This is a reply about a Tempus Drums question posed by Timmdrum on another thread. So I don't hi-jack the existing thread, I'm starting this one.
I've owned my Tempus drums for about four years now and I love them. They have all the volume of good wood drums, but the similarities end there. They have a wonderful "Pre-EQed" sound to them. The sound they produce is on the dry side with a great deal of fundamental and attack. You can tune for sustain. The drums take most all tuning ranges well but I prefer to keep them on the low side.
As far as durability goes the drums are simply indestructible. In addition to being 100% resistant to temp, altitude, and humidity changes, they are unscratchable. I often hit the shells with drumsticks to demonstrate their durability. The shells are made with a outer gel-coat (this is the "finish" of the drum) and layers of fiberglass laid in the molds inside the gel-coat. The curing process takes these "plys" and fuses them together into a solid single mass. The shells are thinner than I've ever seen on a wood drum and MUCH lighter. Due to the thinness of the shells bearing edges are rounded over.
Finish wise, Tempus drums have two inherent issues. They all have a large seam and the glitter finishes can be irregular because glitter is mixed in with the pigment of the gel-coat and the glitter can set irregularly. I don't find these to be issues. My bass drum seams are facing the floor and my tom seams face me. I ordered my kit with sparse rainbow glitter, so the irregularities in glitter saturation worked toward what I was trying to accomplish.
Sound, strength, durability, these drums are the ultimate touring drums. Engineers have all praised me for how easily they mic up and project live and in the studio.
You can see me playing them (audio is taken with the crappy handicam mic) poorly here (we didn't use this take): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s9bc_LeVW-8
And here you can hear the mixed and mastered record; all toms and kick are Tempus, "Southern Belles" is programmed: http://www.myspace.com/colliderband
I own a 8x10, 8x12, 14x15, 14x16, 18x20, 18x24 kit and I love it. Feel free to ask any questions you may have.
I've owned my Tempus drums for about four years now and I love them. They have all the volume of good wood drums, but the similarities end there. They have a wonderful "Pre-EQed" sound to them. The sound they produce is on the dry side with a great deal of fundamental and attack. You can tune for sustain. The drums take most all tuning ranges well but I prefer to keep them on the low side.
As far as durability goes the drums are simply indestructible. In addition to being 100% resistant to temp, altitude, and humidity changes, they are unscratchable. I often hit the shells with drumsticks to demonstrate their durability. The shells are made with a outer gel-coat (this is the "finish" of the drum) and layers of fiberglass laid in the molds inside the gel-coat. The curing process takes these "plys" and fuses them together into a solid single mass. The shells are thinner than I've ever seen on a wood drum and MUCH lighter. Due to the thinness of the shells bearing edges are rounded over.
Finish wise, Tempus drums have two inherent issues. They all have a large seam and the glitter finishes can be irregular because glitter is mixed in with the pigment of the gel-coat and the glitter can set irregularly. I don't find these to be issues. My bass drum seams are facing the floor and my tom seams face me. I ordered my kit with sparse rainbow glitter, so the irregularities in glitter saturation worked toward what I was trying to accomplish.
Sound, strength, durability, these drums are the ultimate touring drums. Engineers have all praised me for how easily they mic up and project live and in the studio.
You can see me playing them (audio is taken with the crappy handicam mic) poorly here (we didn't use this take): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s9bc_LeVW-8
And here you can hear the mixed and mastered record; all toms and kick are Tempus, "Southern Belles" is programmed: http://www.myspace.com/colliderband
I own a 8x10, 8x12, 14x15, 14x16, 18x20, 18x24 kit and I love it. Feel free to ask any questions you may have.
