defying conventional drum set up for unique sound

drumkat

Senior Member
Hello there guys.

I was hoping to start a discussion on different approaches to conventional drum set set ups to get that unique sound

For example, I can remember using my 10" splash as a bottom hat and my 8" splash as the top hat for a song once.

The sound was fantastic, kind of robotic/industrial

But I couldn't keep using them as I kept missing them with my sticks

So, has anyone else done the "unconventional"?

For example;

using a twin ply head for a snare reso

Using a pizza box for recording a great brush sound

You get the picture......
 
This was not on the drum set, but it came to mind. When recording once I used an old Casio SK-1 to record a stupid-sounding percussive/explosion noise with my mouth, and then built a loop with it on the keyboard. It had a lot of low end to it, and we used the loop during the bridge of a song when the drums and bass were out. Sounds goofy in print, and I think the engineer thought I was a little off, but the results were great.
 
Hmm... I like the idea of being unconventional.

I'm playing with a floor tom bass at the moment. Nice jungle sound. The rest of my kit consists of a hi-hat, a snare and a piccolo snare. So I suppose that's pretty unusual.

It actually allows me to play double-traditional which I'm experimenting with just now. And I mean it actually seems to make it easier to access the piccolo (on my left), it's not just for show. In addition to this, I play very quietly using multi-rods... Altogether I must look like a weirdo.

It's a shame there's not a reliable cajon pedal out there because at one point I was sitting on my cajon and using that as the bass. Kick/throne in one, very economical.

I recorded some jungle stuff a little while back and I actually taped an old wallet to one side of my snare batter head - how horrific is that - but it actually sounded amazing!

Thinking about trying the bass drum without a resonant head... Will probably sound awful.
 
I converted a 20" bass drum into a floor tom, because 20" floor toms rule.

I use a 20" ride and a 20" crash, both as crashes and rides.

all pretty normally set up though, it's hard to do something no-one's done before.
 
I converted a 20" bass drum into a floor tom, because 20" floor toms rule.

I use a 20" ride and a 20" crash, both as crashes and rides.

all pretty normally set up though, it's hard to do something no-one's done before.


Man......you must be L-O-U-D!

Sounds cool though
 
I know this isn't about the sound

But I used to play in bare feet a lot and my foot would slide into the pedal chain after a while...same with the hihat

I glued some coarse sandpaper to both my hihat and bass pedal footboard

Stopped the problem straight away

But it chewed the heck out of the soles of my feet

And after a while sweat, dirt and skin got clogged up in it

But now I am playing with shoes again, I don't need it anymore
 
I converted a 20" bass drum into a floor tom, because 20" floor toms rule.

I use a 20" ride and a 20" crash, both as crashes and rides.

all pretty normally set up though, it's hard to do something no-one's done before.

Companies made 20" floors back in the day. I had a Ludwig set with a 20. I have made them since. Jammin' Sams has 20" chrome hoops. You just have to be sure to get 20" tom heads and not bass heads. The fit is off.
 
I used to tape a split off tip from a stick to my brushes with the tip extending an inch or so up the wires. Added a little punch when swatting a drum and tip tick on cymbals.
 
Couldn't find a shaker, so I used nylon brushes and an extra set of snare wires. I think it worked.

I mess around with my kit all the time, though. I discovered just the other day that my 6" B8 splash and 8" bell make a very cool hi-hat combo!
 
Companies made 20" floors back in the day. I had a Ludwig set with a 20. I have made them since. Jammin' Sams has 20" chrome hoops. You just have to be sure to get 20" tom heads and not bass heads. The fit is off.

yep. got a 20" tom hoop and 20" evans black chrome tom head for the batter, kept the bass hoop and got a remo fiberskyn for the resonant. I just love the faux-calfskin look.
 
I once put together a kit using all snare drums. I had a 5x14 as my main snare, a 5x12 popcorn as my ride tom and a 12x14 marching snare as the floor tom. The bass drum was a normal 16x20 drum. It worked pretty well for that gig.
 
I've used a head upside down placed on my floor tom head for recording once. Look up St. Vincent's "Dilletante", it's a very similar sound to the toms in that recording.
 
I play a Saturday acoustic jam once in awhile and I show up with a shaker, a tambourine and a pair of wooden spoons. Then I play them all at the same time. The tambourine is in the shape of a fish, so it fits right over my left foot for the back beats.
 
Drumsinhisheart, thank you for that link about Sams. I have been trying to find rims for my bass to try out.

Anybody tried 2.3 flange hoops on reso or both sides of a 20" bass drum? I wonder what it would sound like...
 
Here is my Buffalo Cajon kit. It's made from Remo Buffalo drums that I have attached floor tom leg mounts to. A couple of clamps later, an entire drum set mounted from a hi hat stand. Sounds amazing, super lightweight, easy to move. +++++
buffalocajon.jpg

Hmm... I like the idea of being unconventional.

I'm playing with a floor tom bass at the moment. Nice jungle sound. The rest of my kit consists of a hi-hat, a snare and a piccolo snare. So I suppose that's pretty unusual.

It actually allows me to play double-traditional which I'm experimenting with just now. And I mean it actually seems to make it easier to access the piccolo (on my left), it's not just for show. In addition to this, I play very quietly using multi-rods... Altogether I must look like a weirdo.

It's a shame there's not a reliable cajon pedal out there because at one point I was sitting on my cajon and using that as the bass. Kick/throne in one, very economical.

I recorded some jungle stuff a little while back and I actually taped an old wallet to one side of my snare batter head - how horrific is that - but it actually sounded amazing!

Thinking about trying the bass drum without a resonant head... Will probably sound awful.
 
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