You and I (live)

Another bootleg from the same Cantab Lounge show with Age of Soul.

Live bootleg

After only 2 rehearsals, I performed with Age of Soul at the Cantab Lounge (Cambridge, MA) for an intimate and hugely successful show (if you are measuring success by crowd reaction).

Studio photos

Photos from today's Insight recording session;

I had an amazing time jamming with Morris Les & the Stray Tones last night at Pajamajoe's in Holliston MA. I brought the Gretsch Renown Maple kit and due to space limitations, just played a 3-piece (left the floor tom in the car). The crowd stayed all night and cheered us on every step of the way with a bit of audience participation too. We even had a request to play Freebird – and we did!

Andy Sykes – keyboard, trumpet, vocals
Todd Gernes – Guitar, bass, vocals
Lincoln Craton – guitar
Me - drums

Welcome to the family

I recently acquired a new addition to my family of snares. A 1966 Ludwig Pioneer snare. All original hardware and both heads are also original as well! I am its 3rd owner. This is a one-trick pony in terms of sound but that is also what makes it so unique. It is very similar to what Ringo played with the Beatles and it has that distinct old school sound. Perfect for a studio project in my near future. More pictures coming soon.

Silverfox Drumsticks Clawstix

Trying out a new pair of Clawstix from Silverfox Drumsticks tonight.

Boso Bamboo Drumsticks

Boso drumsticks are not a gimmick. Boso's innovative and environmentally friendly sticks are the real deal. I  first heard about them from a friend on Facebook and after a quick visit to the well designed Boso website, I placed my order for 2 different pairs:

Natural Bamboo (5A)
The Natural 5As are much lighter than the Strata or any other hickory brand in general. This was perfect for last night's gig where the venue was acoustically boomy and playing softly was necessary. The Naturals felt great in-hand, well balanced and with just enough toothy grain for a confident grip. Hickory sticks always seem too smooth and hard to grip lightly without fear of them sliding out of my hands completely. The bamboo fibers of the Boso sticks provide a natural grip even before the fingers have had a chance to warm up.

Strata Bamboo (5A)
Third set, time to get a little loud and funky for the dancers. The Stratas are heavier than the Naturals – similar in weight to hickory and they felt great the entire set. The extra weight provided for more volume and the toothy grain of the bamboo provided perfect feel. These are my stick of choice but a future order will include the 5B size. I normally find the typical 5B sizing to be a little too thick and heavy so I'm hoping Boso may eventually provide something in between the 5A and the 5B.

Some of these things are not like the others

Sometimes it's the little things that make the biggest difference. Boso stamps a "B" on the butt ends of their sticks so you can easily spot them in a crowded stick bag. Brilliant.

I highly recommend perusing the Boso website to learn more about why bamboo is highly sustainable and environmentally friendly. I'm not endorsed by Boso and I purchased the sticks myself.

Boston Crusaders Fundraiser Gig

Had a great time helping raise money for the Boston Crusaders with One Moe Time. It was the first full gig playing with the strap drive converted DW 5000 pedals as well as playing with a new pair of Boso bamboo sticks. The strap drive felt so much smoother and responsive than the chain drive which means I may never go back to a chain drive again. I have documented the entire conversion and will post that when finished.
The drums I played at the gig (pictured below) are my Yamaha Maple Customs (pre-Nouveau) with vintage natural finish – 20x22, 7x10, 14x14 and my 6x14 Tama Starphonic Brass snare.

Improv Grooves

Just some random grooves with a 22x16" Yamaha birch kick, a Gretsch Maple Renown 14x5" snare, Yamaha Maple Custom 10x7" tom and Sabian 13" Fierce Hi-Hats.

EQ experiment

Sound check 2

Out of the box sound check

A simple sound check for the PreSonus FireStudio's maiden voyage. I literally threw on some Shure mics, connected them to the audio interface, connected it to my computer, launched an Adobe Audition multitrack session and started tracking. Very little EQ was added. There's a bit of snare ring but overall, not a bad start I think.

Studio Acoustics

 Spending the weekend installing a drop ceiling and a slapping on a little paint. I'm debating whether or not to purchase acoustic foam tiles (expensive little f*ckers) or DIY my own using wooden frames, rigid fiberglass insulation and some breathable fabric. I think for now, I will finish the space, mic the drums and see what kind of sound i get. A little natural room reverb can be a good thing sometimes. Maybe I'll get lucky.

Recording gear on its way!

I've been wanting to record drum tracks at home for a while. While there are many ways to record musical instruments, I've been limited to using just a single condensor microphone that I typically use for voice over and foley work. Using the USB mic for recording an entire drumset works relatively well, but when compared to the quality you can get recording individual drums with quality microphones, the difference is night and day. In order to track drum grooves for collaborative projects or just for my own personal portfolio, I decided that better hardware was going to have to be obtained. After a lot of research and advice from some very talented and knowledgeable friends, I just placed an order for some juicy recording toys. Huge thanks to Chris McCartney over at American Musical Supply!

PreSonus FireStudio Audio Interface

This was the hardest choice to make as there are so many different audio interfaces available. Deciding between FireWire or USB 2.0 was the biggest step. I have a new MacBook Pro running 10.8 Mountain Lion. Apple did away with the FireWire port because the MBP's chassis is now too thin to allow for it. USB 2.0 seemed like the obvious choice based on longevity and compatibility, but was it fast enough in terms of latency? If I chose FireWire then I'd need Apple's FW to Thunderbird adapter, and if so, is it guaranteed to work? So many questions, so much googling.
Thanks to Johnny Geib (producer/engineer) for providing some invaluable insight. I found him roaming around the PreSonus community forums where he graciously provided his contact info for anyone needing a little hand-holding through the murky waters of digital audio. I emailed him a few questions and his reply came about an hour later! Yes, the interwebs are still a place where one can seek the generous wisdom of others. Thanks again Johnny for recommending the FireWire Studio and ensuring it will work fine with Apple's Thunderbolt adapter.

Shure DMK5752 Drum Microphone Package

The next piece of the puzzle to solve was microphone selection. My choice of mics was by far easier than all audio interface issues combined. I went with Shure 57s for snare and toms and a Shure Bets 52 for the kick. I already have an old AKG Perception condensor mic to use as an overhead. Dave Green (musician, photographer, videographer) recommended getting the Shure DMK5752 set of microphones as it would save money in the long run. These microphones are an industry standard and will last me a long time. The kit includes tom mounts for the 57s. All I needed beyond this was a short boom stand for mic-ing the kick drum.

Of course with all of this comes the need for cables and maybe a stand for the overhead microphone, which is easy enough to obtain given the plethora of music stores in my area. But there's still a single small piece of hardware (it's really mostly plastic) that stands between me having a killer little home recording studio and a lot of expensive paper weights is the FireWire to Thunderbolt adapter.

Without this adapter, I can't connect the FireStudio interface to my MacBook Pro. It's the most important link in the chain. If you are looking for the same adapter, the Apple part number is MD464 and can be purchased from Apple or Amazon.

It's Friday as I write this and all orders have been placed and all items should be on my doorstep by end of day Monday. Look for a future post(s) with more detailed photos and information as to my setup and of course, recordings!

DW5000 Chain to Strap drive conversion

After a year of rehearsals and performances, the chain on my DW5000 pedal came loose. I didn't notice the problem until I unpacked the pedal from its travel bag at home. The pin that secures the chain to the footboard wore out just enough to slide completely out of its housing. I thought about replacing the chain but decided to take this opportunity to convert the chain drive to a strap drive instead. I grew up using strap drive pedals but the last 2 decades I have been using chain drives. After several google and drum forum searches, I came up empty trying to find a conversion kit for this specific pedal. I finally emailed Drum Workshop directly and asked them if such a product exists. Today I received a reply from DW with the news that the parts needed to convert the pedal from chain to strap drive existed. I'm ordering the parts as soon as possible and I will document the entire process and post it here.

Life & Drums Episode 9

My talented drummer friend Jimmy Pemberton's latest episode of his popular Life & Drums series. In this episode I help him fulfill his wish to get a ride in a Shelby Cobra by introducing him to my car enthusiast brother. Of course we couldn't help ourselves and broke out a couple of spontaneous beats...

The Yamaha Recording Custom

Morris Les & the Stray Tones

From the vault

Amongus, performing First and Last at the Venus de Milo, Boston MA, 1994

Custom 20" Kick

Introducing my new custom 20"x 20" kick! A vintage maple shell from Keller that I stained and hand-lacquered with Pearl lugs and hardware. Since these photos were taken, I swapped out the Remo pinstripe for a coated Powerstroke 3. This drum kicks some sonic *ss with a punch rivaling a Marciano right hook.

"Holly's" Debut

That's right, I named the Yamaha Recording Custom drum set "Holly" after the girl responsible for saving them moments before being tossed into a dumpster. I played the first gig with them a week ago at an annual benefit in Wellesley and they sounded great. I forgot how much I love having an 8" tom in the line up.

Yamaha Recording Custom

My miracle Yamaha Recording Customs are almost finished. Thanks to DiCenso's Drum Shop for ordering the parts I needed to get this kit gig-ready. I freakin' love the look of this kit almost as much as its sound.

A Christmas Miracle in March

Attention all drummers!

Run - don't walk - to your nearest town dump and stand directly in front of the dumpster!

My next door neighbor called me yesterday and told me she has "...a few old drum parts we were going to throw away at the town dump." She explained that her church band had bought an electronic drum set and they didn't have a need for an acoustic set anymore. She had just taken them to the town dump where her husband was going to toss them into the dumpster.

I'll give that a moment to sink in.

Miraculously, at the last second better judgement prevailed as she decided to talk her husband out of throwing them away. Knowing her next door neighbor [me] is a drummer, she thought it was worth asking if I had any use for them.

Smart girl.

The drum parts were in the back of her truck and she asked me if I wanted to come take a peek in case I wanted them. I told her I'd be right over. Within seconds I was outside by her truck. To my surprise she had not only drum parts, but drums. Lots of drums. Two different drum sets to be more precise. Upon further inspection, the first set of drums turned out to be:

Pearl Export Series
9x12, 10x13, 16x16, 16x22 Black wrap with shell mounts.

Shells look like maple or poplar. This kit went to my friend and bassist/vocalist for One Moe Time, Frank Anes who was just telling me 2 weeks prior how he's longed to have a drumset for his home recording studio. He also told me he'd love to be able to click his heels together 3 times to get home - but that I could not help him with.

Then the biggest surprise of them all, the 2nd drum set:

A Yamaha Recording Custom!

Yes, you read that right!

7x8, 7x12, 8x13, 9x14, 12x15,14x22 Piano Black lacquer finish.

Using the model number I was able to track down the year/month these drums were made. Turns out they were manufactured in 1983 (nov/dec). I dismantled one of the drums (removed heads, all hardware, etc) and found that the bearing edges (the edge the drum head contacts the shell) are stained the same color as the interior - making these particular drums extremely rare and highly sought after. This is the drummers' version of finding a Picasso in their grandmothers' attic (except the drums aren't worth a million dollars).

9x14 and 12x15 toms with Yamaha 3-hole mount.

14x22 kick, 7x10 and 12x8 toms

8x12 tom badge.

7x8 tom.

9x14 and 12x15 toms with Yamaha 3-hole mount.

12x15 bearing edge stained the same color as the interior shell. Oh so very rare.

Now what?

First I need to take a moment to bow down before the drum gods in honor of their generosity to the mere mortal peon that I am. I know this is a once in a lifetime - scratch that - less than a once in a lifetime opportunity. It's safe to say I have used up all my "free drums" coupons by now.

My next steps are to strip all the heads and hardware off these drums and examine each bearing edge and shell for dings and cracks. Then I'll buff out as many scratches as I can and polish the finish back to near new condition. The 12" tom has some serious road rash on it that I may consider having professionally refinished.

I will likely not reinstall the factory tom mounts and upgrade to a rim suspension mount system for optimal resonance. My preferred setup would be to use the kick, 8" and 12" rack toms and the 15" and 16" floor toms. There would be little need to include the 13" tom from a musical standpoint with the sizes so close together. Not to look a gift horse in the mouth but the lack of a 10" tom is surprising and kind of a bummer. But that's not a complaint (in case the drum gods hear me and suck these babies back up to the heavens or wherever gods hang out these days).

I'll continue to post my progress/photos as I restore what I now refer to as my "Miracle RCs". I plan on gigging with them as the "M-RCs" begin their new life under my care.


Damage
So far it looks like only cosmetic damage. The hoops don't look bent and the shells don't look like they are cracked or split. Quite the opposite really, these shells look almost like they came off the factory assembly line yesterday. Overall the scratches are minor but the 12" tom does have some serious scarring in one area - probably from the snare being rested up against it. You can see down to the bare wood but this side will not be visible to the audience and so it's now there to add character to the drum. The 8" tom has similar scarring most likely from the hi-hats coming in contact with it - again, not easily seen when positioned on the kit. Not a big deal.

The 13" has some slight scratches that might actually buff out if I try hard enough.

Restoration

Unfortunately these drums are banged up quite a bit. Each drum has its share of scuffs, scrapes and scratches. But after buffing and polishing the 12x15, most of the minor scratches and surface blemishes disappeared and suddenly the finish came back to life. I use ordinary car polishing compound and an oribital buffer to do the heavy work. Most of the surface scratches disappeared as well some foreign substances I could not identify. I also hand polished each lug and hoop and the chrome is still flawless! Yamaha's chroming is just so high in quality and has held up nicely over the last three decades. There's absolutely no pitting or discoloration whatsoever.

12x15 cleaned, polished and tuned

A drop of lubricant on the tension rod threads before installing is always good practice. I use T9 Bicycle Oil becuse if it's good enough for bicycle mechanics, it's certainly good enough for tension rods. It also makes tuning a bit easier if not more precise.

With a little help from the Drum Dial, this drum came back to life in a big way. Its got a nice fat "thud" with a decent amount of resonance - just what you'd expect from a 29 year old RC. The only caveat is the slight buzz coming from the breather hole gromet. I'm going to have to find a way to secure it without damaging the shell.

One down, five to go.

The 8" shell after a quick polishing. It's amazing how easily this finish comes alive. It's the kind of black you look into, not at.

Here's the 8" tom cleaned, buffed, polished and assembled.

Kick Drum
Kick drums usually suffer the most from dings, scratches or worse. But miraculously the 14x22" shell had barely a scratch on it. The only slight dings were on the very bottom of the shell and completely out of sight when set up normally. The birch wood hoops on the other hand did suffer some deep scratches - especially the batter side hoop - where the pedal clamps to the hoop is especially worn. It's obvious the previous owner(s) didn't bother to use any kind of protective rubber padding in this area. But when the drum is fully assembled, it's barely noticeable and more importantly, none of these aesthetic blemishes affect the sound in anyway.

I used the Evans EMAD head that was already installed because it's in great shape and the foam ring was still intact. Without any interior baffling and a reso head with a small hole cut out of it, I was able to get a nice fat thud with that classic RC birch wood overtone. The 14x22" Yamaha RC kick sound is unique in this way. My other kick drums are 18" deep and while I love the extra low end I get from them, the 14" depth of the RC provides a bit more of a kidney punch since the air doesn't have to move as far as the 18" providing a quicker response from the reso head.

I had never tried a KickPort before and picked one up at DiCenso's Drum Shop today to see if they really live up to their claim. I can honestly say there's a very noticeable difference after installed it - even from behind the kit.

There was some overspray covering 1/2 of this drum from a careless spray gun - but it buffed out quite easily and if anything, probably did more to protect the lacquer finish as opposed to hurting it.