The NEW Pearl DEMON XR // incl. George Kollias Interview and Performance | Drum Gear Review
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- Опубліковано 6 тра 2024
- For quite some time the Demon Drive was Pearl's go to pedal for rock and metal players. Now Pearl has updated their lineup and created the Demon XR in collaboration with legendary metal drummer George Kollias.
We has the pleasure to have him in our studio and ask him all the important questions about this new very special pedal.
00:00 Introduction
00:46 The Specs
03:20 Setup Options
04:54 George Kollias Performance + Interview
06:56 What's Your Opinion?
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#PearlDemonXR
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![George Kollias - drumtalk [episode 38]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/vzj91oLp14c/mqdefault.jpg)
Obviously it resembles something we've seen before....Elements of Axis, Trick and Pearl's Demon Drive. George being a former Axis player and a Pearl endorsee...why not? He know's what he wants and has a tremendous reputation in this realm of drumming that many will follow. Some will call it a ripp off, but it could be a very worthwhile evolution of all things that work.
Exactly! I think he took what made him comfortable with Axis pedals and seen that Pearl needed an upgrade from the demon drive. Personally I’d love to play them and see how they feel. But I’m definitely digging these!
@@slamovgod Right on brother!
Just had a look. The double pedal is around £1050 UK pounds . Not cheap
@@davidmajor5393 it’s basically a CK pedal but mass produced.
Pedals look nice and all but Go Irish!
TAKE MY MONEY
Dont do it, it can't be worth it
And shut up))
Hi!!! i've had the honour of hanging with George and Nile quite a few times now. Super chilled and humble guys. The new pedal looks super amazing and i'll looking to bet myself a set. Great review by the way.
Honestly dig the simplicity of these. The endless amounts of adjustments have definitely been a trap for me on other pedals. This one you’ll like it out of the box, or not. End of story
Funny story... I bought ny Axis pedals in 2004....and it is 2023 and I still use them and have not adjusted a single thing.
Straight from the box... using them for 19 years
So I guess maybe I should try these new pedals too then 😂😂
This is what I didn't like about the ADC because with those you could adjust EVERYTHING...too much
@@lordmarco Totally understand what you mean...but also if those work for you and STILL work for you I wouldn't change! haha.
I STRONGLY suspect a fair amount of people in 2023 don’t know who George Kollias is lolololol
He’s just the MONSTER of all monsters, no worries haha.
C’mon Meme culture, DISCOVER THIS LEGEND ALREADY!!!!
You can actually take the heavy springs from the Demon XR and put it on the Demon Direct Drive longboard and get the same effect... just buy the heavy springs if you already have a Demon Direct Drive and get the same beaters that are on the Demon XR.
demon drive doesn't have a longboard
Waited 10 years for this! A great release for sure. Love the original demon drive but this is a must have.
Amazing! After over 10 Years playing the demon drive I cant wait to expierence this new beast! Hyped!
One of the best features of the Demonator/Demon Drive/XR pedals is the fact all of the elements which compose the pedal are screwed into the base board instead of it being one piece cast or welded to it. That makes the pedal extremely easy to convert and modify. Even the holes present in the base plate are already tapped and are the same, allowing you to convert the double pedal into two singles with no effort or even making it a center pedal by buying an extra Z-Link and a single pedal of the same model.
I like the minimal adjustments im very intrigued to try this out
I like that this seems less complicated. I've never really wanted pedals with loads of adjustments (mainly as I worry I haven't configured it as best as I could, and it maybe adds weight)
I currently use the Eliminator, but I do find it a bit heavy, since I moved from Axis, 3 years ago... I'm thinking these new pedals might feel lighter and more like the Axis (but dare I say, more reliable), so super excited to give them a go!
This is such a massive effort from Pearl, the Demon himself in his domain crafting the tools we've wanted for a long time. Holy shit I'm so excited to get my hands on this thing when it comes out!
At more than $1100, I will never be playing this pedal. Too rich for my blood. I'll stick with my Iron Cobra 900 series anniversary model.
Met George at a Nile show. Super nice guy, he took time to talk and take pictures.
I think I might want these. Currently I have the dw mcd’s and while I like some features, they’ve always felt dainty under my feet no matter what pedal settings or beater type I use.
I play most gigs with a cheap Mapex Tornado pedal, because its lightweight and I take the bus to gigs. I also own a Demon drive pedal, chain drive, it is superb, smooth, solid, really disappears under my foot and means peace of mind for me. This new Demon XR pedal looks like even more of the same of what I love with the Demon pedal, light effortless feel whilst rock solid base that won’t move. Pearl are really coming out with some very cool gear in these latest product launches in 2023.
Tama dyna is much better
Been looking to upgrade from my 20 year old iron cobras....which still play as good as the first day I got them....
Have to try these. Looks more stable and steady than other direct pedals, less things to break i think.
The simplicity of the limited adjustment options can be a good thing for some drummers. I just think it's too simple. Tama's DynaSync direct drive pedals are simple too but offer the ability to simple adjust the link position on the footboard which is really nice to have. I've been primarily using Axis Longboards for many years and I love them. I also have a pair of Tama Speed Corbras which are very different but are also great. I really want to try the Darwin pedals. Those seem to be of outstanding craftsmanship and versatility.
the pedal is ok
But not for the price guys..
It cost like really top tier pedals,the question is not if is good
But only why have that price?!
Im pretty sure that is a really good pedal but totally over priced
I'm buying these 💯
Those pedals are definitely a beast!
i am an ironcobra player but this pedal is beautiful ! she looks very efficient
This guy is a master!
I need to try these
Just got these all I can say best pedals ever. My playing has improved over night lol
Anyone think it might be possible to just purchase the plateboard from the XRs and install em on the regualar demon drives? Intrigued what the price point of these will be. 🥁
It's a useful variation on the demon drive. One of the things that I found odd about the demon drive was the fancy board with that circular chrome part. Looks great, but some people prefer it flat.
i used to screw all these round parts out and just left it with the holes. gave me a great grip
The demon drive just always felt like it was gonna fall apart for me. Like stepping on someone’s mechano project.
I heard different material when you were talking about the red parts of the pedal. I saw a similar material used on the Pearl solo pedals and it was hardened plastic. Are the red parts on the demon dr.axe are made of hardened plastic?
Has anyone tried this thing yet? Is it really only two adjustments? So you can’t adjust footboard height separate from beater angle? I don’t mind simplicity, but that seems a little crazy since footboard height/angle affects different techniques
It doesn't matter if you love these pedals or not, you cant argue its a beautiful piece of engineering and many people will get many years enjoyment, I mean lifetime warranty!! Paid for mine on back order, waiting for them to arrive (hopefully end of this month July).
When I transitioned from my second generation Iron Cobras to the Demon Drives 6 years ago, the first thing I did was take off the goofy beaters they came with and kept using the Iron Cobra beaters. I wanted to minimize the change in feel, and focus on what the change to direct drive would be like. So minus the new footboard on these, I gotta assume the feel will be roughly the same (I also switched to the longboard configuration), but with better components. And I would prefer the flat board as well. The OG Demon Drives are goofy with that silver mirror in the middle.
Plus I like toe stops, and it looks like there are a couple of holes to install them.
And he's right... most of us have gone down the rabbit hole of 1001 adjustments, only to go back to how the pedal came out of the box. Sometimes it's more about practice and less about gear...
Seems straight forward and practical but still very technical in many ways.. Slick surface is a big selling point for me.
It seems such a great pedal, I would like to know if it's strong enough, I meant, the punch depends of the drummer, there is no doubt about it but when the pedal and the beater are too soft, the volume of every hit decreases and as a consequence the attack . I understand that these pedals are made to acquire high speeds but are these pedals versatile enough for other type of metal styles in which sped is important but not they key factor when drumming? I hope they are affordable.....
Awesomeness 🥁
Ordered mine!
Waste of money.
Tama Dyna sync destroys these
what heads are those on kick batter WITH George's Kit?
Hi. Was mr Kollias there to film more content for ArtofDrumming? I loved his previous lessons!
Cheers from Switzerland 🇨🇭
Unfortunately not. We only had time to film this short video about the pedal. And yes: You're right the content he filmed before is amazing. No better guy to show you foot technique etc!
What if you're a lefty? Does this have a double bass left handed variation?
Is there an adjustment for the hoop clamp to move forward/ backward
Or side to side
That looks absolutely fucking sick
The Demon Drive is the best pedal out there imo, I now play a Tama Dyna Sync which is ridiculously smooth and fast but it’s quite massive and my foot gets worn out
can you set up Beater heught and footboard height independently?
It took me a minute in to figure out that this wasn't Pascal playing the double bass.
Maybe we should challenge him to do a Nile recreation :D Might be a few years of practice to get there...
@@ArtOfDrumming Yes Please!
I fell in love now
Guarantee you he can play this music just as easily on any pedal. Practice makes you good.
nah. chains have lag and will always throttle you. smooth face, direct drive, high tension spring, aluminum beater. i have these and they are vicious. every other pedal i’ve used over the years had a ceiling, these are limitless. talent is crucial, but the tech is essential.
I’ve played single chain, double chain (iron cobras and speedcobras), and direct drive. Each pedal has their pros and cons (except for the single chain imo). But when you reach extreme metal levels of endurance and speed, the XR is a specialty piece of equipment that is absolutely not overhyped.
I’ve been playing the same eliminator doubles for almost 20 years, on my main set anyway, I also have a strap drive version and a single. I didn’t mess with the different cams and the cams are the main reason I’m looking for something else. They seem to fall off during heavy playing or shows. I got to try out some DW MDD’s recently, my 1st foray into the direct drive pedals and longer footboards and after I started to get used to them, I was starting to like them. I just can’t see slapping 1300 us down on a set of double pedals though.
Ooooooooooooo 👀
Love my Tricks but I also love the simplicity of this pedal and having a million settings is really counter intuitive I think.
You wanna set and play, not playing around with settings and not actually building that muscle memory and strength.
I'll give it some time to see what everyone is saying about these but would be interested in trying them out!
Its amazing how speed metal drummers work so hard to play fast only to have to work more to buy & rely on more stuff so they can be heard when playing fast. The pedals look cool though & I can't wait to compare them to my current Demon Drives.
I've had my demon drive since 2014
Nah go Tama Dnya sync.
Much better
After playing direct drive for a while, switching back to a chain drive pedal feels like coming home
Another bass drum pedal? How about a matching hi hat stand for the Demon Drive? Every other manufacturer has a matching hi hat stand for their hi end double pedals, but the only one that resembles the Demon Drive is the H930, which isn't even direct drive.
I like my chain demons. I prefer short board and chain. Would like to add these springs tho.
Never tried these pedals but it's gotta be good at that price range maybe? Also I'm not much of a adjustment guy. I mean when it comes to footboard angle I'm good with just adjusting my throne height haha Gotta try these tomorrow.
The more options to choose from the better :)
So its the demon drive with less adjustment options and a heavier spring 🤔 gotcha
Like em!
Interesting to see how Pearl has made changes to and improved the Demon Drive. Artists don't really influence what I play so the fact that George switched from Axis doesn't mean anything to me. I've been using Trick and see no reason to change but if I were in the market for something new I'd at least consider it if it's reasonably priced.
still on my axis longboards so as long as theyre kickin it i wont be changing. I dont really like the simplicity of only having two adjustments to worry about. The axis bothers me sometimes cause it takes a long time to find the sweet spot in settings, and youre always left wondering if it could be adjusted better.
My problem with my demon drives is though it is super smooth, the footboard is very heavy, the beaters sound weak, & the springs easily wear out. I think this version pretty much solves those problems. I can't wait to get my hands on these.
The original demon drives seems to be trying to please everybody & failing miserably. This new version seems more focused & efficient. Love it or hate it.
Does the demon drive have more adjustments than these? Ot is it also just footboard angle coupled to the beater angle?
i will like to see a comparison of olf demon drive and xr pedals
Wow this is sweet looking
What about board-to-beater angle? Can't you adjust that?
No
Agreed. I wish the beater angle and foot board angle were independent adjustments.
Very interesting 🧐
I would buy these in a minute if I could afford it. May have to wait until they start appearing on the used market.
Is there anyone out there that can tell me the length of the board compared to Axis/Trick?
Is it a 500$ version of any axis or demon drive kind?
Looks like a great improvement! love the demons but found the pedalboard small even in long board configuration, this pedalboard looks hideous but functional haha
If the baseplate is from the original Demon, then this footboard must be of the same length
looks like awesome petals but i just want tha beater alone if it's possible to get tha beater alone
Ein solches Pedal wäre mein Traum. Vielleicht kann ich es mir ja in ferner Zukunft irgendwann leisten. Bis dahin
muss ich mich mit meiner Jahrzehnte alten Iron Cobra zufrieden geben 😂😭
George is incredible, of course, but I can't help thinking what he would actually do with Axis A longboards. Been playing them a while now and will never turn back.
When your shaft comes loose buy ACD it's godtier
Lefty double version?
George Kollias’s Personal Idea What He Wanted In A Pedal By Pearl Drums And It Is Sick!!!!
Meh the Dyna sync is better and has more options
I love the simplicity. I’ve had one of those “999 adjustment points” pedals and you can really get lost in the weeds of minutiae.
Pearl (brilliantly) eliminated all that and gave us just what we need.
I’d pick these over the DW Machine Drive pedals because of their light weight and simplicity.
Great job Pearl!
Axis much? What a wonderful time we live in!
Waiting for Necrophagist's new album.
If Pearl can price this pedal such that it is affordable, I think it will be a big hit. It's simple and appears to have all the right design cues to make it affordable and perform effectively.
I highly doubt it will be an affordable option for the average joe, The original demon drives still go for a thousand bucks. That said, Im gonna start putting away a hunder bucks a month and save up for these sweet ass pedals.
@@CorridorOfChameleons94 It's your money to spend as you wish...but the Axis double pedals are better designed and more capable than this new Pearl pedal...and sell brand new for $750. Pearl needs to price their gear appropriately.
@@crazy8sdrums thats a valid point.
$435 single, $985 double.
@@JasondeGraaf $1129 for double, 499 for Single
I have been playing the Demon Drives since their introduction and I don’t really play extreme metal, so I don’t know if I need to switch. I don’t really feel like the pedal is holding me back from playing anything I’d want to play. Again, extreme metal speed is not really something I am after. I can see this being a worthy investment for primarily extreme metal players, though.
Its looks to have nothing of note over the demon drive (which i own, but am now using a sonor giant step as i prefer it round /strap cam feels), and it's lost the longboard to short board conversion heel plate. I dont really think there are any improvement to be made to pedals these days.
Some one make a comparison of these to the trick pedals
No kidding, That IS one hell of a spring for the pedal. I normally prefer chain driven instead of direct drive because there isn't enough tension or "feel" in direct drive pedals. This may actually change that for this pedal. Yeah really digging that pedal. Looks simple yet very functional. Just Not sure about the smooth foot board.
Ok, but what is the song he was playing?
Nile - Vile Neolithic rites
KA Drums Made Brasil The Best Pedal Drums !!!!
This looks less complicated than the axis pedal! I love to try this pedal out for sure
Sweet. How much? $750?
Yes, but in the other universe.
Hey maybe now Austin Archey can play all those notes now 😂😂😂
George has good taste in hats
he does 🤓.
Honestly if upgrading from a demon drive, you might aswell go czarcie.
We'll see. There mine
I've got a stack of Demon drive chain drives a mile high all worn out from gigging so much. IDK man. I'm afraid to switch. Because I'm an old fat guy now 😅
Gina Hoagland uses old-school Camcos single chain
For geeks is Trick Pro 1 V, for newbies Dominator(less adjustments and premium quality). No reason to buy pricey Demon XR, guys it has almost the same price as new Pro 1-V. I have never ever experienced a better pedal. Milion reasons why, but when I see design of new pedals I have to mention the springs. Trick has best springs and easiest way to adjust them. Easiest way to relax the springs after playing. On most pedals are springs stressed out 24/7 that is nonsense - constantly changing the power in time.
I do not know anyone who experienced Trick and looked back on something like that. If you are easy guy, just play default setting and release a bit tension of the spring. No need to fight with adjustment for ages. It is like a knive vs. Swiss knife, its still a knife and you need to cut something.
😎👍💓🇵🇱 🥁Czarcie Kopyto!!!
I'll stick to the BEST thank you.
Seems to me like a Pro1v with less features for more money. Pearl does make nice stuff though
Is it me or these are basically Pearl Tricks with an extension instead of compression spring? I hope pricewise they are not tricks, though...
Basically the frame is the demon drive, the post even has the markers for the beater adjustment, they just changed the beater and its holder and the holder for the direct drive to maschined aluminum, the spring is heavier and they’ve got a new footboard (maybe the geometry of the drifeshaft changed as well). Sadly you cant convert the double pedal into two singles anymore.
In Europe on the Thomann webside the double pedal is about 1.090€ (the demon drive are 940€)
So you get less features, modern/new parts and apparently a different feeling
thomann lists the double at 985 lol
As someone who loves to play barefooted, i just have to check that bad boy out!😄
Adjustability is something that I think is overkill on modern pedals. I played a Ludwig Speed King for over 30 years, and you can't adjust anything except the tension. That was never a problem for me. I actually went back to the newer updated model several years ago and couldn't be happier.
Here is how I look at much of this. I think we are focusing on the wrong thing. While it certainly can make some differences, the pedal isn't the thing that matters the most. Practicing and developing your technique will always be more important. Mr. Kollias has clearly put in the hours, and I think he could do this on nearly any pedal to be honest. I think a lot of drummers, especially younger ones think, oh if I get this pedal, it will make me play faster etc. Nope. Only your effort and dedication to practice will do that.
I have played nearly every pedal that has been out simply because I wanted to know how they felt. Demon drives for me, have always felt way too light and lacking in power. One of the great things about that Speed King is the throw is like a sledgehammer. Of course, with great technique you can use it for anything..and I did. But when I want to feel that pedal go into the head, many of the more modern pedals just don't have the thrust behind them. The Eliminators from Pearl are more similar to the speed king in that they have some weight behind them. The Tama pedals, also feel too lightweight. I have never been a fan of DW pedals. Just think they are clunky and overrated.
I am also not a fan of these newer beaters. I am very old school. A round, hard felt beater has never let me down and I think it is a more natural and rounder note. Not a dot on a pin head. Now, for the kind of things that Mr. Kollias is playing, the cleaner the better and that probably works best for his style of music. But for 99% of the music, I have played in my 50 years of drumming, the old school round beater works perfectly. It also has more balanced weight to it as well. When the beater head is so light you can barely feel it, that is when I lose touch with my pedal.
The Speed King was also a direct drive pedal. So that idea has been around for a VERY long time. No one else seemed to get that. Also, and here is the most important thing about that Speed King. TWO springs and upside down. The amount of pull back after the stroke is glorious. No, the beater doesn't swing back and forth...not remotely but when engaged while being played, it's heavenly.
Anyway, this isn't the kind of pedal I would be remotely interested in, but I can see how it might be useful for a very specific type of player or music.
Why "Demon" of all choices of names?
Cos it's fast as hell?
Is this one going to cost $1,000 too?
that's one beefy spring
Ill stick with my DW9002 pedal. Never lets me down.
slow and clunky chain drive. but if it works for your style that’s all that matters!
DW are overpriced garbage
this pedal looks so smooth on the surface that it appears to be slippery and therefore unstable.