Beginnings
The evolution of the Zendrum began in
1986 when David Haney made his first
electronic drumkit from inexpensive
sensors and old drumpad parts, using
some of the first MIDI drum machines
for the sounds. His friend Kim Daniel, a lifelong drummer as well, had begun also
to experiment with "triggering" to make it easier for him to move and play the
drumset and have more control over his volume and sounds. The two began to
discuss how fragile and unfriendly all of the existing drumstick controllers were
but how exciting the palette of electronic sounds was becoming as the 80's
drew to a close.

Inspiration
In 1991 David went to a Bela Fleck and the Flecktones concert and was amazed
at the creativity and virtuosity of "Future Man" Roy Wooten playing his electronic
drum device, the Drumitar. David was still transporting and maintaining a large
electronic drumset and singing from behind it,
so the new concept made too much sense not
to pursue. Inspired to use his knowledge of
MIDI and electronics, David made the first
working prototype of the Zendrum. When he showed it to Kim, who is a master
craftsman and woodcarver, the two friends began to work together and during
the next two years shaped and refined the prototype into a real instrument, the
Zendrum.

Big Break
After a fateful turn of events in 1993 the inventors
received an invitation to show their new instrument to
Peter Gabriel at the final concert of the "US" tour in the
United States. Peter Gabriel and drummer Manu Katche
saw the potential in the Zendrum and asked David and
Kim to make one to take to Asia and Australia, on the
final legs of the "US" world tour. Returning home to
Atlanta Kim and David founded the Zendrum
Corporation. They hired an engineer, Larry Cameron, whose first task was to
develop a MIDI circuit for the Zendrum that would enable Manu to use a MIDI
wireless system and move about the enormous stage with all the other
musicians. In three months' time the first integrated Zendrum MIDI controller
was delivered to Manu Katche in Australia and incorporated into the "US"
concert.

Zendrum Corporation was up and running and orders began to come as word
spread about this new controller. Billy Cobham, Mick Fleetwood, and Earth, Wind
and Fire were some of the first artists to adopt the Zendrum for its visual
possibilities on the concert stage as well as for the unlimited array of sounds it
made available to drummers and percussionists.

Today & Tomorrow
In early 1995, Future Man played percussionist Tom Roady's
Zendrum and his appraisal was, "They got the trigger
velocity happening!" He and his engineer Chris deHaas,
who had developed the Drumitar, joined with Zendrum for a
series of experiments and creative collaborations that
continue to this day.

©2000 Zendrum Corporation