Some time ago, we presented a short preview of the test which we performed on the new Dixon foot medal mechanism called Precision Coil. Drummers and Drummerettes! The time has come to share with you the results of our work as well as our opinion on this piece of eqiupment, which we received courtesy of the Soundtrade company – the official Dixon Drums distributor in Poland.
Holed up at Poznań-based Perlazza Studio, under the supervision of award-winning producer/sound engineer and drum freak Przemysław ‘Perła’ Wejmann, we had Dixon‘s latest product undergo all kinds of tests imaginable under a drummer’s foot. We skipped the caustic substance screen and water resistance test, but that was only because our Chemistry Set got lost somewhere after we had moved to another location and we couldn’t find it in time for the session.
The whole pedal looks very nice, inviting and speedy. We would even say that, because of its silver colour, it resembles such competitors as Tama Speed Cobra or perhaps even Axis (to a lesser extent, though). What immediately catches the eye, is the distinctive spring tension adjustment mechanism, which is located on the right side of the beater.
It is Dixon’s own solution, which works flawlessly and operating its is virtually effortless. You just loosen the drum key rod at the top of the spring chamber and turn the spring tension adjustment KNOB (think about the convenience!) clockwise to increase spring tension or counterclockwise to decrease it. After making adjustments, all that’s left to do is tighten the drum key rod at the top of the spring chamber to secure the settings and… done! When in studio or on stage, all adjustments can be made within a split second. Mounting the pedal to our bass drum caused absolutely no problems. The screws work smoothly and quietly and there are no washers that could be lost when mounting or dismounting.
We also must draw your attention to the beater, as its head is equipped with a special bearing, which automatically adjusts the head’s angle on the beater rod. Just press the beater head against bass drum skin and it will assume a position parallel to the skin’s surface. Moreover, it will remain in that position. Naturally, the same happens while playing. Does it get any more user-friendly than that? We mention such obvious features as footboard height adjustment and beater angle adjustment to give you a precise description of the product. They are there and they work because they simply have to.
As far as impressions from playing the Dixon Precision Coil are concerned, the pedal works smoothly and doesn’t make the player feel like he or she has a huge, heavy system under the foot. For some it an advantage, for others it’s not. We, however, like that fact. If we were to compare the pedal to a competitor, it would probably be the Speed Cobra, also because both have light beaters. The footboard on the Precision Coil is long enough to comfortably play fast doubles using the sliding technique (the fact that the footboard’s surface is smooth also helps), but it is wide as well, which enables a successful attempt at the swivel technique. It should also be noted that the pedal works very precisely, which is crucial when applying the techniques mentioned above.
As for how much this baby is going to cost and when it will be available for purchase, we simply don’t know. Neither has been officially announced. Your patience, however, will not be tested in a very cruel manner as logic suggests the Dixon Precision Coil pedal should have been available by early 2017, i.e. in connection with the NAMM show.
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