PDP Platinum second thoughts

westicle

Senior Member
I eventually got my PDP platinum kit after too long a wait towards the end of last year. I was initially very happy with it because I had moved from a starter kit up to an awesome kit.

I'm having second thoughts now though and wanted to get some feedback and see if anyone else had similar experiences or had any suggestions

My Kit:
24 kick
10 and 12 rack toms
18 floor tom
6x14 snare.

The only bits I'm really happy with are the 2 racks toms. They sound wicked and have a very good tone.

The kick does not have the beef that I want. I have the emad 2 head with 2 evans pillows on the batter head, tuned in the Bob Gatzen style and I hear more click than I do low end. The batter head REALLY clicks (any idea why?, could it be the foam ring snapping agains the head?). I want a gut busting BASS drum sound. It's a very short, sharp attack. I'd like a bit more resonance. I noticed when I first got the kit and changed the heads that the shell is quite flimsy and weighs nothing, there's a lot more give in it that I was expecting. I only have experience of playing one other kit but I really was surprised how easy it was to deform the shell slightly.

My other problem with the kick is it's size. I went with a bigger kick because I believed it would give me more bass. If it was smaller (it would be easier packing the van!) it would be easier to position my snare and toms. Having thought about the physics of sound a bit would a longer kick give me a bassier sound even if it was a 22?

I find it difficult to tune the floor tom and difficult to position. I play facing forward with my kick angled in line with my right leg so the floor tom is right round to the right. I have no idea how people use two floor toms.

The snare sounds like any other snare. I find it difficult to tell snares apart. I think I've only ever hear about 3 snare sounds in my life that I could say I actually liked.

I'm generally unhappy with my hardware too. I got all the DW stuff and it's just too heavy. Memory locks are great when you're right at the top but I'm right at the bottom and kit share has to happen so memory locks just lull me into a false sense of security cos it all goes out the window at gigs.

Maybe I should just sell the entire lot and start again.

Anybody have any thoughts, suggestions or similary experience with the Platinums? Anyone wanna buy them?

Chris.
 
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That 18 inch floor tom is going to resonate due to its size. You could try tuning it very low (just above wrinkled), but then the interval with the rack toms will be enormous. Is that right that you have 8 and 10 inch rack toms, and then the next drum is the 18 inch floor with no interval between?
 
Yeah that's right. I got it cos I wanted a bigger range. I tended to use the floor more in conjuction with the snare rather than with the other toms at the time I ordered the kit. My style has changed a bit now though.
 
Thanks. I'll give it a go. My understanding was the muffling would lower the fundamental frequency but I'm open to all suggestions.

Yeah, thats really not true at all. It just soaks the resonance of the drum leaving you with just "click". I don't like EMADs at all but if that how you want to roll, remove all of the pillows. All of the muffling you should ever need is built into that head.

I use a PS3 Clear batter and PS3 ebony with a 5" port on my 24" maple PDP kick drum. I use the short end of an EQ pad just barely touching the batter head in mine and probably don't even need that in most rooms.
 
Yeah, thats really not true at all. It just soaks the resonance of the drum leaving you with just "click". I don't like EMADs at all but if that how you want to roll, remove all of the pillows. All of the muffling you should ever need is built into that head.

I use a PS3 Clear batter and PS3 ebony with a 5" port on my 24" maple PDP kick drum. I use the short end of an EQ pad just barely touching the batter head in mine and probably don't even need that in most rooms.

I went with EMAD cos I watched the Bob Gatzen vids on YouTube and I liked the sound he had. I'll try removing the muffling and see how that goes. Changing heads is the next option.

Do you have any muffling on the reso head?
 
I would say open the drums up and let them sing. I have Gretsch Renowns and have no muffling in any drum at all. The only thing in my bass drum is the silver sealer. Keep trying to tune them without goodies and see what happens.
 
Here is something to try: I use an EMAD as well (single ply...the EMAD2 is not as loud). The reso side is ported with a 4" hole with a small towel rolled up against the head (a la Dave Weckl). Other than that, the shell is empty. This gives me a deep cannon-like sound thats not too boomy nor dead either.
 
You should be able to get the kick sounding nice with a little advice from here.

I do find your tom sizes a little odd: 8,10 and 18. I consider the 8" tom tom and 18" floor as add ons and not that critical drums to a set. Unless you got a big 4 pc kit and your rack is a 13 or 14 then a 18 floor would be fine.

I would have gone 10,12,16. Then if you liked playing a kit with more drums then add on the 8" and 18"

I thought about getting a PDP platinum in satin black. I think they are nice looking kits. I've always thought the LX, CX and FS pdps sounded very good. I do live sound on the week ends so I mic up and reinforce lots of kits. PDPs sounded just as good as any other kit with a drummer who knew how to tune a drum
 
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You should be able to get the kick sounding nice with a little advice from here.

I do find your tom sizes a little odd: 8,10 and 18. I consider the 8" tom tom and 18" floor as add ons and not that critical drums to a set. Unless you got a big 4 pc kit and your rack is a 13 or 14 then a 18 floor would be fine.

I would have gone 10,12,16. Then if you liked playing a kit with more drums then add on the 8" and 18"

I'm having an off day. I've got 10 and 12s not 8 and 10s. Time to go back to bed and start this day again!
 
Be patient with them. Take your time..Those drums are great sounding..just continue tweaking.
 
I went with EMAD cos I watched the Bob Gatzen vids on YouTube and I liked the sound he had. I'll try removing the muffling and see how that goes. Changing heads is the next option.

Do you have any muffling on the reso head?

Bob Gatzen is a smart guy but keep in mind who's payroll he's on when it comes to product recommendations. Don't misunderstand, I like and use Evans heads too, but you are not going to hear Bob recommend anything but Evans for obvious reasons. I don't think Bob had any additional muffling in his kick in any of the vids I have seen but I certainly have not seen them all

No, I don't use any additional muffling on my reso head.Just what comes with the PS3.
 
Partly, you probably have some buyer's remorse, which is natural when you make a big purchase.

Yes, I agree with the other suggestions. I'd say you can get the resonance by getting rid of all that muffling you have on the bass drum. A PS3 or the Evans equivalent (can't remember what they call it) should do the trick. I never use anything inside of my bass drums. Right now, I'm using a PS3 on my Pearl and a Weathermaster on my Ludwig. These are both the stock heads, and they sound fine with a little tuning. You might want to consider getting a 16" floor tom, since that will give you a more typical and versatile sound than an 18".
 
lose the muffling, tune the batter head UP slightly. It will be great.
 
I would say open the drums up and let them sing. I have Gretsch Renowns and have no muffling in any drum at all. The only thing in my bass drum is the silver sealer. Keep trying to tune them without goodies and see what happens.

I agree, take all pillows out tune each drum just past wrinkles and up from there. Those drums including the kick should sound STELLAR with no muffling at all.
 
Thanks guys, this is great.

I'm gigging tomorrow night so I'll tune them up before I leave and see how I go. I'm probably gonna try a power stroke 3 as well, another friend of mine suggested one last night so that seems to be the way to go.
 
Thanks guys, this is great.

I'm gigging tomorrow night so I'll tune them up before I leave and see how I go. I'm probably gonna try a power stroke 3 as well, another friend of mine suggested one last night so that seems to be the way to go.
Good Luck on the gig and let us know how it all goes~
 
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