Gavin Harrison here!

yeah you guys are probably right
I got 'em off a friend for £100 over two years ago now and the guy can't have treated them too well. I was happy with the bargain but they're really starting to frustrate me now. Example - One day (usually the day of a gig) the treads just come loose on the connecting bar, and then the next day they're fine!

oh really, axis pedals?
i tried to glimpse them on a couple of videos and the pedals themselves looked very axis-like but the beaters didn't
do you know whether thay're X or A pedals?
and am i right in thinking the A pedals are essentially a more powerful pedal?
thanks
Ray
HAKEN
www.myspace.com/hakenmusic
 
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Hi Ray - HAKEN

I was just wondering what double pedals you use?

Axis A Longboards

am i right in thinking the A pedals are essentially a more powerful pedal?

No I think they're just more adjustable.

I love your sound and was wondering whether you record drums for people other than yourself?

Thanks but no I don't.

Hi kotras

I have a few questions. Do you use Zildjian 20" K Ride cymbal when you
play "19 days" ? I thought that you use K Ride only at concerts. I am
just interested.

It depends which version of 19 Days you're referring to. On my DVD it's a 1980's K Canadian ride. On the Frankfurt version it's a 20" K Ride.

Do you ever use Constantinople cymbal, if so, what type is it? Would
you be so kind to write me what Ride cymbal do you actually use?
I would like to buy type Ride Zildjian as you have but not K Ride 20".

I have done in the past - but I don't have it any more. Sometimes I use a 1940's Avedis 20" ride.

Hi Alex P.

Here is the transcription of "Glass Arm Shattering". It's a very subtle part, very tasteful !
It's pretty hard to hear everything.

very nice work - everything looked good to me. Thanks for posting it.

cheers
Gavin
 
I just bought tickets to the NY show in September, I really want to meet the band....how would I go about doing that? No joke master Gavin, I'd pay a lot of money of a picture with you and Steven Wilson. If it means sleeping on the smelly city streets of NY, I'm so doing it.
 
Hi Gavin,

sometimes when I am really feeling great at the set, I typically tend to overplay... that´s at least what my band colleagues tell me. The number of fills and what type of fills I select often changes depending on my mood but especially when I am in a good mood, it seems that I am pushing the drums too much into the foreground. This is really frustrating and it sometimes brings me down to receive such feedback in a moment when I feel great.

Did you ever come across similar feedback? If so, what did you do? How to control the emotions and still live the moment and letting out new ideas?

By the way... when listening to PT's recent live record ("Ilosaarirock"), I noticed that you are using double bassdrum based fill patterns more often than for example on the "Arriving Somewhere" DVD. Is that something you have been focussing on or does this get in subconsciously?
 
Hey Gavin, got the MD Fest 2008 DVD package - your performance is awesome, as always! Thanks for the stuff, great to hear you talk with Simon Phillips too!

What heads do you use? I can't read it:(! Are those Ambassadors? And do you use the same head type on the bassdrum as on the toms?

Thanks and greetings from Switzerland
 
Hi Kongo

I just bought tickets to the NY show in September, I really want to meet the band....how would I go about doing that?

I don't really know. We certainly don't guarantee that we'll meet anyone after the show - but sometimes it happens on the way to the bus.

Hi ChrisGau

sometimes when I am really feeling great at the set, I typically tend to overplay... that´s at least what my band colleagues tell me. The number of fills and what type of fills I select often changes depending on my mood but especially when I am in a good mood, it seems that I am pushing the drums too much into the foreground. This is really frustrating and it sometimes brings me down to receive such feedback in a moment when I feel great. Did you ever come across similar feedback? If so, what did you do? How to control the emotions and still live the moment and letting out new ideas?

Like you, my mood has a lot to do with my performance. I guess listening to a recording of the show is always a good way of judging how you really played.

By the way... when listening to PT's recent live record ("Ilosaarirock"), I noticed that you are using double bassdrum based fill patterns more often than for example on the "Arriving Somewhere" DVD. Is that something you have been focussing on or does this get in subconsciously?

I can't remember consciously trying to play more double pedal fills - again it might have been the mood I was in that night. The main problem we were having that night was that the audience were very excited and clapped along to everything - but they always got faster and faster - so you found yourself fighting them a lot.

Hi Swiss Matthias

Hey Gavin, got the MD Fest 2008 DVD package - your performance is awesome, as always! Thanks for the stuff, great to hear you talk with Simon Phillips too!

Yeah that was great fun - I could have gone on all night!!

What heads do you use? I can't read it:(! Are those Ambassadors? And do you use the same head type on the bassdrum as on the toms?

They are coated Emperors on the tops of the toms. The bass drum skin is a Powerstroke 3.

cheers
Gavin
 
Hey Gavin!

As a drummer, I'm starting my eduaction at Berklee College of Music this fall, and I'm also seeing PT at the House of Blues on September 27, 2009. Do you think there's any possibility that you could do a clinic at Berklee earlier in the day? I've considered emailing them first, but thought that I would ask to see if you're even up for it. It would be amazing.

Thanks,

Alex
 
Hey Gavin, congrats on the 'Ilosaarirock' cd, the FOABP stuff sounds class! Just two quick questions for you; firstly is that your SQ2 kit we are hearing on Ilosaarirock? Secondly have you guys played 'What happens now?' live yet? It's probably my favourite track out of Nil Recurring and FOABP!

Thanks again!

Nige
 
Hi RollMyCoaster13

As a drummer, I'm starting my eduaction at Berklee College of Music this fall, and I'm also seeing PT at the House of Blues on September 27, 2009. Do you think there's any possibility that you could do a clinic at Berklee earlier in the day? I've considered emailing them first, but thought that I would ask to see if you're even up for it. It would be amazing.

I'd love to do a clinic at Berklee but I don't do those kind of things whilst I'm on tour with a band - it's too complicated from a timing/schedule point of view and an equipment nightmare. Thanks for the thought though.

Hi Nige86

Hey Gavin, congrats on the 'Ilosaarirock' cd, the FOABP stuff sounds class! Just two quick questions for you; firstly is that your SQ2 kit we are hearing on Ilosaarirock? Secondly have you guys played 'What happens now?' live yet? It's probably my favourite track out of Nil Recurring and FOABP!

Yes that's my SQ2 set and we've played "What Happens Now" many times live - and that ending is quite hard to play!!

cheers
Gavin
 
Hi Gavin,

Out of all the things you're involved in, what do you enjoy the most out of these areas: touring, recording, writing & collaborating, mixing, and recording (saving for later) new drum ideas?

Also, speaking about equipment - not drums, but your computer. I noticed you use your laptop often for clinics and performances, such as the Modern Drummer Festival 2008. What on Earth would you do if that thing crashed?

Circles is amazing! How many times did you rehearse these songs before pressing record? They sound so effortless. Great job - you should be proud!

Cheers,
Jeff
 
Hi Gavin,

I discovered your sound few months ago. Just amazing. Congratulations.

I want buy a Sonor snare drum. I read on this forum that you used a "sonor designer" maple snare drum 12x5, and a "cottonwood" 14x6.
I like the sound of yours old 12"x5" snare drum, that you used in "Plasson" video.

Which Sonor Artist snare drum is more similiar to your snares drum? Do you know the Sonor Artist Amboina 13"x7"? Is it good?

If I create a new snare on SQ2 Sonor configurator, would I be able to create a snare like your 12"x5" snare drum? Which shell type I would have to choose? Vintage, thin, medium or heavy? The sound will be similar?

A last question: What hi hat did you use on "modern drummer festival weekend 2008" video. It‘s a K zildjian, but the size is 13" or 14"? It‘s a special series?

Thanks a lot,

Marcos
 
Guys,

A few years back I asked Gavin if he would like me to archive the posts here into a Q&A section - and he said yes. Long story short I got incredibly busy with the day job and didn't do it.

Ever since then it's been in the back of my mind, nagging, so two days ago I started.

Data is my #1 priority, so the design is simple and functional - but lacking. Being that I have to swim through 3000+ pages of posts - I want to get that stuff in ASAP.

The driving goal is to keep the discussion here - but help Gavin out by having frequently answered questions head off before their asked - keeping the discussion new and fresh and easier on Gavin.

http://askgavinharrison.com is the site, right now I have 64 questions from pages 80->68 and plan to do 50-100 per day until I'm done.

I hope to have an area where the guys here that have done GREAT jobs transcribing can upload transcriptions, etc.

This is a labor of love, completely free, and not designed to detract from this discussion thread in any way - DW is where the talk happens.

-Richard
 
There will be a "tag cloud" specifically for that - categories if you will.

I'm open to suggestions, and will implement anything useful, but please PM them to me. Last thing I want to do is derail this read or irritate Bernard and Gavin. Where else can you ask, for lack of a better word, "drum gods" all of these questions? drummerworld.com is where it's at!

Last time I spoke with Gavin about this (2 years ago or so!) we had several great ideas, and both agreed the focus is this thread - general idea is to give Gavin a little relief answering the more often asks questions.
 
Hi JeffV71

Out of all the things you're involved in, what do you enjoy the most out of these areas: touring, recording, writing & collaborating, mixing, and recording (saving for later) new drum ideas?

I would probably say that I enjoy recording the most - but you can have too much of a good thing - so the best thing - really is having a nice balance of all of the above.

Also, speaking about equipment - not drums, but your computer. I noticed you use your laptop often for clinics and performances, such as the Modern Drummer Festival 2008. What on Earth would you do if that thing crashed?

Yes I have nightmares about that kind of thing - and luckily it behaved very well at the MD Fest. In fact it's never crashed mid drum clinic before (fingers crossed) but one time in Italy I had to set up in a real rush and I got the computer going for a quick soundcheck and then left the stage for a couple of hours. When I went on for the performance (during the first song) suddenly there's a very loud "Choing" alert sound coming through my headphones and the PA - so I looked at the computer and it said "You are now running on reserve power - only 5% left". I had forgotten to plug in the power supply for the laptop and it was going to die any minute. Luckily it made through to the end of the song.

Circles is amazing! How many times did you rehearse these songs before pressing record? They sound so effortless. Great job - you should be proud!

Thanks - I'm very pleased with it. Some of the songs I rehearsed for about three days before I felt I was in good enough shape to record them.

Hi Marcos

I want buy a Sonor snare drum. I read on this forum that you used a "sonor designer" maple snare drum 12x5, and a "cottonwood" 14x6. I like the sound of yours old 12"x5" snare drum, that you used in "Plasson" video. Which Sonor Artist snare drum is more similiar to your snares drum? Do you know the Sonor Artist Amboina 13"x7"? Is it good?

I don't think it's like any of the Artist snares. I have the 13x7 Ambonia and it's really good.

If I create a new snare on SQ2 Sonor configurator, would I be able to create a snare like your 12"x5" snare drum? Which shell type I would have to choose? Vintage, thin, medium or heavy? The sound will be similar?

All I can tell you is that it's 12x5 6 ply maple - so that would be considered Sonor's "Thin" shell. I have played other Sonor 12x5 but they didn't sound exactly the same. My one is quite old - and of course wood is a natural material that you can get lucky with (or not).

A last question: What hi hat did you use on "modern drummer festival weekend 2008" video. It‘s a K zildjian, but the size is 13" or 14"? It‘s a special series?

They're just a standard pair of 13" K hi hats.

Hi fromyesterday

http://askgavinharrison.com is the site, right now I have 64 questions from pages 80->68 and plan to do 50-100 per day until I'm done.

looks great - well done!!

Hi ccutler69

I read you don't use a click live. Is that true and if it is, why?

You can't have read that on this forum! Have a search around and you'll find quite a bit of discussion about it.

Cheers
Gavin
 
Hey Gavin, I was wondering if you *always* recorded a track in one take, or sometimes recorded the parts separately, because I find it too frustrating, time consuming and can never get *everything* perfect when recording in one take, so I usually try to record as much as I can in every take, but end up having to link several parts that were recorded separately, I usually cross-fade the parts so they sound as if they came after eachother, but I believe some of the feeling might be lost when recording this way, so, what's your take on it?
Thanks a lot for all the questions you've been answering, all the best.

Fox.
 
Thanks for the answers Gavin.
I saw the website askgavinharrison. I‘ve found many interesting answers.
Come to visit us in Brazil.
God bless,

Marcos
 
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