Schlagwerk - RTS25SK Chiadero

How would you sound if you could play a shaker without letting go of your frame drum? That's the challenge the Schlagwerk RTS25SK Chiadero has taken up. At first glance, you'll recognise it as a classic 25 cm diameter frame drum, with its selected goatskin and six-ply beech body. But shake it slightly, and you'll immediately hear the characteristic crackling sound of small beads or seeds rolling around inside the frame. With a flick of the wrist, you go from the deep rumble of the skin to the rhythmic blast of a shaker. It's a duo of instruments fused into a single object.

The frame itself is a workshop in acoustic precision. Eight built-in tuning screws, accessible with the supplied key, let you stretch the goatskin to change its tone. Looking for a low, dull sound for a rhythm accompaniment? Relax the tension slightly. Need a drier, more responsive slap for complex phrases? Tighten the screws. This adaptability appeals to many artists, where you can define a tailor-made sound for each track.

With a frame height of just 62 mm, it's easy to carry around. It'll fit in a busker's backpack, on a composer's lap in the home studio, or in the hands of a music therapist. Its rhythmic versatility makes it ideal for world, folk and ambient genres, or even for adding organic elements to live electronic music.

This model offers two voices for the price of one. It doesn't replace your collection, it adds a new dimension. It's a simple idea, but so effective it makes you wonder why nobody thought of it before.