Advantages/Disadvantages of an offset tom setup

pt3407

Senior Member
Hi guys,

I've seen many videos from Alex Rudinger, and in a majority of them I see his toms shifted to the left side of the bass drum then having it mounted in the traditional way exactly over the bass drum, centered.

What are the pros and cons of doing this?
 
The primary advantage is placing the snare & rack toms in a more favorable playing position (personal preference of course.) It also allows the kick to be shifted for a more comfortable foot/leg position (also subject to personal preference.)

I used to use that set-up, where I discovered the disadvantages: you have to carry an extra stand, and the kit takes up a bit more space. :)

Bermuda
 
Well, Alex plays a mostly-symmetrical setup with two hi-hats. The right-side hi-hat's position is going to be limited by the fact that it must be secured to the bass drum and not too far from the right bass drum pedal. In essence, his two toms' positions are dictated by his pedal setup, since the toms have to be inbetween the hats. (Originally I thought your question was just about why, when he plays with one rack tom, that rack tom is off-center of the snare drum, which I'm inclined to say is just because he doesn't want to change the positioning of his tom stand or snare mic when he takes a drum off.)

As for pros & cons of doing this with a setup not bound by the concerns I described, as with Blake Richardson et al.:

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I think the main things you'll hear are that it lets you get the ride in closer & more comfortable, and that it offsets your foot nicely (as if you're actually centered across a kit, the kick will be off to one side like your hi-hat pedal). The obvious con is that you have a gulf between tom 2 and your floor toms. In my experience, also, it makes snare mic placement more of a pain in the ass.
 
For me the main advantage is being able to get the ride cymbal into a more comfortable position over the bass drum.

Since I've changed my setup to Ringo style I've gone back and mounted the single rack tom off the bass drum. As Bermuda says, less hardware to haul and set up.
 
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I only see advantages with an offset high tom setup.
The ride cymbal is at optimum position and the high toms are at optimum position.
I use the tom stand to also hold two cymbals and a pair of mini timb's.
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The big game changer for me was when I was told "The bass drum is not the centre of the kit" Set up the snare where its natural and comfortable. Then the bass drum and hi hat where the pedals fit naturally in line with the feet, then the toms last. The method worked for me. Make the kit fit you not the other way round.
 
The big game changer for me was when I was told "The bass drum is not the centre of the kit" Set up the snare where its natural and comfortable. Then the bass drum and hi hat where the pedals fit naturally in line with the feet, then the toms last. The method worked for me. Make the kit fit you not the other way round.

I agree, I play a four piece but in terms of positioning I set up rather like a double kick player would. In other words snare is the centre and then I have the hi-hat and kick drum set at exactly the same angle. This is the most ergonomic and straightforward. Most players set the kit up rather skewed paying little attention to the hi hat stand. They place the kick square on to the stage and then everything is off from there !
 
I have used this set up for the past 20 years. Just feels very natural to play. :)

1992 Pearl MLX Masters series by Kevin Frost, on Flickr

If you use two rack toms, this set up is ergonmically correct.
Plus it allows the bass drum to resonate more.
The only reason everyone mounts two rack toms on the bass drum is tradition.
The only disadvantages are the extra stand and the extra space.
But if you mount cymblas off the tom holder the fisrt disadvantage tends to disappear.
Try it out, once you get used to it, you will probably never go back to mounting two toms on the bass drum.!
 
Well, if you have inherited a double bass kit with two virgin kicks, and you are only using one kick. And it comes with one double rack tom stand. That's how you wind up setting up. It does feel comfortable to me and allows for a nice reach to the ride cymbal over the kick so I think I'll just keep it that way.

I have the floor tom in close and just barely have to think about not hitting the under side of the ride when going between the 2nd rack and the floor tom.
 
Does anyone find it hard to reach the floor tom in these setups? It looks to be a long way around and slightly behind the playing position in some of these photos.
 
Does anyone find it hard to reach the floor tom in these setups? It looks to be a long way around and slightly behind the playing position in some of these photos.
The floor tom is in the same place that it would be if the kit were a double bass drum setup.
I leave my bass drum facing straight ahead so the floor tom sits farther forward.
 
Does anyone find it hard to reach the floor tom in these setups? It looks to be a long way around and slightly behind the playing position in some of these photos.


That's my concern too. Different strokes and all. I don't see the big deal in having my ride low over my floor tom. I want my 3 toms as close together as I can get. My one floor tom leg is about 1" from my bass drum batter hoop, tight together.

I like how you can set drums up however you feel. It does look cool. But I try and be considerate and be as compact as possible.
 
Does anyone find it hard to reach the floor tom in these setups? It looks to be a long way around and slightly behind the playing position in some of these photos.

I can't speak for the others, but my floor tom is exactly where it would be no matter what my high tom placement is. The only thing that changes when I have my toms on vs. next to the bass drum is the position of the ride cymbal. Pretty much everything else stays in the same place.



 
I used this setup on my 5-piece set for from the 70s until I quit in the 90s. Then when I started playing again in the 2000s, my kit was in storage and I played mostly 4-piece backline/club kits. Although I'm still not completely comfortable with it, I eventually resurrected my kit as a 4-piece because that's what I have to play with in gigs.
 
The floor tom is in the same place that it would be if the kit were a double bass drum setup.
I leave my bass drum facing straight ahead so the floor tom sits farther forward.
right, it's the same placement as in a four piece kit. If you're not comfortable with the spacing with a four piece, then you won't be comfortable with offset toms.
 
The advantage is the toms are not offset, they are actually centered.

The traditional mounting two toms on the bass drum requires twisting of the back to play them. I'd consider THAT offset and not centered.
 
The advantage is the toms are not offset, they are actually centered.

The traditional mounting two toms on the bass drum requires twisting of the back to play them. I'd consider THAT offset and not centered.

Yes, I agree 100%!
I really think the only reason we mount two toms on a bass drum is because we are all very tradition bound.
 
What tom/cymbal stand are you using in the top setup?

I'm using a Pearl boom stand with the Yamaha rack tom mount inserted into the base and the boom part put in the extra hole.
 
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