Portnoy's vs. Mangini's drum set

[jonnybaxy]

MM's kit is logical to himself, he taught himself his ambidextrous way which is more difficult, therefore his kit layout is more difficult. But I'm not sure if he struggles to play ambidextrously anymore..

[Tis BOOLsheet]

I think MM's kit would look better without the extra two kicks but he's not even close to Terry Bozzio levels yet

Terry Bozzio is an insanely talented drummer. When people hear him play, it becomes obvious why he needs all that.  He was one of those guys who changed my understanding of what a drum composition could be.

[Shadow Ninja 2.0]

Bozzio has all his drums tuned to actual notes, doesn't he?

[Tis BOOLsheet]

Bozzio has all his drums tuned to actual notes, doesn't he?

I would think so. His playing in many instances is so melodic that you gotta think he tuned them specifically so he could accomplish that.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pRqy34qjcv0

See at 4:04 especially! 

[erwinrafael]

Bozzio has all his drums tuned to actual notes, doesn't he?

Yes, that's why he can play melodic drum solos like this one:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zvBvL7cyPVk

Back to MM, I think this clip show how his kit actually works for him. He never crosses hands in this video. And his explanation on when he leads off with his left and with his right (that is, he uses it to mark changes in the musical sequence or the key signature holds true.).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7zb4EuMG3hM

[jonnybaxy]

Personally I'm not a fan of bozzio, I just can't get into it, can't be just me that thinks his kit is pitch perfect but cymbals sound like scrap metal?

I understand it's atmospheric music and all that but I just don't feel it.

[Dark Castle]

MM's kit is logical to himself, he taught himself his ambidextrous way which is more difficult, therefore his kit layout is more difficult. But I'm not sure if he struggles to play ambidextrously anymore..

I don't see why that doesn't apply to MP's kit as well. Of course one might have a smaller learning curve, but drummers set up their kits in a way most comfortable for themselves..

[jonnybaxy]

MM's kit is logical to himself, he taught himself his ambidextrous way which is more difficult, therefore his kit layout is more difficult. But I'm not sure if he struggles to play ambidextrously anymore..

I don't see why that doesn't apply to MP's kit as well. Of course one might have a smaller learning curve, but drummers set up their kits in a way most comfortable for themselves..

But MP's is set up as an extended standard layout, I don't really understand why MM taught himself a harder technique to play... But to each his own...

[erwinrafael]

Personally I'm not a fan of bozzio, I just can't get into it, can't be just me that thinks his kit is pitch perfect but cymbals sound like scrap metal?

I understand it's atmospheric music and all that but I just don't feel it.

Scrap metal that is tuned and actually plays specific notes.

[erwinrafael]

MM's kit is logical to himself, he taught himself his ambidextrous way which is more difficult, therefore his kit layout is more difficult. But I'm not sure if he struggles to play ambidextrously anymore..

I don't see why that doesn't apply to MP's kit as well. Of course one might have a smaller learning curve, but drummers set up their kits in a way most comfortable for themselves..

But MP's is set up as an extended standard layout, I don't really understand why MM taught himself a harder technique to play...

MM attributes it to his classical training. And his shifting from left to right is used to mark change in key signatures.

[Grizz]

I'd go with MP's kit. My favorites would either be the colored Monsters or the Albino Monster. (Although the bass and toms sounded awesome on the Black and Silver Monster, not to mention that acrylic drums and the BC&SL finish looked cool.) I like the colored monsters because they feel based off of the traditional drumset layout, and the Albino monster has the best secondary kit IMO. (More unique than Siamese, but not as random as mirage/B&S.)

[hefdaddy42]

MM's kit is amazing, and I love to watch him play it, but I would never dream of playing it myself.

If I could have any of their kits, I would go with MP's SFAM-era Purple Monster.  That kit is pretty big, and has plenty of options, but still looks like I could play it.  I speak that language.   I don't speak MM's language.

[mikemangioy]

MM's kit is amazing, and I love to watch him play it, but I would never dream of playing it myself.

If I could have any of their kits, I would go with MP's SFAM-era Purple Monster.  That kit is pretty big, and has plenty of options, but still looks like I could play it.  I speak that language.   I don't speak MM's language.

this.

[King Postwhore]

Blob needs to make a funny CGI battle between the 2 drum sets.  That's what this thread needs.

[BlobVanDam]

MP's kit. MM's kit is cool, but I don't like the enclosed look like he's hiding behind the kit. MP's kit felt much more open and that's why he connected so well to the audience.
Not sure which "monster" kit is my favourite though.

[Theme Dreater]

I voted for Portnoy, but honestly it depends on the era. For my favorite DT albums, MP was still doing the single big kit, which I liked a lot. If it's a choice between the MM kit and MP's double kit thing, I'd go with MM though.

[King Postwhore]

When I saw Mangini with Extreme in the 9's he has his set up like billy Cobham.  The 6 & 8 inch concert toms were in the center and he would alternate his left right technique.  He also had 2 snares.

                                                                                                        6   6
                                                                                                    8           8
                                                                                               10                10
                                                                                           12                        12
                                                                                        14         2 snares        14


It was a sight to be seen and played.

[Kotowboy]

It's funny that Mangini doesn't consider himself ambidextrous.

He says he's a right handed drummer who just never crosses his hands.

I have to say that when he goes to the floor toms - he does go around to the right predominantly - so there's some truth in it.



+ Bozzio's kit just irks me because i'm the kind of guy that - everything has to look tidy. Not OCD cleaning type of way - just -

there's bits of string hanging off and lots of cymbals all clumped together awkwardly - that would drive me mad.

I'd want to hide the string hanging everywhere and make the cymbal arrangement a lot more uniform

[The Stray Seed]

"I'm an orchestral trained musician that loves heavy metal. When I look at the band I'm in and check out the drum set, which makes me go back to that comment before, "who's going to see this? Who can I work with that doesn't tell me what to do all the time" or "that I have too many drums. Why don't I groove and use a small bass drum and a small kit and just show up with 3 drums and a cymbal?" I have no problem doing that, and I enjoy it and love it but it's not my potential. It's not what reflects the thoughts in my mind and the feeling in my heart. I'm going to die one day.

I'm not going to be on my death bed saying "I can't believe that I let others, who should have minded their own business, make me feel bad and change my drumming. Screw them." I'm doing it now. I have done it for a long time. It's just that when somebody hires you, you need to do what they need. As a hired guy I never opened my mouth. I just did what I was asked to do and found joy in it because I was composing many times. In this case, it turns out everybody in the band sees it. Everybody gets it. Everybody is secure. Everybody is so supportive of this growth of mine. I get inspired by them and hopefully my attention to detail and learning how to play this drum set can be inspiring to them and be positive all around. I don't have to worry about those taps on the shoulder anymore. I'm in Dream Theater now. I can do this. When I sit back and say "man, that is a huge thank you for the entire organization" I think after this explanation it's not hard for you to believe that I really mean it."

I just love this man. Really. He's... awesome. I am so glad he's in Dream Theater, I really admire him, from every point of view. As a drummer, as an artist, as a person. Thanks for being with "us". I will never stop considering me as part of the family, I know it's very naive, but that's just how I feel about it. I would love to have Mike as a friend, I have a lot to learn from him.

[Kotowboy]

https://www.pearldmrc.com/uploads/8/7/0/5/8705632/mm_live-0020_copy.jpg

[rickhawk80]

I think I'm going to go with .... Neil Peart. 

[jakepriest]

I've always found Neil Peart's set incredibly ugly.

[hefdaddy42]

I've always found Neil Peart's set incredibly ugly.

I've always found his playing incredibly ugly.

I mean, he's fantastic, and I love to listen to his playing.  But I can't stand to watch him.  Can't put my finger on it.

[King Postwhore]

I've always found Neil Peart's set incredibly ugly.

You take that back or be cursed by the internet forever!

[Kotowboy]

I've always found Neil Peart's set incredibly ugly.

I've always found his playing incredibly ugly.

I mean, he's fantastic, and I love to listen to his playing.  But I can't stand to watch him.  Can't put my finger on it.

It's because he looks really nervous and stiff. He's never looked relaxed or in control playing drums to me. You expect him to keep making mistakes.

[jakepriest]

I'm scared of his face. He always looks so angry when he plays drums.

[rickhawk80]

I've always found Neil Peart's set incredibly ugly.

Always??  He changes his set up every tour.... 

It's huge, but functional.  And awesome.

[Kotowboy]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=meJ55HPJ3xs

This is one of the shittest drum solos i've ever heard.

[Lucidity]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=meJ55HPJ3xs

This is one of the shittest drum solos i've ever heard.

His kit is so wobbly... It looks like it could fall apart at any second.

[Kotowboy]

That electronic section - wtf was that

[rumborak]

You guys have never seen a Neil Peart solo before? He has that electronic pad there because he triggers all the samples for the Rush songs.


Regarding the overhead discussion,I totally agree that it hides MM. In LALP they struggled to get good shots of him, because there's really just this narrow view slit through which one can see him.
I dunno. This whole Transformers-esque style of drum kits is a bit hair metal IMHO. I love for example how clean Gavin's kit is in comparison Makes for much more interesting videos too, because you can see all the limbs.

[jakepriest]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=meJ55HPJ3xs

This is one of the shittest drum solos i've ever heard.

And it still beats any drum solo Portnoy has ever done. 

[rickhawk80]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=meJ55HPJ3xs

This is one of the shittest drum solos i've ever heard.

Clearly, you're insane.   

Neil Peart puts together some of the most technical yet melodic and listenable drum solos of any drummer out there.  Unlike some drummers who just want to show how fast they can hit a multitude of drums and cymbals, Neil puts some thought into making a memorable piece of music.

[Blazinarps]

MM's kit is logical to himself, he taught himself his ambidextrous way which is more difficult, therefore his kit layout is more difficult. But I'm not sure if he struggles to play ambidextrously anymore..

I don't see why that doesn't apply to MP's kit as well. Of course one might have a smaller learning curve, but drummers set up their kits in a way most comfortable for themselves..

But MP's is set up as an extended standard layout, I don't really understand why MM taught himself a harder technique to play...

MM attributes it to his classical training. And his shifting from left to right is used to mark change in key signatures.

Why would he care about a shift in key signature?

I think you mea time.

[Shadow Ninja 2.0]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=meJ55HPJ3xs

This is one of the shittest drum solos i've ever heard.

Clearly, you're insane.   

Neil Peart puts together some of the most technical yet melodic and listenable drum solos of any drummer out there.  Unlike some drummers who just want to show how fast they can hit a multitude of drums and cymbals, Neil puts some thought into making a memorable piece of music.

Neil's really talented, but I only listened to about a minute of that solo before I got bored and started listening to something else.