Gretsch Drums launches the Catalina EVO: the electronic version of the series

Four references of electronic drum sets Catalina EVO have just been added to the catalog, in two configurations: 10, 12, 14, and 20 inches for the larger one, 10, 12, and 18 for the more compact one. At Gretsch, the Catalina is primarily a series of acoustic drum kits.

The EVO version takes on the look, with shells in real dimensions and two house finishes, Black Sparkle and Walnut Glaze. It houses a very complete electronic module. The Gretsch Catalina EVO is therefore set up like an acoustic and played with headphones. Two configurations, two finishes, one module: the choice mainly depends on the space you have.

The 5-piece kit, the layout of a stage drum set

The 5-piece kit lines up a 10 x 7 inch tom, a 12 x 8 inch tom, a 14 x 14 inch floor tom, a 20 x 14 inch bass drum, and a 14 x 5.5 inch snare. These are acoustic drum dimensions. Your striking distances and movements remain those you practice on a classic kit.

It is also available in Walnut Glaze finish, a varnished brown shade, at the same price of 2199 €. The hardware is chrome on both versions.

The 20-inch bass drum features a Gretsch 3-ply mesh batter head and a branded resonant head. Its double-trigger keeps a consistent reading during fast passages, a real advantage if you play with a double pedal.

The 4-piece kit, the same gesture in less space

The 4-piece kit keeps the 14 x 5.5 inch snare and the 10 x 7 inch tom. It switches to a 12 x 12 inch floor tom and an 18 x 12 inch bass drum. One shell less and a shorter bass drum: the drum set fits more easily in a bedroom or office.

The cymbals remain unchanged: 16-inch crash, 18-inch ride, and 14-inch hi-hat, just like on the 5-piece. The module, hardware pack, and double-trigger bass drum are also the same.

The Walnut Glaze version above has its twin in Black Sparkle finish. Both are priced at 1999 €.

The module, heart of the Catalina EVO electronic drum set

Both kits share the same Catalina EVO module. Its library gathers over 500 multilayer sounds: each sound is recorded at several striking intensities, and the module selects the right layer depending on the strength of your hit. A ghost note stays soft, an accent gains attack and body.

Added to this is the Round Robin, a technique that alternates several samples of the same sound with each hit. On a snare roll or a tight hi-hat pattern, you don’t hear the exact same strike twice. The ambient recordings complete the picture, giving the feel of a drum kit recorded in a real room.

On the storage side, the module offers 50 factory kits ready to play and 128 slots for your own settings. One kit per group, one per style, one for rudiment practice: you have plenty of room.

The sound is then shaped with four independent effect blocks: ambience, instrument reverb, room reverb, and multi-effects. Each channel has its own compressor and 3-band equalizer. The Master, headphone, and Monitor outputs each have their own 4-band equalizer and compressor. This way, you can adjust your headphone mix without affecting what goes to the front or the recording.

Under the sticks, mesh heads and three-zone cymbals

The toms and snare have True Rebound 3-ply mesh heads. A mesh head is a woven fabric stretched over the shell: it bounces the stick like a traditional head while making very little noise in the room. The rebound is controllable, which helps with double strokes and light dynamics.

Each drum pad has two zones, head and rim. Depending on the chosen kit, the rim triggers a rimshot or an alternate sound. Your snare playing gains an extra color without changing instruments.

The EVO cymbals have three zones: bow, bell, and edge. Their surface is playable 360 degrees, so a cymbal that shifts a bit on its stand won’t cause missed triggers. The 14-inch hi-hat comes with its controller and bottom cymbal, letting you control foot openings and closings.

Recording and playback with the Gretsch Catalina EVO

Connected via USB Type-C, the Catalina EVO becomes an 8-output, 4-input audio interface configurable to your needs. In your software, the kick, snare, and toms come on separate tracks. You mix your drum kit like a studio recording, element by element.

Without a computer, the stereo WAV recorder captures your performance directly to a USB stick. Bluetooth Audio streams a track or playback from your phone, and you play along. The four Direct Out outputs send separate signals to a mixing desk in rehearsal or on stage.

Sample import opens another door: 128 slots for your own WAV files, up to 70 minutes in mono or 35 minutes in stereo. A homemade clap, a snare sampled from an old record, an effect from your next production: everything fits into a personalized kit.

The Gretsch E-Drum Remote App connects via Bluetooth or cable. It gives access to settings on a screen more comfortable than the module’s 2.7-inch OLED, and offers learning functions to organize your practice sessions. For quiet sessions, a closed studio headphone remains your best companion.

4-drum kit or 5-drum kit: which Catalina EVO to choose?

Both kits use the same module, the same cymbals, and the same hardware. The difference lies in the drums and the space they take up. The 5-drum kit follows a classic setup with two rack toms and a 14-inch floor tom. The 4-drum kit has just one rack tom and a 12-inch floor tom, on an 18-inch kick.

If you also play an acoustic kit in rehearsal, the 5-drum kit gives you exactly the same stick paths. If your kit has to fit in a bedroom or share an office, the 4-drum kit keeps the essentials on a smaller footprint, for 200 € less.

If you have the space to set up a full kit, the Catalina EVO gives you the size and the reference points, with a module rich enough to follow your sessions on headphones as well as your home studio recordings. It can also grow with you: the EVO cymbals come in several diameters, and the pads and triggers for electronic drums complete the kit the day you want to expand it.