I have tracked the Recording Customs too. Like all the other Yamaha kits, they sounded great. The sizes you selected are great if a tight, punchy sound is desired. Depending upon the heads (top and bottom) they can go pretty deep sounding too.
Yamaha has consistently been some of the best sounding kits I have ever worked with, either in the studio, or in live situations. I highly recommend Yamaha drums over any other brands. Sure, I have worked with kit's from most other manufactures that have sounded good, but the Yamaha's are almost sure bets! Maybe it is that Yamaha's attract people with very discriminating tastes for drums, but the fact is, I just haven't heard a Yamaha kit that couldn't be tuned easily, and sounded great. Coincidently, Premiers have been the the one brand I have had the hardest time getting a good sound out of, live or in the studio. They sound only okay, but when the mics go on, they just don't cut it.
I am not impressed with Mapex. Have only heard one guy get them sounding decent.
Most Gretch kits sound wonderful.
DW's are hit and miss.
Pearls? Mostly, no thanks.
Ludwigs? Their smaller older drums sound pretty good.
Swingerland used to have some nice sounding kits. Are they even around anymore?
There is a company in the NW called Allegra. They look and sound a lot like DW's, but cost a lot less. I have tracked Allegra's quite a few times. Never had time to really get in and tune them well for a recording, so I cannot give them a full endorsement. But most of the local "hot shot" drummers are playing them, and live, I have heard them sounded very good. In particular, their snares and kick's sound very good. The tom's though seem to lack a certain "solid" sound.
Can't remember the model, but one of Tama's top of the line kits sound pretty good too. They are very expensive though.
Yamaha's are the sure bet. Old, new, whatever, they just have that "right sound".
Ed
