In most worship bands scenarios the drum kit is the loudest instrument in the room. Typically all other instruments need to be amplified so the musicians can hear themselves over the drums. Even the house sound mix is built on top of the acoustic / re-enforced sound of the drums. Since the drums are setting much of the tone, and the base volume for the band, this article focuses on investing in a house drum kit that will become the foundation of your worship community’s sound.

THE PROBLEM:

The drum kit presents a number of challenged to modern worship community:

Drums are generally the loudest acoustic instrument in the room and drive the stage levels of all instruments.
2. Drums are key to the sound of a band/mix. Dialing in a great live drum sound can be difficult and time consuming to achieve.
3. Every drummer’s kit is dialed in differently. Some may work with the vibe of the band, others are optimized for other genre’s of music.
4. Drummers have their own opinion of how drums should sound. Sometimes they’ll tinker with the tuning of the drums to get them closer to the sound they’re comfortable with.
5. House drum kits, are often neglected and fall into dis-repair.

If your church doesn’t have a house kit, then you’ve experienced a wide range of drum sounds as each drummer rolls up with his unique kit. Some drum kits are simply not well maintained, or they’re dialed in and tuned for particular genres of music and may not be optimized for modern rock oriented worship. And when a new kit shows up every week, its up to the sound team to make it work in the room and in the mix, and that can take a lot of time as they chase down resonances or try to make a jazz kit work in a rock outfit.

THE SOLUTION:

Get yourself a house kit. It can be new, it could be used. If you’re not sure what to buy, have a local pro drummer consult on your purchase.

Here’s a basic plan we recommend to put to gather a great house kit:

Buy a 4 or 5 piece drum shell pack as a foundation on which to build your house kit. Shell packs by Yamaha, Gretsch, DW, Ludwig (and many more) offer great quality shells at reasonable prices. Expect to spend $1000 on a basic 4 or 5 piece kit once you’ve got the cymbal hardware in there.. Anything larger than a 20” kick drum will work. (See below for the kit that made sense for us at the time of writing this article…)
Upgrade the snare drum. Without a doubt the kick and snare define the sound of the kit and the snare upgrade is a worthy investment. A great snare drum like the classic Ludwig Supraphonic Black Beauty 6.5X14 will run you $700. Its really worth it. Seriously, you won’t be disappointed. (The snare included with the shell pack will become your backup.)
Invest in great quality cymbals. Choose darker cymbals (Zildjan K Custom, Istanbul Traditional) to help the cymbals sit in the mix and blend into the band.

photo credit: ciaoamore via photopin cc

8 Things to keep in mind when buying used drums:

Make sure none of the tuning lugs on the drums are missing.
Check to make sure the laminate or exterior drum finish is in good condition.
Drum and cymbal hardware should be sturdy. Check the joints and locking mechanisms to make sure the hardware can lock down and be secure.
It is often safer to buy from an older player who takes care of his equipment.
When buying used drums, look for name brands which will offer higher reliability and re-sale value.
Trust your gut instinct. If it doesn’t “feel” right, it probably isn’t.
Be prepared to replace the heads to bring the kit to optimal health.
Note: Upgrade the Kick and Snare Batter heads. An Evan EMAD 2 or a REMO Powerstroke Pro will be a good bet for the Kick Drum batter. On the snare try a Evan Power Center Reverse Dot, or a Remo Controlled Sound or Controlled Sound X.

photo credit: maury.mccown via photopin cc

4 Tips for sound checking the drums:

1. Instead of tweaking on mic positions, gates or EQ, spend some time listening to each drum, and work with the drummer to dial in each drum as best as you can. The majority of what makes for a great live drum sound happens at the drum, not at the console.
2. Once you’ve got your kick behaving, dial in your overhead mics and leave them in the mix as you work your way around the snare and toms. They have a considerable impact on the way the drums will sound in the PA, so dial in your drums with your Overheads in the picture.
3. Sometimes a snare bottom mic isn’t necessary or practical. Try a High Shelving filter with up to 6dB of gain starting at around 2K to open up the top end snare sound. It may not be your cup of tea, but give it a try non-the-less.
4. It is a common studio technique to parallel compress the drum bus. It does a great job of glueing the sound of the kit together. You digital console may have the capability to setup a group of the drum mics. If so, apply a pretty aggressive compressor across the Drum subgroup and lightly blend it in with the direct signals to taste.

Our Recommended Kit:

Yamaha 600 Series Double-Braced Hardware Pack $270
PDP Concept Maple 4-Piece Shell Pack Pearlescent White $660
Zildjian K Series 5-Piece Cymbal Pack $850
DW DWCP3100 Throne $80
Evans EMAD System Pack $80
Remo Reverse Dot Coated CS $13
Total $1953

Check out the following guides if you’re thinking about purchasing a used kit:

We would love to know what you think! You may have already purchased a kit for your church. Tell us a bit about how you approached your house kit and how you make it sound great for your worship community!

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Building out a House Drum Kit at Church