KVR Audio

Lunch Money · Post by **Lunch Money** » Thu Aug 19, 2004 8:53 am

Hi all,

Sometimes when you see performers doing a live show, they purposefully strip down to the bare essentials and do an acoustic set.

On some occasions, I've noticed the drummers getting by with very minimal setups, and I want to replicate that kind of vibe. What pieces do you figure I should have in there?

Now, I know it's been done with as little as a snare and some sort of cymbal, but I want it at least a WEE bit bigger, so I'm thinking--

Kick,
Snare,
hi-hat

In addition to those, what ONE other cymbal should I have, if any?

If I go with one tom, which should it be? The middle tom seems the most obvious, but I'm not a drummer.

Thanks for any suggestions,
Greg

crazed one · Post by **crazed one** » Thu Aug 19, 2004 9:25 am

You gotta have a ride in my opinion.

You also should think about the music you will be playing. What are the bare essentials in way of drums for that style?

Kriminal · Post by **Kriminal** » Thu Aug 19, 2004 9:30 am

Kick
Snare
HiHat
Small Tom
Ride
Small Crash (maybe 12-14")
Floor Tom

pljones · Post by **pljones** » Thu Aug 19, 2004 5:47 pm

In fact, Kingston's kits are pretty minimal (I'm mainly thinking of RuffRider, I guess). And sound excellent. And are free!

Kick, Snare, Hihats, Crash. I could live with that.

Toms are handy (floor tom particularly), Ride is nice (you need a lot of samples to get a good Ride, though, it sounds so different in all the different places and velocities it can be hit with... hihats a little less so).

Robert Randolph · Post by **Robert Randolph** » Thu Aug 19, 2004 5:51 pm

Kriminal wrote:Kick
Snare
HiHat
Small Tom
Ride
Small Crash (maybe 12-14")
Floor Tom

That's a standard drumset hahah

Robert Randolph · Post by **Robert Randolph** » Thu Aug 19, 2004 5:53 pm

What you most likely will end up with is:

Snare

Hi-Hat

Ride

Shakers and tambourine stuff.

That's it. Just go nuts with the ride crashy-stlye. But Im assuming you're using sampling, so toss in a crash cymbal. If you want, you can use a floortom as a bass drum replacement.

Kajiki · Post by **Kajiki** » Thu Aug 19, 2004 6:21 pm

Well, when drummers say "minimalist setup," that usually means 4-peice setup like kriminal said. Only one of each cymbals and 2 toms only. You know, a drum kit can easily become like 3 mounting toms and 2 floor toms and 5 crashes. Drummers change their setup depending on the situation, and they often choose the minimalist setup because it's quicker to move around and setup a 4-piece kit.

Jazz drummer's minimal 4-piece would be accompanied with one hi-hat, one or two rides, and a crashable ride as a crash.

Rock/pop/punk--4 piece plus a hi-hat and a crash. If you want to go absolutely minimal, you can do a snare, a kick, hi-hat, and a crash (I played that setup in a rock band). I don't think you can replicate this absolute minimal kit with a VSTi because you need like 20 different articulations for each drum and cymbal to make it sound real.

Markleford · Post by **Markleford** » Thu Aug 19, 2004 6:43 pm

Here's my actual kit:

- Kick
- Snare #1 (low pitch)
- Snare #2 (high pitch)
- 2 rack toms
- 1 floor tom
- Hi-hat
- Splash #1 (mounted on hi-hat piston)
- Splash #2 (mounted on floor tom via "Claw")
- "Breakbeat" ride/crash

Honestly, I barely ever use the toms, so chuck them out. If anything, I'd rather keep two snares and keep one in a tom role, since you can turn the snare wires off and have a timbale sort of sound for variety.

Hat and ride are essential to be able to do A/B section beats. My ride has a good crash sound too, so keeping Splash #1 (hat-mounted) would fit in the same space while adding a bit of extra variety.

So to me, a good minimal kit would be:

- Kick
- Hi-hat
- Ride/crash
- Snare #1
- Snare #2 (alt Timbale)
- Splash

I think this is akin to Johnny Rabb's minimal "live D&B/jungle" set-up, which relies primarily on the interplay of kick and dual snares. I sort of play in that vein, verging into breakbeat and jazz styles.

Works for me.

- m

Robert Randolph · Post by **Robert Randolph** » Thu Aug 19, 2004 6:52 pm

Most drummers use a 4 or 5-peice setup. In music school as a drummer almost all are taught on 4-peice kits. A 4 peice setup is very standard, unless you step into the world of fusion or prog. For rock, jazz, blues, punk etc... 4-peice is very common, and so are 5 peice's.

A minimal jazz kit is just a snare and some brushes.

buhanan · Post by **buhanan** » Thu Aug 19, 2004 6:55 pm

kick, snare, and hat is feasible. programming wise it will be harder because the hat can be used, when played properly has a ride/crash, as well. you don't really limit the number of sounds by stripping down a kit, you just force yourself to play the same drums more ways.

tetraplan · Post by **tetraplan** » Thu Aug 19, 2004 7:37 pm

Kick
Snare
Hat
Floor
Ride |
Crash | or one "crashable ride" (1).

Or:
Snare
Floor
Crash

Which is about as minimal as it gets.
The drummer from The Jesus And Mary Chain used that.

Groet, Erik

(1) nice phrase I just stole.

Lunch Money · Post by **Lunch Money** » Thu Aug 19, 2004 9:28 pm

Cheers for those replies. The idea was to create an 'intimate' setup, so I think I'll go with the kick, snare (wires on), and hat. If it's not working for me, I'll look into the "crashable ride" as well.

Tetraplan: The Jesus and Mary Chain's drummer doesn't use a kick or hat? I'll have to listen more closely to them next time!

Greg

eDrummist · Post by **eDrummist** » Thu Aug 19, 2004 9:42 pm

Just for ideas and because I love talking drums.

I was a pro- and semi- pro drummer back when (80's to early 90's). I still love acoustic drums and have three kits. Here is my set up for my two main kits, both are good for rock or jazz/fusion (for jazz, I would tend to recommend the smaller kit and a 5 1/2" snare and smaller bass drum):

6 Piece Drum Kit (Tama Imperial Star):
24" bass drum
6 1/2" Pearl Free Floating Brass Snare
(options include Ludwig 5 1/2" steel snare and two effect snares -- 3 1/2" and 4")
1O", 12" and 13" ride toms
16" floor tom

5 Piece Drum Kit (Tama Star Classic):
22" bass drum
6 1/2" Pearl Steve Ferrone Brass Snare
(options include 5 1/2" steel snare and two effect snares -- 3 1/2" and 4")
1O", 12" and 13" ride toms
16" floor tom

Cymbals:
14" or 15" Hi-hats (15" are for more heavy, need to cut-through, rock situations)
Two 16" and one 18" Crashes
20" China
10" and 12" Splashes
22" Rock Ride Cymbal
20" Standard Ride

I use a double bass pedal, that is, a pedal that has two beaters that hit the same bass drum to simulate the effect of a two bass drums.

- eDrummist

tetraplan · Post by **tetraplan** » Thu Aug 19, 2004 11:03 pm

Lunch Money wrote:Tetraplan: The Jesus and Mary Chain's drummer doesn't use a kick or hat? I'll have to listen more closely to them next time!

Greg

They didn't when I saw them live, anyway.
1985ish. Some of their B-side stuff sounds like that, too, so I guess that was their studio-setup for a while.

Groet, Erik

Mr Lizard · Post by **Mr Lizard** » Fri Aug 20, 2004 10:05 am

I sometimes play with just a snare drum, bass drum and ride cymbal.
Your left foot feels a bit lonely but its a lovely setup.

A realistic "small drum kit" setup - How to make?