Premier Octobans | A properly low-pitched set

Octobans are usually a high-pitched noise. Small head, long tube, a sharp pitched tok sitting somewhere above your rack toms.

Premier has just gone the other way. Its new Artist Octobans arrive as two sets, and one of them is aimed squarely at the bottom end.

What is an octoban?

A single-headed tube drum. Every octoban is 6” across, so the pitch comes from the length of the shell rather than the width of the head — the longer the tube, the lower the note.

That is why they come in matched pairs and get stacked into a row.

The two sets

PAOCT2HP is the high-pitched pair, at 10” and 12” deep. Bright, cutting, and pitched above a normal tom setup.

PAOCT2LP is the low-pitched pair, at 16” and 18” deep. This is the one worth noting. Most octobans on the market skew high and bright, so a factory low set gives you depth and contrast instead of yet more top end.

Premier has designed the two sets to be combined, so a four-drum row spanning both registers is the obvious next step.

The specs

Shells are 6mm matte black PVC. Hoops are 1.5mm triple-flange steel, which is on the thinner side and should stay a touch more open and resonant than something heavier.

Chrome hardware throughout, and each set includes a fully adjustable stand covering 1120mm to 1450mm. Mounting extra drums is usually the annoying part — our bass drum cymbal mount guide covers the rest of that problem.

What we do not know

The price. Premier has not announced one, and there is no ship date either. We are not going to guess at a number, so treat both as TBD.

Final thoughts

Nothing here is exotic. It is a sensible spec at a sensible size, and the low set fills a real gap rather than adding another bright option to a market already full of them.

If the idea of a row of tuned tubes appeals, Terry Bozzio is the deep end of that thinking, and Phil Collins was playing Premier long before any of us.