The Most Generic Kit Known to Rock.

[Loflyinjett]

I'm surprised to see 14 inch toms mentioned so much in this thread. Seems nowadays at least in my area most are using 12,16,18,22 sizes ... 1 high tom and 2 floors.

[The Pressman]

Originally Posted by Loflyinjett

I'm surprised to see 14 inch toms mentioned so much in this thread. Seems nowadays at least in my area most are using 12,16,18,22 sizes ... 1 high tom and 2 floors.

Hmm... This is one of my favourite configurations But at the moment I've just got a four-piece setup - 12 inch rack, and a 14 inch floor tom!

[Loflyinjett]

Originally Posted by The Pressman

Hmm... This is one of my favourite configurations But at the moment I've just got a four-piece setup - 12 inch rack, and a 14 inch floor tom!

Same for me actually except I've got a 16 instead of a 14. I like being able to place my ride where the 2nd tom would normally be. Having 2 on the floor opens the right side of the kit up for cymbals and whatnot IMO.

[Azure]

Originally Posted by DamoSyzygy

Any high quality kit with do the job. Try to go for thin shells if you can, as they tend to have a lower fundamental note.

Pay particular attention to what you're using for drumheads and how you're tuning them.

Brand is practically irrelevant.

+1
I now own or formerly have owned multiple high-end modern kits from a bunch of popular manufacturers: DW Collector's, Tama StarClassic, Pearl Reference, etc. When well tuned and played in a good room by someone that understands how to get the tone out of a drum, the differences are not all that meaningful or even apparent. In fact, my cheap Ludwig $1k Zep shell pack actually sounds better than the others on certain types of material.

Yes, snare material and sizes, and the dimensions of a kick, and choice of cymbals/hats are definitely important and will most greatly affect the character of a kit. But for toms, most drums with good edges and heads should work fine.

[More Kick Drum]

If I was walking into a studio to record drums on the house kit, I'd just hope that the kit was well maintained and had relatively good heads. As others have said, if the drummer is good and knows how to get the right tones through his playing then it doesn't matter much what brand the drums are, as long as they are high quality.

Some generic high quality (but not bank busting) drums that would be respectable for rock are DW Performance series, Pearl MCX, or the best generic would probably be the Yamaha Recording Custom drums (a bit more expensive but well worth the investment IMHO). But I'd be open to trying any drums in a studio though, if the engineers have gone through and found the best tuning/kit placement/mic placements for the room.

I'm surprised other people have said this too, but I'd prefer 10", 12", 14", 16" toms on a session, it's just so versatile for whatever your session might need. Having a good selection of cymbals is also a plus, if your going for Zildian A's then I think your going in the right direction.

[relayer]

You don't really say what your budget is. The new Yamaha PHX drums sound fantastic. I'm not sure what their price is, but I think most drummers would be impressed, and they have a very versatile sound.

Good luck.

Steve

[recordinghopkins]

If it's a house kit in a studio, I am a firm believer that the kit needs to feel like part of the room, like it belongs in your sanctuary of musical magic. Choose one whose colors match the other fixtures in the room and generally looks as good as it sounds. Aesthetics ARE important. A drummer's first impression as he walks into a session is an essential part of the energy he brings to the record. If the first thing he thinks is "I should have brought my kit" then you're already off to a bad start. Take care of your instruments. Dust them regularly. Use some 0000 gauge steel wool to shine the chrome (or have the intern do it). Polish your cymbals, and throw away drum heads that have tape residue and stick bead dents. Oil the squeaky parts. Get a good rug. Use hard lighting to show off those sexy curves. Dress your mic cables.

I'll let everyone else comment on tone and tuning - obvious stuff. Take care of that for sure, but musicians need to walk in and immediately be confident that they are about to make some great music. Wow factor is a significant variable in that. Don't go generic, go with quality.

Rock drums are typically 12", 13", 14", 16" toms, 22" kick, 14x8 snare.

[The Pressman]

Originally Posted by recordinghopkins

If it's a house kit in a studio, I am a firm believer that the kit needs to feel like part of the room, like it belongs in your sanctuary of musical magic. Choose one whose colors match the other fixtures in the room and generally looks as good as it sounds. Aesthetics ARE important. A drummer's first impression as he walks into a session is an essential part of the energy he brings to the record. If the first thing he thinks is "I should have brought my kit" then you're already off to a bad start. Take care of your instruments. Dust them regularly. Use some 0000 gauge steel wool to shine the chrome (or have the intern do it). Polish your cymbals, and throw away drum heads that have tape residue and stick bead dents. Oil the squeaky parts. Get a good rug. Use hard lighting to show off those sexy curves. Dress your mic cables.

I'll let everyone else comment on tone and tuning - obvious stuff. Take care of that for sure, but musicians need to walk in and immediately be confident that they are about to make some great music. Wow factor is a significant variable in that. Don't go generic, go with quality.

Rock drums are typically 12", 13", 14", 16" toms, 22" kick, 14x8 snare.

Wow, great advice!

Never happened to me at a recording session, but once I turned up to a gig where I was told a drum kit would be provided. I turned up to the soundcheck, feeling pretty happy that I didn't have to lug my whole kit with me this time...

But as soon as I walked in I saw the kit - it looked horrible: dirty cymbals, scratched shells, mis-matched hardware, spots of rust, etc. And you're completely right - my first thought was "Oh god... I've made a terrible mistake..." I asked the manager if that was the kit for the night. He said it was, but assured me it sounded pretty good, despite how it looked.

Thankfully, it actually did sound quite good, and had just had a new set of heads put on, and was tuned well. But that first impression was almost enough to make me walk out again, and I always become suspicious when someone has to convince me that their drums/amp/guitar/whatever will actually sound good. I want to walk in and know I'm dealing with a quality product.

I've never thought of the same thing applying in a recording session though - probably because it hasn't happened to me yet! Hahah. So again, great advice!

[recordinghopkins]

Thanks!

Full disclosure: I'm a drummer.

Here's the kit I offer for sessions. 1998 Pearl Export Select, Leedy & Ludwig 1953 maple snare. All in pristine shape and well maintained. That reminds me, one of the floor tom leg clamps needs replacing. And on a tangent, when I changed the legs to the floating rubber feet instead of solid rubber that came on them, it was like a whole new world. The single easiest and least expensive thing I ever did to improve a drum's sound. Part number is Pearl R-40/3. Coming from the original feet, part number R-5/3.

Originally Posted by The Pressman

Wow, great advice!

Never happened to me at a recording session, but once I turned up to a gig where I was told a drum kit would be provided. I turned up to the soundcheck, feeling pretty happy that I didn't have to lug my whole kit with me this time...

But as soon as I walked in I saw the kit - it looked horrible: dirty cymbals, scratched shells, mis-matched hardware, spots of rust, etc. And you're completely right - my first thought was "Oh god... I've made a terrible mistake..." I asked the manager if that was the kit for the night. He said it was, but assured me it sounded pretty good, despite how it looked.

Thankfully, it actually did sound quite good, and had just had a new set of heads put on, and was tuned well. But that first impression was almost enough to make me walk out again, and I always become suspicious when someone has to convince me that their drums/amp/guitar/whatever will actually sound good. I want to walk in and know I'm dealing with a quality product.

I've never thought of the same thing applying in a recording session though - probably because it hasn't happened to me yet! Hahah. So again, great advice!

[DannyMac]

95% of session drummers I know have either a Yamaha custom, dw custom or sometimes a pearl masterworks