Which double pedal would be best?

Hi guys, I am new to drumming but really interested in playing rock with lots of double pedal. I don’t know which pedal to choose. Either the Iron cobra 200 series vs pearl p-932 double pedal? Also, i was going to purchase the meinl HCS cymbal pack but a lot of ppl say meinl sucks, what do you all think?

Thanks!
 
Depends on what you like really. If you don't know what you like, either will work. The Pearl has a round cam, so the footboard action will be linear. It also had an adjustable footboard.

The Tama has an accelerator cam, so it gets faster as it approaches the head. It might seem sluggish at first until it crosses the radius. I don't know if it has any adjustments.

I would pick the Pearl. I like a linear cam. And I have been using the older version of this pedal for years, so I would already know what to expect.

If you have no idea what you like, go to the store and try them both and see what feels better. Let your feet decide. For a first double pedal, you really can't go wrong with either one.
 
As much as I advocate buying the gear that you want, I also advocate knowing what you’re doing musically. Which means that your groove and time are solid on the basics first. When I was younger, having a double pedal really messed up my time because I was so concerned about learning and executing double bass licks that my basic time keeping went out the window. Definitely know your role in the band before you let the new piece of gear dictate what you play.

That said, I’d save up for a DW 5000 pedal set. I have the 5002 Accelerator with Canopus extension arm and it’s awesome. The Canopus arm makes the slave feel just like the primary.
 
In regards to the cymbals. Meinl has some really good cymbals however I've never heard an inexpensive one that I liked at all they've all sounded terrible to me. I think the best thing to do is to buy used Zildjian a series or K series Sabian AA, HH, aax, or hhx. Paiste signatures, 2002 and there are several other Paiste lines that are really good. Very few inexpensive cymbals really sound good most of them are not worth having but that's just my opinion. I played the Pearl pedal several times and it felt just fine. I owned an Iron Cobra Junior which was the HP 200 I believe played it for 7 years it was a fine pedal also.
 
Given your choices, I'd go with the Pearl pedal, but not because I like the Pearl; it's because I just don't like Iron Cobra pedals (but that's just me).

With cymbals, Meinl is a fine brand name; however, you get what you pay for with cymbals. Don't ever expect a cheap cymbal to sound, play, or look like an expensive cymbal. It just won't. And the thing that stinks about cheap cymbals is that you really can't do anything to make them sound better (unlike a drum where you can change heads, tuning/tension, etc.). Buy used on cymbals if you can, and you'll save quite a bit.
 
In regards to the cymbals. Meinl has some really good cymbals however I've never heard an inexpensive one that I liked at all they've all sounded terrible to me. I think the best thing to do is to buy used Zildjian a series or K series Sabian AA, HH, aax, or hhx. Paiste signatures, 2002 and there are several other Paiste lines that are really good. Very few inexpensive cymbals really sound good most of them are not worth having but that's just my opinion. I played the Pearl pedal several times and it felt just fine. I owned an Iron Cobra Junior which was the HP 200 I believe played it for 7 years it was a fine pedal also.
How do you feel about the Sabian B8x pack? I think it has the hi hats, crash/ride cymbal and thin crash. I’m not going to play in gigs or record I’m just taking drumming as a hobby.
 
Re: cymbals - this is an age-old discussion, and if I may cut to the chase, I suggest you "buy once, cry once", meaning you bought the best cymbals you could find, and are crying because you've overspent. The reality with cymbals is this: you can't make them sound better. They must need to be purchased sounding great. So if you were to go through your music collection and did some digging to find out what your favorite players played, it will most likely have been all upper end Zildjian, Paiste, or Sabian. Meinl and others make high-end cymbals too, and those are just as expensive. But if you save your pennies and go this route, you will have the cymbals you could probably take to your grave. I have Zildjians in my collection from 30 years ago now and they still sound great, and they're what people are used to hearing since you hear them on every hit song for the last 60 years.

So if you could save more pennies and go searching for used Zildjian A's, or used Sabian AA's, or used Paiste 2002's (most expensive on the used market), you will have covered what you need in the cymbal department for every genre and every playing situation you may encounter for the rest of your life. Drums are easy - change heads and you can make them sound better. Cymbals are the opposite - if it's and now, it'll be bad later. You can't change that except for avoiding bad ones to begin with. If you're in this for the long haul, just get good ones to start with - even if this is just a hobby.
 
Re: cymbals - this is an age-old discussion, and if I may cut to the chase, I suggest you "buy once, cry once", meaning you bought the best cymbals you could find, and are crying because you've overspent. The reality with cymbals is this: you can't make them sound better. They must need to be purchased sounding great. So if you were to go through your music collection and did some digging to find out what your favorite players played, it will most likely have been all upper end Zildjian, Paiste, or Sabian. Meinl and others make high-end cymbals too, and those are just as expensive. But if you save your pennies and go this route, you will have the cymbals you could probably take to your grave. I have Zildjians in my collection from 30 years ago now and they still sound great, and they're what people are used to hearing since you hear them on every hit song for the last 60 years.

So if you could save more pennies and go searching for used Zildjian A's, or used Sabian AA's, or used Paiste 2002's (most expensive on the used market), you will have covered what you need in the cymbal department for every genre and every playing situation you may encounter for the rest of your life. Drums are easy - change heads and you can make them sound better. Cymbals are the opposite - if it's and now, it'll be bad later. You can't change that except for avoiding bad ones to begin with. If you're in this for the long haul, just get good ones to start with - even if this is just a hobby.
Yea you make many great points!! You’re right, it’s an investment so I should look into buying a good set once and for all! Thank you for your help! I appreciate it!
 
Re: cymbals - this is an age-old discussion, and if I may cut to the chase, I suggest you "buy once, cry once", meaning you bought the best cymbals you could find, and are crying because you've overspent.
Except a new drummer won't really know what type of cymbal they will like long term. Best bet is to get a drummer friend (or teacher) to help you compare and decide, knowing full well that your taste in cymbals will change sooner or later.
 
I have the 5002 Accelerator with Canopus extension arm and it’s awesome. The Canopus arm makes the slave feel just like the primary.
I didn't know that Canopus made one of those connecting driveshafts. Where did you find it?
 
Except a new drummer won't really know what type of cymbal they will like long term. Best bet is to get a drummer friend (or teacher) to help you compare and decide, knowing full well that your taste in cymbals will change sooner or later.

True.

It was so easy when I was a kid in the 70s. When everything was "Thin" "Medium" or "Heavy". So I just got the stock "Medium" Ride, and a couple of "Thin" crashes, and the ubiquitous New Beat hi-hats, and even if I didn't know what I wanted, those worked for everything I did over the next 40 years of gigging. The only real modification I've done is to go to a K Light Ride for my ride, and I did add a 22" A Light Ride to my arsenal for a brighter sound. Now there are so many different models it can be totally paralyzing for a beginner to go through literature. So yeah, get a friend or teacher to help you out, or do like I did, and stay "Medium". If you do anything extreme, it won't work for everything.
 
Yea you make many great points!! You’re right, it’s an investment so I should look into buying a good set once and for all! Thank you for your help! I appreciate it!

You're welcome. There are a lot of guys here who've been through the exact same thing so sometimes it's cool to listen. But I also get being new and wanting to be "who you are", so you don't have to listen to me if you don't want to. There are also alot of people here who like those Sabian B8's or Paiste Alphas, or whatever. My point is, you'll never hear any of those on a hit record, so I just emulate the masters. Working on my actual playing is bad enough. I don't want my kit to be the reason nobody likes me!
 
How do you feel about the Sabian B8x pack? I think it has the hi hats, crash/ride cymbal and thin crash. I’m not going to play in gigs or record I’m just taking drumming as a hobby.
I've heard some good hats in the B8 series, but the other cymbals usually aren't too good. They are okay sometimes. Usually people buy better cymbals after a while because they really don't sound all that good. So you might as well get good ones from the start. They don't have to be a whole set. You can buy them one at a time used or new if you can afford it. You don't have to have all the same brand either. I have always mixed brands.
 
Sweetwater sells them. A bit expensive at $180, but the DW one isn't much cheaper if you had to replace it.
I think you meant "Trick" driveshaft. Canopus makes that speed ring thing for pedals' springs, but I don't think they make a driveshaft.
Speaking of driveshafts, the new Yamaha one looks really nice too.
 
I just got the P932 a short while ago. Love it. It's quite a bit different than the Iron Cobra. The Pearl is a Longboard, so it's more similar to the Tama Speed Cobra. Meinl certainly doesn't suck ..... but I wouldn't go HCS. I'm another vote for buying hi end cymbals.
 

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I think you meant "Trick" driveshaft. Canopus makes that speed ring thing for pedals' springs, but I don't think they make a driveshaft.
Speaking of driveshafts, the new Yamaha one looks really nice too.
You're right! Sorry. It's the Trick one. Amazing what happens when you put bearings on all the joints though. The slave feels just like the primary. I love it!
 
Hi guys, I am new to drumming but really interested in playing rock with lots of double pedal. I don’t know which pedal to choose. Either the Iron cobra 200 series vs pearl p-932 double pedal? Also, i was going to purchase the meinl HCS cymbal pack but a lot of ppl say meinl sucks, what do you all think?

Thanks!
Recently had to make these same decisions.
Went with the Pearl because I found a killer deal. Can't say I'm super impressed. It's developed a pretty annoying squeak in just a couple of months. I also much prefered the feel of the single Yamaha pedal that came with my DTXplorer. Unfortunately that doesn't come as a double pedal. I've seen a lot of love for the P-932 but if I had it to do over, I'd go with the Iron Cobra.
As far as cymbals I have to agree with what others have said. Go with good quality used ones. It took quite a bit of searching but I ended up with all Sabian AA and Zildjian A's.
Brand new it would be $800 worth of cymbals. I paid $350.
 
I've owned the Pearl P930 for a few years now and I love it. I previously owned an Iron Cobra 900 and I also had a chance to play the old Iron Cobra Jr. (which is the IC 600 now I think?) which was very similar in feel to the regular IC.

I eventually found the Iron Cobras just too heavy feeling for my taste. I have big feet, and I like a more finesse-oriented pedal, so a longboard-type pedal really appealed to me. The Pearl is super smooth and was super easy to dial in. The price didn't hurt my feelings either.
 
Hey I've compiled a list of what I believe to be the best double bass pedal products on the market right now. I personally love the Tama Speed Cobra's and i've been using them for many years. Check it out and I hope you can take away some good info!
 
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