How The Weeknd Uses Electronic Drums (Ricky Lewis)

Today we're looking at all the drum sets Ricky Lewis has played while touring with the Weeknd. And a deep dive especially on the electronic integration.
The E-Drum Gear Mentioned In This Video:
(Amazon links that support the channel)
👍The Multipads:
Roland SPDSX:
amzn.to/2Jn6JRW
Yamaha Multi-12:
amzn.to/2WRdeEg
👍The Modules:
Roland TD50:
amzn.to/3dD5H1V
Roland TM6 Pro
amzn.to/3x4OqJB
👍The Triggers:
Roland RT30HR
amzn.to/33QPqSu
Roland BT1:
amzn.to/2xsIDSW
👍The Pads:
Roland PDX100
amzn.to/3m3gw2I
Roland PD125
amzn.to/3zgsFsT
Roland PD8:
amzn.to/2UHKhIr
Roland VAD506 Drumset
amzn.to/3zdWjz0
Simmons SDSV Pads
(you're out of luck, check ebay)

[@85ddrummer]

Being a drummer for an artist like that must be the most anxiety inducing thing ever. Not just for the crowd sizes but the triggers and making sure they’re all right for the song

[@hotzemusic]

luckily at that level they have hordes of techs and redundant equipment to help with that. But you're right, it would be INSANE, especially in the early days before they have the big money behind the project

[@nethooliveira9644]

Nah! 90% is just VS.

[@GianVillegas]

I love it when drummers get creative with Electronic Drums instead of criticizing them. I've been playing acoustic and electronic for a while and now mostly electronic. Awesome video man!

[@65Drums]

I love seeing the creativity too. Thanks for watching!

[@femali]

I haven't taken it to Ricky's level (yet). But I will state that having one acoustic and one electronic kit allows me a lot of options!

[@GianVillegas]

@@65Drums Thank you!

[@law35penn]

Yeah, I'm trying to go hybrids. I have the octapad-30 with my tama. I just love the creativity and every song have something different.

[@GianVillegas]

@@law35penn Man it's incredible when you don't have sound limitations.

[@steverakas3573]

The roland triggers mounted on the acoustic drums could be being used as a key inputs for noise gates. I know quite a few pro drummers who do this. Instead of the mic opening the gate in many live big shows the crowd noise can get to loud and would cause gates to falsely pen. with a trigger it only responds to an actual hit of the drum. so he may be using those triggers for this purpose.

[@j-drummer9132]

You have to one for Muse (Dominic Howard)

[@reubenk7331]

This was really cool! I really enjoyed the evolution and small details that you went over as his kits progressed!

[@JamesOKeefe-US]

Another fantastic VIDEO Justin. The quality just keeps getting better and better and the editing is excellent!! Great job!

[@jennsartofficial]

Wow, really great review! Ricky’s incredible on the drums 🥁🔥. Setup looking crazy😁

[@just82much51]

Once again, another in-depth video with great info. Thank you Justin!

[@TrentBattyDrums]

I love these videos! Great job man.

[@omnaraiya]

Thanks for the well researched content.

[@demonicsweaters]

This one slipped by me somehow. Fascinating video! Such cool setups!

[@simonec5072]

wow this video is incredible...I really love this series

[@65Drums]

Thanks man! It took forever to research and make so I’m glad you liked it

[@Firefrostdrums]

Very interesting analysis, thanks for that Justin! As for me, I covered one Weeknd song with VAD506 (Save Your Tears)... adding my metal touch, as usual 😄

[@herbtea3029]

I have that Diamond Dust "Starclassic" (shown at 5:44) It's my favorite kit ever.

[@robowop9354]

He is a straight beast! 🔥

[@matthewallen227]

Outstanding video Justin, thanks

[@65Drums]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@moondrums]

Great video. this guy is a monster. nice research. Always like your videos I learn a lot about e drums watching them.

[@65Drums]

Thanks dude!

[@revoral]

Great stuff Ricky! The best is yet to come. Dad.

[@carlosserrano3985]

Simmons gear is becoming very popular these days and yes it's getting expensive and rare. I started using them in 1985 used to have SDS-8, SDS-9 and MTX-9, those were sold long ago but I kept the SDSV and TMI (Trigger to MiDI Interface) also have several pads, from the mk1 (the ones with black hard surface show in the video) to the mk4 (the best ones to play). 7 Red mk1, 5 small, 2 Bass pads. 6 White mk2, 5 small, 1 Bass pad. 5 Black mk3, 4 small, 1 Bass pad. 5 Blue mk4, 4 small, 1 Bass pad, the designated snare pad has dual triggers, rim and center. Looking for Yellow color ones and a cymbal pad, those are super rare today.

[@RyantheDrummer-r3k]

2:52 I think that's a Tama Starclassic Performer (Birch/Bubinga shells) in Crimson Sky Blaze. Probably from the late 2000's/early 2010's.

[@trblmkr5139]

excellent video, im gonna subscribe

[@aaronmyers6540]

Yea Ricky!!!!!….shoutout my bros LJ and Patty ✊🏾🤟🏾

[@FadjarMoeljarto]

Excellent 🥁🔥

[@3L3V3NDRUMS]

Very interesting video! I totally love this creativity and idea to use the best of both worlds for the need! Amazing!

[@goodnight3379]

Get em Ricky 💯🎶🔥

[@SubhashKumar-gv7ch]

Bro please review the Lemon T500 drums or any Lemon drumset.

[@Henry14arsenal2007]

Will there be a video recap of everything interesting at NAMM 2022 if theres anything?

[@gonzorudeboy]

These artist oriented videos are really great!

[@65Drums]

Thanks!

[@cresshead]

excellent vid

[@iternityhuman1782]

Super hybrid chops

[@TheFacelessTwo]

What's the song at the very start of the video? Sounds amazing.

[@webdubois4142]

Nice.

[@ModernLove100]

This is one weird set up but I like it!

[@bobvanster]

I had several Simmons kits in the 80's & 90's including the 1000's SDS 7's and 9's

[@carlosserrano3985]

Me too, SDS-8, SDS-9, MTX-9, sold long ago. Still have SDSV and TMI with 23 pads. I was very close to get the SDX but seller change his mind at the last moment.

[@bobvanster]

@@carlosserrano3985 I remember the eprom boards in the SDS7 I had a TD50 then switched the brain to MIMIC pro then developed severe Tinnitus which sidelined me sold all my drum gear.I picked up a a rental return TD 17 KVX last week in mint condition for a really good price and play here & there when I can tolerate it. E drums have come a long way and am sure will keep evolving. Forgot to mention Justin cool channel, I enjoy it quite a bit.

[@carlosserrano3985]

And I forgot, I also used to have a Tama Techstar, great electronic drums, the best competitor of Simmons in the 80'S. Cheers!

[@bobvanster]

@@carlosserrano3985 I forgot about the trechstars had those 2 blended with my Superstarts on the road back then. Had the pearls too for short time.

[@erpicto4645]

7:24, wasn't he an evans fan? then why does he have remo heads as reso in the toms???

[@Verosment]

Drums!

[@scaksoguk7995]

What is the song in 8:03?

[@TikTok6oclock]

Isn't Ricky Lewis the brother of Larnell Lewis, the drummer for Snarky Puppy? They have the same smile

[@famitory]

honestly roland should release a module that is just the guts of the SPD-SX but with nine more trigger inputs instead of the built-in pads.

[@quinnwells0814]

where did you get the videos from the super bowl

[@65Drums]

The dudes Instagram

[@resonanttotality8322]

2:56 Those are Demon Drive pedals, not Demonators.

[@PM_yearsago]

I thought I would never see an artist that will use simmons sdsv god I love weeknd

[@asmithdrummer]

What module is he using with his Simmons pads? If it’s not the Simmons, how are pads configured to trigger a different module, since they were pre-midi?

[@ericstearns170]

The pads themselves are just your standard piezo triggers. All electronic kits back in the day used the same basic hardware (pad overlay(either hard or soft) to a piezo and a plastic housing for 'cool' factor). Connectors and controllers were proprietary but honestly, they all worked together. You could mix triangular Roland pads, with hexagonal Simmons pad and Quadrangle Ddrums and round Yamahas, call it a geometry kit and run the whole shooting match off Alesis DMs (1-4). And add an Akai sampler and an ADAT to create non standard sounds. It wasn't until the 90s that companies started to evolve the controllers into truly unique systems.

[@carlosserrano3985]

@@ericstearns170 No, in the 80'S Simmons have several drum brains, the SDS-7 is a hybrid analog/digital plus you can sample using an EPROM and install that chip in the desired card. The SDX was more advanced, it use multi-sample technology way before Roland and many others, the SDX is the grandaddy of modern ED.

[@ericstearns170]

@@carlosserrano3985 Brains yes, but the pads were all essentially the same. You could configure them to cross talk platforms much easier than modern systems.

[@carlosserrano3985]

@@ericstearns170 Yes, true in the case of pads, but some pads where more hot in signal than others, I guess is the type of piezo installed.

[@ericstearns170]

@@carlosserrano3985 Yep. That's why the Alesis brains were so awesome when building Frankenkits...They, at the time, had better sensitivity controls. Ah the bad ole' days. lol

[@georgethompson1535]

what processing do you use to record vo

[@65Drums]

I record on a Shure SM7B into a Sound Devices Mix Pre 3 interface. I then EQ, Compress, and DeEss the audio inside of my video editing program Premier Pro.

[@Noobhead34DoesMC]

is larnell lewis his bro? he looks just like him

[@squamishfish]

Is he Arnell Lewis brother ?

[@marclewism]

my kit

[@gtrdrumsplayerduarte]

Or probably the triggers are only for sidechaning the audio gates processing.

[@65Drums]

That’s very much a possibility, though he hasn’t done that before to my knowledge

[@johnmiller4553]

NICE 🤙🤙🤙🤙🤙🤙🤙🤙🤙🤙

[@Samford404]

I might cause some facepalms with this question but since he said his brother is also a known drummer, is his brother Larnell Lewis?

[@BJSTIXX]

Yep

[@rontoriussmith7335]

Yes

[@matthorndrums]

As a drum tech myself that last kit looks like a nightmare lol

[@65Drums]

There’s a lot going on in that last kit, I’d love to play it, and I would hate to have to set it up every week

[@matthorndrums]

@@65Drums It looks badass! It probably stays put together and the riser gets rolled into a semi trailer.

[@paradiddle5150]

Tama > Pearl, in regards to cheap beginner packs/kits and higher tier equipment. Tama, Sonor, Gretsch and Yamaha. (opinion) Tama is more durable: (reality)

[@starsixseven6673]

Danny carrey would murder that drumset

[@strettoasino9006]

Playing drums in an area were singers don't sing... Backing tracks are used 90%. More costume changes than there are chord progressions...😐

[@brudzool]

that is some horseshit about why he switched to pearl. Why not just stop treating people like idiots and say....they paid me more!

[@Raynorlxix]

Tama is a good company. I was disappointed to hear his explanation about his change.

[@serbadork]

No Drummer, not even the highest rank ones - your vinnie colaiutas and whatnot - get paid to endorse drums. That’s not even how endorsements work.

[@brudzool]

@@serbadorkyou know what i mean by money....they throw drums at them. and that is a pretty bold statement, that it never happens. pretty sure sometimes it is worth more than drums. so dont get too carried away.

[@65Drums]

I understand why you’re angry, but I’m wondering what must’ve pushed him over the edge to make the switch. He’s been playing Tama for at least a decade. A pro musician usually doesn’t risk a massive change on the eve of their biggest concert ever for no reason. It’s probably something behind the scenes we don’t know.

[@serbadork]

@@65Drums if I had to guess it was prolly some change in management that happened, like the reps he worked with for years left the company or something and he wasn’t being supported anymore like how he used to We can see that happening right now with the mass exodus of Zildjian artists due to the loss of several people who were basically driving things there for a LONG time until they were let go during the pandemic.

[@ianhewitson2738]

Not bad. But it ain't no Professor.

[@65Drums]

Bro this ain’t a contest, just people making music

[@ianhewitson2738]

@@65Drums couldn't agree more.