Yes to both.  

A drummer shouldn't be expected to alter the approach to his instrument any more than an acoustic guitarist, for example, would be asked to sit differently to accommodate a mic.  

An inch isn't going to make a difference either way; the post I replied to alluded to moving the ride cymbal a foot, which, IMO, is unacceptable.  

Security is the best album!

Keith, you and Chrisso seem to be approaching this from a hired gun standpoint.   And in a case like this, where you are a hired gun, I think everyone here would agree that, yeah, you pull the cymbals off and make history.

But many of us dont think from that perspective first.   This is the same thing that came up on that other thread.    If your first thoughts are from the standpoint of going into the studio with your originals band that you are an equal member of, then OF COURSE your first thoughts would be different than if your first thoughts were from a hired gun standpoint.  

When someone asks me a question about changing my setup, I think, will that change suit MY music, will it convey MY sound that Ive spent time crafting.   Because my primary role is that of a equal share member of a band playing music we/I have written.    And I think thats legit.     And Its obviously different than how someone who's primary role is that of a hired gun would think.   It doesnt mean I wont try the change.   Just that there would be a more personal invested interest in what you have.

True, and that constitutes much of my studio experience. But I've also done a lot of recording with bands.

The main thing I've learned, which I think applies both to hired guns and independent recording artists, is that you will almost ALWAYS get better results by approaching a session with a cooperative, open-minded attitude. If you simply treat an engineer as a servant, you may not get their best work. If however, you look for that engineer's knowledge and strengths, and look for ways to apply them to recording your music, you may make some magic.

So if some engineer who records every day in his own studio says "I think you'll have better luck with the front head off that drum," or "can you maybe raise your cymbals some - they're bleeding into the mix, and messing with that killer tom sound we've been getting," I'm all ears.

If I'm reluctant to do the thing they've asked, I'll politely express my reluctance, tell them why I'm reluctant, and emphasize what kind of sound I'm looking for. If they seem to understand me, but assure me that their way will help me get that sound, I'm game. But to simply say "no" to an engineer's request, simply because it isn't how I planned to do things, seems short-sighted.

Some really wacky things that might never occur to you can make for great sounding recordings. I did a session where Yes's live soundman was the engineer. He had me lay a floor tom on its side on the floor, facing my bass drum. Then he mic'd it - it added an amazing low end to my bass drum sound. I had to drive home and get another floor tom from my apartment to do this, but it was worth it. Another engineer mic'd my bass drum with a guitar speaker, using it as a transducer. I've tracked on house kits that both looked and sounded awful, but sounded great on tape.

All this I learned by saying "yes," not "no." And I'm still learning.

One thing I think almost anybody who's done any recording at a decent studio will agree on: it's different in the studio. Different rules apply. Untraditional approaches may produce the best results. If you go in with an open mind, you can surprise yourself with the great results you may achieve. Or you can treat your engineer like an Olan Mills portrait photographer, and just force them to capture things your way. That may work, but I think doing that misses out on exploring the talent and ideas most good engineers have.

It depends if you are a drummer for hire or not. I am not a drummer for hire. I play with my band, or play my own music. I wouldn't have even considered showing up to play somenoe elses music. No drum Karaoke for me. That's like wanting to have the Sun play at your house, but then asking it to not shine so brightly, and could you please be red instead of yellow? Some Sun's might sell out to cash in, others would stay true to themselves. It just depends on what kind of drummer you want to be.

No, I was trying to cover this in my previous posting. There is a huge area you are ignoring, that is drumming in a signed band.
The record company will hire a producer, who will in turn hire his favourite engineer. If you (as a band member) go in with the wrong attitude they will be looking to hire their favourite session drummer too.
Yes, as Louderdb points out, you may be paying for it yourself in a project studio.....but let's hope one day the record company are paying for it (albeit out of your advance!).
Believe me, I've been called in so many times to replace a band drummer who couldn't cut it or wouldn't try different heads or the rental kit the producer brought in.
99.9% of the time the other band members didn't back the drummer against the producer, who probably had multiple Grammy's or a string of recent hits under his belt.
If you say "I wont raise my cymbals another foot" I can guarantee you the other band members will be muttering "Oh Jeez" under their breath. I've seen it countless times.
I've also toured with bands. I have been asked to compromise on many occassions by live video directors or live sound engineers. It's the same thing. Most often the lead singer or songwriter will side with the person they believe will do their own cause the most good. You guessed it......that's usually not the drummer.
I guess there are instances where bands really do stick together and ruthlessly guard their creative control. In my experience that has been by far the minority of bands I've been in or sessioned for.

563 and Louderdb.
I'm sure Mr A and I can confine our comments to the situations 'band drummers' face, both live and recording.
Where I agree with your last few postings is in the area of the self made record. Or as Louderdb say's "I'm paying".
I realise that even signed bands have a big say in choice of producer and a big say also in creative decisions.
It's my experience however that record producers often come in with attitudes you're not expecting. They will have the full weight of the record company behind them and it's often the case that certain members of the band will fall in behind, leaving you dangling.
As I just said, a few musicians will remain creatively intact, but the vast majority will have been screwed with at some point or other.
As I also said before (and as Keith just reitterated), whenever I have been screwed with I've often learnt from it (still am
 ). Sometimes you just get burned though.  

I guess I should apologise for harsh words.
I can't help being protective of my own reputation, so I was a bit more aggressive than I intended to be.
To be honest, the concept that some of my heroes had just been engaged in 'drum karaoke' their whole careers was laughable.......but I still couldn't help myself from firing off a broadside.  

I am not flaming, I just don't believe in studio musicians. And I've never heard of those guys you mention, so I can't have an opinion on them or what they did. I don't know why you got defensive. I am a horrible drummer who has been playing for 5 years and have never heard or heard of anyone you talk about, the only drummer that I know who is famous is Buddy Rick, but I've never actually heard him. I have heard Terry Bozzio (bonzo, right?) but am not into that.