page_title: Simmons (electronic drum company)
section_title: More models
hierarchical_section_title: Simmons (electronic drum company) / More models
caption_attribution_description: Simmons Electronic Drum modules top to bottom, left to right Simmons MTM - 8 channel midi-trigger-midi converter Simmons SDS 7 - Modular sample player with analog filters Tama Techstar TS305 Simmons SDS 800 - 4 channel analog synthesizer Shawn Rudiman's Studio, Pittsburgh, PA
context_page_description: Simmons is an electronic drum brand, which originally was a pioneering British manufacturer of electronic drums. Founded in 1978 by Dave Simmons, it supplied electronic kits from 1980 to 1994. The drums' distinctive, electronic sound can be found on countless albums from the 1980s. The company closed in 1999 and the Simmons name is currently owned by Guitar Center.
  The SDS 5 was developed in conjunction with Richard James Burgess of Landscape and released in 1981. The first recordings of the instrument were made by Burgess, on From the Tea-rooms of Mars ...., "Chant No. 1" by Spandau Ballet, and "Angel Face" by Shock. After Burgess and Spandau Ballet appeared on Top of the Pops with the instrument, many other musicians began to use the new technology, including the following: A Flock of Seagulls Howard Jones, Jez Strode of Kajagoogoo, John Keeble of Spandau Ballet, Roger Taylor of Duran Duran, Darren Costin of Wang Chung, Steve Negus of Saga, Bobby Z., Rick Allen of Def Leppard, Thomas Dolby, Prince, Phil Collins, Neil Peart, Bill Bruford, Talk Talk, Cameo, Jonzun Crew, Depeche Mode, and Vangelis.
context_section_description: During the lifetime of the SDS-V, Simmons also produced a compact trigger unit about the size of a suitcase, containing seven small pads. Used in conjunction with the SDS-V brain, this allowed players to add Simmons sounds to an existing acoustic kit without incorporating a set of full-size pads. This unit was used extensively by New Order at the time.
  Also available at the same time was the SDS-6 drum sequencer, used to great effect by artists such as Howard Jones.
  Following the success of the SDS-V, Simmons expanded their range in 1983, replacing the V with another modular rack-based brain called the SDS-7, which features digital sampling sounds on EPROM for the first time, expandable up to twelve modules, and redesigned pads, featuring a skin of rubber to make playing a little easier. The unit uses 8-bit samples and a programmable memory, but is prone to malfunctioning and loss of memory, making it unpopular in a live context.
  The same year, they also produced the cheaper analog-only SDS-8, which featured a single, non-expandable desktop-style brain with one unalterable factory preset and one custom user preset for each channel. The SDS-8 kit was supplied with four tom pads and a bass pad, using similar hardware to the earlier SDS-V, but in a more budget style, such as using jack leads instead of XLR connectors. The sounds were similar to the SDS-V, but, to the discerning ear, not up to the same quality. However, the kit has remained a popular alternative to the SDS-V for those seeking analogue Simmons sounds.
  Also available at the time were a number of smaller devices, such as an SDS-EPB E-PROM Blower to write samples onto the chips, a Digital ClapTrap unit, which is a digital clap sound device, a sound very popular in 1980s music.
  Simmons began to expand their product line with smaller kits and pads, including the SDS-1, which was a single pad with a built-in EPROM reader for playing a single drum sound sample, and the all-analog SDS-200 (2 tom system), SDS-400 (4 tom system), and SDS-800 (bass, snare, and 2 tom system). These products were aimed at acoustic drummers who wanted to add a couple of Simmons pads to their kit on a budget. Some of these products also feature the run generator, which allows drummers to play a descending drum roll with a single pad hit.
  In 1985, Simmons introduced the SDS-9, a hybrid digital/analog brain with three changeable EEPROM channels (kick, snare, and rim) and analog-synthesized toms. It also featured 40 presets (20 factory and 20 user-programmable) and a built-in digital delay. This kit was yet another well received product for Simmons as it combines realistic sounds in an inexpensive, compact brain. Following customer feedback, Simmons also produced a new series of drum pads using "floating" drum heads and changeable shells. The snare drum had an extra trigger for the rim. Again, this improved the playability of the kit.
  Another brain was introduced in 1986 called the SDS-1000, and was, in effect, the same sounds as the SDS-9 (without the ability to change the EPROMS) in a slim 1U, MIDI-enabled, rack mountable unit. The snare sounds, however, are more realistic and clear than the SDS-9. The SDS-1000 also includes a "second skin" feature, which simulates the sound of dual-headed drums.
caption: Simmons models:  MTM: 8 ch MIDI-Trigger ConverterSDS 7: Modular sample player
       with analog filters(Tama Techstar TS305)SDS 800: 4 ch analog drum synthesizer : (bottom right)
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