I wish these guys recorded and performed music with bands more often. I'd love to see Jojo live in a non-clinic gig. As for Steve Smith, I just hope he gets rid of those black dots soon. And what is it with so many drummers playing with tiny toms (as in 8")? Get rid of those bongos and get some...

gretsch-o-rama wrote:Antonio Sanchez's crosstick is my pet peeve...

OMG! I couldn't agree more! I can't come around to accepting all that dead-sticking/cross-sticking stuff. It just doesn't sit right with my brain. And he does it ad nauseum.

Check him out at 2:40...

18" bass drums are really at their best when very little muffling is used (if any), but that isn't going to give you a "punchy" sound. I guess you could try a different (smaller?) pillow or a small towel or piece of foam. I have a clear Powerstroke 3 with a small packing blanket in my...

The idea behind using suspended "floor" toms is to get a more consistent tone/timbre from all of the drums. I used them for a while long ago, and the only reason I went back to traditional floor toms is for the extra support.

True. Plus, you need to be careful with Chaffee's stuff. It's easy to get carried away and apply it on gigs when it isn't appropriate. I was most definitely guilty of that.

Chaffee's method is a bit more than that. It really changes your approach.

The new prototypes that Yamaha has been working on are supposed to be quite spectacular. I'm looking forward to seeing and hearing what they do.