Hyper-Bass electronic drum pedal

You say your kick lacks, well, kick? The new Hyper-Bass electronic drum pedal might just be the thump you need.

Drummers are an odd lot, always searching for ways to give their two-and-four the feel of a real 2 x 4. The Hyper-Bass electronic drum pedal is the latest entry in the how-can-we-reinvent-the-wheel? sweepstakes, and it's something of a unique concept: an electronic pedal controller equipped with two triggers, one for the downstroke and one for the upstroke. Essentially, this can mean rapid, multiple beats with little or no additional effort or foot speed on the part of the drummer. Whether you're a blast-beat addict or a jazz groover, the Hyper-Bass pedal could add new colour and bounce to your music.

At first, you'll think it looks like a drum pedal married to a stun gun -- and, in a sense, it is. While the one-piece pedal board is spring operated, there are no gears or mechanisms for a beater to strike a drumhead. Instead, the toe-end of the pedal board moves between two metal blocks, each of which is outfitted with piezo-style triggers that connect to a 1/4" mono jack. Connect each jack to a trigger input of an electronic drum brain and you're in business. And what's best is that you can calibrate each trigger to your own touch. If your downstroke is a monster but your upstroke is a butterfly, no problem -- just adjust the sensitivity of each trigger on your electronic brain.

A radical approach? Perhaps. But with a little practice and tinkering, you might find the Hyper-Bass pedal to be just the thing to get your inner Lars Ulrich riding the lightning. And with a list price of $179.99 US, it's priced for most players.