drumming secrets

There are many moments that I love to celebrate; a great piece of music, good and healthy food, warm company...looking in the eyes of my lovely wife......those are things that cross my path on a daily base. But there are things that don't happen too often to me, for example the moment I decide to get a new drum kit......

I have been showing my loyalty to my Sonor "Delite" set for almost 10 years now. It always has been great to tour and play on this drum set. However, during a recent clinic, it felt to me that it was time to make a switch......Everything seemed so obvious, so normal, so regular.....so familiar!  Now please don't understand me wrong; it's not that my drum kit isn't good enough, no nothing like that! It's more a feelling that overwelmed me deep inside. Suddenly I feel the need to change things.... it all is about getting inspired again by new sounds, a new configuration of the setup, different shells, different drumheads, and yes even a different finish and look....

 

Thinking about it, I guess it probably has a lot to do with the change of my approach towards music business; a year ago I decided to step out of the band with Snowy after 18 years of working together (no more progressive and regular blues). With the Stef Burns Group we've changed our direction quite a bit after 5 years of playing "guitar-fusion-music". We now aim for modern rock songs! And also last but certainly not the least: my music productions nowadays developed into a totally kick ass style; it's dancable, it sounds modern and it absolutely Rocks!!! I've been creating a total different approach towards drum recording and playing to get that new sound! In general my way of recording drums has changed from 80ies close miking to a more open and ambient sound.....just the way drums need to sound! Infact I could say that I am going way back to my roots of a more Rock 'n Roll sound.

So, time for a change.....and it all happened in a very natural way: I fell in love with a drumset at a first glance...(please note that it has been a long while since I had that.....maybe the first time was when I was a kiddo 11 years old....and later when I was 15....oh, and when I was 24 years old.....and 10 years ago when I first played on my Delite! quite a few times and not too long ago,ha,ha,ha)

I remember that I saw a small picture in a music magazine and I was totally blown away. When I showed the picture to my wife she responded: "Wow! I really think these are cool looking drums". Yet didn't I want to push it since I feel like a totally complete person with nothing on my 'material wishing list', so I decided to forget about it as quickly as possible.

Then, as if it was meant to be, my colleague Peter van Midddlekoop, drumteacher and owner of "Drumstudio 106 in Breda", showed me a brand new drum kit that he'd added to his collection of drum sets in the shop; exactly the same drum set that I fel in love with on first sight! This time I could have a chance to hear the drumset; a simple hit on the floortom made me feel the depth, warm tone and energy of this handmade drum.....I was completely lost this time..... Hardly ever did I fall in love with a different drumkit last 10 years...this time I was totally sold!

I ran to the phone and informed if there was still a chance to get my hands on a simular drumkit. At Sonor factory they said the last one was gone allready, but maybe for this special occasion  they could make one more.... And so they did; it arrived last Friday january 7 and I invited my friend and studio technician Rob to unwrap the delayed "Christmas present". It did really feel like boxing day; every drum was packed in a different box, so we had the pleasure to take it really easy and enjoy every step of 'giving birth' to each drum.

First thing I noticed, was that I wasn't familiar with the sound of the snare at all; I had to take time to tune it and get to know the unique quality of this shell. Same for the toms; I have to admit that it wasn't just as easy for me to tune them right.....but that will be my challenge for the next couple of years...a new episode of my drumming life.

Although I have put the set into our living room to have a quick listen and enjoy the beautiful looks of it, I still haven't heard the kit in a good acoustic room. Given the fact that I am occupied with a recording session with SBG (Stef Burns Group) in Trieste, then straight into examns at Rotterdam for our students at CODARTS and visiting a new born baby of my sister in law, I hope to create time to start working with these drums soon.... I already have a whole set of Aquarian drumheads dying to get placed on my SONOR Beech Infinite set.....

I will write some articles about the process of tuning, finetuning, setting up a new configuration and of course studio experiences with this drumkit, so do come back and visit this website regularly!

Cheers!