MUSIKMESSE 2015: KAT Percussion haven't been particularly prominent of late, but now owned by Drum Workshop, things are certain to change. The new KAT kt4 electronic drum set is the first indication of that.
Called KAT's 'most advanced digital drum set to date', it's a five-piece kit with white 11 inch, dual-zone drum pads, a new bass drum pad fitted with an 8 inch Mylar head and three-zone cymbal pads. The new three-zone, 12 inch hi-hat pad fits to an acoustic hi-hat stand and a DW3500 stand is included with the kit. Everything mounts to a curved chrome rack is that is fairly basic in design, but is sturdy, functional and good looking.
The module features an array of buttons, most of which are self-explanatory, but the interface doesn't feel quite as slick or sophisticated as some competitors, but with these e-kits the sounds are the most important thing. In the case of the kt4, many of the 700 on-board sounds are high-quality samples of legendary drums, cymbals and percussion. There are 55 pre-programmed kits and 44 user-programmable kits on board.
Kit editing, as well as effects like reverb, decay and EQ lend some customisation to the kit. There are also 120 playlong tracks on board, plus an integrated sequencer for recording and a click track.
Early indications are that this will be a respectable alternative to the usual suspects. Watch this space for a full review.
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