JimFiore
Silver Member
Sometimes, stuff just happens coincidentally.
Back in the mid 80s I decided to design a completely different drum kit based on electronics. Specifically, I designed an interface board so that I could "play" an Oberheim DMX drum machine (this was pre-MIDI). For the pads, I originally looked at my Simmons pads but then decided to do something entirely different. I came up with a rectangular box that contained eight pads arrayed in two rows of four. They were rectangular, used a gum rubber batter surface, mounted with foam rubber to add some extra cushion and used a piezo transducer for each pad. Imagine my surprise when a year later Roland introduced the original Octapad with two rows of four rectangular pads, each using piezo transducers and a rubberized surface. I made mine from wood thanks to a local cabinet maker while there's was plastic.
Did they steal this idea from me? If I was paranoid I might think so. But no, it's a logical design and not surprising that two engineers on opposite sides of the planet, each working with new technology towards a similar goal, came up with near identical designs.
This is not to say that I don't believe that some people running corporations are avaricious bastards who'd steal their grandmother's cane if it they could get away with it.
Back in the mid 80s I decided to design a completely different drum kit based on electronics. Specifically, I designed an interface board so that I could "play" an Oberheim DMX drum machine (this was pre-MIDI). For the pads, I originally looked at my Simmons pads but then decided to do something entirely different. I came up with a rectangular box that contained eight pads arrayed in two rows of four. They were rectangular, used a gum rubber batter surface, mounted with foam rubber to add some extra cushion and used a piezo transducer for each pad. Imagine my surprise when a year later Roland introduced the original Octapad with two rows of four rectangular pads, each using piezo transducers and a rubberized surface. I made mine from wood thanks to a local cabinet maker while there's was plastic.
Did they steal this idea from me? If I was paranoid I might think so. But no, it's a logical design and not surprising that two engineers on opposite sides of the planet, each working with new technology towards a similar goal, came up with near identical designs.
This is not to say that I don't believe that some people running corporations are avaricious bastards who'd steal their grandmother's cane if it they could get away with it.