Lets get started with finger drums!

Finger drumming has attracted attention due to the activities of MPC player STUTS who is a tour band member with Gen Hoshino.
Many of you may have wondered, "What kind of machine is that?" as he dexterously operated a small machine with his fingertips.
To put it simply, finger drumming is a "method of playing buttons that make drum sounds when you hit it in real time with your fingertips", and the origin is in the sampler called the AKAI MPC, which STUTS also loves.

AKAI / MPC ONE

The MPC is a sampler/sequencer that allows you to create songs by inputting performance information with 16 buttons (= pads) that are its symbol, and it’s a well-known machine used for the music production of many HIPHOP masterpieces from the late 1980s until the spread of PC main production.
Originally designed exclusively for track making rather than live performance, the MPC2000 and MPC1000 were released, and with the improved functions and miniaturization and portability, the MPC was taken out on the stage and used for live performances. A number of strong players began to appear at this time.
This is how the style of finger drumming was born and gradually spread.

In response to the recent popularity of gadget-type synths such as KORG's VOLCA series, the MPC, which required a PC to work, has now returned as a completely stand-alone machine with the release of the MPC LIVE & X. Native Instruments MASCHINE, Ableton Push, and other MPC rooted 16-pad MIDI controllers have been released and popularized one after another, and finger drumming has been booming again in recent years.
I think that the illuminate pads that shine on social media is also another trigger.

The advantages of finger drumming compared to normal drums is that "the equipment is small, light and can be easily carried anywhere" and ""the volume can be reduced depending on the audio equipment to be connected"".
So you want to start playing drums!? Noise and space are almost always obstacles when you think about it.
With finger drumming, that obstacle is almost completely eliminated.

The AKAI MPX8 is recommended as the easiest finger drum machine.

AKAI / MPX8 サンプラー

Like the MPC mentioned above, this is positioned as a "sample player" released by the manufacturer, AKAI, and the structure is such that the sequencer (performance record) part is removed from the MPC and it is specialized for real-time performance.
The good points of this model are that it is smaller and lighter than other similar pad-equipped equipment, it is cheap, and although it does not have a built-in battery, the power jack is USB, so you can pretty much use it anywhere. The point is that it can be driven by a mobile battery.
If you have an MPX, a mobile battery, a mobile speaker such as the JBL FLIP, and a few cables, you can carry it all with you in your backpack.

Lightness is not enough for a drummer who says, "All I need is my sticks. There’s a drum set in the studio." However, if there is a place where performance is permitted, whether indoors or outdoors, Live performances are possible with just one backpack anytime, anywhere. If you sit on the grass and play, you don't even need a chair.
The appeal of the sampler is that you can change the tone without limit depending on the sample to be imported. You can play the sounds of animals, or you can play the sounds of live musical instruments such as cajon and conga. You can also use a reggae horn to enliven the audience.

However, it is undeniable that many of these finger drum machines are still "for full-scale track making", and beginners who are not familiar with electronic musical instruments will be reluctant to get involved.
In the future, we expect that the number of products that are intended for light users, such as units with "built-in speakers and no complicated wiring" and "sample management on smartphone", will increase, and the hurdle to approach finger drumming will be even lower.