NAMM Drums and Percussion

NAMM 2020: Drums and Percussion (Rumors and Early Releases)

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Winter NAMM 2020 is over for now. Check back in summer for more of the latest new gear!

It’s that time of year again. 

Winter NAMM 2020 is just around the corner finally here. For those unfamiliar, NAMM (the National Association of Music Merchants) is happening January 16-19 in Anaheim, CA at the Anaheim Convention Center.

The NAMM convention is famous for new product releases, from both prominent and new vendors. While there are tons of different products and vendors slated of all instruments, I’ll be focusing on, you guessed it, drums and percussion.

In addition to gear announcements, plenty of performers are slated to perform at NAMM over the course of the event.

The Kickblock Booth at NAMM

Drum Releases Announced for Winter NAMM 2020

Disclaimer: Links throughout the article are affiliated with Sweetwater. If you click and make a purchase, we will receive a commission.

Here are some tweets from the event so far:

The announcement of the TD-27KV is one of the coolest announcements we’ve gotten so far from NAMM 2020.

DW’s new finish looks awesome!

Pearl also has quite a few new products to show off including new hardware, percussion, accessories, and the new Eliminator Solo pedal.

Tama is introducing a new flat black finish for their SLP Dynamic Kapur shells.

Yamaha’s new Stage Custom HIP is great for gigging drummers who need a smaller footprint when lugging drums around the city.

Yamaha also announced a new signature snare drum from legendary drummer Steve Gadd.

Here is an interesting one. Vox unveiled the Telstar, a re-imagining of Trixon’s smushed bass drum kit. I can’t say it’s practical, but it’s definitely unique.

Be sure to bookmark this page, as I’ll be updating it as NAMM begins with every exciting release I find.

Where To Buy The Latest Releases From NAMM 2020?

As I’ve stated in the past, I love working with Sweetwater. They’re by far the best musical instrument retailer in the USA.

I am affiliated with them, but only because I love the experience and how positive my time has been over the last ten years.

Sweetwater is one of few retailers who get gear from NAMM early, so be sure to check out what’s in stock there.

Now, let’s dive into some of the early releases from NAMM 2020 I’ve found.

What’s Released/On Sale?

So far, I’ve compiled the list below of some of my favorite releases from NAMM 2020.

  • Roland TD-27KV
  • Roland VAD506
  • Gretsch Drums Renown 4-Piece Shell Pack
  • Yamaha Stage Custom Hip 4-Piece
NAMM 2020 Kickblock Booth

A product not released exclusively this year, but one that’s awesome nonetheless, is Kickblock. It aids in stopping your kick drum from sliding forward.

TAMA

TAMA is coming in early for NAMM 2020 with tons of different kits, accessories, and more.

Tama Starclassic Walnut/Birch – Turquoise Pearl

There’s a lot that Tama offers so far this year, but the kit above really struck my eye. I absolutely love the finish.

Here are some of the other early releases from Tama so far.

  • Tama Drum Rug
  • Tama STAR Mahogany 5-Piece Shell Pack
  • Tama Dyna-Sync Hi-hat Stand
  • Tama Closed Hi-hat attachment
  • Tama Power Pad Pedal Bag
  • Tama Metalworks Effect Series Mini-Tymp Drums (8″, 10″)
  • Tama Starclassic — Varying New Finishes
  • Tama Soft Sound Rings (10″, 12″, 14″, 16″)

I’m most excited about the Metalworks Effect Series. These drums remind me of concert toms we saw prominently in the 70s and 80s.

Their new drum rugs also look great when compared to everything else available on the market.

Tama also has dropped a whole boatload of different shell finishes for their varying kit models, so check them out at Sweetwater to see what they’re offering.

Zildjian

Zildjian, being one of the most prominent names in cymbal making, always has a big NAMM showing. This year, we have a few early releases.

Zildjian I Family Cymbals

Zildjian I Family Cymbal Pack

So far, they’ve announced a new series of cymbals called “I Family,” which is one step up from B8 cymbals, according to Zildjian. It’s an intermediate cymbal family.

The I Family of cymbals is one step down from the S series, for those curious.

There are lots of different packs of varying cymbals to choose from if you don’t want to get them separately.

Roland

I’ve speculated in the past that it’s time for Roland to drop a new sampling pad, and maybe we will see that this year. 

Roland unveiled a total of four new electronic drum sets this year.

Roland TD-27KV

Roland TD-27KV Electronic Drum Kit

The TD-27KV is one of my favorite releases this year. It’s an upgrade of the old TD-25KV kit featuring a new module, bigger pads, and an awesome digital ride.

Roland VAD506, VAD503, and VAD306

Roland VAD506 Kit
View at Sweetwater

New from NAMM this year is Roland’s new set electronic drums featuring an acoustic design — hence the name V-Drums Acoustic Design. The module used is the brand new TD-27.

Stands and hardware are not included.

I think it looks pretty nice, but I’m not so sure that I’m huge on the drum sounds included in the module.

Coming in right near $5k, I would almost opt to pay a little more for the TD-50 omitting the acoustic drum shells.

Roland GO:LIVECAST

The most prominent early release so far from Roland is their GO:LIVECAST streaming studio. I’ve said in the past that live streaming is hugely popular. 

Building a community of fans is a great way to earn a living with music. Live streaming your drumming is an excellent way to do it.

My Predictions for Roland Releases

So far, there’s been nothing released early for drums and percussion from Roland, but I have a reasonable suspicion that we will see a new TD electronic drum set drop at NAMM 2020. Yep, it happened!

As I stated above, I’m hoping for a new sampling pad. My SPD-SX still works fine, but with new products out like the Strike Multipad, it would make a lot of sense for Roland to update their pad.

Canopus and ATV Partner

Electronic drum maker ATV and acoustic kit maker Canopus this year announced a partnership “to create more realistic drum sounds.”

The two companies will unveil their new sounds at NAMM 2020. Read the press release here. ATV is exhibiting in HALL C booth #6629.

The additional sounds will be available to buy on ATV’s online website following NAMM.

More To Come

Keep this blog post on your radar. Feel free to bookmark and share it. I’ll be updating the article as NAMM continues, sharing all the latest drum gear released at the convention.

If you’re a vendor or a manufacturer and want to see your products on this page, please contact me. I love sharing new and innovative products with the drumming community.

Photo credit: Psychlist1972 on Visual Hunt / CC BY
Other images throughout courtesy of Sweetwater, Tama, and Roland.

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