Concept [ CANOPUS USA ]

CORPORATE INFO

Shell construction. shell material and edge shaping are 3 key factors that determine drum sound. All drum manufacturers in Japan and around the world have been conducting research on these 3 factors. CANOPUS is taking its research one step farther than the others with the policy that we will seek to achieve the best sound drums can offer.

Reproduction of the Recorded Sound with Acoustic Drums

At Canopus. our optimum outcome in drum manufacturing is to reproduce the recorded sound with the acoustic drums we manufacture. All drummers have experienced the disparity between the sound of a real drum-set and the recorded sound. In the recording studio. many devices are used such as muffling. microphones with special properties. supplemented and reduced overtone elements by equalizers and other sound manipulating devices such as gate-reverb and limiters.

We assigned the role of muffling to edge shaping. Generally. muffling is implemented to adjust overtone and make the entire drum sound more coordinated. When muffling is used. at least some of the natural vibration of the drum head will be lost. As a result of our research on overtone control by edge shaping. we successfully gained clean and clear sound without sacrificing the natural vibration of the drum heads and eliminated unwanted overtone. On our bass drum. we eliminated unwanted high overtone by edge shaping and realized a tight and rich (fat) sound without muffling or putting a hole in the drum-head.

Moreover. by reviewing shell construction. we have concluded that no equalizing is needed to supplement the low and high tone when we pull out the shell's full potential. Consequently. recording engineers and PA engineers praise CANOPUS drums as well as drummers.

Different Shell Construction Depending of Shell Size

When we developed R.F.M., CANOPUS' first drum-set. we spent several years determining the ideal shell construction and edge shaping for the 10 inch tom. We tested more than 25 shells and we learned that the ideal combination in the10 inch is not applicable in different size shells. Therefore. R.F.M. series of CANOPUS drums are manufactured under our original theory of having different plies in the shell and combining reinforcements with the best width number of plies depending on shell size. To pull out the best in the shell's potential. CANOPUS' supreme edge shaping technique is utilized.

Shell depth is another important consideration. CANOPUS offers only one kind of shell depth in each size (except specific size and customized shells. ) Depth is different even in the same diameter when the product line is different. We determine our recommended size based on our elaborate research. We are confident that our recommended shell size can satisfy all requests of most drummers in any music genre.

It is worth noting that sound variation depending on the finishes and colors.

In the introduction, we mentioned 3 factors in drum sound. However, CANOPUS has learned that the surface finish and coloration of drums affect drum sound from our experience. For further details, please refer to "Finish List".

With that philosophy, we are most careful and through in manufacturing drums without sacrificing sound or quality for mass production. We are happy to have your comments on our product. Contact email address: custom@canopusdrums.com

Our Concern about Material

The Die-cast hoop we made 25 years ago later turned out to be the hoop that can produce an ideal overtone. which came out almost unexpectedly. We found this fact after our remaking of the mold and testing the hoop by other suppliers.

With one piece of die-cast hoop. we have experienced various problems since we started our production for the first time 25 years ago. We saw the situation of having different sound when we tried another plating factory. when we made thicker plating for better looks. and when we remade the same mold to make the same die-cast hoop. We spent about 2 years in the trial and error process to gain the ideal sound we have been searching for since we started our re-making of the mold.

Even the slightest change can be an important factor that makes a difference in sound. The slightest change in metal composition. change in shape and change in temperature can all make a difference in sound. The same die-cast hoops. from which you cannot tell the difference visually. can make completely different sound. "The smallest factor can make a big difference in sound. " Our concern about such detail is the rationale that supports the belief that at CANOPUS. we can realize the ideal drum sound.

What is the ideal sound?

What is the biggest difference between the musical instrument and industrial products? The ideal of industrial products is "beautiful and durable". However. in musical instruments. even though the goods are beautiful and durable. it would not make sense if the sound is poor. From this viewpoint. it is conceivable that beautiful and durable goods with a priority on function are emphasized in the case of the first class industrial products.

The Vintage drum has been getting popular in recent years. However. some people think that so called "vintage drums" are manufactured with a totally different approach. The Mahogany shell was a very popular material for rock drummers. The true reason for adopting mahogany was because it was readily available and easy to apply a covering because the surface is rough and easy to apply the glue.

In vintage drums. poplar and gum material were used because they were easy to process and cheap. Those materials are not suitable for surface material but were used in combination with maple and mahogany. As a result. historical masterpieces were made in this approach.

In addition. it is true that vintage drums are not as good as today's drums in terms of their finish and precision. Shells with imperfect roundness or shells with low density due to aging are not desirable because the contact with the drumhead is not smooth. Therefore. many of them have limited tuning range and poor sustain. Still. it is true that they can make a more tasteful and deep sound compared with precisely manufactured modern drums.

We have realized various ideal sounds. Now we face a new question: Is only clear and beautiful sound with wide tuning range the ideal drum sound? This approach will be reflected in various ways in our development of new products in future.