I get some flack for mounting the tom bracket directly to the shells, but if it was good enough for Ludwig, Gretsch, Rogers, Slingerland etc, then it's good enough for me.
Barry
RIGHT ON MAN!!!
Flack schmack, go play your own drums.
Really, RIMS
are cool, but the way shells are made now, and how sturdy they are, a mount on the drum, like a L-arm style, or even Yamaha's older style mounts isn't any problem IMO.
Yamaha's toms never had any problem resonating fully with the mount they had before the YESS system.
DW's L-arm is on the big size too (& awesomely sturdy), and it's no problem.
Maybe on a really thin shell, you might be better off without a mount directly on he drum, but on 'average' thickness shells, no problem.
Even with a RIMS, if you tune the drum up perfectly holding it, once you put it on the L-arm (or whatever holds it up), the sound changes a little.
I'd have a mount on my tom if I didn't change how I set stuff up all the time and just stick with one way...
4&4 is awesome...but I can't give up my left side ft.....I could give up a couple crashes and just use hat, ride and one (or no) crash, but I love that hat side ft....
24" bass drums are great too.
I'm even toying with getting a 24 again for some things...but it will be at least 20" deep of course...even though my old Ludwig (3ply w/re-ring) 14x24 is still fun to play
Have a great time in that fun looking drum room you have Barry!!!