Another Cocktail Drum Thread!

Ex Nihilo

Ex Nihilo

Senior Member
I figured, I could probable get a better sounding kit if I just made a cocktail drum kit by myself. Why? Well, I watched this guy's video and his sounds great! Any Idea on how I could contact him? Just by seeing his Youtube user name and his real name? I tried google but I sucked at it. I found out what all his gear is, but how to put one together seems tricky, and I am 15.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2LxmHZsk77A&NR=1

Thanks, -Ex Nihilo
(Is this a good idea?)
 
You might wanna spend a little time here: http://www.cocktaildrum.com/

There are threads on building your own, also use search terms on google like "DIY cocktail drums" and such....you can spend days on google reading stuff.

This guy: http://www.keithcronin.com/drumkits/microkit.html has good info too if you'd prefer to sit.

Flip a cheap pedal to kick the bottom of a floor tom, hang a small tom on a cymbal / hihat stand and you're ready to go. There are countless ways to skin that cat....read up and experiment.
 
I know that you are only 15 and I take that into consideration when posting this.

My advice to you is to experiment.
You will make mistakes, That is how that you learn.

Find some old inexpensive drums to experiment with.
Search the vast resources of the net and see what others have done to make Cocktail kits.

Come up with a plan of the kit that you want to make and go from there.

All that you need to make a Cocktail Kit are basic hand tools.

If you don't want to make one then you can buy one.

Either way is OK because if you buy a Cocktail kit and you play it you will think of things that you want to change about the kit.
You will then slowly make changes to your kit until you find what you want.
You are young and you have your whole life ahead of you to build kits.

Start small and work your way up from there.
 
A cocktail drum set for metal and punk would be new...
But if you don't want to waste your money, don't get one.

A cocktail set won't teach you new stuff. If you want to learn more styles just listen to those styles, and practice them on your set. And if one day you still want to pursue playing on a cocktail set, go for it. But you really don't want one in your scenario.
 
Wick said:
A cocktail drum set for metal and punk would be new...
But if you don't want to waste your money, don't get one.

A cocktail set won't teach you new stuff. If you want to learn more styles just listen to those styles, and practice them on your set. And if one day you still want to pursue playing on a cocktail set, go for it. But you really don't want one in your scenario.
Click to expand...
I see a cocktail set as a motivation of practicing more. Since I spent money on something, it always motivates me to play it a lot! Of course it won't teach me, it is a more influence to play say latin beats on one of these kits! Besides, I see myself having some fun with these. Now, just for people to see, my questionL

Quick question, I was watching this video and he says "Powerstroke 3 on the cocktail drum" does this mean the top or bottom? I am trying to find out what the bottom is since the bass sounds good! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yYcV50pvNig
Thank you.
 
Ex Nihilo said:
I see a cocktail set as a motivation of practicing more. Since I spent money on something, it always motivates me to play it a lot! Of course it won't teach me, it is a more influence to play say latin beats on one of these kits! Besides, I see myself having some fun with these. Now, just for people to see, my questionL

Quick question, I was watching this video and he says "Powerstroke 3 on the cocktail drum" does this mean the top or bottom? I am trying to find out what the bottom is since the bass sounds good! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yYcV50pvNig
Thank you.
Click to expand...
I would assume the P3 is the batter head for the bass drum, so on that kit the bottom head.
 
Ex Nihilo said:
Is it easier to play cocktail kits traditional since there all close together?
-Ex Nihilo
Click to expand...

I have been playing a cocktail set from www.hbdrums.com for a few months.

They are harder to play than a sit-down set, since the floor tom is at the center of the set. You really need to re-work some of your songs. They are somewhat uncomfortable, as you have to balance on one foot all the time and you need to switch feet to keep from getting too fatigued. You won't be able to play the bass drum as well standing up and your shin muscles will get more tired.

Having said that, is a blast to play drums standing up!
 
Hey DMC, did you keep the stock heads on that kit? Any suggestions? I just ordered one of the Trixon kits, and am already taking stock of my used heads in anticipation of having to change them out.
 
Here is a recording I made tonight... I used an AKG-C1000S into Garageband and recorded the movie with a Canon Vixia HRF-20 HD camcorder... The sound you are hearing came through a really decent mic, not the on board audio from the camera.

The kit is my brand-new Trixon cocktail kit (a birthday present to myself)... Fairly decent kit for the price. I've been wrestling with the tuning quite a bit.

This is one of the tunes in the Jon Riley Art of Bop books. I snuck this recording in during the 15 minutes that my wife was giving the kids a bath, so it's not my best playing. I'll put a funk tune up shortly as well.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MekCIe7NS-Y

(any of you guys who are members of www.cocktaildrum.com will understand my desire to cut and paste this exact same post since there is a significant lack of traffic over there)
 
Years ago, 1975, In my final year of college and a friend asked me to sit in with his dads' saxophone, piano, drum trio. I said sure. I showed up and there was a cocktail set because of room constraints and thank God it was the type one sits down at or I would have been lost. Lots of fun. Food, Drink and 35 dollars for 3 hours. Good money then.
 
Garvin said:
Here is a recording I made tonight... I used an AKG-C1000S into Garageband and recorded the movie with a Canon Vixia HRF-20 HD camcorder... The sound you are hearing came through a really decent mic, not the on board audio from the camera.

The kit is my brand-new Trixon cocktail kit (a birthday present to myself)... Fairly decent kit for the price. I've been wrestling with the tuning quite a bit.

This is one of the tunes in the Jon Riley Art of Bop books. I snuck this recording in during the 15 minutes that my wife was giving the kids a bath, so it's not my best playing. I'll put a funk tune up shortly as well.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MekCIe7NS-Y

(any of you guys who are members of www.cocktaildrum.com will understand my desire to cut and paste this exact same post since there is a significant lack of traffic over there)
Click to expand...

Wow, great kit and great playing! Why don't you set up a thread for it, with photos and specs? You should share your drum porn stash with us.
 
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