Tama Starclassic Performer (birch/maple) vs. All Maple

[ineedaclutch]

The KZs are nice, but a little too bass heavy for my taste.

I feel that way too, but some people dig that. I prefer a flatter, more natural sound.

miking myself up and monitoring my drums during practice has been one of the things I wished I had done sooner.

I hear that. It makes things so much more enjoyable when working on something IMO.

 

[bud7h4]

I once heard the term All Maple was legal speak meaning that a shell could be made completely from Maple or it could only contain Maple (along with other types of wood).
100% Maple, however means exactly what it says.

So "legal speak" is legal speak for Lying.

 

[harryconway]

Cool man - thanks. My heads are currently the clear Evans G2's (4 years old LOL) but I'm getting the sense that coated heads are more suitable to the genre I play most (rock/metal)? I have a lot to learn about drum heads.

I'd say split down the middle. Google any drummer you dig/cover .... his drum set ..... and see what he plays. Seems a lot of the newer metal guys use clear heads .... the older guys run coated.

 

[Silver’n’Smac]

Hey just wanted to say thanks to you all for the fantastic feedback that was provided. You took time out of your days to educate me on a whole bunch of topics that I clearly lacked knowledge of.

I’m real grateful. Thanks!!
Cheers.

 

[Jefferson_Airplane]

Hey there - your response was extremely helpful and educational for me. I'm definitely not complaining about my Silverstar kit. In fact, it's a gorgeous kit aesthetically. And given that I don't play in a band and won't be moving the drums around much at all, maybe the super fancy hardware upgrades wouldn't benefit me all that much. Once I position my kit the way I like it, it'll pretty much remain that way.

You've given me a lot to think about. I'm embarrassed to say I'm clueless as to how to properly tune a drum kit. I've watched Youtube videos on how to put the heads on and I feel like I've done it correctly but I can just tell that my drums aren't in tune. I just downloaded an app called DrumTunePro but haven't tried it yet. Any recommendations on mastering the art of tuning would be super appreciated. There is also quite a bit of buzzing from the snares but I suppose that's just normal? I put on some of those moon gels but I'm not thrilled about how they look on the heads. The heads that I have are about 4 years old (Evans G2's on the tops & G1's on the bottoms).

I'm still very intrigued by the Starclassic Walnut/Birch kit and may pull the trigger at some point (maybe it's just out of boredom and wanting something new like you mentioned LOL). Sweetwater quoted me $2100 (total) for a 5-piece (2 rack toms, 2 floor toms & a bass drum). My Ludwig suphraphonic is a nice snare, although I may want to go back to a wood snare at some point).

Otherwise, if it were you, what immediate upgrades would you make to the Silverstar to noticeably improve the sound (other than tuning)? You mentioned switching to diecast hoops? I have $2K right now that I've saved up. I guess I just need to decide whether or not to just bite the bullet on the Starclassic Walnut or spend money on upgrades to the Silverstar.

I'm going to post some pics of the drum room I built, along with some pics of my set up. Would love any critique on the kit arrangement.

Thanks again.

DRUMTUNEPRO is AWESOME!!! when it doesn't crash.....lol
still worth the purchase..... after 20 years I still struggle to tune efficiently and this app makes it simple and quick..... I'm now able to tell my band "just one sec, gotta check my tuning" and it literally takes less time to check them then my guitarists takes to tune down.

I love that you can save preset tunings for specific kits.....a lifesaver.

 

[Silver’n’Smac]

DRUMTUNEPRO is AWESOME!!! when it doesn't crash.....lol
still worth the purchase..... after 20 years I still struggle to tune efficiently and this app makes it simple and quick..... I'm now able to tell my band "just one sec, gotta check my tuning" and it literally takes less time to check them then my guitarists takes to tune down.

I love that you can save preset tunings for specific kits.....a lifesaver.

Thats great to hear, thanks! I have the app. Now I just need to learn how to use it haha

 

[Jefferson_Airplane]

TK correct me if this is off, but I thought standing waves....which supposedly every room has (verify)...are to be eliminated, no?

Depends on the recording setup ...... if your are trying to isolate each instrument and record just the instruments, then most likely yes, but most studios that have large live rooms use several overheads and room mics to add the ambiance and effects of a live space and if the room is too small they will not acheive the desired effect of capturing those sound waves when they have reached the desired "maturity" or growth.

 

[Jefferson_Airplane]

Thanks brother, much-appreciated! I’ve learned a ton from this thread. As fun as a project as that drum room has been, it almost seems like I shouldn’t have bothered and just added some insulation to my garage LOL (yikes). Oh well, it ain’t going anywhere anytime soon so I’ll make the nest if my setup.

Can you recommend some good in-ear monitors for less than $200? Will I benefit from monitors even when practicing alone? I’ll replace the heads! Maybe Evans coated G2’s for the batter heads and G1’s for the resonant heads? I’m confused about the purpose of the mics and board. Can you elaborate? Sorry for all the questions!

If I do decide to get the starclassic walnut/birch, I almost forgot that I’ll be able to sell my Silverstar kit to help pay for the new kit. My Silverstar is a 6-piece and in great shape so I should be able to make $400-500 I would think.

Thanks again.

That room was definitely not a waste! Nice work by the way..... Is there a way you can add a hinge to the slideout on one side and a caster wheel below so you can unbolt it and swing it wide open? If so, that would make it easier to open up for jamming, or certain recording situations, while having it closed would serve as a 3am practice space. Love the decor BTW!

 

[Silver’n’Smac]

Thanks man! It was quite a bit of work but the artwork really brought it all together. I have a large Iron Maiden tapestry that will go on the left side wall and a Rush Hemispheres tapestry that will go on the inside of the drum room (across from the front of the kit). dMan, that's actually a great idea about the hinges but it's unfortunately kinda late for that. I put a lot of effort into getting that thing to work structurally (the wall is super heavy). If I would have thought about the hinges sooner, I probably could have gotten something to work. But once you duck under the unistrut and enter the open space, there's enough room for like 3 people (including me) to jam. Definitely not ideal but doable. By the way, below are a couple of pics of the right side of the room (exterior side). Thanks again for your feedback. Much-appreciated!

 

[Silver’n’Smac]

I have the KZ ZST as well as Shure 215 and an older model of the etymotic you mentioned. The etymotics are my favorites. The KZs are nice, but a little too bass heavy for my taste. They are great when monitoring the bass player live, but playing by myself I like the 215s better.

Nothing like a brand spanking new upgraded kit, but FWIW, miking myself up and monitoring my drums during practice has been one of the things I wished I had done sooner.

Hey there - can you tell me a bit more about the Etymotics? Do you think they'll pair up nicely with the Yamaha EAD10? I just ordered the monitor.
You don't use these monitors to listen to regular music, right? i.e. they're intended to be used while playing drums in particular?

 

[NackAttack]

Hey there - can you tell me a bit more about the Etymotics? Do you think they'll pair up nicely with the Yamaha EAD10? I just ordered the monitor.
You don't use these monitors to listen to regular music, right? i.e. they're intended to be used while playing drums in particular?

They should work fine. I use them to listen to music too. Etys just fit the bill for me. I like a flat response and bass that has some punch but never drowns anything else out. They also are great at isolation (I use the 3 flange tips).

You would probably be happy with the cheaper ones mentioned as well.

 

[Silver’n’Smac]

They should work fine. I use them to listen to music too. Etys just fit the bill for me. I like a flat response and bass that has some punch but never drowns anything else out. They also are great at isolation (I use the 3 flange tips).

You would probably be happy with the cheaper ones mentioned as well.

Great, thanks.