18in Bass Drum Advice

Hello everyone this is my first thread, so please let me know if I'm doing anything wrong lol

Anyways, I was wondering if anyone had any experience playing a 18in bass drum in any type of extreme metal (djent, grindcore, etc...) or math rock/progressive stuff (Giraffes Giraffes, Tera Melos, Rush, etc...).

I wanna downsize from my PDP 805 (24, 13, 16) set to something smaller such as the Tama Silverstar Jazz kit (18, 12, 14) because it would be easier to transport and take less room on stage.

I have my own drum mics and at most gigs I'd be through a pa, so I'm not too worried about how loud it is.

ANY advice is welcomed. Thanks!
 
No experience with that specific genre. But soundwise - mic'ed up and through a PA, there should be no problem at all.

Might be a good idea to sit yourself behind a kit like that if you haven't. It'll be a little adjustment going from a 24 to an 18.

But I say go for it.
 
Thanks man! Yeah, the size change was my biggest concern; I was worried about it scooting or something annoying. But i could always get sandbags to hold it back hmm. I'll probably run up to the local music store and try their 18 out.
 
The first rule of drumming is thus, THERE ARE NO RULS!
If you want to play Metal on an 18 inch bass drum then play Metal on an 18 inch bass drum.
You can mic it, You can trigger it. It will work.
 
The 18 inch bass actually makes sense for metal when you think about it.
Metal drummers like the "click" sound for high BPM definition when they blast.
The 18 inch bass can deliver that with no problem.
Of course the big giant cannon look is in vogue right now.
 
It's a rather large leap going from a 24" to an 18" bass drum. If it was me, I would at least check out the 20" bass drums before you decide. Even the 20" bass drums will have a definite sonic difference in the lower frequencies of the drum. You can amplify the smaller drum to make up, somewhat, for its size in loudness, but you cannot get the same big bottom end sound out of an 18" than you could from a 24". I have three maple bass drums, two are 22" and the other is a 20". The lowest frequency I can get from the 20" is about 58 cycles. From the 22's I'm getting about 49. That's quite a difference in the bass frequencies. I'm using the same batter heads on all three drums. Check out your options.

Dennis
 
You could try a Yamaha Oak Custom 18". Sounds like a 20" , all day, if you tune it right. Loudest 18" you will ever play.

Like others have said, mic it, trigger it, whatever. The key thing is to leave the pillow and the laundry at home. Put a fancy kick head on there like a Superkick and leave it wide open. Boom!

I like (and use) 20"' kicks too , a lot. Just saying that an 18" can work for anything. Another tip, don't try to make the 18" sound like a 22"...you will just get the thin, uninspiring papery flap of the head if you tune it wayyy down. Tune for/ aim for "mini boom" and punch,punch,punch!

Neal
 
You could try a Yamaha Oak Custom 18". Sounds like a 20" , all day, if you tune it right. Loudest 18" you will ever play.

That's what I use. I would agree. I keep a pillow in there for most venues, and mic it. Occasionally I leave it open with no mic. The only thing I will say is that every once in a while I'm in a venue that is just a bit too big for it without a PA or monitor mix, and I sometimes lose the feel of it in the cacauphony of the other instruments. Usually that just means the whole band is playing too loud. But I would not be afraid to give an 18" a chance. Just get the right heads, and don't muffle it. I bet you'll be surprised.

Also, triggering is something I haven't gotten into, but I definitely agree that it would be something worth trying with a smaller drum like this.
 
Thanks a lot guys! I'm not trying to spend a whole lot of money right now because of college and girlfriend expenses lol. So I got it narrowed down to the Tama Silverstar Jazz and the Yamaha Stage Custom Birch. I'm pretty sold on having another birch kit in smaller sizes, but if you guys think i should go with maple in smaller sizes then I may consider that.

I would LOVE to have an Oak custom kit, but new they're a little pricey and I'd be worried to buy used. Also, I'd be scared to mess up the finish or anything. Most the gigs I'd play would be ground level with a bunch of kids jumping around going crazy.

I probably should have said this in my first post, but I mainly want to use it as a 3 piece (bass drum, floor tom, snare). With the Stage Custom, I'd probably buy just the bass drum and floor tom, which is a little cheaper; but for a little more I could get a whole kit from Tama.

Also, I'm not too worried about the sound. I'm keeping my PDP 805s to use for rock, blues, and country. This new kit is primarily for the previous stated genres; the smaller sizes would be quicker sounding and play better at faster speeds.

Sorry the long post
 
I think I found the best option for me

http://www.interstatemusic.com/2041...=google&utm_medium=product&utm_campaign=gbase



Has anyone ordered from Cascio?


I have. They are not very far from me. I have had several good experiences although they are not very personal and don't know much about their products (don't call to ask questions because you will get passed around until someone finally tells you he doesn't know).

I could say you are safe using the company if you already know what you want.

PS. They host some really good clinics!!!
 
Looks like they're doing FREE 2-DAY SHIPPING on orders over $40 for the next couple days. You might want to order sooner than later.
 
It's a rather large leap going from a 24" to an 18" bass drum. If it was me, I would at least check out the 20" bass drums before you decide. Even the 20" bass drums will have a definite sonic difference in the lower frequencies of the drum. You can amplify the smaller drum to make up, somewhat, for its size in loudness, but you cannot get the same big bottom end sound out of an 18" than you could from a 24". I have three maple bass drums, two are 22" and the other is a 20". The lowest frequency I can get from the 20" is about 58 cycles. From the 22's I'm getting about 49. That's quite a difference in the bass frequencies. I'm using the same batter heads on all three drums. Check out your options.

Dennis

Thats a neat observation. Just curious, what heads are you using to get those frequencies? I realize the pitch has a lot to do with overall bass drum size, but what head promotes lowest frequencies?
(I have a project making a 16 inch 'bass drum' for a small cafe kit, trying to make it as 'low' as possible)
 
Hey ! I was asking about that too.
I decided that I would buy Tama SilverStar Jazz !

I had an acrylic drums with powerful sound. I had to sell them
I really worried about this jazz drums.
But damn it, I will use these drums at home and at rehearsals, where do not have to blow my head.
It requires only a good sound, not some crapy knock knock

If you wait about 3 weeks, i check it for you. Maybe record.
 
Cascio is a fine company to do biz with.
They are dedicated and knowledgeable.
I have been dealing with them for years.
 
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I understand that a smaller bass won't be as loud or bassy but are there any differences in the way the head responds to the beaters? I notice that smaller drums are a bit more responsive so maybe that's a good thing for fast and broken bass drum patterns?
 
...I use an 18" bass drum for my weekly jam.

I also have a 22, and my fave, a 24. By mounting the 18 on a riser, I am able to use the same pedal at the same settings for both the 24 and the 18. This makes it a lot easier to switch between the two. That swapability is also why I prefer an 18 to a 20.

Whatever you decide, good luck and good drumming.

Barry
 
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