Hybrid drumming is a fusion of a traditional acoustic drum set with the latest digital percussion technology, enabling artists to perform with electronic sounds and processed textures that drive modern music styles. Since 2003, Roland sampling pads and acoustic triggers have revolutionized this style, and they’re regularly used everywhere, from indie gigs to arena stages.
Sound modules like the TD-50X make powerful partners for hybrid drummers, allowing them to trigger digital sounds impossible to play on an acoustic kit alone. Every drummer has a unique story about their approach to blending traditional and electronic elements. Will Hunt of Evanescence discusses his hybrid origins, mentor influences, and the power of hybrid drumming in the studio and on stage.
The Backbeat
Where does your story begin?
“I think drums chose me. I originally wanted to play guitar but didn’t pick it up. On the other hand, when I was five, I put a pair of sticks in my hand, and I could play. The first drummer I got into was Peter Criss. He came from a jazz background, and what he played was really funky and not orthodox rock drumming. He gave his songs this kind of swing to them, this bounce that appealed to me.
A couple of examples would be ‘Firehouse,’ ‘Hotter than Hell,’ and ‘Cold Gin.’ If these songs were played traditionally, they would be kind of plodding. But he made them funky, like the beat in Detroit Rock City, which is not an orthodox drumbeat. I’m not a big jazz guy, but that was the first kind of music I gravitated towards.”
The Mashup
What does hybrid drumming mean to you?
“Hybrid drumming has become a massive part of how I work, write, and perform. It’s completely woven into every fabric of what I do. I have two kits on stage—an acoustic kit that’s mic’d up and triggered and a fully electronic kit that changes sound multiple times throughout the set.”
Mighty Mentor
What have you learned from the artists you’ve played with?
“I’ve learned so much from Tommy Lee. Even before I knew him, I learned from copying his vibe and grooves. Then in 2002, I got to play with him, and we became friends. He was deep into the trigger world. That’s when I really got turned on to hybrid drumming and started embracing it.”
Up and Running
How do Roland instruments shape your hybrid style?
“After I played with Tommy, I went back into my band, Skrape, and then a band called Dark New Day. I couldn’t afford the kind of rig Tommy had. I was playing my drums, but the electronic side of it was Tommy’s. So, I got a Roland TD-6 and an original set of the Roland triggers—the chrome triggers that fit on a kit. I was able to put together a trigger rig without spending a lot. Roland offers a lot of different drum brains. Of course, the TD-50 is the flagship, but you can get an inexpensive Roland module and some triggers, and you’re up and running.”
Start Your Sound Engine
Do you have advice for someone starting out with hybrid drumming?
“Like anything else, you have to learn how to use it. You don’t just pick up drumsticks and start playing. Embrace what you’re doing and have a passion for it. Don’t plug in and go, ‘Oh, it’s not perfect, never mind.’ Work with it. And once you do, it becomes enlightening. When you’re in a room, and you’re writing, hearing your acoustic drums is cool. But when you hear how they might sound in a studio, it’s inspiring.
You can write songs on an acoustic guitar, but if you’re writing heavy rock, that only takes you so far. When you plug it in with the amp, the delays, and all the accouterments, then it becomes another world. And I want to live in that world.”
Hybrid Studio
How do you use your electronic kit in the studio?
“There’s a song called ‘Wasted on You’ off the latest Evanescence record, The Bitter Truth. I was in the studio with my electronic kit, and Amy came in with this piano piece. She didn’t really know where to go with it. She had a verse and the chorus worked out, but it needed to be finessed and turned into Evanescence. So, she started playing the piano groove, and I started playing dollops of samples I had on the electronics. If you listen to it on the record, you probably think it’s a loop. But that’s me. I’m playing with sounds I designed.”
Forward Motion
What keeps you pumped about drumming?
“I’ve never lost that feeling from when I was a kid—that feeling I get when I’m back there playing. Sometimes it wanes a little bit, and I need a break. But through it all, I still love music and creating it.”
