Boom Drum

Slipknot’s Joey Jordison Now Touring with Rob Zombie

It was announced this month that Tommy Clufetos has been replaced by Slipknot member Joey Jordison as Rob Zombie’s new touring drummer. Joey has signed on to do a handful of 2010 dates/tours with Zombie including the “Gruesome Twosome” tour with Alice Cooper, and the Rockstar Energy Drink Mayhem Festival with Korn. Thus far, no word has been given on the reason for the switch, or whether its permanent. Click HERE for a full article on the matter.

Tommy Clufetos has been the touring drummer for Rob Zombie for several years, and has been featured on a few Zombie records including Educated Horses, Zombie Live, and Hellbilly Delux 2. Tommy has also played with legendary guitarist Ted Nugent (and was featured on his Full Bluntal Nugety DVD, Craveman, and Love Grenade records) and Alice Cooper (with whom he recorded the record Dirty Diamonds.) Tommy is an awesome drummer, and a showman himself. He inspires energy and intensity with his signature hand raise before every backbeat. He’s a solid, hard hitting drummer, and was an amazing part of the live Zombie foundation. Click HERE to be linked to Tommy’s website to learn more about him. Now enjoy a couple of videos of Tommy doing his thing!

The Different Types of Beaters and Their Applications

There are about a million different types of bass drum beaters out there. They come in just about every color, shape, and composition you can imagine. There are a few standard materials that the vast majority of beaters are made out of, so let’s explore the options, and take a look at the differences between them.

The most common materials used to make bass drum beaters are hardened rubber/hard plastic, felt, and wood. Other materials you may see include acrylic, foam rubber, metal, and even skateboard wheels. The type of beater I use depends on the style of music I am playing. Most of my gigs are in either the pop/alternative rock, or singer songwriter vein, so I find that hard rubber, and hard felt cover just about everything I do.

The type of beater you use (in my opinion) is determined by the amount of attack you want out of your kick drum. The harder the beater, the more attack you will get, the softer the beater, the less attack and more tone you will get. Other factors such as shape, and weight will also affect the sound, so below I have listed different types of beaters, and their features.

Hard Rubber/Plastic

Hard rubber/Plastic (I grouped these together as they are very similar) is, from what I have observed, one of the most widely used beater types. This is my favorite beater type, as it gives me an excellent balance between attack and tone. For the majority of the music I play, I like to achieve a lot of attack, and enough low end to punch through the mix, and this gives me just that. Most plastic beaters are two sided (or more) and also have a hard/pressed felt side to give the player multiple options. I will cover multiple sided beaters separately later in the post.

Felt

Felt beaters are also extremely popular, and will also give the player a decent amount of attack versus tone. For this category I will only cover hard/pressed felt, and cover all of the softer, more fluffy beaters later. This beater will give you a nice resonance with a more delicate slap. I use the felt side of my beater for softer singer songwriter stuff, or more folky music in general to give the kick drum a nice presence, but not an overpowering boom. It allows me to be more subtle, when the drums are not supposed to be up front. These beaters are also great for jazz, and country.

Wood

Wood is a less popular, but still widely acknowledged beater material. I have not had much experience playing wood beaters, but I know that they give you a huge sound, with lots of attack. They are heavy, and allow the player to kick extremely hard, while the hard wood surface gives you that powerful “slap” that most rock/metal drummers love.

Multiple Sided

These beaters are available in many different combinations, and made by many different companies. They are great for the player who needs many options available to them, because they save having to buy, and change out multiple beaters for every gig. The most common multiple sided beater is the aforementioned two sided hard plastic/felt beater. Lets focus on some less common options. Mapex makes a great three sided beater consisting of wood, plastic, and felt. This gives you the best of every world, and allows you to cover most styles of music with one beater. Pearl makes a 4 sided beater that is similar to the two sided felt/plastic beater, but also gives you a curved, and flat side for each. The curvature of the pedal surface also makes a difference in the sound.

Longhaired/Fluffy

Longhaired beaters can give you an amazing sound in the right situation. They are fantastic for jazz, and when paired with a properly tuned 18″ or 20″ kick drum, can give you that ideal “bump” you need for swing. They obviously give you almost no attack, and all tone, so tuning is especially important here. These beaters can make a great bass drum sound phenomenal, and sing the way its supposed to. They are also essential for cajon playing (if you play with an internal or external pedal) as they will not damage the plate, and give you a nice “thud.” One company that has some cool options for these beaters is Danmar (linked HERE) They also make great wood, and decorative beaters, so definitely go check out their site.

Everything Else

There are a few other options for bass drum beaters that are predominantly decorative. These beaters are mainly just for looking good, so sound can be secondary here. I’m sure that they will still give you a decent sound, as most of them are made from acrylic, metal, or foam, and will be similar to plastic, or felt. Once again Danmar Percussion makes some awesome decorative beaters, so look to them if this is your thing.

Which One is Better, and Why?

So which stick is better, wood tip or nylon tip? I recently realized that I had never honestly asked myself this question. I used to be an avid, and devout wood tip user. I had simply never wandered into the nylon tip realm, and was fine with that. My Vater 5B Wood Tips have always worked for me, and given me a great sound, so I never considered that nylon tip could be any better. Of course, as with any other product, it comes down to personal preference. People are going to play what they are comfortable playing, but this is not to say that one can’t explore the benefits of both, and make them interchangeable.

I recently booked a session, and in the conversation I was having with the producer, he requested that I bring a few pairs of nylon tip sticks. when I asked why, he said he likes the way they record better than wood tips for certain things. I went out, and purchased a few pairs of Vater 5B Nylon tips, not thinking it would make a big difference in the sound or feel of the recording. I was shocked at the difference I noticed. The stick definition was outstanding, and consistency between strokes was very easily achievable. Below I have listed a few differences between the two stick types, and a few application recommendations I have come up with over the course of using both of them for various situations.

Wood Tip

Wood tips tend to be more delicate than nylon. They give you a much warmer, and more earthy tone making them great for jazz, singer songwriter stuff, or anything else you don’t need the punch of a loud backbeat and cutting ride for. They can definitely darken up your sound for anything you want to add a more dirty, gritty vibe to. Some complaints of wood tips is that they are much more fragile than nylon. It can be annoying when tiny pieces of the tip break off, completely deadening that part of the stick. This can definitely effect your sound, and create inconsistencies between strokes. This is not to say they aren’t great for loud, heavy playing, but you will go through them much faster than nylon. If you play wood tips, try exploring the different types of wood available out there. Most sticks are available in either Hickory, and Maple woods, but other woods such as Japanese Oak, and Rosewood are used as well. Each one of these woods has a different weight, and balance structure, and will give you an entirely different sound, so explore them and see what works for you.

Nylon Tip

Nylon tips, above all, are durable. They last extremely long, which makes them great for touring, especially if your not endorsed. The tips have been known to break off, but they will not gradually chip away like a wood tip. They give you a much brighter, more tinny sound making them great for any type of rock, pop, or metal drumming. Some complaints of nylons is that they leave marks on your cymbals, and even break cymbals faster than wood tips. Some also say that they dent, and wear out heads faster (I tend to believe that this is more a result of how you hit the drum) ultimately costing you more money. Also now in the nylon tip family is the entirely synthetic drumstick. Drum stick company Ahead, has released a synthetic drumstick with a plastic tip. They are geared toward metal drumming, but having never played them, I can’t comment on them.

A Few Options For Preserving Your Most Precious Asset

There is no doubt that acoustic drums are extremely loud. If you want to have any kind of longevity as a musician, you absolutely need to protect your hearing. Fortunately there are many options for doing just that these days. Earplugs have evolved over time, and now come in a variety of different shapes, colors, and styles. I have listed a few of those below.

Standard Foam

Foam earplugs are probably the most tried and true of all of the models of earplugs that are available out there. They provide more than sufficient hearing protection in most musical situations. I keep a huge bag of these with me at all times, no matter what I am doing. You can get some huge boxes of these at Home Depot if your in the market for an economy pack.

Plastic with Hole

This style of plug can be great for certain things due to the level of noise that they let in. They come hollowed out in the middle, thereby only blocking a portion of the sound. This can be good for really quiet playing, or on gigs where you need to be extra conscious of dynamics.

Attached Plastic/Foam

This is just a standard set of plastic or foam plugs that is attached by a cord. It’s the same level of hearing protection, but much easier to keep track of.

Vic Firth Cans

These come either with the headphone option, or without. The headphones can be great for recording, as they block just the right amount of sound when in the studio, and are comfortable enough to wear for long sessions. These cans are fairly inexpensive, and durable, making them a solid investment for any drummer.

Custom Plugs/Monitors

If you have the money, this is the best way to protect your hearing. There are a few companies that make custom molded ear plugs, and in ear monitors. I purchased my in ears from a company called In Ear Systems. I have taken them on the road, and regularly use them for multiple artists I trigger backing tracks for, and they have always worked great for me. Their in ears come with a detachable cable feature, so you only have to buy a new cable if yours breaks, and not a whole new set of monitors. I have linked their site HERE so go check them out if you are in the market.

All the Pieces of My Personal Cajon Setup Revealed, and Broken Down

I recently received an inquiry about my personal cajon setup. I was asked to explain all of the pieces of my “cajon kit,” so this post will address exactly that. I must apologize for not being more prompt about this post, the last few days were unexpectedly crazy!

In the last few months, I have had to expand my cajon setup to accommodate new artists, and some bigger venues. It’s been a blast for me to tinker around with new, interesting pieces, and come up with some rather unconventional parts in order to replicate recorded sounds. Below I will take you through each piece, and tell you what exactly I use it for.

Bird’s Eye View of my (Mostly) Complete Cajon Setup

This is, for the most part, my whole cajon kit. It includes:

1. Meinl Cajon
2. Rhythm Tech Mountable Tambourine
3. LP Egg Shaker
4. Zildjian 20″ K Constantinople Flat Ride with “Poor Man’s Sizzle” (For more info on this please refer to this post)
5. Throne
6. LP Softshake
7. Vic Firth Brushes
8. Regal Tip Wood Handle Blast Sticks (With Plastic Rods)

1) Meinl Cajon

This is the centerpiece of the whole kit. This is my bass drum and snare drum tones, and throne.

2) Rhythm Tech Mountable Tambourine

This tambourine stays under my left foot on my cajon kit. I add it to certain sections of songs (usually choruses and sometimes bridges) to lift the dynamic feel of that section. It’s pivotal in separating quiet parts from loud parts, and can really bring emphasis to sections that need it. I treat it much like bouncing a hi-hat, as I typically add it only under the backbeat, or keep a quarter, or 8th note pulse with it through an entire section.

3) LP Egg Shaker

I have found a fairly unconventional way of adding an extra shaker part to certain sections, and that is by rolling an LP Egg back and forth on the ground under my right foot. I like the dynamic response and feel of an egg shaker for this purpose. I feel it brings up the volume and textural thickness of the groove just enough in most cases; however, any shaker will do as long as it’s round and sturdy enough to sustain the weight and movement of your foot on top of it. Again, I usually bring this in to add an extra texture where needed in a tune. It’s much more subtle than adding a tambourine, and can help you delicately separate certain parts from others. The result I get from this can also be achieved with the (linked here ->) Meinl Foot Cabasa which is a foot shaker of sorts.

4) Zildjian 20″ K Constantinople Flat Ride with “Poor Man’s Sizzle”

This is the newest addition to my kit. I added it to achieve the release I would normally get from a crash cymbal on a full drum set. I knew a crash would be to loud and obnoxious among all of these delicate textures, so I chose to use my 20″ flat ride which is extremely dry, and increase it’s sustain by adding my own sizzle. This gives me the perfect release at the end of sections.

5-8) Throne, LP Softshake, Vic Firth Brushes, Regal Tip Wood Handle Blast Sticks (With Plastic Rods)

These are my time keepers. These are the tools that I use to simulate my hi-hat, and ride cymbal tones (besides my throne which is just my table for everything) For the most part I use a brush in my right hand, and leave my left hand bare. I will play the front of the cajon with a brush much like I would play my hi-hats on a full kit, but I will often bring out kick drum accents with the brush as well. I leave my left hand bare to get the proper attack for a backbeat, and to help with certain bass drum accents. I will sometimes use brushes in both hands for train grooves, or any tunes with a driving 16th note feel. I use the LP Softshake for choruses, or parts of songs that I want to be the biggest. In this case I will use the shaker in my right hand, and leave my left hand bare. I only use the regal tip blast sticks when I want a different kind of attack for my backbeat or hi-hat tone.

There are a few other items I sometimes use that are not pictured here. I will occasionally put a cowbell right next to my cajon on the left side, and use that as my backbeat for tunes with a reggae, or island feel. I also use various other time keepers in my right hand such as a nut shell shaker, or a cabasa.

I hope you enjoyed reading about my personal cajon setup, and that you got some ideas to use for yourself. Please let me know of any cajon concepts that you come up with. I love incorporating new things into my setup, and learning about what others use in their playing! Below I have included a few videos of me playing cajon on various gigs, so you can see all of these tools in action. Thanks, and please let me know what you think by clicking on this post title, and commenting below it.

Create Your Own “Poor Man’s Sizzle” For Just over a Nickel

Many styles of music can be greatly enhanced by the presence of a nice, smooth sizzle. The problem with incorporating a sizzle into your setup is having to drop the money on a new ride cymbal, and for those of us who are operating on a budget, this can be hard to swing. If you are not familiar with what a sizzle is, it’s simply a cymbal with rivets pressed loosely into pre-drilled holes in the cymbal. The rivets vibrate when you hit the cymbal creating a beautiful vibration (sizzle) that slowly tapers off, and has a long sustain. I have provided a picture of a Zildjian A Custom Sizzle Ride below so you can see what one looks like. Also, next to it you can see the rivets they use to create the sizzle effect.

As you can probably guess this is not a cheap investment, and even a used sizzle at a vintage shop, or bought from a private owner will still likely run you $100 or more. Well my friends, I have a solution that will cost you just over 5 cents.

Lets call this the “poor man’s sizzle,” and for this more than sufficient substitution, you will need nothing more than a nickel (yep, the actual US currency) and a piece of tape. I prefer medical tape, or some kind of tape that’s fibrous rather than plastic. It tends to stick to the cymbal better, and is more free moving to allow for maximum vibration of the nickel.

Now I’m gonna take you through the steps to create your very own “poor man’s sizzle.”

1) Tear off a thin piece of tape (I like to divide my tape roll in half, as pictured, to maximize the number of strips I can get out of one roll)

2) Attach your nickel to one end of the tape strip

3) Stick the other end of the tape to your ride, and your done!

The great thing about this sizzle solution, is that you can add or take away as many nickels as you want in order to intensify, or decrease the amount of sizzle (I have used up to 5 on mine before.) You can also move the nickels around the cymbal to get different amounts of vibrations, and sustain. Putting the coin closer to the outside edge will allow for maximum vibration/sustain, and closer to the bell will decrease vibration/sustain. Lastly, try getting creative and using different types of currency to create different sizzle tones. I sometimes use dimes, or even quarters for louder music. Heck, you can even throw some Canadian money on there, and see what you get.

Let me make it clear that I am aware that there are other sizzle substitutions out there. I own a ProMark Rattler that is basically just a beaded chain attached to a felt that dangles on top of your cymbal. I have found that these types of products are hard to control, and somewhat cumbersome. I have even gotten my stick tangled in the chain before and had to ditch my stick and grab a new one. I have included a picture just for reference.

So next time you are in need of a sizzle, just remember that you need look no further than your medicine cabinet, and your coin jar. To see this sizzle in action, check out yesterdays post (just below this one) where I play my “poor man’s sizzle” at Hotel Cafe with singer songwriter Kim DiVine. Have Fun!

Pearls New E-Pro Live Electronic/Acoustic Drum Set Hybrid

Yesterday I did a post about a brand new product that Pearl is coming out with called E-Pro Live. It features the slogan, “Get Real. Be Real,” and was shrouded by rumors and theories about what this product could be. It looks like the majority of those rumors were right. E-Pro Live is Pearl’s new revolutionary electronic/ acoustic drum set hybrid. It will cost you a pretty penny (somewhere in the $3,000-$3,500 range), but it really is two kits for the price of one. It also features Pearls new R.E.D. Box module. I have listed some features of the kit, and module below.

Pearl E-Pro Live Drum Set Features

• Real drum sizes: 10″, 12″, 14″ rack toms, 20″ bass drum, 14″ snare drum
• eClassic cymbals made from real brass
• Real wood shells, drum finishes, and hardware (mounted on a modified Icon rack)
• The ability to remove all of the electronic heads (held on by standard hoops) and put on acoustic heads, converting it into a fully acoustic kit
• Lifetime warranty on all hardwear
• New Tru Trac heads, coated for realistic responsiveness, and playability

Pearl R.E.D. Box Module

• 1000 build in HD sounds
• 100 preset kits, with space for 100 custom user kits available
• Ability to download external virtual drum sets from Toontrak, BFD2, Sonic Reality, Ocean Way Drums, Steven Slate Drums, and Virtual Drumline from Pearls web site
• 12 individual volume faders
• Built in sequencer, allowing you to record and loop yourself

Now we just need to see this kit in action! The video below includes an explanation of the E-pro Live features, as well as demonstrations by Dennis Chambers, and Joey Jordison.

Possible New Drum Product Debuting at NAMM 2010

As many of you may know, the NAMM show is happening this weekend! If you don’t know what NAMM is, it stands for the National Association of Music Merchants. It’s basically a giant trade show where every company in every field of the music business display their latest and greatest products in order to sell them to buyers. It’s also come to be a sort of musician networking opportunity. It’s the only time where all of the reps from all of your favorite companies are in one place at one time. Most companies are very secretive about what products they are going to debut prior to the event, but some do give a few hints. Let me make it clear that I don’t know what this product is, but it’s fun to speculate.

Pearl has lately been advertising a product called E Pro Live. The popular thought is that pearl is getting into the electronic drum game for the first time ever. The slogan, “Get Real. Be Real” which appears under the ad, has led many to believe that this may be some type of acoustic/electric hybrid which may incorporate actual wood shells, or even real heads. Despite all of the speculation, a Pearl marketing associate assured everyone on the Pearl drummers forum that it was in fact not what they thought it was. Either way it sounds cool!

The NAMM show actually started today, and runs through Sunday the 17th. It can be a little difficult to get in, but if you can it’s definitely worth going. Hope you find a way!

An Overview of the Most Common Drum Woods

There are countless factors that determine the sound that you get out of a drum. In order to really understand the character of any drum, you must first understand it’s origin and makeup. This knowledge begins with the type of wood your kit is made of (provided of course that your kit is made of wood and not carbon fiber, acrylic plastic, metal, etc…) There are surprisingly only a few that most standard drum kits are made from, but each type is very different, and will produce very different tones.

Drum companies take a few things into consideration when choosing types of wood to build kits from. The wood must be in great supply making it affordable, and profitable for sale. It must also be workable, or easy to shape and manipulate. This minimizes the amount of labor each drum requires. It must also have an attractive grain (depending on what kind of finish it will get such as a clear lacquer, or a stain.)

The most common types of woods used in most kits are poplar, maple, birch, and mahogany. Let’s go through each one, and explore the differences:

Poplar-

This is the lowest quality wood out of the four listed above. This doesn’t mean it sounds terrible, as I believe it’s a great beginner kit wood, but it will not even compare to a quality birch or maple. It will somewhat mimic the tonal quality of birch as it will be bright, and punchy, but will also maintain some low end. This wood is also often used for inner layers of maple or birch kits, and does not have a grain conducive to staining.

Maple-

This is in my opinion the best all around drum wood for a lot of musical situations, as it’s extremely versatile, and abundant in supply. It is a medium/hard wood that will produce a very even, warm tone. It has a fair amount of punch with a good low end, and is great for live situations, and recording. It also has a very attractive grain, and is great for clear finishes, and stains.

Birch-

Birch is the hardest of these woods and will produce the brightest tone. It can also have a great punch, and a lot of attack, but with a beautiful low end. Birch kits can be great for live situations as they cut through the mix well, and sound very powerful.

Mahogany-

This is a very soft wood (the softest of these four.) It is commonly very punchy and has the most low end of the group. These drums can sound amazing when tuned well, and sound great on recordings. They are more delicate than birch, and definitely cut through.

This is just a brief overview of the most common drum woods out there. You should definitely do significant research into these woods, and generally know the sound they are going for before buying a kit.

Pick The Right Head For your Sound

I have always had trouble picking heads for different situations. Granted it does come down to preference, and to know what you like for certain things, you simply have to experiment. There are some heads though, that I always use as my default, and that I know will sound good in pretty much any situation. I am a Remo fan, but used Evans heads for a long time as well, and have some suggestions for both. I believe that the most versatile head that Remo makes is the coated ambassador. These heads always sound great, tune up well, and consistently allow me to achieve a great balance between attack, and warmth/tone. I use coated ambassadors for an alternative/indie band that I play with, and recently did a reggae/rock session with them the other day. They performed great in both situations. I am also a fan of the clear ambassadors, and the clear emperors. A clear head will give you more sustain, and tends to be brighter, as the lack of coating allows the head to vibrate more.

Remo Coated Ambassador

many people underestimate the importance of the resonant head, but it serves a great purpose than some might think. The resonant head is where most of your tone comes from. I prefer to use a clear head on the bottom, and pick which one depending on the situation. Most head companies make resonant heads specifically. I usually use clear ambassadors as my resonant heads, but a clear emperor will work great as well. I like a thin resonant head as it gives me more sustain to play with. Evans also makes a great resonant head called the Evans Resonant.

Clear Ambassador/Clear Emperor

As far as bass drum heads go, I used to use the Evans Emad head which I still consider a great head. It comes with it’s own dampening ring that fits in a plastic casing on the outside of the head and provides a good amount of dampening when paired with an inside dampening. the only bad thing I noticed about this head is it becomes a bit boingy when tuned high. It is definitely meant to deliver a low, rock punch and tone. The other head I have been using quite a bit recently is the Remo smooth white bass drum head. It also delivers a great deep, punchy attack while maintaining a fair amount of tone.

Remo Smooth White/Evans Emad

The bottom line when picking out a head is experimentation. Find a head that best describes you as a player, and helps define your sound. Its all based on preference, so have fun!