Ironwood drum set

[Deathmetalconga]

Okay, it's taken two months to get it in more or less final form. This is from www.spiritdrums.com, drums made of solid-shell Cooktown ironwood from Australia.

All drums are square sizes, 8 10 12 and 14 inch toms, 18 inch bass drum, snare is 13 by 4. Cymbals are all Zildjian A Customs, 20 inch ping ride, 13 inch hats, 17 inch crash, 12 inch splash, 8 inch splash, 18 inch China.

Accessories include Pete Englehart agogo bells and foot-operated talking drum from www.b-radpercussion.com and LP plastic block foot pedal.

Hardware is mostly DW, Tama hi-hat stand with legs removed and custom fabricated cymbal stackers, bass drum cradle and foot percussion holder, Gauger aluminum RIMS mounts.

All heads are Remo Fiberskyn FAs batter and coated Ambassadors resonant. Bass drum head of Spirit Drums logo by www.drumart.com.

Sticks are wok chopsticks mostly, with Vic Firth brushes, Trilok Gurtu signatures, assorted mallets and plastic brushes and rutes.

Below are the three clips I have so far - the swing-type playing and a song we call James Bond in Matanzas. I was playing my left-foot clave rhythm and this keyboardist I play with started playing along. It's a rough first cut and we are going to refine it. Blue Veil is a song on the Hang Drum.

http://www.drummerworld.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=28720&d=1252687553

20313

20314

20315

http://i93.photobucket.com/albums/l53/Agogobell/1skr.jpg

http://i93.photobucket.com/albums/l53/Agogobell/2skr.jpg

http://i93.photobucket.com/albums/l53/Agogobell/3skr.jpg

[Chip]

Truly awesome. I need to head up there and talk to the guys at SpiritDrums. Damn that Ironwood is dense! Could you imagine the sound if they offered free-floating on all of them?! Then again, that'd probably make them weigh a lot (I'd imagine that bass drum is already a cannon- sound and weight wise).

How do you find that talking drum in a musical sense? How often do you apply it?

Seriously, that has to be one of the best I've ever seen! It's positioned almost exactly how I would have it, too. I would have the ride so it's easily crashed, but that's about perfect!

Awesome set, you're very lucky. I like the bass head, too. I look forward to hearing it, but I could imagine it would sound a thousand-fold better in person. Can imagine it would've taken a fair bit of coin from you, too. Worth it, though! Those Fiberskyns look like they have a kickass tone, too. That warm, rounded tone with a slight buzz.

Why do square drums never look square? My 16" floor also looks taller than it is wide...

Congratulations!!!

[Salicete]

That’s a great looking kit, and so many different sound options. I would love to have a go behind that kit!

[Quadruple Groove]

Oh cool, its the Duallist, hows that working out for you?

haa looks like a great kit, especially love the seat and the outer bass head, howd you get that made?

[metalheadeza666]

sweet set, nice finish, creatively unlimited and...a dualist...

very nice though, we have to hear some noise from you soon : )

yeah, how do you like the dualist? i'm intrigued...

[badlydubbedsean]

hey im liking those lugs, and with the wood and the heads it looks very natural. beauty!

[Synthetik]

Spectacular!

That kit is reminiscent of the heavy shelled power-depth Sonors of the 80's. Very imposing look. I can only imagine the deep thunder of those drums.

There is a kind of a mystique there, because AFAIK, no one else makes Ironwood shells. You have a kit even more exculsive than a Brady.

The fiberskyn FA and percussion bits really add to a "Earth sounds*" personality for the kit.

The only thing I'd like to see if a pic that has more intense lower lighting. The wood has a cherry-like color.

Great stuff!



* Yes, I was digging the Terra Sonus Sound clips.

[Carter.it]

Never seen a kit like this man!! i really like it!!
what kind of sound do you have with those heads??

[stickers]

Very Unique kit. Looks good. have fun. It must have been pain to turn the whole kit around for the second pic..hehe

[Harakirie]

really really ncie man i love that room :D
The Zildjian china looks friggin INSANE !

nice nice

[DreamTheater4life]

Okay, it's taken two months to get it in more or less final form. This is from www.spiritdrums.com, drums made of solid-shell Cooktown ironwood from Australia. All drums are square sizes, 8 10 12 and 14 inch toms, 18 inch bass drum, snare is 13 by 4. Cymbals are all Zildjian A Customs, 20 inch ping ride, 13 inch hats, 17 inch crash, 12 inch splash, 8 inch splash, 18 inch China. Accessories include Pete Englehart agogo bells and foot-operated talking drum from www.b-radpercussion.com and LP plastic block foot pedal. Hardware is mostly DW, Tama hi-hat stand with legs removed and custom fabricated cymbal stackers, bass drum cradle and foot percussion holder. All heads are Remo Fiberskyn FAs batter and coated Ambassadors resonant. Sticks are wok chopsticks mostly, with Vic Firth brushes, Trilok Gurtu signatures, assorted mallets and plastic brushes and rutes.

I will start recording with this in the next few months. In the meantime, you can listen to songs with my old set at www.terrasonus.com

http://i93.photobucket.com/albums/l53/Agogobell/Spiritset1r.jpg

http://i93.photobucket.com/albums/l53/Agogobell/Spiritset2r.jpg

http://i93.photobucket.com/albums/l53/Agogobell/Spiritset3r.jpg

http://i93.photobucket.com/albums/l53/Agogobell/Spiritset4r.jpg

Cool Kit man. You just need to get rid of that Dualist and it;ll be perfect ;)

[NUTHA JASON]

i love that pedal powered talking drum. did you put that together?

j

[Dimm_Slayer]

Do you have any clipps of your playing?

[Tom B.]

you have really shiny cymbals, do you clean them a lot?

I like the strat in the background too...

[Deathmetalconga]

you have really shiny cymbals, do you clean them a lot?

I like the strat in the background too...

The cymbals are Zildjian A Customs, which are naturally shiny, and these are all either new or slightly used. I like them shiny so I wear cotton gloves during takedown and setup and use Mr. Metal to get rid of stick marks. I really like the 20-inch ping ride - plenty of definition and great spank from the bell.

The Strat is a "guest" instrument, along with a Shane bass and a rehabilitated sitar. Not hi-end instruments, but if someone comes by, I always have something for them to play! Plus, instruments are just beautiful things to display.

www.terrasonus.com

[Deathmetalconga]

Do you have any clipps of your playing?

Not yet. The set is new and the clips on our Web site are my previous set. I'm thinking I should just record some of my playing on the set and upload it because the sound is fantastic.

[Deathmetalconga]

Oh cool, its the Duallist, hows that working out for you?

haa looks like a great kit, especially love the seat and the outer bass head, howd you get that made?

Thanks. The seat stand is a Roc-N-Soc nitro. I took off the saddle style seat a month ago and swapped it with the round cushion from an old medical exam stool - smaller but softer than the Roc-N-Soc. I still use the leopard print seat cover I had a tailor make a long time ago.

As for The Duallist, I love it, but it's too controversial a piece of equipment to discuss here. People have heated opinions about it, especially if they have never played one. A freewheeling and enlightening Duallist discussion is at http://www.drummerworld.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1063&highlight=dualist


The resonant head is from www.drumart.com and the design is the Spirit Drums logo. Drumart does amazing work, very beautiful and professional and they'll skillfully touch-up any low-quality art work you send them. The great to deal with and I'd recommend them to anyone looking for a custom head.

The only downside is they use Aquarian heads and I'm a Remo loyalist (shhh - don't tell anyone!). But the head does sound and look great.

[jollymosher]

Sweet! thank you very much for the honor of gazing upon such well kept drums and cymbals. cool and expensive drums!

[Danny]

your kit's absolutely awesome!

(It seems you're sitting a pretty extreme angle, pedal positioning-wise...)

GREAT stuff!

[defunkt]

What exactly is a talking drum?

[Deathmetalconga]

What exactly is a talking drum?

It's a traditional African drum with hourglass-shaped body, usually one to two feet long and diameter of four to eight inches. The heads aren't attached to the shell, but are lashed to each other (the original floating heads). The drum is held under one arm and squeezed while the other arm hits it with a stick or fingers. This raises and lowers the pitch. See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Talking_drum. It's believed the sound of the drum mimics the tonalities of some African languages, whence the name "talking drum."

The drum I have from www.b-radpercussion.com is a modern version. A foot pedal - much like a bass drum pedal but designed to produce much more power and leverage - controls the action of the drum through a bike cable, leaving both hands free. So far, no one has accused me of cheating, but I DO have a Duallist ...

I actually made my own foot-operated talking drum from an LP Nada drum, a foot pedal, bike cable and a custom metal basket, and played that for about 10 years. But the b-rad design works much better and is ingeniously engineered - the whole thing breaks down quickly for transport. The drum came with one tom mounting bracket at the top, but I flipped it over and added another two brackets, fabricated some legs and now it sits like a floor tom, not a suspended tom.

www.terrasonus.com

[defunkt]

Thanks. I bet it sounds awesome
Also why get the dualist and not a double kick pedal?

[Deathmetalconga]

Thanks. I bet it sounds awesome
Also why get the dualist and not a double kick pedal?

Oh man, you don't know what you're asking! Check out this thread for all the thoughts on the most controversial piece of gear ever: http://www.drummerworld.com/forums/s...hlight=dualist

Plus, where would I even put a FIFTH pedal? The Duallist does everything I would want a double pedal to do and it frees up my right foot to operate the hi hat, percussion block and talking drum. Maybe there are things a double pedal can do that a Duallist can't, but if The Duallist can't do it, I don't need to play it.

I'm going to a Guitar Center drum off tonight and I've worked out a composition playing the Afro-Cuban rhythm guaguanco with the left foot playing clave and 16th note shuffles on the Duallist. Works just fine for me!

www.terrasonus.com

[hauk]

thats a great looking kit. i've looked around the spirit site, they seem like great drums

[Deathmetalconga]

Spectacular!

That kit is reminiscent of the heavy shelled power-depth Sonors of the 80's. Very imposing look. I can only imagine the deep thunder of those drums.

There is a kind of a mystique there, because AFAIK, no one else makes Ironwood shells. You have a kit even more exculsive than a Brady.

The fiberskyn FA and percussion bits really add to a "Earth sounds*" personality for the kit.

The only thing I'd like to see if a pic that has more intense lower lighting. The wood has a cherry-like color.

Great stuff!
* Yes, I was digging the Terra Sonus Sound clips.

Well, i never thought of them as "imposing," but now that I step back from it, the deep shells and raw finish do give them an imposing attitude.

I would have actually preferred a 20 inch bass drum, but those are extremely hard to get, even by Spirit Drum standards. The logs must be 22 inches, which means they literally weigh tons if you can find them. But even the 18 inch drum sounds resonant, thick and punchy.

You are perceptive to notice how the Fiberskyns add to the persona of the set. The shells and lug style give it a primitive quality and the Fiberskyns accentuate that.

You are right about the sound - it is thunderous. It dominates the entire house and I have to be careful when I play; ideally, when no one else is home.

The shells with RIMS hardware in total weigh around 100 pounds for the set of six drums. Add in the DW 9000 series stands and it's a workout to move. I like to lift heavy objects, however, and I need to lose weight more than the drums do.

www.terrasonus.com

[HardcoreLogo]

Very unique, looks like alot of fun to play.................sorry, you may have allready listed it, but what is that "mushroom" shaped cymbal beside your floor tom? Also, I believe the guitar is a fender Squire, which is an entry level "strat" copy, not like the pricey American strats(I play guitar....lol) but none the less, a cool setup!

[Deathmetalconga]

Very unique, looks like alot of fun to play.................sorry, you may have allready listed it, but what is that "mushroom" shaped cymbal beside your floor tom? Also, I believe the guitar is a fender Squire, which is an entry level "strat" copy, not like the pricey American strats(I play guitar....lol) but none the less, a cool setup!

Man, ain't no foolin' you ... that is a low-end Strat copy, Mr. Sharp Eyes. It's just a guest guitar for a pick-up jam if someone comes over, so it works okay for that.

The mushroom cymbal is actually a melodic metal drum called a Hang Drum; see http://www.oddmusic.com/gallery/om16250.html. It's a newer instrument, invented around 200, a kind of steel pan drum turned outward to be played with the hands. There are many, many tunings and most people prefer a Chinese pentatonic scale, as it's the most versatile. This one is tuned to a Middle Eastern scaled called Hijaz in the key of D, which has more tension than pentatonic scale.

You can hear me play this drum at www.terrasonus.com on a song called Kosmosis.

[defunkt]

You have the weirdest yet coolest gear

[Synthetik]

Well, i never thought of them as "imposing," but now that I step back from it, the deep shells and raw finish do give them an imposing attitude.

I would have actually preferred a 20 inch bass drum, but those are extremely hard to get, even by Spirit Drum standards. The logs must be 22 inches, which means they literally weigh tons if you can find them. But even the 18 inch drum sounds resonant, thick and punchy.

You are perceptive to notice how the Fiberskyns add to the persona of the set. The shells and lug style give it a primitive quality and the Fiberskyns accentuate that.

You are right about the sound - it is thunderous. It dominates the entire house and I have to be careful when I play; ideally, when no one else is home.

The shells with RIMS hardware in total weigh around 100 pounds for the set of six drums. Add in the DW 9000 series stands and it's a workout to move. I like to lift heavy objects, however, and I need to lose weight more than the drums do.

www.terrasonus.com

Here is a compare: classic, imposing heavy sonor kit:
http://www.enemyunknown.co.uk/images/EUDrums2.jpg

And a kit that I don't consider imposing:
http://www.pulseonline.com/cb/bigJRX3-Jr.jpg

[Deathmetalconga]

HAHA! I actually have one of those little kids kits.

I see what you mean about imposing attitude. That Sonor kit definitely has it, and so does mine.

www.terrasonus.com

[Randy]

And a kit that I don't consider imposing:[/U][/B]
http://www.pulseonline.com/cb/bigJRX3-Jr.jpg

Dude, where did you get a picture of my kit!? :D

[deadbirdsoup]

wow thats such a sweet kit!! so much options, very unique!!! i like!!!

[atomicsoy]

oh kewl... are you from aussie? did u get that made? kewl... u could give me that dualist! heehe very interesting pedals... hmm..

[Deathmetalconga]

Thanks, eyeofthebeholder and atomicsoy (great handle by the way).

l live in Boise, Idaho, around 12,000 miles away from Austrailia I figure (I recall checking it on Google Earth). This set was made from an approximately 350-year-old tree. It probably started as a sucker around 1650.

The six-piece shell pack and snare was about $5,300, which is what you'd expect to pay for a high-end custom drum set.

I read about Spirit drums in the Oct. 2000 edition of Modern Drummer and I made it my goal to get a set before I died. I like unusual and fine things and the Spirits definitely have a magical, thunderous, authoritative, rich primitive sound that cannot be duplicated. I also like the exclusivity - only about a dozen of these highly exotic kits have ever been made, although there are a fair number of snares in circulation. I also hear they made djembes and congas as well. Flutemakers and luthiers also prize ironwood for its acoustical properties. It's three times as dense as maple and sinks in water. Unfortunately, in Australia, it's often use for mindless applications like fence posts and railroad ties, but it's poisonous to cattle and must be cleared from some areas anyway.

The wood is almost indestructible - I was mounting one of the heavy toms and the ball joint slipped, causing it to crash down on the bass drum. There was no scratch at all in the drum and a very slight bend inward on the steel rim flange. Serious attitude!

Someday, I will get a set of Spizzichino cymbals.

www.terrasonus.com

[Synthetik]

Spirit drums: normal playing can kill small rodents at 25 paces. Knocks over a whole row of corn at full volume.

[Deathmetalconga]

Spirit drums: normal playing can kill small rodents at 25 paces. Knocks over a whole row of corn at full volume.

HAHA! Reminds me of a thread I started to collect funny advertising terms about instruments. Were you around then? Got deleted in the last Off-Topic Lounge holocaust.

I noticed an ad once for a snare drum that had "crowd-cutting backbeats." I thought it was strange, the idea of assaulting your audience, so me and my band mates have been coming up with others like:

"Sternum-crushing bass"

"Audience-decapitating cymbal crashes"

"Stool-softening tom fills"

"Ear-impaling rim shots"

"Nose-hair-curling tabla solos"

"Divorce-triggering volume"

"Aura-bleaching sitar solos"

Now we can add ""Cornfield-leveling sound output" and "Rodent-exterminating volume."

People added a bunch more and I wish I still had the list.

www.terrasonus.com

[KalashnikoV]

wow, it's impressive just to look at! I can only imagine the wide range of creativity you can release on something like that, especially with the unique use of the talking and hang drums. The kit looks like it could play any style of music that the musician can, and I'm sure it sounds even better than it looks. Hopefully I'll have something as nice to play on one day, I hope you enjoy it!

P.S. Your heads match your carpet :P

[Deathmetalconga]

wow, it's impressive just to look at! I can only imagine the wide range of creativity you can release on something like that, especially with the unique use of the talking and hang drums. The kit looks like it could play any style of music that the musician can, and I'm sure it sounds even better than it looks. Hopefully I'll have something as nice to play on one day, I hope you enjoy it!

Thanks - it is indeed fun to play and it has a pretty big vocabulary.

I couldn't afford something like this until I turned 40 last year. You're still pretty young, so hang in there, do well in school, find a good career and you will have the disposable income someday soon.

www.terrasonus.com

[tamadrummer132]

how much did it cost u?

[Ozzy Biz]

how much did it cost u?



The six-piece shell pack and snare was about $5,300, which is what you'd expect to pay for a high-end custom drum set.



It's good to read the whole thread before posting.

Biz

[Deathmetalconga]

how much did it cost u?

As noted above, the shell pack and playable snare was $5,300. Counting the Talkit drum, cymbals, stands, Gauger RIMS mounts, Slicknuts, pedals, agogo bells, Hardcase cases, heads and rims, you're looking at about $9,000.

I also fabricated a lot of my own hardware (bass drum cradle, low-profile offset cymbal stackers, bell mount, Talkit legs) which isn't counted, nor are sticks.

www.terrasonus.com

[leo_battery]

hello, it is proud to me to write something for you, I want that you knows that I have listened to terrasonus and I have the clips of the songs here them that the music is so relaxed, could listen to it by many hours..also congratule you by the composition of the percussion in the songs..you have one kit that seems very cool to play experimental music..very good luck to you and your band.
leo

[mind_drummer]

Man !

You have one of a kind drum set ! VERY UNIQUE !!!

You have nice gears all around, everything is lovely.

Keep rollin' dude :)

[tamadrummer132]

i love it. LOVE IT@!$#$@#
the duelist must be awesome....
those head are awesome...
your cymbals are awesome..
your SET IS AWESOME@#%@#%
i want one =(

[Deathmetalconga]

i love it. LOVE IT@!$#$@#
the duelist must be awesome....
those head are awesome...
your cymbals are awesome..
your SET IS AWESOME@#%@#%
i want one =(

Thanks for the compliments. I wanted one of these for about six years and I finally got it. Only about a dozen sets like this have ever been made. It is the last drumset I will ever own.

www.terrasonus.com

[Deathmetalconga]

Updates: I am installing an interior bass drum mic and I thought this would be a good opportunity to see the inside of the drum. All Spirit drums have these unusual carvings - the makers believe this keeps the sound inside the drum longer, increasing the complexity of the tone.

www.terrasonus.com

http://i93.photobucket.com/albums/l53/Agogobell/Spiritbassdruminterior3.jpg

http://i93.photobucket.com/albums/l53/Agogobell/Spiritbassdruminterior2.jpg

http://i93.photobucket.com/albums/l53/Agogobell/Spiritbassdruminterior4.jpg

http://i93.photobucket.com/albums/l53/Agogobell/Spiritbassdrumexterior1.jpg

[Exportdrummer]

Very nice kit my freind, what is that a remote hi-hat did you make that

[hateplow]

Beautiful kit! How absolutely different your set is than everyone else's on this site.
I checked out the spirit drums website, the sound clips are fantastic! The inside of the shells are just amazing. You are one lucky man.

[jollymosher]

Cool Kit man. You just need to get rid of that Dualist and it;ll be perfect ;)

Dude, he uses the dualist because he uses his left foot for the hats the block and the talking drum. there is nothing dishonorable about that.

[Deathmetalconga]

Dude, he uses the dualist because he uses his left foot for the hats the block and the talking drum. there is nothing dishonorable about that.

I thik DreamTheater4Life was just kidding around. The Duallist is the most controversial piece of gear ever and expect people to comment about it. But you are right, there is no room at all for a double pedal, and if there were I'd use it for something I don't already have, maybe an electronic control or second percussion item.

For simple economy of space, I must squeeze every bit of use out of each limb and hardware item, so I must do with one foot what most people would do with two feet. That leaves room for something entirely different.

www.terrasonus.com

[fijjibo]

*EDIT: Sorry guys, I stand corrected. I was wrong, and my facts were not factual.... I apologise.*

Im sorry to have to say this, but I really dont like this kit.


Sure it looks and sounds nice, but ironwood is extremelly rare and I wonder what concequences this drum kit has had on the enviroment. Ironwood is well conserved and there is a limit to how much can be harvested, so has this wood been imported illegially?

Im sorry if I am wrong, and would be happy if you could enlighten me as to how this wood was obtained. Most companies that offer rare woods (pearl, tama etc) have policies that work hand in hand with wood conservationists.

Again, im sorry if im ranting, and im sure that this is a great kit. I just guess im getting old.........

[Deathmetalconga]

Im sorry to have to say this, but I really dont like this kit.

Sure it looks and sounds nice, but ironwood is extremelly rare and I wonder what concequences this drum kit has had on the enviroment. Ironwood is well conserved and there is a limit to how much can be harvested, so has this wood been imported illegially?

Im sorry if I am wrong, and would be happy if you could enlighten me as to how this wood was obtained. Most companies that offer rare woods (pearl, tama etc) have policies that work hand in hand with wood conservationists.

Again, im sorry if im ranting, and im sure that this is a great kit. I just guess im getting old.........

Who told you ironwood was "extremely rare"? It it is not extremely rare (well, maybe for drums). In some areas, ironwood is quite common. If you don't like this kit because of how it was made, here is some more information:

You ask a perfectly fair question. Overlogging is a big environmental issue worldwide. This kind of wood is found only in Queensland, in an area about the size of Texas in north Australia.

Australia has very stringent environmental laws and does regulate timber cutting. A 2002 government report found "currently timber harvesting of native forests in the Northern Territory is a very minor industry operating at low levels ... ironwood harvesting is likely to always be only a local small-scale operation" (http://www.affa.gov.au/corporate_docs/publications/pdf/forestry/sustainability/national/Ironwood_in_NT.pdf, see page 129). The report does make clear, however, that overharvesting has occured in the past, particularly with white settlement in the 1860s.

A certain amount of ironwood is allowed to be harvested to support the people and towns in an area. Most of the ironwood gets turned into fence posts and railroad ties and decks and a tiny bit gets turned into very high-value items like musical instruments (flutes, guitars, drums) and sculptures.

Ironwood leaves and suckers are extremely poisonous to cattle and must be cleared from areas where ranching is permitted. (But if someone is a vegetarian, they probably won't view ranching as a good thing to begin with.)

Obtaining ironwood is very difficult as the area where it grows is primarily wild (see www.spritdrums.com for an explanation). So far, only about a dozen Spirit kits have been made, although many djembes, congas and snares have been made. They talk about their harvesting on their Web site with photos and say they purchased for licensed cutters. I take them at their word.

Spirit drum makers do all their manufacture locally, using local labor and fabrication for their hardware, and the money for the kit directly supports their families and local merchants. So this kit was made in a socially sustainable way, not just an environmentally sustainable way.

I'm curious now - what do you play with, and what do you know about how it was made?

[Synthetik]

Im sorry to have to say this, but I really dont like this kit.

Sure it looks and sounds nice, but ironwood is extremelly rare and I wonder what concequences this drum kit has had on the enviroment. Ironwood is well conserved and there is a limit to how much can be harvested, so has this wood been imported illegially?

Im sorry if I am wrong, and would be happy if you could enlighten me as to how this wood was obtained. Most companies that offer rare woods (pearl, tama etc) have policies that work hand in hand with wood conservationists.

Again, im sorry if im ranting, and im sure that this is a great kit. I just guess im getting old.........

I hope you own a kit made of fiberglass, acrylic, carbon fiber or metal, because if it's wood, YOU are causing environmental damage as well. You could be deforesting parts of Europe or Asia. Shame. Maple, birch, doesn't matter. You could be responsible for developing country sweatshop child labor. Or maybe the wood is taken for economic reasons and ruining animal habitats, and you don't know it because the press isn't there.

[hateplow]

Im sorry to have to say this, but I really dont like this kit.

Sure it looks and sounds nice, but ironwood is extremelly rare and I wonder what concequences this drum kit has had on the enviroment. Ironwood is well conserved and there is a limit to how much can be harvested, so has this wood been imported illegially?

Im sorry if I am wrong, and would be happy if you could enlighten me as to how this wood was obtained. Most companies that offer rare woods (pearl, tama etc) have policies that work hand in hand with wood conservationists.

Again, im sorry if im ranting, and im sure that this is a great kit. I just guess im getting old.........

What a buzzkill you are. Take a stand on something important.

[Synthetik]

What a buzzkill you are.

That's the most polite way of putting it.

If he's ever watched Discovery, he's know Aussies are ultraconservative about woodlands.

[Deathmetalconga]

I hope you own a kit made of fiberglass, acrylic, carbon fiber or metal, because if it's wood, YOU are causing environmental damage as well. You could be deforesting parts of Europe or Asia. Shame. Maple, birch, doesn't matter. You could be responsible for developing country sweatshop child labor. Or maybe the wood is taken for economic reasons and ruining animal habitats, and you don't know it because the press isn't there.

Fijibo did ask a fair question, although he seems to have made up his mind before getting more facts, or allowing others to present facts. There have been threads here before about the issue of sustainability in music instrument production.

Every kind of manufacturing produces some waste or damage. Synthetic kits have their own environmental costs, such as toxic waste. Unless people lived in caves and died by the age of 20, society is going to cause some environmental disruption.

The question is, "Is the disruption sustainable?" And also, "Is the resource being put to good use to support the people who live near it?"

Cutting down a 350-year-old ironwood tree could be a terrible thing or a the start of a great thing, depending on how many you cut down, if you replant them, if you use them to create a high-value product vs. cardboard boxes, etc. Creating several pounds of toxic waste making a carbon fiber drum set may not be a problem either, depending on what is done with the waste.

If you buy from someone in the First World, you can be pretty sure the product was made with government regulations about pollution control, resource extraction and wage and fair working conditions. The farther way from the First World you go, the more likely the product was made in a socially and environmentally unsustainable manner.

www.terrasonus.com

[Ozzy Biz]

Well said DMC. And also, on the comment about our government's conservation laws/etc... they are full on. Unfortunately, a lot of decisions and opinions are made upon incorrect/dated information. Recently research was performed for the government about water usage in realtion to different sources of agriculture, and it was deemed that irrigation is the most water inefficient method of farming. But in reality, it tends to use around 2/3 of the water per tonne of food produced then livestock and also less than dry crops. They used data from the 1970s for the reasearch, and it was still widely accepted across the country. A few governental decisions arose from the data they were provided with which may not be beneficial to the industry, especially as water is becoming more and more scarce and there is less food stored internationally then ever before.
Yes, we're thinking the right things, but not always actually heading there.
However I do know for a fact that Ironwood harvestation is absolutely minimal, and DMC (and everyone else) should have no concerns with his kit or Spirit Drums.

Biz

[Synthetik]

Every kind of manufacturing produces some waste or damage. Synthetic kits have their own environmental costs, such as toxic waste.
www.terrasonus.com (http://www.terrasonus.com)


Q. How environmentally friendly is the manufacturing process for Tempus shells?
A. While it's true that what I do is no threat to the world's forests, this is still industry and, as such, it still consumes raw materials and produces waste to some degree. The Composites Fabricators Association maintains quite an excellent web site (www.cfa-hq.org/ (http://www.cfa-hq.org/)) wherein, if you peruse the Technical Resources section, you can read up on what's allowable in terms of emissions, workplace conditions, safety issues and the like.
Certainly my factory is well within acceptable parameters but, even so, I work in a full-body Tyvek moon suit sporting complete airport runway quality hearing protection and a chemically rated filter mask... not a particularly endearing sight to anyone who visits the facility but, then again, I don't generally invite company round to begin with...
Basically, in building my shells I use resins and gels which emit styrene particles in infinitesimal quantities ( a few parts per billion ); these can, at best, give you a bit of a headache if you breathe in the fumes for long enough. The booth I do most of the work in is exhaust filtered, which catches any particles which don't fall to the floor on their own. I also create dust which rapidly settles to the ground and is subsequently swept up and ends up in, unfortunately, a local landfill site. Leftover shell cuttings are usually mailed out as colour samples to interested parties who then, one naturally assumes, keep them for life as treasured memorabilia to be handed down to their heirs.
My resins and gels are derived from oil; thus, not really an imminently exhaustible resource and, if the truth be told, much, much older than your basic Timeless Timber... And Fibreglass is derived from sand, again something we're not short of.
And, truthfully, there's only ever been one fatality at my factory, that being a squirrel which somehow managed to drink half a quart of acetone. Since my mental facilities are easily twice that of the average small furry rodent, I figure I'll be OK... So, all in all, not a bad situation vis a vis my contributions to environmental health and well-being.

[drozzy]

Personally, if you have ever visited Australia, you would know we are in no short supply of trees. A look out the back of my house will provide you with enough trees to fill every drum manufacturer in the world a few times over.

Also, the use of ironwood in wood truss and other rural industrial applications was fairly common (not anymore though). I wouldn't dare say that ironwood is rare, in all truth, id say maple is rarer.

In addition, in terms of aesthetics, Australian trees are some of the ugliest, gnarled and misshapen in the world.

[Crazy]

really beautiful excellent kit

[Deathmetalconga]

Well said DMC. And also, on the comment about our government's conservation laws/etc... they are full on. Unfortunately, a lot of decisions and opinions are made upon incorrect/dated information. Recently research was performed for the government about water usage in realtion to different sources of agriculture, and it was deemed that irrigation is the most water inefficient method of farming. But in reality, it tends to use around 2/3 of the water per tonne of food produced then livestock and also less than dry crops. They used data from the 1970s for the reasearch, and it was still widely accepted across the country. A few governental decisions arose from the data they were provided with which may not be beneficial to the industry, especially as water is becoming more and more scarce and there is less food stored internationally then ever before.
Yes, we're thinking the right things, but not always actually heading there.
However I do know for a fact that Ironwood harvestation is absolutely minimal, and DMC (and everyone else) should have no concerns with his kit or Spirit Drums.

Biz

Thanks for the input.

While the set was being made in July I had a dream about being in an ironwood grassland and I sat on an ironwood log that had been felled. That's about all I remember.
Likely I will never see an actual Cooktown ironwood tree in my life so maybe that was my way of lamenting that.

When I first opened the box with shells I said a prayer for the tree and promised to honor it by keeping the drums in good care for the rest of my life. The tree started growing around 1650 and I view myself as the first of a long line of caretakers of these drums. Who knows where they will be in 100 years?

www.terrasonus.com

[dom]

you kit looks great, on a side note i like how your carpet matches your bass and tom heads haha

[Deathmetalconga]

you kit looks great, on a side note i like how your carpet matches your bass and tom heads haha

Thank you, thank you.

HA! I never noticed that about the heads and carpet. Yes, they do match.

www.terrasonus.com

[junglelord]

Most original and sexy kit I have seen ever.
Kudos to you.
I know looking at your gear and reading this thread that you and I think and play very similar.
Cheers on one awsome piece of art.

[tizzdizz]

First off, I really love your kit, and you're spiritual/down to earth approach to things.

Second, I've wanted a Hang drum since I saw a video of one played somewhere. How did you ever get yours?? I read that they're out of production, and almost impossible to get in the U.S. Great collection!

[SketcHyRollin564]

First off, I really love your kit, and you're spiritual/down to earth approach to things.

Second, I've wanted a Hang drum since I saw a video of one played somewhere. How did you ever get yours?? I read that they're out of production, and almost impossible to get in the U.S. Great collection!

hows it going man? welcome to the forums. This one and drum dogs seeem to be my two favorite so far.



to the origional poster, that is definatley unique. Ive never even heard of those drums, but they seem really cool. The interior carvings on the bass drum seem pretty cool, as well

[altered_beast]

Hello there, your kit looks really cool, I bet it sounds pretty interesting too. Unfortunately I am at work right now, so please allow me to apologise for not listening to the Terrasonus clips or reading through the thread in it's entirety, but I would like to ask you a couple of questions regarding your snare, since I am considering having an ironwood snare made later this year, after my aluminium one.

How thick is the shell of your snare? Would I be right to assume it is loud? I read that ironwood is one of the hardest and most dense woods in the world, and this is why I became interested in it as a material for a snare drum. I want to create a very thick shelled drum, possibly up to an inch thick. Is yours solid shell? If it's possible, that's the route I'd like to go down, I think.

Any help or advice much appreciated!!

Cheers!

Al

[Deathmetalconga]

First off, I really love your kit, and you're spiritual/down to earth approach to things.

Second, I've wanted a Hang drum since I saw a video of one played somewhere. How did you ever get yours?? I read that they're out of production, and almost impossible to get in the U.S. Great collection!

I got the Hang drum in Jan. 2004 and I love it. You can hear a recording on our site. It is tuned to a Middle Eastern scale called Hijaz, key of D. Most people order a Hang tuned to an Asian pentatonic scale, but those sound too bland to me and Hijaz has some tension to it.

The Hang makers are eccentric and reclusive and less than a thousand of these remarkable instruments have ever been made. The only way to get one is to either travel to Bern, Switzerland and purchase one from the makers - if they deem you worthy - or pay someone to get one for you. What cost me $400 two years ago now goes for $1,500 or more on eBay.

Strangely, most of the people who have Hangs want them to be exclusive and are pleased they are now so hard to get. Personally, I'd love to see a high-quality mass instrument maker produce as many Hangs as the market will absorb.

There is a Hang Yahoo group I subscribe to that sometimes has some for sale.

Good luck on getting a Hang!

www.terrasonus.com

[wy yung]

Beautiful kit.

Is that a Meinl circular rainstick you have there?

[Deathmetalconga]

Beautiful kit.

Is that a Meinl circular rainstick you have there?

Indeed it is. Below is a more detailed photo. I put this together by mounting the components on a modified boom stand, using roller skate bearings to improve the rotation of the rain wheel (which, as you may know, is LOUD).

I call it The Weather Machine because of the sounds it makes: rain wheel (sounds like rain); LP Jenigor temple blocks (sound like clouds); LP chimes (sound like sunlight); LP Rancan 22-inch feng luo wind gong (sounds like wind or thunder). I used it on an interlude in a CD.

It's a pain to set up and take down so I don't use it much, but it has a buttload of attitude and adds some theatricality when needed.

I take it you collect percussion stuff - I notice the set of bata drums in your avatar (look like Peal Afros). I have an LP itolele and I've dabbled in John Almira's book Sacred Rhythms of Santeria.

Thanks for the interest!

www.terrasonus.com

http://i93.photobucket.com/albums/l53/Agogobell/Weathermachine.jpg

[Deathmetalconga]

Hello there, your kit looks really cool, I bet it sounds pretty interesting too. Unfortunately I am at work right now, so please allow me to apologise for not listening to the Terrasonus clips or reading through the thread in it's entirety, but I would like to ask you a couple of questions regarding your snare, since I am considering having an ironwood snare made later this year, after my aluminium one.

How thick is the shell of your snare? Would I be right to assume it is loud? I read that ironwood is one of the hardest and most dense woods in the world, and this is why I became interested in it as a material for a snare drum. I want to create a very thick shelled drum, possibly up to an inch thick. Is yours solid shell? If it's possible, that's the route I'd like to go down, I think.

Any help or advice much appreciated!!

Cheers!

Al

Sorry to take so long to respond. I seem to recall you starting a thread about solid-shell drums recently.

The shell of the snare (and all the drums) is about a half-inch, which is pretty thick for a drumset, but thin-to-average for a hand drum. I love it! The sound is strong and compelling. The drum is extremely sensitive - I swear if you blow on the batter head, you can hear the snares. Ironwood is prized for musical instruments, mainly flutes and guitars, and it also makes incredible drums.

I would encourage you to get a drum with an inch-thick shell. The people at www.spiritdrums.com will work with you on that. Yeah, it would be heavy, but that's what double-braced hardware is for.


www.terrasonus.com

[Jeremy]

Such heavy drums must be terrible to take out, though I'd be scared to do that with such a nice kit. do you have any recordings of the kit yet? I'm sure it sounds amazing.

[Deathmetalconga]

Such heavy drums must be terrible to take out, though I'd be scared to do that with such a nice kit. do you have any recordings of the kit yet? I'm sure it sounds amazing.

No recordings of it yet, but I'll let everyone know when it happens.

Moving isn't so bad. They sound like big drums and they weigh as much as big drums, but they're really small drums. The finish on the drums is actually very tough and scratch-resistant (it's called "ironwood" for a reason) but I still treat them with great care.

I played a bar mitzvah this weekend and converted it to the four-piece, with 18 inch bass, 10 inch tom and 12 inch floor tom. This made it a bit easier to move.
http://i93.photobucket.com/albums/l53/Agogobell/sk4p1.jpg

http://i93.photobucket.com/albums/l53/Agogobell/sk4p2.jpg

Later that evening, I played the full set.
http://i93.photobucket.com/albums/l53/Agogobell/Rembrandts031007-1.jpg

[Mediocrefunkybeat]

I want to hear your recordings when they're finished, because judging by that instrumental lineup, it would be quiet the experience!

[Drummerboy3940]

I really like the music that you play...very cool stuff..nice kit

[indiadrummer]

sweeet mother of god...gets my vote as the coolest kit on the forums!!!!!
seriously, but one question, whats with the double pedal on one pedal thing? am I seeing wrong, or are the double pedals controlled on one pedal?

[Deathmetalconga]

sweeet mother of god...gets my vote as the coolest kit on the forums!!!!!
seriously, but one question, whats with the double pedal on one pedal thing? am I seeing wrong, or are the double pedals controlled on one pedal?

Thank you all for the kind words of appreciation.

The double beater thingy is The Duallist, www.theduallist.com. It's got to be the most controversial piece of gear ever created - it's caused flame wars, fist fights and even riots (just kidding). See the controversy at http://www.drummerworld.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1063&highlight=dualist.

Personally, I love it. As you can see, I have a pedal for the talking drum, for the hihat and for foot percussion. I have no room for a fifth pedal in my setup and if I did, I'd get something other than a double pedal. I'd probably add another percussion item to expand my set.

[fijjibo]

Who told you ironwood was "extremely rare"? It it is not extremely rare (well, maybe for drums). In some areas, ironwood is quite common. If you don't like this kit because of how it was made, here is some more information:

You ask a perfectly fair question. Overlogging is a big environmental issue worldwide. This kind of wood is found only in Queensland, in an area about the size of Texas in north Australia.

Australia has very stringent environmental laws and does regulate timber cutting. A 2002 government report found "currently timber harvesting of native forests in the Northern Territory is a very minor industry operating at low levels ... ironwood harvesting is likely to always be only a local small-scale operation" (http://www.affa.gov.au/corporate_docs/publications/pdf/forestry/sustainability/national/Ironwood_in_NT.pdf, see page 129). The report does make clear, however, that overharvesting has occured in the past, particularly with white settlement in the 1860s.

A certain amount of ironwood is allowed to be harvested to support the people and towns in an area. Most of the ironwood gets turned into fence posts and railroad ties and decks and a tiny bit gets turned into very high-value items like musical instruments (flutes, guitars, drums) and sculptures.

Ironwood leaves and suckers are extremely poisonous to cattle and must be cleared from areas where ranching is permitted. (But if someone is a vegetarian, they probably won't view ranching as a good thing to begin with.)

Obtaining ironwood is very difficult as the area where it grows is primarily wild (see www.spritdrums.com for an explanation). So far, only about a dozen Spirit kits have been made, although many djembes, congas and snares have been made. They talk about their harvesting on their Web site with photos and say they purchased for licensed cutters. I take them at their word.

Spirit drum makers do all their manufacture locally, using local labor and fabrication for their hardware, and the money for the kit directly supports their families and local merchants. So this kit was made in a socially sustainable way, not just an environmentally sustainable way.

I'm curious now - what do you play with, and what do you know about how it was made?

I withdraw my comments, I was mis-informed.

Ive just looked up the wood I thought I was talking about, and its not ironwood.

I am very sorry for the trouble I ve caused, and I stand corrected

[Deathmetalconga]

I withdraw my comments, I was mis-informed.

Ive just looked up the wood I thought I was talking about, and its not ironwood.

I am very sorry for the trouble I ve caused, and I stand corrected

That's kind of you and you are a decent person.

And you did ask a legitimate question - this seems to be an exotic wood and was it sustainably taken? I have asked similar questions of others here. We should always consider the environmental impact of our instruments. Sure, instruments account for a tiny fraction of wood used worldwide, but each citizen of Earth needs to consider the impact of their consumption.

[harryconway]

I was mis-informed.

Classic Humphrey Bogart quote from Casablanca. DMC, love that live photo. The cross behind your sitar player, very gothic. Actually, the whole photo has a gothic feel to it. Love it. And your kit looks great. Between your Spirit drums and the cat from Finland with the Kumu drums, I'd say the 2 most esoteric kits on the forum.

[fijjibo]

That's kind of you and you are a decent person.

And you did ask a legitimate question - this seems to be an exotic wood and was it sustainably taken? I have asked similar questions of others here. We should always consider the environmental impact of our instruments. Sure, instruments account for a tiny fraction of wood used worldwide, but each citizen of Earth needs to consider the impact of their consumption.

Thank you - so many people on forums like to hold grudges and start arguments purely because on the Internet they can remain anonymous, but Id rather not...

Thanks for your advice on my kit thread by the way,

Peace

[Jeff Almeyda]

I am seriously considering getting at least a snare to start and possibly a kit for the studio. I heard the clips on the site and was impressed. The drums sound incredible when recorded flat with no effects. Serious stuff.

Now to choose a snare size....

I think it's gonna be either 6.5" x 14" or 6.5" x 13".

Any suggestions?

[Deathmetalconga]

I am seriously considering getting at least a snare to start and possibly a kit for the studio. I heard the clips on the site and was impressed. The drums sound incredible when recorded flat with no effects. Serious stuff.

Now to choose a snare size....

I think it's gonna be either 6.5" x 14" or 6.5" x 13".

Any suggestions?

I'm very happy with my 13 by 4 snare, as the 13 inch size gives great focus and snap and it's very sensitive at 4 inches.

If I had to do it over again, I would go with the 13 by 6.5 snare, though. I would like a little more throat from the snare. An ironwood shell gives so much sensitivity that I know a 6.5-inch-deep snare will still be incredibly sensitive, even though it's almost two-thirds deeper than a 4-incher.

[Deathmetalconga]

Update on kit:

In my never-ending quest to streamline and reduce my hardware, I did this following mod. I removed one of the legs from the DW ride stand (I play open handed, ride on left). I got one of those two-legged DW 5000 hats and removed the legs, clamping it to the "gimp" tripod. The foot plate of the hihat stand locks into place, so it serves as the missing leg of the tripod. So, instead of having up to six leg contact points, I have just two. This frees up room for another foot percussion pedal.

Setup minus cymbals. I put Velcro on the stands and clamp jaws, showing correct location during setup and preventing scratching. Two clamps ensure rock-solid support.
http://i93.photobucket.com/albums/l53/Agogobell/2legs3.jpg

As installed in set. Stand leg placement gives plenty of room for foot pedals.
http://i93.photobucket.com/albums/l53/Agogobell/2legs1.jpg

Close-up. I figure I saved a fair amount of bulk and about six pounds in hardware weight with the mod - which I of course immediately gained back with the second foot percussion pedal. The only downside is that setup is a bit trickier, as a two-leg cymbal stand doesn't stand up very well!
http://i93.photobucket.com/albums/l53/Agogobell/2legs2.jpg

[thecraponline]

Cool idea. Your pedal setup looks great.

I notice that your talking drum pedal isn't in any of the pictures. Are you not using it anymore?

[Wavelength]

A great idea! How did you actually remove the legs? Did you have to give them the good ol' hack-saw treatment?

[katman]

http://i93.photobucket.com/albums/l53/Agogobell/Rembrandts031007-1.jpg

That guy is playing the biggest thermometer I have ever seen.

[Mr. Pasquini]

http://i93.photobucket.com/albums/l53/Agogobell/Rembrandts031007-1.jpg

Sitar players scare me.

[ddrumbum]

Very beautiful set, never heard of it before, do you have any videos with it in action, I would love to hear it.

[Deathmetalconga]

Cool idea. Your pedal setup looks great.

I notice that your talking drum pedal isn't in any of the pictures. Are you not using it anymore?

I converted the talking drum to hand percussion use - see the mod at http://www.drummerworld.com/forums/showthread.php?t=23501, page two. I may still use it in the drum set, but right now I have four pedals to keep track of and that's plenty.

[spartacus1989]

Wow, what genre do you do?? I am just wondering why there is a sitar player there lol.

[Deathmetalconga]

A great idea! How did you actually remove the legs? Did you have to give them the good ol' hack-saw treatment?

No. I used a Dremel to grind down the rivets in the hinges. I could put the legs back on if I ever needed. I would just need to get some bolts, washers and lock nuts.

[Deathmetalconga]

Wow, what genre do you do?? I am just wondering why there is a sitar player there lol.

Very beautiful set, never heard of it before, do you have any videos with it in action, I would love to hear it.

I do original word fusion music. Check out our band at www.terrasonus.com. So we have the sitar player and other unusual instruments.

Unfortunately, the sound samples on our Web site were recorded in April 2006 and I didn't have the ironwood set playable until September 2006, so I have no recordings of the ironwood set. But getting some recording with it is a priority, as soon as the band scrapes enough dough together to go back to the studio. In the meantime, you can hear sound samples at www.spiritdrums.com.

[drovja]

I really like that kit. I checked into the Talkit mechanical talking drum and.... WOW it's gonna take me a long time to save that much. However, I think I'm gonna start now, because it's intriguing, and I can envision a whole lot of uses.

[slingerland755]

Nice website, great music and a beautiful kit. I would love to hear it sometime.

[Deathmetalconga]

I really like that kit. I checked into the Talkit mechanical talking drum and.... WOW it's gonna take me a long time to save that much. However, I think I'm gonna start now, because it's intriguing, and I can envision a whole lot of uses.

The Talkit (www.b-radpercussion.com) is an amazing drum and very expressive. I've modified the rim for hand percussion playing with two congas, which is how I mainly use it. He has a six-inch model that costs less and you might want to check that out.

[pasta]

So beautiful DMC, and innovative with all your special touches. The idea of fusing the hat stand with the cymbal stand is brilliant.
I suppose shipping from Australia cost practically as much as the kit? LOL
Did it you take you awhile to develop the technique to play the Duellist?

[drummerstix_au]

Nice looking kit.... another great Australian made kit :) How would they compare to Brady I wonder? Anyone know?

I thought about Spirit drums before I got my DW deal a few years ago, but someone was telling me the shells are very heavy to lift.

[Ozzy Biz]

Nice looking kit.... another great Australian made kit :) How would they compare to Brady I wonder? Anyone know?

I thought about Spirit drums before I got my DW deal a few years ago, but someone was telling me the shells are very heavy to lift.

Different animals. Jarrah ply drums won't sound as meaty and full as the Spirits. They'll also weigh about 1/8 of what the Spirits weigh. Solid shells will be heavy, especially when the timber they're made of is so dense it sinks.

[Deathmetalconga]

Different animals. Jarrah ply drums won't sound as meaty and full as the Spirits. They'll also weigh about 1/8 of what the Spirits weigh. Solid shells will be heavy, especially when the timber they're made of is so dense it sinks.

Just what I was going to say. Bradys are fine drums and they even make a few solid shell snares. Ironwood is indeed heavy, with a specific gravity of 1.2 (1.2 times as heavy as water, which is why it sinks) and the shells are a half-inch thick. Maple has a SG of about .50 and that no doubt gets lower when made into plies with glue. So a half-inch-thick solid-shell ironwood drum should weigh about three times a half-inch-thick maple ply shell. I know I get three times the sound out of my Spirits.

I get used to the weight - I need to lose weight more than my drums! My Spirits sound like big drums and weigh as much as big drums, but they are the size of small drums.

[Deathmetalconga]

Nice looking kit.... another great Australian made kit :) How would they compare to Brady I wonder? Anyone know?

I thought about Spirit drums before I got my DW deal a few years ago, but someone was telling me the shells are very heavy to lift.

HAHA! about the Australian kit. People don't know what to make of it and it sounds even more exotic coming from Australia.

I justed wanted to say I checked out your site and it's really inspiring. What a neat career you have made for yourself! I have known people with cerebral palsy and I could never have thought someone could play an instrument with such an obstacle. I guess anything is possible if someone is determined enough.

Behind a drum set, we all look the same.

[drummerstix_au]

Thanks mate, havent made a lot of money out of it, but I do this stuff cos I love playing drums.

Anyone can do something if they persevere with it long enough :)

Cheers

Andy

[theberzh]

These are awesome drums. I have had this theory for a while about making drum but never had the tools for the execution.

[Deathmetalconga]

These are awesome drums. I have had this theory for a while about making drum but never had the tools for the execution.

Thanks. While this is an unusual way to make drums nowadays, the solid shell is actually the most ancient way of making a drum. Modern machinery makes it easier, but it's still difficult. You'd have to get entire whole logs, cut them and have special lathing machinery to finish them off. There are a few companies doing it.

Even non-drummers can tell these drums are unusual. They have a primitive, wild look about them and a primitive, wild sound. Even the badges are branded on.

[Deathmetalconga]

I have radically restructured the set. I have been looking to shake up the set, as I think it's good to do that every few years at least. I have always liked the look of flat drums and low cymbals. This way of playing is taking some adjustment, but it not inherently any harder or easier than playing with angled drums, just different. I took a two-way level to the drums to make sure they are perfectly level.

I'd like comments on the appearance of the set. I have relatively few stands, as I like an uncluttered floor, but I use a lot of Dog Bones and Puppy Bones to pile all the cymbals on, so I have more hardware higher up. I have the same complement of cymbals as before, with the addition of a six-inch LP ice bell between the ride and 8-inch splash.

http://i93.photobucket.com/albums/l53/Agogobell/SKF07.jpg

http://i93.photobucket.com/albums/l53/Agogobell/SKF03.jpg

http://i93.photobucket.com/albums/l53/Agogobell/SKF05.jpg

http://i93.photobucket.com/albums/l53/Agogobell/SKF04.jpg

http://i93.photobucket.com/albums/l53/Agogobell/SKF01.jpg

http://i93.photobucket.com/albums/l53/Agogobell/SKF02.jpg

http://i93.photobucket.com/albums/l53/Agogobell/SKF06.jpg

[TopCat]

I presume you're quite a tall chap? That would be far too much a reach for myself.

[Ozzy Biz]

I'd be angling those toms in a little personally, they seem a little too awkward to play due to their height above the snare and the lack of angle. Different strokes for different folks I guess

[Deathmetalconga]

I have radically restructured the set. I have been looking to shake up the set, as I think it's good to do that every few years at least. I have always liked the look of flat drums and low cymbals. This way of playing is taking some adjustment, but it not inherently any harder or easier than playing with angled drums, just different. I took a two-way level to the drums to make sure they are perfectly level.

I'd like comments on the appearance of the set. I have relatively few stands, as I like an uncluttered floor, but I use a lot of Dog Bones and Puppy Bones to pile all the cymbals on, so I have more hardware higher up. I have the same complement of cymbals as before, with the addition of a six-inch LP ice bell between the ride and 8-inch splash.

http://i93.photobucket.com/albums/l53/Agogobell/SKF07.jpg

http://i93.photobucket.com/albums/l53/Agogobell/SKF03.jpg

http://i93.photobucket.com/albums/l53/Agogobell/SKF05.jpg

http://i93.photobucket.com/albums/l53/Agogobell/SKF04.jpg

http://i93.photobucket.com/albums/l53/Agogobell/SKF01.jpg

http://i93.photobucket.com/albums/l53/Agogobell/SKF02.jpg

http://i93.photobucket.com/albums/l53/Agogobell/SKF06.jpg

The photos were at the end of the third page so I am reposting them here.

Ozzy, you are right in that it is taking some adjustment. If it winds up being too much to cope with, I will go back to angling them. One of the reasons I'm doing this is to shake up my approach to the drum set - people will strip down to a four-piece, for example, or rearrange their cymbals.

[Mediocrefunkybeat]

Right now I might have to just come across the pond and steal those drums. Unfortunately they'd probably weigh down my car too much and damage the suspension. What can I say that hasn't already been said? I like the idea of the new arrangement a lot; definitely worth shaking up your approach once in a while.

[Ozzy Biz]

Hey, I know what you mean by shaking things up a bit. I've only just started using my floor tom again; that brings the kit I'm playing up to a 3 piece with hats, ride and a cowbell. Gotta have the cowbell. Have you thought about putting that percussion 'tree' you rigged up next to your kit, maybe on the left side?

[stasz]

Looks pretty cool. Personally with a setup like that I'd raise the snare and hi-hat and just play it standing, like a giant cocktail kit.

Also what is hanging from Tom 3? Is it a setlist?

[Mr. Pasquini]

That looks cool but horridly uncomfortable. No height difference between floors and racks, I find once I start to pivot my body the natural pull is for my body to move downwards.

[Mendozart]

DMC,
So how does it feel playing the kit this way? I love your set-up of 3-up toms, but I would definitely have to have the floor sitting at a more traditional height. Still, your kit is one of my favorites that I would love to play on this forum.

[drummer-derk]

hello
i think it's a nice kit
but don't you think that the tom's must become more youre way
your can allmost playing it will you are standing
but it is an nice kit

greets, derk

[Joe P]

W.O.W.

That, my friend, is the most amazing drum set ever. And the most costly too! Considering the prices (whether monetary or amount of trouble you underwent to get it) of the pedal-powered talking drum, the hang drum, the dualist, the ironwood set, etc. must be a very lucky (or rich, lol) guy!

[Wavelength]

That, my friend, is the most amazing drum set ever. And the most costly too! Considering the prices (whether monetary or amount of trouble you underwent to get it) of the pedal-powered talking drum, the hang drum, the dualist, the ironwood set, etc. must be a very lucky (or rich, lol) guy!

Some people spend money on sex, drugs, rock&roll, alcohol, tobacco, firearms, cars, bikes, gambling, trips etc. and some people (like me) lead a boring and inexpensive life...

...but own a frickin' nice drum kit!

[Steamer]

Some people spend money on sex, drugs, rock&roll, alcohol, tobacco, firearms, cars, bikes, gambling, trips etc. and some people (like me) lead a boring and inexpensive life...

...but own a frickin' nice drum kit!

Hey I resemble that comment too except for only one i'll make it a few LOL!.

[aydee]

How come I missed this kit. That is an aesthetic statement , DMC. Do they sound as good as they look?

[Deathmetalconga]

How come I missed this kit. That is an aesthetic statement , DMC. Do they sound as good as they look?

I love the sound, but I love the sound of deep drums. They have a rich, strong, authoritative sound (even though the are petite sizes) but they're not suitable for all genres. Listen to sound samples at www.spiritdrums.com.

To really appreciate the beauty of the wood you need to take them into the sun or strong lighting. They've got figuring similar to bubinga.

[Deathmetalconga]

W.O.W.

That, my friend, is the most amazing drum set ever. And the most costly too! Considering the prices (whether monetary or amount of trouble you underwent to get it) of the pedal-powered talking drum, the hang drum, the dualist, the ironwood set, etc. must be a very lucky (or rich, lol) guy!

It hasn't been cheap or easy, but I've been collecting instruments for more than 20 years. I wonder what I'll be playing in another 20 - gives you something to look forward to as you age. I don't lead a very extravagant life otherwise. I think Wavelength summed it up well.

[Wavelength]

Still waiting for some sound clips... *nudge nudge*

[Deathmetalconga]

Still waiting for some sound clips... *nudge nudge*

Yeah, I know [looks down, kicks one toe with the other].

I've tried recording some of my stuff but the mics I'm using just don't capture it all. I have a couple of Behringer ECM-80s, a Shure Beta 58 and 57, an Audio-Technica PRO 25 bass drum mic and a buch of AT 5280 tom mics. The problem is that I have a small mixer, a Behringer Eurorack MX-602A, with two mic and two instrument inserts. I have the mixer going to a CD recorder. It works good for band practice, but it doesn't evenly capture the sound spectrum.

Maybe I should experiment some more or just record with what I have and get it done finally. I can always put up something better when I go into the studio.

[cantstandyourfunk]

Man, you really must be taking the word "hanging" a little too seriously ;)

[prempex]

very nice
where abouts in australia was the wood from?

[wad]

lol sweet, they all look like floor tams

[Deathmetalconga]

very nice
where abouts in australia was the wood from?

Thanks for your interest.

Cooktown ironwood grows only one place in the world: Queensland, Australia, which is the little horn that sticks up from the north and almost touches Indonesia (actually the area is about the size of Texas).

Obtaining ironwood is very difficult as the area is primarily wild (see www.spritdrums.com for an explanation). The area is very dry so the wood grows slowly and is so dense it sinks in water. The tree from which my set was taken was about 300 years old. So far, only about a dozen Spirit kits have been made, although many djembes, congas and snares have been made. They purchase the logs from a couple of Crocodile Dundee-type loggers.

The Australian government encourages timber cutting in the area and has very stringent environmental laws. Most of the ironwood gets turned into fence posts and railroad ties and decks and a tiny bit gets turned into very high-value items like musical instruments (it is also prized for flutes and guitars) and sculptures. Ironwood leaves and suckers are extremely poisonous to cattle and must be cleared from areas where ranching is permitted.

Spirit drum makers do all their manufacture locally, using local labor and fabrication for their hardware, and the money for the kit directly supports their families and local merchants. So this kit was made in a socially sustainable way, not just an environmentally sustainable way.

[Ozzy Biz]

Thanks for your interest.

Cooktown ironwood grows only one place in the world: Queensland, Australia, which is the little horn that sticks up from the north and almost touches Indonesia (actually the area is about the size of Texas).

Obtaining ironwood is very difficult as the area is primarily wild (see www.spritdrums.com for an explanation). The area is very dry so the wood grows slowly and is so dense it sinks in water. The tree from which my set was taken was about 300 years old. So far, only about a dozen Spirit kits have been made, although many djembes, congas and snares have been made. They purchase the logs from a couple of Crocodile Dundee-type loggers.

The Australian government encourages timber cutting in the area and has very stringent environmental laws. Most of the ironwood gets turned into fence posts and railroad ties and decks and a tiny bit gets turned into very high-value items like musical instruments (it is also prized for flutes and guitars) and sculptures. Ironwood leaves and suckers are extremely poisonous to cattle and must be cleared from areas where ranching is permitted.

Spirit drum makers do all their manufacture locally, using local labor and fabrication for their hardware, and the money for the kit directly supports their families and local merchants. So this kit was made in a socially sustainable way, not just an environmentally sustainable way.

It's not exaclty dry right now...
http://www.blackall.qld.gov.au/images/flood2004_3.jpg

[Bob Smith]

love the cymbal arms on the new setup what brand are they i need some.

[Deathmetalconga]

love the cymbal arms on the new setup what brand are they i need some.

I pretty much only use DW hardware. I have 9000 series tom stands with a DW Dog Bone clamped in each stand. I then have DW Puppy Bones attached to the Dog Bones. That way, I am able to mount four toms and five cymbals on just two stands.

[SLEEPY BRiGHT EYEZ]

I'm not sure if this has already been mentioned in this thread, but I'll put it out there anyways. I was briefly talking about exotic woods with a carpenter this past week on a mutual job. He mentioned iron wood, and how it is one of the densest woods out there. So dense you need a metal cutting blade to work it.

So what does this equate in terms to drum sound with this kit DMC, in comparison to other commonly used drum woods?

[Mr. Pasquini]

I'm not sure if this has already been mentioned in this thread, but I'll put it out there anyways. I was briefly talking about exotic woods with a carpenter this past week on a mutual job. He mentioned iron wood, and how it is one of the densest woods out there. So dense you need a metal cutting blade to work it.

So what does this equate in terms to drum sound with this kit DMC, in comparison to other commonly used drum woods?

My bet is on incredible attack (note that Oak is denser than Maple and has more attack(at least I think so...))

[Deathmetalconga]

My bet is on incredible attack (note that Oak is denser than Maple and has more attack(at least I think so...))

Yes, you are right, these have plenty of attack and volume due to the density of the wood. At the same time, the drums are square sizes, so they have plenty of resonance but that tempers the attack. Also, the grain is all parallel to the height of the drum, so each grain acts as a mico-resonator and very efficiently conducts sound from the bearing edge, into the shell, and out to the bottom head. Cross-lamination in ply shells diffuses the movement of sound through the shell.

The result is lots and lots of the most sought-after qualities of drums: attack, presence, projection, sensitivity and richness of tone. That's not suitable for all playing situations, however, especially where the drums need to sound more subdued. These drums are very lively and call attention to themselves. They're also difficult to tune perfectly, as there is no glue to absorb overtones and everything you put into the drum, you get back out.

I am going to get my act together soon and post some sound clips, I promise. In the mean time, there are sound samples at www.spiritdrums.com.

[SLEEPY BRiGHT EYEZ]

Ya, I was going to assume they had great attack because of the density. But I had wondered if it was a double edged sword at the cost of resonance.

I'm listening to a sound clip on that website and they sound nice.

[Deathmetalconga]

Ya, I was going to assume they had great attack because of the density. But I had wondered if it was a double edged sword at the cost of resonance.

I'm listening to a sound clip on that website and they sound nice.

Ordinarily, a dense shell gives attack and projection at the expense of richness and resonance. However, because of the solid shell construction and uniform grain direction, you get the richness and resonance of a mellower wood. Each grain of wood acts as a tiny micro-resonator.

One of the drawbacks is that tuning is difficult. The drums produce lots of tones and they must all be carefully balanced or else they will sound really, really cacophanous, particularly for the toms.

I have found these ironwood drums do not appear to have many acceptable tuning settings. They sound good low, then there is another midrange tuning region, and finally a high one. Between these ranges, however, you really can't tune the drums to a pleasing set of frequencies. In a traditional maple or oak drum, you wouldn't be getting as many tones to deal with, so there is less potential for conflict. In a softer mahogany drum, you have more frequencies, but they're not at such high volumes, so there is less conflict. Also, traditional drums contain glue, which absorbs some of the tones.

These drums toss back at you everything you put into them - which has its own set of trade offs.

[Ozzy Biz]

I thought you'd like this DMC; Paul Warry at Metro Drums (in Queensland) sent me a pic of a drum he just did. It's a 13x6" Cooktown Ironwood stave. I'm assuming it's a cheaper yet similar alternative to the Spirit Drums solid shells.

[Deathmetalconga]

I thought you'd like this DMC; Paul Warry at Metro Drums (in Queensland) sent me a pic of a drum he just did. It's a 13x6" Cooktown Ironwood stave. I'm assuming it's a cheaper yet similar alternative to the Spirit Drums solid shells.

Way cool! What's this fellow's Web site?

I don't know if it's easier or cheaper to do it with staves. Assuming you have a large metalworking lathe, solid shell boring might be easier than cutting a few dozen staves and gluing them together, then lathing them smooth. Ironwood is very hard to work with (dulls saw blades in no time flat) and it would be interesting to hear from the drum maker what it's like to work with ironwood for staves.

I think if you want an ironwood drum, solid or stave or block would be the only way to go. I think it's too ornery to be steam-bent or shaved into veneers for ply. It's so dense there is virtually no room for water to penetrate and soften it.

[Tyr]

WOW That's one of the most unique kits I've ever seen, and you've got a Hang Drum! AWESOME!

Do you have videos? Forgive me if I missed them somewhere in this thread!

[Deathmetalconga]

WOW That's one of the most unique kits I've ever seen, and you've got a Hang Drum! AWESOME!

Do you have videos? Forgive me if I missed them somewhere in this thread!

Sorry, no videos yet but I will get around to it someday. Here are some photos from a recent gig, however.

http://i93.photobucket.com/albums/l53/Agogobell/Mobius1.jpg

http://i93.photobucket.com/albums/l53/Agogobell/Mobius3.jpg

http://i93.photobucket.com/albums/l53/Agogobell/Mobius2.jpg

http://i93.photobucket.com/albums/l53/Agogobell/Mobius4.jpg

[Tyr]

Awesome! Looks like a great gig, the Fiberskyns look terrific on those drums too!

[Banzai]

Loved it, it's an "ethnic" metal kit. Just awesome.

[Ozzy Biz]

Loved it, it's an "ethnic" metal kit. Just awesome.

What?............................................. ........

[Deathmetalconga]

Loved it, it's an "ethnic" metal kit. Just awesome.

Haha, I have thought that myself. The kit does have a bit of heavy metal flair to it because of the deeper toms (it would certainly do well in a metal band) but all the drums are petite. The fact that they're carved from solid logs makes them close relatives of ethnic hand drums. I don't think I've ever seen a kit with these bass and tom sizes, which makes it all the more freaky.

[stasz]

Interesting pics from the gig. What type of music were you playing? Also, how is the flat setup working for you?

[Wavelength]

This is almost totally off-topic, but I thought DMC and the rest of you might find this very interesting... It's a hang-drum solo, and a fairly awesome one.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=TQXn5ba0aT8

[Deathmetalconga]

This is almost totally off-topic, but I thought DMC and the rest of you might find this very interesting... It's a hang-drum solo, and a fairly awesome one.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=TQXn5ba0aT8

Wow, that is some great playing. I see some conga technique in his playing. He is making good use of the gu side of the drum, or the hole in the bottom that allows you to bend and shape sound like a tabla, udu or talking drum. I just play mine mounted on a stand and I should start using that feature.

[Pandrex]

fancy selling your hangdrum?

[Deathmetalconga]

fancy selling your hangdrum?

The thought has crossed my mind. They're going on eBay for $4,500, about ten times more than I paid for it four years ago. But I really love my Hang and I don't know how I'd ever get another one. It's a really amazing instrument.

You can hear me playing it at www.hang-music.com under 10-01-2006

[Deathmetalconga]

Interesting pics from the gig. What type of music were you playing? Also, how is the flat setup working for you?

We were playing smooth jazz, mostly elevator music with a few originals.

I am getting used to the flat setup now. It has required some adjustmet for the cymbals, as I am hitting the crashes on the top bow of the cymbal, not the edge, and I'm hitting with the shoulder of the stick. It seems like cymbal crashes are more explosive and responsive.

[Big_Philly]

Using the shoulder of the stick to strike the bow gives an agressive, cutting sound indeed, I sometimes use that on my ride but havent really tried it with crashes - yet.
Your drum kit is a fine piece of work! I love the look of the fyberskins, and the foot-operated talking drum. And most of all the hang-drum, I'm looking to get one of my own but there's very few places to get one and the prices are very high.

[Deathmetalconga]

Using the shoulder of the stick to strike the bow gives an agressive, cutting sound indeed, I sometimes use that on my ride but havent really tried it with crashes - yet.
Your drum kit is a fine piece of work! I love the look of the fyberskins, and the foot-operated talking drum. And most of all the hang-drum, I'm looking to get one of my own but there's very few places to get one and the prices are very high.

Thanks for the comments. The Fiberskyns have a natural, wild look which complements the set.

There are some other versions of the Hang set to come out soon, so stay tuned. They won't have the exact sound of the Hang, but some reputable pan makers are doing it so it will have a great sound all its own.

[Deathmetalconga]

CONVERSION OF STANDARD PEDAL TO LONGBOARD

I'll post more detail on the hardware modification thread at http://www.drummerworld.com/forums/showthread.php?t=23501. In the meantime, here is how I modified a DW5000 into a longboard.

Fourstrings lamented the ridiculous expense of DW longboard and I popped off about how I could convert a standard into a longboard - he called my bluff and I had to try it just to see if I could. Total cost: $2 in bolts, $5 in shop costs, $30 for labor, about two hours of time for work and planning. Basically, I removed the heel plate and joined it to the footboard with a gusset, then attached the hinge to the heel plate.

The hardest part was fabricating the gusset. I sawed off a chunk of half-inch-thick steel plate. It's overkill, but it's what I had handy and you will never ever have to worry about the gusset failing. After careful measuring, I drilled holes to mount it to the heel plate and foot plate (you can see the smoke from the burning thread oil).
http://i93.photobucket.com/albums/l53/Agogobell/Long4.jpg

This is the only permanent modification I had to make to the pedal, drilling a couple of holes to re-mount the hinge. Other than this, the mod is completely reversible.
http://i93.photobucket.com/albums/l53/Agogobell/Long6.jpg

The gusset was ground and scrubbed clean, then painted and mounted.
http://i93.photobucket.com/albums/l53/Agogobell/Long13.jpg

As used in the set.
http://i93.photobucket.com/albums/l53/Agogobell/Long14.jpg

I have to admit I'm not too fond of the action of a longboard. I've strictly played a standard pedal for 25 years so the longboard feels weird. I imagine if I'd started with a longboard it would feel normal. So I will probably reverse this at some point, but at least I can say I did it and tried it out.

[Citizen Insane]

Awesome set! and your open handed (like me!) which makes it better since I can play it! (=

[Deathmetalconga]

Awesome set! and your open handed (like me!) which makes it better since I can play it! (=

Thanks. There are a few people here whose sets I could walk right up to and play. I assume you have your hats and ride on the left? What do you play? Do you have a thread for your kit?

[Citizen Insane]

Thanks. There are a few people here whose sets I could walk right up to and play. I assume you have your hats and ride on the left? What do you play? Do you have a thread for your kit?

Yes, I have both my hats and rides on the left, There a bit hard to position because of their size (24 inch ride, 15 inch hats) bu I fair fine. and no I don't have a thread of my kit because it is far too shameful to post. =)

[Deathmetalconga]

Yes, I have both my hats and rides on the left, There a bit hard to position because of their size (24 inch ride, 15 inch hats) bu I fair fine. and no I don't have a thread of my kit because it is far too shameful to post. =)

A 24-inch ride and 15-inch hats! That is insane, Citizen Insane! I'd like to see this set. What kinds of drums, etc.? Don't be ashamed. There are some people here with $20,000 sets that are boring as hell and people here with CB700s held together with baling wire that are inspiring.

[Citizen Insane]

A 24-inch ride and 15-inch hats! That is insane, Citizen Insane! I'd like to see this set. What kinds of drums, etc.? Don't be ashamed. There are some people here with $20,000 sets that are boring as hell and people here with CB700s held together with baling wire that are inspiring.

I play a (don't laugh) a 4 piece fender "starcaster" drum kit. Sizes are 12',16', and 22'. The drums themselves are appauling, but everything else I have is nice.

I use paiste 2002 cymbals, 15-inch hats,24-inch ride (both on my left side), and an 18-inch crash. The hats sound like heaven, crisp and highly responsive. (even for its size.) My ride is ok, I think its silly that people who have Bonham replica kits buy this ride, It is way more washy and gongy sounding than the ride you hear on the Zeppelin albums. And the 18 -inch crash is basically the crash sound I hear in my head.

My snare is a 14x7 Yamaha Birch Custom Absolute Noveau. It sounds really nice, I tune it medium tight, So I get a nice crack along with plenty of meat.

The pedals I play are Tama Iron Cobra's. The hi-hat stand is IMO, the best on the market. The bass pedal is not really my thing, I prefer the DW 5000.

So thats my kit, I wish I can post pics but my camera has been acting screwy lately. (hope to get it fixed soon!)

[huntsman0603]

Sounds like a nice kit!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xmdz8cGovdA

[Drumsword]

Sorry, this set is Just so gorgeous I had to remark yet again and bring the post back to page 1 for all to see..LOL

Awesome set!!!!!!!!! My favorite.

[aydee]

I went to South Africa recently, and made it a point to look up, and take a picture of an ironwood tree, because I always thought an ironwood kit would be so cool.
19927

.....looks like any other tree, I suppose...

[DamoSyzygy]

Cooktown ironwood grows only one place in the world: Queensland, Australia, which is the little horn that sticks up from the north and almost touches Indonesia (actually the area is about the size of Texas).
Haha great description.

DMC - I bet that thing is darn heavy and extremely loud?

[Deathmetalconga]

Haha great description.

DMC - I bet that thing is darn heavy and extremely loud?

Yes, very heavy and very loud. The drums are small - 18 bass, 14, 12, 10 and 8 toms, 13 by 4 snare - but they have the weight and sound of much larger drums. They're also square sized, so you really hear the ironwood sound. I promise I will get some sound clips up soon.

Aydee, that is a pretty cool tree you photographed. Ironwood is a generic name for any extremely hard wood, but I bet you could make a shell out of just about any kind of wood. I believe the heaviest, densest woods come from hot, dry climates. Something tells me ironwood is too dense to be shaved into plies so staves or solid shell would be the only way to go.

Drumsword, I know you are a spiritual person. When I got these shells I did thank God for creating the tree and for safeguarding the loggers and craftsmen to risked their safety to create the drums. The tree was about 300 years in the making and I will cherish these drums for the rest of my life.

[Deathmetalconga]

Here is a long-awaited sound file of me playing the Kahuna Set a couple of days ago. Forgive the sound quality - it was recorded with one of those little Yamaha Pocketrak 300, set about 10 feet from the kit, mic sensitivity about half, medium sound quality.

Click here to watch Soirit-set-sample-1 (http://media.putfile.com/Soirit-set-sample-1)

[LM201]

I wish I was good... At 40 seconds in is someone screaming?

[Deathmetalconga]

Yes, the screaming is my 2-year-old daughter. Kids that age have an Adult Enjoyment Sensor and if they know you have having any fun that does not involve them, they will start screaming. I hope it doesn't distract from the sound clip too much.

[Drumsword]

They sound GREAT man, and the sceaming actually gives it that stadium effect, she was yelling in time, so it worked out great. AWESOME!!!!!!!!

[junglelord]

Great swing, excellent time and feel, and of course they sound very special and incredible.
Thanks I really like your groove.

[stasz]

Nice feel. I liked your work on the toms while keep a ride cymbal pattern going over the top. When you moved to the hi-hats but the kept the same pattern going, I was confused as to how before I remembered you play open-handed. : ) Nice swing feel.

[Deathmetalconga]

Nice feel. I liked your work on the toms while keep a ride cymbal pattern going over the top. When you moved to the hi-hats but the kept the same pattern going, I was confused as to how before I remembered you play open-handed. : ) Nice swing feel.

Thanks. I always took it for granted that I could play patterns on the toms while keeping a ride pattern going but now that you mention it, it would be impossible to do playing crossed.

Drumsword, the "stadium effect" comment cracked me up. At least someone cheers when I play!

[aydee]

Here is a long-awaited sound file of me playing the Kahuna Set a couple of days ago. Forgive the sound quality - it was recorded with one of those little Yamaha Pocketrak 300, set about 10 feet from the kit, mic sensitivity about half, medium sound quality.

Click here to watch Soirit-set-sample-1 (http://media.putfile.com/Soirit-set-sample-1)

Hey, you play good, DMC! That was a real nice n' greasy groove. I liked what you did with the toms and the hat accents through the ride pattern. Very funky, indeed.

The drum quality comes thru despite the recording. Your daughter sounded good too.

[Deathmetalconga]

Hey, you play good, DMC! That was a real nice n' greasy groove. I liked what you did with the toms and the hat accents through the ride pattern. Very funky, indeed.

The drum quality comes thru despite the recording. Your daughter sounded good too.

Thanks - I like the "greasy" description for the swing because it does have that feel.

Below are the three clips I have so far - the swing-type playing and a song we call James Bond in Matanzas. I was playing my left-foot clave rhythm and this keyboardist I play with started playing along. It's a rough first cut and we are going to refine it. Blue Veil is a song on the Hang Drum.

Click here to watch Soirit-set-sample-1 (http://media.putfile.com/Soirit-set-sample-1)

Click here to watch James-Bond-in-Matanzas (http://media.putfile.com/James-Bond-in-Matanzas)

Click here to watch Blue-Veil (http://media.putfile.com/Blue-Veil)

[aydee]

These putfiles dont seem to play...

[Deathmetalconga]

Dang! putfile.com has been a hassle. Can you recommend any better way to host sound files?

[Tuxido]

supload.com for audio
vimeo.com for video

[Deathmetalconga]

supload.com for audio
vimeo.com for video

None of those are working out either. Can you just put audio on youtube, or do you need video?

[BBman]

Hey man, that's a nice Hang Drum. I want to get one, but the wait time is too long.

[aydee]

None of those are working out either. Can you just put audio on youtube, or do you need video?

Dont have to put up video if you don't want to. Just upload a pic of your kit... or even leave it blank for that matter..

[Deathmetalconga]

OK, I think I have figured it out now - just use the paper clip for attachments in the posting tools.

Below are the three clips I have so far - the swing-type playing and a song we call James Bond in Matanzas. I was playing my left-foot clave rhythm and this keyboardist I play with started playing along. It's a rough first cut and we are going to refine it. Blue Veil is a song on the Hang Drum.

20313

20314

20315

[LM201]

Ill trade you my ludwig stock snare for your whole drumset. It's a great deal, I say take it

[aydee]

OK, I think I have figured it out now - just use the paper clip for attachments in the posting tools.

Below are the three clips I have so far - the swing-type playing and a song we call James Bond in Matanzas. I was playing my left-foot clave rhythm and this keyboardist I play with started playing along. It's a rough first cut and we are going to refine it. Blue Veil is a song on the Hang Drum.

20313

20314

20315

Interesting musical headspace in your playing. Some New Orleans/Latin flavored / world music going on there?

I enjoyed that.

Another interesting player, in the tradition of Trilok Gurtu who likes mixing up genres. ( Sivamani ). He's got hell of a drum kit too..
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eW5muQRfRTE&feature=related

[Deathmetalconga]

Ill trade you my ludwig stock snare for your whole drumset. It's a great deal, I say take it

HAHA! Yeah, I thought about it seroiusly - for a nanosecond. I doubt these drums are even being made anymore. There's about a dozen sets in existence, maybe a few hundred snares and hand drums. Luckily, if my house burned down, the shells would make it through because ironwood is pretty flame resistant.

[Deathmetalconga]

These are awesome drums. I have had this theory for a while about making drum but never had the tools for the execution.

There's a reason why solid shell drums are so rare (although they were common for thousands of years, and still dominate to this day in some parts of the world).

They're a lot heavier, they take more work to make and they are vulnerable to splitting and cracking. Plywood is far superior for strength and durability - why do you think they make houses out of wood composites like plywood and particle board? Staves are a good compromise, miximizing the advantages of solid and ply and minimizing the disadvantages of each.

The denser the wood, the lower the moisture content and the less susceptible shells will be to cracking, so ironwood is ideal for solid shells. To make solid shells, you need really specialized machinery, the right kind of wood and the logs have to cure for months. There should probably be an easier way to do it with modern technology but no one is devoting a lot or research to this.

[Wavelength]

The drums sound nice & big...

...but now I'd like to hear them tuned a bit higher, too. :-)

[zambizzi]

OK, I think I have figured it out now - just use the paper clip for attachments in the posting tools.

Below are the three clips I have so far - the swing-type playing and a song we call James Bond in Matanzas. I was playing my left-foot clave rhythm and this keyboardist I play with started playing along. It's a rough first cut and we are going to refine it. Blue Veil is a song on the Hang Drum.


I had the pleasure of playing this kit a while ago and I can say that these sound clips, while great, don't even begin to do it justice. It looks far more incredible to the naked eye, also. They weigh several ton too, but that's just helping advance DMC's bodybuilding career.

The first clip is cool...very 'nawlins! It would be killer w/ a horn section.

The second has a nice left-foot clave going, far out!

That third one sounds ODDLY familiar. ;)

It's not your personal preference but I definitely would tune them tighter myself, too. I can just imagine how hard it is to control the overtones coming out of those mighty shells though. I'd toss some coated over clears and make 'em sing like a choir.

...just dreaming what I'd do if it were my kit. :)

[victoriousmusic]

Hi,
First, love the kit! Awesome indeed! Next, I'm new to this forum, so I'd like to introduce myself. I'm a drummer who has not played in several years due to illness and pretty bad nerve damage in my legs, primarily R leg, so bass drum was severely affected, and I was having great difficulty with playing in time. I had a delay in the time between when my brain would tell my foot to play and the time my foot would actually play! I recently began playing again as it really has been therapeutic in my recovery and I'm getting better the last year or so as well as I have found a doctor who is fairly successful in treating my condition.
I had sold off my acoustic set that I had for over 25 years (a vintage Slingerland set) to a recording studio and bought an electronic set to use for recording. I didn't spend much because I had no idea if I would be able to play or not. I got an Alesis DM-5 and some Hart Dynamics pads. I got a dualist pedal mainly due to my physical difficulties.
The problem I am having with the pedal is that no matter how I adjust it I keep getting double hits on the pad. Either with the single or double mode this will happen, not every time, but often. I thought maybe it was just my leg, but now that I'm getting stronger it's still happening. I even tried loosening the head of the pad, did not help..Today I also tried throwing a cloth over the head, with no results except to mute some of my original hits..
I don't have much experience with electronic drums at all, as I have only had these a few months and these are the 1st I've ever played. Oh, and I have the cymbals with them as well. They sound better than I thought they would, as the ones I heard back in th 90's sounded awful, I guess they've improved them significantly.
My husbands band will be seeking a drummer soon and I used to play with them over 8 years ago and was thinking of trying out again, but I need to resolve this issue and work on the set list if I'm going to even consider it.
I went to the website (dualist) and they had nothing there to assist me, and from the searches I've seen so far here, no one seems to like this pedal much, and refers to people who use it as "cheating"..but, in my case I am trying to compensate for physical disability, so without some sort of help, I won't be playing at all..kind of like def leopards drummer..if you will. I didn't hear anyone calling him a cheater!! (just joking)
Anyway, if anyone has any ideas of what I might do to get this thing working right I'd really appreciate it.
I didn't really understand some of the terminology of the other bass drum threads I read, I never really considered how I moved my foot before I guess...never broke it all down..Just played. I really need to though. With the way I'm having to relearn everything now, it's very frustrating..it really is.
Any tips on using the dualist are welcome as well.
Thanks!

[Drumsword]

Hi,
First, love the kit! Awesome indeed! Next, I'm new to this forum, so I'd like to introduce myself. I'm a drummer who has not played in several years due to illness and pretty bad nerve damage in my legs, primarily R leg, so bass drum was severely affected, and I was having great difficulty with playing in time. I had a delay in the time between when my brain would tell my foot to play and the time my foot would actually play! I recently began playing again as it really has been therapeutic in my recovery and I'm getting better the last year or so as well as I have found a doctor who is fairly successful in treating my condition.
I had sold off my acoustic set that I had for over 25 years (a vintage Slingerland set) to a recording studio and bought an electronic set to use for recording. I didn't spend much because I had no idea if I would be able to play or not. I got an Alesis DM-5 and some Hart Dynamics pads. I got a dualist pedal mainly due to my physical difficulties.
The problem I am having with the pedal is that no matter how I adjust it I keep getting double hits on the pad. Either with the single or double mode this will happen, not every time, but often. I thought maybe it was just my leg, but now that I'm getting stronger it's still happening. I even tried loosening the head of the pad, did not help..Today I also tried throwing a cloth over the head, with no results except to mute some of my original hits..
I don't have much experience with electronic drums at all, as I have only had these a few months and these are the 1st I've ever played. Oh, and I have the cymbals with them as well. They sound better than I thought they would, as the ones I heard back in th 90's sounded awful, I guess they've improved them significantly.
My husbands band will be seeking a drummer soon and I used to play with them over 8 years ago and was thinking of trying out again, but I need to resolve this issue and work on the set list if I'm going to even consider it.
I went to the website (dualist) and they had nothing there to assist me, and from the searches I've seen so far here, no one seems to like this pedal much, and refers to people who use it as "cheating"..but, in my case I am trying to compensate for physical disability, so without some sort of help, I won't be playing at all..kind of like def leopards drummer..if you will. I didn't hear anyone calling him a cheater!! (just joking)
Anyway, if anyone has any ideas of what I might do to get this thing working right I'd really appreciate it.
I didn't really understand some of the terminology of the other bass drum threads I read, I never really considered how I moved my foot before I guess...never broke it all down..Just played. I really need to though. With the way I'm having to relearn everything now, it's very frustrating..it really is.
Any tips on using the dualist are welcome as well.
Thanks!

Welcome to the forum, we're glad to have you here. We will be glad to assist in anyway we can to help you out, as for cheating you need to do what works for you, and don't worry about what anyone here thinks. There are 10,000 different options to every drum set and as many opinions about them and everyone of them is correct (For the person that utilizes them). Experiment, practice and follow your percussive calling and conquer ur limitations and whatever works to make that happen....Awesome. As for the dualist..I have no opinion, never played one :(

[Deathmetalconga]

Hi,
First, love the kit! Awesome indeed! Next, I'm new to this forum, so I'd like to introduce myself. I'm a drummer who has not played in several years due to illness and pretty bad nerve damage in my legs, primarily R leg, so bass drum was severely affected, and I was having great difficulty with playing in time. I had a delay in the time between when my brain would tell my foot to play and the time my foot would actually play! I recently began playing again as it really has been therapeutic in my recovery and I'm getting better the last year or so as well as I have found a doctor who is fairly successful in treating my condition.
I had sold off my acoustic set that I had for over 25 years (a vintage Slingerland set) to a recording studio and bought an electronic set to use for recording. I didn't spend much because I had no idea if I would be able to play or not. I got an Alesis DM-5 and some Hart Dynamics pads. I got a dualist pedal mainly due to my physical difficulties.
The problem I am having with the pedal is that no matter how I adjust it I keep getting double hits on the pad. Either with the single or double mode this will happen, not every time, but often. I thought maybe it was just my leg, but now that I'm getting stronger it's still happening. I even tried loosening the head of the pad, did not help..Today I also tried throwing a cloth over the head, with no results except to mute some of my original hits..
I don't have much experience with electronic drums at all, as I have only had these a few months and these are the 1st I've ever played. Oh, and I have the cymbals with them as well. They sound better than I thought they would, as the ones I heard back in th 90's sounded awful, I guess they've improved them significantly.
My husbands band will be seeking a drummer soon and I used to play with them over 8 years ago and was thinking of trying out again, but I need to resolve this issue and work on the set list if I'm going to even consider it.
I went to the website (dualist) and they had nothing there to assist me, and from the searches I've seen so far here, no one seems to like this pedal much, and refers to people who use it as "cheating"..but, in my case I am trying to compensate for physical disability, so without some sort of help, I won't be playing at all..kind of like def leopards drummer..if you will. I didn't hear anyone calling him a cheater!! (just joking)
Anyway, if anyone has any ideas of what I might do to get this thing working right I'd really appreciate it.
I didn't really understand some of the terminology of the other bass drum threads I read, I never really considered how I moved my foot before I guess...never broke it all down..Just played. I really need to though. With the way I'm having to relearn everything now, it's very frustrating..it really is.
Any tips on using the dualist are welcome as well.
Thanks!

Welcome to the forum.

I have played a Duallist for a couple of years. If the pedal is in single mode, you should never be getting both beaters to hit - it is impossible. It sounds like the tension needs to be adjusted. Also, can you control the sensitivity of the trigger pad? All it might take is a tiny double bounce to trigger it a second time and if you have nerve damage you could be doing that and not be able to control it. Setting up the Duallist correctly takes weeks of experimentation.

If the physical problems and severe enough, you might want to consider flipping your bass and hihat. Yes, it would be a huge task and you'd have to re-teach your limbs, but it might be worth it. I read once about a famous violinist who burned out his left hand playing too much. He learned to play left handed (right hand fingering, left hand on bow) and within a short time was back to playing concerts.

You might be in the same situation. It might be easier (and sound better) to teach your left foot to play bass and right foot to play hats. You'd be playing open, left hand on snare and right hand on hats and ride. Your hands wouldn't have to switch their roles.

[Drumsword]

I forgot Martin (aka Deathmetalconga) uses the dualist, He is wise beyond his years ;) Heed his wisdom :)

I didn't even think about switching feet, good info.

[Deathmetalconga]

I had the pleasure of playing this kit a while ago and I can say that these sound clips, while great, don't even begin to do it justice. It looks far more incredible to the naked eye, also. They weigh several ton too, but that's just helping advance DMC's bodybuilding career.

The first clip is cool...very 'nawlins! It would be killer w/ a horn section.

The second has a nice left-foot clave going, far out!

That third one sounds ODDLY familiar. ;)

It's not your personal preference but I definitely would tune them tighter myself, too. I can just imagine how hard it is to control the overtones coming out of those mighty shells though. I'd toss some coated over clears and make 'em sing like a choir.

...just dreaming what I'd do if it were my kit. :)

They are actually tighter than they used to be! I like deep drums but I should tune these higher just to find out what they sound like at the upper end of their range. Who knows - I might like them even more at higher tuning. You are right, overtone control makes tuning a lengthy process (I have www.tightscrews.com and that helps a LOT).

That third tune should sound familiar - it's the one we jammed on with you on the ashikos at my pad a few months ago! I'm bummed I didn't tape us so let's get together again soon.

[trkdrmr]

Now that I have heard the clips and looked at the thread:

I have to say I agree with Aydee when he says the kit has fantastic aesthetics! That kit has such a tribal/earthy quality to it's appearance. It stands out as a kit that has a "theme" that is more fully actualized than most kits. That ranges from the drum finish, to hardware, drumhead choice and artwork.

I appreciate the fact that the drums are solid. I have to say that places drums IMO in a certain hierarchy.

1. Solid
2. Stave
3. Ply

Up until this thread, the only solid shelled drum I had seen or tried is a Luka snare some time ago. I have to side with the solid/stave crowd that the drums are simply better at transmitting sound than plies and lots of glue.

I also appreciate the hardware they use, as it has minimal lug contact...great for form and function. I bet the shells vibrate so well that the concept of "voice matching" is as irrelevant a concept as it is on my kit. I looked up some specs on "Cooktown ironwood" and it's obviously super dense and hard. That would also make me believe that even if there are some anomalies (moisture, irregularities) that it would be even more prominent than with maple. I don't think that ironwood is especially knotty or flawed.

The inside view of the shell and edges is spectacular! I have to think that inside carving may also help reduce bright reflectivity a little, thanks to the irregular surfaces.

Those drums would be worth the lugging IMO. Bravo!

Incidentally, I noticed you play a duellist. You might be interested in this scan. I found a copy of "drums" from jan/feb 1989 that was laying around in my local mom and pop store. The issue was titled "double bass mania," and I scanned the pedal patents. You might find the lower right hand patent interesting.

I have to say, your kit is awesome in every sense of the word!

[Deathmetalconga]

Now that I have heard the clips and looked at the thread:

I have to say I agree with Aydee when he says the kit has fantastic aesthetics! That kit has such a tribal/earthy quality to it's appearance. It stands out as a kit that has a "theme" that is more fully actualized than most kits. That ranges from the drum finish, to hardware, drumhead choice and artwork.

I appreciate the fact that the drums are solid. I have to say that places drums IMO in a certain hierarchy.

1. Solid
2. Stave
3. Ply

Up until this thread, the only solid shelled drum I had seen or tried is a Luka snare some time ago. I have to side with the solid/stave crowd that the drums are simply better at transmitting sound than plies and lots of glue.

I also appreciate the hardware they use, as it has minimal lug contact...great for form and function. I bet the shells vibrate so well that the concept of "voice matching" is as irrelevant a concept as it is on my kit. I looked up some specs on "Cooktown ironwood" and it's obviously super dense and hard. That would also make me believe that even if there are some anomalies (moisture, irregularities) that it would be even more prominent than with maple. I don't think that ironwood is especially knotty or flawed.

The inside view of the shell and edges is spectacular! I have to think that inside carving may also help reduce bright reflectivity a little, thanks to the irregular surfaces.

Those drums would be worth the lugging IMO. Bravo!

Incidentally, I noticed you play a duellist. You might be interested in this scan. I found a copy of "drums" from jan/feb 1989 that was laying around in my local mom and pop store. The issue was titled "double bass mania," and I scanned the pedal patents. You might find the lower right hand patent interesting.

I have to say, your kit is awesome in every sense of the word!

Thanks for the comments. I think you are right-on in everything you say. You ar very perceptive in noting the theme, hardware principles and other things. You should be a reviewer actually.

Solid shell wood are the rarest of all drum types, but also the most ancient. The main drawback with solid shells is durability. There's a reason plywood is preferred for general construction: it resists warping and cracking and is very strong for its weight. That is the downfall of solid shells (in addition to much more laborious to make and you can't get really thin shells). You can offset the risk of splitting by using very dense woods (harder to work) and curing them thoroughly. But you are dealing with a completely natural, unprocessed piece of organic material and it will never be as reliable as a heavily processed ply shell. Stave drums are a great compromise, being much more durable than solid and much more musical than ply.

The double pedal drawings are awesome! You are right, people have been doing this for a long time. The Duallist is the first design that is switchable, but I have seen a Duallist knock-off that operates on similar principles.

[spirit]

Okay, it's taken two months to get it in more or less final form. This is from www.spiritdrums.com, drums made of solid-shell Cooktown ironwood from Australia.

All drums are square sizes, 8 10 12 and 14 inch toms, 18 inch bass drum, snare is 13 by 4. Cymbals are all Zildjian A Customs, 20 inch ping ride, 13 inch hats, 17 inch crash, 12 inch splash, 8 inch splash, 18 inch China.

Accessories include Pete Englehart agogo bells and foot-operated talking drum from www.b-radpercussion.com and LP plastic block foot pedal.

Hardware is mostly DW, Tama hi-hat stand with legs removed and custom fabricated cymbal stackers, bass drum cradle and foot percussion holder, Gauger aluminum RIMS mounts.

All heads are Remo Fiberskyn FAs batter and coated Ambassadors resonant. Bass drum head of Spirit Drums logo by www.drumart.com.

Sticks are wok chopsticks mostly, with Vic Firth brushes, Trilok Gurtu signatures, assorted mallets and plastic brushes and rutes.

Below are the three clips I have so far - the swing-type playing and a song we call James Bond in Matanzas. I was playing my left-foot clave rhythm and this keyboardist I play with started playing along. It's a rough first cut and we are going to refine it. Blue Veil is a song on the Hang Drum.

20313

20314

20315

http://i93.photobucket.com/albums/l53/Agogobell/1skr.jpg

http://i93.photobucket.com/albums/l53/Agogobell/2skr.jpg

http://i93.photobucket.com/albums/l53/Agogobell/3skr.jpg

Thats a really fine looking Kit mate!
Bet she sounds fantastic also.

[Deathmetalconga]

Thats a really fine looking Kit mate!
Bet she sounds fantastic also.

Thanks for the comments. I am going to get some more sound clips up soon.

[aydee]

Hey DMC, whats that cymbal with the silver knob- like rivets up on the wall?

[GRUNTERSDAD]

They look like jingles

[JPendo]

Okay, it's taken two months to get it in more or less final form. This is from www.spiritdrums.com, drums made of solid-shell Cooktown ironwood from Australia.

All drums are square sizes, 8 10 12 and 14 inch toms, 18 inch bass drum, snare is 13 by 4. Cymbals are all Zildjian A Customs, 20 inch ping ride, 13 inch hats, 17 inch crash, 12 inch splash, 8 inch splash, 18 inch China.

Accessories include Pete Englehart agogo bells and foot-operated talking drum from www.b-radpercussion.com and LP plastic block foot pedal.

Hardware is mostly DW, Tama hi-hat stand with legs removed and custom fabricated cymbal stackers, bass drum cradle and foot percussion holder, Gauger aluminum RIMS mounts.

All heads are Remo Fiberskyn FAs batter and coated Ambassadors resonant. Bass drum head of Spirit Drums logo by www.drumart.com.

Sticks are wok chopsticks mostly, with Vic Firth brushes, Trilok Gurtu signatures, assorted mallets and plastic brushes and rutes.

Below are the three clips I have so far - the swing-type playing and a song we call James Bond in Matanzas. I was playing my left-foot clave rhythm and this keyboardist I play with started playing along. It's a rough first cut and we are going to refine it. Blue Veil is a song on the Hang Drum.

20313

20314

20315

http://i93.photobucket.com/albums/l53/Agogobell/1skr.jpg

http://i93.photobucket.com/albums/l53/Agogobell/2skr.jpg

http://i93.photobucket.com/albums/l53/Agogobell/3skr.jpg


so effin jealous of the hang drum...so hawt

[Deathmetalconga]

Aydee and Gruntersdad, the cymbal with silver knob rivets on the wall is an ancient Ludwig hihat (the mate of this cymbal has no knobs). It makes a cool swishing sound when played in hats, comparable to a ride cymbal with rivets.

The thing with jingles to the lower left of the Ludwig cymbal is a standard hihat jingle ring.

[Deathmetalconga]

Here is a recent recording of my set. The song is in rough mix form and is not included; this is just the drum track and it has not been EQ'd or messed with. Some specs on the recording from the engineer:

Kick: Sennheiser e9032, dynamic on reso head. Slightly altered kick eq, bump at 200 hz and 3500 hz, with mild opto compression. Shure Beta 52 on batter.

Snare: Shure SM57, dynamic. Std snare eq, up slope 4db at 4000 hz, panned 4 degrees to listener's left.

Snare resonant: Audio Technica AT25 clip condenser. Same eq, 8db bump at 500 hz, panned 4 degrees to listener's left.

Toms: AT35 clip condensers. 4db up at all freqs, 4db dip to 0 at 550 hz, panned (respectively) 15 degrees left and right.

Overheads/cymbals: Studio Projects C4s, matched pair condensers with cardioid capsules. 4db drop 0 to 1700 hz sloping to 4db up at 18000 hz, panned (respectively) to 25 degrees left and right.

A 7 channels sent at 20% to Platinum reverb, 10% pre-delay and a level of only 14%. Adds air to match guide tracks without too much "shimmer."

Recorded through Mackie Onyx 1640 into Logic 9, no external pres or compression. Stereo roughs will be mastered through Waveburner with light compression and light dynamic limiting.

[aydee]

DMC, I gotta say the sound spectrum of your kit is the nicest I've ever heard on this forum. The tone of all the drums ( very well tuned too ) and all the cymbals are beautifully selected and the timbre of each piece is fantastic.
Nice playing too.

[Deathmetalconga]

DMC, I gotta say the sound spectrum of your kit is the nicest I've ever heard on this forum. The tone of all the drums ( very well tuned too ) and all the cymbals are beautifully selected and the timbre of each piece is fantastic.
Nice playing too.

Thanks. I got some really great advice from MFB about how to improve the EQing and sound on the recording. The sound engineer is a drummer with a fabulous studio but he is learning the intricacies of miking drums and MFB is providing some great guidance.

[Big_Philly]

Those are some really nice sounding drums! I love the sound of your bass.

[Deathmetalconga]

Those are some really nice sounding drums! I love the sound of your bass.

Really? I have let others hear it and they say it has too much lower midrange in the mix. Other band members say it sounds fine (especially in the mix of the song, not included) but they are not attuned to drum sounds. This current mix seems to make it sound like bigger-diameter drum. It is not the sound I am accustomed to but I do kind of like it. However, in the context of the whole song (which includes rhythm guitar, bass guitar, violin and two harmonizing vocals) it still seems a bit boomy.

Miking drums is so complex and these are especially hard to mic because of all the tones coming out of them. Thanks for the feedback!

[Deathmetalconga]

I got four-piece fever and changed my ironwood drums from a six-piece to a four-piece setup. I have usually played on a mid-sized kit but every now and then I like to shake it up. Having fewer options and combinations is forcing me to play in new and different ways. I also went with fewer cymbals. I started with a 20 ride, 13 hats, 6 ice bell, 8 splash, 12 splash, 17 crash and 18 China (all Zildjian A Customs) but I got rid of the 12splash, the ice bell and the China.

I think the square size toms and tube lugs give it a bit of a steampunk flair. The bass drum is 18 inches and all of the drums are in square sizes, except the snare, with is 13 by 4.

http://i93.photobucket.com/albums/l53/Agogobell/4P10.jpg
In the music room.

http://i93.photobucket.com/albums/l53/Agogobell/4P1.jpg
Closer view.

http://i93.photobucket.com/albums/l53/Agogobell/4P11.jpg
Close-up of up tom with the flash turned off. I use a snare stand to hold the tom up. The little Chinese dude on front hoop is a bass drum buddy.

http://i93.photobucket.com/albums/l53/Agogobell/4P2.jpg
A closer view. It is much easier to move - the set is on a third floor, so less is better in terms of moving it.

http://i93.photobucket.com/albums/l53/Agogobell/4P3.jpg
From behind and above.

http://i93.photobucket.com/albums/l53/Agogobell/4P4.jpg
Elevated view from the front.

http://i93.photobucket.com/albums/l53/Agogobell/4P6.jpg
Looking down from the front. To conserve space and hardware, I stacked the 8 splash on top of the 17 crash.

http://i93.photobucket.com/albums/l53/Agogobell/4P9.jpg
A view of the up tom taken with flash. The badge is branded onto the shell with a hot iron.

http://i93.photobucket.com/albums/l53/Agogobell/4P7.jpg
From the side. I swapped a cymbal mount on a ball from the tom mount on a ball.

http://i93.photobucket.com/albums/l53/Agogobell/4P12.jpg
The 8- and 10-inch toms are mounted on a stand with the 12 splash and China.

http://i93.photobucket.com/albums/l53/Agogobell/4P13.jpg
A closer view of the stand. It's fun just to play them separately, like a cocktail set kind of.

http://i93.photobucket.com/albums/l53/Agogobell/4P14.jpg
The ironwood is gorgeous in natural light.

[Big_Philly]

Every now and then the 4-piece bug just strikes out of nowhere - I know the feeling. I wonder if guys like Terry Bozzio and Mike portnoy get that same thing from time to time though...
What's with the heads on the 8" and 10" toms? There seems to be some wrinkling on them - is that normal for Fyberskin heads when they get older?

[Deathmetalconga]

Every now and then the 4-piece bug just strikes out of nowhere - I know the feeling. I wonder if guys like Terry Bozzio and Mike portnoy get that same thing from time to time though...
What's with the heads on the 8" and 10" toms? There seems to be some wrinkling on them - is that normal for Fyberskin heads when they get older?

Yeah, that's something that Fiberskyns do. They have fibers of plastic pressed together to mimic the cellular structure of real hide. However, as these heads wear, they tend to deliminate and I pull off the bubbled layers as needed. Underneath is a Diplomat, Ambassador or Emperor head.

Coated heads wear out their coating. Each kind of head wears out in its own way.

[BassDriver]

I would have actually preferred a 20 inch bass drum, but those are extremely hard to get, even by Spirit Drum standards. The logs must be 22 inches, which means they literally weigh tons if you can find them. But even the 18 inch drum sounds resonant, thick and punchy.

Does that mean that one wouldn't be able to order a double-bass kit?

[Crazy8s]

Thats a seriously stylin kit DMC! Subtly styled but ingeniuosly designed! Undersized shells? May I ask what style of bearing edge and diameter of the shell?

Those are masterfully designed for ultimate sound capability. Awesome!

Love the pedal set up too! So much versatility! Spirit Drums website has some very tasty sound files too! The ironwood definitely speaks! Australia has such amazing trees!

c8s

[Crazy8s]

I use a lot of pedals too... Though my personal BD and Toms are just plain old Kellers, 5ply toms, 8 ply bass. Had em a long time I can't wait to hear a kit like yours in person! Maybe I can get some ironwood veneers someday. I wonder if something so dense comes in veneer. gonna look it up.!!

Here's the pilot seat of my kit. (I know, I need a better camera pronto....)

[Bram]

Every now and then the 4-piece bug just strikes out of nowhere - I know the feeling. I wonder if guys like Terry Bozzio and Mike portnoy get that same thing from time to time though...


They do.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jKG2xylOkdU
If you look at this, Terry explains he has played jazz on a small jazz kit.
Mike Portnoy plays all of his side projects on smaller kits, and he had done his Beatles tribute on a Ringo kit.

[Deathmetalconga]

I use a lot of pedals too... Though my personal BD and Toms are just plain old Kellers, 5ply toms, 8 ply bass. Had em a long time I can't wait to hear a kit like yours in person! Maybe I can get some ironwood veneers someday. I wonder if something so dense comes in veneer. gonna look it up.!!

Here's the pilot seat of my kit. (I know, I need a better camera pronto....)

Wow, I really dig the pedals there. I also love leopard print finishes. Do you have a thread for your set? I will stop by there.

You might want to use a simple photo editing program, like Windows Picture Manager, to lighten up the photo and show more of the pedals. Looks like you have a hi hat, bass, tambourine and something else I can't identify.

[zambizzi]

Love the minimalist setup, buddy! Welcome to the club. ;)

[Crazy8s]

Wow, I really dig the pedals there. I also love leopard print finishes. Do you have a thread for your set? I will stop by there.

You might want to use a simple photo editing program, like Windows Picture Manager, to lighten up the photo and show more of the pedals. Looks like you have a hi hat, bass, tambourine and something else I can't identify.

Its a lousy camera, and it recently went kaput on me. :(

For pedals, its an Axis A double with a longboard on the left side, normal on the right.

The far left pedal is a Tama pedal with a Terry Bozzio beater that has a pair of finger cymbals threaded on it that strikes a jamblock which simulataneously sounds the tamborine. The longboard slave is next, then inside that is an Axis hihat stand with a shortboard. To the right of the main kick pedal is a DW5500 hihat stand clamped to the BD with a pair of 12" hats on them. (12" AA splash on top of a cut down 16" Sabian Metal AAX.)

I'll probably start a thread about the kit soon. Lots of stuff hiding in there, but still looks basic.

:)

[Deathmetalconga]

Thats a seriously stylin kit DMC! Subtly styled but ingeniuosly designed! Undersized shells? May I ask what style of bearing edge and diameter of the shell?

Those are masterfully designed for ultimate sound capability. Awesome!

Love the pedal set up too! So much versatility! Spirit Drums website has some very tasty sound files too! The ironwood definitely speaks! Australia has such amazing trees!

c8s

The shells are 8, 10, 12, 14 and 18 bass, all square sizes. The snare is 13 by 4. The wood is a half-inch thick and the bearing edges are 45 degree tapered, with a fairly sharp edge.

[Deathmetalconga]

Love the minimalist setup, buddy! Welcome to the club. ;)

HA! I like the way it forces me to play. I have been trying to learn "The Art of Bop Drumming" and something about a four-piece really puts you in that frame of mind.

[BassDriver]

I have a few questions:

I wonder if it is possible to order a double bass kit from Spirit Drums?

What brand are you using for the clamp that you attached to the rims mounts?

and why do you go with square with all of the toms?...mostly the lower toms are square for other drummers, they must really some bite in their sound when you hit them hard.

[Deathmetalconga]

Some updated photos of the four-piece. To conserve stands and equipment, I went back to my habit of stacking cymbals.

[Pollyanna]

DMC, your kit remains a thing of great beauty.

Maybe a dumb question, but what are those circular images on your music stand? Are they brush stroke diagrams?

[keep it simple]

Truly great looking stuff DMC. How do you find the fibreskin heads? I remember using one as a batter on a lovely wood snare I had, back in the day. I imagine they partner really well with your woody organic kit vibe. I'm starting my journey to a second kit. Something very woody & controversial, so I'm very interested in the concept. I'm guessing they really focus on the fundamental tone. I like that, but do they still offer enough attack & cut?

[Deathmetalconga]

DMC, your kit remains a thing of great beauty.

Maybe a dumb question, but what are those circular images on your music stand? Are they brush stroke diagrams?

Thank you for the nice comments. Do you have a kit thread? Maybe I've seen it but I don't recall.

Yes, those are brush stroke diagrams. The book is The Art of Bop Drumming.

[cantstandyourfunk]

HAHA! Reminds me of a thread I started to collect funny advertising terms about instruments. Were you around then? Got deleted in the last Off-Topic Lounge holocaust.

I noticed an ad once for a snare drum that had "crowd-cutting backbeats." I thought it was strange, the idea of assaulting your audience, so me and my band mates have been coming up with others like:

"Sternum-crushing bass"

"Audience-decapitating cymbal crashes"

"Stool-softening tom fills"

"Ear-impaling rim shots"

"Nose-hair-curling tabla solos"

"Divorce-triggering volume"

"Aura-bleaching sitar solos"

Now we can add ""Cornfield-leveling sound output" and "Rodent-exterminating volume."

People added a bunch more and I wish I still had the list.

www.terrasonus.com

Hmm...... this definitely calls for a new category of posts in the "Humour" section. I'm surprised there isn't anny about drummers' humour on this site.

[Deathmetalconga]

I have a few questions:

I wonder if it is possible to order a double bass kit from Spirit Drums?

What brand are you using for the clamp that you attached to the rims mounts?

and why do you go with square with all of the toms?...mostly the lower toms are square for other drummers, they must really some bite in their sound when you hit them hard.

Sorry it too me so long to respond.

As far as a double bass kit, I don't even know if they are still in business, but it is worth a try. I assume they will sell you whatever they have on hand.

The RIMS clamp is a DW model. I prefer DW hardware.

I like square drums as it gives a beefy, full sound. The shells are about a half-inch thick and very heavy, giving more attack and definiation, while the deeper shells add warmth.

[keep it simple]

Truly great looking stuff DMC. How do you find the fibreskin heads? I remember using one as a batter on a lovely wood snare I had, back in the day. I imagine they partner really well with your woody organic kit vibe. I'm starting my journey to a second kit. Something very woody & controversial, so I'm very interested in the concept. I'm guessing they really focus on the fundamental tone. I like that, but do they still offer enough attack & cut?Yes Mr. Death, you still haven't answered mine either. Really interested in your thoughts on the Fibreskin heads as above. Cheers, KIS.

[Diego Costa]

Wow!! I believe wich drum with solid shell must have sound spectacular.

Congratulations for you and your kit

[Deathmetalconga]

Yes Mr. Death, you still haven't answered mine either. Really interested in your thoughts on the Fibreskin heads as above. Cheers, KIS.

OK, here is more on the Fiberskyns. Because they are thicker, they are not quite as responsive, but on the other hand, there are fewer overtones coming out of the head to diffuse the sound, so they are more focused. Since there are fewer overtones coming out of the heads, you hear more coming out of the shell and the amazing ironwood. Thinner heads, like Ambassadors, sound too bright on this set, with not enough focus. Does all that make sense?

[Guru]

wowow that kit is nice

[Rick H.]

Wow, that really is one fine lookin kit, very unique. You gotta post some of your playing on it, i would love to hear how it sounds

[Deathmetalconga]

Wow, that really is one fine lookin kit, very unique. You gotta post some of your playing on it, i would love to hear how it sounds

Here you go, a few tracks. Two were recorded on a Yamaha Pocketrak 300 and one in a studio, just the drum track of a song.

[Deathmetalconga]

Wow!! I believe wich drum with solid shell must have sound spectacular.

Congratulations for you and your kit

Thanks! I have heard many good things about RMV drums too.

[jenny433]

Those are some really nice sounding drums! I love the sound of your bass.

I got some really great advice from MFB about how to improve the EQing and sound on the recording. The sound engineer is a drummer with a fabulous studio but he is learning the intricacies of miking drums and MFB is providing some great guidance.

[Deathmetalconga]

I got some really great advice from MFB about how to improve the EQing and sound on the recording. The sound engineer is a drummer with a fabulous studio but he is learning the intricacies of miking drums and MFB is providing some great guidance.

Mediocrefunkybeat advised myself and the sound engineer on the recording these drums. He is a wealth of knowledge about such things.

[uniongoon]

So humour me, each drum is carved solid directly out of each log? So no steam bending, no plys? They must have a way to cut the log out like a giant hole saw, or else the waste would be phenominal. I believe over here in North America, ironwood is very expensive. On my local woodworking site, a guy brought a one foot by one foot block back from jamaica, he paid $10 for that piece.

[Deathmetalconga]

So humour me, each drum is carved solid directly out of each log? So no steam bending, no plys? They must have a way to cut the log out like a giant hole saw, or else the waste would be phenominal. I believe over here in North America, ironwood is very expensive. On my local woodworking site, a guy brought a one foot by one foot block back from jamaica, he paid $10 for that piece.

You are correct, these are milled from solid logs. The wood in the shells is exactly as it was in the living tree. There is no bending involved in the manufacture; I honestly do not believe this wood could be bent or shaved into plies.

They have a way of taking concentric shells from the interior of the log, so one section will produce a bass drum and a couple of toms. They use a giant metal lathe for finishing. The wood pretty much destroys saw blades on contact. This ironwood has a specific gravity of 1.2 - it is 20 percent heavier than water and the shells sink.

The main risk of this manufacturing technique is warping, splitting and cracking. Ironwood is extremely dry and even when freshly cut, it has a lower moisture content than many seasoned woods, so it is structurally very stable. But I sometimes have bad dreams where I find the shells split - seriously. So I check them all the time. These are the kind of drums that appear regularly in dreams.

Erythrophleum chlorostachys grows in a very harsh, dry climate. As you know, basically in Australia everything is more badass so there are termites the size of your index finger. These trees have to be indestructible to survive. If my house burned down, these shells would survive. This wood grows very slowly and these drums were fashioned from a tree that grew to about 20 inches in diameter over 350 years. This set was finished in 2006 and the wood was cut, then cured and seasoned for a few years before that.

Yes, they are expensive. I forget now but I itemize it all in a previous post in this thread. This is the last drumset I will ever own and I view myself as the first in a long line of its caretakers.

[uniongoon]

Thanks for posting, here is a link to my woodworking site. it shows a guy cutting up the ironwood to make knife handles, pretty interesting. Does ironwood grow in jamaaica also or did this guy export an import?

http://forum.canadianwoodworking.com/showthread.php?39191-Safely-turning-a-small-log-into-lumber

[Deathmetalconga]

Thanks for posting, here is a link to my woodworking site. it shows a guy cutting up the ironwood to make knife handles, pretty interesting. Does ironwood grow in jamaaica also or did this guy export an import?

http://forum.canadianwoodworking.com/showthread.php?39191-Safely-turning-a-small-log-into-lumber

"Ironwood" is a generic term referring to any extremely hard, dense wood with a density close to that of water.

Great photos and discussion on that link. Apparently Lignum Vitae, the hardest of all known woods, grows in Jamaica. It has a specific gravity of 1.37 as I recall (it is 1.37 times as dense as water), compared to my puny Cooktown ironwood at 1.22 and maple at 0.65. By comparison, steel has a specific gravity of nearly 8 and gold is almost 20.

[Deathmetalconga]

Hmm...... this definitely calls for a new category of posts in the "Humour" section. I'm surprised there isn't anny about drummers' humour on this site.

Yeah, I think those over-the-top descriptions would be nice. I see some in actual drumming advertisements.

[Cameo]

What kind of music do you play?
Personally, for me the drums (with all the percussion laying around) doesn't match the bright Zilly's (soundwise, that is...). :)

Have you thought of checking Meinl Byzance out? ;)

[toddy]

this thing is still an absolute beast

[Deathmetalconga]

this thing is still an absolute beast

HA! Yes, it is very heavy. The shells will sink in water.

[Deathmetalconga]

What kind of music do you play?
Personally, for me the drums (with all the percussion laying around) doesn't match the bright Zilly's (soundwise, that is...). :)

Have you thought of checking Meinl Byzance out? ;)

I play a lot of word beat, Klezmer, some bebop and anything out of the ordinary.

You have a point about the cymbals. After playing A Customs for six years, I would like something darker.

[Deathmetalconga]

Another view of the kit in my music room.

56315

[TYBG]

Love that kit, the lugs really compliment that gorgeous wood