Nate Morton Drum Cam 21 - Kit Tour

When I was a high school student attending Oakland Mills High School in Columbia, MA, the drum set I played was often cobbled together from multiple kits, none of the hardware matched, I had a “china” cymbal that was actually a crash that I’d managed to flip inside out, and I played heads and sticks until they broke… thanx to the miracle of duct tape, sometimes longer!
The idea of buying any sort of gear was a long term commitment. I remember one summer, I put a used Tama Iron Cobra double kick pedal on layaway at Veneman’s Music store in Rockville, MA. I think it was $160. For the next several months, I would go there every couple of weeks to visit the pedal and give them just enough money to keep it on layaway… I was playing little local gigs and I would periodically go pay $12 or so… lol… Over the summer, I managed to finally pay for the thing and I was thrilled to have it! I remember those days vividly… Saving for a cymbal was one thing, but then I’d have to save up separately for a stand to put it on… so yes… I would duct tape heads when they broke,… I would duct tape sticks when they cracked… I was thrilled to have ANY gear to play and the idea of having a “spare” anything was ludicrous… a spare crash, or spare snare, or extra heads… HA! Yeah right…
Cut to present day: Every time I step on the drum riser, I look at all the amazing gear I’m fortunate to be surrounded by and I think back to those days. Literally, every single day I think back to those days. Back then, I never imagined being blessed with the personal and professional relationships I have today with my companies. I look at a cymbal boom arm and remember how long I’d have to save to have bought one back then… or when Steevo changes the heads or puts a new pair of sticks on the snare to start a show, I think about what a dream fulfilled that is.
With all of that said, I’m sorry it’s taken so long, but finally, here’s a little kit tour video of the main stage drum set I’m playing on the NBC television show The Voice. I’m thankful for every day that I pinch myself and go, “OUCH! Still me.” lol…
DRUMS:
Pearl Reference Pure, color: California Sunset
24 x 18 kick
22 x 16 aux kick (triggered)
20 x 16 aux kick (triggered)
10 x 8 rack tom
12 x 9 rack tom
13 x 10 rack tom
16 x 16 floor tom
18 x 16 floor tom
14 x 14 floor tom (percussion table)
14 x 6.5 Sensitone Brass (die cast hoops)
12 x 5 Firecracker snare (triggered)
HEADS: Remo
Coated Ambassadors on all snare & tom batters
Clear Ambassadors on all tom bottoms
Hazy Ambassadors on all snare bottoms
CYMBALS: Zildjian (left to right)
18” A Custom Crash
20” Oriental China Trash
19” A Custom Projection Crash
12” K Splash
14” A Custom Hihats
11” K Custom Hybrid Splash
22” K Custom Ride (FAVORITE RIDE CYMBAL EVER!!!)
16” Oriental China Trash / 11” K Custom Hybrid Splash (piggyback)
20” A Custom Crash
19” K Custom Hybrid Crash
20” A Custom China
18” Spiral Trash
PERCUSSION: Pearl Percussion
Tambourine (brass jingles)
El Negro Cowbell
Shaker (Hex Ganza)
Sonic Boom Cajon
ELECTRONICS: Roland
TD-30 Drum Module
PD-108 (x2)
PD-128
BT-1
RT-10T (aux snare trigger)
HARDWARE: Pearl
ICON rack
Eliminator Pedals
LOTS of clamps, boom arms and tom arms
STICKS:
Zildjian ‘Nate Morton’ prototype
MICS & MONITORING:
Sennheiser Mics on all the drums
Kelly SHU Kick Drum mic mounts
Sennheiser Amperior Headphones
ADDITIONAL BIBS & BOBS
Gibraltar WingKey drum key
Cympad synthetic felts
ePad Practice Pads
KickPro bass drum pillow
Big Fat Snare Drum muffles