To the guys with studio drumkits

[KHE]

I recently bought a nice studio-drumkit (Yamaha recording custom 7-piece).

Now I am a little unsure about how to deal with clients who wants / need to use it, mainly about new skins. ...

Do you let clients bring new replacement skins by their own?
Or do you charge a renting fee which includes new skins (say 200$ or so)?
Do you take the skins off after the session and give them to the client?

Just curious…


thanks!

 

[DavePiatek]

I build the cost of re-skinning the heads into the cost of the record. It appears as a line item on the project proposal form I send to every band. This way, the band just sees it as one VERY small portion of an otherwise large invoice and doesn't make a fuss about it. In my experience, if you tell the drummer that he needs to buy/bring new heads, all you get is an argument about how they aren't necessary.

 

[mva801]

I still struggle with this. I have my own drum kit, plus we have two available at the studio. I never know what kinda shape the heads are in, and sometimes we can do a session with lightly used heads on the toms, other times they need replaced. It usually comes down to me saying that it will be best to get new heads, them not listening, and just using whatever's on there.

I actually recorded someone this weekend who I told to get new heads. Of course he didn't the heads he came in with were year old frosted ec2s, which I really don't like. Thought the drums sounded kinda crappy in the room. Somehow the shit sounded huge when recorded.

So who the fuck knows. No matter what you do you'll get some people who bring new heads and some who wont. The ones who won't don't get to complain about dead sounding drums.

 

[tgs]

For bigger productions I simply cover it as part of production cost. Otherwise it will be specified separately in the estimate. My days of having to argue with clients about petty costs are luckily over as well. If it's something like a quick preprod demo or something like that though I may reuse the heads that are on, depending on how worn they are of course.

I wouldn't rely on bands to bring in heads themselves. I know how it works when you ask others to do things - you can specify every detail and they'll come back with something else if the store they go to didn't have it, and will not consult you before buying. If you want anything done right, ever, do it yourself.

 

[KHE]

thanks for your opinions!

fortunately, new strings / heads n stuff was never a problem with the couple of band i recorded until now. i always sit down with the bands a couple of month prior recording and talk about the whole project, including gear. i explain them in detail why stuff like new heads is mostly essential. they seem to trust me, the last bassplayer even brought two sets of strings with him...
but i guess you are right, better to play safe and organize the stuff by myself.

btw, what kind of studio-drumkits do you guys have, and how often are they used on sessions?

 

[Trevoire520]

I've got a Mapex M Birch that gets used on the vast majority of my drum sessions. I used to make bands pay for a new set of snare/tom heads in order to use the kit but after I put the studio's day rate up I'm just eating the cost and replacing the every other project or so.

 

[heshian46]

I have a Tama Starclassic Birch that i use on 90% of my projects. It is also my personal kit, so I keep fresh skins on it and switch them out when needed. I've always been anal about having fresh heads anyway.

I almost always ask the drummer bring a specific snare head for which ever snare I decide to use. I havent had too much kickback on that (they're only $15 to $20 anyways). On select projects, or higher budget projects, I'll ask the drummer/band to purchase new tom heads as well. When they ignore me, they get shitty sounding toms, or sample replaced toms.

 

[tgs]

thanks for your opinions!

fortunately, new strings / heads n stuff was never a problem with the couple of band i recorded until now. i always sit down with the bands a couple of month prior recording and talk about the whole project, including gear. i explain them in detail why stuff like new heads is mostly essential. they seem to trust me, the last bassplayer even brought two sets of strings with him...
but i guess you are right, better to play safe and organize the stuff by myself.

btw, what kind of studio-drumkits do you guys have, and how often are they used on sessions?

You've got your bases covered pretty well then - preparation is key and as long as the band is in on what you're saying then you're all good. In the end it's all a matter of where the cost ends up. Either you keep your prices a bit lower and the bands bring in the stuff, or slightly higher and you provide it. It's a service, after all.

I have an old Tama Rockstar Pro. It's used on maybe 70% of my productions. I tend to favor it over other kits that get brought in since I prefer deep toms and nobody ever brings that in. If we want something better, there's a really good rental company in town luckily.

 

[Sloan]

Charge a day rate for backline rental.

 

[AKoppenheffer]

Tama Starclassic Maples here... They sound better than 90% of the bands that come in, to me at least. I figure the heads into the rates.

 

[tgs]

Forgot to add that i also have a little collection of snare drums, 6 in total so far. I keep these in good condition all the time, change the heads when needed etc, so they're quick to haul out and try. I usually ask the drummers to bring in their own snares, but very often they end up using one of mine instead. Also good if you want a bit of a different vibe on different songs.

 

[nialldoran]

we have various cool kits kick around, we have an old rodgerskit , a hayman kit , nice ludwig and a great 90s era premier, along with loads of random snares like the black beauty, the black on brass worldmax, jazzfestival and my personal favorite recently, a free floating pearl brass 14"x6". Sometimes bands bring new heads, sometimes they don't, if i am producing and passionate about the project and the drummer doesn't bring heads, the studio will buy them roll it into the cost.

Its very rare i'll use a drummers kit, maybe select parts of it for certain things, what i do let most drummers do though is brings heads for our drums, use them and then they can take the heads with them for their drums for gigs or spares or whatever if the head is still in good condition. Most people usually don't mind this, recently fell in love with the Aquarius triple threat snare head on a brass shell, so i've been making everyone bring one of those

 

[Loren Littlejohn]

I recently bought a nice studio-drumkit (Yamaha recording custom 7-piece).

Now I am a little unsure about how to deal with clients who wants / need to use it, mainly about new skins. ...

Do you let clients bring new replacement skins by their own?
Or do you charge a renting fee which includes new skins (say 200$ or so)?
Do you take the skins off after the session and give them to the client?

Just curious…


thanks!

Never ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever rely on the drummer to replace heads on anything.

While I'm at it, never ever ever ever ever ever ever assume they have cymbals that are up to the task either.

How you pass the cost on is up to you.


I'm also convinced it doesn't matter what you have for a studio kit, it will almost always sound better than the shit that comes in.

 

[KHE]

i do the repalcing / tuning always by myself, never met a drummer who can tune properly... But as i said before, i never had problems with drummers (or other bandmembers) regarding replacement parts (skins, strings, batteries and what not) *knock on the wood*... but i am not as long in the recording buisness as you guys, so i guess i will organize some of these parts by myself in future.

regarding cymbals, i know what you mean... do you even have a couple of cymbals / hihats in your studio arsenal? i would love to have some, not only for replacing the drummers cheap cymbals, but also for different flavours during songs/parts.

 

[MatrixClaw]

I have a Yamaha Oak Custom and a late 60s/early 70s Ludwig Classic set and if someone needs to use them, I'm upfront about the "equipment rental" charge. Don't even mention heads.

I also have a slew of high end cymbals from my personal collection but I will absolutely not let anyone use them. Most drummers have no idea how to properly hit cymbals and many of mine are hard to find if someone breaks them.

 

[Loren Littlejohn]

regarding cymbals, i know what you mean... do you even have a couple of cymbals / hihats in your studio arsenal? i would love to have some, not only for replacing the drummers cheap cymbals, but also for different flavours during songs/parts.

I just have a set (hats, 2 crashes and a ride) of A customs. I'm sure I'll end up with more over time but that has covered my ass a few times now.

 

[DeclanWhite]

I have a Pearl Reference kit (10" 12" 16" 22") and an 80's tama rosewood (14" 15" 16" 18" 24")

Custom 14 x 8 maple snare, tama starclassic birch/bubinga 14 x 6, and a 1980 tama bell brass 14 x 6.5

havent really figured out the fee thing. will probably start to include it in recording quotes

oh yeah, being a drummer, I have a bunch of high end cymbals.

vintage sabian 14" hats, 18" crash, 20" ride from when the company just started which all sound amazing
16" vintage zildjian A crash
18" a custom crash
19" z3 thrash ride (basically an A custom crash)
21" K crash ride
13.25" K hybrid hats
9" K hybrid splash
8" diril splash and 8" diril bell (guy who used to make the byzance line for meinl with his brother)
6" stagg bell (pretty cool)
6" zilbel
18" stagg china
22" meinl byzance crash
19" sabian aaxtreme chinese (got 2 inch crack by a band i recorded )

I really try to not let any bands use my stuff unless its hihats or a crash they dont hit very often etc. had a time where the drummer just didnt have a china at all which resulted in a crack as I mentioned above

Although I have many bases covered and if I record a soft band with nice technique, hell yeah they can use my cymbals. generally, as i have a few very nice snares (tama bell brass <3) ill always use one of mine no matter what haha

 

[MatrixClaw]

^Off-topic, but how do you like that 22" Byzance crash? Been thinkin about going for larger crashes lately, but my only experience with larger cymbals is on rides, and I generally hate the way rides sound when crashed...

I've got:

22" Paiste 2002 Heavy Ride
20" Bosphorus / Crescent Stanton Moore Ride
20" Meinl Byzance Traditional Heavy Ride
18" Sabian HHX China
17" Zildjian A Custom Crash
17" Zidljian K Custom Fast Crash
16" Zildjian A Custom Crash
16" Sabian Artisan Crash
14" Sabian AAX Mini Chinese
13.25" Zildjian K Custom Hybrid Hats

 

[KHE]

Most drummers have no idea how to properly hit cymbals and many of mine are hard to find if someone breaks them.

what's the "correct" way of hitting cymbals? i am a guitarist, so i have no idea...

 

[DeclanWhite]

^Off-topic, but how do you like that 22" Byzance crash? Been thinkin about going for larger crashes lately, but my only experience with larger cymbals is on rides, and I generally hate the way rides sound when crashed...

it's pretty cool. basically just like an extremely thin ride. suuuuper washy/trashy and very wobbly. dont use it much