During the year I spent developing the Nomadrum kit, I faced a lot of technical challenges.
- How do you attach percussion modules to a djembe?
-What kind of stand works best?
- How do you manage remote steel cables for the kick bass and hi-hat without them wearing out over time?
- How do you design a kick bass system that feels both reactive and ergonomic?
- And how do you manufacture all these parts while keeping a good level of quality?
Quite early in the process, I had the idea of building a large flexible hoop that could wrap around the djembe.
That hoop quickly became one of the key parts of the whole system.
But there was one major constraint:
it had to work with almost every djembe size.
At that time, I had just come back from a sailing trip.
I crossed the Atlantic with friends on a 12-meter sailboat, from Canada to Portugal.
So the solution came to me quite naturally.
I would use a system inspired by sailing hardware:
rope, pulley, and a clamcleat locking system.
From there, I went through many iterations, testing different pulleys, rope diameters, hardware configurations, and tightening setups, until I finally found the right balance.
This system allows the hoop to tighten securely around the djembe by applying enough force to hold the kit in place.
Because the hoop is slightly flexible, it can adapt to the shape and curve of the drum.
That was essential for making the system as universal as possible.
What I like about this solution is that it did not come from the world of music at all.
And actually, this is not the only part of Nomadrum that was inspired by something outside percussion.
If one day you get the chance to hold a kit in your hands, you will probably notice that many details come from other worlds, engineering, travel, mechanics, and practical problem-solving.
That is also part of the DNA of this project.
Have you already explored the “The Kit” section on the website?
I break down the main sub-assemblies there to help you better understand how the system works.