hey Glenn, WTF?!?!? i just watched your video on how to make bass traps... i was highly disappointed that it had nothing to do with trapping the bass player at all
That's easy to do. Tell them to go into a closet where the door knob is on the left side, and that the door knob on the right side is the one that lets them out. Make sure to write L and R on their hands to make sure they don't get it wrong. Same with their shoes.
You can still hear shitty tone no matter how well you play. Even if the shitty tones "fits" or sounds "right". It also helps when you have high end mics and amps amd computer programs. Not saying the tama was a shitty tone. But it was clearly inferior to the DW
Absolutely. But as always, to a point. The drumming in the video was top notch, as was the way the kit was tuned, miked and recorded. All that makes a difference.
@@BluesManSteele dw makes the best overall drums in the industry. Worked my ass off when I was younger at a second job to pay for them. Worth it. He’s right on the pricing. Shells, plus the matching edge series snare drum (extra grand at the time) were in the neighborhood of ouch and holy crap. But wow. Just wow.
@HRRoach You're right. As long as you have drums of reasonable quality to begin with, good heads and tuning will take you the rest of the way. Anyone who says $10,000 drums made of african bubinga with gold plated hardware "just sound better, man" can go and F themselves.
thats my only thought listening. the kick is so full and deep on the DW, and the lack of low low end on the tama is just not there. all else to me is just fine.
@@TotalDESSSS after the follow up vid, ill acknowledge the tama has a more fuller sound, but I feel it still falls short, however id say the tama would be totaly fine in a practice jam setting, never gona be able to tell, but when it comes to studio, just use the kit already there.
@@TotalDESSSS whoa whoa whoa. This is the internet. You cant just rationally agree about with other people. Wheres the "you dont know anything", and the "do your research" comments? your doing the comment section wrong! Cool video though, cheers :D
3 года назад+69
I recently built my own studio in São Paulo, and found a used Japanese tama rockstar, killer sound, killer looks and dirty cheap... I couldn't be happier
Yep. I like the "Whoosh" on the DW Kick but I thing with a little fiddling you can get the Rockstar Kick close to it. On one session the Kick of the Drummer also was lacking the "whoosh" and it was more "wobble". So we stole a Concrete Stone on a Construction Site nearby and put it in there. "Big Bertha" is about 25kg heavy and mentioned in the Credits of that Record :D
Yes. I liked the DW bass much more and the Tama snare a little more. But as we all know. None of us likely would be able to tell which was which in a blind test. It is just preference of sound not quality of sound.
Just a week ago I bought the exact same TAMA ROCKSTAR model for less than $300. It took me about 4-5 hours to clean it, I put new heads and, damn, it sounds so full! I am absolutely amazed!
I have my brothers 1995 Japanese Rockstar, I also had a 90's swingstar and then I have an 80's Swingstar 12x8 rack tom in cream with that speckled interior.. If you are good at tuning these are all winner's. I've always had different snare's but I remember when ky brother got the kit brand new that Tama snare sounded pretty good.
I was kinda anti-Tama for years until I worked in a music store. The Tama kits sounded amazing out of the box and their hardware was rock solid. The StarClassics walnut/birch shells projected clear across the store and sounded better than the DW maple kit that was more than twice the price.
I always liked Tama. My favorite back in the day was the superstars from the early 80's. But modern drums just blow away the old stuff. Even the dirt cheap sets. I have Yamaha stage customs.
@@galgogergo As a young lad in the mid 80’s, every time I went into a music store the Tama kits sounded like ass compared to the Pearls and Yamaha’s due to poor setups and skins. I didn’t know enough back then and I played mostly Jazz throughout high school. So I didn’t need a Metal kit.
with a drummer who knows how to play and an engineer who knows what he's doing, even a cheap drum set can end up sounding great and bring some character to a song. I'd rather hear the Tama kick over slate kick 5 anyday. Great vid Glenn!
For sure, one band I was in I wanted to record the drums for a demo. I offered to buy all new heads, but the drummer insisted on midi programming his tracks with ezdrummer. Kinda blew my mind.
True the BD on DW is thousands times better. the toms basically almost sound the same. I mean in metal mix at the end you'll get dead sounding tom. So kick, snare, cymbals are the most matter.
One has to keep in mind the context of the type of music. When you're constantly hitting hard, using 2-ply batter heads, tuning lower, and scooping the crap out of the midrange EQ, yes, both kits can be in the same ballpark. If you're talking a quieter type of music, though, and you have single ply heads, tuned higher, and played with some subtlety, the differences become more pronounced, and you'll get more tone/fullness/musicality out of the more expensive set. (Tom suspension mounts alone will make a difference.) I understand that this isn't the point of the video; this is geared toward project studio applications and getting the best bang for the buck (also, it's the fool, not the tool). It would just be a mistake to think that the results here translate for every style of music. Thank you for this video - it's very cool and a great lesson to be learned.
3 года назад+36
That Carcass-like mix was really good to be honest
Ahh yes, a very... Corporeal, inspiration? One might say? I get how the fine land of Copyright Strikes informs decisions. And completely approve of your solution. Album is Necroticism, for those of you interested.
I watched this with my eyes closed. I couldn't tell the difference between the two. I was playing it on a high end 5.1 stereo with an expensive sound card. They both sounded great to my ears.
Have to say the playing and mixing are sublime! That Tama sounds unreal, they really are an amazing series of drums! The DW is fantastic too but just have a soft spot for cheap old Tama kits!
I've owned & played several DW collectors sets, convincing myself that I was "going pro" by playing DW. I have also owned / played most styles of Tama sets. Tama has more character, the bass drums are better, and the hardware is as good as it gets. I currently play Tama Starclassic and I am done with DW. Keep up the great work and thanks for throwing us Drummers the love 💘
When I was a kid I played with a drummer who’s kit was built around lumber . Actual 2 by 4s and plywood. We even played a couple of Gigs with it . It’s the only time I got chased by dogs at a lumber yard stealing wood for a crash stand .
It's not better, just boomier. The Tama would fit really well on a not-so-metal track. Sounds almost exactly like the kick from Weezer's Blue Album actually, a friendly but present "pok" sound.
@@matturner6890 id have said the tama sounds more one-dimensional, if that makes sense. really flat and a tad too ... well how to put it.. papery? for my taste. then again, i always gravitate toward the sound of dw drums in superior drummer, so maybe im biased.
@@DzoniMakaroni No prob man, I am a fuckin nerd about drums and love sharing info. I will also mention that the DW kick is also awesome, and on a slower heavy song would be absolutely monstrous. The big, long BOOM is great for slower stuff.
At the last second, I decided to listen to the full mix shootout with my eyes closed just to see if I could hear a difference and not be influenced by the brand or price. I was blown away when I opened my eyes to see the kit I thought sounded better was the Tama. The Tama was just sort of clear and snappy with this great attack while the DW was a bit too soft in the highs which didn't cut through the mix as well. That DW is a bit sweeter or richer, for lack of a better word, but that Tama just so clear and cuts through the mix so well.
@@ryanwilson5936 Ironically, he went out and found a full Rockstar kit and uses his Ludwig snare with the Rockstar kit LOL!!! He did cut down to one bass drum and a double-pedal, though.
Drums can be expensive but if you shop smart, you can get a legitimate awesome quality drum set relatively affordable. Buy the cymbals used for more savings. It’s not cheap but at the same time, it doesn’t have to be too expensive.
FULL DISCLOSURE: I flogged a Tama Rockstar kit for most of a twenty-year career in cover bands in cabarets and bars in the Pacific Northwest and Northern Nevada, though not identical to the kit Glenn used, mine came with StarCast mounts, so mine (purchased in 1999) might be a bit newer, and the kit didn't come with a snare. I purchased a wood Tama Rockstar snare about five or six years ago after using a vintage Ludwig Pioneer and an generic steel piccolo snare. That said, after listening to the tracks in the video I can say that the Tamas sounded just fine in comparison to the DWs, to the point where it's just a matter of personal taste and budget. Did the more expensive drums sound better? Yeah, sure. Enough to justify the expense? That depends on how much money you make/have made as a working drummer. The difference between the snares was a bit more pronounced to me, but again, whether or not the better quality justifies the expense is up to you. I'd have loved to see him use snares from boutique brands like Brady, or makers like Gregg Keplinger or Jeff Ocheltree.
I am 6:15 in to the vid and the sound of that Tama-kit bring back som great memories from the music-lessons from year 7-9 when the entire class att the end of each year covered a song. Me on the bass and a guy who has ended up as a multiinstrumentalist in drums and our buddies om guitars and one of the girls on keys. The rest of the class sang and it was so much fun!🤘
Assuming the tracks were processed identically, the DW set may sound a bit better, but I'd be hilariously happy to have the level of quality you got with the Rockstar kit. Maybe not too thrilled about the kick drum sound (compared to the DW), but still perfectly usable.
Been using a Rockstar kit for over 20 years now; kit I have now is a made in Japan one (back when they still that back in the '90s)...love it, has never failed me.
Honestly only sound difference I can hear on several different listening methods is a different kick drum impact. Other than that, both are a righteously good sound.
Glenn!! just started doing random music junk on TikTok and now i have even more respect for the work you put into your videos. Just getting things done for a 1 minute video takes so much time and here you are pulling off these kinds of shoot outs all the time! Just to add to the conversation: 20 years ago i recored at a small studio that only ever triggered kicks. I wanted a more natural sound but they didn't have a good mic for it. So we split the difference. I miked up the kick with my crappy kick mic and the engineer used a ddrum trigger and blended in a sampled kick. I was shocked at how good of a sound we were able to get
I've been playing TAMA since the 80's. They call them Rockstars for a reason. I have a white marine Japan version of that rockstar with the suspension mounts. Fresh well tuned Aquarian heads on those kits sound amazing, (Especially mic'd up). That was my good luck gigging kit for 5 years.
Haha I just scrolled for damn near five minutes just to give you props myself, Duck Tape Melodies! I learned something! (in a "sense" sense rather than a "rote" sense; hope that makes sense lol) Coincidental part is that just a few hours ago I was looking up how to use speakers as microphones for low frequency sources and phase shift, I found, is the reason "they say" to wire it in reverse polarity. Excellent catch though, and Fuck Glenn! 🤘😅✌
The drummer I'm working with (and have for most of my music projects over the last 25 years) has had a Tama Rockstar set since '92. And like Glen said, it's a beast of a set. I'm sure he'll be excited to watch this episode when I send him a link. ⚡🤘⚡
Shows that you dont need a 6000 dollar kit to sound great in the studio or live onstage as long as the drums are in good condition, well tuned and played good
I bought a second kit on a whim for my home studio about a week ago, mostly because I needed the extra hardware. An old Pearl export with all the trimmings for about $200. It had been stowed away in a freezing basement for years. Gave it a little TLC and hit record, and then my jaw dropped. It’ll probably be my go-to from now on. Don’t you just love it when you take something that’s overlooked/neglected and give it a new chance, and it actually ends up working 🙂 Great video, Glenn!
I played with a drummer who'd purchased a $7000 Sonor set sometime in the 80s. They sounded perfect. No overtones. So simple to mic either live or studio. I can attest they made some amazing kit back in the day.
Both sound very good. Feel like the DW sounds more “alive”, more punch and presence so def can tell a difference. But the Tamas for sure hold their own and work for those on more of a budget. That said, feel like the biggest barrier for recording drums are modest quality mics, pres, and a treated room to record. Video idea: Tamas on studio quality mics vs 7 mic starter pack? They hold up with other budget gear?
My brother bought me a set of TAMA Rockstar which is similar to yours back in year 2001, costing around USD$750 brand new. with good maintenance and care to the drums, the shell the lugs and the hoops, actually it sounds amazing throughout all these years. I did try some more premium drumsets throughout these years, the Rockstar kit still has its particular killer sound and punch to it and the build quality is absolutely solid and great. Taiwan has been making very good quality musical instruments!!! Cheers Glenn!!!
I have two sets of Tama drums.Rockstar dx and swingstar.Both are great sets .The Swingstars are 34 years old and still look and sound like they did the day I brought them home.Great heads and mics can make a great sounding set.
Have recorded 2 studio albums on literally this era Rockstar kit, both were decent budget recording sessions but kit with brand new heads on , sounded great and I remember both producers being quite surprised, I think on only 2 tracks I used a Brady snare, the rest was all the standard kit. I remember feeling maybe embarrassed I didn’t have a super fancy and expensive drum kit. But imho it’s all about tuning and mic placement and actually being able to play is a good help also! Great vid
I have a set of 2001 TAMA ROCKSTAR MISTY CHROME and absolutely love them! Best kit I have ever played! My kit is double bass with 3 mounted and 2 floor toms.
My first kit was an ‘88 white Rockstar kit that I still have today. I learned to play and learned to record with these drums. A few years back when my kids were wanting to learn to play drums, I went out and found an additional rockstar kit for around $300 for them to have and tear up. The Toms on the rockstars aren’t anything to write home about, but commonly I still use my rockstar kick over my Starclassics, C&Cs and Dark Horse Percussion custom kit. Incredible rock n roll kick on these rockstars - always has been. GREAT VIDEO! 🤘🏼
Ya bud I have a double kick set of Rock Stars that a friend of my son left for me to store. After a year of trying to contact him to come get them out of here failed. I decided I was going to use for end and coffee tables in my man cave. I got a wild hair, set them up and was blown away with how great they sound. I put new heads all the way around. Using my high end cymbles, peddles, hardware. This thing rocks, I play them every day now for 4 years. Now my Ludi maple classics are the end and coffee tables lol.
I'm very happy to see what you were saying about drum samples in this video. Not because I know anything about drumming, recording, or sampling, but because you are willing to change your mind. I struggle with accepting new points of view or new evidence to the contrary of what I believed initially when it comes to experiences outside my job. Which says a lot since my job is all about looking for and investigating evidence.
Just buy the TAMA's snare and toms, then a DW kick and you have a live and studio drum kit that sounds killer. :D EDIT: Just buy the TAMA kit instead, both kicks were out of phase in this video.
@@jeffkerr807 It means the microphones are negatively interfering on each other's sound when mixed in a song. If both were in phase, they would positively interfere on the drum sound, yielding the desired result.
As a drummer i have played on a few different kits throughout the years and companys. I recently got my first DW kit and i can no-biasly say i cant complain about the price bc the raw sound is what i was looking for, complimented by aquarian performance 2 clears for the toms, super kick 2 for bass and texture coated for snare paired with paiste 2k2s all around. Rock is back gentlemen
I played 2200€ Pearl Masters for years, but when I moved to another country I couldn't bring them along so I decided to get a cheaper set. So, I got a new 600€ Tama Silverstar 6 piece kit and was just blown away by how well built it is and how good it sounds. Nowadays I prefer the tama kit over the masters kits...
Great video! Ive been a Tama player for 30 years. I recently restored a 1989 Japanese made Rockstar, not Taiwanese made, like many in that era. As you so wisely stated in your video, as long as you have good heads and proper tuning, the differences are small for sure.
Another great super inexpensive purchase, especially if you're looking for a more vintage sounding set of drums- MIJ sets from the 60s and 70s. These are the drums people would buy out of a Sears Roebucks catalog for their kids back then, and many actually feature fiberglass shells, which record phenomenaly. I've been able to buy full sets for as low as $60. An added bonus is that you'll come across some uniquely designed wraps on them as well.
As a longtime drummer who used to play in bands semi-professionally and now focuses on home recording, I was impressed with the Tama Rockstar. It more than held its own, especially the kick drum and toms. I also thought the snare sound was greatly improved by mixing it with the sample. Even as a Pearl guy I would gladly take the Rockstar and spend some of the money I saved on a Supraphonic or even Black Beauty snare. Then you would have a truly pro drum sound for far less than a DW or other boutique/custom drum kit. Just my $.02 and thank you Glenn for this video!
Hi Glen! I have a set of birch Tama Silverstars I got for around $500. They sound well and full outside their price range for certain! Ive never lugged the full kit into a studio but I have taken the 14x5 snare it comes with, and everyone is blown away by it. We even did a side by side with a pearl masters maple 14x6 and pearl free floating brass 14x6.5 and most felt the little birch silverstar snare was better. The hardware isn't as robust anymore but there's something about Tama shell construction.
I think the Tama was better, I hate DW drums, I think they sound like thin shit, oddly enough, the opposite of what most of these Yes-men are telling Glenn. I Own a Superstar Birch and a Vintage Rockstar DX Maple and Mahogany, they in my opinion, blow DW drums out of a studio, but then, I got my drums for Live Performances, not Studio only as Glenn has with his $6,000.00 DW Maple shits er shells.
@@myopicautisticmetal9035 I once stumbled into a guitar center while the drum guy was tuning the display kits. He was so blown away by a Tama Starclassic b/b's ability to hold a lower and richer fundamental than every display kit they had out that I joined him in trying to get a DW collectors maple, an all maple ludwig kit whos name I cant recall (pro price tag tho), and a pearl masters maple to hold as rich and low a sound. The DW and Ludwig even had noticeably bigger shell sizes too. The tama starclassic stomped all.
I’m the proud owner of a second hand Tama superstar. It’s what I’m planning on using to record my upcoming album actually! And hell, we recorded my former bands Ep using a borrowed tama imperial star, which is an even cheaper kit, and I’m still proud of those drum sounds several years later!
I've had a tama rockstar DX for the last several years, and I just got back into playing recently. I had NO idea that my kit would be considered "cheap!" I've played really cheap kits, and mine blows them out of the water! I'm a proud owner :)
I have 3 Tama kits one of them is actually a 97 rockstar that i bought back in high school. To this day looks almost new and sounds as amazing as my Starclassic Birch/Walnut that I bought a little over a year ago. Like anything you just have to take care of it if you want it to last.
I had a Ludwig Accent kit once upon a time. It sounded fine. I dropped the dough on a Bison kit with a bubinga Pork Pie snare and the drum tracks instantly sounded better. I appreciate what Glenn has done here. Both these kits sound great by my milage def varied. Crap in is crap out.
This is...grazy. I really expected way more difference. My mind just blew all over the place. Crazy. Thanks yet another fun video. Keep up the good work and all that.
hey glenn, could you try "good heads on cheap drums vs bad heads on expensive" . what i'm trying to get at is: how much of the sound is in the head and how much is in the drum itself. thanks!
we recorded drums on our last album with a Ludwig kit that was the equivalent of a Tama rockstar kit. we made sure everything was tuned properly and close mic'd it in a small flat room. my partner then built out a "room" in Reaper and it sounded great. We had tracked albums in expensive studios with "classic professional" drum kits in the past with a name producer, vista light Ludwig's , 70's Ludwig's as well as DW kits . in my experience you can go either way. results may vary but with the right skillset/ engineer/ producer you cant go wrong. with that said i still got myself a pieced together Tama Superstar kit and a drum bot for the future sessions and a black beauty Ludwig snare.
Glenn..... Your channel is getting just better and better... keep up dude, you help us low budget sound fanatics wanna be an ingeneer A LOT. Cheers from Argentina!!!
i have a 500$ CAD Pearl Target kit that initially i didnt think would cut it, but i ended up meeting a session drummer in College and he came over and tuned it properly for me and put me onto certain skins and it was literally night and day. Still doesnt sound like my DW kit but its amazing what a little bit of extra money on good skins and proper tuning can do
My very first kit I ever bought was a Rockstar Custom back in 1998. Back then they were considered a middle of the road kit but they had the best bang for the buck in my opinion. I slapped on Aquarian heads. Super Kick2 on the bass. Performance 2's on the toms and Hi Energy on the snare and it sounded awesome.
Always keep your eye out for deals. I got my 2015 DW Collectors kit for $2,000 with a Spirit Drums snare. Absolutely amazing deal that I couldn't pass up.
I have a set of Tama Rockstar Customs and they sound fantastic with Evans hydraulics. I also have an old set of Tama Swingstars 1990s with Maple shells. They sound really good as well. I also bought a new set of Tama Imperialstars in 1979 they sounded very nice, but i can see how the hardware has really improved over the decades.
I personally record a Gretsch Catalina Rock kit in m my studio and use a Gretsch Renown on tour. They are both workhorses and sound amazing. If its wood and round and ya know how to tune you are gold w going lower end. Great video Glenn!!
One of the best sounding kits I ever heard live, no mics, was a Rockstar kit in a tiny living room at a house show. The kit in this vid seems like one of the versions that was made/sold as a budget kit, most likely made out of poplar instead of the mahogany shells of the "proper" Rockstars from the era I mentioned (though it could be one from earlier in the 90s?). Those are probably pretty inexpensive too.
Hey dude. Really interesting side-by-side comparison. There is a noticeable difference between the two kits to my ear, but as you point out - the price difference is the big thing: it's not 25 times more expensive a difference, it's likely a difference in tuning and the depth of the shells combined with personal preference. I think the most interesting thing you said is that "a kit for recording has to be in good studio condition. A lot of drummers I've met don't tune their drums or clean their cymbals - both of which play a key role in the sound you're going to record. So, thank you for the video. It was awesome!
I had a Tama Rockstar in 2000. I wish I still had it. I recorded with it, played gigs on it, and did my daily practicing on it daily. Thise and the Pearl Export Select were great too. Sold a lot of both kits back when I was teaching in the shop.
The interiors of cheap drums are always unfinished (no finish or sealer on the wood... just bare wood), including those Rockstars. No one ever talks about this, but it is a BIG factor in the sound (and cost) of drums. Would love to see the same comparison after sealing the interiors of the Rockstars with polyurethane, tung oil blend, whatever. Should give it a noticeable improvement in the midrange and upper mid that is missing from them currently (which is NOT missing from the sealed wood interiors of the DWs). Thanks for the comparison... great video!
As someone with a home recording studio who can't afford drum sets that are a few thousand bucks, this was cool to watch. Honestly the biggest difference for me was the kick. The cheaper set's kick just didn't have much gut to it, but with some sample enhancements to throw some heft back in it hits far above it's weight.
My first "real" kit was a Tama Rockstar. Saved up and bought a 6 peice kit back in '96. I still have it, and it still sounds phenomenal! Now, I have moved on to a Starclassic B/B kit, but they are both set up in my man cave, and the kids play the old reliable Rockstar. I don't mix things or even record much, but the only differences that are obvious between my two kits is the kick is far superior in an acoustic state on the Starclassic kit and the snare it totally different - but the Starclassic snare is wood, and the Rockstar kit is metal. Both sound great, just quite different.
A bit of nostalgia for me with this video. I’ve owned two types of tama rockstar way back. I've also owned a few starclassics, pearl mmx, gretsch renown maple... My Rockstars, with the star cast mounts and fast toms (albiet, not as loud as the higher end drums) we're some of the best sounding drums I’ve owned. All-around, they had great punchy tone and we're easy to tune.
hey Glenn, WTF?!?!? i just watched your video on how to make bass traps... i was highly disappointed that it had nothing to do with trapping the bass player at all
That's easy to do. Tell them to go into a closet where the door knob is on the left side, and that the door knob on the right side is the one that lets them out. Make sure to write L and R on their hands to make sure they don't get it wrong. Same with their shoes.
If you want trap a bass player bait it with beer and weed .
Getting trapped in stupid situations is one of the few things your bass player doesn't need help with.
Did you use a laser pointer?
😂
Spit out my drink at..."Playing for the other Bands and thier Girlfriends".... Holy Shit the truth stiiiiiiiiiiiings, lol.
Life of an original metal band... splitting 30 bucks between 5 people at the end of the night
That is who I mainly played for, As well as the other bands mom's and dad's!
The reality of a rock band nowadays :D
@@RudalPL you’ve been there too, eh? 😜
I hope this helps people realize that skills and technique are more important than top of the line gear. Great vid Glenn 😃.
Absolutely! You're very welcome!
No it doesn't 😅
You can still hear shitty tone no matter how well you play. Even if the shitty tones "fits" or sounds "right".
It also helps when you have high end mics and amps amd computer programs.
Not saying the tama was a shitty tone. But it was clearly inferior to the DW
Absolutely. But as always, to a point. The drumming in the video was top notch, as was the way the kit was tuned, miked and recorded. All that makes a difference.
@@BluesManSteele dw makes the best overall drums in the industry. Worked my ass off when I was younger at a second job to pay for them. Worth it. He’s right on the pricing. Shells, plus the matching edge series snare drum (extra grand at the time) were in the neighborhood of ouch and holy crap. But wow. Just wow.
What I'm getting from this is good heads and taking the time to tune the damn things is really what you need.
then you got the wrong impression NO amount of tuning or quality of heads, can fix a rockstar or bring it close to competing with a dw.
@@s4lroachclip DW sucks Tama is where to go
@HRRoach You're right. As long as you have drums of reasonable quality to begin with, good heads and tuning will take you the rest of the way. Anyone who says $10,000 drums made of african bubinga with gold plated hardware "just sound better, man" can go and F themselves.
@@Eccentricjuices Nice try troll
@@s4lroachclip DW
That punchy TAMA Rockstar bass drum...I grew up on that sound. Makes me smile
POK POK POK *snare* POK POK POK *snare*
Or Grandstar
True, but those toms... man, those sound bad.
Me too 😁 the Tama rockstar is an awesome kit !!!
The DW kick drum sounds killer
thats my only thought listening. the kick is so full and deep on the DW, and the lack of low low end on the tama is just not there. all else to me is just fine.
The absolute biggest difference between the kits, and an important one at that
@@TotalDESSSS after the follow up vid, ill acknowledge the tama has a more fuller sound, but I feel it still falls short, however id say the tama would be totaly fine in a practice jam setting, never gona be able to tell, but when it comes to studio, just use the kit already there.
@@tyleraho2485 agreed
@@TotalDESSSS whoa whoa whoa. This is the internet. You cant just rationally agree about with other people. Wheres the "you dont know anything", and the "do your research" comments? your doing the comment section wrong! Cool video though, cheers :D
I recently built my own studio in São Paulo, and found a used Japanese tama rockstar, killer sound, killer looks and dirty cheap... I couldn't be happier
That Supraphonic snare! Holy hell, it sounds like a cannon. Perfection.
The DW kick had more body to it. Both snares and toms sounded great, though.
Yep. I like the "Whoosh" on the DW Kick but I thing with a little fiddling you can get the Rockstar Kick close to it.
On one session the Kick of the Drummer also was lacking the "whoosh" and it was more "wobble". So we stole a Concrete Stone on a Construction Site nearby and put it in there.
"Big Bertha" is about 25kg heavy and mentioned in the Credits of that Record :D
Totally agree. If I had an aging rockstar kit I'd probably spring for a dw kick drum and call it a day. Everything else sounded great though.
Yes. I liked the DW bass much more and the Tama snare a little more. But as we all know. None of us likely would be able to tell which was which in a blind test. It is just preference of sound not quality of sound.
@@SophiaAphrodite Oh my God April 1st is coming... Glenn is fucking with us!
So this discussion is for the bricks. Look for the follow up Video.... And with the right Phase the Tama rocks like Hell
Just a week ago I bought the exact same TAMA ROCKSTAR model for less than $300. It took me about 4-5 hours to clean it, I put new heads and, damn, it sounds so full! I am absolutely amazed!
They both sound great to my ears. The snares on both sound killer
The Ludwig snare was the biggest difference in favor of the DW kit
@@paulhopkins1905 Kick drum was night and day between the two kits. DW kick smoked the Tama set.
@@jasonbone5121 My TV speakers aren't good enough to tell a big difference there, but I'm sure you're right
There’s for sure a difference. But I think if you used the exact same sized drums this would be even closer
Love Supraphonics. Had my 5" since '88. It was great to hear a 6.5" here. Deeeeeep!
I had a Rockstar Fusion kit. Decent drums. Rewrapped them from black, to Red Marble.
Good bearing edges, good heads and proper tuning go a really long way!
In the 90s those Tama Kits was sold like a begginer instrument ! I love them ! The swingstar series too they have their own character
Yep. I've got 3 MIJ rockstar kits, and all are great.
I had an art star double bass set up , it was immense , still one of my favourites , for me you can't beat the sound of a good power tom .
I have my brothers 1995 Japanese Rockstar, I also had a 90's swingstar and then I have an 80's Swingstar 12x8 rack tom in cream with that speckled interior.. If you are good at tuning these are all winner's. I've always had different snare's but I remember when ky brother got the kit brand new that Tama snare sounded pretty good.
I was kinda anti-Tama for years until I worked in a music store. The Tama kits sounded amazing out of the box and their hardware was rock solid. The StarClassics walnut/birch shells projected clear across the store and sounded better than the DW maple kit that was more than twice the price.
I always liked Tama. My favorite back in the day was the superstars from the early 80's. But modern drums just blow away the old stuff. Even the dirt cheap sets. I have Yamaha stage customs.
As a matter of fact! Finally someone with experience and not $'s in their eyes.
Why didn't you like Tama back then? What was the thinking behind that?
@@galgogergo As a young lad in the mid 80’s, every time I went into a music store the Tama kits sounded like ass compared to the Pearls and Yamaha’s due to poor setups and skins. I didn’t know enough back then and I played mostly Jazz throughout high school. So I didn’t need a Metal kit.
If you never happened to, listen to Simon Philip's kit. His Starclassics just sing.
with a drummer who knows how to play and an engineer who knows what he's doing, even a cheap drum set can end up sounding great and bring some character to a song. I'd rather hear the Tama kick over slate kick 5 anyday. Great vid Glenn!
For sure, one band I was in I wanted to record the drums for a demo. I offered to buy all new heads, but the drummer insisted on midi programming his tracks with ezdrummer. Kinda blew my mind.
These Rockstars sounds unreal if we think about the price, awesome
Great video Glenn! Thanks for having me 🤘
You rock, Cam!
For real! Beast!
@@Bobby_Uterus 🤘
You make it look effortless
Nice!
As a non-expert, the kick of the Tama sounded much smaller to me and I didn't love it. The snares of both sounded amazing to me! Holy crap!
True the BD on DW is thousands times better. the toms basically almost sound the same. I mean in metal mix at the end you'll get dead sounding tom.
So kick, snare, cymbals are the most matter.
One has to keep in mind the context of the type of music. When you're constantly hitting hard, using 2-ply batter heads, tuning lower, and scooping the crap out of the midrange EQ, yes, both kits can be in the same ballpark. If you're talking a quieter type of music, though, and you have single ply heads, tuned higher, and played with some subtlety, the differences become more pronounced, and you'll get more tone/fullness/musicality out of the more expensive set. (Tom suspension mounts alone will make a difference.) I understand that this isn't the point of the video; this is geared toward project studio applications and getting the best bang for the buck (also, it's the fool, not the tool). It would just be a mistake to think that the results here translate for every style of music. Thank you for this video - it's very cool and a great lesson to be learned.
That Carcass-like mix was really good to be honest
Ty!
HAHAH My first reaction was - Is that Carcass cover? :D
Ahh yes, a very... Corporeal, inspiration? One might say?
I get how the fine land of Copyright Strikes informs decisions. And completely approve of your solution. Album is Necroticism, for those of you interested.
My favorite Corcoss song!
I watched this with my eyes closed. I couldn't tell the difference between the two. I was playing it on a high end 5.1 stereo with an expensive sound card. They both sounded great to my ears.
Have to say the playing and mixing are sublime! That Tama sounds unreal, they really are an amazing series of drums! The DW is fantastic too but just have a soft spot for cheap old Tama kits!
I've owned & played several DW collectors sets, convincing myself that I was "going pro" by playing DW. I have also owned / played most styles of Tama sets. Tama has more character, the bass drums are better, and the hardware is as good as it gets. I currently play Tama Starclassic and I am done with DW. Keep up the great work and thanks for throwing us Drummers the love 💘
When I was a kid I played with a drummer who’s kit was built around lumber . Actual 2 by 4s and plywood. We even played a couple of Gigs with it . It’s the only time I got chased by dogs at a lumber yard stealing wood for a crash stand .
cool story
The one major plus I really liked about the DWs is the much beefier kick sound, but other than that, the Tama really does the job well. Rock on.
The bass drum on the more expensive one sounded much better to me.
yeah the tama kick sounded like ass. the snare sounds just as good though!
It's not better, just boomier. The Tama would fit really well on a not-so-metal track. Sounds almost exactly like the kick from Weezer's Blue Album actually, a friendly but present "pok" sound.
@@matturner6890 That's interesting, didn't know that. Thanks!
@@matturner6890 id have said the tama sounds more one-dimensional, if that makes sense. really flat and a tad too ... well how to put it.. papery? for my taste.
then again, i always gravitate toward the sound of dw drums in superior drummer, so maybe im biased.
@@DzoniMakaroni No prob man, I am a fuckin nerd about drums and love sharing info.
I will also mention that the DW kick is also awesome, and on a slower heavy song would be absolutely monstrous. The big, long BOOM is great for slower stuff.
Both kits sound phenomenal. A/B’ing them in this manner tells a lot but an album done with one or the other would be just fine in my book.
"Playing for the other bands and their girlfriends." Oof, I felt that one.
At the last second, I decided to listen to the full mix shootout with my eyes closed just to see if I could hear a difference and not be influenced by the brand or price. I was blown away when I opened my eyes to see the kit I thought sounded better was the Tama. The Tama was just sort of clear and snappy with this great attack while the DW was a bit too soft in the highs which didn't cut through the mix as well. That DW is a bit sweeter or richer, for lack of a better word, but that Tama just so clear and cuts through the mix so well.
I thought my drummer’s $700 snare was expensive... 🤣🤣🤣
Don’t worry, it is lol.
@@ryanwilson5936
Ironically, he went out and found a full Rockstar kit and uses his Ludwig snare with the Rockstar kit LOL!!! He did cut down to one bass drum and a double-pedal, though.
The stock snare for Pearl Reference kits cost 1100€ on its own..
Drums can be expensive but if you shop smart, you can get a legitimate awesome quality drum set relatively affordable. Buy the cymbals used for more savings. It’s not cheap but at the same time, it doesn’t have to be too expensive.
The best snare AKA Ludwig Supraphonic costs about 700$ so yes that's the limit anything above that is just extra money.
FULL DISCLOSURE: I flogged a Tama Rockstar kit for most of a twenty-year career in cover bands in cabarets and bars in the Pacific Northwest and Northern Nevada, though not identical to the kit Glenn used, mine came with StarCast mounts, so mine (purchased in 1999) might be a bit newer, and the kit didn't come with a snare. I purchased a wood Tama Rockstar snare about five or six years ago after using a vintage Ludwig Pioneer and an generic steel piccolo snare.
That said, after listening to the tracks in the video I can say that the Tamas sounded just fine in comparison to the DWs, to the point where it's just a matter of personal taste and budget. Did the more expensive drums sound better? Yeah, sure. Enough to justify the expense? That depends on how much money you make/have made as a working drummer. The difference between the snares was a bit more pronounced to me, but again, whether or not the better quality justifies the expense is up to you. I'd have loved to see him use snares from boutique brands like Brady, or makers like Gregg Keplinger or Jeff Ocheltree.
I really liked the kick on the DW kit.
I am 6:15 in to the vid and the sound of that Tama-kit bring back som great memories from the music-lessons from year 7-9 when the entire class att the end of each year covered a song. Me on the bass and a guy who has ended up as a multiinstrumentalist in drums and our buddies om guitars and one of the girls on keys. The rest of the class sang and it was so much fun!🤘
Assuming the tracks were processed identically, the DW set may sound a bit better, but I'd be hilariously happy to have the level of quality you got with the Rockstar kit. Maybe not too thrilled about the kick drum sound (compared to the DW), but still perfectly usable.
Been using a Rockstar kit for over 20 years now; kit I have now is a made in Japan one (back when they still that back in the '90s)...love it, has never failed me.
Honestly only sound difference I can hear on several different listening methods is a different kick drum impact. Other than that, both are a righteously good sound.
Thanks very much! Glad you liked!
Glenn!! just started doing random music junk on TikTok and now i have even more respect for the work you put into your videos. Just getting things done for a 1 minute video takes so much time and here you are pulling off these kinds of shoot outs all the time!
Just to add to the conversation: 20 years ago i recored at a small studio that only ever triggered kicks. I wanted a more natural sound but they didn't have a good mic for it. So we split the difference. I miked up the kick with my crappy kick mic and the engineer used a ddrum trigger and blended in a sampled kick. I was shocked at how good of a sound we were able to get
Thanks man! This one took a while to put together!
The Rockstar set sounded really impressive but having highend mic's surely helps a lot too! Great video...
I've been playing TAMA since the 80's. They call them Rockstars for a reason. I have a white marine Japan version of that rockstar with the suspension mounts. Fresh well tuned Aquarian heads on those kits sound amazing, (Especially mic'd up). That was my good luck gigging kit for 5 years.
Is the kick on the Tama out of phase?
Dude, PM me via Spectremedia.ca
Haha I just scrolled for damn near five minutes just to give you props myself, Duck Tape Melodies! I learned something! (in a "sense" sense rather than a "rote" sense; hope that makes sense lol)
Coincidental part is that just a few hours ago I was looking up how to use speakers as microphones for low frequency sources and phase shift, I found, is the reason "they say" to wire it in reverse polarity.
Excellent catch though, and Fuck Glenn! 🤘😅✌
@@SpectreSoundStudios he deserves something awesome Glenn. Thanks for your honesty
The drummer I'm working with (and have for most of my music projects over the last 25 years) has had a Tama Rockstar set since '92. And like Glen said, it's a beast of a set. I'm sure he'll be excited to watch this episode when I send him a link.
⚡🤘⚡
Shows that you dont need a 6000 dollar kit to sound great in the studio or live onstage as long as the drums are in good condition, well tuned and played good
I bought a second kit on a whim for my home studio about a week ago, mostly because I needed the extra hardware. An old Pearl export with all the trimmings for about $200. It had been stowed away in a freezing basement for years. Gave it a little TLC and hit record, and then my jaw dropped. It’ll probably be my go-to from now on. Don’t you just love it when you take something that’s overlooked/neglected and give it a new chance, and it actually ends up working 🙂 Great video, Glenn!
Minor tonal variances in the kick and snare but WOW. . .the Tama is very useable.
Great video. Live the subtleties are inaudible. Thanks for the hard work making our recordings sound better!
I don't know about the reselling value of a DW, but I am sure you can find a 2nd hand Sonor for under 2k that has no fear of comparisons.
I picked up a nice set of older Sonor's for $400, installed new heads and good to go.
@@whiskeymike7364 I feel like Sonors are so underappreciated nowadays. Ludwigs too.
Been on my Sonors since '07 and no plans of letting them go, ever!
I played with a drummer who'd purchased a $7000 Sonor set sometime in the 80s. They sounded perfect. No overtones. So simple to mic either live or studio. I can attest they made some amazing kit back in the day.
Force 3007 series!
9 ply Canadian maple!
Can still find them for 1000 Canadian used.
Killer drums that definitely fear no comparison!!!
“Here is my cheap set….”
…pulls out your exact set of drums…
Cool that they held their own so well.
Tama Rockstar 4 me! It held well and provided a good sound! I'm a guitarist and it just floated my boat! $$$$ on the Tama!
I love that this will make that kid with the cheaper kit feel better ☺️
Both sound very good. Feel like the DW sounds more “alive”, more punch and presence so def can tell a difference. But the Tamas for sure hold their own and work for those on more of a budget.
That said, feel like the biggest barrier for recording drums are modest quality mics, pres, and a treated room to record.
Video idea: Tamas on studio quality mics vs 7 mic starter pack? They hold up with other budget gear?
My brother bought me a set of TAMA Rockstar which is similar to yours back in year 2001, costing around USD$750 brand new. with good maintenance and care to the drums, the shell the lugs and the hoops, actually it sounds amazing throughout all these years. I did try some more premium drumsets throughout these years, the Rockstar kit still has its particular killer sound and punch to it and the build quality is absolutely solid and great. Taiwan has been making very good quality musical instruments!!! Cheers Glenn!!!
Love that BoltThrower/Caracas style riffing magnificent 🤘🤘
Thank you!!
I am glad someone else noticed that signature tone. A bit of a Pepper Keenan tone in that as well.
I have two sets of Tama drums.Rockstar dx and swingstar.Both are great sets .The Swingstars are 34 years old and still look and sound like they did the day I brought them home.Great heads and mics can make a great sounding set.
I liked the DW drums & really liked the Ludwig snare. I think the Tama snare would sound much better tuned up a bit.
Have recorded 2 studio albums on literally this era Rockstar kit, both were decent budget recording sessions but kit with brand new heads on , sounded great and I remember both producers being quite surprised, I think on only 2 tracks I used a Brady snare, the rest was all the standard kit. I remember feeling maybe embarrassed I didn’t have a super fancy and expensive drum kit. But imho it’s all about tuning and mic placement and actually being able to play is a good help also! Great vid
That 50% blend made me love that tama snare way more than the ludwig
I have a set of 2001 TAMA ROCKSTAR MISTY CHROME and absolutely love them! Best kit I have ever played! My kit is double bass with 3 mounted and 2 floor toms.
The DW kick sounds much better than the Tama kick!
It might be boomier, but I guarantee the Tama fits into way more mixes.
My first kit was an ‘88 white Rockstar kit that I still have today. I learned to play and learned to record with these drums. A few years back when my kids were wanting to learn to play drums, I went out and found an additional rockstar kit for around $300 for them to have and tear up. The Toms on the rockstars aren’t anything to write home about, but commonly I still use my rockstar kick over my Starclassics, C&Cs and Dark Horse Percussion custom kit. Incredible rock n roll kick on these rockstars - always has been. GREAT VIDEO! 🤘🏼
Next episodes: Glenn editing and quantizing drums, Glenn programming drums.
Maybe even Glenn tuning vocals, who knows? 🤣
Nah, let’s not go crazy!
Fuck that never sell out Glenn lol
Ya bud I have a double kick set of Rock Stars that a friend of my son left for me to store. After a year of trying to contact him to come get them out of here failed. I decided I was going to use for end and coffee tables in my man cave. I got a wild hair, set them up and was blown away with how great they sound. I put new heads all the way around. Using my high end cymbles, peddles, hardware. This thing rocks, I play them every day now for 4 years. Now my Ludi maple classics are the end and coffee tables lol.
All I’m gonna say is... should’ve bought Sonor
I'm very happy to see what you were saying about drum samples in this video. Not because I know anything about drumming, recording, or sampling, but because you are willing to change your mind. I struggle with accepting new points of view or new evidence to the contrary of what I believed initially when it comes to experiences outside my job. Which says a lot since my job is all about looking for and investigating evidence.
Turns out, I've been mixing on "hard mode" for too long!
Just buy the TAMA's snare and toms, then a DW kick and you have a live and studio drum kit that sounds killer. :D
EDIT: Just buy the TAMA kit instead, both kicks were out of phase in this video.
What does that mean, out of phase? Tks
@@jeffkerr807 It means the microphones are negatively interfering on each other's sound when mixed in a song. If both were in phase, they would positively interfere on the drum sound, yielding the desired result.
@@plumbummusic2051 tks
Damn both the kits sounded top notch! I was honestly surprised how high quality that tama sounded!
Next time you're doing a kit comparison, get the guy to hit the drums rather than the cymbals
As a drummer i have played on a few different kits throughout the years and companys. I recently got my first DW kit and i can no-biasly say i cant complain about the price bc the raw sound is what i was looking for, complimented by aquarian performance 2 clears for the toms, super kick 2 for bass and texture coated for snare paired with paiste 2k2s all around. Rock is back gentlemen
30 years from now gear nerds are gonna be like,“bro what if the tone was better in 2020 because they had to wear mask.”
I played 2200€ Pearl Masters for years, but when I moved to another country I couldn't bring them along so I decided to get a cheaper set. So, I got a new 600€ Tama Silverstar 6 piece kit and was just blown away by how well built it is and how good it sounds. Nowadays I prefer the tama kit over the masters kits...
Great video! Ive been a Tama player for 30 years. I recently restored a 1989 Japanese made Rockstar, not Taiwanese made, like many in that era. As you so wisely stated in your video, as long as you have good heads and proper tuning, the differences are small for sure.
Wow! The sound of that DW kit is amazing! I guess it's true with drums as well. You get what you pay for.
Kick issue solved: ruclips.net/video/r9KmP1bcMi4/видео.html
Another great super inexpensive purchase, especially if you're looking for a more vintage sounding set of drums- MIJ sets from the 60s and 70s.
These are the drums people would buy out of a Sears Roebucks catalog for their kids back then, and many actually feature fiberglass shells, which record phenomenaly. I've been able to buy full sets for as low as $60.
An added bonus is that you'll come across some uniquely designed wraps on them as well.
As a longtime drummer who used to play in bands semi-professionally and now focuses on home recording, I was impressed with the Tama Rockstar. It more than held its own, especially the kick drum and toms. I also thought the snare sound was greatly improved by mixing it with the sample.
Even as a Pearl guy I would gladly take the Rockstar and spend some of the money I saved on a Supraphonic or even Black Beauty snare. Then you would have a truly pro drum sound for far less than a DW or other boutique/custom drum kit. Just my $.02 and thank you Glenn for this video!
Hi Glen! I have a set of birch Tama Silverstars I got for around $500. They sound well and full outside their price range for certain! Ive never lugged the full kit into a studio but I have taken the 14x5 snare it comes with, and everyone is blown away by it. We even did a side by side with a pearl masters maple 14x6 and pearl free floating brass 14x6.5 and most felt the little birch silverstar snare was better. The hardware isn't as robust anymore but there's something about Tama shell construction.
I think the Tama was better, I hate DW drums, I think they sound like thin shit, oddly enough, the opposite of what most of these Yes-men are telling Glenn. I Own a Superstar Birch and a Vintage Rockstar DX Maple and Mahogany, they in my opinion, blow DW drums out of a studio, but then, I got my drums for Live Performances, not Studio only as Glenn has with his $6,000.00 DW Maple shits er shells.
@@myopicautisticmetal9035
I once stumbled into a guitar center while the drum guy was tuning the display kits. He was so blown away by a Tama Starclassic b/b's ability to hold a lower and richer fundamental than every display kit they had out that I joined him in trying to get a DW collectors maple, an all maple ludwig kit whos name I cant recall (pro price tag tho), and a pearl masters maple to hold as rich and low a sound. The DW and Ludwig even had noticeably bigger shell sizes too. The tama starclassic stomped all.
I’m the proud owner of a second hand Tama superstar. It’s what I’m planning on using to record my upcoming album actually! And hell, we recorded my former bands Ep using a borrowed tama imperial star, which is an even cheaper kit, and I’m still proud of those drum sounds several years later!
I've had a tama rockstar DX for the last several years, and I just got back into playing recently. I had NO idea that my kit would be considered "cheap!" I've played really cheap kits, and mine blows them out of the water! I'm a proud owner :)
I have 3 Tama kits one of them is actually a 97 rockstar that i bought back in high school. To this day looks almost new and sounds as amazing as my Starclassic Birch/Walnut that I bought a little over a year ago. Like anything you just have to take care of it if you want it to last.
Man! This video is going to put DW out of business. Impressed with the Rockstars
I had a Ludwig Accent kit once upon a time. It sounded fine. I dropped the dough on a Bison kit with a bubinga Pork Pie snare and the drum tracks instantly sounded better. I appreciate what Glenn has done here. Both these kits sound great by my milage def varied. Crap in is crap out.
This is...grazy. I really expected way more difference. My mind just blew all over the place. Crazy. Thanks yet another fun video. Keep up the good work and all that.
hey glenn, could you try "good heads on cheap drums vs bad heads on expensive" . what i'm trying to get at is: how much of the sound is in the head and how much is in the drum itself. thanks!
Bad heads (old and worn out, or new but so cheap they're practially made out of paper) will sound bad no matter what you put them on.
we recorded drums on our last album with a Ludwig kit that was the equivalent of a Tama rockstar kit. we made sure everything was tuned properly and close mic'd it in a small flat room. my partner then built out a "room" in Reaper and it sounded great. We had tracked albums in expensive studios with "classic professional" drum kits in the past with a name producer, vista light Ludwig's , 70's Ludwig's as well as DW kits . in my experience you can go either way. results may vary but with the right skillset/ engineer/ producer you cant go wrong. with that said i still got myself a pieced together Tama Superstar kit and a drum bot for the future sessions and a black beauty Ludwig snare.
Glenn..... Your channel is getting just better and better... keep up dude, you help us low budget sound fanatics wanna be an ingeneer A LOT.
Cheers from Argentina!!!
I appreciate that!
i have a 500$ CAD Pearl Target kit that initially i didnt think would cut it, but i ended up meeting a session drummer in College and he came over and tuned it properly for me and put me onto certain skins and it was literally night and day. Still doesnt sound like my DW kit but its amazing what a little bit of extra money on good skins and proper tuning can do
My very first kit I ever bought was a Rockstar Custom back in 1998. Back then they were considered a middle of the road kit but they had the best bang for the buck in my opinion. I slapped on Aquarian heads. Super Kick2 on the bass. Performance 2's on the toms and Hi Energy on the snare and it sounded awesome.
Always keep your eye out for deals. I got my 2015 DW Collectors kit for $2,000 with a Spirit Drums snare. Absolutely amazing deal that I couldn't pass up.
I have a set of Tama Rockstar Customs and they sound fantastic with Evans hydraulics. I also have an old set of Tama Swingstars 1990s with Maple shells. They sound really good as well. I also bought a new set of Tama Imperialstars in 1979 they sounded very nice, but i can see how the hardware has really improved over the decades.
So the samples helped ALOT!! But the depth on the DW kick either way was really sweet. Fantastic video!
I personally record a Gretsch Catalina Rock kit in m my studio and use a Gretsch Renown on tour. They are both workhorses and sound amazing. If its wood and round and ya know how to tune you are gold w going lower end. Great video Glenn!!
And get some Aquarians Heads!!!!!
One of the best sounding kits I ever heard live, no mics, was a Rockstar kit in a tiny living room at a house show. The kit in this vid seems like one of the versions that was made/sold as a budget kit, most likely made out of poplar instead of the mahogany shells of the "proper" Rockstars from the era I mentioned (though it could be one from earlier in the 90s?). Those are probably pretty inexpensive too.
Very eye opening! Thanks Glenn!
Hey dude. Really interesting side-by-side comparison. There is a noticeable difference between the two kits to my ear, but as you point out - the price difference is the big thing: it's not 25 times more expensive a difference, it's likely a difference in tuning and the depth of the shells combined with personal preference.
I think the most interesting thing you said is that "a kit for recording has to be in good studio condition. A lot of drummers I've met don't tune their drums or clean their cymbals - both of which play a key role in the sound you're going to record.
So, thank you for the video. It was awesome!
I had a Tama Rockstar in 2000.
I wish I still had it. I recorded with it, played gigs on it, and did my daily practicing on it daily.
Thise and the Pearl Export Select were great too. Sold a lot of both kits back when I was teaching in the shop.
The interiors of cheap drums are always unfinished (no finish or sealer on the wood... just bare wood), including those Rockstars. No one ever talks about this, but it is a BIG factor in the sound (and cost) of drums. Would love to see the same comparison after sealing the interiors of the Rockstars with polyurethane, tung oil blend, whatever. Should give it a noticeable improvement in the midrange and upper mid that is missing from them currently (which is NOT missing from the sealed wood interiors of the DWs). Thanks for the comparison... great video!
As someone with a home recording studio who can't afford drum sets that are a few thousand bucks, this was cool to watch. Honestly the biggest difference for me was the kick. The cheaper set's kick just didn't have much gut to it, but with some sample enhancements to throw some heft back in it hits far above it's weight.
Kick issue solved: ruclips.net/video/r9KmP1bcMi4/видео.html
My first "real" kit was a Tama Rockstar. Saved up and bought a 6 peice kit back in '96. I still have it, and it still sounds phenomenal! Now, I have moved on to a Starclassic B/B kit, but they are both set up in my man cave, and the kids play the old reliable Rockstar. I don't mix things or even record much, but the only differences that are obvious between my two kits is the kick is far superior in an acoustic state on the Starclassic kit and the snare it totally different - but the Starclassic snare is wood, and the Rockstar kit is metal. Both sound great, just quite different.
Sponsored by Lewitt?! YOU GO GLENN! 🤘🏻🤘🏻
Great video. Both sound good. DW is a bit beefier. Great to hear the differences.
A bit of nostalgia for me with this video. I’ve owned two types of tama rockstar way back. I've also owned a few starclassics, pearl mmx, gretsch renown maple... My Rockstars, with the star cast mounts and fast toms (albiet, not as loud as the higher end drums) we're some of the best sounding drums I’ve owned. All-around, they had great punchy tone and we're easy to tune.