Official Virgil Donati thread

[Morgenthaler]

OTV also sounded good

The Physical Graffiti of Prog rock!

OTV was his best!!!

Word.

(Do check out the recent re-rendition of Alien Hip Hop with Nili Brosh. I was very surprised by how much it kicks ass)

[Matus]

Didn't post this b/c honestly I can't say I am that excited. I think Virgil historically has sounded great on Sonor (Loose Change live album) Remo (Southern Sons, Power Drumming video) Premier (Stretch etc) Brady (OTV sessions) Tama (Moonbabies recording sessions) and for the past 12 years on Pearl. I just hope this new relationship is as good or better than Pearl were, support wise, and that the people are nice to work with. Also, maybe the Drum Channel affiliation could secure him some new fans.

This got me thinking, the Tama thing. I went and looked at the old 2002 Modern Drummer issue with the story on Simon and Virgil recording Moonbabies. There were pics of them at Simon's and what looked like a Gen X kit (sparkle finish, rounder lugs, RIMS...) with Simon's mics on them.
But, then again, on the footage of them listening to the playback with Derek, you can see Virgil with beard and he's all shaved on the MD issue. Any help with the timings on this? Maybe the pics were set up for the magazine or something.

[Morgenthaler]

Didn't post this b/c honestly I can't say I am that excited. I think Virgil historically has sounded great on Sonor (Loose Change live album) Remo (Southern Sons, Power Drumming video) Premier (Stretch etc) Brady (OTV sessions) Tama (Moonbabies recording sessions) and for the past 12 years on Pearl. I just hope this new relationship is as good or better than Pearl were, support wise, and that the people are nice to work with. Also, maybe the Drum Channel affiliation could secure him some new fans.

This got me thinking, the Tama thing. I went and looked at the old 2002 Modern Drummer issue with the story on Simon and Virgil recording Moonbabies. There were pics of them at Simon's and what looked like a Gen X kit (sparkle finish, rounder lugs, RIMS...) with Simon's mics on them.
But, then again, on the footage of them listening to the playback with Derek, you can see Virgil with beard and he's all shaved on the MD issue. Any help with the timings on this? Maybe the pics were set up for the magazine or something.

Virgil was sporting that intricate beard for some time including with Planet X at Modern Drummer Festival, but I think he shaved it during the Moonbabies sessions.
Also, he used some of Simon's snares in those recordings - along with his Gen X kit.

[Matus]

Yeah, those actually sound like Simon's; makes sense. But the toms were something else, there was something about those Premier toms that just gets to me every time I put that album on (which happens quite a lot lately). That happens a lot with Simon, actually. The snare sound is always great but it's his toms that rock the house. I've always tried to copy him (but the wrong way!).
The beard shaving must have happened sometime between the session vid and the story.

[Peter C]

Well, I personally do not care
what Virgil plays because he is
a contemporary icon, though I am
sure he is curious about the new
pedal design from DW, which is
VERY Boa-inspired, from the
looks of the adjustable cam etc.



Heads also matter a lot and good
ones can make a bad kit sound
good, imho.

Honestly, I have never liked a
DW kit that I have heard. I think
the closest that I have come to
enjoying it was watching/listening
to Peter (Erskine) play them that
night, at Martyrs, in Chicago but
he is the reason, right?



I thought Tony's sounded awful
but everyone is different.

Regards,


Pete

[gretsch-o-rama]

DW is the epitome of modern shell construction...so, the opposite of Gretsch and Sonor shells. DW can do pretty much anything in that regard, though. They're just known for the punch/attack/boom quality in their drums, as their veneers are very, very thin...My last choice actually, in drums...

[Julián Fernández]

I used to have an early 2000s Collectors kit, and while it sounded good I was pretty shocked about how bad the wrap was cutted and glued (visible when changing heads only)... Not the reason why I sold it, but after all the hype, that was unexpected...

[Matus]

I still have and use a '97 Collectors 5"x14" snare drum. It has attack but still retains character and good body. For some reason, the drums made after that period just don't sound the same.

[gretsch-o-rama]

It seems they traded their punch for attack a bit when they started making their own shells...

[Steve Holmes]

I'm curious: Can someone please link to the best sounding DW kit they can find on YT?