Brian McConnon

I agree with KuruPrioz, it's more about a certain sound than the feel. The tighter the head, the higher the pitch and less snare buzz. Some might like the feel and others may not - it's personal preference there, but they are probably after that sound.

Awesome! You'll have a blast. And if you come from a corps/marching background you'll get chops in no time. I've owned various levels of a few brands over the years - Pearl, Yamaha, Rodgers, Ludwig (even a Sears and Roebuck!) - and I'm not sure I have a favorite. They each had their own flavor. I currently play Gretch and love it. My dream kit is still a DW Custom. Played a couple of them but never pulled the trigger financially. Honestly, the quality is so good these days it's hard to go wrong. Even with on older or lower level kit, good heads, good tuning and good technique can make most of them sound good.

This one stung. Rush is the band that I've seen live more times than any other in my life. Why? Neil Peart. Power, finesse, and a time-keeping machine with a musicality that is instantly identifiable... and he wrote most of the band's lyrics to boot. Rush is one of those iconic bands that can never be the same without any one of their members as they are all equal ingredients to their sound and success, so this is not only the end of a drum legend, but of a legendary band. RIP, Neil. You, and Rush will be missed.

Print on the pooper and digital in the den!

I was sad to learn of this today. I met Ed several times over the years and had the privilege of doing some business with him. His talent and body of work speak for themselves. His energy and big personality were off the charts but at the same time he was approachable and personable. He always seemed to really enjoy what he was doing. He will be missed.

Never played the Wave Drum but I noticed that Pearl's e/MERGE drum kit is powered by Korg's Wave Trigger Technology - an extension or evolution of the Wave Drum technology? This kit was introduced over a year ago but didn't make such a big splash. Wonder why they didn't play that up more.

As I'm sure is the case with most everyone, my time for practice is limited. I try to play something at least a few times a week. When I'm feeling "academic", I'll pick a rudiment and practice sticking for 15 minutes (drives my wife nuts!). Other times, I'll just try and find a groove work on feel. Otherwise I have no plan. What do you practice when you only have a few minutes a day?

This can work both ways. Some artists/bands hold up for decades, while others are just not the same. I've seen shows by artists from my youth that I thought were still really good, and others that I wish I hadn't seen. I would have rather remembered them the way they once were.

I'm noticing a lot of older discussions on this topic are all about placing the mic inside the kick, but I see a lot of mics outside the kick these days. Maybe tastes have changed? Maybe it's live vs studio? Or maybe it's completely anecdotal evidence. Which do you prefer/use? Mic internally only Combination internal/external Mic external only

Yeah, I suspect everyones list will be a little different. Here are some of my "honorable" mentions: Rush - Digital Man and tom Sawyer (heck, Neil Pert could have his own top 20!) Beatles - Come Together INXS - Need You Tonight Dave Matthews Band - Ants Marching (just snare on 2&4, what?!) Led Zeppelin - Good Times Bad Times Brubeck - Take 5 (not a huge jazz guy, but talk about iconic!) John Mayer - Belief REM - It's The End Of The World Rolling Stones - Honky Talk Woman Safaris - Wipeout (loved this when I was a kid!)

I saw an old thread here that caught my eye and wonder how many people are self-taught vs having had formal instruction. I came to the drums at 5 or 6 years old because there was a drum kit in the garage (a cheapo from the Sears catalog, if I remember right) left from an older brother had lost interest. I saw Buddy Rich on the Tonight Show and became obsessed with the drums. I basically learned by listening and trying to play along with songs on the radio because Buddy was so far beyond my comprehension! It wasn't until middle school marching band that I had any kind of formal instruction. Later in college, as part of a music degree, I studied with a percussion professor. So, I was self taught from a young age, with some formal instruction coming later. How did you learn?

Apparently in order for the record to be official, he had to run a signal through all of them at once, and use them all in a "performance" but not necessarily at the same time. He does this near the end. Oh, and they couldn't be duplicates, so the Whammy pedals must be different models. Obviously a publicity stunt, but hilariously insane nonetheless!

This is just... insane! And officially a new Guiness World Record. [video:youtube]

Here's a fun one. Rick Beato has done videos for best keyboard, electric and acoustic guitar intros... and now adds drums! Are any of your favorites missing? [video:youtube]

If I were buying drums for a 10yo, I'd look at something like the Pearl Roadshow. For about $400 complete, it's good quality, can upgrade cymbals later, and even use this as a practice/bop kit as an adult. Of course, you can find used deals in your local classifieds via Facebook or Craigslist as well. [video:youtube]

I think you can inspire kids by exposing them to as much as possible, but something has to "stick". Their interest in anything - an instrument, a sport, an academic subject, has to come from within in order to have any longevity. I picked up the drums when I was 5-6 years old because an older brother had lost interest and there were drums in the house. Then I saw Buddy Rich on the Tonight Show. I picked up guitar at 8-9 because an older brother had lost interest and there was a guitar in the house. Then I heard a Jimi Hendrix album. I picked up piano because there was always one in the house and it seemed to tie music together for me. This wasn't planned, it just happened. The approach I take with my own kids is I don't push them into my things, but expose them to many things. Eventually they find what they like and what they are good at. If they do want to try something, they have to do it long enough to know if they are in or out. My son gravitated toward tennis, my daughter towards the cello. Both now do their activity at a very high level as teenagers.

He's awesome! I was in the audience when he won the Guitar Center Drum-off in the mid-90s - I think he was 11 and I worked for GC at the time. Insane chops for any drummer, much less an 11 year old kid. Brought the house down! I'm glad he went on to have a successful career. Lot's of pressure on a kid prodigies and it doesn't always fare as well.

YouTube and social media have not only given young drummers a ton of resources to learn, but to promote themselves and document their progress. A couple of things I really like about Dexter is his focus on feel and groove (not just "chops" videos) and he looks like he's really having fun when he plays! [video:youtube]

Welcome, Mike! Computers... amirite?

I love the "it's just a Tuesday morning and I'm drumming in my room" vibe. Can really hear the Neal Peart influence in some of those patterns around 4m, then he builds them up like the monster he is. Love it!

True, and a cymbal I like in a certain room or for a certain style sounds different in another venue or doesn't fit another genre well. Lately I've been looking to build up my cymbal collection like one would build a mic locker - a variety of tools to cover a variety of situations.

Bummer. Were you disappointed that they were not "authentic" (knock-offs, blem stock, etc) or you just don't like Soultone cymbals? Were you able to return them easily? I spent some time at their NAMM booth playing around and liked what I heard, but the Amazon prices seem too good to be true.

Has anyone bought Soultone cymbals on Amazon? The prices are lower than anything I've seen and I'm wondering if they are the real deal. Many are sold under Prime, so auditioning and returning would be easy.

True, although you can do it with headphones/in-ears and be fine if you're only using one module/device. And if you are OK leaving the sub mix up to the sound guy... if there is one.

Now THAT looks like a blast!