Best drum set for home studio

[empire_of_one]

I'm not a drummer (not a very good one anyway) but I am looking for a drumkit for my home studio. I'm looking for a good quality kit for recording only (no live use), 5pc. standard kit w/ hardware, for about $1500 give or take a couple hundred. Mainly for rock and pop types of music, though it should be versatile enough to handle the occasional jazz, blues, folk, etc. I've listed the 4 best kits i've been able to find so far, but I'm open to suggestions.
Thanks.

 

[elevate]

Seems like any of those kits would be a good choice. Out of the bunch, I'm partial to Pearl, but that's just me. As long as the kit responds well to different types of heads and tunings, then you should be all good.

 

[battleminnow]

I have never been an avid fan of Pearl sets, but I have learned over time why I always pick them. It is definately a love-hate relationship

My Session Select kicks the crap out of any set I have heard. It is a precurser to the SRX, but I think the specs are similar. I just wish they looked cooler...

Pete

 

[Magpie99]

Does your budget include cymbals, or it is for the drums only? If you have to include both, go for cheaper drums tuned well with good heads and splurge on the cymbals. Two suggestions: the Yamaha Stage Custom sounds pretty darn good with coated 2 ply heads, and www.conawaydrums.com is selling complete Keller maple shell kits for well under $1000.

If you have the whole $1500 for drums, my favorite of the choices you've listed are the Starclassic Performers. The die cast hoops on the toms will dry out the sound some, but for recording, that and the birch shells will give a "EQ'd" sound, if that's what you're looking for. The Starclassic Performers are now available in a covered finished, which brings your cost down.

 

[maddrummer]

Hey man check out Premeir Gen-X. Amazing!!!! But just remember that the tuning of the drums is what's gonna make or break your recording. I have heard some pretty cheap drums sound damn good, so good luck

 

[empire_of_one]

tama, conaway

i've been hearing a lot about the conaway drums on the harmony central forums, and they sound like good drums at a great price, but i don't know that i want to go the custom route at the moment. i'm really hoping to buy through a local store for the ease of resolving any potential problems and not having to wait the couple months or so that a custom built kit will take.
based on what i've been hearing on this and other forums, i have to say i'm leaning towards the tama sc birch sets at this stage. if i was looking for a live kit i would be more interested in maple, but birch sounds like the way to go for pure studio work.
i still haven't heard much about the gretsch renown though, which i'm still interested in getting more opinions on.
thanks for the help so far...

 

[empire_of_one]

cymbals

oh yeah, the $1500 is an approx. figure for drums w/ hardware. if i settled on a kit that was too much, i might go down to a 4pc. instead of a 5pc. and add a 3rd tom later.
i'll probably pick up another snare too, esp. if i go with a birch kit because i'd still like to have a maple snare. i want to have a few snare options.
i'm expecting to spend about $500 on cymbals, consisting of hihats, a ride and 1 crash. i might add a 2nd crash later, but for the mean time i'm looking for a simple, basic kit for recording duties. extra toms, cymbals and snares can come later when i know more exactly what i need for the kit.

 

[elevate]

Whenever you're looking for optional snares, I would recommend one of the OCDP snares. They have lots of unique options like large vents, 20, 30, and even 40 ply snares. I've got a 5x14 10 ply maple snare with 4 2" vents and I'm very pleased with it. It has a unique sound and is incredibly loud - the loudest snare I've ever heard.

 

[rockinjc]

I wonder about the merits of just getting an electronic drum set for the studio rather than a conventional kit. If your budget is around 1500 dollars and you consider, mics, cords, stands, baffles and channels on a mixer needed to support a "real drum kit". You might be able to afford a very nice electronic drum set.

The fact you are not into using it live is another clue. An electronic kit is more easily isolated from other instruments and the quality of samples available lately is astounding. Unless you are getting into a drum kit for the sport of mic'ing it, or you have drummers coming in that are adverse to such a thing, I think it is a pretty cool way to go.

I know this kid who uses triggers and a Roland percussion box on his kit for live use and he gets pro studio sound out of his drums at the shows with very little fuss and no mics. Believe me, his sound is head and shoulders above the competition.

But… if I were going to purchase an acoustic kit with your budget, I would look long and hard at picking up a small used kit of brand and renown from the '70s.

My .02
john

 

[JimJoe]

I would give RockinJc's advise some serious consideration, but of course it depends on what your plans for recording are? Just yourself? Other Bands/musicians?
We have small studio with a DW Kit and a set of rolands. Many bands I've recorded, and because the sound of the snare is soo important, we end up laying down a "snare" track of the rolands and because you get a "perfect" snare sound (which is usually great for the snare but not necessarily for all the drums), the roland snare track usually ends up in the final mix.
If you didnt go with a roland kit, I would also maybe look at better kits used for that price. The only time I would buy a kit new and pay "retail" is if it were going to be "my" kit, played only be me and it was going to be my baby for a long time.
On the lower end kits, you can get a great sound but as with all kits, pay very close attention to the heads you use and how you tune them. Your heads and tuning will have twenty million times more of an effect on the drums sound than maple vs birch vs this ply and that ply.

 

[Dave52]

Thumbs up for an Ekit...!

I have the Yamaha DTX Ekit, and for a home studio it works out really well... It is very, very hard to get a good drum sound in a bedroom or wherever, but with the Ekit - no problems.

You just have to convince the drummer to use it..!

Dave.

 

[Axis]

check out obolisk drums Those have an amazing sound.

 

[DWdrummer]

best drums.

I'm going to go with DW!! I've played several drum sets while recording and I find that the DW's give you the best sound in My opinion. But my second choice would be Premier Signias series or something like that!!