DRUMMER CAFE

Ayotte Drums "Rack And Pinion" Snare Release

When it comes to snare throwoffs, I'm generally on the "keep it simple, stupid" side of town.  Let me engage the snares (and stay engaged), release the snares (and get them completely away from the reso head), let me fine-tune the tension a bit, and I'm happy.  As a result, I tend to be a bit skeptical of the cost/benefit analysis when it comes to "boutique" snare throwoffs.  I haven't tried a Trick throw (yet), but I've tried a few Nickels.  Nice throws.  Smooth action.  Haven't had any problems with them breaking, a situation which is reported online by some drummers.

I've had trouble trying to justify the difference between a basic $20 throw and a $60 throw, if the both accomplish essentially the same thing.  I'd rather spend the money on snare wires, or heads, or (as a hobbyist builder) spending "that much more" on a good shell - elements which will have a far more direct influence on the sound of a drum.

Then I tried an Ayotte throwoff.

A few months ago, a friend asked me to assemble a drum for him, and he opted for the Ayotte throw.  I fell in love with this piece of gear right then and there, and the one I installed on my own drum (pictured below) has only cemented that response.

It looks good (IMHO), the action is smooth, the fine tension adjustment works well, it uses drum key-friendly screws on the plate rather than standard or phillips-head screws...but all of this is true about many other throws costing as much or less than the Ayotte.  Why spend money on this one?

One reason, but for my money, it's a good one:  you can adjust the tension on the action of the throw arm itself, by means of a screw (also designed for use with a drum key), which means you can set the arm anywhere from "full on" to "full off," or anywhere in-between, and it'll stay there.  Try that with your Nickel or your P85 (both throws I like BTW).

I don't hit like Tommy Aldridge by any stretch of the imagination, but in the weeks since I comlpeted this particular drum, the throw arm has yet to slip at all.  I even pushed down directly on the tension adjustment with my thumb, and eventually, I got the throw to move - but only after applying more force than the throw would ever be subjected to by any sort of playing (not anything I could conceive of, anyway).  I'm able to set the tension on the snares such that the "full on" setting is just shy of choking, and by adjusting the throw arm itself, I can vary the snare wire tension instantly, even while playing.

The throw is available directly from Ayotte Drums via their website, or through stores which carry Ayotte drums and accessories.  The cost of the throw is $56.06 plus shipping.  (There is also a matching butt plate, which lists at $7, but it's not adjustable, and doesn't really offer anything different from most butt plates.  It's nice, but it's not the reason to buy a snare assembly from Ayotte.)  The throwoff and butt plate can be bought together or as individual items.

One other nice thing about the throwoff is, it's designed to fit a variety of drillhole spacings on a drum shell, as long as those holes are aligned vertically.  The main body of the throw assembly is just over 1-3/8", so practically speaking, it could handle a drillhole spacing of 1-1/8" or smaller.  (Sorry, guys - this won't fit the drillholes for a P85 or a Musicyo Slingerland zoomatic strainer.)

Would I buy one of these for every snare drum I own?  No - I'm only using Ayottes on a few new drums that I'm building, drums which I expect to get the most use.  If you want to go with a "boutique" throwoff, or if you have difficulties with a Nickel throw and want to replace it with another high-end piece of equipment, I'd recommend checking into this one.

I'm not real fan of plastic tips.  But when I need volume & durability, I love the Ahead sticks.  They really make my ride cymbal cut.

dc

Tama IC Lever Glide Hi-Hat Stand HH905



Im not big on pushing products but I highly recommend this one.

So I needed a new hi-hat stand since forever.  I had a 15%off card for Guitar Center so I headed up there looking for one.  Pretty decent selection for comparison at the one here in Raleigh.

I tried about 4 or 5 out until I came upon Tamas level hat stands.  my left foot was immediately satisfied with the feel of it right there at the store and compared to the others, this one just felt the best.

Not until I got the thing home and set up did I realize what a great piece of engineering this thing really is.  There are settings for everything on it including footplate angle, and the whole thing can be tilted toward you since it only has 2 legs and its footboard.

The thing folds up alot tighter than it looks set up but it is heavier than your average hat stand.  Lets look a bit deeper

These pics and text came from the Tama site:

Dual Legs

The two-leg design is not only easier to set up in limited spaces, it’s actually more secure than the standard threeleg design. The secret is in the small stabilizer under the footboard which effectively shifts the balance and strength of the stand toward the player. Since there’s no steel plate under the footboard, Iron Cobra hi-hats are foldable for quick set-up, fast tear down, and easy portability.


Duo-Spike

 You can easily switch from rubber to metal by using a standard drum key.

Tilt System

It can be tilted quickly and easily by loosening just one T-Bolt.

Non-Loosening Tension Rod

Specially shaped plastic and metal nuts fit together perfectly to keep the cymbal rod from loosening during playing.

Spare-The-Rod
Tension Rod Protector

No more tension rods getting bent out of shape during transport! With Spare-The-Rod, you can save your tension rod the rigors of the road by packing it in the specially designed upper section pipe. It’s a small, but very significant Tama hardware innovation.

Oiles® Bearing Hinge

Offering even less friction than standard ball bearings, Oiles® bearings also eliminate side-to-side motion and provide superior durability


I am impressed even after the money is spent.  This is one helluva a hat stand.  I listed most of the pros, the cons, for me,  were:

1 weight
-the thing is a bit heavy

2 bottom cymbal tilter
-I dont like how the felt is glued to the hinged cymbal tilter.  It has been my experience that sometimes I need to rotate the bottom felt to get the cymbals to close peacefully.  However, I never owned a stand this nice so maybe my old one just sucked that bad!

Sonor Force 3003 Kit

I won this kit in a competition by www.mikedolbear.com in conjunction with Thomas Lang's UK leg of his world clinic tour. There's a thread about it here

22x17.5 Bass Drum
14x5.5 Snare Drum
10x8 Tom
12x9 Tom
14x11 Tom

Sonor 400 Hardware
White Sparkle finish.

Overall, I must say that this is a great kit. It looks great, it sounds great, and althogh I didn't buy it, it's great value for money. For the price, this is a seriously kickass kit.

This kit looks fabulous. It's in 'white sparkle' finish, and in a word, looks @$%# sexy. Kind of sleek and sophisticated. And because it's white, if you put it under stage lights, it looks more like the colour of the lights, so I suppose the colour's customisable. (Note: I haven't tried this myself, but this kit was used by the people supporting Thomas Lang on his UK leg of the clinic tour, and when I saw it then I swear it was orange/yellow. I was really surprised - and a little disappointed - when I got the kit home, and took it out of the cases and saw it was white, but that's what the lights do to you. And the disappointment soon wore off when I realised how beautiful it is.)

I haven't tuned the kit yet (with the exception of swapping out the signed snare drum head), but it sounds fantastic as it is, with stock heads and all. Whoever tuned it for the clinics did a good job (although they did put a little gaffer tape on the toms, which suggests that they had trouble controlling the ring).

The toms sound great, really melodic and resonant. The bass is really punchy, quite powerful and a good amount of low end and not too boomy.

As I said, I haven't tuned the whole kit myself yet, however when I swapped the batter head on the snare I did notice that the bearing edge wasn't quite perfect. There were a couple of small nicks visible which surprised me, but nevertheless the snare sounds great (I'm not very good at describing sounds, but I think it's warm, a good response from the snare, and much nicer than the Steel Pearl snare on my old kit). Anyway, the nicks are nothing that a bit of candle wax wouldn't sort out.

Rim shots sound great too, and it seems like you can get an infinite amount of sound out of the snare depending on how you hit it. This is great for me, as my steel Pearl sound was much more limited, it felt like the only sounds I could get from it "loud, ringing and annoying" for normal hits and "very loud, ringing and your ears have never felt pain like it" for rim shots.

Ok, this next bit is about features which the drums have, which I think are good but don't know enough to really comment myself. Thought you might want to know though.

The hoops on the snare are 2.3mm, whereas on the toms they are 1.8mm. I assume this means it gives more equal tension around the snare drum, as its a thicker hoop it'll maintain the same tension in between the lugs?

The snare also has 10 lugs, so you have more control when tuning than if there were only 8? Also the lugs seem to have a thing inside which means that once you tighten them to a certain point, they suddenly become really smooth to tighten, and it feels like you have a lot more control over how tight it is than with other lugs (n.b. I think this is on all the drums, not just the snare).

Theshells are 9 ply, 3 maple and 6 basswood. I don't really care though to be honest, as the drums sound great, and that's all that matters.

Ok, that's it for the things I don't really understand.

The T.A.R mounting system is a suspension mounting system, which seems to work great as the toms sound just as good when mounted as when I hold them. It consists of three brackets, two attached to adjacent lugs and one attached to the shell, and a plate attached to them with the actual mounting bit on it. You can take the plate off with an A-key, but I don't think you can take the brackets off without removing the hoop. I don't think this is a problem though, as the brackets don't stick out, so if you needed to take off the mount to fit it in a case, you could just take off the plate.

The hardware is great. Very solid and stable. However, I found that the boom arm needs to be tightened more than I would think necessary to hold it securely into position without slipping (as I found out when my ride cymbal spun upside down during a band practise, narrowly missing the floor tom).

[I have found this to be a common problem with boom stands, and on my Canon boom stand had to tighten it up so tight on the same day that I couldn't undo it without some drumstick leverage. Frutsrated by this, I took the clamp apart to try and see if there was an obvious problem - there wasn't, but after I put it back together it held really firmly without overtightening. Maybe this is all I need to do the the Sonor stand.]

At first, I really didn't like the bass drum pedal. It seemed really unresponsive and sluggish, even when I messed around with the spring tension and beater angle. It also seemed to be lacking power. After a while of being frustrated with it, I changed it for my old cheap Premier pedal for a bit, then decided to give it another chance and swapped it back. And then, without changing anything, it felt much better. I have no idea why, but all the things I hadn't liked about it were gone. Unfortunately, it's now been consigned to a box in my loft and replaced with my Iron Cobra double pedal.

However, I have big critiscisms for the hi-hat clutch. Firstly, it comes loose when I'm playing, and on several occasions the top hat has dropped onto to bottom and I've been unable to control it with the foot pedal.

In addition to this, I don't feel like it's protecting the top cymbal much at all. My first attempt at writing this was an incomprehensible rant, but I'm going to rewrite it so hopefully you understand my problems with it. Also, I've done anything really stupid, like put the clutch together wrong which might explain my problems, please enlighten me.

Basically, the felts are really thin and flimsy and don't seem to give much protection at all. At the same time, the bit of the clutch where there isn't any screw thread (where the cymbal sits) seems too big. The combination of these two things means I can't hold the cymbal tightly enough to feel sufficiently protected (I know you don't want it too tight, but having it too loose is bad too, isn't it?).

I've replaced the top felt with a thicker, firmer one, which makes the problem a bit better, however I'm still not happy. In addition to this, the nuts which control the tightness, keep moving, so it becomes looser as I play it. I have to constantly adjust it (and tighten it to the pull rod, see above). Also, the pull rod keeps loosening as well, so I have to tighten that (althought it's not as bad as the other things).

My top hat was already slightly keyholed when I got it. If you have any suggestions to stop it getting worse (other than get a new clutch, as I'll be gettign a drop clutch soon anyway) please share.

I'm disappointed to find that I need to get a Sonor drumkey to adjust some of the memory locks, as the bolt is recessed and my other drumkeys won't fit on there to unscrew it (this is the same problem I have with my Iron Cobra beaters, hopefully I will be able to find one drum key which will undo both of them. However, it's a small price to pay for a free kit.

I'd also prefer that I could move the(bass-mounted) toms closer to me, as I have long legs so the bass drum is further away than most people's would be. However, after adjusting them a little I can reach them fine, and whilst it's not my perfect set-up, all I'd have to do is invest in a clamp and mount them to a stand to get them exactly where I want.

In conclusion, this is a great kit, with few faults. If you're looking for a professional sounding/looking kit with a mid-range price tag, definately check it out.


This is the first review I've written. Seems a bit long when I look at it now. I'll review the other stuff I won as well when I get some more time.

Pearl FireCracker Snare Steel Shell 12x5

A couple of weeks ago, someone asked about this snare. Since I was expecting two of these (originally, I thought they were going to send me a 10x5 and a 12x5, but they instead sent me two 12x5's with steel shells. Ah well) as free gifts from Muscian's Friend, I figured I'd do the service of writing a review on them.

For starters, I should say that I was expecting very little from these drums. When I first heard about these, I thought, "Okay, Pearl is making cheap snares using leftover materials from their Export line, giving them a buzz name and some intended purpose to push them out the door. It probably won't be very good." Welll, I can tell you that I was certainly wrong. Pleasantly so, in fact.

For those of you that don't know, Pearl's FireCracker line is intended to be a budget version of their popular Maple Popcorn snares: a smaller diamter snare with a thicker shell (the Maple Popcorn and the Poplar FireCrackers are 8 ply shells, the steel FireCracker is 1.5mm) to create a huge, loud, focused "CRACK", with a lot of response and warmth.

My first impression when I took the FireCracker out of the box was, that the snare was notibly heavier than any of the 14 inch snares I own: undoubtably due to the thicker shell. The steel on the drum is VERY nicely polished, and the drum itself does not suffer from that "canned goods" look many low-cost (and even some high cost) steel snares suffer from. It's a very solid looking drum. 6 lugs, standard Pearl EX style, along with an EX style hoop. I've heard complaints of the switch being shoddy, but it seems very strong on both of the FireCrackers that I have sitting next to me: All in all, very sturdy hardware.

Next was testing out how it sounds. This is where I was the most skeptical, and truth be told, my skeptism was turned on it's ear. I didn't have any 12" snare heads around, but that's okay, because the FireCracker sounded good with the stock heads right out of the box. I barely had to do a thing. There was some faint metallic overtones wihich is to be expected with steel shell snares, but those were completely fixed with the application of a Moon Gel, right next to the ProTone logo on the snare head, like  so:

I must say that the Pearl FireCracker set out on what it intended to do: The snare had a very sharp "CRACK" to it, and the thing was frickkin'
loud.  Rimshots were incredibly poppy, too, and I think the sound of it made my neighbor's dogs bark. It was responsive, too: very responsive for brushes and for ghost noting.

In closing: The thing surpassed all of my expectations. I went from incredibly skeptical to incredibly glad that MF gave me these.  Maybe not versatile enough for a primary snare, but an AWESOME, low cost auxilary snare. They produce more crack than the South Bronx on payday and are responsive like a good hunting dog. They retail for $119.99 to $129.99 USD, and are certainly worth the price. Check it out.

Final Score: 8/10[/size]

Danmar Metal Kick Bass Drum Impact Pad

So I was at my Local Guitar Center the other day picking up a new Aquarian Superkick II... I always play with a patch on my kick head, but they were out of my normal Danmar Power Disk Kick Pad (PDKP).  I was bummed until this red glare caught my eye; it was a Danmar Metal Kick Pad.  I was unsure about buying it at first.  The PDKP has a hard center coverd by a fleece like material wich I use in conjuction with a PureSounds hard plastic beater.  The sound from this combo was very articulate, but still let the the drum breath and have "boom" to it... so ive been set with this for the past couple years. 

       I Decieded what the hell and got the Metal Kick (click of hell,,, ha ha ha).  I was very unsure of what the sound of hard plastic hitting aluminum on a dum would be but I made sure to keep an open mind.  Well I got home, tuned up the head, then through on the pad.  Clank Clank Clank.  that all I heard.  Since I realized I was only hearing it from my side, I asked a friend to play my drums for me while I sat in front and listened.  Cloom Cloom Cloom.  I still wasnt happy with it so I scraped the whole head (put it  in the closet) and went and grabbed another SKII later that week.

       I recently  recieved a Shure Beta 52 for a birthday present and started experimenting with different heads.  I took all my drums, heads and mics to school so I could hear what the mic could do under my control with a full FoH system (4 18's, 4 15' and 4 horns per right/left channel)  I tried all the different heads and mic placments when I remember I still had that SKII with the metal kick pad at home in the closet.  I went home, grabbed it and then ran back up to school.  I put on the head, went to the console and asked my friend to play.... WOW! *Shotgun Blast to Chest* I instanly fell in love with that pad.  I usaully give a boost 2K to give some more attck... I almost had to start cutting it because the pad was doing it for me!

        Last week I played a gig with that head and fell in love with it for another reason, I had a better feel of when I was actully hitting my kick (yes, I burry the beater)  it helped me get rid of some of my dreaded beater farts but I could feel when I need to let up.  All in all, if you want a nice and clicky metal sound, this pad is for you!

Just a few days ago (christmas) I got some new cymbals and stands.
The cymbals are:
Sabian Xs20 18" Rock Crash
Sabian Xs20 China
and the stands were both Sonor 1000 series.
I have to say that I love it all. The stands are extremely durable and are about twice as thick as my older stands. And the cymbals, they just blew me away.
The rock crash has a perfect sound to go along with my 16" Xs20 crash, and the china just sends shivers up my spine when I hit it. It's so loud and just cuts through everything. It is by far, the best cymbal I have ever heard. I'm starting to wish all of my cymbals were Chinese.

18" HH Medium-Thin Crash - It's dark and warm as most Hand Hammered's are. It's got lots of power for a medium-thin, and it has so much tone to. I have been wanting this crash for a long while. It goes great with my 14" Hand Hammered Regular Hi-hats and my 21" Hand Hammered Raw Bell Dry Ride.

18" AAX China - Very bright, and has great trashy overtones, I think its a great cymbal for a setup of all Hand Hammered Series cymbals. It stands out somewhat but thats what I was going for.

Dunnett Stainless Steel 13x6.5



I've LONG lusted after my roommate's Dunnet 14x6.5 stainless steel, and finally took the plunge to have one for myself.  and my goodness, what the heck was I waiting for?!?!?

while I'm not at liberty to share the price I purchased it for, it wasnt nearly as expensive as the titanium model, which was quite the relief, and a nice impetus to allow me to go for one.  named "Balfour" for I guess a certain hockey player?  and built april of last year.

to be quite honest, I'm not a fan of the much lauded titanium model.  while some say its very dry, it actually is quite resonant.  not ringy perse, but once its tuned up, it doesnt seem to have as many overtones as a regular metal drum.  rather seems to lock in on one note, so to say.  some guys love that, but that sound just never jived with me.

on the other hand, this stainless on the other hand is ALL me!  just as resonant, yet fat and quite distinct sounding from other metal snares.  ringy, but a gorgeous way.  and strangely, its the warmest and sweetest metal snare sound I've heard yet.  moreso than brass, I'd say.  almost softer.  like brass but sweetened up a few notches.  and definitely not as harsh, bright or as cutting as your run of the mill steel snare.  

also, the tuning range is surprisingly wide!  it tunes up insanely high.  practically piccolo high.  and yet can go super deep.  I have it tuned about medium high, and it gives a tight, responsive throaty rimshot that doesnt clack with out of control overtones, but stays controlled and quite focused with a background of warm, low ringiness that gives it that fatness.  volume wise, it actually doesnt seem that much louder than my roommate's DW assembled Craviotto 13x5.5, which can literally take your head off.  still, plenty of volume for most apps.

EDIT:  I forgot to mention that with the DW tuned very high, it has that piercing volume.  with Dunnett tuned as high as it'd go without choking, I compared the two this morning, and GOOD LORD, this thing will take your head off!  still, the Dunnett oddily didnt sound nearly as assaulting as the DW.  might have something to do with those low overtones making it seem so.  (back your regularly scheduled thread. )

also, its very responsive for a 6.5" drum.  the puresound looking 20 strand wires are perfect for the drum.  I tried a 16 strand on it, but the sensitivity wasnt as nice.    I'm tempted to try a set of 30 strand wires that Ronn now ships the newer snares with, but I cant imagine the snare being anymore sensitive.

btw, compared to my roommate's 14x6.5, which has single flange hoops and accompanying clips, his is that much more resonant, and also sounds that much bigger than mine.  we're pretty sure it has alot to do with the single flange hoops, cause we doubt that extra inch affects the volume in such a considerable way.  while I'd love to get a set of single flange hoops for mine, I'm pretty content with triple flange hoops.  besides my roommate tells me there were VERY expensive and added considerably to the price of the drum.

visually, as you can see, its incredibly striking.  the metal shell is buffed to a blinding shine, and it just screams, "yowza!"  weight wise, its not much heavier than a brass or copper shell snare of the same dimensions.  and the clear plastic Nickel throwoff accents the drum nicely.

all in all, if you're in the market for a new metal snare, a Dunnett is well worth it.

Yamaha SS740 Medium Weight, Single Braced Snare Stand



my search for the ultimate snare stand has stopped!

my roommate, again, turned me onto this little marvel.  light weight and just a little weightier than my Tama HS10, tho not much.  also, very sturdy and tough.  but the best part is the "toothless" angle adjustment.  no more of having to settle for a certain setting.  you can get just the exact angle you want!

dunno why other manufacturers dont utilize this.  and FYI, my roommate owns three for about 2-3 yrs., and has not had any "slippage" problems yet. 

need a new stand?  definitely give this guy a looksee.