Say it with style... say it with DrumPants

Enter the percussive world of odbol, AKA Tyler Freeman, AKA the man behind DrumPants. Imagine a pair of slacks, now picture those slacks being laced with Piezo transducer triggers which receive audio that becomes MIDI data (similar to how traditional drum triggers function). Now, imagine those triggers being hooked into a brain of some type, say... a drum machine. Are you getting the picture yet? DrumPants! Yes, now tapping on your legs will produce more than just the dull "thwack" of struck flesh -- it will create a symphony of percussion rivaled only by Neil Peart (and maybe Jon Theodore). Actually, odbol's design isn't really that revolutionary, since it's kind of like sticking regular triggers in your pockets, and frankly, as much as we'd like to be complimentary to the little dude, he ain't that great of a drummer. Still, kudos for the effort, and when he comes up with the sub-derma triggers, we're all ears. Check the video after the break to see Tyler rocking the trap kit.

[Via Fresh Creation]

[Meltz; @ Sep 7th 2007 9:52AM]

Hey you guys forgot to mention Buddy Rich!!

[Jaylati @ Sep 7th 2007 9:53AM]

Wow...

[Meltz; @ Sep 7th 2007 9:54AM]

Ooooh, ouch. I just watched the vid. You're right, it hurts to watch this guy!

[Once Optical @ Sep 7th 2007 9:55AM]

Hmmm... kinda clever idea, but notice he doesn't get too many tips. I think I would have done this in the privacy of my own home if I had his less-than-mad skillz.

[Meltz; @ Sep 7th 2007 9:55AM]

Yeah, and this guy pretty much sucks at drumming. It hurts!

[eric @ Sep 7th 2007 10:05AM]

I'm OK with his skills since what he built looks fun as hell. Plus, I've heard way worse and I'm sure the response from your pant leg isn't exactly the same as a stick coming off a drum head. Regardless, I know exactly what I should be doing with my TD-8 brain this weekend.

[Nick @ Sep 7th 2007 11:59AM]

i think part of the problem is that the drum trigger sensitivity needs to be be tweeked. He's playin 16th notes at times and the trigger doesn't sense or drops notes so that what you hear isnt fully what hes playin. Technology aside, his sense of rhythm and coordination need a lil bit of tweeking too.

Side Note: I play drums on my knee/desk/steering wheel of car and if you are even semi-good you can be on beat. I think there is no need to be making excuses for him about the bounce back of the stick from the drum head.

[The Mighty Boosh @ Sep 7th 2007 10:10AM]

I remember a guy doing this in an episode of "The Young Ones", oh, about a million years ago. I think the drum machine was hooked up to two cavemen rubbing sticks together.

[DjOverEZ @ Sep 7th 2007 10:17AM]

Say it with Virgin-for-Life Pants.

[Jason Power @ Sep 7th 2007 10:22AM]

great for those long boring meetings, as long as you can use headphones too

[S4Rs @ Sep 7th 2007 10:24AM]

This is the most awesome thing ever

[VJH @ Sep 7th 2007 10:32AM]

Everything old is new again...Mick Fleetwood has a rig like this about 25 years ago.

[Damian @ Sep 7th 2007 10:52AM]

Dang. Beat me to it. I remember watching that concert where he stood center staged hitting the pads he was wearing all over his body.
Kinda cool, yet not.

[Rachael @ Sep 7th 2007 12:15PM]

I too saw Mick Fleetwood using a rig in his "costume" during Fleetwood Mac's reunion tour about a decade ago. He had one on his groin that triggered the sound of a woman moaning. I was 16 and attending the concert with my mother... and mortified.

[Nando @ Sep 7th 2007 10:35AM]

I didn't know Clay Aiken also played drums...err...legs.

[Henry @ Sep 7th 2007 10:54AM]

Now I can finally play that Gene Hogland riff!

[troyison @ Sep 7th 2007 11:04AM]

Dork. Dorkasaurus-Rex. King of the Dorks. On a scale of 1 to 10 of Dorkiness: 11. All dorks bow down to your leader.

[601210 @ Sep 7th 2007 11:14AM]

He has no beat...

[Nick @ Sep 7th 2007 11:52AM]

He has no ______. (see below terms to fill in blank)

http://dictionary.reference.com/search?r=2&q=rhythm

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/coordination

[Steve Jobs @ Sep 7th 2007 11:17AM]

You're all right, hes not that good, but he's not the worst I've ever heard. If you're looking to give out the 'Worst Drummer Ever' award it should go to me since I'm the most rythmless man on the planet. I had a friend in college that had a big djembe (bongo style), and after I messed around with it for a few minutes he took it away claiming I was the worst drummer ever and told me not to touch it again.

[aaronbareford @ Sep 7th 2007 11:24AM]

Prolonged use may result in saw legs...

[Zachary Bowen @ Sep 7th 2007 12:14PM]

hey, John Bonham of Led Zeppelin rocks Neil Peart's socks.

[Damian @ Sep 7th 2007 2:39PM]

He does?
How, from beyond his twenty plus year old grave?

[Bengersfood @ Sep 7th 2007 12:58PM]

Just to chime in with the "who did what first" thread - no one's mentioned Laurie Anderson doing this. Sometime in the early 80s I think.

[o0adam0o @ Sep 7th 2007 1:49PM]

No friggin way! i want!!!!

[Zachary Bowen @ Sep 7th 2007 6:18PM]

that doesn't bother him, I am sure

[Golferal @ Sep 7th 2007 3:13PM]

Speaking as a drummer, this would would certainly cut down on my set up and tear down time. I dream of just walking into a gig with my, ahem, stylish pants and telling the sound guy "Look, just give me a direct box and a line into the snake and I'm good!". The look would be worth the cost of the pants alone!

PS: Do these come in other colors?

[acain @ Sep 7th 2007 4:15PM]

Cool. About 15 years ago I saw a few shows of a band called
"No Imagination" that had two guys: one on guitar & vocals
and the other on... yes, drum pants! The latter had trigger
pads in his trousers, under his feet, in his baseball cap
and on a music stand in front of him. He used real drumsticks,
realistic drum sounds (with some Alesis drum brain?) and was
a swell drummer to boot. The guitarist... meh.

They did a few shows around the Midwest. I remember once during
soundcheck the trigger wiring got flakey, and the guitar dude
yelled "Drop your trousers, I'll be right there with the soldering gun!" I think they went on to cut an album before becoming
a Pork Snorkel tribute band.

[shirsh @ Sep 7th 2007 7:23PM]

Couldn't he use sticks instead of his hands and have a lot more control?

[dxtrinc @ Sep 7th 2007 8:41PM]

speaking as a drummer and a musician.........i want to vomit

not even at his playing but the fact that someone has put an art form like drumming into a pair of pants????

1) JoJo Mayer owns Neil Peart and John Bonham (not that they aren't amazing drummers). 1) John ripped most of his drumming techniques off of Carmine Appice, who basically invented rock drumming....

[Xzavier @ Sep 7th 2007 9:40PM]

Not bad, it's sorta cool, I'll give him credit!

Now you know what I would PAY good money to see!

That guy forgetting that he is wearing those pants and he has to take a flight to somewhere.

I can see the security guard checking him with a hand held metal detector. Every time the metal detector swipes over a different instrument it makes a different sound!

That security guard is going to be like... What the F**K! This guy is definitely WIRED!

:D

[tony @ Sep 8th 2007 2:13PM]

so jon theodore's amazing, but TMV suck? you guys are way inconsistent sometimes.

[Drummyone @ Sep 12th 2007 11:10PM]

Where can I get a pair of pants like that for myself, seriously... or would I have to have them made by some who knows triggers and such? Drummyone