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Originally Posted by C/G  How would you compare your Vista to your maple 8" X 14". I'm a habitual 8" X 14" user and I'm trying to break the habit. |
The Vistalite has a brighter more open tone, more ring. The maple has a warmer, rounder tone. They both can be loud as hell and have a nice attack and punch - it's still a lot to do with 125 Hz and 250 Hz regardless of what the drum is made of. I can get as much range of pitch out of the 6 1/2" depth as I can out of the 8", unless you want that "floor tom with snares" sound, which I'm never going for anyway.
If you dampen the batter head with a moongel the drums start to sound more alike in a mix. It's more the ring that defines them to my ears. Unlike some other negative reports I've read on drum/recording forums, my Vistalites record very well - acrylic drums are not more difficult to record than maple or birch.
If you are using quality equipment, have a decent sounding room, and know how to tune drums, Acrylics are excellent in the studio. Really nice analog EQ helps, too. But then, it helps everything...