Everything you wanted to know about the Pearl P2000C eliminator power shifter pedal but were afraid to try one yourself. This might be useful for those folks that "window shop" through catalog and magazine hype.

This pedal has proven a few axioms to me that indicate the level of intense hyperbole in the drum market. And the fallacy of certain poorly derived “opinions.” I failed to try the eliminator before I purchased the DW9002. Had I done so, there is *no way* I’d have forked over the extra cash. I hope this information helps someone make the right choice, consider all the facts and really, really try a pedal before spending money. There is an old saying in racing: “When the green flag drops, the BS stops.” Translated: “When the drum pedal drops, the ad hype stops.” Or maybe the ads are true, at least to a degree in which you have to determine.

The Opinions of drum pedals in general:
When you read someone says “I tried ‘x’ pedal and didn’t like it because…(fill in complaint here)” then ask yourself:
a) Did this guy try all four cams? If so- how? The shops almost never have that stuff lying around.
b) Did the guy adjust the footboard in every position with all four cams?
c) Did he try it with all four faces of the beater with the weight adjusted?
d) Did he try it with multiple spring tensions?
e) Did he try it for several hours, on several occasions?

If the answer to one or more of these is “NO” then the opinion cannot be fully formed on all the facts. This is the kind of unsophisticated, unscientific “insta-testing” that a lot of net opinions are based on. These “opinionalysis” posts do a great disservice to anyone who heeds them without ACTUALLY trying a pedal out. A lot of what I read on the net, proves to me that real testing was not accomplished, and good, bad or indifferent- I cannot fully accept the opinions that are derived from that. It’s your money, you owe it to yourself to make the best choice before you buy a pedal. That means…really trying it, not just 5 minutes without knowing what it can do via adjustments. The worst thing you can do is pre-decide what you think of a pedal without even stepping on one. “Well, I just know it sucks because I read on the net that it does…” Well, maybe some folks have an axe to grind, and you just got forced into his frame of mind. Or: “I bought the “X” pedal because my favorite drummer uses it.” Buying that pedal will not give you his or her ability. (see “magic power” below)

Comparing two pedals:
The really dumb thing is to “compare” an Eliminator to an Iron cobra in a store if: You have a stock eliminator with the black cam, and an IC power glide. That means you are comparing a ROUND linear cam to a PROGRESSIVE cam. That’s just silly, and it happens all the time. Apples and oranges. At least put the correct cam in and compare some kind of an apple to an apple. Applying that same logic to buying a car: Compare a Mazda Miata to a Ford f-150 pickup for cargo space, or comparing a Jeep Grand Cherokee to a Porsche 911 in handling. Both are vehicles, but they are two different things. Instant, short testing is like sitting in a car without starting or driving it to really ascertain what it will do. Bad idea and inconclusive.

I've got the Magic power of the music in me:
Do you think just because you run out and buy a certain pedal, that you will get magic powers and suddenly knock Tim Watterson’s record off the WFD charts? Dream on. It’s not just the pedal, it’s the drummer. Pretty much ALL pedals are highly, if not equally competent over a certain price point. None of them are indestructible either. Buddy Rich and John Bonham played really, really fast on a Ludwig speed king. There was nothing high tech about those pedals. They were just minimalist, and they work. Joey, Travis and the rest can get the same speed from the speed king as they can from thier own pedals.

Warning:
The Eliminator power shifter can option you…to infinity and beyond! This is not a pedal for indecisive people who cannot deal with a lengthy list of options. I have read that some people freak out because there is “too much” to decide on. If you are this type of tweak-o-phobe, I suggest you opt for a simpler pedal. The options do not have to be used. Nor to they have to be changed. The strong point is that the options are there, and there are many if so desired. This is a *BRILLIANTLY* engineered and optioned piece of hardware, and IMO, the best value on the market in high end pedals. It comes with a cam/tool kit, and a black fabric carry bag. (see photos)

Lets start with the simple stuff first.

The basic action:
Lets kill a myth right here and now. This pedal is 95% as smooth as the DW9002. I own both, right now. 95% is close enough for me to say that the extra smoothness is only a small degree of perceptibility and has no effect on real world performance issues. It’s all a minutia of feel. This pedal is also SILENT. There is NOTHING the DW pedals can do that the Pearl cannot. Power, speed, control, NOTHING. But the DW-9002 can snag your foot on a poorly placed spring. The eliminator has that “it’s not under my feet” feeling, just like DW. I found that for my taste, I needed to adjust the spring tension a little bit. Not a whole lot. There’s even a uni-lock cam-angle gauge inscribed on the spring shaft clamp. The pedal is balanced, and responds to the slightest toe-twitch. I didn’t even need to adjust the footboard for any reason. Attaching to the drum hoop was done via a simple turn of the hoop clamp t-handle.

The quad beater:
This beater has a core of hard plastic, with four faces on it. There are two felt and two plastic choices, a rounded surface and a flat surface to choose from. I went for the rounded plastic. The beater is light enough for intense speed, yet heavy enough to lay into a drumhead. This is especially true with the more radical cams. The beater has a sliding, adjustable weight ring on it as well. The beater angle can be adjusted by the marked cam gauge.

Here are the sounds you get from each surface:
Round felt: Warm sound, sharp attack
Flat Felt: Warm sound, dull attack
Round plastic: Hard sound, sharp attack
Flat Plastic: Hard sound, dull attack

The traction plate:
You can adjust the traction of your footboard, very important for bare feet, or compensating for different foot ware characteristics.

The cams:
Kind of like the Imac. They come in red, black, white, blue. Each cam represents a different degree of action from plain rolling linear, to progressive and radical. You can see the cam clips in the photo of the “cam kit.” The red has been removed from the kit and installed on the pedal. The black cam comes installed from the factory.

Here is what the cam colors mean:
Black= linear or “perfect circle” cam design
White= oversized linear a lighter pedal feel
Blue= Progressive off center, and accelerates action on impact
Red= radical, or extreme off center, extreme power. They aren’t kidding. I chose the red pill, err…cam. It has feather-light action, but packs a brutal punch. It has a very energetic feel. These cams change in seconds, with no tools. They just snap into place under the chain like a bridge. They are “c” shaped (sort of) and clip onto a round post under the chain attachment point.

The power shifter:
The heel plate adjust with the turn of a drum key. It will move to three different angles. A) Strong b) Normal C) Light. I like “A.”

Footboard angle:
Can be adjusted by moving the drive chain connector via drum key. Changing footboard angle does not change the beater angle.

Miscellaneous stuff:
Comes with an adjustable toe-stop, and anchor screws for carpets. Nice carry bag.

FAQ: So tell me…is the iron cobra, DW, Janus, Axis or Sonor better? No and yes. No, none of them are mechanically superior in terms of performance in the real world. Yes they are better if they feel better to you. For every “horror story” people care to dig up about Pearl, I have seen/heard something equal or worse from the competition. None of them are infallible.

With all of this information, can you honestly say that the majority of opinions you read take all of this into account?
IMO: no they don’t. This is a lot of stuff for you to set up before you really make the call as to what this pedal can do, or what it really feels like. What it feels like to me: it seems like I own at least four pedals in one. That’s an invincible value, and total performance package. Try it thoroughly before deciding. Knowledge is power. Experience is priceless. Stop reading about pedals, and really try them, the only opinion that is important to you, is yours. I hope this information helps you try this pedal, and others with a more holistic and realistic attitude. Most importantly, test enough to form a real opinion, not a useless general impression. Now go and do the right thing. Good luck.

Update: January 2006. I have SOLD my DW9002. I will never spend that kind of money again on a pedal. I would opt for a $250 double powershifter and put the extra $200 I save on something else. I am very comfortable now with the red cam, and I don't miss the DW at all.