Thanks so much for the kind words, Alan! I have to say, that was probably the most impressive stage we've played on as a band. It's in a park, and the wall behind us is a memorial wall with nameplates for people whose names donations to fund the building of the park were made in.
I love everything about the look of this kit, the kick drum being one of the best changes. The only downside to it is that I have to carry it separate from everything else, as it doesn't fit into the bag that I bought. But carrying it by using the stand as a handle works quite well.
The hi-hat is still leaving a little to be desired. I am starting to have better luck with each gig, getting it dialed in a bit more each time. With this, I'm hoping to have the kinks worked out of it soon. I'm still under the impression that it's just a matter of getting the settings configured properly for the way I play, so I'm not ready to call it a complaint just yet.
When we played the first of our five-show run three weeks ago, our former keyboard player came out to support us. He had joined the band right before I did, so he knew I played electronic, and he knew that it was the preference of the bandleader because of the volume control capabilities. Yet he said he still had to take a second look because he thought it was an acoustic set!
Saturday marked shows four and five with the new kit, so I'm sure part of the lack of scuffs on the cymbals can be the new factor. I use them at home, too, though, so they've been used quite a bit, and they have taken a beating a couple of times! In particular, we tend to put a pretty intense closing section onto our cover of "Comfortably Numb," that has left me wondering if I went at them a bit too hard. I also have a tendency to be a little "cymbal-heavy" when I play, so I do use them quite a bit. I honestly think they have a better finish on them, though. They are definitely heavier than my DM10 cymbals.
I'm compiling some footage from our "mini-tour" and hope to have some good video in the next few days. I'll share some of that once it's done. All in all, I couldn't be happier with the way this kit has performed on stage. It definitely has gotten a lot of attention. I've had multiple comments at each show I've used it in. I'd get the occasional comment about my DM10, but I think the overall bold look of the kit catches people's attention a lot faster.
That's definitely not anything against my DM10. It's still my trusted practice kit, and I even carry the module with me as a backup. I've not done anything special to it in terms of appearance, so it's more functional than anything, but it has always served me well!
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Shawn