Great video, as a gigging drummer always trying to be efficient myself, I appreciate hearing your thoughts behind each piece gear from the drum shells, to the floor tom legs. Thanks for sharing.
Long live the modified Yamaha HipGig. Dylan, love your video material. The passion for details of sound and transport is real respect my brother. The times we wished we all played Violin is when moving a drum kit. I have gigged around the NY Tri-state area and now Florida for decades, sorry never Hoboken. Fine tuning this process is continuous. The choices made with drum gear result in either a gargantuan task or a routine, well rehearsed in and out burger-of-a-move. As a weekend warrior wedding drummer and aerospace engineer by day, I have invested serious time pouring over drum equipment details with one set goal: One trip cartridge from car to stage, keeping sound a priority. The primary “One Trip” kit for me is a modified Yamaha HipGig in the smaller Rick Marotta size in Cherry stain finish. I swapped out the flat 13” Tom for a 13 x 11 Recording Custom in Cherry, a perfect color match, deeper sound and a nice used find on eBay. The tiny Hip Gig snare was swapped out for a Yamaha Musashi 13 x 6 in black that has a nice stick pop tuned high or low and still nests in the BD. The 16” Hip Gig bass drum, already thunder, was softened with Remo Renaissance 3 batter, foam on the inside bottom. The do all cymbals for me playing mostly pop and oldies at weddings are Zildjian 21” A sweet ride, 17” A Custom thin crash, 14 Dark K thin, Sabian 14” AA Reg hats in Brilliant. In Florida you will play KC and the Sunshine Band - a lot - and you will appreciate bright hihats. Mods; all extra length was cut from HipGig cymbal boom hardware and a straight Yamaha CS-650 third cymbal stand, this cut pounds of chrome steel. The HipGig Canister seat already a marvel of comfort and utility - is stuffed with HW, stick bag, mics and cable. All original HipGig cases were swapped out for 2 Beato Pro 1 Bags. One a Conga bag to fit the longer Tom length. Beato Bags are still some of the best value and protection. The carry method is a lightweight luggage hand truck modified with a 2” web strap and bungees. The bass drum/tom stacks vertical, the seat canister lays on top horizontally secured with bungees. The cymbal bag is either over my shoulder or strapped to the hand truck. Unless pressed for time, I always carry my Tux or band cloths in a garment bag and dress later, that flops over the stack. Upon arrival at the event hall, if first gig there, scope out quick how to get to the band stage or setup area. Stairs? elevators? loading dock ? whatever it is don’t hesitate one second - get the gear on wheels and move with a purpose. The HipGig setup is 15 minutes tops and well rehearsed. If it is a larger venue with a greater net fee $$, I have a 4 piece white kit. It looks stunning and is still a one trip move but with a flat bed cart.
I'm sorry I missed this when you posted - much respect to your setup and choices! Great stuff. I went with the larger drum sizes simple because I'm so used to those pitch ranges - the 16-18" kicks and 13-14" floor toms are just too high-pitched for what I hear. But it does mean I need two trips to load the kit in and out. Everything is a tradeoff. Happy drumming!
There aren’t many gear videos where I think, yep, every choice is solid. This is certainly an exception. Your gear list is absolutely my dream list. The WTS system is amazing. We used to have a local guy who made similar cable tune drums called Page Drums. Very limited distribution though. I already use the Yamaha Crosstown stands and I’ve put INDe mounts on several kits. My lightweight kit though is an Oriollo aluminum kit (with an INDe tom mount) and my snare is a Ludwig Standard aluminum. I also use TnR products (we lived in the same town and I would see them at gigs or drum shows). One cymbal I suggest is the Dave Weckl signature HHX crash from Sabian. I think it would pair nicely with those prototypes. Great video. Oh, and I don’t live in a town where parking is an issue or anything like that. My need for lightening the load was for a much more serious issue. I’m old and lazy!
As a gigging drummer, I really really appreciate this setup! I also pay close attention to space and weight savings, and volume control. If I ever decide to replace the little Sonor Safari I'm currently gigging (the older, inexpensive Select Hardwood model that sounds WAY better than it has any right to), the WTS drums are definitely my choice. For cymbals, I'm also a Sabian man, but I'm relying fully on the FRX line for this rig. They sound fantastic and have the volume control I need. I also use the Kelly Shu with a drilled-in XLR jack, and, like yours, it's a game changer! All my future kits will have one. Beautiful set up, man!!
Beautiful set of drums!...love the GMS snare! I had a grandmaster snarew?die cast hoops and it cracked for days.LOve it when drummers show their stuff and answer questions that normally go unanswered until you pull the trigger and just buy the damn thing.good video thank you.
I mean, if I get booked for a big arena tour or something, I'll use the heavy duty stuff. But for local gigs where I'm loading in my own drums myself? The Crosstown stuff rules!
I love the innovation of the 'one point' tuning wire system and the ultra-light aluminum hardware. "Back in the day" I had an ingeniously designed Trixon kit and didn't realize until recently how lightweight, convenient and innovative that hardware was for a gigging drummer. Now that my back is 'several' years older ;-) - Lightweight is great! Thanks.
I hear you! I think we were all sold on the idea that we were supposed to have arena-weight hardware back in the 80s and 90s, so that "old flimsy hardware" was supposed to be useless. Everything old is new again...
Nice setup! I've been eyeing the crosstowns, and of course I'm starting to put inde throws on everything! The kit sounds AMAZING btw. Hopefully I'll get back up there to hear you!
A few years ago I had what I called my “Sherpa Kit”. It consisted of a 61/2x14 snare, a converted to kick Ludwig 16x16 field tom, hats, and 16” crash/ride. It fit nicely in a soft kick bag, hardware including throne fit into an old repurposed Samsonite suit case. I no longer have the kit but man I miss it. Great gig kit for the R&B group I was in, just keep the beat brother and groove the dancers! Small kits create better focus and creativity in my mind😏
Swapping out the Yamaha wing nuts and cymbal felts on the Crosstown cymbal stands with INDe cymbal gummies makes the Crosstown snares truly superb. The cymbals swing more freely and the cymbal gummies don’t choke resonance like the thick Yamaha felts.
Those Inde drums sound really good. Much "bigger" in sound than their size would suggest. Thanks for the video and tips to get the sound you are looking for. I think that is an important thing for a drummer to have sound in their head what they would like to have their drums sound like, and working to achieve that sound. I think that seperates those serious about drumming, and those who are not. I think those snare weights are one of the best all time drum hack. Using leather so when you hit the drum it raises of the drumhead to hear the note, then silently shortening the resonance or decay of the drum. They just work so much better than I ever thought they would. Not a fan of the jell pads.
This is honestly one of my very favorite sets of drums that I've ever played. And I'm not exactly sure right now what kit I could name that would top it!
Yamaha crosstown is the way to go. I got the set plus an additional cymbal stand and my hardware set up is 52 lbs lighter than the doubled braced DW set up. I carry it in the provided bag versus a big case and hand truck. ++
I believe it! I realized that my heavy Protector hardware case now weighs almost as much as the hardware inside it. A lighter case may be next on the list...
Roc n Soc Nitro. Solid as a rock, extremely comfortable for long shows, and lighter than comparable thrones with the threaded steel spindle. I love these thrones!
Man I have a nice Blue INDe Kit like yours , but not with the WTS system that is really cool! I will also check out that Sabian clapstack hopefully the 12” version is available
Basically, slightly lower pitch. For me, a 14 floor tom is just too high pitched if it's my lowest tom, whereas often a 16" floor can get sonically swallowed up on a loud live stage when it's too low. The 15" diameter splits the difference perfectly for me, and I've used that size live for a couple of decades at this point.
I asked for a 23" medium/thin ride with the bottom unlathed and the top lathed in the HHX Complex style, a 21" super dry crash that's thin and unlathed, a 14" "Holy China" that's uses the HH series instead of the AA series and a 12" AAX splash with the "air splash" holes!
Great video! Another thumbs up for INDe. I love my kit, and I wish they had the WTS collaboration when I got mine. It looks like you're using roc n soc thrones in the studio. Are you using them with the gigging kit also? Thrones always seem to be some of the heaviest items for hardware, and I didn't know if you had a lighter weight recommendation.
I love my Roc n Soc thrones, and am absolutely using the blue hydraulic throne you see here with my gigging kit. I find that throne significantly lighter than their model with the solid steel threaded post, and am happy to deal with the slightly heavier weight than a "lightweight" throne for the extra comfort it gives on a long gig.
Yes, the finish will scar. I use a mic bracket on my hihat and it leaves a mark. Each piece has it's own protective bag for transportation though. I have over 100 gigs on my set up and except for the bracket area on the hat stand it looks brand new... Good stuff. Even on windy outdoor gigs at the beach, it's rock solid.
Just to add my two cents, I agree with the other comments - I wouldn't plan on clamping anything metal to these stands. I do clamp my IKlip iPad clamp from IK Multimedia onto the cymbal stand, but that clamp is made of plastic and doesn't leave any marks that I can see
Many thanks for the shout out Dylan! Glad to hear our product helps you out! Let us know if ever you have SHU questions. Best wishes from Nebraska!
Great video, as a gigging drummer always trying to be efficient myself, I appreciate hearing your thoughts behind each piece gear from the drum shells, to the floor tom legs. Thanks for sharing.
Long live the modified Yamaha HipGig. Dylan, love your video material. The passion for details of sound and transport is real respect my brother. The times we wished we all played Violin is when moving a drum kit. I have gigged around the NY Tri-state area and now Florida for decades, sorry never Hoboken. Fine tuning this process is continuous. The choices made with drum gear result in either a gargantuan task or a routine, well rehearsed in and out burger-of-a-move. As a weekend warrior wedding drummer and aerospace engineer by day, I have invested serious time pouring over drum equipment details with one set goal: One trip cartridge from car to stage, keeping sound a priority. The primary “One Trip” kit for me is a modified Yamaha HipGig in the smaller Rick Marotta size in Cherry stain finish. I swapped out the flat 13” Tom for a 13 x 11 Recording Custom in Cherry, a perfect color match, deeper sound and a nice used find on eBay. The tiny Hip Gig snare was swapped out for a Yamaha Musashi 13 x 6 in black that has a nice stick pop tuned high or low and still nests in the BD. The 16” Hip Gig bass drum, already thunder, was softened with Remo Renaissance 3 batter, foam on the inside bottom. The do all cymbals for me playing mostly pop and oldies at weddings are Zildjian 21” A sweet ride, 17” A Custom thin crash, 14 Dark K thin, Sabian 14” AA Reg hats in Brilliant. In Florida you will play KC and the Sunshine Band - a lot - and you will appreciate bright hihats. Mods; all extra length was cut from HipGig cymbal boom hardware and a straight Yamaha CS-650 third cymbal stand, this cut pounds of chrome steel. The HipGig Canister seat already a marvel of comfort and utility - is stuffed with HW, stick bag, mics and cable. All original HipGig cases were swapped out for 2 Beato Pro 1 Bags. One a Conga bag to fit the longer Tom length. Beato Bags are still some of the best value and protection. The carry method is a lightweight luggage hand truck modified with a 2” web strap and bungees. The bass drum/tom stacks vertical, the seat canister lays on top horizontally secured with bungees. The cymbal bag is either over my shoulder or strapped to the hand truck. Unless pressed for time, I always carry my Tux or band cloths in a garment bag and dress later, that flops over the stack. Upon arrival at the event hall, if first gig there, scope out quick how to get to the band stage or setup area. Stairs? elevators? loading dock ? whatever it is don’t hesitate one second - get the gear on wheels and move with a purpose. The HipGig setup is 15 minutes tops and well rehearsed. If it is a larger venue with a greater net fee $$, I have a 4 piece white kit. It looks stunning and is still a one trip move but with a flat bed cart.
I'm sorry I missed this when you posted - much respect to your setup and choices! Great stuff. I went with the larger drum sizes simple because I'm so used to those pitch ranges - the 16-18" kicks and 13-14" floor toms are just too high-pitched for what I hear. But it does mean I need two trips to load the kit in and out. Everything is a tradeoff. Happy drumming!
Lots of great stuff. Inspiring
There aren’t many gear videos where I think, yep, every choice is solid. This is certainly an exception. Your gear list is absolutely my dream list. The WTS system is amazing. We used to have a local guy who made similar cable tune drums called Page Drums. Very limited distribution though. I already use the Yamaha Crosstown stands and I’ve put INDe mounts on several kits. My lightweight kit though is an Oriollo aluminum kit (with an INDe tom mount) and my snare is a Ludwig Standard aluminum. I also use TnR products (we lived in the same town and I would see them at gigs or drum shows). One cymbal I suggest is the Dave Weckl signature HHX crash from Sabian. I think it would pair nicely with those prototypes. Great video.
Oh, and I don’t live in a town where parking is an issue or anything like that. My need for lightening the load was for a much more serious issue. I’m old and lazy!
I actually added a 17" HHX Legacy Crash right after I made this video! Great minds think alike... ;^)
As a gigging drummer, I really really appreciate this setup! I also pay close attention to space and weight savings, and volume control. If I ever decide to replace the little Sonor Safari I'm currently gigging (the older, inexpensive Select Hardwood model that sounds WAY better than it has any right to), the WTS drums are definitely my choice. For cymbals, I'm also a Sabian man, but I'm relying fully on the FRX line for this rig. They sound fantastic and have the volume control I need. I also use the Kelly Shu with a drilled-in XLR jack, and, like yours, it's a game changer! All my future kits will have one.
Beautiful set up, man!!
Wow! Thanks Dylan for this awesome and very informative video. I kinda forgot about those Yamaha stands. Definitely gonna have to check those out! 🥁❤️
I Love the aluminum hardware aspect. Thanks!
Wow--WTS for the win! Reminds me of the tunable floor tom that Max Roach used to have. Foot pedal tuning would be great for certain effects.
Beautiful set of drums!...love the GMS snare! I had a grandmaster snarew?die cast hoops and it cracked for days.LOve it when drummers show their stuff and answer questions that normally go unanswered until you pull the trigger and just buy the damn thing.good video thank you.
Wow that was a great video. And yes us old guys have moved to the Yamaha crosstown for sure !
I mean, if I get booked for a big arena tour or something, I'll use the heavy duty stuff. But for local gigs where I'm loading in my own drums myself? The Crosstown stuff rules!
I love the innovation of the 'one point' tuning wire system and the ultra-light aluminum hardware. "Back in the day" I had an ingeniously designed Trixon kit and didn't realize until recently how lightweight, convenient and innovative that hardware was for a gigging drummer. Now that my back is 'several' years older ;-) - Lightweight is great! Thanks.
I hear you! I think we were all sold on the idea that we were supposed to have arena-weight hardware back in the 80s and 90s, so that "old flimsy hardware" was supposed to be useless. Everything old is new again...
Nice setup! I've been eyeing the crosstowns, and of course I'm starting to put inde throws on everything!
The kit sounds AMAZING btw. Hopefully I'll get back up there to hear you!
stumbled onto this! WoW glad i did
Welcome to my channel!
A few years ago I had what I called my “Sherpa Kit”. It consisted of a 61/2x14 snare, a converted to kick Ludwig 16x16 field tom, hats, and 16” crash/ride. It fit nicely in a soft kick bag, hardware including throne fit into an old repurposed Samsonite suit case. I no longer have the kit but man I miss it. Great gig kit for the R&B group I was in, just keep the beat brother and groove the dancers! Small kits create better focus and creativity in my mind😏
Great information. If I ever get the money, I definitely want the WTS kit.
Sick set-up.
Swapping out the Yamaha wing nuts and cymbal felts on the Crosstown cymbal stands with INDe cymbal gummies makes the Crosstown snares truly superb. The cymbals swing more freely and the cymbal gummies don’t choke resonance like the thick Yamaha felts.
Great video, Dylan! Keep it up!
Thanks, Wade!
Thanks for so much useful info
Such a good video. The kit is stunning and I love your space… happy to subscribe.
Why would you not use a cart? I have a horrendously bad back and the only way I'm even able to keep playing is by having a variety of carts.
Nice !
I JUST DID THE SABIAN SOUNDCHECK!!!
THANKS for the video. Can you pls link to the snare strainer?
Those Inde drums sound really good. Much "bigger" in sound than their size would suggest. Thanks for the video and tips to get the sound you are looking for. I think that is an important thing for a drummer to have sound in their head what they would like to have their drums sound like, and working to achieve that sound. I think that seperates those serious about drumming, and those who are not. I think those snare weights are one of the best all time drum hack. Using leather so when you hit the drum it raises of the drumhead to hear the note, then silently shortening the resonance or decay of the drum. They just work so much better than I ever thought they would. Not a fan of the jell pads.
This is honestly one of my very favorite sets of drums that I've ever played. And I'm not exactly sure right now what kit I could name that would top it!
Yamaha crosstown is the way to go. I got the set plus an additional cymbal stand and my hardware set up is 52 lbs lighter than the doubled braced DW set up. I carry it in the provided bag versus a big case and hand truck. ++
I believe it! I realized that my heavy Protector hardware case now weighs almost as much as the hardware inside it. A lighter case may be next on the list...
What about the throne?
Roc n Soc Nitro. Solid as a rock, extremely comfortable for long shows, and lighter than comparable thrones with the threaded steel spindle. I love these thrones!
Man I have a nice Blue INDe Kit like yours , but not with the WTS system that is really cool! I will also check out that Sabian clapstack hopefully the 12” version is available
It's really cool, and I believe will be pretty inexpensive when it's released (sadly I don't have any details about that)
What's the benefit of a 14x15 floor tom over a 14x14?
Basically, slightly lower pitch. For me, a 14 floor tom is just too high pitched if it's my lowest tom, whereas often a 16" floor can get sonically swallowed up on a loud live stage when it's too low. The 15" diameter splits the difference perfectly for me, and I've used that size live for a couple of decades at this point.
Great video, Dylan. Which hoops do you use for your Acrolite? Tks!
Just regular modern 2.3mm. Such an amazing all-around drum!
I asked for
a 23" medium/thin ride with the bottom unlathed and the top lathed in the HHX Complex style, a 21" super dry crash that's thin and unlathed, a 14" "Holy China" that's uses the HH series instead of the AA series and a 12" AAX splash with the "air splash" holes!
wait gms is still around thought they folded or did they just scale back a bit
Great video! Another thumbs up for INDe. I love my kit, and I wish they had the WTS collaboration when I got mine. It looks like you're using roc n soc thrones in the studio. Are you using them with the gigging kit also? Thrones always seem to be some of the heaviest items for hardware, and I didn't know if you had a lighter weight recommendation.
I love my Roc n Soc thrones, and am absolutely using the blue hydraulic throne you see here with my gigging kit. I find that throne significantly lighter than their model with the solid steel threaded post, and am happy to deal with the slightly heavier weight than a "lightweight" throne for the extra comfort it gives on a long gig.
Hello Sir you have the Price for this drum wts thanks you sir have good day Bye-Bye
Do you think the crosstown hardware would get marked if clamps were used on them?
If you're suspending toms, probably.
Yes, the finish will scar. I use a mic bracket on my hihat and it leaves a mark. Each piece has it's own protective bag for transportation though. I have over 100 gigs on my set up and except for the bracket area on the hat stand it looks brand new... Good stuff. Even on windy outdoor gigs at the beach, it's rock solid.
Just to add my two cents, I agree with the other comments - I wouldn't plan on clamping anything metal to these stands. I do clamp my IKlip iPad clamp from IK Multimedia onto the cymbal stand, but that clamp is made of plastic and doesn't leave any marks that I can see
E' un brevetto italiano . Le batterie si chiamavano Bernardino e risalgono a 20 anni fa
Are you still a Ludwig endorsee?
I was never an official endorser! I love their drums and have worked with the crew on a few things, but was never on the roster
ha ive been on the internet too long.
Is this a commercial endorsement? 😂😂😂😂
Nope, just stuff that I purchased and really dig!