Keith Keogh is the guy behind BDC. He's a master cabinet maker and I knew him back when he first started making custom drums!! He worked in the same building legendary British drummer Steve White taught in!! Great place to hang out!! He then went on to become Premier's main r&d guy. Glad to see he's still making great drums!!
IMO, the Canopus sounded the best in the room mic scenario, almost like full mix! Punchy, tone, definition!! All the rest are very nice , but those stood out, especially just using room mics
I bought a British Drum Company Legends kit on a whim after this video. It was my first GOOD birch drum kit. I owned a Yamaha Stage Custom years ago and it was the worst drum kit I’ve ever owned (sounded like cardboard and the lugs and tension rods kept coming loose). I don’t think I’ll ever buy another kit that doesn’t have birch in it. What a tone! Looking for a second one currently for gigging and may grab the Canopus to save a little but that BDC is hard to beat.
In my heart, in my musician's soul, the clear decision is British Drum Co. Legend! No doubt about it. However, as a Sound Engineer, in Recording Studio, it would be Yamaha - somebody very clever, very experienced... designed, made those Yamaha drums to avoid PAINFUL problems with recording various not-so-suitable drum sets in studios. As for my choice of LIVE, STAGE drum sets that would be picked up by mics on large stages (concerts) it would definitely be Sonor SQ1 - since live situations usualy demand those STACATTO (stacattisimo!) strong attack and not much ¨aftersound¨ from drums on stages. But, in my band, drums that would be desirable would be British Drum Co. - awesome!
Recording Customs for this guy! I absolutely love these shoot out videos! It’s so nice to hear all of these world class kits next to each other. Great job... As always
They all sound great. Having owned several Birch kits I love their characteristic sound and dont know why drummers dont want them! Weird! I loved the British Drums and the Yamaha
Shane you know you were feeling great about British Drum Company..... nice catch! I must agree that the new Yamaha Recording Custom sounds better than ever! Canopus so far the most boisterous of the bunch! Although I can be pleased with any of these kits, the Sonor has the sound for me..... must be the reason why I'm just a ordinary average Sonor guy! The British Drum Company is the most open sounding, the Yamaha the most defined sounding, Canopus are boisterous, but in a very good way, and Sonor has my ears! As always, thanks for another great presentation, Y'all are the best!
Great comparison video. For me the Sonor won me over. It was the darkest sounding of the bunch, but it was a lovely, clean tone which was fascinating to hear. The British drum co. kit was a nice surprise, didn’t expect to get so much volume from them. Overall, my only gripe with these kits are they sound great, but if the rack toms were just an inch deeper, they would be phenomenal sounding kits. Kinda like the Sonor Birch Infinite kits from a few years ago. They sounded killer.
Yamaha Snare, British bass drum, were my favorites. Trying to figure out which toms I liked the best. They all sound great! Maybe Sonar toms if I had to choose. Awesome video!
The Legends sounds great. It sounds almost identical to my Mapex Black Panther Velvetone. When you said buttery sounding, it has been a verb frequently used to describe the Velvetone when it first came out.
My preference, from what I hear from the room mics, in order: BDC, Sonor, Yamaha, and Canopus. I want to prefer Sonor, but it simply doesn't sound quite as defined with the guttural depth of the British. Yamaha surprised me -- pure wholesome goodness! Canopus just doesn't sound as crisply defined as the others. Birch. I think I want some. I like it's deep roundness a bit better than the somewhat "tinnier" sound of maple. I'm gonna have to listen to some more sound samples to decide. These head-to-head samples without compression, etc., are invaluably helpful! Thank you!
Listening to the head to head ROOM MIC samples, I feel the British set toms are the most pronounced. I think it is true of the snare too. Most of us probably play smaller rooms where vocal mics, and maybe an over head, is what we have to project our drum sound. Therefore, I'd give the nod to the British kit. I also think the Sonor kit was at a little disadvantage w/o a 10" tom b/c higher pitch drums sing a little louder. They all sound really nice though. These head-to-head videos DCP have been doing are really great. It takes a lot of time to put these together. Thank you very much, guys. As an aside, I have always liked the Yamaha tom mounts. They are lighter then a stand, and the center hole holds a cymbal stand for, say, a splash cymbal in a perfect spot. Sure it is an extra hole in the kick, but a pillow/blanket etc... does more to remove resonance then that small extra hole.
Excellent comparison video. I've been playing 50+ yrs and what I would have given for info and insight like this back in the day. Thanks so much. I'm not really a birch guy but they all sound great to me. That Sonor Beech SQ2 snare is just phenomenal.
There’s a reason birch drums are recording & mixing engineer‘s favorites. A pre-EQ‘ed sound, a more focused and not so boomy low end and that sharp attack which you usually need to EQ on other woods in the upper mid frequencies. But having that said, I‘d go for an inch deeper on the rack toms. Birch shells with shallow rack toms often sound too sharp to my ears, so 10x8 or 12x9 would be my choice. Great video, guys! 🤟🏻
I played someone's Oderey. Bubinga kit for ten minutes at a soundcheck and it was an ear opener , in a good way! Check that out if you like a warm yet dark sound .
I mean it wouldn't hurt my feelings to own any of these.. (all look and sound great).. that sonar snare is awwwwwwwesome. BDC look classy as hell.. The canopus kit coming in under 2g.. what a great time to be a drummer!!
I still have and play my arctic white BLX Pearl solid Birch drums from the early 90s They sound awesome. I still get compliments on them and where I got them from.
WOW I really dig all of them and would not hesitate to buy any of them. Just a matter of getting colors and details I would want. Great job guys these comparison video's are a great asset to anyone buying drums. I am going to listen a few more times but my initial impression is 1) Sonor, 2)Canopus, 3) Yamaha, 4)BDC but I would be happy to own any of them. I love the fact that the RC's come with the toms mounted to the bass drum, that is hard to find on higher end drums. My only problem with all 4 of these is the limited color selections, I wish someone anyone put a sparkle or glitter option on higher end birch kits.. Everyone wants to stand out yet they all follow the same patterns when it comes to color schemes for birch kits. Most have great options for Maple but never birch? The struggle is real : )
Awesome ! about friggin' time someone did this comparison. Of course ...it's DCP.Great job Shane and co. For me it's: CANOPUS - They have everything going for them,the most resonance and sustain,best kick,best sounding snare drum, also best price range. (If they offered bass drum in 14 or 16 depth ,i would order them.) The Yaiba lugs are great looking and their finishes are classy. BRITISH DRUM - The most unique of the 4,sound and looks.killer tone.Classy. YAMAHA - These sound good ,but very generic. Although these are nicer than most others I've heard from Yamaha, i just never got it..Snare is exceptional. SONOR - I normally like 'anything' SONOR, but these cut off too quickly for my ears.
I'm one of those guys that sees stuff in the background. I want to hear the Sonor Horst Link, the Ludwig stadium slotted and that $3500+ Noble and Cooley bronze. All nerdiness aside, all of these kits sound killer. I've had a couple lower end birch kits over the years. Loved them, but nothing like any of these. I honestly couldn't pick a favorite sound wise but I would be partial to the Yamaha. I played a stage custom for years and it was one of the better sounding cheap kits I've had.
Enjoyed all those kits! Having had a very large Yamaha Rock Tour Custom kit back in the early nineties, I must say how much better to my ear those British Drum Co. drums sounded. Most of the mounted toms were close. But the bass drum, and WOW that floor tom. May just have to start saving all my change for one of their kits!
Sonor wins!!! The British Drum Company a close second place! The Canopus third place! And much to my surprise the Yamaha Recording Custom came in last! 🥁✌🏻I am not a birch guy, however as always you guys are the best at genuinely presenting the different offerings out there 😃
The Canopus at half the price AND you get the snare has to be a winner. The British Drum Company kit was beautiful, love those lugs and that snare was a monster. On sound alone though, I think the Yamaha maybe is a hair better than the others? I also love Sonor kits, but the test kit was too butt ugly to mention. Keep up the great work on these informative and entertaining videos. Love the live drum sound that you get, unlike other drum shop channels that over produce the sound.
@@drumcenternh If you love undersize shells & birch, why not demo Premier Elite or Genista? Premiers higher end kits have always had undersized shells as well
Great Video, I'm a birch shell fan going back to Pearl BLX drums in the eighties! Whenever I've had maple kit it, as you've said many times, they sometime don't sound as expected in some rooms where as birch is very consistent from place to place. For me it's the British Drum Company birch kit over all the others and the Sonor SQ1 next. The British Drum just had such great focus and tone with just the right amount of sustain.
@cwphunky68 So true! I didn't realize just how good those drums were at the time! I think Pearl was trying to build a kit to compare with the Yamaha recording custom but the BLX became their own animal, mine were in Sequoia red. I mis them!
For me British drum company hands down.This is a very serious company in the drum world.I love what they bring to the table and really hope they catch on.There attention to detail and sound is incredible. If I ever part with my pearl reference kit, I will definitely be buying a set of British drum company drums.I love there mounting system direct to the shell,there lugs on both the legend and lounge series beautiful. INCREDIBLE DRUMS.!!!
Really great video. I agree with another guy's post. BDC bass drum. Yamaha snare really standout. I love the sound of Sonor but I also think Yamaha RC are amazing and just flow so nicely as a kit. Hope that made sense😲
I like the sound of the Canopus and Yamaha the best. The British Kit is nice to. I'd personally purchase which ever of these kits were the most affordable.
I got to go to DCNH and try them all....I went with the Sonor for the power and low end but all sounded great, the SQ1s just edged the others out by a bit for me.
I want to start by saying I really enjoy your videos. The British set sounded louder & thunderous. I like all the kits, but overall I give the edge to the Yamaha surprisingly.I have several DW maple kits but no birch. I'm looking for a nice Birch kit. This is a great start to consider.
Birch is my favorite wood. It's perfect for live and studio. On a side note, the British drum company is really something to look out for. They really know what they're doing..But the one that blew my mind was the Canopus. I'm a Sonor guy, and although the SQ1 sounded great, they come in a close second, only because i think its because of the factory heads.
I love Yamaha. I just feel the RCs are a bit over priced considering the basic finishes offered. They should offer some fade finishes imo and have those at current price and drop the basic finishes a few hundred imo.
All of these kits sound really good. I think the Yamaha kit takes the prize, with a surprising robust challenge from the British Drum Company. I really like the Absolute kit from Yamaha, which I believe might be the next one up from the Recording.
That british drum company birch kit sounds tremendous. I would say they sound slightly better than the Recording customs. I always love the sound of Sonor's as well..and those drums didnt disappoint.
I would be all about that Sonor SQ1 if not for its inexcusably high price for just 3 pieces. On the other hand, Canopus continues to blow me away. On the other, other hand, I would honestly take any one of these kits in a heartbeat either way.
Love the video guys! I've owned birch in the past and not really been a fan, but dam those drums are signing whilst still having great low end. The floor tom on that Yamaha Recording Custom is unreal. Would dig to know how you tuned them. Anyway, great video, awesome comparisons
If i´d have the money to buy any birch kit, i would choose the Recording Custom, in surf green and throw Paiste 602 Modern in the mix. Beautiful sounding kit, and one of the best snares ever.
I'm fortunate enough to own SQ1 and BDC toms. I'd say that the BDCs are a touch livelier than the SQ1s - like Shane, I like the sound to 'get out of the way' after I strike the drum, and for me the SQ1s do this perfectly. Have to say that the BDCs sound great in this video, though. Shane, any chance you can let me know the tunings of the toms? - would be interested to know. Thanks again for a great and informative video.
canopus and british sounded the best to my ears, I like how theyre punchy yet warm. canopus seem to have more punch and the british is slightly juicier so id probably pick british if I had the money but I do have a soft spot for Japanese made products
I think the Canopus kit blew the Yamaha set out of the water and left it in soggy pieces on the shore. The toms just exploded with projection and bite.
All of these Birches really sound Great, I’m just a craze fan of this gorgeous 👉🏼YAMAHA 🥁set! but the excellent build quality of the 🇬🇧Drums, the perfect warm sound of CANOPUS Toms n’ Floor-Tom & the SONOR Snare’s rich reverb, also surprised me....🤟🏼👍🏼
Overall it goes to the British Drum Company Legend Series followed by the Sonor SQ1. The legend series is just on more of a boutique level in terms of build quality, quality control and aesthetics.
Glad to hear these... Love Birch drums, always seems to cut a little bit better in a live mix, I can totally understand how they are preferred live and studio... I have played 3 of the 4... Always thought the SQ1 sounded best sitting behind them, though not huge on that tom mount, or the flat colors and different hoops... But the Recording Custom sounds dam good mic'd up, and the finish and hardware is superb. When I played with the British DC kit live, it just seemed to be missing some bottom end, but sounds good recording. No experience with the Canopus, though I know they make great drums. Toss up between Yammie and Sonor. But, if you only got $1500, that Canopus is a great choice.
I like the Sonor tom mount. It doesn't get in the way when you're trying to tune the drums! That's what I hate about most drum companies... they put the dam mount on the batter side tension rods. YUCK!!
That first kit was pretty sweet. I regret selling my Birch kit back in 2001. Don't sleep on Birch, they are deep AF especially when you add clear 2-ply head
Hi! I've got a '90s Mapex Orion Classic Birch wich, after more than a decade of stop, needs a lot of service. Wich batter and reso heads do you suggest for toms (10, 12, 14, 16) and kick? Thanx! P.S. back to drumming, new subscriber to the channel, I'm bingewatching all the videos, your drumming guys is really inspiring!
Thanks for the kind words and welcome back to drumming! On those drums you really can't go wrong with coated Remo Emperors for batters and clear Ambassadors on the resos. For the kick, Powerstroke of any version would do the trick!
All sound great but the Recording Customs and SQ1 are by far the best. I’ve owned a Yamaha birch kits from forever ago- Tom’s were killer but the kick was thin. What Yamaha has done is just incredible. I had an SQ2 Maple kit but I have to admit that I think I prefer the Birch to Maple. You can’t go wrong with bitch or maple- just two totally different beasts. A very good video. Btw, the SQ2 saner was killing. .
I have a feeling the RC was high on Sonor´s list of references when creating the SQ1 series. To me the Sonor´s sound cleaner and the Yamaha´s have a bit more attack. I suspect that the RC and SQ1 would cut through a dense mix better than the other two, but man that BDC kit sounds amazing!
Full Mix:
17:02 British
17:23 Yamaha
17:44 Canopus
18:04 Sonor
Room Mics:
18:24 British
18:44 Yamaha
19:05 Canopus
19:25 Sonor
Upvote this!
THank you!
Wow that British Drum Company kit sounds amazing, especially that kick drum. I would say that though because I'm British!
parsnips “oh, I’m sorry”....Austin Powers...
I have to agree. They nailed it with this kit. Sounds better than a DW to me.
I agree and I like your comment because I’m also British.
Nice shallow tom toms as well, in classic British fashion.
The fact that you're British makes no difference to the fact that it sounds amazing.
Keith Keogh is the guy behind BDC. He's a master cabinet maker and I knew him back when he first started making custom drums!!
He worked in the same building legendary British drummer Steve White taught in!! Great place to hang out!!
He then went on to become Premier's main r&d guy. Glad to see he's still making great drums!!
I like the British and the Canpous best here.
Ditto here. Sonor's not at all bad either, and I love the matte finish.
@@MrVoraxTranstellaris Yeah that finish is beautiful
IMO, the Canopus sounded the best in the room mic scenario, almost like full mix! Punchy, tone, definition!! All the rest are very nice , but those stood out, especially just using room mics
I have to agree on that!
I bought a British Drum Company Legends kit on a whim after this video. It was my first GOOD birch drum kit. I owned a Yamaha Stage Custom years ago and it was the worst drum kit I’ve ever owned (sounded like cardboard and the lugs and tension rods kept coming loose). I don’t think I’ll ever buy another kit that doesn’t have birch in it. What a tone! Looking for a second one currently for gigging and may grab the Canopus to save a little but that BDC is hard to beat.
Birch has always sounded so much better to my ears than maple. 30 years drumming and I still go for birch.
Agreed. Have a 83 Tama Superstar that is just stellar!
Blow your mind and play a sonor beech kit.
@@johncollins5552 I checkout out a medium and heavy beech. very nice, but birch is still sharper and punchier, which i prefer.
@@af7119I have best of both Worlds, vintage sonor beech drums with a new birch snare.
That Sonor kick is AWESOME
Really nice that we live in an era that has such great, detailed, well recorded reference/demo videos.
thank you
In my heart, in my musician's soul, the clear decision is British Drum Co. Legend! No doubt about it. However, as a Sound Engineer, in Recording Studio, it would be Yamaha - somebody very clever, very experienced... designed, made those Yamaha drums to avoid PAINFUL problems with recording various not-so-suitable drum sets in studios. As for my choice of LIVE, STAGE drum sets that would be picked up by mics on large stages (concerts) it would definitely be Sonor SQ1 - since live situations usualy demand those STACATTO (stacattisimo!) strong attack and not much ¨aftersound¨ from drums on stages. But, in my band, drums that would be desirable would be British Drum Co. - awesome!
Recording Customs for this guy!
I absolutely love these shoot out videos! It’s so nice to hear all of these world class kits next to each other. Great job... As always
They sound dead compared to the Sonor and BDC's
@@banditY2Kthey all sound dead birch blows😂
This was awesome! Well done guys. SQ1 gets my vote, but the British kit sounds amazing!
hmmm i wonder if this is a biased opinion...lol just kidding, they truly are fantastic!
They seem a bit warmer than most other birch drums to me.
It's cool Britania for me:-)
except horrible finish :)
They all sound great. Having owned several Birch kits I love their characteristic sound and dont know why drummers dont want them! Weird! I loved the British Drums and the Yamaha
Shane you know you were feeling great about British Drum Company..... nice catch! I must agree that the new Yamaha Recording Custom sounds better than ever! Canopus so far the most boisterous of the bunch! Although I can be pleased with any of these kits, the Sonor has the sound for me..... must be the reason why I'm just a ordinary average Sonor guy! The British Drum Company is the most open sounding, the Yamaha the most defined sounding, Canopus are boisterous, but in a very good way, and Sonor has my ears! As always, thanks for another great presentation, Y'all are the best!
Well said! Thanks for watching, and for the kind words (as always!)
Great comparison video. For me the Sonor won me over. It was the darkest sounding of the bunch, but it was a lovely, clean tone which was fascinating to hear. The British drum co. kit was a nice surprise, didn’t expect to get so much volume from them.
Overall, my only gripe with these kits are they sound great, but if the rack toms were just an inch deeper, they would be phenomenal sounding kits. Kinda like the Sonor Birch Infinite kits from a few years ago. They sounded killer.
I prefer a drum to sound like a drum. Too many are bright and thin (I had one). If there is a dark tonalty, the drums sound fuller.
💯
I like the Sonor SQ1 and the Yamaha Recording Custom.
Yamaha Snare, British bass drum, were my favorites. Trying to figure out which toms I liked the best. They all sound great! Maybe Sonar toms if I had to choose. Awesome video!
The Legends sounds great. It sounds almost identical to my Mapex Black Panther Velvetone. When you said buttery sounding, it has been a verb frequently used to describe the Velvetone when it first came out.
My preference, from what I hear from the room mics, in order: BDC, Sonor, Yamaha, and Canopus. I want to prefer Sonor, but it simply doesn't sound quite as defined with the guttural depth of the British. Yamaha surprised me -- pure wholesome goodness! Canopus just doesn't sound as crisply defined as the others.
Birch. I think I want some. I like it's deep roundness a bit better than the somewhat "tinnier" sound of maple. I'm gonna have to listen to some more sound samples to decide. These head-to-head samples without compression, etc., are invaluably helpful! Thank you!
Great video...I have been playing Premier for years...looks like there is yet another fine British drum company on the scene! :)
Great video! Thank you for doing these demos with the snare turned off and on! It makes all the difference in the world!!!
Thanks for watching, Jimmy.
Listening to the head to head ROOM MIC samples, I feel the British set toms are the most pronounced. I think it is true of the snare too. Most of us probably play smaller rooms where vocal mics, and maybe an over head, is what we have to project our drum sound. Therefore, I'd give the nod to the British kit. I also think the Sonor kit was at a little disadvantage w/o a 10" tom b/c higher pitch drums sing a little louder. They all sound really nice though. These head-to-head videos DCP have been doing are really great. It takes a lot of time to put these together. Thank you very much, guys. As an aside, I have always liked the Yamaha tom mounts. They are lighter then a stand, and the center hole holds a cymbal stand for, say, a splash cymbal in a perfect spot. Sure it is an extra hole in the kick, but a pillow/blanket etc... does more to remove resonance then that small extra hole.
Excellent comparison video. I've been playing 50+ yrs and what I would have given for info and insight like this back in the day. Thanks so much. I'm not really a birch guy but they all sound great to me. That Sonor Beech SQ2 snare is just phenomenal.
Thanks for watching! We're glad you found it informative. The SQ2 Beech is pretty killer. Haven't played one yet we haven't liked!
The Canopus is much cheaper than the other sets and sounds as good as any of them. Really impressive.
Yes exactly !!
No Doubt !!!!
But I would say if I had the money to invest -'' The British or Sonor Drums would be my choice !!!
not that much more expensive...
It sounds the best!
There’s a reason birch drums are recording & mixing engineer‘s favorites. A pre-EQ‘ed sound, a more focused and not so boomy low end and that sharp attack which you usually need to EQ on other woods in the upper mid frequencies. But having that said, I‘d go for an inch deeper on the rack toms. Birch shells with shallow rack toms often sound too sharp to my ears, so 10x8 or 12x9 would be my choice.
Great video, guys! 🤟🏻
I was not aware it was possible for Birch to sound so beefy. Bravo, Canopus!
They have a PRE-Eq'd sound that works great under mics. It's the highly preferred wood for studio. Same for walnut but is a darker tone than Birch :)
I played someone's Oderey. Bubinga kit for ten minutes at a soundcheck and it was an ear opener , in a good way! Check that out if you like a warm yet dark sound .
I have a Ludwig Element evolution birch
(Discontinued) and let me tell you, birch + Evans EC2s = Slap and low end
Yes 👍 with the right tuning and heads birch can sound very beefy 👍😎
@@niccolomadrid5512 those sound nice especially with the Ec2s please share a video if you can 👍
I mean it wouldn't hurt my feelings to own any of these.. (all look and sound great).. that sonar snare is awwwwwwwesome. BDC look classy as hell.. The canopus kit coming in under 2g.. what a great time to be a drummer!!
Sonor and Yamaha!!! ...But the canopus Wow!!!!
I still have and play my arctic white BLX Pearl solid Birch drums from the early 90s They sound awesome. I still get compliments on them and where I got them from.
The floor tom on the British Drum Co. sounded so deep. Loved it !!!
.
When you played the Canopus Yaiba II drums it’s sounded as if I were at a 80’s rock concert.
British snare still sounds golden through just the room mics. Fills the room. Very nice.
WOW I really dig all of them and would not hesitate to buy any of them. Just a matter of getting colors and details I would want. Great job guys these comparison video's are a great asset to anyone buying drums. I am going to listen a few more times but my initial impression is 1) Sonor, 2)Canopus, 3) Yamaha, 4)BDC but I would be happy to own any of them. I love the fact that the RC's come with the toms mounted to the bass drum, that is hard to find on higher end drums. My only problem with all 4 of these is the limited color selections, I wish someone anyone put a sparkle or glitter option on higher end birch kits.. Everyone wants to stand out yet they all follow the same patterns when it comes to color schemes for birch kits. Most have great options for Maple but never birch? The struggle is real : )
You guys have the best drum channel on UA-cam
Awesome ! about friggin' time someone did this comparison. Of course ...it's DCP.Great job Shane and co.
For me it's:
CANOPUS - They have everything going for them,the most resonance and sustain,best kick,best sounding snare drum,
also best price range. (If they offered bass drum in 14 or 16 depth ,i would order them.) The Yaiba lugs are great looking and their finishes are classy.
BRITISH DRUM - The most unique of the 4,sound and looks.killer tone.Classy.
YAMAHA - These sound good ,but very generic. Although these are nicer than most others I've heard from Yamaha, i just never got it..Snare is exceptional.
SONOR - I normally like 'anything' SONOR, but these cut off too quickly for my ears.
Salvy I literally just came to the comments to say this about this snare, it sounded so damn good.
I'm one of those guys that sees stuff in the background. I want to hear the Sonor Horst Link, the Ludwig stadium slotted and that $3500+ Noble and Cooley bronze. All nerdiness aside, all of these kits sound killer. I've had a couple lower end birch kits over the years. Loved them, but nothing like any of these. I honestly couldn't pick a favorite sound wise but I would be partial to the Yamaha. I played a stage custom for years and it was one of the better sounding cheap kits I've had.
Joel Frechette Same. I had a cheap Yamaha Stage series kit as my first drum set & I loved it.
Enjoyed all those kits! Having had a very large Yamaha Rock Tour Custom kit back in the early nineties, I must say how much better to my ear those British Drum Co. drums sounded. Most of the mounted toms were close. But the bass drum, and WOW that floor tom. May just have to start saving all my change for one of their kits!
Amazing drums! Thanks for watching.
Sonor wins!!! The British Drum Company a close second place! The Canopus third place! And much to my surprise the Yamaha Recording Custom came in last! 🥁✌🏻I am not a birch guy, however as always you guys are the best at genuinely presenting the different offerings out there 😃
Thanks, Jack. Glad you enjoyed it!
Jack Gildea I picked them in the same exact order you did.
Same bottom order for me but I loved the BDC over the Sonor.
The Canopus at half the price AND you get the snare has to be a winner. The British Drum Company kit was beautiful, love those lugs and that snare was a monster. On sound alone though, I think the Yamaha maybe is a hair better than the others? I also love Sonor kits, but the test kit was too butt ugly to mention. Keep up the great work on these informative and entertaining videos. Love the live drum sound that you get, unlike other drum shop channels that over produce the sound.
Thanks, man. We try our best to represent the drums as they really sound, both recorded and in the room. It's nice when someone notices!
@@drumcenternh If you love undersize shells & birch, why not demo Premier Elite or Genista? Premiers higher end kits have always had undersized shells as well
@@abysswatcher8818 Premier is not what they used to be.
@@drumcenternh ahh I see, the 90's ones were good...The elites seem good now
Birch wood has the widest sound spectrum of them all. that makes it the best allrounder. quite a large range of tuning too.
For me
BDC, Canopus and the Yam. The kick on the Sonor is something also.
Yamaha for me. So clear and precise.
Great Video, I'm a birch shell fan going back to Pearl BLX drums in the eighties! Whenever I've had maple kit it, as you've said many times, they sometime don't sound as expected in some rooms where as birch is very consistent from place to place. For me it's the British Drum Company birch kit over all the others and the Sonor SQ1 next. The British Drum just had such great focus and tone with just the right amount of sustain.
@cwphunky68 So true! I didn't realize just how good those drums were at the time! I think Pearl was trying to build a kit to compare with the Yamaha recording custom but the BLX became their own animal, mine were in Sequoia red. I mis them!
Thanks for the vids Shane and team. By the way, Shane's playing is really nice and is getting better by the video.
The Yamaha's had so much clarity and articulation, they do all sound good
Amazing sound of all drum kits, exscellent choice. Yamaha Recording Custom is my choice.
For me British drum company hands down.This is a very serious company in the drum world.I love what they bring to the table and really hope they catch on.There attention to detail and sound is incredible. If I ever part with my pearl reference kit, I will definitely be buying a set of British drum company drums.I love there mounting system direct to the shell,there lugs on both the legend and lounge series beautiful. INCREDIBLE DRUMS.!!!
ABSOLUTELY !!!! Shell research if for no other reasons !!!
Beautiful Drums - Also love the finish !!!
Really great video. I agree with another guy's post. BDC bass drum. Yamaha snare really standout. I love the sound of Sonor but I also think Yamaha RC are amazing and just flow so nicely as a kit. Hope that made sense😲
The low end on that BDC floor tom is phenomenal.
I want one of those Merlin snare drums to go with my SQ1.
Ilove it sonor sq1drumset its awsome🤘
I've always (25+ years) wanted a recording custom kit... until now. I gotta say that the British drum co kit now takes that place on my list!
I like the sound of the Canopus and Yamaha the best. The British Kit is nice to. I'd personally purchase which ever of these kits were the most affordable.
Canopus > BDC > Sonor > Yamaha...but they all sound great. Just for price point Canopus is clear winner for me.
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I got to go to DCNH and try them all....I went with the Sonor for the power and low end but all sounded great, the SQ1s just edged the others out by a bit for me.
Enjoy your SQ1, man!
BDC is doing amazing things. The Merlin paired with this set is absolutely incredible.
I want to start by saying I really enjoy your videos. The British set sounded louder & thunderous. I like all the kits, but overall I give the edge to the Yamaha surprisingly.I have several DW maple kits but no birch. I'm looking for a nice Birch kit. This is a great start to consider.
Thanks, Ryan. Glad you liked the video!
Premier undersized their toms as well. I have a Genista that is just killer.
Not to mention Premier did it first.
The Canopus. That kick sounded round but didn‘t lack attack and the snare was amazing.
Never heard of that brand before.
1-British.
2-Canopus for the value-price.
All this kits are great but the Yamaha finish is awesome!!! Damned this natural finish is so beautiful. I prefer the Recording and the Canopus.
British sounded just amazing!
Superb drumming skills. Really difficult to call but Sonor for me.
Hi!! drum center Can you do a comparison between the new tama walnut/birch and Mapex Saturn v please!!!!
Hi Alexis. We'll add it to our list!
Good idea!
Wow, that Legend kit is my favorite followed by the Yamaha! Great video!
Birch is my favorite wood. It's perfect for live and studio. On a side note, the British drum company is really something to look out for. They really know what they're doing..But the one that blew my mind was the Canopus. I'm a Sonor guy, and although the SQ1 sounded great, they come in a close second, only because i think its because of the factory heads.
I love Yamaha. I just feel the RCs are a bit over priced considering the basic finishes offered. They should offer some fade finishes imo and have those at current price and drop the basic finishes a few hundred imo.
They all sound wonderful.
I wish pearl kept the brp in the masters series and the diamond burst finish so I could at least add more drums. Freaking love mine though
Dayummmmm, that Canopus is BEEFYYYYYY.
i think premiere and mapex maybe does that smaller dia shell like sonor too.
All of these kits sound really good.
I think the Yamaha kit takes the prize, with a surprising robust challenge from the British Drum Company.
I really like the Absolute kit from Yamaha, which I believe might be the next one up from the Recording.
BRITISH ! Would love to hear those in 14, 18 , 24 configuration with that snare. Rock with texture. Thanks for posting this.
All I need are the room mics in these videos. Sound is thunderous! I’ll any of these kits except the Canopus.
I'm for the Legend Series or the Yamaha, though I warmed to the Sonar far beyond expectations. Nice one ;)
That british drum company birch kit sounds tremendous. I would say they sound slightly better than the Recording customs. I always love the sound of Sonor's as well..and those drums didnt disappoint.
I would be all about that Sonor SQ1 if not for its inexcusably high price for just 3 pieces. On the other hand, Canopus continues to blow me away.
On the other, other hand, I would honestly take any one of these kits in a heartbeat either way.
Love the video guys! I've owned birch in the past and not really been a fan, but dam those drums are signing whilst still having great low end.
The floor tom on that Yamaha Recording Custom is unreal. Would dig to know how you tuned them.
Anyway, great video, awesome comparisons
If i´d have the money to buy any birch kit, i would choose the Recording Custom, in surf green and throw Paiste 602 Modern in the mix. Beautiful sounding kit, and one of the best snares ever.
English Premier made very good birch drums in the 70s.
Roy Beckerman Very good kits overall.
I'm fortunate enough to own SQ1 and BDC toms. I'd say that the BDCs are a touch livelier than the SQ1s - like Shane, I like the sound to 'get out of the way' after I strike the drum, and for me the SQ1s do this perfectly. Have to say that the BDCs sound great in this video, though. Shane, any chance you can let me know the tunings of the toms? - would be interested to know. Thanks again for a great and informative video.
The best sounding birch kit is Sonor S-Classix (discontinued). 5mm (6mm for bass drum) Scandinavian birch.
canopus and british sounded the best to my ears, I like how theyre punchy yet warm. canopus seem to have more punch and the british is slightly juicier so id probably pick british if I had the money but I do have a soft spot for Japanese made products
Really love the sound of the Canopus kick and snare in the full mix, then the kit sounded muffled in the Room mics.
I think the Canopus kit blew the Yamaha set out of the water and left it in soggy pieces on the shore. The toms just exploded with projection and bite.
Man that Legend British kit sounds amazing
God I love those British drum company drums
They all sounded great, but it’s between the Yamaha, or the Sonor for me.
All of these Birches really sound Great, I’m just a craze fan of this gorgeous 👉🏼YAMAHA 🥁set! but the excellent build quality of the 🇬🇧Drums, the perfect warm sound of CANOPUS Toms n’ Floor-Tom & the SONOR Snare’s rich reverb, also surprised me....🤟🏼👍🏼
Overall it goes to the British Drum Company Legend Series followed by the Sonor SQ1. The legend series is just on more of a boutique level in terms of build quality, quality control and aesthetics.
Sq1 all day!!!!
Glad to hear these... Love Birch drums, always seems to cut a little bit better in a live mix, I can totally understand how they are preferred live and studio... I have played 3 of the 4... Always thought the SQ1 sounded best sitting behind them, though not huge on that tom mount, or the flat colors and different hoops... But the Recording Custom sounds dam good mic'd up, and the finish and hardware is superb. When I played with the British DC kit live, it just seemed to be missing some bottom end, but sounds good recording. No experience with the Canopus, though I know they make great drums. Toss up between Yammie and Sonor. But, if you only got $1500, that Canopus is a great choice.
I like the Sonor tom mount. It doesn't get in the way when you're trying to tune the drums! That's what I hate about most drum companies... they put the dam mount on the batter side tension rods. YUCK!!
I’m a huge fan of birch drums also ! All these sound fantastic 😎👍 great tuning 🎤 mics great video
Didn't some Premier drums have that same undersized shell thing going on?
Yeah but they started that long after Sonor was doing it.
Yeah Sonor is one of the oldest drum manufacturers believe it or not.
That first kit was pretty sweet. I regret selling my Birch kit back in 2001. Don't sleep on Birch, they are deep AF especially when you add clear 2-ply head
Hi! I've got a '90s Mapex Orion Classic Birch wich, after more than a decade of stop, needs a lot of service. Wich batter and reso heads do you suggest for toms (10, 12, 14, 16) and kick? Thanx!
P.S. back to drumming, new subscriber to the channel, I'm bingewatching all the videos, your drumming guys is really inspiring!
Thanks for the kind words and welcome back to drumming! On those drums you really can't go wrong with coated Remo Emperors for batters and clear Ambassadors on the resos. For the kick, Powerstroke of any version would do the trick!
All sound great but the Recording Customs and SQ1 are by far the best. I’ve owned a Yamaha birch kits from forever ago- Tom’s were killer but the kick was thin. What Yamaha has done is just incredible. I had an SQ2 Maple kit but I have to admit that I think I prefer the Birch to Maple. You can’t go wrong with bitch or maple- just two totally different beasts. A very good video. Btw, the SQ2 saner was killing. .
That Sonor sounds incredible. What are you playing at 15mins08secs, crazy fill :)
The British Drum Co kit sounds so full too, lovely sound.
Beautiful playing, Shane & Birch face :) Excellent review. Ty!
Yamaha Recording Custom is my favorite. If I was getting a rock kit the Sonor SQ1 would be it.
I have a feeling the RC was high on Sonor´s list of references when creating the SQ1 series. To me the Sonor´s sound cleaner and the Yamaha´s have a bit more attack. I suspect that the RC and SQ1 would cut through a dense mix better than the other two, but man that BDC kit sounds amazing!