Sponge bob v PEARL vx

Andy B · #1 (**permalink**) 03-10-2011, 07:12 AM

my argument is that i could go into any recording studio using a sponge bob square pants drum kit priced £139 at toy's R us 12 x10 bass drum 8x6 tom 8x4 snare 9.5" cymbal and a budget pair of hi-hats and make it sound as good as a Pearl Birch VX drum kit priced £599...anyone agree or disagree ......

My argument being that the drum kit is un- important.... the appearance is not important that the only thing that makes it sound good is how you place the mikes and how well the kit is tuned to perform in the studio and how well and dynamicly you play it....so before you go looking for a drum kit like the holy grail of all drum kits...its a myth its not there.
Because its all about opinions. Its also snobbery and image that sells drum kits... take the wraps, coloured sprays paints and the flashy chrome bits off and your left with a wooden shell. The basis of what all drum kits consist of. Curved plywood.

This is going to have Vintage kit owners wringing there hands but its true....

YouTube - SpongeBob by Coki (SpongeBob Kit...

YouTube - New Pearl Vision VX series demo

Buddy · #2 (**permalink**) 03-10-2011, 02:46 PM

Well you probably can get it to sound alright that is for sure. Even get it into a good recording but It will lack in durablity for sure. But then again thats not what this is about. But it is indeed a good reason to buy a non-cheapo set. Put up a back to back video of both drumsets! Love to hear the results

butter · #3 (**permalink**) 03-10-2011, 08:27 PM

A kid's toy set is a stretch, but you can definitely get a low quality kit to sound as good as most in a studio... but, not ANY studio. I think you would have to be in a pretty good studio to get a Spongebob kit to sound any good, a studio with top-of-the-line equipment and experienced sound engineers.

The cymbals, I don't think so. You can tune a drum, but not a cymbal.

xxvenom13xx · #4 (**permalink**) 03-10-2011, 11:06 PM

If you believe in yourself, you can do anything

But, in all respects, I think the Spongebob set would sound fine...with the right atmosphere.
Considering that the Spongebob set isn't made out of very quality material, and the cymbals are ehhhhhhhhh, I think the other set would sound better and more balanced all around.

There's my three cents and a half.

Andy B · #5 (**permalink**) 03-11-2011, 04:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by xxvenom13xx

If you believe in yourself, you can do anything

But, in all respects, I think the Spongebob set would sound fine...with the right atmosphere.
Considering that the Spongebob set isn't made out of very quality material, and the cymbals are ehhhhhhhhh, I think the other set would sound better and more balanced all around.

There's my three cents and a half.

Hi Venom...all i have to say is I have seen some bad kits come into a recording studio but once the mikes have been positioned its an equal stage for any drum kit.If the kit has been tuned and damped its taken on a new life the engineer will add more Reverb, EQ, and a smidgen of effect chorus flange phase and the Spondge bob would be ace through the cans and on the track with digital sound recording you can use wave form editing to thicken or make a sound thinner. In the post are two demos one of a mad double bass drum sponge bob doing a jungle trance beat...and the other with a guy who has tunned his kit so tight it sounds like the sponge bob kit and like he is building a shed...no resonance no dynamics just drum skin attack streched to the point of no return and that is the problem... its the drummer at the end of the day not the drum kit that makes a good drum track and makes a bad sound track and demo.

look on the net and see if you can find a recommendation from a pro engineer of the best drum kit to use in a studio and you will not find one......to make a good painting you have to start with a blank canvass thats an engineers philosophy on drum kits.....there looking for a manufactured sound and that sound don't come from an accoustic kit it comes from a machine.....and a box of effects

**Der Trommler** · #6 (**permalink**) 03-11-2011, 12:37 PM

Quote:

my argument is that i could go into any recording studio using a sponge bob square pants drum kit priced £139 at toy's R us 12 x10 bass drum 8x6 tom 8x4 snare 9.5" cymbal and a budget pair of hi-hats and make it sound as good as a Pearl Birch VX drum kit priced £599...anyone agree or disagree ......

Step away from the crack pipe and listen to what you are saying. Next you will be telling us you are so good you can turn water into wine. 4 lug toms, 6 lug bass drum, butcher paper heads and trash can lids will never out preform ANY real drumset in any setting period.

Quote:

look on the net and see if you can find a recommendation from a pro engineer of the best drum kit to use in a studio and you will not find one......

The proof is in the pudding Andy, the most recorded drumset in history bar none is the Yamaha Recording Custom. Based on what your are saying, you would have me believe that engineers all over the world use this kit because it is the most blank sounding drumset they could find in order to add their electronic effects to make it sound like a splash of sunshine that can be found only in recordingland? Please.

In the recording above the Sponge Bob set sounds horrible at best, and is possibly the best it will ever sound under any circumstances. The Pearl above doesn't sound anywhere near as good as it could due to the recording equipment used to capture the sound as well as it's poor tuning and underversed drummer.

After all that, I do understand the point you are trying to make and that is (if I am not mistaken), you don't have to spend tons of money on showroom hyped drumsets to get a great sounding kit. Wouldn't it have just been easier to say exactly that?

xxvenom13xx · #7 (**permalink**) 03-11-2011, 02:12 PM

You said it better than any of us, Der.

Andy B · #8 (**permalink**) 03-11-2011, 05:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Der Trommler

Step away from the crack pipe and listen to what you are saying. Next you will be telling us you are so good you can turn water into wine. 4 lug toms, 6 lug bass drum, butcher paper heads and trash can lids will never out preform ANY real drumset in any setting period.

The proof is in the pudding Andy, the most recorded drumset in history bar none is the Yamaha Recording Custom. Based on what your are saying, you would have me believe that engineers all over the world use this kit because it is the most blank sounding drumset they could find in order to add their electronic effects to make it sound like a splash of sunshine that can be found only in recordingland? Please.

In the recording above the Sponge Bob set sounds horrible at best, and is possibly the best it will ever sound under any circumstances. The Pearl above doesn't sound anywhere near as good as it could due to the recording equipment used to capture the sound as well as it's poor tuning and underversed drummer.

After all that, I do understand the point you are trying to make and that is (if I am not mistaken), you don't have to spend tons of money on showroom hyped drumsets to get a great sounding kit. Wouldn't it have just been easier to say exactly that?

Der Trommler Its about a healthy fun debate at the end of the day.
This is a drummer site after all.

There is no nead to get anal about it is there.

It sounds to me that you are throwing a gauntlet at me to respond in some way would a battle sort the men out from the boys?

Your Yamaha custom v pp sponge Bob square paints kit

I don't really profess to have anything to prove and massage your already over-rated ego as i have seen some clips in the battle section and in the words of Shania Twain "That don't impress me much" to be honest...and i myself in the words of Godsmack "I stand alone"

No one else has argued your perspective and the vote at the moment is 75% in favour of the sponge Bob kit.......

As far as turning water into wine you need yeast, sugar and some ripe fruit and wait for it to age and mature...
I hope that answers your question metaphorically.

xxvenom13xx · #9 (**permalink**) 03-11-2011, 06:35 PM

Well, in terms of a valid argument, I believe Der has a good point; the poll statistics do not matter, just because, well, until you test out this theory yourself and the sound proves what it does, there is no basis for a valid argument.

I would be glad to test this; however, I think that the Pearl may end up sounding better. This is due to the fact that better material is involved, because it does count resonance/tone wise, and the Spongebob set is...well, a kids set. That is the exact same type of set I bought for my brothers to start out on. Against my PDP, their set doesn't stand a chance unless hell somehow freezes over.

If you are trying to prove, as Der said, that you do not need a (relatively) expensive set, then I would say that your theory is correct. In the world of kids plastic sets from Toys R' Us and real drumsets made by manufacturers in the business, however, to my ears it proves invalid, even if the "adult" drumset is tuned to ****.