Tama Iron Cobra And Speed Cobra Pedals

108
| APRIL 2016 WWW.MUSICRADAR.COM/RHYTHM
GEAR REVIEW
I
t’s been almost 25 years since Japanese
drum and hardware giant Tama set out
to create “the ultimate drum pedal”.
Since then the Iron Cobra pedal has
continued to evolve and improve to meet
not only the demands of the modern
drummer, but also its clear mission
statement: “rock solid strength and
versatility”. So, how will the newest version
compare to its much revered predecessors?
Build
At a glance, one could be forgiven for
assuming that there is nothing particularly
new and noteworthy on the new Iron Cobra
pedal. The truth is though, as ever there are
a host of improved features on board the
brand new pedal; many of which are shared
with the Speed Cobra.
Tama has more or less stuck to its guns
with the aesthetic design of both pedals,
considering little to no difference in the
base plate or pedal board. That said,
it is possible to see a couple of design
embellishments in the form of a little red
trim (Iron Cobra) or gold trim (Speed Cobra)
on the beater and in the heel plate. The
latter isn’t just for decoration though and
actually makes up half of the new two-part
bearing hinge system. Designed to allow the
pedal board to move more freely, the hinge
has also been set back a little further than
its predecessor which makes the pedal a
little longer.
The width of both pedals has also been
modifi ed with the aim of completely
eliminating any chance of side to side
movement. The whole frame has been
From £139 The famous Iron Cobra returns once
again with a plethora of new tweaks and features
TAMA IRON COBRA
AND SPEED COBRA
PEDALS
WORDS: TOM BRADLEY
widened by 15mm from the previous model,
along with 12mm in the baseplate.
The fi rst thing to catch your eye with
the new models will likely be the new
beater design. The beater faces have a
considerably smaller diameter than a
regular sized beater (the size of 10p piece)
yet are a lot deeper. The Power-Strike beater
on the Iron Cobra uses a dense black foam
which Tama claims will deliver a punchy low
to mid frequency response from the bass
drum. The Speed Cobra’s Accu-Strike beater
is almost identical except it uses a
translucent Butadiene rubber which the
company claims “offers strong resistance
to wear, is lighter weight and provides
consistent and articulate sound with strong
attack. The sound is fat yet focused even
at lower volumes”. As ever with Iron Cobra
beaters, the angle of the face is adjustable to
ensure a square contact on the drum head.
The mechanism that attaches the pedal to
the hoop has been completely overhauled
(again for both pedals) which adds further
support and stability to the pedal. The ‘Para
Clamp II Pro’ has the ability to pivot quite
freely in position which should help get a
good fi t from almost any angle using less
pressure. It also has a much thicker coating
of rubber which reduces, if not completely
eliminates, marring.
Another upgrade that the Iron Cobra
has been treated to is the Lite Sprocket.
Originally exclusively a Speed Cobra feature,
it has 40 percent less mass than the
previous cam mechanism making the action
feel smoother and lighter.
Saving the best until last, the real magic
THE INNOVATIVE SWIVEL SPRING IS
ALWAYS COMPLETELY IN LINE WITH
ITSELF, RESULTING IN LESS WASTED
ENERGY AND ‘TURBULENCE’
that takes place in the mechanical
department has to be the innovative swivel
spring. This feature allows the bottom of the
spring to move back and forward in a
pendulum-type fashion as the cam moves at
its top. This means that the spring is always
completely in-line with itself, resulting in less
wasted energy and ‘turbulence’. Tama claim
that this will make the pedal smoother and
result in an improved stroke.
In addition, both the Iron Cobra and
Speed Cobra pedals are double chained,
come with proprietary hard plastic carry
cases and feature the patented Cobra Coil.
Also try…
1
PEARL
ELIMINA TOR
We say: “ Pearl’s
premium pedal range is
an engineering
triumph. ”
2
DW 9000
We say: “ The 9000
pedals feature DW’s
patented free-fl oating
rotor-drive, rotating
swivel spring and
adjustable cam. ”
RHY253.gear_tama.indd 108 23/02/2016 16:25