Two floor tom set ups. 14/16 or 16/18?

16/18 at the rehearsal space - permanent setup, no mics.

14/16 for gigging - easier to move and the mics take care of the volume.
 
Drummerrobin said:
I use 16x16" and 18x16" floor toms at the moment. But on my next kit, I plan on going 15x13" and 18x15" which should give a really nice pitch spread between the drums, especially when put with the 10" and 12" rack toms. I went off 14" floor toms a few years ago - I started to find them lacking in depth and generally pretty unsatisfying in tone (apart from when put into higher jazz tunings). Seems the drum industry agrees with me right now as 10, 12, 16" kits are everywhere these days. I like that setup but I think 10, 12, 15, 18" is the ultimate in versatility and tonal satisfaction.
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Well I finally did it - can confirm the 15/18" combo absolutely rocks!
 
14/16 all the way for me.

I switch between a 10” and 12” rack Tom’s and both really go with a 14 FT… but a 10 to 16 and 18 is a big Jump.

Also 18” floor Tom’s are a lot to control
 
My kit is a 10 12 14 16 20 and the 14 is right at home. My 14 bridges the gap between the melodic rack toms and the boomy 16 floor tom. I would appreciate a 15 but that isn't available for my drum set.
 
Given the choice, I’d generally prefer 14/16 but another cool option is 14/18. Nice spread there... I’m not opposed to 16/18, but it gets to be big and a lot to haul at around.
 
I don't play out (on drums) and have been digging 12, 13, 14 on the rack and 16, 16, 18 on the floor with the 16's a solid tone apart in tuning...minor 3 and 4 above the 18 (usually). I've had the floor toms in a triangle to my right of late, but might shift a 16 to my left to see how it feels.
 
Two Tama Starclassic kits (W|B performer and maple), 14,16 and 18 on both. 14+16 on right, 18 on left. Comfortable position for the 18" on the left for the 'higher dynamic ranges' and the 14+16 on the right bring greater attack, body and clarity of sound, the 18 on the left brings the thunder for Crescendo parts and also for some serious single and double paradiddle fun between three floor toms.
 
14, 16 in a 12, 14, 16 line up, but with both floors tuned fairly low. 18 floor toms can start to get very flappy and overlap with bass drums. Ideal rock sizes for me would be 15, 16 - there I said it.
 
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One follow-up to this - was playing musical floor tom chairs yesterday - now my 14 is on the left and the 16 and 18 are on the right. 10 and 16 | 12 and 18 tune up to the same note in octaves, the floor toms beginning the second octave. My snare, 8" and 14" FT also same note in octaves.

As we all know, we don't 'tune' drums, we tension them using a star pattern, flipping top to bottom, slowly bringing up tension until everything resonates together and the drum comes 'alive.' When I follow this process that I was taught by two private Berklee College of Music instructors, my kit(s) naturally end up here, to which keeps the higher voices instruments on the left of the kit and lower voiced instruments on the right. I also have two concert toms on one kit on the left side of one kit (SCM) that also tune up in octaves with other drums on the kit. With these degrees of spread, you now literally have an instrument that can cover any possible home recording needs.

After a day of re-heading and properly tensioning two kits (damn my back is sore but this was overdue) I end up with phenomenal sounding instruments. Food for thought, mileage may vary.

The poster(s) who mentioned challenges with excessive liveliness with the 18 and it's ability to project clarity are correct in my experience. I would not bring the 18s to anything live unless I had good overheads or if real lucky have enough channels in the house for a mic on every drum. At my age I am only playing out a few times per year for charity gigs and such so the 18 becomes more of a recording drum mainly, I am lucky if I get an area mic or a couple overheads and one on the bass drum.
 
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