Drums are awesome; there’re few things as satisfying as making sounds by thumping something with a stick — even if that stick is virtual. Now, for a buck, the iPhone can be turned into a virtual museum of virtual drums, thanks to Vintage Drum by developer OutOfTheBit.
Nine drum kits are available to choose from, each with its own unique signature sound, including Roland’s ubiquitous TR-808/909, and its vaunted R8. Actually, most of the app’s drum kits are Roland models, but perhaps — and I could very well be wrong here, I’m not a musician — that has more to do with the drum maker’s dominance during the heyday of electronic drum kits rather than any failing of the developer.
Are the kits reproduced authentically? I have no idea, I’ve never actually used any of the real kits. But they sure sound cool. There are also options to record and save and playback tracks, and a mixer to fine-tune each kit.
If carrying around a bunch of classic drum kits in your pocket sounds good to you, get it now — Vintage Drum will triple in price (to $3) in a week, says OutOfTheBit. Or check out the free version, which drops the mixer and forces you to deal with reverb. Which really isn’t so bad.
Verdict: 4/5 – Rock on!
