04/06/05

AQUILES PRIESTER MEETS WITH MAPEX R&D MANAGER AND JANUS PEDAL DESIGNER GERRY WEI

Aquiles and Gerry in the Mapex exhibition room in Taipei, Taiwan.

Aquiles and Gerry discuss the Janus 7000 pedal.

A Dream Come True
Aquiles Priester, world-renowned heavy metal drummer and Mapex endorser from Brazil, was able to fulfill his wish of visiting the Mapex R&D Department in Taipei, Taiwan. On 21 March 2005 he met with Gerry Wei, Mapex R&D Manager and Designer of Janus pedals.

Gerry lead Aquiles and his technician Marcos on a private tour of the Mapex “holy land” – the exhibition room. Aquiles was amazed by the “unpublished treasure” snares and was drawn to the new Dynamic Snare Drum which features a stainless steel shell etched with a Babylonian tattoo pattern. He was also astonished by the Dynamic Snares powerful sound which is the result of an innovative round-bearing edge.

Mapex the “Master of Sound”
Aquiles repeatedly told Gerry about how satisfied he was with the Mapex drum sound. He can easily obtain the sound scale from all the toms, always with a deep “canon-like” sound that is both rich and powerful. All this allows him to focus on his performance and enjoy the audience.

Speed and Sound with Janus
After discussions with to the R&D Team on drum sounds, Aquiles brought out his Janus 7000 pedals. He told Gerry that when he first got the pedals, he practiced with them for only 2 weeks before getting the sound and speed he had long been looking for. The R&D Team were amazed at the like-new condition of Aquiles’ pedals. These pedals have been on the road with Aquiles for the last 2 years and have been used fiercely in at least 300 heavy metal concerts and performances around the world. Aquiles revealed that he carefully cleans his Janus pedals after every use and is supremely satisfied with their performance. Gerry asked Aquiles to leave his old Janus 7000 pedals for the R&D team, to study the effects of long-term wear and intense usage. Aquiles graciously agreed and was given 2 brand new Janus 7000 pedals as replacements.

Invaluable Feedback for Product Innovation
Aquiles generously shared his experiences of using Mapex drums and Janus pedals with the R&D team and even gave them a lesson in what he calls the “foot-in-mouth disease” – double bass drum practice techniques for your feet to increase punch, speed and balance. It was apparent why Aquiles’ clinics in Brazil are always fully-booked and why his DVDs enjoy great popularity. Gerry and the R&D Team were grateful that Aquiles took time from his busy world tour schedule to provide them with invaluable feedback that is essential to the Mapex and Janus product innovation.