Author Topic: beginner looking for first drumset. DM8 usb kit, dm8 pro kit, or DM10 studio kit  (Read 20589 times)

Offline j_t

Hey everyone! I am looking to get into playing drums (very little experience with hitting around a acoustic set at a friends house) and I have been in the market for a new drum set. I want to get me a electric drum set because I don't want to make too much noise. I am currently looking at the dm8 usb kit, dm8 pro kit and the dm10 studio kit... I am going to be using a double bass pedal, the type of genre I am going to play is metal, I am not going to be hooking it up to a computer through usb, and I may take it out for small little gigs nothing big but if it's not recommended I have no problem keeping the set at home only.....My questions are-

1. Which one do you recommend?

2. Why can't the dm10 studio kit be used for small gigging for fun?

3. I know I am just a beginner but I would like the kit to last me as I get better, will the dm10 benefit me in the long run?

4. I am worried about the problems I have read on setting these up, is it really a lot of trouble? It's making me have second thoughts on getting a electric drum set.

I am mostly interested in those three kits, I am placing my order this week, any advice you all can share with me about these kits would be very awesome! I was also looking at the yamaha dtxexplorer and the yamaha DTX500K but they look pretty plain, should I stay away from these?

Thanks in advance!  ;D

Offline pbear5

1. i only have experience with the DM8 pro (and more experience with a Yamaha Dtxpress kit which i improved with Pintech mesh pads) and it is a really nice kit.  the size of the pads (8,10,12 inch toms w/ 12 inch snare) was key to me--once i moved from 8" rubber pads to 10 & 12" Pintechs that was it.  the RealHead pads are very nice--i am using a mesh head (Pintech) for my snare but i did test the RealHead first and it worked great i just wanted to use what i had to expand the kit. 

2. as far as potential for gigging all three use the same rack so it's only a matter of transporting the pads.  the racks don't have memory locks at the joints to aid setting up but you could just mark the joints so that you can set up quickly.  the sound of all three would be the same and you could definitely play gigs with an of them.

3. because of the size of the pads, i think the DM8 pro has the edge for growing with you as you progress. 

4. there is a learning curve for tweaking electronic drums for the best performance but i don't think it's any more difficult than getting an acoustic kit up and running.  acoustic drums need to be tuned and, if you want to record, mic'd up and mixed.  with the DM8 pro i was able to play right out of the box but, because i had experience with setting up my Yamaha kit, i was able to tune the module to my personal taste over the next week or so.  you can always just play the kit but, as you do, you'll notice some behaviors that you would like to tune.  take the time to read about the different External Trigger settings and what they do, make gradual adjustments.

Yamaha: my experience with Yamaha wasn't great but the kit you are looking at is much more advanced than my old dtxpress.  the rubberized pads that i had didn't feel natural at all and the sounds were pretty lame.  i would consider other brands before Yamaha--even the way they set up the rack and drums makes it difficult to get a natural layout.

you mentioned that you don't want to make too much noise and that is my one concern with the DM8 pro and DM10 studio.  the RealHead pads are noisier than rubber or mesh pads.  i would compare the acoustic sound to hitting a book with the drumstick and the kick pad gets a lot of complaints for being too loud.

Offline j_t

Thanks for the info on the DM8! I was thinking about getting this one or the DM10. I like the sizes of the DM8 but then the DM10 comes with the extra cymbal and pad and it's sort of why I was aiming for the studio kit but I do like the DM8 as well, they both seem like good sets. I don't know which one to choose lol. I have looked at both and compared but I still don't know. Is the DM8 expandable if I want to add more cymbals and pads to it?



1. i only have experience with the DM8 pro (and more experience with a Yamaha Dtxpress kit which i improved with Pintech mesh pads) and it is a really nice kit.  the size of the pads (8,10,12 inch toms w/ 12 inch snare) was key to me--once i moved from 8" rubber pads to 10 & 12" Pintechs that was it.  the RealHead pads are very nice--i am using a mesh head (Pintech) for my snare but i did test the RealHead first and it worked great i just wanted to use what i had to expand the kit. 

2. as far as potential for gigging all three use the same rack so it's only a matter of transporting the pads.  the racks don't have memory locks at the joints to aid setting up but you could just mark the joints so that you can set up quickly.  the sound of all three would be the same and you could definitely play gigs with an of them.

3. because of the size of the pads, i think the DM8 pro has the edge for growing with you as you progress. 

4. there is a learning curve for tweaking electronic drums for the best performance but i don't think it's any more difficult than getting an acoustic kit up and running.  acoustic drums need to be tuned and, if you want to record, mic'd up and mixed.  with the DM8 pro i was able to play right out of the box but, because i had experience with setting up my Yamaha kit, i was able to tune the module to my personal taste over the next week or so.  you can always just play the kit but, as you do, you'll notice some behaviors that you would like to tune.  take the time to read about the different External Trigger settings and what they do, make gradual adjustments.

Yamaha: my experience with Yamaha wasn't great but the kit you are looking at is much more advanced than my old dtxpress.  the rubberized pads that i had didn't feel natural at all and the sounds were pretty lame.  i would consider other brands before Yamaha--even the way they set up the rack and drums makes it difficult to get a natural layout.

you mentioned that you don't want to make too much noise and that is my one concern with the DM8 pro and DM10 studio.  the RealHead pads are noisier than rubber or mesh pads.  i would compare the acoustic sound to hitting a book with the drumstick and the kick pad gets a lot of complaints for being too loud.

Offline DrumBumWoody

I don't have the DM8 but I have the DM7 and DM10.
The DM8 looks like the DM7 with a fixed input cable which means no expansion what so ever. I could be wrong, but go on the Alesis site and dowload the Operators manual and you will see what I mean. I acutally really like my DM7 and have used it for many live gigs but have now gone with the DM10 which has a lot more flexibility and expansion capabilities. Hope that helps with your decision.
DM10x2 Pro with surge cyms + additional surge crash and tom + Roland PD125 snare + Roland KD120 Kick with Iron Cobra double pedals, all with mesh heads(HellFire conversion - BBIII), DM7 USB, USB Pro, Trigger I/O, Tama percussion, Conga's, Bongo's, Roto Toms, cow bell and block.

Offline drumday

Two excellent replies.  Two weeks ago, I was in the same quandry.  I went with the DM10 Studio.  I hope Alesis eventually sells the 10" & 12" toms of the DM8 so I can swap out the 8".  PBear5 makes a very compelling point about the size graduation feature of the DM8.  I wanted expandability to closely match what I usually play acoustically, and I also wanted the rubber cymbals because of the tap-tap sound of the Surge cymbals (which I really like the look of).  I think that  DBW is correct abbout the expandability, AND I think that the DM8 is not dual trigger on all toms.  Somebody else, please confirm.

I've been playing for 30+ yrs and firgure this is my last drum set purchase.  You, however, have plenty of growth opportutnity and technology will change, just like it does on PCs.  I'd put expandability pretty low on my list if I were you; being a good drummer isn't going to happen overnight, and a 4 pc kit will be better to learn how to play drums on, before you start going wild with a bunch of stuff.  Besides, although the DM10 Studio is my last kit, it is my sixth...
DM10 Studio 2011, BBII mesh conversion w/ resistors left in place, Simmons DA200S, ProMark 7A nylon, Sennheiser HD280 headphones, Gibraltar rack, Camco double pedal.

Offline j_t

I have heard a lot of good things about the DM7 and DM10.... Right now I am leaning towards the DM7 because I heard that kit has given people a lot of less problems with the crosstalk and any other problems in general... I am very  hesitant about getting the DM10 studio because I see a lot of people complaining about the drum pads not being responsive after being used for some time and they have to open them and re-solder the inside padding.. Is that usually a big problem with the DM10's? Do you think the DM7 would last me longer since the pads are rubber? I was thinking of getting a DM7 now for learning and then getting a DM10 or something when I get better and just expand it with my DM7 etc... This is such a hard decision!! lol.... I am going to be ordering them tomorrow and I am still trying to decide... Honestly I really like the dm10 studio kit but I am just worried about having to tear them apart of have problems with it while playing live.

Offline j_t

by the way, does the dm7 sound realistic? I also saw that they have a dm8 with rubber drum pads as well instead of the realistic head ones.

Offline drumday

I didn't read anything about DM10 pads failing after use.  I am aware of the Tom1 issue (Alesis' customer orientation in getting it fixed pleased me), as well as the Tom4 work around.  Can't speak to its reliability since I just got it Friday!  I feel no regrets at all because it's the right kit for me.

DM7 tom pads & ride cymbal are single zone, not dual, if that's important to you.  I needed that feature.  And I wanted the real feel heads, not rubber, because that's what suited me too.  Big price difference between DM7 & DM10, and that's a major consideration, especially if you also need to buy an amp, and bass pedal, etc.
DM10 Studio 2011, BBII mesh conversion w/ resistors left in place, Simmons DA200S, ProMark 7A nylon, Sennheiser HD280 headphones, Gibraltar rack, Camco double pedal.

Offline pbear5

the dm8 is expandable but not to the extent of the dm10.  first thing about the dm8 that i didn't mention (because it doesn't effect me really) is that the tom and hat inputs are not dual zone--no rim sounds on toms no edge sounds on hi-hat (not sure if the dm10 supports that either).  so that limits the expandability because you couldn’t split those off if you wanted to-dm10 inputs are all dual zone so that’s 20 inputs whether they are on the same pad or not.  Beyond the cable snake the dm8 has two ¼” inputs (perc 1 & perc 2) which are dual zone BUT if you want to use the edge sound on the ride that eats up perc1.  You can do the same with the crash (three-zone) but that will eat up perc 2 (and you have to bring your own cable?.)  For my kit I chose to forgo the edge sound on the ride, added three of my Yamaha single-zone cymbal pads (splash, crash 2, china) and my Pintech snare (moving the Alesis snare to the rack for a 4th single-zone tom.)  this pad setup and some variations on kits in Superior I think I have everything that I need but everyone’s needs vary.

Offline j_t

sorry I should of been more clear about the failing part. I was reading that since you use the snare a lot that it wears out some foam inside it that it eventually it stops responding to the hits or they start to respond to the hits in access like if you hit it once it will sound two or three times or something won't trigger.. I heard that you have to open it up to replace the foam so it can trigger correctly again? I am not sure if I have that correct.

I was wondering, what is the difference between single and dual zone? Sorry for all the questions, I just want to make sure I get the right kit. I want to get the dm10 studio kit but I want something I can play with without having to worry about replacing something so quickly.

I love the way the dm8 pro kit looks, it looks awesome but I am just worried if it has the same problem as the dm10 with crosstalk, the tom 1, or the whole pad issue not triggering correctly..

I did see that the dm7 usb kit and dm8 usb kit are similar just different modules? which one sounds better?

Does the dm7 sound decent for recording and live use? I am purchasing my edrum set tomorrow! I am excited to be honest. I just have the worst luck, I always seem to be stuck with things that don't work lol. Everything I touch just breaks lol





I didn't read anything about DM10 pads failing after use.  I am aware of the Tom1 issue (Alesis' customer orientation in getting it fixed pleased me), as well as the Tom4 work around.  Can't speak to its reliability since I just got it Friday!  I feel no regrets at all because it's the right kit for me.

DM7 tom pads & ride cymbal are single zone, not dual, if that's important to you.  I needed that feature.  And I wanted the real feel heads, not rubber, because that's what suited me too.  Big price difference between DM7 & DM10, and that's a major consideration, especially if you also need to buy an amp, and bass pedal, etc.
« Last Edit: May 31, 2011, 05:42:06 PM by j_t »

Offline j_t

dont know what a hit on the edge of a high hat sounds I always thought it could only hit one way lol.. My knowledge in drums in horrible but I kinda understand. So I am guessing you have the dm8 kit? If so, do you have a picture of how its setup right now?




the dm8 is expandable but not to the extent of the dm10.  first thing about the dm8 that i didn't mention (because it doesn't effect me really) is that the tom and hat inputs are not dual zone--no rim sounds on toms no edge sounds on hi-hat (not sure if the dm10 supports that either).  so that limits the expandability because you couldn’t split those off if you wanted to-dm10 inputs are all dual zone so that’s 20 inputs whether they are on the same pad or not.  Beyond the cable snake the dm8 has two ¼” inputs (perc 1 & perc 2) which are dual zone BUT if you want to use the edge sound on the ride that eats up perc1.  You can do the same with the crash (three-zone) but that will eat up perc 2 (and you have to bring your own cable?.)  For my kit I chose to forgo the edge sound on the ride, added three of my Yamaha single-zone cymbal pads (splash, crash 2, china) and my Pintech snare (moving the Alesis snare to the rack for a 4th single-zone tom.)  this pad setup and some variations on kits in Superior I think I have everything that I need but everyone’s needs vary.

Offline drumday

Dual zone on the toms means that you can trigger a sound from the head and a different one from the rim.  Think of this as triggers, not drums or rims or cymbals.  A dual zone tom I can assign a tom sound that gets triggered off the head, and assign a cowbell sound to the rim that will trigger when I hit it.  On tom 2, I can do the same and assign a second cowbell, on tom 3 assgin a 3rd cowbell off the rim...  Never can have too much cowbell.

And the dual zone toms come with rubber impact rings that can go over the rims so you don't get a clicking sound.

Do you really have to buy this tomorrow?  I'd suggest more research, ask more questions.  I think I took at least a week before I decided to get mine! ;D
DM10 Studio 2011, BBII mesh conversion w/ resistors left in place, Simmons DA200S, ProMark 7A nylon, Sennheiser HD280 headphones, Gibraltar rack, Camco double pedal.

Offline j_t

OOOOh I see what you mean.. I don't think I'll be using a cowbell anytime soon lol.. I think...I have been wanting a set since december of 2010. I started researching this month and finally settled between the alesis dm7,dm8 and dm10... But now though I am certain Its between the dm7, dm8 usb kit or the dm8 pro kit... But just for clarification;

1. If I do get the DM8 will I be able to add an extra tom and two cymbals?

2. as for the dm8 pro kit owners, did you guys have a lot of trouble with it? have they been playing great since you bought them? is there any horrible crosstalk or trigger problems when hitting anything? what are the biggest issues with the dm8?






Dual zone on the toms means that you can trigger a sound from the head and a different one from the rim.  Think of this as triggers, not drums or rims or cymbals.  A dual zone tom I can assign a tom sound that gets triggered off the head, and assign a cowbell sound to the rim that will trigger when I hit it.  On tom 2, I can do the same and assign a second cowbell, on tom 3 assgin a 3rd cowbell off the rim...  Never can have too much cowbell.

And the dual zone toms come with rubber impact rings that can go over the rims so you don't get a clicking sound.

Do you really have to buy this tomorrow?  I'd suggest more research, ask more questions.  I think I took at least a week before I decided to get mine! ;D

Offline pbear5

dont know what a hit on the edge of a high hat sounds I always thought it could only hit one way lol.. My knowledge in drums in horrible but I kinda understand. So I am guessing you have the dm8 kit? If so, do you have a picture of how its setup right now?

here it is.  my room is very narrow so i'm limited in what i can show. 









the dm8 is expandable but not to the extent of the dm10.  first thing about the dm8 that i didn't mention (because it doesn't effect me really) is that the tom and hat inputs are not dual zone--no rim sounds on toms no edge sounds on hi-hat (not sure if the dm10 supports that either).  so that limits the expandability because you couldn’t split those off if you wanted to-dm10 inputs are all dual zone so that’s 20 inputs whether they are on the same pad or not.  Beyond the cable snake the dm8 has two ¼” inputs (perc 1 & perc 2) which are dual zone BUT if you want to use the edge sound on the ride that eats up perc1.  You can do the same with the crash (three-zone) but that will eat up perc 2 (and you have to bring your own cable?.)  For my kit I chose to forgo the edge sound on the ride, added three of my Yamaha single-zone cymbal pads (splash, crash 2, china) and my Pintech snare (moving the Alesis snare to the rack for a 4th single-zone tom.)  this pad setup and some variations on kits in Superior I think I have everything that I need but everyone’s needs vary.
« Last Edit: May 31, 2011, 08:50:14 PM by pbear5 »

Offline j_t





wow thats awesome. So I see that you added some cymbals and moved your snare and used it as a tom. Did you have to do any sort of wire cutting or anything like that to use those extra cymbals and tom? or did they just plug in and thats it?

how do you like the kit so far? any problems with it?

can people do the mesh head conversion for the dm8 as well? or is that only the dm10?....







dont know what a hit on the edge of a high hat sounds I always thought it could only hit one way lol.. My knowledge in drums in horrible but I kinda understand. So I am guessing you have the dm8 kit? If so, do you have a picture of how its setup right now?

here it is.  my room is very narrow so i'm limited in what i can show. 









the dm8 is expandable but not to the extent of the dm10.  first thing about the dm8 that i didn't mention (because it doesn't effect me really) is that the tom and hat inputs are not dual zone--no rim sounds on toms no edge sounds on hi-hat (not sure if the dm10 supports that either).  so that limits the expandability because you couldn’t split those off if you wanted to-dm10 inputs are all dual zone so that’s 20 inputs whether they are on the same pad or not.  Beyond the cable snake the dm8 has two ¼” inputs (perc 1 & perc 2) which are dual zone BUT if you want to use the edge sound on the ride that eats up perc1.  You can do the same with the crash (three-zone) but that will eat up perc 2 (and you have to bring your own cable?.)  For my kit I chose to forgo the edge sound on the ride, added three of my Yamaha single-zone cymbal pads (splash, crash 2, china) and my Pintech snare (moving the Alesis snare to the rack for a 4th single-zone tom.)  this pad setup and some variations on kits in Superior I think I have everything that I need but everyone’s needs vary.

Offline drumday

Yep, you can do the mesh head conversion on the DM8; it uses the same real feel heads as the DM10.

And PBear5's rig is pretty darn cool.  Lots of hours and some additional expense, and it's certainly paid off.  I love 3 mounted toms.  PB5 - any way to add another floor or are you maxed out?  Space would be an issue, unless you put the sanre on a stand and used the snare bar as an extension for another floor.
DM10 Studio 2011, BBII mesh conversion w/ resistors left in place, Simmons DA200S, ProMark 7A nylon, Sennheiser HD280 headphones, Gibraltar rack, Camco double pedal.

Offline j_t

but in order to add the extra tom and cymbals like he did would I have to cut anything? or just plug it in?



Yep, you can do the mesh head conversion on the DM8; it uses the same real feel heads as the DM10.

And PBear5's rig is pretty darn cool.  Lots of hours and some additional expense, and it's certainly paid off.  I love 3 mounted toms.  PB5 - any way to add another floor or are you maxed out?  Space would be an issue, unless you put the sanre on a stand and used the snare bar as an extension for another floor.

Offline pbear5





wow thats awesome. So I see that you added some cymbals and moved your snare and used it as a tom. Did you have to do any sort of wire cutting or anything like that to use those extra cymbals and tom? or did they just plug in and thats it?

how do you like the kit so far? any problems with it?

no wire cutting required  :)  (see my comments about the limits of expandability of the DM8) you just need some form of 1/4" stereo plug "Y" to 1/4" mono plugs long enough to reach the pads.  you do have to change the Ride trigger input from 3-zone to 2-zone operation (including adding dummy 1/4" stereo plug--i used one of those headphone adapter plugs but any TRS plug should work.)  i really like it so far.  it's very solid, the realheads feel great and the included cymbals are really nice.  the crappy Yamaha stuff that i added are good enough for accent cymbals but they are nothing special.








Offline j_t

Thanks!!!!! I think I am going for the dm8 pro kit!!!









wow thats awesome. So I see that you added some cymbals and moved your snare and used it as a tom. Did you have to do any sort of wire cutting or anything like that to use those extra cymbals and tom? or did they just plug in and thats it?

how do you like the kit so far? any problems with it?

no wire cutting required  :)  (see my comments about the limits of expandability of the DM8) you just need some form of 1/4" stereo plug "Y" to 1/4" mono plugs long enough to reach the pads.  you do have to change the Ride trigger input from 3-zone to 2-zone operation (including adding dummy 1/4" stereo plug--i used one of those headphone adapter plugs but any TRS plug should work.)  i really like it so far.  it's very solid, the realheads feel great and the included cymbals are really nice.  the crappy Yamaha stuff that i added are good enough for accent cymbals but they are nothing special.

Offline j_t

what do you guys recommend for a double bass pedal? Im a beginner so should i spend a lot for one? or should I stay between a certain price range?

Offline pbear5

Yep, you can do the mesh head conversion on the DM8; it uses the same real feel heads as the DM10.

And PBear5's rig is pretty darn cool.  Lots of hours and some additional expense, and it's certainly paid off.  I love 3 mounted toms.  PB5 - any way to add another floor or are you maxed out?  Space would be an issue, unless you put the sanre on a stand and used the snare bar as an extension for another floor.

Thanks!! space-wise it would be tight for another floor tom.  i had planned to expand the rack with some parts from my Yamaha rack but a 6-piece with dbl pedal meets my needs and three rack toms was more important to me (that and i still need to be able to walk around it not over it.)  i was told that 3 rack toms wouldn't fit but a little creative angling and it works just fine and feels very natural.  i am also out of inputs so, for another floor tom, i would have to give up the snare rim, a cymbal pad or use an expansion module (my Yamaha would work) but that's just more complexity than i wanted--the one thing about expansion modules is that you can't control cross-talk between modules.  sacrificing the 3-zone ride wasn't an easy choice but i haven't missed it at all.

Offline pbear5

what do you guys recommend for a double bass pedal? Im a beginner so should i spend a lot for one? or should I stay between a certain price range?

this was my first double-bass pedal so i had the same issue--spend $99 or $499?  the Mapex Raptor double-bass came out at roughly the same time as the DM8 Pro and, @ $269, it was priced in the middle of the range and seemed to be a good value so i pre-ordered both.  i like it so far but i'm not a double-bass expert.  it's very smooth, makes no extraneous noise and seems fast so i doubt that i will outgrow it anytime soon.  looks really nice too--not that this should be a consideration when buying a pedal.  http://www.zzounds.com/item--MAPP900DTW
« Last Edit: May 31, 2011, 10:05:10 PM by pbear5 »

Offline j_t

awesome I'll have to check out the pedals at my local store. How do you like that pintech snare? I definitely want to swap mine out when I get my kit in so that I can have an extra tom. My local GC has the DM5 snare do you think it will do? or is the pintech better? Here is the one I am looking at. I want to get two more cymbals but I don't see anything on their site in store, Im thinking of getting two alesis cymbal pads from amazon.

 http://www.guitarcenter.com/Alesis-DM5ProDPDZ--Dual-Zone-Drum-Pad-491525-i1630276.gc

what do you guys recommend for a double bass pedal? Im a beginner so should i spend a lot for one? or should I stay between a certain price range?

this was my first double-bass pedal so i had the same issue--spend $99 or $499?  the Mapex Raptor double-bass came out at roughly the same time as the DM8 Pro and, @ $269, it was priced in the middle of the range and seemed to be a good value so i pre-ordered both.  i like it so far but i'm not a double-bass expert.  it's very smooth, makes no extraneous noise and seems fast so i doubt that i will outgrow it anytime soon.  looks really nice too--not that this should be a consideration when buying a pedal.  http://www.zzounds.com/item--MAPP900DTW

Offline pbear5

awesome I'll have to check out the pedals at my local store. How do you like that pintech snare? I definitely want to swap mine out when I get my kit in so that I can have an extra tom. My local GC has the DM5 snare do you think it will do? or is the pintech better? Here is the one I am looking at. I want to get two more cymbals but I don't see anything on their site in store, Im thinking of getting two alesis cymbal pads from amazon.

 http://www.guitarcenter.com/Alesis-DM5ProDPDZ--Dual-Zone-Drum-Pad-491525-i1630276.gc

what do you guys recommend for a double bass pedal? Im a beginner so should i spend a lot for one? or should I stay between a certain price range?

The Pintech pad is o.k.  i got a great deal on a 12" and 2 10" Pintech pads so it was an easy upgrade from rubber pads and it really stepped up my playing (i'm still a guitar player but now i'm a more believable drummer-wanna-be.)  if i hadn't found the Pintechs cheap i would probably have done a DIY conversion of a real snare drum.  hopefully Alesis will release the 10" & 12" pads for expansion--i initially set up in the standard configuration to see if/how i wanted to expand and the 12" DM pad makes a really nice snare.  personally i think the 8" that you linked to is too small for a snare.  roland has a 8" pad with a 10" rim that is a little better but i would hold out for a 12" or 13". 

really, for a new drummer, a 5-piece kit (standard DM8 Pro configuration) is a great place to start--get that down then see if you need to expand.  my previous kit ended up as a 4-piece with one 10" rack and one 10" floor tom and that was good because i had to focus on the snare and (in my head) i think i came up with some interesting snare/tom combinations which translate nicely to my new kit.  this is just my $.02 and i would like to hear other's experience and recommendations but consider running with the standard configuration and see where it takes you.


« Last Edit: June 01, 2011, 07:00:24 AM by pbear5 »

Offline drumday

PB5's recommendation to go with conventional (4 pc, bd, sn, mt tom & floor SM8 Pro) is very good. 

My 2 cents: I've played acoustic sets since my first Ludwig kit in '67 which was a 4 pc of course.  Eventually I expanded to double bass, a ton of cymbals, etc., even had a fusion kit congured on a Gibraltar rack.  But as much as I love the look of my double bass kits (especially that Premier  :P), having all that stuff to bash encourages too many notes, too many fills, too much posing, too much of everything, and too little taste, too little focus on the basics, not enough getting in the pocket, and discourages being a supportive player and instead encourages a drummer to be a soloist that happens to be playing with other musicians.  Don't get me wrong, I love lots of notes, competely over the top fills, and playing with wreckless abandon, driving the guitarist into call & response stuff, etc.  BUT, when I want to (need to) practice rhythm and precision, I play on my old '67 Ludwig 4 pc.

Ringo did OK on a 4 piece...

For a guitarist, PB5 knows what he's talking about  ;)
DM10 Studio 2011, BBII mesh conversion w/ resistors left in place, Simmons DA200S, ProMark 7A nylon, Sennheiser HD280 headphones, Gibraltar rack, Camco double pedal.