Building a little kit like this opens SO many doors to gigs you might otherwise not be able to land in quieter settings, plus rocking the kick-snare-hat vibe for a full show really teaches you about your own playing! Love it!
I tried that little Breakbeats kit by Ludwig because I got tired of hauling so much gear. That kit is allowing me to continue playing live gigs despite my age and back issues. If I need more volume or want to adjust the sound I just mike them and run my own mixer setup with a stereo out to the main board.
It's crazy how perfect the timing of this video's release, considering I just set up my tiny-gig-rig for a fundraiser show I'm playing at this Saturday for some dude running for governor. Gig opportunities open up so much when the people running it know that your sound/space won't be an issue. Also, I get asked to bring my small setup more often than a cajon. Please tell me the world is finally deciding to realize that playing on a tree stump of a percussion instrument is acoustically inferior, and not to mention physically taxing, than something with the benefits of being a tunable drum. In small space setups, no one ever really gets right up on you, even if you had a cajon. A setup like like a 16" kick with a few cymbals wouldn't be an issue at any low volume gig, especially paired with a set of Hot Rods and a soft beater. I'm currently rocking a converted Pearl Session Studio 16" floor with a 10" Pearl M-80 snare. Additionally, I have an 8" tom, 12" "floor" tom, a woodblock, cowbell, 19" Sabian Freq Crash being used as a ride/crash hybrid, 10" splash cymbal hats, and a 12" Wuhan splash.
The sound of your kit was so fantastic and inspiring, voters were compelled to vote for this man. Minds changed on the spot. He then goes on to be president of these United States. Sounds Like A Drum is shaping the future of this nation and the world at large in real time.
I used a floor tom conversion kit just last week for the first time at a winery gig and had a positive experience. This was a step up from a few weeks ago using my DIY suitcase bass drum for a cafe gig. Lower volume kits can be a lot of fun. And being a 6'5", my friends appreciated the Chris Farley-esque "Big guy on a little kit." joke.
I’ve always liked the idea of only using a two piece drum kit. You can get so many sounds out of just a single drum, and having a compact kit sorta pushes you to explore those tones and get creative.
Wow, season FOUR?!? Can’t believe we’ve been getting the best drum content on the web for 4 seasons now, I’ve come to really look forward to my SLaD fix. And hey - let’s take a sec and recognize what an AMAZING drummer Cody is! Talk about acquitting yourself well in many different styles, whether it’s jazz, hip hop, rock, blues, jungle, you name it, he always sounds like THAT genre is his specialty. Always done with taste and class and a smile of satisfaction. Legendary. (We didn’t forget you Ben, even if we don’t see your face we know you’re the man behind the scenes making it happen! And we always look forward to seeing you, you’re like the guy on the 90’s sitcom who gets the applause track when you make a special appearance) You guys are family. Thank you both, I know we’ve all come to love and appreciate you.
Instead of the small diameter kick, I prefer shallow bass drums like the 22x6" skinny bass drum 2 pro by Sidekick Drums! That way you can get the low tone you want (with pretty short sustain) while still being compact. Since I'm already going to bring a 22 or 20 cymbal, it doesn’t really change the footprint while hauling my kit. Also no dealing with floor tom conversion risers. And it looks cooler.
I’ve got a DW Mini Pro kit I’ve been using as my main set for the last 3 years. It’s amazing what you can do with that kit with the right heads and tuning. I’ve used it in small bar gigs and restaurants all the way up to large outdoor amphitheaters and national indoor stages and the thing just sounds amazing!!! It’s weird once you get used to the size difference, it just feels like you can fly around the kit!!!
Yes if you play gigs in small bars and cafe's this is perfect. I wish I had a small bass drum when I was doing these type of gigs. Now I have a Pearl rim kit which is great for low volume gigs and good for my apartment living. The Neighbors don't love me even at low volume. But it works.
That Inde cymbal mount is really cool. Would be very handy for gigs when you need an extra cymbal stand. Edit: I bought one, and it's interesting. Because it uses a suspension mount, you get some movement in the cymbal arm that you wouldn't get with a fixed mount. Which lug you replace with it makes a difference: the farther toward 12 o'clock you are, the more up/down bounce you'll get. As you go down the side, you'll get both up/down and lateral vibration. A heavier cymbal accentuates this: my 2100-gram A was way less bouncy than my 3000-gram HH, which scared me a bit. Lighter is better here.
I'm glad you mention "fun" as a reason to play. I've played all kinds of shows, from no-name acts in small local bars to backing up big names on big stages and festivals (as have many musicians, I'm not tooting my own horn. I'm just lucky. Word of mouth and right place right time. Lots of players can smoke me for chops.) Anyways some of the most fun I've had is sitting on a back porch of a bar with just an acoustic guitar and a lightly played kick snare and hats. That drummer has insane dynamic control, but he fit right in there and never overpowered the acoustic guitar or naked voice. We jammed for hours. Didn't leave til daylight. People sitting intimately right beside us, singing along, just having FUN. Reminded me of a bluegrass festival (which I think every music lover should try once, just for the experience and atmosphere.) Despite being an impromptu laid back informal thing, we got great tips and had a blast. It's a great cure when you start getting burned out. Do something stripped down, face to face, and just have fun.
This video saved my day today! I was ready to head to a gig, as I book the taxi, the price was increased by a lot! The return journey would eat up my entire gig fee. :-) So I came here, to get a decent sounding micro kit, I know I can always rely on you for a) good sound b) all the “why” behind choices we make.
Love it! My primary gigging kit is a Sonor Safari. 16" kick, 10" and 14" toms, and a Tama 12x4 CoS snare. Tuned to the very bottom of the range of those drums, and paired with Sabian FRX cymbals, this kit sounds huge while being compact, easy to move/setup/tear down, and considerably quieter than my normal size kit and cymbals. We play rock and country in smaller venues, and this kit just works perfectly in that environment. Sometimes I add moongels to the kit, cymbals included, and sometimes I scale back to kick/snare/hats/crash-ride with a handkerchief on the snare. The flexibility is awesome, they sound great, are fun to play, and when mic'd up, work just as well outdoors or in larger venues. I love big drums, but I've really fallen in love with this kit!!!
Literally sitting here figuring out how to make my floor tom into a bass drum. Thanks for all of the tips, and I'll definitely be getting an Emad for it.
I made one by using 3m marine mounting tape to attach sections of the larger ring from my 20” emad to the inside of a 16” onyx, works well and like half price
I had back surgery in the late 90s and had to stop using a full sized kit for about a year afterward... I purchased one of the Manu Katche hip gig kits with the 16" bass drum and gigged with that. They actually sounded pretty good, except the bass drum. No eMads back in those days... but man it sure took the load off. The whole kit including hardware weighed just 1.5 lbs more than my full-sized Yamaha 22x16 bass drum with its case! I didn't care much for the snare so I used a Pearl 12x7 maple soprano snare that I bought in 1993... still have that little gem too! No issues with playing bushes or getting a good cross stick. Just takes some getting used to, I guess. I took such good care of that kit that I got $850 for it on Craigslist about a month ago. I think I paid $350 with cases back in 1998. Crazy!
One if my fav setups. Played the same size kit this weekend on a gig. Plenty of stage space but the band was very groove based and there wasn't a need for toms.
I have been using a 15x10 53' parade snare with fur goat reso head as a bass drum and a 13" duplex snare. The two are beautiful on stage, the kicker is that I still use my 17 hats and 26 ride, can't help myself! I also got my 'bass' drum lower than Brian Blade's 16" on recordings!
I can say my 16" kick drum is in my main kit, because I use it more than any other. Tho, I drilled a hole on the reso head to give it more bite, so I could extend the pallet of genres.
I play a Mapex Manhattan (18,14,14,12) which my bandmates thought was funny the first time they saw it. When mic'd up in the size venues we play, it sound really good. Used to play with an Odery Fluence Jazz kit. That had an 18x20 undrilled bass drum. Again the sound was amazing for a little kit.
My brain says a 16” bass drum is fine with the right heads (and possibly mics), but my heart always just says no. I’ve found that an 18” bass is about perfect for me. It’s amazing what a difference just two inches can make.
I'd have to agree. An 18" is about as small as I'd go. Thats what my "port-a-kit" has and whenever I've tried to go any smaller than an 18, it just sounds underwhelming to me. But an 18" is so versatile. It can tune up high and sing but also sound huge if you know how to tune. I've had other drummers come up to me after some shows that I had the 18" tuned low and tell me it sounded like a 22"....but yeah...I'm with you. 👊🏻
I call these setups "Steve Jordan" kits as he uses simple setups like uses on many occasions. I saw him do a music awards show with John Mayer with just a Trixon bass drum and what look like an Arbiter "Flats" pancake snare. And one washy crash-y ride cymbal. He sounded so good! I love bringing these types of small kits as I used to play a ton of open mic nights and small bars. (Often in a tight corner of course!) Those gigs were were very fun and the small setup worked great in those cozy rooms. I would use an 18" bass drum as that is my preference. I feel smaller bass drums require too much work to get the low end that I like. My snare would be a mahogany 13" Pearl Omar Hakim model. Or a thin steel 13" Mapex piccolo as well which i could swap out. I used Gibraltar flat based hardware, a high hat, snare stand and two cymbal stands. I like having a separate ride and crash. I use a Zildjian Uptown ride, 13" A custom high hats, and a "16 A custom fast crash.. I bring sticks, Hot Rods, Vater Whips (plastic multi rods) and Regal Tip Fat Cat brushes. I miss those gigs as Covid has stopped all that. One day the local bars will will open up to having indoor live music again and I can get back to it.
I've tried a few small kits like this and played a couple of shows with a 16" kick. I just couldn't get that kick to give me the sound I wanted but after hearing this kick it's probably about how I didn't know how to get that deeper sound. This one sounds really good.
I love my fun size kit. Some thoughts: I personally find that sticking with a 14" snare gives me more versatility, switching to 13" hats to shrink the footprint -- though not the pedal footprint. It probably helps that I have never found a 13" snare that I like, and have found lots of 13" hats that I love. The snare in your video is tuned pretty high, which seems 100% normal for a 13", but I prefer the options that a 14" gives me. Also, I have found (by accident) that a 16" bass drum EMAD head gives me a deeper, less boingy bass drum sound than the ones made for a tom hoop. Something about the broader flesh hoop seems to seat better on the bearing edge of my drum. Super secret tip: it's possible to use a bass drum head with a standard triple flange hoop by putting the hoop on backwards - i.e. the top, outward flange of the rim rests on the flesh hoop, and the rods go in through the back side. As long as your tension rods are long enough, it works great. I did this for the EMAD batter side only on my kit and got a regular tom reso.
I stuck an evans hydraulic head on a cheap 16 inch Westbury Tom and it's honestly a pretty thuddy deep yet tight bass drum when I stick one mic up at small gigs. I ported the front though, keeps that high ping boom down when the air can escape. The bass drum in this kit def sounds too high for my liking. Might get a tad lost in the mix.
I use a Yamaha Manu Katche Junior Kit for getting around town and practice sessions. It’s amazing and super well built. Yamaha really thought this set through, especially the duck foot lift. I wish today’s popular micro sets offered something similar instead of hoop mount lifts.
While we’re in the subject of building little kits, would you be able to do a segment on cocktail drum kits such as the Tama Silverstar Cocktail Jam kit ( which I own & has Evans coated G2 heads or the snare & toms & an Evans Emad head for the kick drum) , the Trixon drum Cocktail kit, and the cocktail kit by DW? I find these kits to be very versatile. These kits can be played standing up or sitting down.
I've played on tiny stages where, whether I was wedged into a corner or not, I couldn't set up a floor tom (and I didn't find out until I got to the gig, so i schlepped the floor tom for nothing). My micro kit is a 16" converted floor tom, 10" or 12" hi-hats, 20" ride, 10" snare, and if necessary, a tom of some sort, either in front or to the right, suspended from the cymbal stand (which unfortunately would mean the stand can't be ultralight). I'd say a 12" snare and maybe a 19" ride are the ideal micro kit sizes for me, but I don't own those yet.
Appreciate the content! I’m slowly piecing a kit like this together, with a bass drum and floor Tom from a relatively nice child’s kit. I was wondering about the hi hat cymbal and snare size but sounds like it doesn’t matter all that much.
Personally, I'm more of a rock/metal/punk drummer in general, but I also play in a band where we play songs for private parties and events (to make people dance, basically) and I once thought of getting a conversion kit to use my 16" floor tom as a bass drum, just for the fun of having an ultra compact kit!
My live drummer for my solo electronic hardcore project plays a cool, small conversion kit that he ALSO uses in grindcore and jazzy rock bands. I've played that kit a few times and can tell you-- if you convert a kit it'll work for just about any genre that you throw at it.
That looks like an amazingly fun kit to play. I have a second 16" floor I've considered using as a really deep effects drum (essentially a left handed "bass drum"). I may reconsider and build a small practice kit. Great ideas on your channel as well as great playing....and the SOUND is fantastic!
This appeared to be a very hot topic! I am not suprised because many of us play often in very small venues and big kit is often overpowering. I have 24"bass drum vintage Ludwig set, but I also have 18" CataClub Jazz, had 16"Premier kit I've gave away and recently often use cajon setup(with pedal, snare cajon and two cymbals) and each of this sets have their own flavoure.For example cajon kit sounds best in acoustic guitar setup and small drum kit won't sound so good in this situation. Maybe it's the "Wood" thing😉
Been using the *Pearl Jungle Jig floor tom to bass drum converter* with the *BT-3 tom mount* for the past 9 years, with my 14 inch floor tom. Works like a charm.
I know I'm seven months late but I really liked that sample playing at the end there! sounds dope! I'm gonna try a setup like this now, maybe I can save on gas and use public transit for some gigs 😅
Cocktail kits are often an unsung and underappreciated form factor too for compact setups! Only concession is adapting to balancing yourself standing up and playing the kick pedal, and any fatigue in the legs during the gig.. I know from experience! While I have a beautiful Ludwig Classic Maple kit, I have been recently using my DW Frequent Flyer on all gigs large and small. The 20x12 kick on that thing packs a huge punch! In the video it's mentioned about super lightweight thrones.. anyone know what's a good one on the market available today that isn't a flat pancake? Often the throne top isn't the contributing weight but rather the base! I love my Roc n Soc but it's a bit heavy.
Nice sound. A brazilian surdo is a good chice, a brazilian Zabumba also...the wood ones... i use one...is a bit shorter than the usual floor toms... 16x14 but works just fine to those gig's where the space can be a bit of a problem. Just stick some legs on it, a riser and done. cheap, compact, light and with a good sound... and do not let those small drums fool you, they can be loud.
WE as drummers moved away from two drums around 100 years ago. I think if I had to slim down this much, I would go with a cocktail kit or just percussion
Just as i’ve sold off any micro setup I had from COVID lockdown, you come and make a perfect case for minimal setups! It does make a lot of sense to have such a small setup that you’re still happy with, so it’s a real option when you get that gig and public transport is the only transport (a likely reality where I live). I just struggle with a 16 inch bass drum. I’d want minimum 18, and ideally a 20 inch one. I don’t want a “tenor bass drum”. :-). Some companies do 18 inch bass drums that are quite shallow, so that might be an option? I know a 20 inch one on a Friday night on public transport will make for angry fellow passengers.
Lots of Berklee students on the T- hopefully not too weird! As for selling your micro gear, COVID gave me a chance to play outside a bit. The micro kit was great for that!
16x16 export tom, 13x11, 13x3. Been rocking this setup for years. Check it out live! th-cam.com/video/Ba0i7FNwdlQ/w-d-xo.html Never any drama with rogue bass overtones or fitting on tight stages. Not to mention transportation. I'll never go back.
Fantastically useful once again! You seem to regularly choose subjects that assimilate with my projects.... Did you use a specific hoop for your 16" emad? My T-Fl' Premier hoop won't fit the emad that arrived today. Frustrating!. Are there two types of emad, one for T-Fl' hoops, and one for wooden hoops with claws?
Anyone got any tips for specific lightweight thrones? Trying to find a middle ground between 'built like a tank' and 'won't hold me up when I move around.'
I'm also looking for a lightweight alternative. I really don't want to sit on anything other than my Roc N Soc but I really am getting tired of my throne weighing almost as much as all of the other hardware in my downsized kit combined.
I use a Pearl D930 base with a Roc n Soc seat. I'm a big guy and it hasn't failed. I did put an extra memory lock on it to minimize any possible slippage. Been using it for 3 years on gigs with no issues
@@weschilton I only have experience with the 18x22 so I don't know personally but I thought that was the rule of thumb. If they're bigger in diameter then their louder and more boomy
@@johncole4882 I have a many bass drums, 18, 16 and 14x22, 14x26, 16x18, 14x18 and this 16x16... and for some reason the 16x16 just doesn't get that kick drum depth and punch. The EMads help these days, but it will always be a small drum. Mics and EQ help a lot, but in the end its physics. You just aren't moving the air.
@@weschilton wow man that's intense. How did the different depths change the sound of the 22"? Personally I was thinking about a 18 or 16x20 myself. I feel like 20" is the sweet spot but when it comes to different depths... I'm, out of my depth.
![“Fixing” Your Snare Sound [Step by Step] | Season Five, Episode 40](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/xosBfmxmm40/mqdefault.jpg)
Building a little kit like this opens SO many doors to gigs you might otherwise not be able to land in quieter settings, plus rocking the kick-snare-hat vibe for a full show really teaches you about your own playing! Love it!
Totally, it can really test your creativity and musicality. Less is more.
I gigged almost exclusively with a 16” kick for two years and it was magnificent
@@davidperez5089 well sometimes.... but not when it comes to bass drums. ;)
@@weschilton right right, nothing like a 22 or 20 inchet. Never had a 24" meself.
I tried that little Breakbeats kit by Ludwig because I got tired of hauling so much gear. That kit is allowing me to continue playing live gigs despite my age and back issues. If I need more volume or want to adjust the sound I just mike them and run my own mixer setup with a stereo out to the main board.
That's awesome, glad you can continue to play and work.
It's crazy how perfect the timing of this video's release, considering I just set up my tiny-gig-rig for a fundraiser show I'm playing at this Saturday for some dude running for governor. Gig opportunities open up so much when the people running it know that your sound/space won't be an issue. Also, I get asked to bring my small setup more often than a cajon. Please tell me the world is finally deciding to realize that playing on a tree stump of a percussion instrument is acoustically inferior, and not to mention physically taxing, than something with the benefits of being a tunable drum. In small space setups, no one ever really gets right up on you, even if you had a cajon. A setup like like a 16" kick with a few cymbals wouldn't be an issue at any low volume gig, especially paired with a set of Hot Rods and a soft beater.
I'm currently rocking a converted Pearl Session Studio 16" floor with a 10" Pearl M-80 snare. Additionally, I have an 8" tom, 12" "floor" tom, a woodblock, cowbell, 19" Sabian Freq Crash being used as a ride/crash hybrid, 10" splash cymbal hats, and a 12" Wuhan splash.
The sound of your kit was so fantastic and inspiring, voters were compelled to vote for this man. Minds changed on the spot. He then goes on to be president of these United States. Sounds Like A Drum is shaping the future of this nation and the world at large in real time.
I used a floor tom conversion kit just last week for the first time at a winery gig and had a positive experience. This was a step up from a few weeks ago using my DIY suitcase bass drum for a cafe gig. Lower volume kits can be a lot of fun. And being a 6'5", my friends appreciated the Chris Farley-esque "Big guy on a little kit." joke.
I’ve always liked the idea of only using a two piece drum kit. You can get so many sounds out of just a single drum, and having a compact kit sorta pushes you to explore those tones and get creative.
Wow, season FOUR?!? Can’t believe we’ve been getting the best drum content on the web for 4 seasons now, I’ve come to really look forward to my SLaD fix. And hey - let’s take a sec and recognize what an AMAZING drummer Cody is! Talk about acquitting yourself well in many different styles, whether it’s jazz, hip hop, rock, blues, jungle, you name it, he always sounds like THAT genre is his specialty. Always done with taste and class and a smile of satisfaction. Legendary. (We didn’t forget you Ben, even if we don’t see your face we know you’re the man behind the scenes making it happen! And we always look forward to seeing you, you’re like the guy on the 90’s sitcom who gets the applause track when you make a special appearance) You guys are family. Thank you both, I know we’ve all come to love and appreciate you.
TAMA Club Jam Flyer , PDP 700 hihat stand, 10" Wuhan hihat cymbals, cheap Meinl 20" ride, drilled with holes and bolts used for sizzle.
Instead of the small diameter kick, I prefer shallow bass drums like the 22x6" skinny bass drum 2 pro by Sidekick Drums! That way you can get the low tone you want (with pretty short sustain) while still being compact. Since I'm already going to bring a 22 or 20 cymbal, it doesn’t really change the footprint while hauling my kit. Also no dealing with floor tom conversion risers. And it looks cooler.
What size carrying bag do you use? It seems like you would just carry the drum vertically, similar to a deep cymbal bag.
I’ve got a DW Mini Pro kit I’ve been using as my main set for the last 3 years. It’s amazing what you can do with that kit with the right heads and tuning. I’ve used it in small bar gigs and restaurants all the way up to large outdoor amphitheaters and national indoor stages and the thing just sounds amazing!!! It’s weird once you get used to the size difference, it just feels like you can fly around the kit!!!
Yes if you play gigs in small bars and cafe's this is perfect. I wish I had a small bass drum when I was doing these type of gigs. Now I have a Pearl rim kit which is great for low volume gigs and good for my apartment living. The Neighbors don't love me even at low volume. But it works.
That Inde cymbal mount is really cool. Would be very handy for gigs when you need an extra cymbal stand.
Edit: I bought one, and it's interesting. Because it uses a suspension mount, you get some movement in the cymbal arm that you wouldn't get with a fixed mount. Which lug you replace with it makes a difference: the farther toward 12 o'clock you are, the more up/down bounce you'll get. As you go down the side, you'll get both up/down and lateral vibration. A heavier cymbal accentuates this: my 2100-gram A was way less bouncy than my 3000-gram HH, which scared me a bit. Lighter is better here.
That's good information, thanks hoss.
I'm glad you mention "fun" as a reason to play.
I've played all kinds of shows, from no-name acts in small local bars to backing up big names on big stages and festivals (as have many musicians, I'm not tooting my own horn. I'm just lucky. Word of mouth and right place right time. Lots of players can smoke me for chops.)
Anyways some of the most fun I've had is sitting on a back porch of a bar with just an acoustic guitar and a lightly played kick snare and hats. That drummer has insane dynamic control, but he fit right in there and never overpowered the acoustic guitar or naked voice. We jammed for hours. Didn't leave til daylight. People sitting intimately right beside us, singing along, just having FUN. Reminded me of a bluegrass festival (which I think every music lover should try once, just for the experience and atmosphere.) Despite being an impromptu laid back informal thing, we got great tips and had a blast.
It's a great cure when you start getting burned out. Do something stripped down, face to face, and just have fun.
This video saved my day today! I was ready to head to a gig, as I book the taxi, the price was increased by a lot! The return journey would eat up my entire gig fee. :-) So I came here, to get a decent sounding micro kit, I know I can always rely on you for a) good sound b) all the “why” behind choices we make.
Hi Cody, since you mention portability and public transport friendliness, would you consider to do an episode on various nesting kits?
Now that COVID is behind us (mostly), it'd be cool to see a gig episode or two!
Love it! My primary gigging kit is a Sonor Safari. 16" kick, 10" and 14" toms, and a Tama 12x4 CoS snare. Tuned to the very bottom of the range of those drums, and paired with Sabian FRX cymbals, this kit sounds huge while being compact, easy to move/setup/tear down, and considerably quieter than my normal size kit and cymbals.
We play rock and country in smaller venues, and this kit just works perfectly in that environment. Sometimes I add moongels to the kit, cymbals included, and sometimes I scale back to kick/snare/hats/crash-ride with a handkerchief on the snare. The flexibility is awesome, they sound great, are fun to play, and when mic'd up, work just as well outdoors or in larger venues.
I love big drums, but I've really fallen in love with this kit!!!
Yes!! I've been very into this idea! Found a 16" kids bass drum and I'm modding it to be more playable (riser & adding some kind of spurs).
Same here...I stomp into a brazilian zabumba...basic the same but no legs... i just stick some legs and a riser and is done. Very good indeed.
I loved Harry Miree's video all about this: Dude, what if I don't want to play Cajon, dude?
Literally sitting here figuring out how to make my floor tom into a bass drum. Thanks for all of the tips, and I'll definitely be getting an Emad for it.
I made one by using 3m marine mounting tape to attach sections of the larger ring from my 20” emad to the inside of a 16” onyx, works well and like half price
Pearl Midtown drummer here!
I had back surgery in the late 90s and had to stop using a full sized kit for about a year afterward... I purchased one of the Manu Katche hip gig kits with the 16" bass drum and gigged with that. They actually sounded pretty good, except the bass drum. No eMads back in those days... but man it sure took the load off. The whole kit including hardware weighed just 1.5 lbs more than my full-sized Yamaha 22x16 bass drum with its case!
I didn't care much for the snare so I used a Pearl 12x7 maple soprano snare that I bought in 1993... still have that little gem too! No issues with playing bushes or getting a good cross stick. Just takes some getting used to, I guess.
I took such good care of that kit that I got $850 for it on Craigslist about a month ago. I think I paid $350 with cases back in 1998. Crazy!
You said that you've use a case for a "surdo". Well, that's how we, brazilians, call the floor tom. hahaha.
One if my fav setups. Played the same size kit this weekend on a gig. Plenty of stage space but the band was very groove based and there wasn't a need for toms.
I have been using a 15x10 53' parade snare with fur goat reso head as a bass drum and a 13" duplex snare. The two are beautiful on stage, the kicker is that I still use my 17 hats and 26 ride, can't help myself! I also got my 'bass' drum lower than Brian Blade's 16" on recordings!
I can say my 16" kick drum is in my main kit, because I use it more than any other. Tho, I drilled a hole on the reso head to give it more bite, so I could extend the pallet of genres.
I have a cheap CB kick and floor tom I cut in half to keep in my trunk, and a little $40 piccolo snare in there too
I have a neat early version (1996) Sonor Jungle kit with the rare folding cymbal boom. Good sound and it all fits in the back of a sub compact car.
First! 16" bass drums are my go-to so I couldn't resist jumping in.
I play a Mapex Manhattan (18,14,14,12) which my bandmates thought was funny the first time they saw it. When mic'd up in the size venues we play, it sound really good. Used to play with an Odery Fluence Jazz kit. That had an 18x20 undrilled bass drum. Again the sound was amazing for a little kit.
My brain says a 16” bass drum is fine with the right heads (and possibly mics), but my heart always just says no. I’ve found that an 18” bass is about perfect for me. It’s amazing what a difference just two inches can make.
That's what she said
I'd have to agree. An 18" is about as small as I'd go. Thats what my "port-a-kit" has and whenever I've tried to go any smaller than an 18, it just sounds underwhelming to me. But an 18" is so versatile. It can tune up high and sing but also sound huge if you know how to tune. I've had other drummers come up to me after some shows that I had the 18" tuned low and tell me it sounded like a 22"....but yeah...I'm with you. 👊🏻
I call these setups "Steve Jordan" kits as he uses simple setups like uses on many occasions. I saw him do a music awards show with John Mayer with just a Trixon bass drum and what look like an Arbiter "Flats" pancake snare. And one washy crash-y ride cymbal. He sounded so good! I love bringing these types of small kits as I used to play a ton of open mic nights and small bars. (Often in a tight corner of course!) Those gigs were were very fun and the small setup worked great in those cozy rooms. I would use an 18" bass drum as that is my preference. I feel smaller bass drums require too much work to get the low end that I like. My snare would be a mahogany 13" Pearl Omar Hakim model. Or a thin steel 13" Mapex piccolo as well which i could swap out. I used Gibraltar flat based hardware, a high hat, snare stand and two cymbal stands. I like having a separate ride and crash. I use a Zildjian Uptown ride, 13" A custom high hats, and a "16 A custom fast crash.. I bring sticks, Hot Rods, Vater Whips (plastic multi rods) and Regal Tip Fat Cat brushes. I miss those gigs as Covid has stopped all that. One day the local bars will will open up to having indoor live music again and I can get back to it.
Thank you for your service and info Iam down sizing to kit like your talking about I believe when it get down to how use it cheers
I've tried a few small kits like this and played a couple of shows with a 16" kick. I just couldn't get that kick to give me the sound I wanted but after hearing this kick it's probably about how I didn't know how to get that deeper sound. This one sounds really good.
I love my fun size kit. Some thoughts: I personally find that sticking with a 14" snare gives me more versatility, switching to 13" hats to shrink the footprint -- though not the pedal footprint. It probably helps that I have never found a 13" snare that I like, and have found lots of 13" hats that I love. The snare in your video is tuned pretty high, which seems 100% normal for a 13", but I prefer the options that a 14" gives me.
Also, I have found (by accident) that a 16" bass drum EMAD head gives me a deeper, less boingy bass drum sound than the ones made for a tom hoop. Something about the broader flesh hoop seems to seat better on the bearing edge of my drum. Super secret tip: it's possible to use a bass drum head with a standard triple flange hoop by putting the hoop on backwards - i.e. the top, outward flange of the rim rests on the flesh hoop, and the rods go in through the back side. As long as your tension rods are long enough, it works great. I did this for the EMAD batter side only on my kit and got a regular tom reso.
Love my micro bop kit I made using a converted 16" floor tom for the kick
I stuck an evans hydraulic head on a cheap 16 inch Westbury Tom and it's honestly a pretty thuddy deep yet tight bass drum when I stick one mic up at small gigs. I ported the front though, keeps that high ping boom down when the air can escape. The bass drum in this kit def sounds too high for my liking. Might get a tad lost in the mix.
I use a Yamaha Manu Katche Junior Kit for getting around town and practice sessions. It’s amazing and super well built. Yamaha really thought this set through, especially the duck foot lift. I wish today’s popular micro sets offered something similar instead of hoop mount lifts.
While we’re in the subject of building little kits, would you be able to do a segment on cocktail drum kits such as the Tama Silverstar Cocktail Jam kit ( which I own & has Evans coated G2 heads or the snare & toms & an Evans Emad head for the kick drum) , the Trixon drum Cocktail kit, and the cocktail kit by DW? I find these kits to be very versatile. These kits can be played standing up or sitting down.
Keep an eye out for some about this later this year…
@@SoundsLikeADrum Thank you. I will. I feel like cocktail kits are underrated & unappreciated.
I've played on tiny stages where, whether I was wedged into a corner or not, I couldn't set up a floor tom (and I didn't find out until I got to the gig, so i schlepped the floor tom for nothing). My micro kit is a 16" converted floor tom, 10" or 12" hi-hats, 20" ride, 10" snare, and if necessary, a tom of some sort, either in front or to the right, suspended from the cymbal stand (which unfortunately would mean the stand can't be ultralight). I'd say a 12" snare and maybe a 19" ride are the ideal micro kit sizes for me, but I don't own those yet.
Appreciate the content! I’m slowly piecing a kit like this together, with a bass drum and floor Tom from a relatively nice child’s kit. I was wondering about the hi hat cymbal and snare size but sounds like it doesn’t matter all that much.
Personally, I'm more of a rock/metal/punk drummer in general, but I also play in a band where we play songs for private parties and events (to make people dance, basically) and I once thought of getting a conversion kit to use my 16" floor tom as a bass drum, just for the fun of having an ultra compact kit!
My live drummer for my solo electronic hardcore project plays a cool, small conversion kit that he ALSO uses in grindcore and jazzy rock bands. I've played that kit a few times and can tell you-- if you convert a kit it'll work for just about any genre that you throw at it.
That looks like an amazingly fun kit to play. I have a second 16" floor I've considered using as a really deep effects drum (essentially a left handed "bass drum"). I may reconsider and build a small practice kit. Great ideas on your channel as well as great playing....and the SOUND is fantastic!
Great info sounds great your snare are sounding great. Whit the bassdrum
This is exciting
This appeared to be a very hot topic! I am not suprised because many of us play often in very small venues and big kit is often overpowering. I have 24"bass drum vintage Ludwig set, but I also have 18" CataClub Jazz, had 16"Premier kit I've gave away and recently often use cajon setup(with pedal, snare cajon and two cymbals) and each of this sets have their own flavoure.For example cajon kit sounds best in acoustic guitar setup and small drum kit won't sound so good in this situation. Maybe it's the "Wood" thing😉
...and not just any snare but a Craviotto Snare Drum! Saweet
Been using the *Pearl Jungle Jig floor tom to bass drum converter* with the *BT-3 tom mount* for the past 9 years, with my 14 inch floor tom. Works like a charm.
Any tips or tricks for the tuning and heads for a 14 inch bass drum?
Speaking about small bassdrums, check out Steve Jordan’s ‘cigar box’ kick! So awesome!
Nice video. Well done.
I know I'm seven months late but I really liked that sample playing at the end there! sounds dope! I'm gonna try a setup like this now, maybe I can save on gas and use public transit for some gigs 😅
I own a Yamaha Manu Katche hipgig jr kit that I’ve had from new. I’ve used it on everything, and had several compliments on the sound.
Is that small kit still available?
@@houckbill hi yes they still make it. Comes with an extra tom as well now.
Fantastic video !
Did you know DW makes a 15” hi hat rod? Seems like you got a lot more than you need
I subscribe to the idea that more is better 😁
But I don't tear my kit down much
Still watched this video cause I always learn something from you
Cocktail kits are often an unsung and underappreciated form factor too for compact setups! Only concession is adapting to balancing yourself standing up and playing the kick pedal, and any fatigue in the legs during the gig.. I know from experience! While I have a beautiful Ludwig Classic Maple kit, I have been recently using my DW Frequent Flyer on all gigs large and small. The 20x12 kick on that thing packs a huge punch!
In the video it's mentioned about super lightweight thrones.. anyone know what's a good one on the market available today that isn't a flat pancake? Often the throne top isn't the contributing weight but rather the base! I love my Roc n Soc but it's a bit heavy.
Nice sound. A brazilian surdo is a good chice, a brazilian Zabumba also...the wood ones... i use one...is a bit shorter than the usual floor toms... 16x14 but works just fine to those gig's where the space can be a bit of a problem. Just stick some legs on it, a riser and done. cheap, compact, light and with a good sound... and do not let those small drums fool you, they can be loud.
WE as drummers moved away from two drums around 100 years ago. I think if I had to slim down this much, I would go with a cocktail kit or just percussion
Just as i’ve sold off any micro setup I had from COVID lockdown, you come and make a perfect case for minimal setups! It does make a lot of sense to have such a small setup that you’re still happy with, so it’s a real option when you get that gig and public transport is the only transport (a likely reality where I live). I just struggle with a 16 inch bass drum. I’d want minimum 18, and ideally a 20 inch one. I don’t want a “tenor bass drum”. :-). Some companies do 18 inch bass drums that are quite shallow, so that might be an option? I know a 20 inch one on a Friday night on public transport will make for angry fellow passengers.
I have taken a 22x16 on the Boston T with me a few times back in the 80s! I got a lot of weird looks.... but hey try being an upright bassist! ;)
Lots of Berklee students on the T- hopefully not too weird! As for selling your micro gear, COVID gave me a chance to play outside a bit. The micro kit was great for that!
Hi again..what heads both batter & reso sides would you recommend for a 14" x 10" bass drum ?.any advice & info much appreciated cheers 🥁
Try Moongels on bass drum batters and on the underside of rides.
any advice for really small snares? I find that even when tuned properly, 10" snares just don't have enough wire sound to feel right as a main snare
16x16 export tom, 13x11, 13x3. Been rocking this setup for years. Check it out live!
th-cam.com/video/Ba0i7FNwdlQ/w-d-xo.html
Never any drama with rogue bass overtones or fitting on tight stages. Not to mention transportation. I'll never go back.
Fantastically useful once again! You seem to regularly choose subjects that assimilate with my projects.... Did you use a specific hoop for your 16" emad? My T-Fl' Premier hoop won't fit the emad that arrived today. Frustrating!. Are there two types of emad, one for T-Fl' hoops, and one for wooden hoops with claws?
You probably already got the answer but yes, two different EMAD depends on rim type
Anyone got any tips for specific lightweight thrones? Trying to find a middle ground between 'built like a tank' and 'won't hold me up when I move around.'
I'm also looking for a lightweight alternative. I really don't want to sit on anything other than my Roc N Soc but I really am getting tired of my throne weighing almost as much as all of the other hardware in my downsized kit combined.
I use a Pearl D930 base with a Roc n Soc seat. I'm a big guy and it hasn't failed. I did put an extra memory lock on it to minimize any possible slippage. Been using it for 3 years on gigs with no issues
Tama has a good sturdy lightweight I have my eye on. about $200- keep your old chair top and see if it fits too. Back up for the dicey gigs!
It's crazy how much low end you get with smaller size bass drums
Having owned one for more than 25 years, its amazing how much you DON'T get. LOL... I have to say the Emad does all the work. That and mics.
@@weschilton I only have experience with the 18x22 so I don't know personally but I thought that was the rule of thumb. If they're bigger in diameter then their louder and more boomy
@@johncole4882 I have a many bass drums, 18, 16 and 14x22, 14x26, 16x18, 14x18 and this 16x16... and for some reason the 16x16 just doesn't get that kick drum depth and punch. The EMads help these days, but it will always be a small drum.
Mics and EQ help a lot, but in the end its physics. You just aren't moving the air.
@@weschilton wow man that's intense. How did the different depths change the sound of the 22"? Personally I was thinking about a 18 or 16x20 myself. I feel like 20" is the sweet spot but when it comes to different depths... I'm, out of my depth.
Been playing gigs with small bass and mixed percussion for years...part of the reason I moved to AQ2s when it was time for an upgrade
😎👍💗🇺🇸 🥁🔥🎼 💣🔊))CRAVIOTTO!!!
Hey Cody, you should try doing your hair in a top knot. It would like sick. Great vid!