REQUESTING KIT DONATIONS
We’re entering a major prototyping phase for ThunderDrums — and we need your help.
Donate your unused kit: ralph@rhbdrums.com
THUNDER DRUMS
by RHB - Analogue Drums
Curious about ThunderDrums?
Watch this video to learn more...
Our Mission:
We believe drums could be better.
So, we’re building drums that feel and behave like acoustic kits while offering the convenience, usability, and versatility of electric instruments. We’re in prototype mode — join Early Access to hear prototypes, give feedback, and help shape development.
Join the Early Access
Help shape ThunderDrums — get prototype previews, dev calls, and priority pre‑order.
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Early access
— Prototype sounds; behind‑the‑scenes videos.
Be part of development
— Feedback calls; have your say on features.
Early perks
— Beta spots; priority pre‑order discounts.
Drums with Acoustic Feel, and Electronic Convenience
Real drums that feel like the kit you love — but compact, lightweight, and recordable through a single instrument jack.
Join early access to contact us and be part of the development
(Concept image of ThunderDrums)
Press play to Listen to ThunderDrums
What are ThunderDrums?
ThunderDrums are compact drums that capture the actual vibration of the drumhead and convert it into a continuous analogue audio signal.
They behave and feel like real acoustic drums, but the drumhead itself generates an electrical output you can plug straight into an instrument input. This is not sampled audio or sensor‑driven playback; the drumhead converts mechanical vibration into a continuous analogue signal.
It is a similar principle as an electric guitar or piano pickup, but taken directly from the skin.
How they work
Direct head capture
The drums sense the mechanical vibration of the skin itself rather than the air or the shell. That vibration is converted into a continuous analogue signal, the same basic principle used by electric guitars and electro‑acoustic instruments.
Analogue audio output
The drum produces a real electrical audio signal you can record or amplify instantly through a standard instrument input.
No sampling or triggering
This is not a sampled or triggered system. The sound is generated mechanically by the drum and captured electrically in real time.
Compact Design
Due to the audio signal being generated by the drumhead itself, this means that the drum does not require shells for tone or resonance, allowing for a decreased shell size - reducing space and weight.
What makes them different?
Why it’s not an e‑kit.
E‑kits detect hits and then play back samples from a module; the hardware itself doesn’t produce the drum’s sound.
ThunderDrums create and output the drum’s sound electrically, eliminating the need for a module or sample engine.
Why it’s not just acoustic.
Acoustic kits create sound through shell resonance and require microphones to capture that sound for recording or amplification. Mics introduce bleed, setup time, and inconsistency.
ThunderDrums behave like acoustic drums but also produce a direct electrical output you can plug into an instrument input.
The result...
It’s simple: you hit the drum, the skin vibrates, the ThunderDrum converts that vibration into a pure analogue signal, and you amplify, record, and play.
1. Hit the TRUE‑SKIN drum
A real drum skin vibrates naturally — just like an acoustic kit.
2. The skin’s vibration is converted into an analogue audio signal
No triggers. No samples. No digital processing.
3. Plug into any amp, interface, mixer, or PA
Instant sound. No mics. No setup. No software.
4. Play anywhere
Home, studio, gig — Thunder Drums adapts instantly.
Here’s an early glimpse of our ThunderDrum technology in development. No microphones were used in this recording — the audio comes entirely from our prototype system. It’s rough, it’s early, but the potential is starting to show. Curious what you think of the sound.
PURE ANALOGUE SIGNAL
Produces a true analogue audio signal directly from the drum skin → Record or amplify instantly with plug‑and‑play simplicity
70% REDUCED SHELL DEPTH
A compact design that takes up a fraction of the space → Store and transport your kit cheaply, easily, and without a van
NO EXTERNAL MICROPHONES
Your sound is captured directly from the drum → No bleed, no noise, no setup — just clean, consistent tone
TRUE SKIN TECHNOLOGY
A real drum skin produces the sound, not a digital trigger → Real feel, real dynamics, real drumming
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