About EFNOTE

Our Origin: Hamamatsu, Japan

EFNOTE was founded in 2018, in the city where many renowned musical instrument companies are headquartered, Hamamatsu, Japan, nicknamed the “City Of Music”.

A small group of highly-skilled engineers set out to push further into creating musical instruments, that embraced our most free designs, with ideas that were considered insane by the norm. A norm that we viewed as boring and not creating true musical instruments.

Ever since we introduced a new concept of E-Drums with Acoustic Design called aDrums at EFNOTE's predecessor company in 2017, we have been challenging ourselves to create instruments from a drummer's perspective.

Many major brands have since followed our lead, and this is a testament to our innovative originality.

Beauty, Quality, Originality

EFNOTE is an electronic instrument brand that is truly musical, based on the key beliefs of Beauty, Quality, Originality.

As founding members, we wanted to create something more detailed, consistent, and essential that we could not do while working at a large company.

Unfortunately, the above key beliefs had been sacrificed for the sake of corporate profit and efficiency, even though they are all essential elements of musical instruments.

Our mission is to pursue these universal values even as our brand grows.

Company Specialized in E-Drums

All of EFNOTE's engineers are professionals who have been involved with electronic drums for a long time, which guarantees consistency in design quality.

Featuring world’s-first technologies such as Tru-Motion™ Hi-Hat, STAK™, and ELISE™ Sensing Processor, we offer the world's widest lineup of high quality electronic drums, from the cutest "EFNOTE mini" to pro-level "EFNOTE PRO".

Small Team = Unique

We have seen sites where many meetings and inside/outside opinions have caused ideas to lose their edge and produce commodity products.

This EFNOTE mini, for example, is exactly the realized shape of the ideal home electronic drums.

In this industry, where people used to believe that "small = cheap", we created the concept of "small but high quality", or as we like to say, mini MIGHTY.

This is why we keep our team small and elite.

Drummers > Technologies

Today, features that are not the essence of musical instruments, such as unstable wireless connections or transient subscription services, can become the product's catchphrase.

We provide the best drumsets for drummers who don’t need unnecessary features, while focusing resources on fast, accurate triggering and high-quality, consistently available sound.

With players in mind, we research and develop technologies that are truly necessary for our instruments.

The EFNOTE Sound

We record everything ourselves in Japan to get the ideal sound.

The character of our sound is warm, organic and human, the result of the utmost respect for acoustic drums, as opposed to other brands’s robotic, cold digital sounds.

The less confident the sound, the more specifications are touted, such as the number of tones and frequencies, but true players and engineers know that this is meaningless in music.

Listen, play, and experience it.

Our History

2018: Founded in Hamamatsu, Japan

2020: EFNOTE 5, EFNOTE 3 (2020)

2021: EFNOTE 7, EFNOTE 5X, EFNOTE 3X

2022: EFNOTE 7X, EFNOTE Tools App

2023: EFNOTE PRO

2024: EFNOTE mini, EFNOTE 3 Style-A/B

Message

Excellent products are made by excellent engineers.

Ef-Note Inc. was founded with the desire to create an environment where skilled, particular, and enthusiastic engineers can bring their power to the table and have their skills properly evaluated.

The essence of EFNOTE products is that they are "musical instruments".

The elements I prioritize in an instrument are a high-quality sound, the highest playability, and a beautiful finish. These are what motivate me to play the musical instrument.

If the number of sounds or abundant functions were my priority as a player, it is possible that these products might not satisfy me. To play a musical instrument, is to have a dialogue with the instrument. I believe that being able to produce your own sound and feel at will, is what will create your attachment to the instrument.

At Ef-Note Inc., we take advantage of the skills, experience, and sensibilities of each engineer, and spend time repeating trial and error to create a final product that we can be satisfied with.

All of these items are difficult to quantitatively evaluate, and cannot be produced by an impromptu team.

By spending time, not dictated by cost and delivery time, we transform electronic devices into musical instruments, creating instruments that will be loved for a long time, not one that fades over the years. Like your first guitar, it never goes away…

We are proud to say that there is no other electronic musical instrument manufacturer that can realize this policy. If you find a musical instrument that makes you lose track of time and become immersed in playing, your musical life will surely be enriched.

For those who are about to start playing "musical instruments".

For those who are thinking of starting to play musical instruments, especially children, we would like you to practice using real instruments that can be used for many years without being fooled by cheap items in the market.

We also hope that you not only play electronic musical instruments, but also acoustic musical instruments. Learning an instrument is difficult, but to overcome it, you need to feel the depth of the instrument. This is what allows a musician to become great.

EFNOTE products have been praised by famous musicians for their playing feel that is very similar to acoustic musical instruments. We recommend that you choose your musical instruments carefully so that your excitement and love do not fade down the road.

We support the future of musicians.

Sound Designer / CEO
Kazuaki Inoue

Interested in joining us?
(Residents of Japan only)

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