I mentioned recently that percussion amplification systems would appear to be the growth area as far as manufacturers are concerned. The majority of them are exploring the cheapest way to solve this complex problem and endeavouring to cater for the lower/mid end of the market. Trace Elliot however, with a not inconsiderable image and reputation to maintain, are definitely aiming for that discerning drummer who wants the very highest quality, and is prepared to pay for it.

Already through their super-duper bass amplifiers they are servicing the megastars of the four string world. So, in terms of the systems themselves they are experienced enough in handling some of the frequencies prevalent in the sounds produced by an EDK (electronic drum kit). However, we know that electric drum sounds run the whole spectrum from sizzling highs to ultra low with a lot of very percussive middle, and all these tones must be faithfully reproduced by the amplifier and its all-important speaker enclosure. Furthermore, the very word percussion dictates that the system has to cope with transients of vastly different forces. A bass system which by and large has to cope with long low (or high) notes, will not prove to be so successful with the short explosions produced by an electronic bass drum. Likewise an ordinary guitar amplifier is not equipped to deal really well with the middle and high frequencies of the EDK.

The voice of the beast

Obviously a great deal of R&D has preceded the EPAS (Electronic Percussion Amplification System) which I suppose you could say resembles a very customised PA rig. I don't intend to get into any technicalities with my part of the review, I'll leave that to Paul Francis; while I comment on how much it colours your actual drum sound. I must say that using the EPAS really added a lot to the sound of the EDK. It gave the whole set more perspective somehow.

Often with electronic drums the sounds all tend to blur together with a loss of definition. However with Trace Elliot's equipment this was not the case. Because of this definition, the sounds were clearer too and much more stimulating to play. (I would say that even the cheapest drum machine would sound good through ERAS.) I played a set of Ddrums through the system and, courtesy of Killing Joke, several acoustic drums were included in the set-up. They weren't amplified, but to play them at the same time as the electronic drums was most offputting. My next step will be to try real drums through the EPAS. It should make a wonderful monitor system! My only slight criticism is that the two bins of the 400 set up I was working with were just a little bit too low (to the ground) for good player audibility. Perhaps some sort of legs to lay the cabinet back a little would help.

The 400 is the cheapest system, but Trace Elliot also produce an 800 rig with roughly twice the power. It's available as a single bi-amped stack, or stereo with four cabs. For me it has always been a moot point whether or not a drummer needs to have such an omnipresent and sophisticated system on stage to amplify his EDK. After all, it can be argued, if a guy is playing in a successful band he'll have the benefit of a good, strong loud monitor system anyway. (Conversely if he's not making much bread he's unlikely to be able to afford this sort of rig anyway). But, I have to say that now I've played through the EPAS I'm converted. Electronic percussion sounds better through this system than it ever could through even the most sophisticated and expensive onstage monitor system. This is of course because it's tailored for the job. It also gives far more presence and position definition than monitors. It concentrates the sound to one position just like a bass amp does. I had a bass playing friend who just used to plug directly into the PA. It worked OK, the sound was there but the definition was most definitely not; monitor systems tend to spread the sound, and this makes it difficult to pinpoint the course.

The cabinets are not at all lightweight, and I hazard a guess that it would be pretty difficult to cart an EPAS system around in your old Cortina. But, as they say in their brochure, EPAS is not cheap, but if you're serious about sound, Trace Elliot has the answer.

Inside the beast

The 400 system consists of the EPAS 400 stereo amp head (200 watts each side) plus a pair of 1018 cabinets which house 10 and 18 inch drivers and a bullet tweeter.

The requirements for electronic drums mean that there must be extra rigidity in the cone but at the same time the speaker must be able to physically move enough air to reproduce today's electronic drum sounds.

The usable excursion on the 18 inch is 0.6 inch with a maximum excursion of ¾ inch. Both the 18 inch and the 10 inch have a 200 watt handling. The 10 inch is completely sealed off because back pressure from the 18 inch would damage it, and because the bullet is a sealed unit that too is isolated.

The crossover is a passive type, the 10 inch crossing over at 125 Hz and the bullet crossing over at 6 KHz. The frequency range for these hefty cabs is an impressive 35 Hz to 20 KHz which means that from the lowest, deepest kick to the highest, breathiest bit of cymbal-tinsel, the 1018 can more than accommodate. How does it sound? At times like someone had let Billy Cobham loose with an ack-ack gun, but it was always impressive.

Mini PA

Trace Elliot's approach has been to build a system large enough to warrant the description of mini-PA, but is small enough to take its place in the back line where, like every other musician, the drummer can have access to his gear.

The front panel features comprise two jack sockets; two input gain controls; overload indicators for channels A and B; and a mono/stereo selector switch. The cut and boost, low and high frequency equalisation is responsive across the spectrum (see spec). I liked the idea of separately adjustable Eq sliders for each side as this gives the drummer more scope for frequency adjustment in regard to a stereo image, but it would have been nice to have had the facility for 'locking' both Eq 'sides' for easy stereo balancing. Stage volume is set from two rotary controls, again one for each side.

The two XLR DI outputs to the mixer go via an internal isolating transformer and there are two two-way switches for pre and post Eq. There are two pre-amp line outputs for channels A and B and a headphone output for which the speakers may be disconnected.

The front panel controls are rebated into the cabinet about 2 inches deep. There is an attractive ultra-violet light, the controls for which are on the back, and a power-on indicator completes the front panel features.

The back panel functions comprise a mains power on/off switch, a mains fuse — 4amp 200mm — and a mains power input socket. There is a two-speed switch for controlling the fan. The low speed should be used for low noise levels desirable in studios, and the high speed should always be used for stage work. The ultra-violet light has an on/off switch because in some recording situations interference can occur.

There are two XLR speaker outputs for channels A and B that should be connected to an 8 ohm, 200 watt cabinet. Two 5 amp speaker fuses complete the rear panel functions.

Conclusion

Trace Elliott's EPAS 400 system, and its big brother the EPAS 800 (two-way switchable stereo or mono bi-amp), has been built specifically for the electronic drummer. Its power and robustness are equalled by its sensitivity in handling the more colourful percussion presets (breaking glass, etc). Its price pushes it immediately into the top bracket of the market but when considering this in relation to the quality and great tonal response, it can be easily justified.

FOR:
Huge dynamic range
Wide frequency response
Robust but sensitive speakers
Easily accessible front panel controls

AGAINST:
The price

TRACE ELLIOT EPAS 400 SYSTEM — RRP £1,674