I love comparing different woods for drum kits but rarely does it ever blow my mind on how different they sound. Tuning plays such a big role. But sitting in a song with a full band and distorted guitars, keys and vocals etc, it makes hardly any difference IMO.
I agree, for the most part, but I like to have what I’m playing on my kit circulating through my earbuds so I can hear how they sound! It takes getting used to, but it makes a world of difference!
I have had birch ( Yamaha recording series ) and a Gretsch USA kit and there was no comparison as to what cut better through the band, mix and or no mix the Gretsch ( maple ) hands down were louder and cut while the birch were drowned out by the band and this band was just a pop cover band so with distorted guitars definitely the maple!
The German Federal Institute For Physics tested different drumshells behind a curtain. All tuned to the same pitch with a special device and tapped with an electronic-tool which delivered the same force in all cases. No drummer could tell one shell from another. By accident one was right with just one kind of wood. These research results werde used by Sonor for their development and are to be obtained as a small booklet. I was lucky to meet Dr. Bork in his lab and see the results. The same was made with brass instruments. Nobody could tell what's a cheap trombone and which one is a "high quality" product. Look for the heads, the tom mount, the bearing edge and watch out that nothing is in the shell which might disturb the air-flow.
Gotta say not too impressed and sounds like a junk test. I'm lucky to have better hearing than 99% of people (below 20 Hz and above 20 Khz)and I can tell the difference that this test said was impossible to do. Maybe to average people it wouldn't be noticed - the different drums, but people who play instruments and music is their life I think could discern the differences in the different drums. Especially when you get to the point where you are able to tell what key a song is in simply by listening to it.
Pretty cool! Tho in order for it to be apples to apples, the drums have to be located in the exact same place in the room. The placement in the room has a big effect on what the mics hear.
you can find a lot of used kits at least here in germany so if you are in the states must be even more available than germany as pearl comes from the U.S
The Mahogany/Birch Hybrid would be my choice for a studio drum set. You can hear why the Pearl Session is considered the studio kit. Super punchy, maybe even too punchy almost like prog-metal. Which is a good thing in the studio because you can easily tame it before by swapping heads and stuff or after you record tracks especially if you are scooping out mids. But, trying to get punchy-ness out of a dead kit or kit that is too boomy so to speak, is a frigging task. You can spend hours placing mics in all sorts of positions which usually throws the drummers performance off and you get tons of bleed, so you have to gate, which almost defeats the purpose and then you pull your hair and end up looking like me :-| So I am going with the Session Kit because of the versatility, good for studio or road. I am sure every drummer is going with the booming loud Maple kit because who wants to hear the singer right?
A drummer once told me that he would choose birch for live performances and maple for studio recordings. After listening to this video, I agree with him. I played a friend’s Vision Birch kit at a show and them drums sang! But I love the warmer tone of maple drums for my style of play.
Agreed. The Decade maple sounded the best of the three. I couldn't help but wonder if the positioning in the room had an impact. Even Casey's voice sounded different when he was at the center kit.
Yeah I thought that to, and it definitley does due to "science" since when sound resonance it bounced off certain parts of the room, I think Decade is the best because who doesn't like maple.
Position does matter to an extent. Let's say you move the floor tom around the room, the low end would react differently. It could sound tighter or more boomy. Having the drums more in the corner could change the sound compared to having it more center or back center. Besides that, head choices, tuning, and mic position are also very important and can change the sound as every little thing is an EQ and/or natural compression.
I have a Masters Custom Extra (6 ply maple) from mid 90’s that I love. In the 80’s I had a Yamaha 9000D series (pre Recording Custom Birch) which I absolutely adored and was never satisfied (had a Gretsch between both) until the aforementioned Pearl Master Custom Extra...BUT your demo of the Birch/Mahogany...WOW!!!
I listened to this in my truck with 4 12 in subs on 6k watts of extreme powa and that kick on each drum was amazing. I wish all audio on all CDs had your kick drum sound. It was so clean to have that much punch. Good job on the video and comparison but where this video shines is in your recording ability imo
@@MrSiah007 poplar garbage ? I’ve got maple and poplar kit and I can tell you that the difference is not huge and even a person who doesn’t play drums would notice difference if the kit is well tuned, don’t talk shit dude 😂
@@chanta95 poplar is used for entry level kits and I would agree that they do a really good job now a days of making entry level kits sound a million times better than when I first started playing, but the fact and the matter is poplar is used as an entry level kit wood for a reason.
(what i think) the Maple had A lot of attack last overtone. The birch had not a lot of attack and more overtone. The Studio select had a really really good and fat sound. My personal fav, the Decade Maple.
I really like the sound of the maples the most. But the B/M and Birch drums feel better to me, I like the sticking response, the deader and "tubby" feel
Cool Video Casey! I picked up a pearl vision kit recently and this was helpful in my decision to keep or sell! Thanks! I definitely thing I would love to keep!
Are the drums of the maple and birch kits the same depth? Looking from the camera's vantage point, all the drums (except maybe the snare) of the birch kit look deeper than those of the maple.
Birch mahogany defo ! I run pearl forum drums and I can honestly say that it doesn’t matter what kit you have pearl make the best shells value for money 100% ! So if your on a budget I recommend any second hand pearl kit with some good cymbals and then you have an amazing set up ! Thanks
Oh wonderful. I've registered to your forum 5 times in a row now and my account still hasn't been approved. Tell your administrator's to get off their assets and do their job.
I just bought a set of decade maple bebop shells that aren,t available in the US! They are killer! They play bop rock blues e t but fit best in small venues where you can cut loose a bit without getting yelled at!
I now have Vision birch 10, 12, 14, 16, 22 and optimounts, a studio session select birch mahogany 12, 12, 14, 18 BD and a master custom maple 10, 12, 14, 16, 18, 22 bd.
I've always preferred maple but the Pearl studio session classic ( not select) always seemed to be one of the best pro value drums at such an incredible price. I mean I know its superficial but there's something about a 20 lug bassdrum that seems to have a more professional quality .
This would be a great comparison, however the mics are moving between takes even though the camera is stationary. First thing I noticed aside from tone.
I like the birch/mahogany better. My favorite kick drum is the birch/mahogany. I play on a maple kit now and I find them cold with not a lot of body, still an amazing kit tho.
Session select all the way...sounds richer fuller and warmer...The Maples would make the best choice for live though...The Birch sounds great for a warm less focused tone in the upper midrange....I like them all but my #1 is the session studio select. Having said that I own a music city custom kit in black diamond wrap....excellent drums...the nest head for my kit is the Remo coated ambassador. All other heads sound great to but for maximum luxury sound the Remo Ambassador coated is the choice. Just a plug for another drum head that has longevity unmatched is the Evans UV1 or UV2 these drums heads don't wear out. The sound is dark and not as resonant as a single ply coated head but the trade off is they last forever.....
Hi Casey! I am for Rio de Janeiro - Brasil. I’ve just bought your Igniter Signature and I loved it!! Do you Have any review with pearl session series (any series of session) with a 20” Bass drum kick?
I gotta say like the Maple better on the kick drum, but prefer the birch for the toms, though the Birch bass was still very good. Cool video-thanks. Kinda surprised about the Birch/Mahogony. I actually thought before hearing the kits that would be my favorite, but it had some not so good overtones. The initial attack was good, but the drums didn't resonate so well.
It sounds like all the kits were EQ'd? Were they? the pearl session studio kick sounded really punchy like it was EQ'd. Either way, they did all have tonal differences 👍
I have a Gretsch mahogany kit. I love the toms. I do not love the kick. The kicks on the Pearl maple kit & birch kit are awesome. The toms on both kits are nice but I prefer the birch/mahogany toms. an old but good video.
The maple had a bit more warmth than the birch only but both the birch and maple were warmer than the birch/mahogany combo. Room placement may have had an effect but the middle kit was much dryer sounding overall and probably really great for studio and rock drumming. I assume the snares were all matching with the kits as their sounds followed with the overall kit sounds. The maple just has that sort of maple "ring" to it which if course is what people like in a maple kit.
Aunque el maple y mahogany sean maderas más caras que el birch, la "Vision" tiene mucho más cuerpo, a excepción del bombo, que se lo lleva la "Session studio" Humilde opinión.
Hi Cooper, what is your choice if you can only choose one between pearl vision maple and pearl decade maple? Which is a better value regardless of cost? I'm an electric guitar player trying to help my son choose his next kit. I don't know much about drums. He likes to play RHCP, U2, Coldplay, Led Zeppelin and worship music.
I've always been into maple but I've been getting really into birch lately, especially digging the Pearl Session Studio select shells as well as Tama's birch walnut kits. Thinking about selling my DW design series kit to get one of the two.
The shell matters very little to the overall resonance of the drum, especially after you put 6 or more sets of metal lugs and a pair of metal hoops on them. So yeah it's all hype. I'd say the drum head choice and quality of construction on the drum's bearing edges matter way more than anything else.
![Felix "Unfair" | [Stray Kids : SKZ-PLAYER]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/Oswujxm2Ag0/mqdefault.jpg)
I love comparing different woods for drum kits but rarely does it ever blow my mind on how different they sound. Tuning plays such a big role. But sitting in a song with a full band and distorted guitars, keys and vocals etc, it makes hardly any difference IMO.
Especially with his dead or over muffled tuning.
I agree, for the most part, but I like to have what I’m playing on my kit circulating through my earbuds so I can hear how they sound! It takes getting used to, but it makes a world of difference!
I have had birch ( Yamaha recording series ) and a Gretsch USA kit and there was no comparison as to what cut better through the band, mix and or no mix the Gretsch ( maple ) hands down were louder and cut while the birch were drowned out by the band and this band was just a pop cover band so with distorted guitars definitely the maple!
@@Monsterdrumma isn't the Yamaha Recording Series extremely thin shells which equate lower volume ?
Agreed. The drums were dead. This would have been more revealing if they had used some ambient mics, and no muffling.
The German Federal Institute For Physics tested different drumshells behind a curtain. All tuned to the same pitch with a special device and tapped with an electronic-tool which delivered the same force in all cases. No drummer could tell one shell from another. By accident one was right with just one kind of wood. These research results werde used by Sonor for their development and are to be obtained as a small booklet. I was lucky to meet Dr. Bork in his lab and see the results.
The same was made with brass instruments. Nobody could tell what's a cheap trombone and which one is a "high quality" product.
Look for the heads, the tom mount, the bearing edge and watch out that nothing is in the shell which might disturb the air-flow.
Gotta say not too impressed and sounds like a junk test. I'm lucky to have better hearing than 99% of people (below 20 Hz and above 20 Khz)and I can tell the difference that this test said was impossible to do. Maybe to average people it wouldn't be noticed - the different drums, but people who play instruments and music is their life I think could discern the differences in the different drums. Especially when you get to the point where you are able to tell what key a song is in simply by listening to it.
false
Love it... Now I get why Pearl created the "Reference" and "Reference Pure" shells and kits
Love the Pearl Session Studio Select 6-Play Birch/✌️🤟🥰
Over the Birch seems like the best to play live with a full band, The kick was surprisingly the best of all 3 kicks IMO and the toms as well.
Pretty cool! Tho in order for it to be apples to apples, the drums have to be located in the exact same place in the room. The placement in the room has a big effect on what the mics hear.
Just picked up a Vision SST at an estate sale. I'm fully restoring them. I just finished the 10" tom... wow... it sounds great.
The Decade Maple sounds amazing!
Problem is that the 6 lug floor toms are untunable
@@raycavazos8927 yep. almost got one until i walked into the store and saw that.
@@raycavazos8927 user error
@@raycavazos8927 Yeah no, that's just you buddy
I just don't like it. My 6 lug 14x13 stage custom floor tom sounds fine. Just not as good as 8 lug large toms. Or even better the gretsch 10 lug ones
I started drums 1 year ago and got a alesis turbo mesh kit after 5 months I hated it and got a pearl decade maple with Istanbul xists
2:16 i love that tone it plays rarely in drum videos most i see
All 3 kits sound great! I personally preferred the all birch kit (finish is beautiful as well). Thanks for the vid!
That blue vision kit is nice. I wish they still made it.
I've played Vision once. Great sound. 20"x18" bass drum was so punchy, low and meaty. Shells are pretty thick
Tama Silverstar same sound of Vision-.... Both models are Discontinued....
you can find a lot of used kits at least here in germany so if you are in the states must be even more available than germany as pearl comes from the U.S
My kit is a Vision Birch and it does sound good.
guitar center still sells some parts so you could "build" one
Pearl Vision Birch by far my favorite
The Mahogany/Birch Hybrid would be my choice for a studio drum set. You can hear why the Pearl Session is considered the studio kit. Super punchy, maybe even too punchy almost like prog-metal. Which is a good thing in the studio because you can easily tame it before by swapping heads and stuff or after you record tracks especially if you are scooping out mids. But, trying to get punchy-ness out of a dead kit or kit that is too boomy so to speak, is a frigging task. You can spend hours placing mics in all sorts of positions which usually throws the drummers performance off and you get tons of bleed, so you have to gate, which almost defeats the purpose and then you pull your hair and end up looking like me :-| So I am going with the Session Kit because of the versatility, good for studio or road. I am sure every drummer is going with the booming loud Maple kit because who wants to hear the singer right?
True, but you also have to remember that the decade maple and the vision series are mid-range kits while the session series are pro level.
The Pearl decade maple sound awesome
A drummer once told me that he would choose birch for live performances and maple for studio recordings. After listening to this video, I agree with him. I played a friend’s Vision Birch kit at a show and them drums sang! But I love the warmer tone of maple drums for my style of play.
Interesting, the audio engineer that records us told me he likes using birch for studio and maple for live. To each their own right?!
🤣😅
Yup. That's backwards from professional advice. Birch for recording, maple for live
Casey Cooper back at it with a new video for us.
1. Session
2. Vision
3. Decade
Love them all, this is a great video
I think I would go with the sessions they got a nice middle-of-the-road sound
Birch sounds more "in the mix".
what does this mean... asking for a friend
@@ddev96 I think he’s trying to say how the birch drum sounds more like how it fits more inside studios
maple sounds the best like guitars it gives a nice bright tone.
True
I love the maple!
I have a maple drumset and they sound killer .never play anything else .
Agreed. The Decade maple sounded the best of the three. I couldn't help but wonder if the positioning in the room had an impact. Even Casey's voice sounded different when he was at the center kit.
Yeah I thought that to, and it definitley does due to "science" since when sound resonance it bounced off certain parts of the room, I think Decade is the best because who doesn't like maple.
@@JoeyJordisonLover I actually don’t like maple. I like birch as a base much more than maple apparently lol
Position does matter to an extent. Let's say you move the floor tom around the room, the low end would react differently. It could sound tighter or more boomy. Having the drums more in the corner could change the sound compared to having it more center or back center. Besides that, head choices, tuning, and mic position are also very important and can change the sound as every little thing is an EQ and/or natural compression.
I like the maple best out of all 3 kits
I absolutely love the sound of the Decade Maples! I actually have a 5pc on order.
Maple is awsome anyways I have the Tama super star 7piece maple set it sounds soooo good
Yeah Coop3rdrumm3r is back babe
Great video!!!!!! All the talk about the best wood and sound and it comes down to preference.
I have a Masters Custom Extra (6 ply maple) from mid 90’s that I love. In the 80’s I had a Yamaha 9000D series (pre Recording Custom Birch) which I absolutely adored and was never satisfied (had a Gretsch between both) until the aforementioned Pearl Master Custom Extra...BUT your demo of the Birch/Mahogany...WOW!!!
The Yamaha recording custom is the top echelon of studio kits. The sound through a board is simply heavenly.
Sorry I didn't notice that one in this line up. 😂
Decade maple sounds better for me also the tuning on the decade maple is more spot on compared to the other two kits
Birch is all the way number 1 for me, of all time. Closely followed by Kapur/Fiberglass by Pearl :)
Great comparison. Maple rack tom, mahogany floor tom, birch kick. What is the size difference between the Session Studio Select kick and Vision kick?
I listened to this in my truck with 4 12 in subs on 6k watts of extreme powa and that kick on each drum was amazing. I wish all audio on all CDs had your kick drum sound. It was so clean to have that much punch. Good job on the video and comparison but where this video shines is in your recording ability imo
This the video all drummers needed, can you next time do the same but with poplar shells ? Thanks cooper
Poplar is garbage. Why would you ever buy a poplar wood kit when birch and maple
Kits are available for well under a thousand these days?
@@MrSiah007 poplar garbage ? I’ve got maple and poplar kit and I can tell you that the difference is not huge and even a person who doesn’t play drums would notice difference if the kit is well tuned, don’t talk shit dude 😂
@@chanta95 poplar is used for entry level kits and I would agree that they do a really good job now a days of making entry level kits sound a million times better than when I first started playing, but the fact and the matter is poplar is used as an entry level kit wood for a reason.
(what i think) the Maple had A lot of attack last overtone. The birch had not a lot of attack and more overtone. The Studio select had a really really good and fat sound.
My personal fav, the Decade Maple.
Awesome video!! I have a Pearl Export & Mapex Meridian drum kit, they both sound great! Nice playing by the way..
I really like the sound of the maples the most. But the B/M and Birch drums feel better to me, I like the sticking response, the deader and "tubby" feel
Cool Video Casey! I picked up a pearl vision kit recently and this was helpful in my decision to keep or sell! Thanks! I definitely thing I would love to keep!
Are the drums of the maple and birch kits the same depth? Looking from the camera's vantage point, all the drums (except maybe the snare) of the birch kit look deeper than those of the maple.
Hey man nice video! Is there any chance of a video with pearl masters birch?
Birch mahogany defo ! I run pearl forum drums and I can honestly say that it doesn’t matter what kit you have pearl make the best shells value for money 100% ! So if your on a budget I recommend any second hand pearl kit with some good cymbals and then you have an amazing set up ! Thanks
Oh wonderful. I've registered to your forum 5 times in a row now and my account still hasn't been approved. Tell your administrator's to get off their assets and do their job.
my bro you are amazing , you make that the birch sounds beautiful
In my opinion, Maple is the best wood for many styles of rock and also reggae, due to its super warm and open attack. Birch is very controlled.
Where's my mahogany fans at!!!
Gotta love those deep fat tones.
For me its the worst option of three. All toms/kick full of parasite overtones.
Maple won this clearly...
The middle clearly shows up all of them. But that’s my opinion.
MAPLEEEEEE!!!😍🔥🔥
I just bought a set of decade maple bebop shells that aren,t available in the US! They are killer! They play bop rock blues e t but fit best in small venues where you can cut loose a bit without getting yelled at!
I now have Vision birch 10, 12, 14, 16, 22 and optimounts, a studio session select birch mahogany 12, 12, 14, 18 BD and a master custom maple 10, 12, 14, 16, 18, 22 bd.
The maple sounds a bit more muted. That's more my kind of sound. The birch kits have some ring in them that i don't really like
I've always preferred maple but the Pearl studio session classic ( not select) always seemed to be one of the best pro value drums at such an incredible price. I mean I know its superficial but there's something about a 20 lug bassdrum that seems to have a more professional quality .
The center kick (birch/mahogany) looks like a 24 inch? That kick drum with the maple toms for the win imo.
I did not know that you Got 2 twin brothers and all of you drum like a god
This would be a great comparison, however the mics are moving between takes even though the camera is stationary. First thing I noticed aside from tone.
I like the birch/mahogany better. My favorite kick drum is the birch/mahogany. I play on a maple kit now and I find them cold with not a lot of body, still an amazing kit tho.
I rock with the decade maple!!!
1:57 spoonman?
0:02 sounded so much like jam by mj....oh sorry it was "they don't really care about us"
Session select all the way...sounds richer fuller and warmer...The Maples would make the best choice for live though...The Birch sounds great for a warm less focused tone in the upper midrange....I like them all but my #1 is the session studio select. Having said that I own a music city custom kit in black diamond wrap....excellent drums...the nest head for my kit is the Remo coated ambassador. All other heads sound great to but for maximum luxury sound the Remo Ambassador coated is the choice. Just a plug for another drum head that has longevity unmatched is the Evans UV1 or UV2 these drums heads don't wear out. The sound is dark and not as resonant as a single ply coated head but the trade off is they last forever.....
I'm a Drummer too and I love the Sound from the Session Studio. You are an incredible Player 👍🏻😀
Hi Casey! I am for Rio de Janeiro - Brasil. I’ve just bought your Igniter Signature and I loved it!! Do you Have any review with pearl session series (any series of session) with a 20” Bass drum kick?
I just bought that kit. I can send you sound samples if you would like.
I gotta say like the Maple better on the kick drum, but prefer the birch for the toms, though the Birch bass was still very good. Cool video-thanks. Kinda surprised about the Birch/Mahogony. I actually thought before hearing the kits that would be my favorite, but it had some not so good overtones. The initial attack was good, but the drums didn't resonate so well.
It sounds like all the kits were EQ'd? Were they? the pearl session studio kick sounded really punchy like it was EQ'd. Either way, they did all have tonal differences 👍
I love the sound of the maple kit! Second would be the Pearl Vision kit! Well done!
I have a pearl vision sst I have had it for 10 years now I think I will always stick with birch set
I have a vision all maple kit and I love it so much
I have a Gretsch mahogany kit. I love the toms. I do not love the kick. The kicks on the Pearl maple kit & birch kit are awesome. The toms on both kits are nice but I prefer the birch/mahogany toms. an old but good video.
Great comparison :) The pure maple kit was #1 in my ears
I have a maple pacific kit
The maple had a bit more warmth than the birch only but both the birch and maple were warmer than the birch/mahogany combo. Room placement may have had an effect but the middle kit was much dryer sounding overall and probably really great for studio and rock drumming. I assume the snares were all matching with the kits as their sounds followed with the overall kit sounds. The maple just has that sort of maple "ring" to it which if course is what people like in a maple kit.
I noticed that the decade maples were a little bit more focused than the birch and the Vision Birch drums had an all around mid sustain and attack.
If I had to pick I'd go with the Maple. If I could mix it up a bit I'd go with the Maple toms and the birch mahogany bass.
an experiment like that must have the drums at the same place in a room because that has a huge impact on the sound
I think he’s got muffling too. Kills the whole point of the video.
The sound from the Maple is FIRE
Love the Decade Maple
Can you please do a tutorial on replacing drum lugs?
I think the heads and the tuning have a bigger role on the sound, I might be wrong
I like bright tones... So maple for me!
The maple had more low end and slap while the birch was very sharp. But I’m curious if it maybe the tuning didn’t play a role?
isn't that the Vision Birch Artisan? If it is it's a mix of Birch and Basswood.
What a great video! for my question! Thank you!!!
waht drum is the pearl of the right??, the green
Ander Díaz pearl vision
ohh, sorry i just watch the part when u explain what drums are,
amazing
Aunque el maple y mahogany sean maderas más caras que el birch, la "Vision" tiene mucho más cuerpo, a excepción del bombo, que se lo lleva la "Session studio" Humilde opinión.
I think im more of a birch kinda guy.
Hi Cooper, what is your choice if you can only choose one between pearl vision maple and pearl decade maple? Which is a better value regardless of cost? I'm an electric guitar player trying to help my son choose his next kit. I don't know much about drums. He likes to play RHCP, U2, Coldplay, Led Zeppelin and worship music.
decade maple
I'm liking the birch sound the best
I've always been into maple but I've been getting really into birch lately, especially digging the Pearl Session Studio select shells as well as Tama's birch walnut kits. Thinking about selling my DW design series kit to get one of the two.
He said "using same drumheads".... The floor tom on the birch set looks coated, maybe just reflections?
wow look at the figure in that vision kit
is the same drumhead? Same tune? Same tension? same sizes of the drums?
What was the drummer’s favorite to p,as in the comparison test?
wow, i want to buy a drummm¡¡¡¡
Very cool comparison! Love it!
Pearl decade has that punchy bass sound, but they all sound amazing 🔥💯
poplar vs maple comparison please.. pearl export exr vs pearl master..
Because of this video I will be getting a Decade!
Dem triplets
Great Job!!
Room placement is completely different. Middle kick mic is pointed at beater the others aren’t.
The shell matters very little to the overall resonance of the drum, especially after you put 6 or more sets of metal lugs and a pair of metal hoops on them. So yeah it's all hype. I'd say the drum head choice and quality of construction on the drum's bearing edges matter way more than anything else.
are you sponsored by pearl ?
Can you make a cover of Try Honesty by billy Talent ?