Evans Hybrid Sensory Perc. Bundle

The Evans Hybrid Sensory Percussion Bundle is a well-designed product for drummers, especially those venturing into sound design and electronic live performances. I purchased it last year from Thomann, and my experience has been both exciting and challenging.

Before buying, I strongly recommend spending time understanding its features and capabilities. There are plenty of tutorials available on the Sensory website and YouTube channel, which can be invaluable for learning.

If you’re serious about sound design and ready to dive deep into the technical side, this product can open up a completely new world of possibilities.

Be prepared for a steep learning curve. It’s an exciting tool but requires dedication to unlock its full potential. For independent drummers like me, it’s a significant investment—both financially and in terms of effort.

Happy drumming!

The whole unit and concept looks very impressive and exciting at first, especially once you watch the various videos and performances online. No doubt the possibilities are endless.
However the moment you get it in your hands you understand that it is not a plug and play unit. Even if you dedicate significant time on it, the constraints and requirements are a bit frustrating.
Personally, I purchased it to be used in a hybrid setup. Unfortunately, I believe that it functions much better as a stand-alone thing.
After more than a year, it got tired but having spent the money and time I hope I find the will to make it usable in the future.

Pros:
-endless possibilities
-very nice Software and presets (this is the true development.. not the hardware)
-many triggering options
-very impressive stock libraries

Cons:
-takes really a lot of time to learn it, let alone master it. When you start implementing your own simple sounds, you will not feel any ecotement at all.
-together with the unit you need to consider that you'll need a new high-end laptop ($$$), maybe the cymbals as well ($$)
-if you dont have one, latency and glitches are something that you need to consider. You can play with compromises (less complex libraries, simple setups with 1-2 sensors) but what is the point?
-in a hybrid setup, especially in relatively fast playing scenarios, the latency will be noticeable
-you need to retain each sensor quite often.. the more zones you need, the more time to spend. Of course you will need to re-train each zone/trigger between live acts.
-the sensors are sensitive to the tuning or detuning of the drums.
-it is very easy to mistrigger another zone. Dont expect accurate triggering when f.e. you have assigned different sounds on the same head.
-the included sounds and libraries, while very impressive, they are not suitable for integration in non-experimental genres.
- personally I didn't like the sensors and tried to use standard triggers but then you cannot simply use the libraries as they are. The latency is lower though.

All in all and while I value the endless possibility thing, it made me realize how much more value, creativity and ease I can get from a simple electronic drum module with standard triggers.

Ich habe schon viel Geld für edrums, brains und trigger ausgegeben. Deshalb war ich sehr skeptisch, schon wieder knapp 1700€ auszugeben. Aber jetzt, als der massive Rabatt von d'addario kam, wollte ich dringend zuschlagen.
Ich bereue nichts, die Trigger und vor allem die Software sind großartig!
Die Trigger sind eigentlich gitarren-pickups, die - anders als standard-trigger - die interferenzen so exakt "spüren", dass bis zu 10 wirklich auch verschieden bespielbare Zonen erkannt werden. Ob ich mit dem Stockschaft oder der -spitze auf dem hoop meiner snare spiele wird klar unterschieden!

Die Software ist ein Maelstrom in den man - wenn man einmal diese unglaubliche Flexibilität erkannt hat - für Stunden hineingezogen wird. Ich habe bislang nicht einmal groß an der Oberfläche gekratzt und will noch viele kreative Stunden geniessen...

Jetzt zu meinem "aber": die verfügbaren soundpacks sind eindeutig für genres wie Jazz, Elektro, Pop oder Ethno gemacht. Ich spiele harte Rockmusik und djentiges, deshalb vermisse ich dunkle, dramatische und "metallige" soundpacks. Muss ich halt selber machen und es soll wohl recht einfach gehen. Bis dahin bin ich noch nicht vorgedrungen, habe aber sehr viel Motivation, mich mit der Entwicklung eigener Siunds zu beschäftigen.

Fazit: tolle Hardware, tolle Software, grenzenlose Möglichkeiten mit einem harten pricetag und für meine Anwendung zu wenige geeignete soundpacks.