Excellent
- Rating
- Posted by
- Matthew McEwen
- Date Posted
- 09/13/2025
After having played my first gig on this instrument, I would strongly recommend a MalletKat as an alternative to acoustic percussion instruments. Obviously, there an electronic instrument will never replicated an acoustic one, but on the whole, the MK actually serves my performance needs better than an acoustic instrument probably would. For some context, I mostly intend to use it for small-group jazz performances. I run a 1/4 inch cable out of the MK into a guitar processor (not necessary, but adds some fun effects), which I then send to an amplifier. My initial thoughts: The MalletKat is very responsive to dynamics and expression, and responds to dead strokes. For my purposes, it was very easy to set the volume level and just play. The lower range was a little hot, but with a little tinkering, the MK is very customizable, so I can adjust volume levels in the lower range of the instrument where I need them. I played the entire gig with the built-in sounds, and there are so many more I didn't touch. The MK was easy to set up and transport, and I was ready to play within 10 minutes of arriving. The two biggest learning curves: 1) The bar size is similar to a standard vibraphone in the highest octave, which takes some getting used to, but not much. 2) The feel of the bars gives slightly more rebound than a traditional instrument, but again, I adjusted to it. Overall - very happy with the MalletKat and all the possibilities it affords!