A diverser sounding kit?

[Mongoo]

Hi, I need to get a kit for my studio. I'm looking at spending $3000 MAX for everything Drum, Cymbols, Harware, etc..

Really want I want is something that can be used for as many styles as possible, heavy and soft. Could you tell me, from your experiance, what would be some good drum demensions, shell wood, brand/models, cymbol types that I should take a good look at.

My goal is to use the kit primarily for recording, but thats not to say I won't ever take it out for a gig.

Thanks

Mongoo

 

[Farview]

All of this is subjective but here I go. Go with a Maple kit, they can get a good sound in almost every genre. 22X18 kick, punchy yet deep enough. Now this is probably just me but, I think that, for the most part, even diameter (10, 12' ,14', 16', 18') tend to sound better. When everyone had oversized kits in the '80s, there was always 1 tom that defied tuning and it was always an odd size (11', 13', 15') For a studio aplication, shallow toms are a better choice. You have to custom order anything deep these days anyway. You will want a bunch of snares, from shallow to deep, metal to wood. I like the Zidjian A custom cymbals for overall niceness. hope this helps.

 

[mikeh]

Fairview had good comments - I may slightly disagree, but this is all subjective.

I like a 20x18 kick (vs. a 22") which I think allows more control in the studio. I agree with even size shells - with a 10X10, 12x10 & 14x14. I don't think you need more toms. More toms = more mics = more problems. Smaller shells can be controlled better and if needed can be tuned up or down for a brighter or deeper sound.

While many drummer prefer Maple - I actually like the way Birch records (at least for pop & country). Birch has a little more attack. Maple is great for jazz and heavier rock tones. I own both a Mapel & a Birch kit - my best set up is the BIrch kick with Maple toms.

I would likely suggest a standard 14X5 1/2 Maple snare. I do not like steel snares (too loud, too bright, etc).

For cymbals the key is smaller, thin crash cymbals (for a quick attack and fast decay) larger crash cymbals can sound to much like "a gong" and take too long to delay. Buy the best cymbals you can afford. Mid priced drums can be made to sound better with proper tuning, better heads, etc. - but crap cymbals always sound like crap.

Hardware - if it's just in the studio, you don't need heavy duty triple braced stands. Single braced should be find. Don't cut corners on the kick pedal or the hi-hat. These must wook well, because they require technique (which can be compromised with cheap pedals.

Try to by a decent drum throne. A $25 hrone will not be sturdy, will not be comfortable and will not provide the support a drummer needs for good four way coordination.

 

[Farview]

More slight disagreement. The problem with square sized shells (besides the expense and wait time for a special order) is that if you get a drummer that doesn't hit very hard, the tom will do nothing. The shallow shells are friendlier to the most people. I'm not saying that because I like those toms, I have 2 kits, 1 has square sizes 12x12 14x14 16x16 18x16 24x20x2 and the other 12x10 14x12 16x16 18x16 22x18x2, so I like big toms, but not everyone can play my kits.
His advise on the cymbals was right on.
I disagree (kind of) on what he said about the snare. The Ludwig supraphonic is the most recorded snare ever, and its metal. But you really can't go wrong with a maple either, I have some of each, you should too.
There is no right or wrong with this. You should really think about what kind of clients will be playing this and build one that caters to them.

 

[OneArmedScissor]

You could either pick up a Yamaha Recording Custom set, which I think are around $2,000, or the higher end birch sets of about any other brand, for around $1,500. Most people record on birch, so I would imagine that is the most "versatile." You really do not want excessively large toms, like 18"ers. A fusion set probably would be better, for the reasons that were already described. They don't require hard hitting for a clear, powerful sound, so you always get the maximum potential instead of just a fading "boom" noise. That makes them sound "bigger," because the mics perceive it that way due to proximity.

Zildjian As and Ks would be good for recording. I am not really familiar with Sabian or Paiste cymbals, although I have seen lots of pictures of studios using them. The thinner ones are ideal so that the attack is quick with little decay so that nothing spills over into other mics, and so there isn't mud from the cymbals fading out non-stop. You probably just want some normal size, general purpose high hats around 14", 16" and 18" crashes, and whatever ride works best. It could be beneficial to use a crashable ride. Since you don't want really heavy cymbals, a lot of the rides you would be looking at would fit the bill. For cheap, and since they are likely to break with lots of different people using them and hitting them different ways, you could just get Wuhan chinas and splashes for some extra stuff and the versatility you may need. Those things are ridiculously cheap, like $20-30 each, and you can just destroy them instead of wasting hundreds of dollars from the big brand's versions.

In other words, you want everything to have a lot of attack, and then disappear fairly quickly. You also don't want a massive set, but to keep your options open with as little and effective of a setup as possible.