが非常に広い
by Chap Ostrander

In 1964 Kitano Manufacturing began making industrial stainless-steel containers. Their success with stainless steel led them to explore the use of titanium for their applications. They turned their attention to drum manufacturing in the mid-1980s, and released their first titanium drum in 1989. It ommediately met with great reponse from Japanese drummers.
The Kitano line now include 280 different drums, with shells made from titanium, aluminum, stainless steel, brass, and other metals. (The company also accepts orders for custom sizes.) For this review we sent 61/2×12 and 61/2×14 titanium drums, and a 51/2×14 aluminum model.

◆ Common Featurs

Trait common to all the Kitano snares include the power and sensitivity they posses. During the testing process, I had the opportunity to try the drums in a variety of performance situations. Whether I played jazz, hard rock, pop, or classical music, they exhibited clear snare response and clean, cutting rim clicks.

In a rock setting, I was able to stretch out and really lay into the drums. The voices that came through were so powerful that I had to be careful not to overplay. The titanium drums came fitted with titanium shells, hoops, lugs, washers, and snare cables. The tension rods on all three drums were made of brass. The aluminum drum came with brass lugs and tension rods.

Kitanoスネア全ての特徴としてパワーと繊細さがあります。様々なシチュエーションを試しました。ジャズ・ハードロック・ポップスやクラシックであろうとどんなジャンルでも、クリアーなレスポンス・クリーンでキレ味の良いリムショット。さらにロックセッティングでは、パワフルな音色で、ノリノリ気分で本当に時間を忘れるくらいドラムの演奏に没頭できました。

◆ Titanium Snares

The 61/2×14 titanium snare was awesome in its ability to speak clearly within any playing context. I tried it in a large hall, and it cut with great presence. It seems that the nature of a titanium drum with matching hoops is that you can play "into" it rather than on it. I certainly felt that. The drum spoke effortlessly, and with great warmth. This is a surprise for a metal shell drum, but you get used to it quickly.
61/2×14 Titanium Snare Drum

明らかにあらゆるプレイスタイルに対して表現力がずば抜けていました。大ホールほど、その威力を発揮します。チタンドラムとチタンフープが絶妙にマッチしていました。すごく暖かみがあり、演奏が楽でした。これはメタルシェルドラムにとっては驚きです。その意味がすぐにわかりますよ。

The 61/2×12 titanium snare was a big surprise. Its size gave the voice a high character, but there was much more to it. I used the drum in a solo concert setting where a high, delicate voice was approprite, and it worked wonderfully. But later in the gig I used it in a drumset piece, where I had the chance to lay into it a bit. I was stunned by its abitity to cut and keep up with the kit and the other amplified instruments. This was due to its 3mm shell, which gives it an edgy sound with a very quick voice.
61/2×12 Titanium Snare Drum

このチタンスネアにも非常に驚きました。このサイズからは想像も出来ないすばらしい音色をしていました。ソロコンサートで使用しましたが、高域の繊細な音色は最高だった。すばらしい演奏が出来ました。後ほどセットとして使用しても何の違和感もありませんでした。他の楽器を増幅しなければならないほど大きな音色がしていました。立ち上がりがとても早く、エッジの効いたサウンドをしておりました。

◆ Aluminum Snare
The 51/2×14 aluminum snare was also a surprise. I have worked with aluminum drums before, and my impression was that they were not too lively. This drum turned that impression completely around. It had lots of life and snap, with a hint of aluminum's characteristic dryness. I used the drum for the run of a show on which most of the music was performed with brushes. I used my standard snare for the first rehearsal, and then brought in Kitano for the second one. After the first number with the new snare, the sound man came up to the front of the stage and asked, "What's the drum?" When I told him what I was using, he just smiled this great smile of satisfaction and returned to his station.
51/2×14 Aluminum Snare Drum

このアルミスネアにも驚きました。”アルミスネアの印象”は今一つでしたが、Kitanoアルミ合金スネアで、そのイメージが完全に変わりました。アルミ特有のドライさと強力なパワーを兼ね備えておりました。あるショーでのお話です。最初のリハーサルで自分のスネアを使用し、次にKitanoアルミ合金スネアを使用しました。最初の演奏が終了した後、
PA(エンジニア)がステージの前にやってきて、「一体これはどんなドラムだ?」と尋ねました。Kitanoのアルミ合金スネアだと返事をすると、非常に満足した笑みを浮かべて元の持ち場に戻って行きました。

◆ Construction Quality

I removed the top head from the 14" titanium snare to check out the shell. The finish inside was as beautiful as the outside. It was entirely smooth, as was the bearing edge. The lugs on the two titanium drums are fashioned from solid titanium threaded for the tension rods. The design is the same for brass lugs on the aluminum snare. This suggests that the tension rods could strip if you tired to assemble it quickly. However I'd think that with drums like these you would not rush to work on them. Kitamo states that they utilize brass tension rods to take advantage of brass's sound conductivity. The washers are made of titanium so that they won't detune easily or cause muffling.

◆ Jumping Through Hoops

While I had the titanium hoop off, I tried using it to replace the die-cast hoop on one of my concert snares. I did this on response to a section of Kitano's web site that talks about the effect of their titanium hoops. They sat that the density and elastically of the titanium helps it to complement the sound of any snare. It also allows for precision turing with a wide range. The extremely ligjtweight hoops are said to produce higher tones and greater crispness while reducing physical stress on the player. In my case, I heard a significant difference in the sound od my drum. It was much livelier and more responsive. There was greater body and a define increase in playability. So I'd have to think that the addition of Kitano titanium hoop would be a serious upgrade to any drum.
That being said, I need to add one proviso: Most Kitano hoops feature a sort of double-wide design. As a result, They expand the outside diameter od a 14" drum to 16". I had a problem fitting such a drum onto one of my standard snare stand. Kitano recommends the use of the Pearl S-2000 stand, because the arms of its snare basket are adjustable, allowing the stand to accomodate a drum up to 16" in diameter. Gene Okamoto of Pearl was kind enough to provide an S-2000 for my use, and it served the purpose admirable. There may be other stands on the market that will also accomodate a Kitano drum; just be sure to look into this before you purchase a drum.
◆ Conclusion

Kitano figures that they can leave the manufacture of wood drums to those companies that specialize in wood. Their strength lies in their experience with producing metal shells. i have to say that thesr products support that philodophy. The drums that I exmined sounded amazing and were beautifully finished. Such high-technology drums don't come cheap. But those who can afford what Kitano offers will be well satisfied.


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