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I'm going to be putting together a drum kit, and I really want to have huge sound (think Dale Crover of Melvins). In my mind, one of the key parts to getting that sound is to go big. I'm thinking of getting the following sizes: 24x28 bass, a 18x18 floor tom, a 18x22 floor tom and a 16x16 tom.

However, I want to make sure that it will track well. I have no problem recording "regular sized" drums...but I'm concerned that a kit that is that big, while it might sound amazing in the room, will sound like crap on tape.

Does anyone have any experience with kits with large drums like that? Any suggestions and or warnings about getting a kit that large?

SacredAndProfane wrote:I'm going to be putting together a drum kit, and I really want to have huge sound (think Dale Crover of Melvins). In my mind, one of the key parts to getting that sound is to go big. I'm thinking of getting the following sizes: 24x28 bass, a 18x18 floor tom, a 18x22 floor tom and a 16x16 tom.

Where the hell are you going to get these??? 24x28 kick? Are you a lottery winner?

Crover uses a 16x24 kick if I remember. Live he would sometimes use no front head either. He hits harder than most humans are capable of.

Don't go bigger than a 15" rack or an 18" floor unless you want a boom-a-thon sloppy ass sound. Tuning, heads, and mics go a LONNNG way in getting a "big" sound.

Try clear two ply batter heads on the toms and kick, tuned as low as possible, with single ply bottom heads tuned just a touch higher than the batters.

Use as little muffling in the kick as possible. Rolled towels are nice. Don't use rings or plastic tray type mufflers.

Get bigger sticks. The bigger the thwack, the more air gets pushed.

Play/track in a bigger room. Simple but effective.

Our drummer has been playing my 70's Slingerland kit. it's a 24" kick, 14" tom and an 18" floor tom.

We took the front head off of the kick (it was a no-hole head) and it sounds fan-fucking-tastic.

He just put new clear two-ply heads on the toms and tuned them so that they too sound fan-fucking-tastic. They really sound huge.

No dampening in the kick, one little piece of gaff tape on the floor tom to cut town on some sustain.

Tuning and new heads made all the difference in the world. And if tuned right, the 18 makes me want to soil my shorts. Tuned poorly, it sounds like how soiled shorts smell. In other words, it seems to be very sensitive to tuning, more-so than smaller toms.

mtar

The shellac drums are 20, 12, 14. I think they sound pretty big.

But Dave Grohl recorded with really big drums, and they also sound pretty big.

bob

They do sound big.

in addition to bomberz1qr20's advice, i'd suggest learning to use rimshots all the time. it can be a little trickier with toms depending on how high the rims are seated, but that can make any drumset sound fuller, regardless of size.

Yeah, but I don't think you can hear the actual drum sounds on the Queens of the Stone Age....In my experience smaller well tuned drums sound better.....mmm well tuned drums sound better....drummers, please tune your drums....Thank you

24"x28" is overkill methinks.

I would recommend maybe a little more reasonable 16"x26" or 18"x28"

I had and old Radioking 14"x28" with a super thin shell. it was like a fucking cannon exploding... it was beautiful!

If I had to do it over again I think I could get away with a 14"x26". Hell even my 14"x18" sounds pretty huge when tuned right.

Take Luck,

Fuse wrote:Yeah, but I don't think you can hear the actual drum sounds on the Queens of the Stone Age....

I think Bob's probably talking about In Utero, since he was there in the building and all. I could be wrong about that.

I agree, though. Smaller drums are easier to tune for me at least.

Chris Garges
Charlotte, NC

I was being a smartass...I apologize I have nothing but respect for Dave Grohl. I just thought the QOTSA record was a little sound replacer-esque. Which is cool too...i.e. Garbage. Anyhoo small kick drums- yes....and learning the art of drum tuning - huge.