Seeing is Deceiving (But you need to watch this) | Season Four, Episode 51
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- Опубліковано 20 вер 2024
- From trendy brands to the boutique accessories, flavor-of-the-month influencers to wannabe experts parroting information, it’s easy to get lost in the noise of community groupthink. In an age when success seems to be continually defined by what we see and how many likes/views something has, is it possible that we’ve missed the point of all of this? After all, seeing is deceiving when it comes to sound. Of course, the name of this channel is “Sounds Like a Drum”…not “Looks Like a Drum,” and so we want to work toward shattering some expectations that come from the appearance when it’s the sound that really does make all the difference. It’s time to acknowledge the reality of the situation and make some changes.
PATREON:
This season is made possible by our Patreon supporters. Join us on Patreon for access to exclusive content such as Cymbal Sounds, our long awaited cymbal series, and MUCH more: sladl.ink/Patreon
PRODUCTION PARTNERS:
GIK Acoustics (sonic treatment): sladl.ink/GIK
AKG Audio (microphones): sladl.ink/AKG
Evans Drumheads: sladl.ink/Evan...
ProMark Drumsticks: sladl.ink/ProM...
Signal chain:
Mics - Focusrite Clarett 8Pre USB & OctoPre - MacPro w/Pro Tools 12.8
Recorded at 48kHz / 24bit
Overheads: (Matched Pair in Glyn Johns - Cardioid) AKG C314 sladl.ink/C314...
Snare, Toms: AKG C518M sladl.ink/C518M
Kick Drum: AKG D12vr sladl.ink/AKGD...
Acoustic Treatment:
GIK 242 Acoustic Panels: sladl.ink/GIK242
GIK 4A Alpha Pro Series Diffusor/Absorber: sladl.ink/GIK4...
GIK Evolution PolyFusor Combination Sound Diffuser/Absorber: sladl.ink/GIKE...
GIK Tri-Trap Corner Bass Trap: sladl.ink/GIKT...
Drums:
Pearl Masters Maple Custom Extra w/Ludwig LM400 70’s Supraphonic
Cymbals:
22” Jesse Simpson Clone of old Zildjian A, Zildjian 15” ‘Fat Hat’ Prototype hihats
Drumheads:
Snare: Evans G1 / Snare Side 300
Toms: Evans G1 Coated / G1 Clear
Kick Drum: Evans UV EMAD / EQ3 Coated White Reso
Hosted by: Cody Rahn
Production & Consulting: Ben O'Brien Smith @ Cadence Independent Media
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Feel like I learned this out of necessity. When you can only afford a $40 pearl student snare, you get real good at tuning and changing the sound.
same !
You're talking my story and I still have/enjoy that 10 lug Pearl steel snare albeit with some upgrades.
I also love the message of this video: get your SOUND together, the aesthetics can be deceiving
I'll say it again. Best youtube drum channel BY FAR!!! Love you guys!!!
Next week - the launch of “Looks Like a Drum”! Covering all the superficial aspects of drumming, all the gear you’re supposed to have, and never going too deep into anything…
But really: It’s lovely to hear someone advocate sanity and common sense amidst the Veblenized consumer orgy of social media. We’re living in a surreal perversion of supply/demand where consumers are courting the producers to PLEASE give them the opportunity to buy crap they don’t need. Waiting lists, drops, restock notifications, members only buy-ins… Social media has helped to create a perfect storm of insecurity, gratification, manipulation and consumption. It’s ‘keeping up with the Joneses 2.0’ and it’s batsh*t crazy. For 100 years you had about 3 drum company choices and 3 cymbal makers, and somehow beautiful music was made! Options are wonderful, insanity not so much. Better to be a virtuoso on buckets than mediocre on that limited edition Unobtainium drum set.
I definitely think it’s more important to play what you like & make sure it’s well tuned, cared for and played. More than that is just unnecessary complication. It’s an Eminence Front 😎
Very refreshing, what your saying is essentially a metaphor of the way many people are living. Putting in minimal work with the hope of getting a great payoff. Whether that’s vying for likes, thinking you are learning by watching click bait. Even letting newspapers go fallow so we can get a bang out of getting educated by videos and podcasts that think capturing our eyeballs is sharing news.
Bravo, you guys are playing with something dangerous called the truth.
What a great video. I played professionally for over 10 years all throughout the 90’s, kind of got out of it for awhile then when I got back into it found out that “I didn’t know anything” according to all the information available on UA-cam and the internet. I bought a number of things that I thought I “needed” from the opinions of so many so called experts. All that to say, I’ve come full circle and never should have doubted what I learned from all those years of intense hands on experiences. You guys just reinforce that through your practical videos. I’m all for cool, unique sounds, but making good music is most important. Like you said, it’s not about the stuff. People need to do their own thing while being open to others’ suggestions. Thanks for the reality check.
This is the video I needed to see. "Purchases feel like an achievement" really resonated with me.
Me too - for sure.
This is the best drum channel for drum geeks that nerd out on the technical and mechanical aspects of drums, percussion, and cymbals.
Thanks! We’ll also be dabbling in the philosophical side and ensuring a healthy balance of tech vs. art (or form and function!) going forward. Everyone can benefit if they’re willing to take the time and open their minds. Thanks for watching!
This topic is why I went to one snare drum, one cymbal set, and keep using my “non pro” Pearl Export kit. I feel this focus on gear a distraction from learning the craft and playing well. Awesome episode, look forward to more!
I chuckled because of how I love playing my early 90s "Pearl Export Pro" kit (which I think the upgrade was slightly higher grade shells?), but I like your point.
I still love collecting old snare drums, but I acknowledge that far and away the major impact they have on my sound is by changing the way I feel and thus the way I play, rather than through inherent tonal qualities. I could absolutely do just about everything with only a handful of drums... but this way is more fun for me!
I'm here for the race. I couldn't care less about the 'medal'. Seriously I have been doing this a long time and I have been through a lot of drums and tunings and genres and I still learn something or am inspired to try something from almost every episode. I find myself looking forward to Tuesdays more and more each week. Thank you both for what you do.
What a great episode. It's easy to feel driven by the tide. A friend of mine mentioned a quote from a seasoned audio pro, "It's engin-ears not egine-eyes". I always try to remember this and focus on what I hear, rather than being dazzled by what I see.
It’s like I tell my son, when he bought a guitar, listen with your ears to the instrument not your eye, a name is a name, a vibe is a vibe, a sound is a sound….and once again, a name is a name.
Very valuable discussion! We need more of this in today's world. Thank you!
I have a practice space in a bunker, it's essentially a bomb shelter, so no windows. If I turn off the lights, it's complete darkness, there are no other single light sources in there. I try and practice this way every now and then, I suggest you try it also! I turn off the lights, make my way behind the kit with a flashlight, then turn it off and make sound.
I've played on a plethora of different drums from PEARL, TAMA, Ludwig, and even GAMMON. It really comes down to knowing how to tune your drums, what heads work best on them, and then practicing. Hone your drumming skills like you would hone a knife. I've got 3 kits right now. A 60's era Ludwig jazz kit, a TAMA Rockstar Custom, and a TAMA Club Jam. My Ludwig is in need of restoration, my Rockstar is in my basement for practice there, and my Club Jam I'm using on gigs because we are playing smaller venues that don't need a 22 inch kick drum. I don't need, not have the space for any new gear. I've got what I need to play the gigs we get. Thanks for the video folks.
Wow. Just wow. I’ve been subscribed to your channel for a long while, yet haven’t been watching it much. But this message, arriving unexpectedly in my lap at a perfect moment, it just speaks to me.
I’m a middle-age returning drummer. I’ve been decidedly caught up in the online visual drumming lust race, but not putting in the time and energy to earn the medal waiting for me at the finish line. These last two months I’ve been motivated to practice ten times more than I had been for my first few years back on the instrument.
Thanks for your inspiring message today, a worthy reminder: “buy less, practice more, crave not things, learn daily, play forever.”
Spot-on! Thanks so much for watching and being part of our community. Keep up the practice and enjoy every moment of it!
This was probably my fave episode that hit home. We live in a see first hear later era. Remember when music came first visuals last maybe not even at all. The complete truth I’ve found for myself is that with investing in tuning and experimenting has made me need only one maybe 2 good dependable snares compared to the “this snare does this” signature snares too are a marketing tactic. I’ve seen so many players never even use their sig snare or diff gear they supposedly endorse.
Thank you for talking about this subject. You are talking about a subject that can be applied to any lifestyle, hobby, art in a capitalistic society. Throw in the the idea that the more we have the more satisfied we will be and somehow we lose out possibly what is most important. Thank you for talking about sound. I tend to search for the drum that is going to give me that sound rather than do everything I can to get the sound(s) out of one instrument. I often enjoy playing with the fewest number of drums and cymbals to see what my creativity can produce.
"The man who loves walking will walk further than the man who loves the destination". Enjoy the journey.
This was a great video. I have a good number of snares and a LOT of cymbals, and have been thinking lately about why I bought them and if I will keep them. Some of them are keepers for sure, but I am considering moving on from a good amount of my gear. As you mentioned, the sound differences between snares are not always significant, and I also find myself drawn to "favorites" that seem to want to be on the stand more than the rest. So, maybe I should listen to that and just cull the herd, so to speak. There was a time when a "snare wall" and a ton of cymbals sounded so awesome, and it just seems to not be what I ended up needing. I know that others do - and more power to them - but this video really resonated with me regarding these issues. Thank you, Cody and crew!
One of the BEST “drum” videos I’ve seen in years! Drummers are caring less and less about music and more about gear, visual drumming, getting followers, endorsements, blah, blah, blah. Just play what you need to play to make honest music that reaches people honestly. Again, kudos to you guys for making this honest video🙏🏾
Dude, your channel is so underrated, you deserve millions of subs. This is one if not THE most informative channel on the hows and whys drums sound like they do
Thanks, we appreciate it! That said, we don’t gauge success by the number of views or subscribers and a lot of that has to do with the message of this episode- the majority of drummers (and people in general) want the shortcuts; quick hacks and entertainment rather than substantive context and insight that makes the “what” actionable and truly educational. Mediocrity is well represented in this industry so we’ve decided to strive for something else. Thanks again for the kind words!
-Ben (the other half of the channel)
I love how all the companies make such a big deal about describing in excessive wording the differences between woods but RARELY do they provide audio demonstrating how wood can make a shell sound different. I've seen a few after some digging and while there were slight differences, they were subtle.
The same goes for grain orientation and plies. Though to their credit, DW does have a few videos talking about the importance of grain orientation in terms of making a strong shell, but once again they don't provide audio showing how they're different, they just state that they are.
Gotta back up those claims with some demonstrations! Otherwise it's just poetic copy.
DW has a video where John Good taps on raw shells of various configurations/grain orientations. You can hear differences, but who knows how much of that translates into the final drum sound. I don't really pay much attention to wood species anymore. If I were to buy another drum set, the most important factors would be overall craftsmanship and hardware design.
Yeah…those are the sort of faux demonstrations that don’t produce tangible, applicable results. It’s cool as a “step one” sort of demo but let’s hear how the drums sound with all of the hardware and heads on them!
@@SoundsLikeADrum I feel like the bearing edges, tuning and heads make way more difference than wood type or thickness. Not saying wood type or thickness doesn't matter, just maybe not as much as edges, heads and tuning.
@@geoffcowan2384 We'd be inclined to agree!
Great video, this is something everyone needs to hear expecailly in North America . I went from owning 3 drum kits I kinda liked to owning one I love and play everyday. Finding the sound I wanted was also a journey I needed and glad I went through. Less is more with music and gear in my opinion.
Respect! What I love most about this channel is the drill-down, the how and why of modifying different aspects of the kit, and how to use the kit most effectively for the sound you're trying to achieve!
Your ride cymbal sounds fantastic! Reminds me of why I fell in love with drums and cymbals. Listening to Ringo's huge crash hits on his ride/rides. Beautiful cymbal man!!!
This video should be sent to space on the voyager golden record.
I have had the same Mapex kit for 27 years. I paid $400 cymbals and all. It has slowly disintegrated over the last 10 years, but I can still make it sound great. I had to replace the kick drum pedal two years ago, and picked up a matching hi-hat stand. New throne a year ago. Keeping my eyes open for a Gretsch Broadkaster, I think. I play more now than I ever have in my life-more shows, more sessions, closer relationships, etc. I figure it might be my last drum kit I will ever need, and you only live once, why not consider splurging on something really specific.
I think now a days it’s very easy to build a decent sized following on any social media platform using arguably ‘fake’ content (fully sample replaced and quantised) and call that your “career” when actually nothing you do has any substance or bring any value to anyone. People seem to prioritise social media following over things like playing gigs, doing sessions and basically anything a real working drummer would be doing and I think that’s a sad reflection on where the drum world is currently. It’s also a shame that it seems to work a lot of the time as well.
Man, what an unexpected drum video, but so good! Yeah, this mindset is what I’ve been after these last 18 or so months.
I used to think a new piece of gear would solve whatever musical problem I was having: tone issues, recording woes, inspiration, and yeah, even social media engagement/traffic.
I also found myself short cutting and end gaining, just blowing off the right way to do these things just to get something “done,” namely posts for social media.
The obstacles to any of these processes really is just part of the process itself, and it took me a while to realize that. Starting simple, going slow, repeating the steps, and working honestly, it makes all the difference, and you’re more likely to get a tuning or recorded sound you’re looking for, or you’ll discover something even better.
Agree 100%. But what about the millions of viewers of this content that DO want to see "the things." It's a gross double edged sword. Until they learn this principle, those who have less money and can't afford the next best thing will forever be one step behind.
This might be the best Video you have made so far. Drums are not acoustic instruments, that is my mantra, they are semi acoustic. We usually hear them mic‘d and are not aware of what is the acoustic part of the sound, and what is the enhancement done with mic‘ing. And there is a lot: close mic‘d, you get proximity effect, which already is a huge influence on our drum sound. And i am not just talking about compression and eq‘ing, it starts with leveling the differences in volume within the drum set, as some drums are significantly louder than the rest of the kit, rendering a well balanced acoustic sound to impossible.
Then most drums have the exact same dimensions, and we should not be surprised they technically sound the same. If we want different sounds - and from the way we mix drums, heck yes, we want! - you need to pick drums by sound, not dimensions. And this is a huge problem. Frankly, what we want to hear is not what we want to see. Building drums as acoustic instrument, meaning, making them to sound as if they were amplified (added low end, compressed, well balanced) is possible, but the price is too much to bear for most drummers:
Lets just focus on the snare. We are so used to 14“ as standard size, but this is way too loud when drums are not mic‘d and you do not play it softly. I dont care how great it sounds, when building a drum set for acoustic purpose, we need to be able to question everything. Only few drummers know that the standard snare drum size for a drum kit (not marching drums!) was 10-12“.
I‘d love to deepen the conversation here, but i am well aware that both the drum stores / MI and drummers do not really want to hear this, as they do not like where it is leading us (smaller drums…). Same discussion with cymbals was easy, but that is bc that leads to bigger cymbals, which drummers are ok with. Smaller drums tho are for jazzers, right?!
I always believe that skills and experiences are more important than whatever "blingbling" a person owns. Witnessed it while I was playing in community orchestra.
I'm simply in love on how your channel believes in the science of sounds rather than following whatever hype of _"should be this/that, else you're doing it all wrong"_ Thank you so much for making a huge difference in the drumming community! Will forever remember my favorite ruler episode!
Well said, thank you for bringing up this subject. Admittedly, I have fallen victim to marketing here & there. Or, otherwise shiny things that caught my eye. I have learned some valuable & expensive lessons. Always remember to make YOUR sound, no matter what piece of equipment it is. If it works for YOU, that's all that matters.
Very well said.
I'm 43, been playing drums since age 8, gigging since 16. I'm still learning new things all the time and trying to be humble and positive in every situation. I'm totally ready to go on the journey and keep improving my skills!
This video, in my opinion, is worth so much more applicable than just drums. A masterclass in patience and reality and a great lesson in deceiving yourself. Excellent job!
Those hats sounds absolutely Gorgeous
We love 'em!
In a sea of social media noise, ‘creators’ chasing the views/ money over posting good, fact-informed content, you guys are a god send! Physics, experiments and non biased opinions based on RESULTS from ACTUAL experts. So glad I stumbled upon you years ago, I’ve learned a hell of a lot and my drums now always sound better for it 🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻 (That said, I probably should go buy one of those Asba Jr Robinson snares… 😅)
My first set...50 plus years ago was a set of Winston. Bass, snare, tom and a crappy cymbal. The snare rim was rolled inward! But....I played with them until I found a sound that sounded reasonably good to me at age 16 and to my surprise....people danced and we got paid. I found that its not what you have, but what you do with what you have. A car whether it be a Rolls Royce or a Toyota does one thing...gets you from point A to point B. Drums....same thing. They provide a beat. how they look doesn't really matter. If people will dance or if the recording sounds good....that's what matters.
In my experience, much of which has been hard-earned through a series of failures, the single greatest factor in a drum's sound is the person who is actually hitting it. Great channel guys, keep it up.
I’ve had this mis conception for a while. Between two different mentors who could careless about gear and sound amazing using anything they sit on has taught me what this video achieved.
Truly dive into your instrument in all it’s different areas and learning to really get the most out of that one thing.
Your statement reminds me of a humorous story of a couple getting married. The minister asks the groom to say his vows, and he replies, "A, E, I, O, U." His bride after hearing this looked at him and asked, "Why?"
But seriously, I am looking forward to seeing you speak about about all the whys of drums. This channel has been helpful to me, particularly with snare drum tuning.
Right on! There are a lot of people that mistake and accept opinion for knowledge.
Despite having thought in the past that it must be hard to continually come up with new topics of discussion for this channel and the idea it's predicated on, I find this one fascinating as it's something I've thought about a lot.
By nature I've always been quite averse to following trends, and probably nowhere else is this more true than in drumming. Clearly at this point it's mostly social media that's responsible for everyone sounding the same, mimicking the same fills/beats, adopting similar musical aesthetics, the same percussive toys, the same trends in enormous paper-thin, bone-dry cymbals, and so on. Sure, this probably would've happened before, but the viral aspect of social media increases the phenomenon exponentially.
The "how v why" argument really resonates with me. I equate the "why" to taking a philosphical approach; it's something I find myself doing more and more in, well, pretty much all the art forms I'm engaged in.
Actually, I'll add to the comment about social media that this was also a huge phenomenon I observed on internet forums even before FB/IG/etc took off. Especially the part about opinions/tricks/gossip being perpetuated and it was impossible to quell them once they had taken off ;)
This is what I like about you guys--you investigate all your various topics, and you always start by dismissing all of your preconceived notions. This "scientific method" approach to finding new sounds, and all the other topics you take on, resonates with me. A lot of the things that you try simply aren't for me, but that doesn't mean that I don't learn from your videos anyway. So, I'm interested to see what you're going to do in your next season. And of course, Cody's endless collection of cool grooves is part of the fun every time!
This is the thinking drummer's channel. So many great concepts, discussions, and experimentations. Props boys!
I was just thinking about the essence of this subject today. I have never gotten, kept, or been recalled for any drum/percussion gig because of the equipment I use. Sure I try to have and take care of good quality equipment but most of my time has got to be spent perfecting and maintaining my craft. That means practicing at least a couple of hours a day (especially on those things I’m weakest at), rudimental pad work, and experimenting with sounds (not equipment) I want to achieve. These days with decent gigs and equipment at a premium, keeping yourself prepared is key.
Possibly one of the most important videos I've seen made for musicians
Thank you! We really weren't sure if this topic would resonate for people but we knew that it needed to be addressed and it's going to have a huge part in guiding our presentation throughout this coming season. Please do share this with your musician friends!
Lots of fans and amateur drummers want to come up and talk to me after a set, and, 90% of the time they ask "What size is that tom? Is that a 'Club Date' bass drum? blah blah... " I disappoint them when I say "I dunno, I measure them before I buy heads." MOST people -- especially men -- are absolutely OBSESSED with GEAR and almost never mention the music, the songs, the sounds, the vibe in the room, whatever. It's just GEAR GEAR GEAR "I have an 18 inch slingerland........." I DON'T CARE. I am a musician, not a mechanic.
This episode got me thinking about a phrase I see in used drum ads all the time: “Does not affect sound”. I’d love to see an episode that documents the sort of issues often found in used drums/cymbals that do and do not affect the sound or playability of a drum or cymbal. Cracks in cymbals (vertical vs horizontal cracks), finish issues, ply separating in bass drum hoops vs ply separation in the shell, bearing edge dings and gouges vs I “fixed” the bearing edges myself. What are people really saying when they make the above statement? If you’ve played and purchased used drums enough you probably know, but might make a great episode for everyone else.
I have that problem too. I love weird cymbals. The weirder it looks, the better. Now I don't play more than two of those on one set in on stage, but I can't stop spending money on them. Prototypes, handmade modifications, reaaally old ones, ...
I am with you - I love a good prototype!
Great video. I talk with musicians all the time about these topics.
The whole time I was watching I was just thinking to myself that snare is probably one I'd never buy, simply because it doesn't aesthetically drive me... But it's in a TON of your videos making an enormously broad range of sounds. A drummer could easily get away with 1 decent snare for the vast majority of their life.
This problem isn't nearly as big in the drum community as it is in GUITARS. Collectors of guitars, FX pedals and amps are a large global market now. Drum gear is still pretty niche in comparison. And that's quite ok by me.
It's certainly not unique to drums or even musical instruments but the net result is the same and it can be quite detrimental to the users.
@@SoundsLikeADrum The worst effect is on people who would otherwise be composing music who instead are paralysed with "what do I need next"-itis. In the world of synths this is absolutely rampant. Probably made worse (thinking about guitar fx mentioned above) that so much gear these days seems to be designed to "do one thing and do it well", which sounds like a noble design philosphy, but only results in accumulating so much gear that you then end up being paralysed with not learning any of it properly and not really falling in love with any one piece of gear.
You are totally right and everyone can agree with you. This is applicable to basically everything in life, cars, bikes, washing machines, even books when they have a nice cover. However...however life is one and cannot be conducted only to content and concrete terms. This way we'd have all the same red drums of the same one company of the same perfect shells size. Drums, just like all the other things, are not just their sound but the whole package which starts from how nice they are, how big they are, how famous they are, how make me pride when I shoh off, I mount and dismount them (even if it not necessary) and feeling nice behind. You can say we are victims of marketing, which is probably true...I personally continue to direct my choice in a drums not only for their (apparent good) sound but for the emotions they ignite in me. Thanks for your valuable videos, all very good and different. ciao
Agreed. In the last couple of years I’ve downsized completely. I have 1 main kit, 3 different snare drums, and an Alesis strike multipad. The multipad is great. Where once I had a roomful of gear, everything is condensed into one box.
As for cymbals, I sold off a shitload of them. Now I use the same hats, ride, and effects for everything, and just two sets of crashes that I swap out depending on what I’m playing, or who I’m playing with.
The fact that I can fit everything into the car, and head off, as opposed to before when I had to wade through mountains of gear, just to play a single style, is night and day.
So true, tonewood isn’t a total myth, but in practical terms the differences in tone between woods on most otherwise-identical instruments is marginal and hard (if not impossible) to hear onstage or on record. The misconception is really prevalent for guitars (so many other things in a guitar signal chain that affect the sound more than the wood does) but is also true for drums. Head choice, drum dimensions, tuning, room, playing style etc all have a huge effect on the sound that is more noticeable. Sound, build quality and features should be as much or more important than the material it’s made of or what it ultimately looks like.
Thanks to you, I learned to make my drums sound way better.
Glad to hear it! That's our goal. Happy drumming!
Dont change anything! I love your chanel because it is so different of that you call "social media". You open our mind, you force us to be curious.
thank you very much. I buy a better headphone just to listen to your chanel, thank you again to push us behind our barriers
Great talk this needed to be said!I think one of my biggest heartbreaks was to realize it wasn't about talent but more about how much product a company could sell...especially now with social media ,poisonous pedagogy is champion..Greg venuto
I see what you mean about some manufacturers not being happy about the content. They have nothing to fear.
People ultimately do what they wish, after researching something. Aaaand… Well… people do things for different reasons… and get enjoyment from many aspects of a thing.
I look forward to the season.
Again guys, right on the money! Amazing how what should be a fundamental principal is now something refreshing to hear. Thanks for this vid.
1:40 that snare like a honeycrisp 🍎
Am I the only one who was thinking specifically about Casey Cooper and drum "influencers" like that during this vid? I totally agree with what Cody was talking about here. Some drum brands use social media effectively to market their products and the visual aspect often overshadows/dominates the interpretation of what sound profile the products have. Then there are brands like Meinl, who's visuals AND sound profile for their cymbals are just so insanely good and provide such a massive array of sound options. On the flip side, DW drums are the perfect example of an underwhelming sound profile that relies on incredible variety of visual stimulation to market their products as the most premium quality and a premium price point. Put a Collectors series next to a high end Sonor, Yamaha, or even Ludwig in a dark room and the sound profile just isn't comparable.
I'll give Casey credit where it's due. Most of his content was made using Pearl Export drums, showcasing that you can get a good sound out of an affordable kit. He also has done videos in the past demonstrating how you can record videos for UA-cam on a budget. Hell, he even did a video where the whole thing was recorded with one mic and he used a downsized version of his Export kit. He was definitely an inspiration to myself when I started my channel.
I've been watching these for a while, this is possibly the best episode you've put out making lots of fantastic points here that arent often mentioned.
This video is refreshingly honest. Thanks
Thanks for watching!
In marketing it’s called selling the “sizzle” instead of the steak. People like to purchase things, needed or not.
I fall into this trap quite frequently, so an amazing and timely video for me. Can't wait for the continued learning and growth you offer. 🙏
I have loved what you guys have done and I think the direction you're taking this year will be so helpful to drummers around the world but quite scary for the manufactures you will put in the spotlight. Thanks again for your valuable information.
I really like how you timed this video to coincide with the NAMM show. Makes a lot of sense. I really appreciate what you're doing, thank you!
Amazing video! big looking forward to the coming season!
Thank you for this. I needed it.
I just want a freakin black beauty. I've never had an actual snare drum that didn't come with a shell kit. Been playing for 15 years, and have still never had to opportunity to play an "expensive" kit. I've spent many hours trying to tune a mid Tom to no avail, learning that most kits are mic'd, EQ'd, gated, compressed, heck even used as triggers for drum samples to get them to sound a certain way.
This was very cool and necessary. My company, when I was hired required a viewing of the Simon Sinek how, what, why TED talk. It’s truly amazing how much that mindset can apply to everything. He also has a great talk about younger folks, social media and how it effects them which was huge for me since most folks I work with are millennial and I am gen x. Oh, and yeah I sold of a bunch of snares to get back to drums. Great vid guys.
I couldn’t agree more. When I bought my current drum set, I absolutely hated the finish and the aesthetic of it. But It sounded really good, and was an absolute steal price wise, so it would be stupid not to get it. You can always re wrap a drum if you don’t like the aesthetic, and besides, you’re playing it to hear it, not to see it.
Why vs how vs what?
= the marathon…experience matters
Great reflections and wisdom. Really like your videos and your humble approach! Keep up the good spirit and work u do. Thanks 👍🏼
…and speaking of gear: what cymbal is that you’re using in this video? It sounds really great.
Yes, yes and yes.
GREAT video!! 110% spot on. Couldn't agree more. Thanks for having the backbone to put this up on social media. Keep up the great work!
Really good info specially coming from you guys. Kudos for the work, it is much appreciated.
Thanks so much! This subject matter is incredibly important right now and can have a massive impact on the direction of our art form, not to mention mental health and decision making. Cheers!
Great video. It reaches across to all musicians. As a guitar player, it hits close to home.
This is why I'm such a huge fan of INDe because they talk about why their shells are the way they are and give you a lot of audio to back it up.
They do a fine job of this! It's really quite simple: Make a claim, back up the claim with tangible evidence, build trust. It would be great to see more manufacturers take this approach instead of the hyperbolic language. Is. a new limited edition wrap really a "game changer"?
Great words.
So difficult in the modern age. My tastes are tuned into the time before the advent of drum samples on everything. In other words, I'm not chasing some modern production chock full of samples with my drum sounds. Between the social media aspect, and the "unreal" drum sounds on modern recordings, if I was starting today it would be very difficult to find a direction to take when formulating my own sound. Thankfully recordings of Bonham and Morello still exist.
Good stuff y'all. Thank you
This is Interesting, no buddy talks about this. Corporations are in business to MAKE money. Social media has such an IMPACT on our thinking.
Using it to your advantage as a TOOL is best. Advertising creates such an impact on what we THINK we WANT.
Most historically IMPORTANT musicians create on anything. It is something WITHIN themselves that they bring out to CREATE.
It's easy to fall into the whirlwind of TALK.
brilliant! so true.
I feel like drum tones can vary a lot between drum to drum, but especially when you get into electric guitars and micing stuff up, it’s pretty much all electronics.
I absolutely buy my guitars on the way they look and “feel” to me, but I’ve also still use one of my first guitars, drum sets, etc to this day. It’s hard to know what matters about an instrument Until you’ve actually used it. That comes with time. If you buy something, sell something. Learn it and test it before you move on. M
I love all the options now a days, but I am 100% aware that most of the time I’m buying it because I love how it looks. There are levels of quality, and anyone who’s went from cheap pearl export to a high end DW or C&C know that alot of it is consistency, but if you buy a 3k DW without having spent time on the other side you loose that ability to tell.
Excellent video... I’ve definitely been guilty of seeing before hearing.... I have been trying more diligently to be content with exploring the kit I have instead of trying to “buy” a particular sound that grabs me... thanks again, I always feel more informed and inspired after your videos...
Thank you for this. My mind is racing and I could type a bunch but I will keep it to a few things. You might get some feedback from other UA-cam channels. I have found myself wanting to have a quick way to get a sound I want. I have learned that it takes work and time to achieve that. You are correct when you said that seeing and hearing drums can trick us. Live drums and recorded drums sound very different, obviously. Listening to recorded music and then playing acoustic drums without recording them makes a big difference. I had to adjust my thinking about the sound of raw drums versus recorded drums. I'm looking forward to what the next videos have to offer on this subject.
This is a strong topic and needs to be delved into very much so nowadays, as the non-drum (everything but actual _drumming_ ) forces play an increasingly large role in the lives of drummers. So much extra BS.
I also wanted to ad that, I used only one kit for my studio and gigging, I finally purchased another kit just to play out, saved me from tearing down my kit every time and moving it so the 2nd kit was more out of necessity in a way :) btw its a totally different brand than my studio kit, I went for the vibe and sound, not the name.
i will say that often more down-to-earth teachers are reluctant to share the 'what' without the 'why', but it's also often the case that the asker intends to use the 'what' for a very different 'why', and sometimes the same destination can represent very different journeys. that, or it can be that the asker intends to use some tiny piece of the 'what' as a tool to construct completely different things.
Funny I watch this at the time of coming to a strong realization that my side snare needs to go because, while it sounds great on its own, fits nothing in the rest of my kit. I'm all in for the "why's"!
Also Cody, you went extra hard on the break interludes this time!
I love this. This could apply to every video or short on here or Tik Tok or where ever. There is a short up and Im not going to say what because it's a bad topic but the premise is the same. Basically, there's 5 seconds of a cellphone video of a certain man doing something destructive and the comments are being made with only 2 facts. How he looks and what he did. And the comments all state viewers opinions about his upbringing, if he is lazy or not, how his parent(s) raises him and where he lives. And when you say you can't know these things they get upset. "What do you mean!?! Look at him!! How can he not be (fill in the blank)?!?!" The people really can't believe that they could be wrong when assuming by how it looks. They can't make a definitive statement about the book by it's cover. Some are knowingly ignorant, but others can't understand that it's not how it looks sometimes. Edit:.those Pearls sound great!
Pure Gold!
First off, I so enjoy your channel. Being a drummer, all of these things interest me, and they are just plain fun. Thanks for what you do. Here's an idea that I'd like to see you explore: Over my career in drumming, on more than one occasion, I've tuned my toms ( 2 up, 2 down) to what I thought sounded great. How ever, often, I'd have one of 2 up toms sound a little choked, and , when I'd have someone else hit my toms while I walked around the room, the choked sound would actually be coming out of the tom that sounds great above it, yet the choked one, didn't sound choked at all 5o feet away.This is a frustrating thing, because the "good" tom wasn't so good out there, and vise versa. This did not happen most of the time, but it did definately happen sometimes. Any thoughts?
Such a specific question: how heavy is that crash/ride?? I love it so much! Love wobbly old A’s
Can't remember how heavy it is but we'll be doing a feature on it over on our Patreon as part of our Cymbal Stories micro series. For what it's worth, this cymbal is only a few years old, though it was modeled after an old A by our good friend Jesse Simpson.
I’m definitely guilty, awesome message in this video! The truth hurts sometimes, can’t wait to see what’s next! Great work guys!
Count me in!
Great grooves