[Bo Eder]

That's good advice - but remember the technique is more important than the placement of the gear.

If you recall, Buddy Rich, and other drummers from back in the day, used to have their cymbals in an almost flat-fashion. But when you watch them hit their cymbals, it's this glancing downward stroke.

Proper snare drum technique is tantamount to getting a good sound out of the drum. Over the years, I've noticed that students really want to progress faster than their bodies will allow, and there's really no substitute for actually sitting there and practicing your strokes in a slow, methodical manner.

My early days were spent in HS drum lines and later in drum corps where the striking of the drum becomes a focus unto itself. But I also recall days sitting in front of the tv with a practice pad and training my hands to hit the drum. In the beginning it was really hard for me, but as time went on, it was like all of a sudden I could do it, and it wasn't a strain. Then I spent years (still do) perfecting my use of brushes.

I was never a multiple drum kinda' guy (the most drums I've ever used was 5, usually settling on 4), so I've never really had the opportunity to put my toms as close to each other as possible, which is why I'd focus on technique rather than the placement of the gear. Besides that, you as a networking drummer will find yourself (hopefully) getting to sit in with other bands so others can see how you play, and you won't be playing your own drums anyway. The technique will transcend the kit, and you should be able to sound good regardless.

This isn't a gripe (again, due to my age), but I really think too many people want to play harder than the drums will allow. YouTube Thomas Lang, and you'll see a guy who gets this great big sound but he's not working that hard. Watch any professional drummer, and they let the drums speak, rather than pound the sound out of it. The drum will only sound good to a certain point.

There's a reason guys like me carry their own PA systems nowadays - mic up to compete with the other guys in the band! Gary Chester wrote about this when he published "The New Breed" years ago, and it's advice to be heeded (if it can be afforded). There's a thought: get a smaller cheaper kit, but get a little PA system and mic up. I'd bet $20 you'd get a gig before the guy with the huge expensive pro drums who has to rely on the house for his sound - because you're giving the band what they need: a solid foundation that they can hear clearly!