How Freedrum works
Freedrum uses the new Bluetooth MIDI standard which provides very low latency and makes it compatible with most iOS and macOS music software. Windows 10 support has recently arrived with the Anniversary Update. It is powered by a tiny, high-capacity LiPo-battery, which can be fully charged in just under an hour, while providing enough power to keep Freedrum running for seven hours of constant drumming.

Freedrum campaign video


The sensors are adaptable to any size drumstick and you can place it anywhere on the stick to suit your drumming style. When Freedrum is off the stick it can fit easily into your pocket.

It can also take a beating with the use of shock-resistant ABS plastic for the enclosure to ensure it is strong and lightweight. The number of used parts is low and Freedrum is designed to be repairable.

You turn Freedrum on with a single button. After that it calibrates so that you can start playing as quickly as possible. An LED is incorporated above the button indicating the connection and battery level.

Inside the enclosure there's a PCB with a gyroscope that detects movements and interprets them as hits on a drum. Together with the detected force and a few other magic parameters it is then translated into MIDI. The MIDI signal is sent via Bluetooth to the connected app (e.g. Garageband on an iPhone) which then plays the actual sound via headphones or onboard speakers.



iOS and Android
Officially, Freedrum supports iOS with Garageband, that's what we test and guarantee. We recommend iPhones and iPads with iOS 10.0 or later. However, we have used Freedrum with a variety of different music apps on iOS that support Bluetooth Midi, e.g. DM1 by Fingerlab, MoDrum and Vatanator Drum Machine. We have also successfully used it through MacOS and Windows 10. Freedrum works with any program or app that supports Bluetooth Midi.

Technically Freedrum works with Android too. But the Android phones we have tested have a slight audio latency that makes the sound appear a few milliseconds too late for our very high standards.

Freedrum Foot Units


You can still back this project until Tue, Dec 6 2016 11:00 PM CET: kickstarter.com/freedrum/freedrum-the-drumkit-that-fits-in-your-pocket

Where It All Started
"A year ago, my 10 year old wanted to learn to play the drums. So we brought his grandfather’s old drum kit home for him to practice. It was falling apart and when we eventually managed to put it together it took up half his room. Also, it was just as loud as I remember from when I played in a rock band in our garage in the 90’s. And now I don’t even have a garage.

Well, being a resourceful father and musician myself I looked around for an alternative. Of course, there are the usual electronic drum kits out there, but they’re just as large and not really silent either. Great I said, this is an opportunity to make the coolest drum kit in the world! I stole my son’s drum sticks and started building..."
- August Bering, Inventor of Freedrum