Now here’s where things get interesting… Crossrider, CyberGhost, and malware This lines up with the trend we’ve observed where VPNs get bought up by outside investors. Most recently, Kape bought ExpressVPN for nearly $1 billion, as well as a collection of VPN review websites. Later, in December 2019, Kape acquired Private Internet Access. Then in October 2018, Kape purchased Zenmate, a German VPN provider, for an undisclosed amount. In 2017, CyberGhost was acquired by an Israeli company called Crossrider for €9.2 million.Ĭrossrider changed its name to “Kape Technologies” in 2018 in a move to signal a shift to the privacy and security industry. However, that all changed when Knapp sold CyberGhost VPN to outside investors. That being said, there’s an interesting history with the ownership of the company and outside investors.ĬyberGhost was previously owned by Robert Knapp – a German tech entrepreneur – and based/operated out of Romania. Officially, CyberGhost operates under the company CyberGhost S.A. In the case of CyberGhost VPN, this research revealed some very interesting issues, which is where we will start… Who owns CyberGhost? Kape Technologies (formerly Crossrider) I've never seen a pedal with that type of clamp, but maybe they exist out the somewhere.After covering the pros and cons, we will examine some frequently-asked questions (FAQs) and discuss a few CyberGhost alternatives.Īs with all VPN reviews on Restore Privacy, I begin by thoroughly researching the parent company and the history of the VPN service. Then you could tilt the drum and the clamp could rotate on the pin to accommodate any angle the hoop might be sitting at. Instead of using the baseplate for the bottom of the clamp, how about using an aligator clip type clamp mounted on a pin/axle, the pin also passing through the hinge of the aligator clip. It was also at this point that I suggested to him a different type of clamp than the type usually found on a bass drum pedal. This he did, and that's why Vector pedals have a beaded baseplate now). He said he had considered that but was worried about how the baseplate might flex if players tilted their bass drum too much, thought the resulting tension was too big a problem, and elected to use a more malleable steel to avoid this problem (I also suggested he run a couple of beads down the edges of the baseplate to make it more rigid. During our conversations I suggested that maybe he make the baseplate out of spring steel. He is a very cool guy who appreciates feeback and we emailed back and forth for a while on this. I likened it to a bicycle with a frame that is not rigid enough, so energy is wasted everytime the frame flexes. The heel of the footboard was raising off the floor slightly during a stroke and the uprights would flex just very slightly back and away from the drum. After I played it for a while though, I noticed that the footboard was constantly flexing while the pedal was being played.
It was made of a soft type of steel that would conform to bending without springing back, so I just bent it back flat. My pedal showed up with the baseplate bent like a banana. I discussed this issue with Gunar (I think that was his name.Gunnar?) of Percussion Kinetics when I first got my Vector pedal. Even before I recently started tilting it more, I have always tilted my bass drum quite a bit, have never played one flat as Gatzen says it should be played, have done this for decades, and have never once warped a hoop on any of my kits. All this aside, my hoop isn't warped in the slightest anyway BECAUSE I'M NOT CLAMPING THE PEDAL DOWN ON IT (in case you didn't get that the first time).Īnyway, whatever.tilting the bass drum works for me. Besides, my bass drum projects more low end when I tune it up a bit anyway. I dont see that happening, especially on something as large and unprecice as a bass drum, but even if it did, it would not be to an extent that loosening the t-rods on the bottom of the drum wouldn't address anyway. A slight warp in the hoop affecting tuning or raising the pitch of the drum? Come on- that's a stretch now, isn't it. It's no more valid for me to proclaim that he shouldn't use those heads or tune his snare that way anymore than it is for him to tell me not to tilt my bass drum. Do his drums sound better than everyone else's? Personally, I think his snare sound is awful, but that's neither here nor there- thats my opimion based on my preference, nothing more. Why does there have to be ONE way that is the best and only proper way for everyone? That's the issue with a lot of his statements- he confuses opinion for fact. Then why is his bass drum tilted so much? Look behind him in the clip.