Recent content by boomstick

Given its prevalence as a TV/movie sound effect, I am puzzled by the widespread misuse of the word "punchy" when describing the sound a drum produces. Here is the classic punch sound effect: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tp7sDYEq5vI Basically a very short sound with no sustain, but I've seen...

I've installed a lift on my kick drum. Now I need to make a cut in the hoop (as pictured) to make room for the pedal action. What would be the best way to make this cut? I'm thinking of drawing a guide line using a flexible plastic lid (like from a can of peanuts) as a stencil, then making the...

Behold, all two of them! And budget snares at that. Nevertheless, I love them, especially since I modified them heavily to make them somewhat unique. First is my primary snare, a nickel-over-brass Worldmax Black Dawg 5x14. I've always wanted a Black Beauty, but could never justify the price. I...

Ever since I started drumming at age 12, I've been a cross-stick player. But now in my 40s, I think I am transitioning into open-handed playing, which was rather unintentional. That probably doesn't sound possible, since I consciously chose to start practicing open-handed a few years back. But...

Now that I've completed some upgrades and additions, I figured my practice/micro-gig kit deserved its own thread. It's very nice to have a cheap kit to practice on and take to rehearsals and gigs. It's also compact, which makes it very portable and solves a space issue at home and on small...

That's one thing I learned from this interesting article "The scientific mystery of why humans love music." The main thrust of the article is that scientific study has not yet determined why humans like music so much, given that our survival is not dependent upon it. I like how the current...

Pretty surprised to see there wasn't a thread dedicated to Clem, so I decided to start one. He was a strong influence on me, and really contributed to the Blondie sound, I thought. I came across this live performance of Blondie in 1978, and what really struck me is how much fun he seems to be...

I was watching a Roy Burns interview on youtube and was really struck by his stories about moving to NYC in the late 50's. If I could go back in time... Full interview here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=44uv9W7BZkU Anybody here experience this scene or something like it? Also, have live...

I recently spent some time giving my kit a good cleaning, upgrading some stuff, and making some modifications, and this is the result. Specs: 20x18 Spaun Custom maple kick 15x13 Spaun Custom maple floor 14x5 Legend maple snare 21" Sabian HHX Groove Ride 18" Sabian AAX Omni crash/ride 17"...

I love the bass (guitar and upright). If I wasn't a drummer, that is the instrument I would play. But I've never wanted to attempt another instrument until I was satisfied with my drumming development, which appears to be ongoing... So for now, I must be content to just listen and play "air...

I've always preferred floor toms fitted with legs, so that was a consideration when I was looking for a kit back in 2005. At the time, "fusion kits" with hanging toms seemed to be all the rage, so it made my search a bit difficult. I finally came across a kit that met all my criteria except for...

When I was a beginning drummer, I took lessons from the same teacher for about five years. Since then I've grown and learned quite a lot, and in doing so I've come to realize that my teacher was not a very good one. It saddens me to say this, because I really liked the guy, and he was super...

I'm currently looking for some cheap cymbals for a practice kit. I came across this ebay ad for a no-name ride cymbal and liked the description: Seems like a bargain at $23.99, but I might not be sincere and professional enough to handle this cymbal, so I'm still searching. I was looking for...

Hey drummer friends, I would like to introduce you to my band and our new album: http://www.binarycontrollers.com/listen/ We are a live electronic band that draws on classic funk, rock, hip hop, and soul influences. Note on the playlist, you can play the songs individually, or if you have the...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wXRnbS6o64U This is a 21-year-old hip hop artist who goes by the name araabMUZIK, playing an MPC. For those who don't know, an MPC (Music Production Center) is a sort of advanced drum machine designed by Roger Linn and made by Akai. I was just wondering what...