DW vs Ayotte??

Hi folks, just wondering your opinions regarding DW drums vs Ayotte drums... I have a 10-12-14-15-20 DW Collector's and a 10-12-14-16-20 Ayotte Pro series. I picked them both up used but have a hard time deciding which one I like better... I can't keep both indefinitely so I will have to sell one eventually. I'm asking the forum for comments and opinions... I could post audio and / or video content for those who may be curious... Thanks!
 
Well in the end its your ears to decide. You win either way, as thay are both such nice drums.
I for one would not mind hearing your audio to compare the two kits.
Every Ayotte kit I have ever heard sounds fantastic, but in some ways many such drum comparisons should be blind.
 
I've played several DW and Ayotte sets and I've never been disappointed with any (except some display models in stores but that doesn't count).

I really love Ayotte's with wood hoops, and I think you have better sizes on the Ayotte. I would go with them if you really must choose.
 
I'll tell ya what...whichever kit you decide to keep, I will tell you that that's the better kit, and in return I will take the other kit off your hands at no charge :)

Audio/video would be nice, but TBH, that's a decision that only you can make...great kits the both of 'em!
 
The dws are from around 2003 and the Ayottes 2006. I will try to upload some media asap. My problem is that I genuinely enjoy both kits. One day I'm convinced that I prefer one over another only to switch my preference the next day...
 
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The dws are from around 2003 and the Ayottes 2006. I will try to upload some media asap. My problem is ti genuinely enjoy both kits. One day I'm convinced that I prefer one over another only to switch my preference the next day...
That's not surprising, there's every chance they have a very similar Keller shell. I'm not sure of this though. I'm sure someone here will confirm or refute that.

Either way, both are a good set of drums, & it's your ears in charge :)
 
Yeah, the DWs are like playing lighting in that they have tons of quick attack due to a slightly thicker shell than the Ayottes (1 ply thicker I believe) and sharper bearing edges. The kick is what initially sold me on that kit, it's a real canon.

In comparison, the Ayottes are like playing thunder in that I've never heard floor toms with that much rumble... They, along with the kick, can be just pure atom bombs...

I also have a Taye Studiomaple kit for gigging in similar sizes (8, 10, 12, 15, 16, 20) that simply can't touch either the DWs or Ayottes, but I doubt this would surprise anyone. Yes, I'm a maple guy after having been through the birch and mahogany... Walnut and bubinga always seem nice and there are always the more exotic woods. I like my 20'' kick too ;)

The Ayotte toms sound ''bigger'' (not that the DWs are wimps!), ''rounder'' and ''warmer''... Employment of these rather abstract terms here is probably due to the exceptionally thin shells and wood hoops. They seem to have more mids & low-end or at least less top-end than the DWs can give such an impression.

The DW kick seems to have more punch and (4k?) cut to it followed by some nicely resonating sub-bass frequencies. The DWs (especially the toms) all seem to have such clear and defined tonalities to them although with less ''body'' than the Ayotte toms. I'm in no way saying that the DWs are thin-sounding, it's just that it's more of a quick initial and cutting attack followed by pure resonance with the DWs as opposed to a slower bloom and decay with the Ayotte toms with probably about the same amount of resonance. Apparently resonance only makes up 20% of a drum's sound anyways...

If there was only a kit out there that blended the best of Ayotte and DW, I'd certainly pick them up in a heartbeat - if I had the money... If anyone knows of any such drum company, please speak up! Come to think of it, there is always Luka percussion or probably any solid shell drum maker (Craviotto, etc.) that could probably offer such a level of sonic bliss. Maybe Tempus drums too? Medicine Man? Unix or other custom stave drum builders? I'll get to work on those sound files now...
 
Oh and as for the shells being Keller or not, I believe it's only the Ayottes that are technically Keller shells (made to Ray Ayotte specs). The DW shells are made by DW since they're post-2000 but are supposedly made using the same recipe that they had Keller follow in the pre-2000 days... Apparently pre-2000 DWs are more sought-after and I know that the guy I bought the Ayottes off of had some pre-2000 DWs that he preferred and gigged with. His DWs were also more Bonham-sized (24, 13, 16, 18) and he said it was the sizes that he preferred over the actual drums... I should go check him out in the clubs around town with his DWs...

There are also people that claim Ayottes from the Ray Ayotte days were better, along with Tayes from the Ray Ayotte days. I've had and presently have Tayes from before and after the Ray Ayotte days and there does seem to be something better but almost unexplainable about my older Tayes than my newer ones... Being that I only have post-Ray Ayotte Ayotte drums (2005-6), all I can say is that they are none-the-less exceptional drums. My reso kick hoop seems slightly oversized or warped, but that could be from improper treatment or storage by the previous owner, if it is in fact the case...
 
The Ayotte toms sound ''bigger'' (not that the DWs are wimps!), ''rounder'' and ''warmer''... Employment of these rather abstract terms here is probably due to the exceptionally thin shells and wood hoops. They seem to have more mids & low-end or at least less top-end than the DWs can give such an impression.

The DW kick seems to have more punch and (4k?) cut to it followed by some nicely resonating sub-bass frequencies. The DWs (especially the toms) all seem to have such clear and defined tonalities to them although with less ''body'' than the Ayotte toms. I'm in no way saying that the DWs are thin-sounding, it's just that it's more of a quick initial and cutting attack followed by pure resonance with the DWs as opposed to a slower bloom and decay with the Ayotte toms with probably about the same amount of resonance. Apparently resonance only makes up 20% of a drum's sound anyways...

If there was only a kit out there that blended the best of Ayotte and DW, I'd certainly pick them up in a heartbeat - if I had the money... If anyone knows of any such drum company, please speak up! Come to think of it, there is always Luka percussion or probably any solid shell drum maker (Craviotto, etc.) that could probably offer such a level of sonic bliss. Maybe Tempus drums too? Medicine Man? Unix or other custom stave drum builders? I'll get to work on those sound files now...
Rarely do I get such an accurate sonic character description :) - cool! Your observation about the decay sustain is spot on too. What you're actually describing is head sustain, that has little input from the shells. The shell tone is what forms that initial tone. It lasts maybe 1.5 seconds, and is the very voice of the drum. It also forms the vast majority of the audible signature, either live or recorded.

As for drums that take your combined required tones/characteristics but deliver them on steroids, listen to these through good headphones/speakers. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9PYY7Ki3Hlk&hd=1

This recording is totally unprocessed (No EQ), as is this http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uoGLAH1kYIc&hd=1 & on this recording, you're hearing just 3 ambient mic's first, then close mic'd second (the video text will alert you to this)

Anyhow, the first kit is stave construction, the second is steam bent, but both are very different to a normal kit in many ways. Undrilled shells & bespoke aluminium shell hardware deliver something considerably beyond any stave or Craviotto steam bent style instrument. Of course, they cost a lot of money.

Please excuse the promo, but you did ask ;) ;) ;)

As for which of your two kits to keep, I'd say the Ayotte is the most distinctive. You can buy a DW pretty much anytime, but an Ayotte that you're happy with would be more difficult to replace. In essence, it much depends on what else you're thinking of getting, & making sure that the kit you get offers something different to the kit you decide to keep.
 

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Thank you for the promo!!! Had you not done so, I would have maybe never found out about you! I only listened to the clips with my Klipsch S4 ear buds on the bus this morning, but they sounded stellar! I'll check em out again tonight once I'm at home with my ribbon monitors... :)

Thanks for the terminology clarification too...

You're in the UK? What would be the price range for a 10x8.5, 12x9, 15x14 & 20x18? Stave & steam bent... I do have 2 solid maple Luka snares (14x5.5 & 13 x 6.5) which I find spectacular. I don't think I could go back to ply-construction snare drums for main snares if they are wood... Wait a minute, that's not true... I have an Akira Jimbo Yamaha that I bring on gigs regularly because it's less fragile than solid snares while very versatile.

Yeah, I think I'm favoring the Ayottes... It could be because I just recently got them and they have that ''new'' factor. They are also lacquered as opposed to wrapped like my DWs, which apparently/theoretically affects only 1% of the sound (Keep It Simple, can you confirm?). It is probably true that they are more unique and potentially more difficult to replace. The DWs are beautiful too though, even if wrapped...
 
If they are close in price then I would look at resale value. Unless you are dead sure you will keep them for ever. Then again the Ayottes are newer and more rare. I would choose them myself.
 
They are also lacquered as opposed to wrapped like my DWs, which apparently/theoretically affects only 1% of the sound (Keep It Simple, can you confirm?).
Affect on sound depends on the lacquer thickness compared to shell thickness. For example, a thick lacquer coat on a thin shell will have more affect than a thin lacquer coat on a thick shell. It's all about adding a different mass, & in the case of thin shells with a very hard & thick coating - stiffness.

As for the drums price, think in terms of mid range Craviotto money, & you're about there. Wood hoops or metal? I'll PM you something more specific.
 
They both sound like paper bags to me, but I have never liked DW, and I despise Ayotte's quick release lugs.

I love the color of the DWs though.
 
Are the heads different between the sets, or just the tuning?

FWIW, I preferred the Ayotte toms. I didn't love the set tuning on the Ayottes, but thought the DW drums sounded a little too plastic despite the better (JMO) tuning. Probably the head choice, not the drums. I have learned I don't like dry heads on toms, and noticed you have coated heads on both sets.

Off topic, I much preferred the snare you played with the DW set!
 
I'm very much taking the recording method into account here, & listening for the tones that the camera isn't picking up too well. May I ask, what camera did you use? If this was just a recording of one kit, I'd have little chance of coming to a conclusion, but as it's two kits in the same space, there are clear differences between them. The Ayotte's certainly produce more warm tones. A more balanced spectrum if you like. I found the DW's sounded exactly how I'd expect them to sound.

BTW, I really like your playing :) Lovely grace note grooving.

Please let us know about the camera spec'.
 
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