Simon Phillips - Official Website

Masterclass - all around the drumkit

Last update: February 11th, 2009

Question:	hi simon!, i'm wondering what kind of cymbals you are using now during yout clinics. Armand thin crashes or medium thin crashes? Greetz, ivo (holland)
Simon:	I am using a complete set of Armand cymbals. They are not all production as they don't make a 19" or a 17" crash or a 22" ride. They are on the thinner side however.

Question:	OK, geekie mic question: On the Falling In Between DVD you appear to be using a small condenser mic, like a Neumann KM184, on your toms...just curious what make and model? THX!
Simon:	Good observation! I am using Shure KSM137 condenser mics. Similar to Neumanns but I am not sure I would carry 7 x KM184s on the road. I do however use a pair on overheads when I record. Love them.

Question:	Hi Simon, I would just know what drum stick bag are you using. Sorry for my english ^^. Thanks for all.
Simon:	Ha ha - that is an odd question but I have to say I use different types depending on which kit I am using. I think the most used is a Pro Mark bag but I have a couple of the old big Tama ones which I love - but they don't make anymore!!

Question:

the question ... it is a simple one really but I start to struggle alot. I play Tama Rockstar. It is old set, but if I have enough time to tune it up it sounds great. The only problem is that I have a 20" kick drum and very often I have serious problems in finding a good, deep sound ot of it while playing live. When I tune it up to a tone, the drum sounds like a tom, because it is 20" and it has bad overtones, and in that situation I have to lose it very much and there is no rebounce at all...
I thought if I get a hydrolic drum head - that will help, because is thicker. But that didn't helped much. What drum head do you think can help me a bit? I know you will say - get 22" kick drum, but this will lift the hight of all my toms, my splashes, my cymbals ... it all by 3" atleast
Thanks man! I LOVE your music! Have nice day and everything best from Bulgaria!

Simon:

Well - you answered your own question really. You cannot beat the size for sound and really one must sacrifice the set up if you want that sound. I had the same issue years ago when the Tama Artstar 1 first was introduced in 1983. I was used to 22" bass drums but they only made 24" drums back then so, as I had a load of clinics to do and therefore no custom drums could be used I had to adapt my set up. I have used 24" bass drums ever since so I guess it wasn't a big problem. The onu recommendation I can make is to use a single ply head as in a Remo Clear Ambassador - that will give you the most sound out of that drum over any head on the market - but it still won't sound like a 22" or a 24"!

Question:	Simon, you are a hero to me. I was just wondering what drumheads (both batter and resonant) you use on a regular basis. I see that you use Remo. What do you think of Evans and Aquarian?
Simon:	I use Remo Ambassador Clear top and bottom, front and back and Coated Ambassador on the snare drums. I have used Remo for so long I wouldn't even know what other heads sound like - ha ha ha!!!

=========== End of last update Februar 11th, 2009 ==============

Question:	Hello Simon, I was wondering what kind of tama iron cobra pedals you are using, the power glides, or rolling glide? Thanks! Frank Hoedl
Simon:	Rolling Glide.

Question:

Hi Simon,
I want to buy a Tama Starclassic (maple) also in the color British Racing Green. Your setsounds so great! The sizes I want to have 22x18, 10x8, 12x9 and 14x12. I also like to have one of your signature snare drums.

Now my question is: Which of the 3 snares (6.5x14, 5.5x14 or 5x12) do you think is the best for this set?

I really hope you will answer my question.
I wish you all the best!!
Greetings,
Justin Gernaat, The Netherlands

Simon:

That's really tough because it is so personal. Also it depends on what kind of music you play. The standard is 5.5" x 14" and I would say that was the most versatile you could have. However - I am concerned with the 18" depth kick drum. Personallly I'd go with a 16" depth. The 18" responds too slow for me. Just a suggestion!

Question:	was wonder what device and if availible to me, the light system used inside simons kickdrums . saw this on the toto concert in amsterdam dvd..2003? are they motion sensitive switched? thanks for any responce... rusty reeves
Simon:	No - not nearly quite so revolutionary. Just some floor lights placed in front of the kick drums and behind. the light shines through the heads. It's all down to our wonderful LD Andy Doig.

Question:	Hi Simon Phillips! I would like to know something about your electronic equipment. In the pictures at your website I can see a rack standing by your drumset. What is in the rack? Which mixer etc. And the most important, which groovebox or sampler are you using? Thanks Peter, Denmark
Simon:	Actually - no groove box or sampler. It's a Fostex D-824 hard drive machine for loop playback. Some of the songs I made loops for just for a change. Otherwise the rack consists of my monitor console (Mackie 1604VLZ) and Shure In-Ears. There is also a built in splitter box for incoming feeds to the console.

Question:	Just wanted to know which drums you were using on the MSG album "Armed and ready". That was my first Tama kit back in 1980. It was a Fibrestar kit with Power Toms. 2 x 22" kicks - 4 x rack toms, 2 floor toms, Gong Drum and Octobans. Love your playing -Mike
Simon:	Oh - they are there allright. I love them and they are part of the kit. I think the latest photo shoot I did with the Bubinga kit is why you haven't seen them. We didn't have a set that would go well wiith that kit so I decided to leave them out - also easier for the photographer to get shots from the side. But - fear not - they are stilll featured highly!

Question:

Simon I've noticed a total lack of octobans in your setup lately.This makes them hard to play if they're not there! ;^) I have always loved the sound and the rythms that you got from them.
I haven't seen you in concert so I don't know if they're in you setup on stage, but the recent pictures I've seen of your kit, theyr'e not present.Any chance that you'll be bringing them back into your setup in the near future?
Love your playing
-Mike

Simon:

Oh - they are there allright. I love them and they are part of the kit. I think the latest photo shoot I did with the Bubinga kit is why you haven't seen them. We didn't have a set that would go well wiith that kit so I decided to leave them out - also easier for the photographer to get shots from the side. But - fear not - they are stilll featured highly!

Question:

Hello Simon,
I’ve got a question about your monitors. I know you use a Mackie mixer and Meyersound speakers for your monitors. But what other kind of equipment do you use for your monitor? And how do you set it up? Do you mix the complete band yourself or do you get some premixes from the monitor mixer? Ronald

Simon:

The Mackie 1604 and the Meyer UPA-1A monitors are it. The monitors are on thr floor on specially made "shoes" so they angle up towards me. I run them in stereo taking Groups 1&2 to feed them. Some of the inputs are from the splitter box (O/Hs, Bass, Piano, Keys, Tony Gtr, Luke Gtr) and other inputs are mixes made from the monitor board (Kit, Vocals, Acoustic Gtrs and Extra Keys). I run the loops from a Fostex D824 hard drive and they return through the FX returns on the 1604 and are routed to the main stereo bus which goes to my In-Ears together with a mix from Groups 1&2 and some careful summing to make a full mix of the band. I have to hear everything that is going on in order for it to work well. Hope this explains it well enough!

=========== End of last update October 14th, 2007 ==============

Question:	Hello Simon. I’ve got a question. What do think of Cymbal cleaners, like Zildjian Cymbal Cleaner or Paiste Cymbal Cleaner? The manufactures of course say it is save for your cymbal. But when I check the internet a lot of people say it will affect the sound of the cymbal. What do you think of this and how do you clean your Cymbals? Ronald
Simon:	Well - I prefer clean cymbals - I like the brightness that comes with cleaning - but of course that may be psychological. These manufacturers' cleaners are the best thing to use - but I wouldn't clean your cymbals too often - try to keep them as clean as you can anyway - avoid touching them. If you really want to be anal about it use gloves to set up your kit - a lot of techs do that anyway.

Question:	Simon, Just looking at the new ad pics for your Tama Monarch Snare. In the pictures, I thought I spotted a few small Octobans that matched your new Bubinga kit. Just curious to see if Tama made you some Bubinga Octos? Keep up the great playing!!! P@
Simon:	Wow - good spotting. Actually - no - those are the old octobans that were made for my Mahogany kit. Just brown paint finish - but they do work with the Bubinga kit quite well!

Question:

Hi,
I'd like to know which are the most used toms and bass drum mics during simon studio recording sessions thanks
Filippo

Simon:

Generally my mic set up consists of Shure KSM27s on the Toms, SM57s on the snare drums, Beta52s on the kicks, KSM137s on the hihats, Beta 52 on the gong drum. I change my overheads from time to time - Røde K2 tube mics or Neumann 184s - Shure SM7s for ambience as well as Røde NT2000. When I go to other studios or if I am work with an engineer then I leave it to them to suggest mic. There are so many great mics available nowadays and I am always happy to try things.

Question:

Hi Simon.
I'm gonna record in home studio soon and I'd like to know if it's better to use an open resonant head with mic inside (D112), or to use a closed head with mic inside (with shock mount) ? I really love your sound, especially the kick so I simply wanna get a great sound ;-)
See you soon on a road !!!

Simon:

I have a little theory with this one. If you have a nice big live room to record in then you can use the drum with a front head on. However if the room is small you will have a problem with the amount of lo end flying around the room. You may have to cut a hole in your front head. Also try putting some mass in the drum too before you put the head back on. This could be a sandbag or a tin of paint - this will really help to make the drum microphone friendly!

Question:

Hi there Simon,
Am looking to purchase an inside bass drum mic. Was looking at the shure beta 91and was wandering what you think of it and also what you recomend..? Many thanks for your time, Ben

Simon:

My views on the Beta91 is that with my drums and the way I tune them they tend to distort a little. I seem to be the only one that hears this - but I hear it. I know that the 91 is a popular mic and for most people it works great. I personally prefer a dynamic mic if it is going so close to the head and would recommend the Beta52. But that needs to be modified in order to mount it inside the bass drum. The best way is to put it on a short boom stand and stick it through a hole in the front head - off center.

=========== End of last update April 14th, 2007 ==============

Question:

Hi Simon!
In the first time i would like to say to you, you're my favourite drummer, I like so much how you play drums, your drum' sound very interseting! So, I was in the Brussel Concert, the 03/22/06, and I noticed that you changed your A custom cymbals against apparently Avedis Cymbals, why this change? If I made a mistake, what do you think about the Avedis Cymbals?
Thank you very much, to offer us so much pleasure with Toto and with your solo album!
Hello from Lea and Etienne from Nancy France!
Vivien Logie

Simon:

Good spotting Vivien. Actually they are a prototype cymbal I am helping develop with Zildjian so I can't say too much about them just yet. But they are really nice. I still love the A Customs but I also like to change up occassionally.

Question:

My question is concerning the mounting for the bass drum mics. You said you designed a system that works well with all the touring you do. Could you please send a little sketch how you did it? I'd be happy if I didn't have to open the bass drums all the time for correcting the position after each transport... And by the way - you have an amazing sound. This goes to both of you: the drum kit and yourself:-)
Best regards,
Witold Zglinski

Simon:

I appreciate your comments - thanky you. Of course, designing a mounting system that is "road proof" is the key - and the main reason I had to do that in the first place. No system I was aware of on the market was worthy enough. Really hard to draw out - and I am on the road so I don't have any scanning facilities. However - the secret is the mic clip itself - once you have found the right kind then mounting is actually quite easy. I use an AKG SA40 clip. I drill a hole through the outside of the circumference and put a split pin through so to hold it in one position. Then the mic slides in (Shure B52 - modified for this use - an AKG D112 will fit without any mods) and then attached a hose cip to keep th mic from turing in the clip. Then the clip is attached to a small aluminum "U" tube and that in turn is attached to one of the fittings in the bass drum. Very occassionally, after a long bumpy truck ride, I have to re-position it - but then I would probably have to re-position the damping anyway. I will try to take a picture of it and get it up on the website.

Question:	Hi Simon, I am looking for a setup similar to yours. Can you please tell me which order your crashes go in and what make they are. Sorry i couldnt see this on your website. Maybe if you could annotate a picture please. Thanks for your help All the best for the future Ollie
Simon:	Well actually I recently changed my crash cymbal placement on the right hand side so it goes like this:

Question:	Others have commented and similarly I would love to hear how you would incorporate small cymbals - bells, small splashes, cup chimes. . .any moves in that direction?
Simon:	Really - interesting. I guess I think my kit is big enough and although I love all the sounds in some ways I like to limit to a certain extent the colours of the instrument so I have to work harder to create a similar sound. But I should never say no. I used to use a "Burma Bell" and a Gong back in 1980 with Jeff Beck.

Question:

Simon,
I have found that after setting up for a gig, my drums sound great, but when the mics are attached to the toms, the sound becomes deadened and also creates some unwanted overtones. Do you have a cure for this? I would appreciate any advice you can offer!
Thanks,
Jim Florez, Kansas City, Kansas

Simon:

That's a tricky question to address because the definition of "sounding good" is relative. You might think they sound good but maybe if I heard them I could see where the problem lies. However - one common mistake is to place microphones too close to the drum. Engineers seem obsessed with "isolation" - but consider the SPL of a drum - it's loud - very loud - so with proper engineering techniques including mic placement it won't be a problem. They also have a tendancy to use noise gates from the start. I rarely use them. If you saw how I miked my kit up in the studio you would be surprised!

Question:

First of all I was wondering which ear monitors you use on tour and if it's permanently ? I recently got Shure E5 and think they sound very great. Concerning your cymbals, I've seen on Toto website that you switched your A Custom crashes and hi-hat to prototypes. Are they from a new serie or had Zildjian made special cymbals for you ? By the way, where is your Signature Snare Drum on the Toto FIB tour ?? The new one sounds very rock !! See you soon on the road

Simon:

In-Ears - no, they are definately not permanent. I really don't like to use them but they serve a purpose when it comes to running loops or a click track. Cymbals - yes they are a set of prototypes which we are developing. Can't say too much about them for obvious reasons but they are pretty cool. Actually I am now using my new Signature Snare which will be released later this year. A wooden combination shell with "stick chopper" hoops - 6-1/2" shell. Listen out for it this summer!

=========== End of last update July 3rd, 2006 ==============

Question:	First of all, really fun to see you rockin all over again, the concert in Helsinki was GREAT!!! My questions: to me it seemed like you have angeld your ride cymbal somewhat less now, if so, why? And I also noticed that the crash cymbal that use to be "behind" you, now was next to the crash cymbals infront of you. Why this change? Thank you so much for all the inspiration!!! God bless //Mathias
Simon:	Very observant. Just fancied a change. Brought about by using a kit with regular stands as opposed to a rack system. I am growing tired of the rack - even though it facilitates easy and quick set-ups, it just doesn't quite have the "feel" of an old fashioned set-up with individual stands.

Question:

Dear Simon,
I was watching a Toto concert from Amsterdam and I was curious about the permanently mounted bass drum microphones you use in your Tama kit. I attended the Boston Conservatory and Berklee College of Music in the 70's and perform in drums in my own band band. Most of the time I use a Sennheiser microphone for my 2 kits. Could you please let me know how your bass drum mics were done.
Thank you,
Ilene Corvini

Simon:

I have used internally mounted mics in my kicks for 26 years. First of all the ease of set up is fantastic but mostly the reason is because I use a closed front head as opposed to a head with a hole. That doesn't mean you can't use a hole with this technique - you can absolutely.
It is important thought that the positioning suits the type of mic you are using. When I used AKG D12s I had to get them close to the batter head - off center - to make them work. With the Shure Beta52s I use now they have to be further away - off center - to work well.
I design and build my own mounts. There are a couple on the market but they do not withstand the rigours of long truck drives. You may have to re-position the mike every gig. It works great for me.

Question:

Simon,
I have a small problem with my Octaban setup (Low Pitch). I have had a terrible time choosing drum heads for them. I know that you use clear ambassadors on yours. I have tried them and have had very mixed results. While the following is not true for all of the Octabans in my setup, if I tune some of them up(I tend to tune them very low to get the throaty character of the drum) enough to get any tonality out of them, then they become very ringy with alot of overtones. If tuned down then they are just flat. I have been using pinstripes as of late, and while I can bring them away from the flappy sound just fine, this is still too dead. I have a feeling that I might have some misadjusted hardware or even a drum that could slightly need the edge cut. Anyway, I was wondering if you have ever run into this problem? Also, if you were going to try and adjust the bearing edge of an Octaban, do you know what the considerations are considering the makeup of the Octabans?

Simon:

The thing you have to understand with Octobans is they have to be miked up and put through the PA and your monitors. They produce very little sound. I am convinced the best head to use is a clear Remo Ambassador and do not tune them too high - they'll just sound like tin cans. Shove a mic up inside each one and there you go. You can't do much with them really - they are what they are!

=========== End of last update April 23rd, 2006 ==============

Question:

Hi Simon, I m Andres from Guatemala, and I own an Iron Cobra Double Pedal(Power Glide) and I am not too happy with the adjusting, also my bass drum is 16 x 20", so what tips could you give to adjust the Iron Cobra, they are so good that needs an adjust so near to perfection, and It is driving me nuts... so I will thank you if you can help me... I know that the rolling glide has a different feeling but I know that you know the answer for this question... thanks and keep making amazing music!!!
Andres

Simon:

You know - it's probably more to do with the drum than the pedal! 20" is quite small and therefore the beater is striking the head quite high up - unless you have the beater set low - and if so then that could be your problem. I advise setting the beater to the fullest extent and also take off the counter weight - I never use that.
This gives the pedal a large arc and great balance to start. You should be able to make the pedal work without the spring attached - difficult but possible. Next is the drum tuning. Do you use a lot of packing in the drum? Do you use a front head? These all affect how the pedal works regardless of the pedal adjustment.
Don't set the spring tension too tight. Use the marks on the Iron Cobra to get back to the "default" set up.
I would advise getting a "riser" for the bass drum to lift the drum off the ground and also the beater will hit more centrally. I use a "riser" with my 18" and 20" bass drums - works a treat. I use the Ayotte version. Quite a few manufacturers make these. Also - concentrate on setting the single pedal side first and when you are happy then duplicate the set-up for the double side. It is important to have an imaginary straight line from the heelplate to the front of the bass drum - underneath. This means you may have to extend the spurs more to lift the front of the drum in order to achieve this.

Question:

Hello Mr Phillips.You are my ultimate favorit drummer and i´m a huge fan of TOTO.I play drums in a rockband here in sweden where I live.I play on a new Tama Superstar kit(wich i love bytheway).My sizes are 12,13 and 16 inch toms,a 22 inch bassdrum and a 14 inch snaredrum.My problem is that i can´t the 12 inch tom and my snaredrum to sound good.My 12 inch tom is tuned very low but when i hit it it1s sounds dead.No ring or nothing.My other toms are tuned the same way but they resonate beautiful.It´s kind of the same problem with my snaredrum.It´s sing though but it´s not a nice sound.Just alot of bass and need more crack out of it.I use coated ambassadors on the toms and a tama head on my snare.Please help.Take care................Ludvig Schönborg

Simon:

Well it sounds to me as thought you are tuning your 12" way too low. Remember that it is all a compromise and you have to find the best range of tuning that all the drums sound good in. I recommend using Remo Ambassador Clear heads - to me they give a purer fuller sound. Don't be afraid to tune your toms up and make sure the bottome heads are in good condition. if you can afford it replace the bottom heads with the clear ambassadors. I tune top and bottom head the same - it's a good place to start. The problem you will encoounter is the big gap in size between the 13" tom and the 16" floor. When you tune up the floor tom it will start to boom so you have to be careful. Let them ring too - no damping if you can help it. As for the snare - I use a Remo Ambassador Coated - quite tight. Again make sure the snare head is in good condition and make sure the snares are fitted properly. You don't have to have the snares too tight - again be careful not to take all the ring out - this just makes the drum sound boxy and quieter too. Best of luck!

Question:

Hi Simon, How are you?
I have got some questions about your drum kit: I know, that you haven´t recorded the new Toto CD with your new Bubinga drum kit, because it reseives just after the recording session.
Which first recording session(s) did you with the new drum kit, actually? I´m curious, how do you enjoy of this new shell sound? Are these drum shells similar to your old Antique brown kit, like the depth, or are theresome differences /customised?
What about the new Omni- tune drum system? I know, you still are using ofthe regular starclassic lugs.
Do you still have of your old AB studio kit and that BRG one? Which one do you want to bring for the new Toto live shows? Thank you for you time, Simon! See you on the tour in 2006!
Richard, Germany

Simon:

I think the first session I recorded with the new Bubinga drums was a track for Stanley Clarke and Bunny Brunel - not sure when that will be released and actually a couple of other drummers have used the drums on projects I was producing - they loved them!
The rack toms are the same size as have used for a while now but the floors toms, yes - floor toms, are 18" x 14", 16" x 13" and 15" x 12". I am not using a rack system with this kit as I want it to be versatile for recording. I even have 4 different bass drum sizes - 24" x 16", 22" x 16", 20" x 14" and 18" x 14" - so for the double kick set up I am using a 24" and a 22". It's all a bit experimental at the moment.
They sounded great straight out of the box once I had put Remo Ambassador Clear heads on and tuned them.
I do not like the Omni-Tune system - way too slow to change heads! I have retired the Antique Brown kit now but am still using the BRG kits for live.

Question:

Hi Simon, I'm your big fan, and I have your yellow finished Tama Starclassic Maple.
I can't believe yet...
The sound is amazing (obviously) but I have a little problems with the bass drum tunning. Now I'm on tour with a Argentine singer, and I can't find the sound in my bass drum. I using a Remo Coated Ambassador, and the sound is very light, I need a more lower deep sound, can you help me with some tunning tips...
Thanks! The best for you...
Guido

Simon:

I would definately use a Remo Ambassador Clear head - the coated will sound a bit thin. Add dampening as you feel suits your playing and sound. Use a front head but probably a good idea to put a hole in it - off center and about 4" diameter. I use a felt beater with no patch. It works great for me! If you want a deader thicker sound then try a Powerstroke head.

Question:

Hello Simon! I have one question. Simon, which attachments do you use to fix your gong drum. Can you please give me the exact description, cause i need these clamps and attachments for my gong bass. The same please for your octobans.
Thanks a lot!
Greets, Martin

Simon:

I use the original L rods into a mid ratchet section which in turn slides into a customized cymbal base - cut down to a short piece - which is then attached to the rack with J8 clamps (or J28). A lot of the parts I use are quite old and are not made anymore by Tama. Same for Octobans - I use the stand that comes with the Octobans - the top section - and that slides into the customized cymbal stand base and attached to the rack with a J8 clamp.

Question:

What was the decision behing using the new Superstar line during the Asian clinic tour, and what did you think of them as opposed to the maple shell of the Starclassics?

Simon:

Good question. It was a matter of logistics. These kits that I use on clinic tours are actually owned by the stores who promote the clinic - and essentially they are in the business of selling drums. Not only would it be quite daunting for Tama to manufacture and ship 10 or so Starclassic kits - large ones - it may be tough to sell those kits in the markets we play the clinics in. So mainly it is a business decision. However it also gives me the opportunity to play these other models of drums and gives me the knowledge of what they are about. That's also good for Tama to have my feedback so they can make changes if necessary. I actually really enjoyed playing the Superstars - different but still good. Maybe not quite as good as the Maple Starclassics though!!!

=========== End of last update March 9th, 2006 ==============

Question:

You spoke in some other e-mail questions about getting a relaxed playing style and kit set up so that whole body movements were minimized. Your kit certainly seems very comfortable that way, except for the 3 crash cymbals. They were not only mounted (apparently very) high but also horizontal. It seemed to me that in order to play them you were having to reach up and over almost forcing you to stand up. You also spoke slightly disparagingly about crash cymbals mounted low, however that was in response to a question about miking for recording. I've seen several respected drummers with their cymbals mounted low and others with them way up high like you and I wonder what influenced your choice to go high.

Simon:

I guess I am so used to playing my crash cymbals high now I don't even think about it anymore. Firstly I mount the cymbals flat so that they can move freely with no restriction. The more tilt you add to a cymbal the more you restrict it's movement. The main reason for them to be mounted so high is a sound one - less spill into the tom mics. But, it really is up to each individual player to be comfortable with how he/she sets up his kit. It's up to the engineer to record the kit the best he can even if he has to work around certain issues. My main infuences were Buddy Rich and Billy Cobham and they both had their cymbals fairly high and flat and I thought it looked and sounded so cool!!!!!

Question:

I am curious to know what model Hi Hat Stand that Simon uses.

Thank you,
Dana

Simon:

So am I!!! I have been trying to figure that out from the new range of Tama stands as they have changed their models and I know that the HH905 and HH805 are impossible to use with a double kit - unless you have a rather large hacksaw!! I still have a few of the old Lever Glide models which work great. There is one Iron Cobra model that works - it is one of the cheaper models though. They all have no legs (unless I use a single bass drum set up then I would use the HH905)

Question:

What are the sizes of your Octobans? I am trying to duplicate your Octoban sound on your Protocol CD
I purchased a used Low-pitched set that was missing one drum. The sizes are 17.5" - 18.5" - 21" - and the missing one should be 23.5". (I believe these are the advertised standard Low-pitched set sizes) After purchasing them, I contacted Tama to order the missing 23.5" drum, only to find they are only sold in sets of four.
So.....I purchased another used Low-pitched set of four, but when they arrived, they measure 19.5" - 21.75" - 24" - 26.25" and the bottom (open side) bearing edges are flat, unlike the tapered bottom bearing edge on the set of three.
Both sets are Tama without a doubt. I'm guessing that perhaps the longer set may have been special ordered? Back to the question at hand, what size Octobans do you use?

Simon:

Unfortunately I don't have any Octos to measure here at home but I can tell you this. The original Octobans (circa '76 thru early '80s) were much longer and if my memory serves me correctly they did have a flat bottom edge. Sometime in the '80s Tama altered the lengths. I use the Lo Pitch set - but the new ones. Really I don't think there was much between them soundwise once you record them. The trick is the head and tuning. I use Ambassador Clear heads and I tune them quite low. I use a Shure SM57 inside and they sound great - a little EQ helps too.

Question:	Hi Simon! I have a question about boundary mics inside the kicks. Did you use them anytime?How embarrassed with this, I used this and the result was aboom boom sound likea swing. David
Simon:	I have only used the following mics - AKG D12 & D112, Electra-Voice RE20 and Shure Beta52. However each mic has a specific placement where it sounds good - and they are not the same. When I used D12s I had them close to the head, off center. The Beta 52s did not sound good in that position but sounded better nearer the front head - still of center though.

=========== End of last update September 17th, 2005 ==============

Question:

Hello Simon!
I`m very glad to hear that your "on your feet" again. My question: It seems to me like you are using in-ear monitors on the new Toto-dvd, is that correct?? If so, why did you start using them, instead of traditional speakers? And aren`t you using a Zildjian new-beat hi-hat instead of the A-custom you used to have!?!
God bless and Thank you for the music!!

Simon:

You are very observant! I use the "in-ears" only for the songs that have a loop or sequence running - otherwise I am using my regular monitor system of 2 Meyer UPA/1P monitors. I just haven't become comfortable with using only "in-ears". I feel cut off from the outside world and I am using ambience mics in that mix too, but it's just not the same. I am back to using A Custom Hi Hats again - but those New Beats are really nice. It just depends what I am looking for. I even used Avedis Zildjian for a few shows last year for a change - but I just love the sweetness of the A Customs.

Question:	Simon, Are you back to your standard: 4 octobans to your left set-up? or are you still keeping the two on the floor and hitting the timbale to your left?
Simon:	Back to my regular set-up and really enjoying it.

Question:

Simon...My name is Steve Sinatra and I wanted to know more about you china sound. In particular the sound you were getting back when you had first joined Toto. Not to be confused with the china sound you get now because I think it's changed. On the recent Toto DVD the chinas you had sounded much thicker and clangy than what you usually used to me. A really good example of the sound I'm talking about is the china that was on your right side while sitting at the drumkit in the Los Lobotomys DVD released from Ohne Filter. That china sounds great because its never over bearing and you can ride on it, like you did, with the tip of your stick and not have it be too tinny. I caught a peak of what the cymbal was while watching the DVD and it looked like a 22' A china high with a brilliant finnish. When I went to the local drum store and tried a couple out I was very disappointed to find that none of the chinas sounded even close to yours. Then I thought that the label on the cymbal was just for show and you might have had zildjian make that cymbal custom for you and had them make it thin to get that very wooshie cloud like airy sound. Could you just clear this up for me by maybe telling me weather I'm on the right track with my guess or if I'm totally wrong. I'd really like to get that china sound that you got but I can't seem to find the right cymbal. Maybe you could tell something about your chinas or chinas in general that might help me. Steve Sinatra

Simon:

Well - firstly a china cymbal is a ride cymbal to me - not a crash as most people use them. Also I use large sizes - mostly 22". The cymbal you are referring to is called an Oriental Trash. I think this cymbal sounds sweeter than a China Boy - but the A Custom China Boys are pretty nice also. I have recently returned to using my old 24" Swish Knocker on the left - that is in the video (I believe) and you are right - it is heavy, but boy it sounds so good. Very different sounding.

Question:	Hi Simon. I was wondering what kind of overhead you use. The equipment list of Toto says Shure KSM27, but in the equipment list on your website it's KSM32. And what would you say of the KSM44 as overhead?
Simon:	OK - my mic of choice would be the KSM44 and that's what I use in the studio unless I have access to a pair of AKG C12s or Sanken or Royer etc etc. However on tour I use a pair of KSM32 or KSM27 - whichever is available at the time. I am now using KSM27 on toms for recording

Question:

Hi, Simon
First I'd like to thank you for answering my last question.
Now I have a few questions about Pro Tools plug-ins 'cause I've been learning how to record my drums with Pro Tools lately. What plug-ins do you use for kick, snare, toms and overhead tracks? And do you use separate tracks for reverb? When you hit your snare, how did you get constant sounds of your snare. I believe you hit snare rim and the centre at the same time. Because when I recorded my snare, I heard that I didn't hit it constantly. You know, sometimes I hit the rim too much, sometimes I hit it perfectly. Any advice? Thank you.
Sincerely, TG, San Francisco

Simon:

Well first of all I record without using any plug-ins. You have to be careful when using them as they do introduce delay to the track, albiet small, but some plug-ins use a lot of processing power and can therefore add 300-400 samples of delay. The big issue with recording drums in the DAW envirinment is phase coherency. Generally I prefer to use outboard EQ or compression and then go into the I/O and into Pro Tools. Obviously I use a load when mixing but I can then keep a real check on things to make sure there is no phase problems. As for hitting the snare consistently - practise makes perfect! What can I say - it is a common problem when recording young, inexperienced musicians. Just be conscious of it and work on it.

=========== End of last update July 10th, 2004 ==============

Question:	Hi Simon, why did you change the angle of your four rack-toms in front of you? Does it feel more comfortable to you? I also tried, but I felt it wasn't really comfortable. I couldn't do any fast fills the way I did before. Thanks.
Simon:	Wow - very observant. One reason was that I wanted to see more of what was happening in front of me but I also wanted the toms to have a more similar angle as the snare drum. It took a little while to get used to but not long really.

Question:

Hi Simon, I've just received and watched my copy of the new DVD. It's fantastic. I am yet to see you guys in concert, except for the video of the band from Paris and now your DVD. Congratulationson the mix - I have a DTS system and it sounds just great. I was wondering if there are any plans in the works to return to Australia.The band haven't been down here since the Kingdom Of Desire tour and it would be great to see you live. Some friends of mine were in Europe recently and they said they caught one of your shows, so after hearing that and seeing the DVD I'm pretty keen to check the band out. What effects/triggers do you have on your gong bass drum on the right hand side of your kit? Whenever I hear it especially on a system with a good sub it sounds huge. I was wondering how you are achieving such a deep resonant sound. Thanks for your time. Jason Grimsted

Simon:

I have never used any triggers with my drum kit - what you are hearing is the drum recorded with a Shure Beta91 mic and all I have done is use some eq, some compression and some reverb. The rest is down to balance and placement. We were very near Australia last year as we played 2 shows in New Caledonia. We tried to get down to Oz to play but it just didn't work out. We need a good promoter there! I haven't been to Oz since '95 and miss it. Maybe I'll be back to play some more clinics one day!

Question:	I just got the Toto DVD yesterday, and have a few thoughts I'd like to know a bit about, just from the top of my head. On Girl Goodbye, it looks like you have a small tom (10 or 12") to the right of your 16" tom. is that correct, and if so, is this a supplement to your kit, or just for that song?
Simon:	There was no tom next to the 16" - only the Gong Drum. However I was using 2 Octobans with pedals - one either side of each Bass Drum. I was also using a Timbale in place of where I used to have the 4 Octobans. Just trying something different!

Question:	What was the setup of your drums you used on Big Country's 1993 album " The Buffalo Skinners "? Your drums on this record sounded very thunderous, I was wandering if they were still the Artstar's or the Starclassic! Thanks
Simon:	That kit would have been my Red Artstar II - the kit I used with The Who. The snare drum was a Zildjian/Noble & Cooley special, and Zildjian A Custom cymbals. That record was the last recording I made whilst living in the UK - 1992, and the Starclassic drums didn't some out until 1994.

Question:

Hello Mr. Simon Phillips
which snare drum do you used on the Out Of the Blue Cd? Was it a 14 x 5" or a 14 x 6"?
How can i make a big sound on recordings with a 20 x 16 BassDrum? I know it´s a small BassDrum but live she´s very good! The microphone (AKG D112) is inside, and the front Drum Head is closed.

Simon:

The snare in question was a Tama Bronze shell 14" x 5". I was using that model before my Signature model came out. As for the bass drum, although it is a 20" it is still possible to get 5t t6 sound huge. I recommend a Remo Ambassador Clear head with very little damping. Then put something quite heavy inside the drum - a gallon can of paint (make sure the lid is on tightly) placed on a towel - not touching either head. Position the mic (whatever mic) off center (very important) and not too close. Then put the front head on - maybe cut a hole where the mic is. This will help if recording in a small room. Tune the batter head as low as you can without any wrinkles - the front head a little tighter. Dampen the front head if you have too much ring!

=========== End of last update March 27th, 2004 ==============

Question:

My question is, which ride cymbals did you use on the albums "Sin after sin" (Judas Priest 1977) (beautiful overtones and bell) and "Back on the streets" (Gary Moore 1978) (sounds like an A 20" medium ride, beautiful clear). And was your drumkit the Ludwig Octa-plus kit on both recordings? I like the dry sound of it, but I guess I'm a seventies fan after all. Nowadays I find it hard to recognize a drummer on his sound an style. I hope you can remember those long timeago recordings!!!
Thanx in advance for you time, Frank

Simon:

Wow - you've got my memory working now!! Both albums were recorded on the Ludwig Octaplus. The Judas Priest ride cymbal would have been an Avedis Zildjian 22" Ride (not sure if it was a Medium or Heavy). I think the Gary Moore cymbal would have been the same but it might have been a Paiste 2002 22" Ride - but I don't think I started using the Paiste cymbals until later on that year. I had a brief spell with Paiste for about a year until 3 crashes broke in the same week of rehearsal with Stanley Clarke in LA in '79. I had received a letter, out of the blue, from Lenny DiMuzzio of Zildjian inviting me to endorse Zildjian and as Paiste US were not very accomodating in replacing those cymbals I took him up on the offer. I was always a Zildjian guy but sometimes one needs to explore other avenues. Needless to say I am still using Zildjians. I agree with you about it being hard to recognize players these days - everything has become so homogonized.

Question:

Hello Simon I'm a big fan of your timing and drumsound (live). Have you ever try-out a Rode NTK (tube mic) on overheads?.. or the beta 57a on snare?

Simon:

Intersting you ask as I am curious as to how the Røde mics sound. I have heard nothing but good things about them - just haven't had the opportunity yet to use them. I have tried the Beta 57A on snare, and it is great, but I prefer the more mellow sound of the SM57. All the Beta range are hyped around 2khz and 6khz (or so it seems to my ears) and that is not always a good thing. Generally when I mix my eq of the snare would be cutting at 1khz a little, boosting between 80 and 180hz, boosting around 6khz and boosting around 10khz or above. Really depends on the recorded sound of the drum and the music it is having to accompany.

Question:	What i want to ask you in general is about simon phillips bass drum mic mounting! I know he is using an internally mounted shure beta 52 in the bass drum, but i don´t know how it is mounted. Does he use the May Internal MIC system (www.maymicseurope.com), or something which was developed
Simon:	I use my own mounting system. Shure very kindly modify the B52 for me and then I use an AKG SA40 mic clip attached to some metal work which mounts to the bass drum spur mount from the inside of the drum. The mic cable goes through the air hole. Kind of hard to explain in words without diagrams. This system has been modified over the period of the last 24 years and is quite refined now.

Question:	Will there be any changes in your drumkit for the new TOTO record or in general? Thanx!
Simon:	Ha ha - you know there might just be. Not sure yet - that will depend on the music I write or others write. However I do feel a change in the air!!!

=========== End of last update September 16th, 2003 ==============

Question:

Hi Simon, I really like the sound of your drums. I have questions about your toms, O/H mics and EQ. The smallest tom you're using is 10", but it sounds like 8" size tom, especially in a TOTO song "Caught in the balance". Do you tune it really tight? Can you tell me how you tune the top and bottom heads of the tom? Did you boost high freq really high for the toms on EQ? And the last thing, how high do you put your O/H mics? I just got your DVD with Los Lobotomys, I love it!!!! Thank you very much.

Simon:

My question is this: how is an 8" tom supposed to sound? Believe me an 8" would never sound like that! I tend to prefer larger size drums and I tune them up so they project and have a lot of dynamics. Typically the top and bottom heads are tuned to the same pitch. Generally the EQ on the toms would consist of a little boost at around 4khz - maybe some air at around 8 or 10 khz. The area between 350 and 500hz would be cut a few db and then a little boost at around 80 to 120hz depending on the size of the tom. Most of the "air" would come from the overhead mics. The overheads are placed just high enough so I don't hit them and the cymbals don't hit them.

Question:

I read in MD recently that you run your Meyer monitors in stereo. I had the opportunity recently while doing some big concerts, and the monitor engineer asked me if I was crazy; "why would I want to run my two EAW monitors in stereo?". I thought that it would be very cool, because it was a huge band, two drummers, a choir, two lead singers, horn section, keys, and three guitar players, and I wanted to get more "space" in my monitor mix, because I wanted to hear all or most of the performers on stage. And there also were some nice stereo guitar sounds that I'd like to hear. What benefits do you find in running your monitors in stereo vs.mono?

Simon:

One of the reasons I run in stereo is because I have my own console and it's just simpler to connect the UPAs up to both outputs - also I am running a mix in tandem to my in-ears for the songs that we play with a loop. Mono in-ears or headphones are horrible so really the stereo UPA mix is more a byproduct of the system. The only real way to benefit from the stereo mix is to be able to hard pan, let's say, 2 guitarists. That works well. Keyboards sound nice and big in stereo too - depending on the patch used. If you use any verb in the mix then that would be good too. However with a large band, which equals a lot of channels and mix sends for the monitor engineer, it could become impractical as you are tying up 2 sends for one person. If you have the luxury then by all means try it and see what you think.

Question:

My name is Al, im a big fan of yours. Id like your personal opinion on something. I have a Tama Starclassic in british racing green like yours. I was wondering what you thought the pros and cons of using the starcast mounting system on a 16x16 floor tom versus floor tom legs. Its got the legs now, but I was thinking of rim mounting it, but it seems too heavy for that. Will it wobble too much? i want to mount it, but I was wondering if you’ve tried this before. I know your floor is on legs. Thanks so much.

Simon:

Actually all my toms are on Starcast mounts. On the main kit anyway. I have another kit which does not use a rack system so the floors are on legs, but that is a particular kit which is meant to be a traditional set-up a la 70's. Different approach and sound. There should be no problem suspending a 16 x 16 tom - I have a 13 x 16 suspended and it's fine. However you should take off the 3 leg mounts to lose some weight. I think you will love the sound but the down side is that you will need a stand to suspend it from.

=========== End of last update September 16th, 2003 ==============

Question:

I have a Tama Starclassic in british racing green like yours. I was wondering what you thought the pros and cons of using the starcast mounting system on a 16x16 floor tom versus floor tom legs. Its got the legs now, but I was thinking of rim mounting it, but it seems too heavy for that. Will it wobble too much? i want to mount it, but I was wondering if you've tried this before. I know your floor is on legs. Thanks so much!

Simon:

Actually my 16" is mounted. All the toms on the "Toto" kit are mounted but the depths of the drums are less than a regular floor tom. You may have seen the "Doves" kit where I am using floor toms. I have a different concept for each kit. Mounting a 16 x 16 should work fine although it will wobble, but that's not a bad thing sound wise as long as you can hit the thing while it's moving. I suggest trying it but make sure to take off the leg mounts to save some weight.

Question:

Hi Simon,
I own an Octobans low pitch set on my drumkit and I'm very interested in miking technique in general, without pretending to be an sound engineer of course. After testing different tries with only one mic (always the same problem... number of mics available, number of tracks available...) it seems obvious that the best result will be acheived by putting one mic inside of each octoban..Most of the time I've seen octobans miked by SM57 (great mic... and cheap). I've tested the Sennheiser evolution E604 that is very similar in terms of acoustics performances on this kind of percussion and that has the advantage to be directly clipped inside the octoban by using the small tool supposed to fixe the mic wire. The mic is well centered but all the mics are even spaced from the bottom and not of the head.

The question now is. According to your experience I would like to known how do you place the mics inside the octobans ? Centered in the head ?
Even spaced from the head ? Do you experience phase problem if you put the mic forward or backward in the octoban ? Do you search for the better place ? Did you try different mics and eq settings ? Thanks.

Simon:

I didn't look any further than an SM57 apart from when I used Electra Voice mics. The 57 works great and the only mic I have found to sound nicer would be the Beta87 - it is a condenser version of the 57 and really only necessary for recording. I attach them to a Shure A55 shock mount with Euro mic thread through a hole in the Octoban. I measure roughly 3 inches from the bottom of each drum and drill a hole and fix the mount. Works just fine. The only phase issue is with other mics and you just have to experiment. Always a good idea anyway to check each mic for phase and see if one drum sounds better in or out of phase.

Question:

I was wondering if you could explain drum stools I've seen that have what looks like speaker voice coils or some sort of driver unit attached to the bottom of the seat? My guess would be it is a pair of low frequency drivers for monitoring the Kick drums? Is that the common use? Do you or have you ever used one? I would imagine they are primarily useful in a Loud venue or setting where monitors for the drums are less effective, but I can't find anyone who knows for sure. If you Care to elaborate, I'm interested in hearing any input you have on Drum Throne Drivers. Thanks for all the great new music from Derek and Virgil you have contributed to and worked on! Looking forward to seeing you with TOTO Live!

Simon:

More commonly known as "Rattlers" they were made to be used in conjunction with "in-ear" monitors. I have never used one as I still prefer to use floor monitors, however I tried Micky Curry's one out and I found it strange. Mainly because there was a time delay and a sustain which the drum did not have - it would have driven me crazy. But, like all things, I am sure they work great and have to be gotten used to.

Question:

Hello Simon
What is the best way of placing the mics, if you have few mikes and play jazz like you?
Thank you
Sincerely, David, Seattle

Simon:

That really depends on how many mics/channels you have to play with - what kind of set-up and what kind of music. Let's stick to jazz: the most important part of the kit is the cymbals and as there would probably be an acoustic bass in the mix you have to be careful with the bottom end of the kit. So using a stereo pair over the kit is about the best way to go. A Kick drum mic would be next and then snare mic - but most of the sound should come from the overheads and if placed carefully you would be amazed with the sound.

Question:

Great work on Through the looking Glass, especially all the cool modern percussion sounds and samples! My favourite tune is sunshine of your love! It's so f..... groovy!
Which tools did you use for that kind of sounds (eg. maiden voyage)?
And also, did you use your vantage point kit and an addional 18" kick in the backround on maiden voyage? Great groove, very dynamic!
What kind of material did you use on the other songs?

Simon:

Thanks for the compliments. I used exactly the same kit for the whole record and the only thing I changed for Maiden Voyage was the ride cymbal - I put up my 24" Constantinople. When I am making loops I use probably 4 or 5 different ones and edit them so they work as 1 or 2. I love the Distorted Reality CDs for source loops and I also make my own too. It's really a case of sound sculpture. Working in Pro Tools makes this very easy and versatile.

Question:

I saw in Modern Drummer that Simon used two large K Constantinoples. I have a 22" medium, but the overtones seem to overpower the stick definition. Does Simon do any muffling of his K's, or is 'overwash' even a problem for him? It seems like the only way I can get stick definition is to use a stick with an extremely small bead. It seems too, that my K Constantinople doesn't produce enough 'ping' to provide something the rest of the band can hear. Maybe this extreme wash is preferred. I don't know. Any wisdom or advice?

Simon:

Well this is the art of selecting cymbals. Knowing how it is going to work with a given situation. You must use the correct stick for the job. When I use my Constantinoples I use a specific stick - not my normal one but a Pro Mark Will Kennedy model. It has a very small bead and is a lighter stick in general. It works playing straight ahead jazz which is the only reason I use the Constantinoples. The heavier the cymbal then more of a ping is produced with less wash. You just have to choose what you want it for. That's why I use a 24" as the main ride and the 22" for the lighter stuff.

Question:

As usual,thanks for answering so kindly our questions. Well, I saw in the series of photographs of your drums (same photo session as in the Symbiosis CD booklet) you put a SM98a mike next to the SM57 on the snare drum.Same thing for the bassdrums where you put Neumann "The bottle" mikes in front. Could you tell me what you really do with these double takes? Is it a technique you often use?

Simon:

Very observant! When I am engineering I usually get by with 1 mic on the snare although I do use front mics on the kicks. If someone else is engineering I am happy to go along with whatever they want to do. Each session, studio, situation is different and it's a question of what is needed for what project. You get different qualities of the sound by using different placements for 1 drum and depending on how you mix those 2 signals, you should get a good result.

Question:	Are the octobans played by remote pedals and where are these pedals situated? That's it!
Simon:	They are played by regular Kick pedals. I have them to the left and the right of the hi-hat and main kick respectively. It's a bit of a stretch but it's quite fun. Nobody, that I know of, makes anything that would work remotely and anyway it's pretty crowded down there. Just a little something different!

Question:

What size drumsticks do you use, and what brand are they?Â I've been expiramenting with 5A, 2B, even 3S size sticks and I can't find the right kind for the tpe of music I play (combonation of progressive and jazz, kinda like Toto meets Brian Setzer). I would like to get a light pair, mostly for cymbal work.

Simon:

I use my own model - Pro Mark 707 Simon Phillips Signature. Drum sticks are a very personal matter and the only advice I can give you is this - don't use too heavy a stick - they will destroy your equipment - and don't use too light a stick - you will get a bad sound and may also cause problems with your wrists. The cymbal sound comes from the type of bead on the stick. You could use heavy sticks with a small bead (a little like the stick Tony Williams used - I think they were 2Bs). The reason I use a round bead (most of the time) is because of the sound on the drums. However the ride cymbal suffers. If I am playing straight ahead jazz then I use Will Kennedy Pro Mark model sticks - they are lighter and sound much better on the cymbals. Just depends on what you are playing.

Question:

I've noticed your innovation regarding to the octobans at your drumkit.
Would it be possible to fit the other octobans in the normal methode as well? I think this would be a great combination playing them the same time by hand and feet. In the old days you've used all 8 of them what made you change for only four?

Simon:

Ha - you noticed! it's amazing how many people thought I was triggering something instead of playing them with pedals - but it is difficult to see them from the audience if you don't have binoculars.
There is always the problem of having enough channels in the mixing console for everything on stage and if something is not miked up you will never hear it in a large hall. Toto has a large input list - 47 channels at the moment and somewhere along the line one has to compromise. Hence I feel I am taking up enough mixing real estate. Interesting though but I don't think the difference in sound would be noticeable - why Octobans work is their contrast to the rest of the kit. 4 Octobans is enough!

=========== End of last update June 21st, 2003 ==============

Question:

What drum sizes and cymbal set-up do you use on your Doves Of Fire gigs?

I have seen some pictures on the net, and it very much looks like the same Fibes set-up Billy used in his Mahavishnu days, except of course different drums.

Simon:

You hit it right on the head. That was exactly what I was going for - the Billy kit!
24" x 16" Bass Drums (although I would love to try 14" depth like the original size). 12" x 9", 13" x 10" & 14" x 11" Rack Toms. 14" x 14", 16" x 16" & 18" x 16" Floor Toms.
All cymbals are Avedis Zildjian - from left to right - 24" Swish Knocker (no longer made), 22" Medium Ride, 19" Thin Crash, 18" Thin Crash & 17" Thin Crash. 14" New Beat HiHats. It's really based on the kit I used in the 1974 with Chopyn.

Question:	What difference in sound do you find with the shallower tom-tom sizes (12"x9", 13"x10" etc) on your Starclassic kit these days, as apposed to the deeper sizes (12"x10", 13"x11" etc.) which I believed you used before?
Simon:	They respond quicker and I think they have a fuller sound because of that. If the shell is too deep the bottom head is slower to respond. The same applies to Bass Drums.

Question:	I've always loved your work with tama's "octobans". You are the main reason, I continue to include octos in any one of my large setups. Here's my question: have you ever considered having tama make you maple octobans? I know that they don't offer them but you are there top endorser, I'm sure they'd make them for you. Just curious to see if it ever came across your mind.
Simon:	Thank you for your compliments. I have never asked them because I would think it would be extremely difficult to manufacture them. If you have ever seen how a shell is made you would understand. I don't think it would look very good and I don't think the difference in sound would warrant the heartache of trying to make them. Interesting thought though!

Question:

I love the loops and samples on Through The Looking Glass especially on Could You Be Loved and Maiden Voyage. Is there a certain kind of drum machine or sampler you used on that album that is available to us amatures? If not, are there any good loop machines you could recommend?

Simon:

I have an Emu X4 Ultra (I think that's what it's called) and all of the loops for that CD were from Ilio's Distorted Reality 2 sample CDs. However once I had sampled them into Pro Tools I severely, and I mean severely altered them so you would not recognize them coming from Distorted Reality. I can't stand it when I hear a jingle on TV and I recognize where it came from - it shows a lack of imagination. On "Maiden Voyage" I also sampled a bit of the groove from one of Herbie Hancock's CDs and mixed it with my loop.
The way things are going I would recommend getting a computer based sampler - probably the best available is the Giga Sampler.

Question:

I'm going to purchase a Tama Starclassic kit and I really want to get a sound pretty like yours. As I play in many bands with different genres I'm not sure if I should go for a 24" bass drum.
The 22" would be a typical versatile one. What would you recommend? I'm not sure what depth I should choose to get a 22" sound like your 24" either. As for the toms, I'm interested in 10, 12, 14, 15 with the same depths as yours. I'm still a bit unsure if I should choose a 15 or 16 as the last tom. What would you prefer with 4 toms? I'm also wondering if you would change tom depths if scaling down to a 22 kick.

Simon:

Over the years I have gradually changed back to a shallower tom depth after the Power Tom explosion of the late 70's. I now use a tom depth of 1" over standard. For example: 10" x 7", 12" x 9", 13" x 10", 14" x 11", 15" x 12" & 16" x 13". The sizes you have chosen are what I call the Steve Gadd set up. Personally if I had to use only 4 toms I would start at 12" - but that's just me. I also like to use traditional floor toms too. If I am using a rack then I use all rack toms. If I am using traditional stands then I use floor toms. As for bass drums - I prefer the sound of a 24" but don't go too deep - 16" is just fine. I have a 22" which is 14" deep and it's wonderful - I use that for my acoustic jazz setup. But if you are playing live with electric guitars and basses I would go for the 24".

Question:	If I look at your Drums-equipment and I see the last photo (Mackie mixer) is there a Tama Rhythm Watch attached? Do you use clicktrack and how do you use it? Just for the tempo to start off songs, or do you play 100% clicked?
Simon:	I use the Rhythm Watch to get the tempo for each song to make sure it is consistant night after night. It is really just a bit of insurance. Some nights feel faster or slower than others - especially when you are tired.

Question:

Would you tell a little about what type of head phones you're using in the studio?
I have a probleme with most head phones. I can't deal with the sound that is coming from a speaker so close to the ear. Some head phones are solving this better than others. I'm always the problem guy in the studio haha...
But I would love to hear something about which head phones you prefer.

Simon:

Well I have use Beyer DT100 phones for years - and I mean years. Probably since 1973. They were the standard headphone in UK in studios. Now they arenot the most "hi-fi" sounding phones in the world - but my concept is that your are playing a very loud instrument and I feel it is better to have a more confined audio spectrum. Also when you come in to the control room to listen to the playback you don't get that awful situation where the phones sound better than the control room monitors. Headphones tend to have a hyped sound -extended bass and treble, whereas the Beyers are very flat sounding. I have them in my studio and most musicians love them. My advice to you is to lower the volume of your phones and make sure the signal is clean - no overloading or distortion.

=========== End of last update February 16th, 2003 ==============

Question:

I know that you've been using Octobans for many years and have a lot of experience with them. I am having a set 'custom-made' out of Birch so that they will be stained & finished to match my kit, using the same Starclassic lugs, etc. I have wanted to use Octobans for QUITE some-time... but never found the right project or just never got around to buying them.

Now that they shall be arriving soon, I am curious to gather some of your feedback on the following:

a) Drumhead choices: In anticipation of their arrival, I have purchased 3-different types of 6" heads: Evansa G1 (sigle-ply) clear, Evansa Hydraulic (double-ply, oil-filled) clear and lastly Remo Pinstripes. Since these drums rely more on the 'throatiness' of the long shell, rather than resonance and sustain, it would seem to me that I 'might' want more 'attack' from the head rather than to try to increase resonance... so my gut-instinct is to go with a double-ply... but then again... I have no experience with this type of drum. Any feedback from you on the differences in head plies and thicknesses with Octobans...?

b) Miking technique: The rest of my kit is using the Maya Internal mic's... but for the Octobans... my (again) 'gut instinct' is that the entire character of those drums is derived from the 'hollowness' of the sound created by the excessive length of the shell. Hence, mic'ing the drumhead externally seems like it would defeat the purpose. What I am thinking of doing is placing an Audix D-1 in the bottom opening of each Octoban (they are the "Low" or longer sizes) but other than experimentation, what have you found for a decent positioning within the drum... right outside the edge...? An inch-or-so in...? 4-5 inches in...?

c) Tuning: I know you've mentioned before the 'oddities' of tuning Octobans due to them being such small diameter heads, only having 4-lugs and the fact that the shell length dictates most of the sound, but... have you found that each of the drums has a tonal 'sweet-spot' that works well with (in harmony with) the length of the shell...? Or is it just a matter of the drum sounding decent no matter what tuning-range you use...?

Simon:

a) I would avoid double ply heads in all cases. They color the natural sound of any drum with a kind of plasticky synthetic quality. Basically the head should transfer the strike of the stick to shell as quickly and with the least resistance. I would use Remo Ambassador Clear.

b) I have always placed a Shure SM57 inside the shell - in the center and about 2-3" from the bottom of the shell. therefore the distance of the capsule from the head will differ depending on the length of the shell. This works great.

c) No - there is definately a range where they work best - and that range is pretty small. Remember with Octos there is not much volume acoustically and the sound that you and other people will hear is an amplified sound - there is very little projection. So tune for the mic. My experience is to go low and spend some time. The heads will last for ages.

Question:

hello i am a big fan of yours. I loved to see you perform the Tommy tour with the Who. I just recently picked up the Who's DVD 30 Years of maximum R&B and at the end you played a few songs. I am wondering about your ride cymbal. Was your ride a 22" Projection Ride A Custom? And also I wanted to ask have you ever considered switching your drum heads to Evans or something like that?

Simon:

When we played the Who Tommy tour in 1989 Zildjian didn't make a Projection Ride. I think it was probably 22" A Custom Ride. I am not even sure if the cymbals were even A Customs - I honestly can't remember. I'll have to look at the video again!
I used Evans for a very short while just prior to the Who tour - but they didn't have the durability of Remo and also at teh time they didn't have a Timpani head for the Gong Drum - so I stuck with Remo.

Question:

I am 26 and have practiced hard over the years but have never felt very comfortable with the drumsticks I have used. I have tried many models and now realise that the real problem is my short fingers. I even struggle to get a good and secure grip on a 7A model, which is not adequate for the music I play anyway (rock). I love drumming and donÂ´t want to give up because of this - have you any suggestions?

Simon:

I am not experienced in advising on stick sizes. However all I would say is don't go too light if you are playing hard - you may cause damage to your wrists if there is not enough weight or absorbtion in the stick. If you need more striking power but don't like to use a thick stick then try sticks with round beads. They will have more weight striking the drums. The ride cymbal may not sound as nice but if you are playing loud rock and roll then that won't matter one bit! Try out a pair of my sticks - pro mark 707 signature model. Also, you don't have to grip the sticks tightly. Relax your grip - be looser. You will get a better sound that way too.

Question:

Don't you like small cymbals? Your ride is really big, your splash and chrashes and chinas are the largest models? I like smalls cymbals, particulary splashes. I have a 6" A Custom splash and that's my favorite cymbal.

It would be very interesting to know what cymbals you're using on the album "Vantage point".

Simon:

Generally not - as I am concerned with the balance of the kit - the drums and the cymbals should be evenly matched. My Ride is 22" - crashes are 19", 18" & 17" and the splash is 12". But the bass drums are 24" and the toms go from 10" to 16". However my cymbals are on the thin side so are much more dynamic. For Vantage Point I used all Zildjian Constantinople cymbals - 24" Ride, 22" Ride, 18" & 16" crashes and 14" K Zildjian bottom with a Constantinople bottom for the top.

Question:	You mentioned in a previous posting that you'd had the bearing edges on your drums modified. Can you explain exactly what you had modified and how it affected the sound? Did you have it done to all of the drums or just toms?
Simon:	I had my studio kit in LA modified. Actually just the toms where I had the length reduced. As far as I know I don't think there was much change as the new edge is the bottom edge of the drums.

Question:

You just recorded drums on a friends album RYO OKUMOTO I was intrigued by the photo of your drum set up and in particular the mics you use as they seem to have 2 wires from each of the mics. Could you tell me the name of the MICROPHONES you use and the reason for the 2 cables

Simon:

That must be a trick of the photo - all mics just have one cable. However the tom mics are the little Shure Beta98s which have a very thin cable and I have them all tied into a loom covered in Tech Flex. Kick drum mic are Shure Beta 52; Snare is Shure SM57; Overheads are Shure KSM44; Hats are Shure SM81; Gong Drum is Shure Beta 91; Ambience are Shure KSM32. Tell Ryo I am waiting for my copy - ha ha ha!

Question:

During the time you were using the D12 in your bassdrums, it was placed very close to the batter head.

When using the Beta52, you placed it quite near to the front head, attached to the spur holder screws with your special adapter. Why this change assuming you didn't change anything else than the mike?

Simon:

Very observant you. The D12 and the Beta 52 are very different sounding mics and it just turned out that the D12 worked better real close and the 52 works best away from the head. The sound will change depending upon where you position it. I find that most mics are very sensitive to placement and I think time should be spent to find the best place before using any EQ. However the same can be said for the type of mic and the mic pre being used.

=========== End of last update December 22nd, 2002 ==============

Question:

Hi Simon...

I'm privileged to own an ex kit of yours, it's the Cordia Artstars you used on "Give Blood", with Dave Gilmour, and Pete Townshend ... I know that's going back a bit... :)

The kit is very special to me, I was however wondering if you could tell me what other projects and performances it was used for. I'm trying to start a studio for underprivileged kids, and I'd love to know more regarding the kits history.

Simon:

I wondered where that kit went to!
That kit was used for many records of which some were - Mike Oldfield (Islands), The Pretenders (Get Close), Russ Ballard (Russ Ballard), Nik Kershaw (Radio Musicola), Pete Townshend (The Iron Man) and it was actually the kit I used on Protocol even though the Red Artstar II is on the CD cover! I believe that the shells were drilled for the May mic system, if my memory serves me right.
Look after it for me - thanks!

Question:

First, let me express how COOL your drumsound is...beyond belief! I was wondering how often you change your reso and batter heads on kick, tom and snares and if mastercast hoops have a great influence to tuning and sound...?

Simon:

Thanks for the compliment. As a rule on tour I would change toms 2, 3 & 4 every show, 5 every 2 or 3 shows and 1 & 6 every 4 or 5 shows. I use 2 snare drums a show and they would have a new head every show. The kick drums get changed about once a year. The bottom heads would stay on for years. Obviously Die Cast hoops sound quite a bit different to triple flange hoops - but then so does the head itself. I have used Remo Ambassador Clear for as long as I can remember.

Question:	Hi! Just wondering: Why are octoban's removed for "Through the Looking Glass" - tour??
Simon:	Ha - that's the first comment I have had about that. Well - one of the songs we play from the new CD is "Could You Be Love" and the timbales are featured heavily so I wanted to play them. With Toto I hardly use Octobans except for in a solo so I thought for once I would lose them and put a Timbale there. I kind of like the change. There may be some more changes for the fall tour too!

Question:	What cymbal-Setup have you played for the record of the Steve Lukather Album "Candyman"? The sound of the cymbales is so very brilliant!
Simon:	That was recorded in 1993 so I must have been using Zildjian A Customs - 22" China, 22" Ride, 12" Splash, 19" Crash, 17" Crash, 22" China Boy, 18" Crash and 14" Hi Hats.

Question:	You play on your gongtom a 22" Remo-Timpani-Head.What is this for a model? Is it a "Standard", "Standard with Alu Insert Ring", "...Steel Insert" or a "Steel Low Profile Insert"?
Simon:	I have never heard of these options. I just use a 2200 Timpani Clear - as in the catalogue. I take the hoop off the gong drum and attach the tension claws straight onto the epoxy of the Timp head. It works just fine!

Question:

Simon,

I have had the joy of following your carrier for many years, first meeting you in La Habra in about 1980 for a clinic for Tama.

I read an article a few months ago about your project studio.

I am currently building a pro tools project studio with an equipment budget of about $25,000, I am unfamiliar with non-linear recording. I was hoping you might be able to share some of your favorite proTools plug-ins with me, and maybe a few other setup suggestions you might have.

Simon:

If you have that budget then you should be able to go straight to a TDM Pro Tools system, which is the best way to go considering ease of use, professionalism and compatability. Digidesign make 2 systems - Pro Tools Mix and Pro Tools HD. PT Mix is the system that I have and most people I know have. HD came out this year and is 96k and 192k compatable. I have heard it is not totally stable (any new system will have it's bugs) but sounds great. The issue of plug-ins is that not all the manufacturers are making them HD compatable, but most are. For recording purposes one doesn't need a load of plug-ins - but to mix one certainly does. But there again in order to mix you will need more than just the standard set-up. I have invested seriously into a system that I can mix as though I were using a Neve or SSL console - but it takes time and money. I suggest going on the Digidesign website and getting familier with all the equipment.

Question:	Is there a Set update except the Timbales replacing the Octabans
Simon:	For the moment just the Timbale but as we get into rehearsals for the Fall tour things may change - depending on which songs we do.

Question:	Are you gonna take a kit with a new colour on the TOTO tour in fall! For example your brown one? That would be so cool!
Simon:	I only have Green kits in Europe - but you know what - I like Green!

=========== End of last update September 10th, 2002 ==============

Question:	I was wondering if you've had a chance to "test drive" any of the StarClassic Exotix series with the Hawaiian Koa and Bubinga wood shells. If you have, I was just wondering what you thought.
Simon:	Actually I haven't. I saw a set at the NAMM show and at the Frankfurt Messe but have not yet played them. I am sure they are great!

Question:

Simon - I have been a huge fan of yours and have played drums since 1979. When selecting sticks, I have always taken an armful of Pro-Mark 5Bs (and now, your signature stick), sat on the floor with a pad, tapping each stick until I find pairs of similar pitch. I then paired them together and made sure they weren't out-of round/warped by rolling them on a flat surface. Is there any benefit to having sticks of similar pitch when it comes to the sound they create on heads and the drumset in general? It seems I hear differing opinions on this.Thanks!
Jeff
Orange County, CA

Simon:

Sounds like a very wise thing to do. Pro Mark does sort sticks into pairs but with the quantity they have to sort I am sure some pairs are not totally matched. I use this to my advantage. I will sort into 2 batches - 1 batch of lighter weight and 1 batch of heavier weight, and use whichever feels right that day. There will be a sound difference so it is important to match them up. You'll probably notice more difference on the ride cymbal but extreme weight differences will be noticeable on the drums. If you don't mind spending the time sorting out your sticks then I think you should stick to it

Question:	Hi Simon, I was wondering if you could tell me what crash cymbals you used on "Protocol"?
Simon:	That was recorded in 1988 - a long time ago so it's hard to remember but probably Avedis Zidjian thin crashes, 19", 18" & 17". I don't think A Customs were available then!

Question:

Simon,
I've picked up your two videos. Very impressive playing, content and production!
Can you give the details of the kit that you used then? Also, could you address the sonic implications of going to drums with smaller lugs and presumably thinner shells. Did you change your technique at all going to the Starclassic system?
Cheers,
Andy Vermiglio

Simon:

That kit was a White Artstar II - 24" kicks, 9' x 10", 10" x 11", 11" x 12", 12" x 13", 13" x 14" & 14" x 16" toms; 20" Gong Drum, Octobans (Lo Set) - can't remember the snare drum but probably a Mastercraft 8" depth wood shell. The biggest difference between the Artstar and the StarClassic would have been the rims - Die Cast hoops on the toms as opposed to pressed steel on the Artstar. Obviously the shells are quite different and I changed the depth size too.

Question:

I never saw you using a microphone on the bottom side of the snare drum. Could you tell me how you came to this choice?
Same thing for the Tama Starcast suspension for snare drum.

Simon:

I personally do not favor miking the snare from underneath - in my experience engineers use way too much of that signal and it just sounds wrong to me. I never use it live - very occassionally I use it in the studio if the engineer really insists and usually they know what they are doing. Once they hear the balance that I am happy with it works out fine. I have even used an underneath mic when I record other drummers. It just depends on the situation.

Question:	Which china cymbal, on your right hand side, did you use during the 1994 Los Lobotomys tour? It looked like a 22" Platinum China Boy Low? Is that correct?
Simon:	I'm afraid I can't remember as I get confused between which kit has which choice of Chinese cymbals. However you are probably correct as I did use that cymbal around that time.

Question:

A simple one this time. Why did you change your Ambassador CS snare head for a regular Ambassador?
Is it because you changed for a metal snaredrum and liked more overtones, or the Gladiator's overtones?
In one of your videos, you said you were using CS only for more durability. Didn't you like also the more focused sound of this type of head? Would you change back to CS head,if going back to a main wood snaredrum?

Simon:

Good question. I always prefered the sound of the regular Ambassador head - but durability was a problem. However I think over the years I have lightened my touch and even though I go through 2 Snare heads a show I prefer the sound of the regular head. I would use the same head on any snare drum.

Question:	How would you describe the difference between the Tama PB355 Bronze Snaredrum and your signature Snaredrum "The Gladiator" in aspects of sounding? They seem to be very similar. I am just curious about it :)
Simon:	I would say the "Gladiator" sounds brighter - more snare sound. They are basically the same shell but the Signature drum has a coating on it and it really made a difference - the snares are also different - they are the Super Sensitive model.

Question:	Hi Simon I noticed on your pictures from the Acoustic Jazz Triple Bass Drum Kit, that the 18" Kicks are not directly on the floor with the hoop of the batterside. Do you use a 18" Bass Drum Riser, and if so what is that part called and where can I buy one?
Simon:	Good spotting. Yes, they both have a "Bass drum riser" made by Ayotte in Canada - that's what they call it too! The reason is so that the bass pedal beater can strike near the center of the head without adjusting the set-up of the pedal. Looks cool too!

Question:

Hi Simon... Marshall Maxey here... 43 y/o professional drummer (double bass/large kit) living in Knoxville, TN. I started listening to your drumming back during the Toto-Tambu era so I'm catching up to a lot of yourfans. I recently found your web-site and I have to say that compared to other drummers FAQ posts on their sites, your fans are way more intelligent with their questions. I'm very impressed. Anyway, I had a couple of questions for you and when I went to your FAQs the first thing I noticed was the most recent posts were questions nearly the same as mine. So, let me try to hammer down farther to the nitty gritty. On "Dave's Gone Skiing" I was blown away by your part and couldn't figure out the time on the intro riff. Eventually I could play it in time with the melody (totally by feel) with my hands on a table top but I couldn't figure out the time subdivisions. Then it finally hit me that this part seems to be in pretty much straight time with a lot of syncopation. Am I right about this? Sorry about the long questions but I have one more. On the topic of keeping solid time/groove, I understand feeling subdivisions and the groove needing to be "in you", but I've found (for me) one of the key elements to good time is a strange combination of focus and relaxation. I personally have to really work on this. Especially when playing high energy parts. What's your opinion about this. Thanks for your time. Your one of the drummers that keep my excitement high about playing drums no matter how old I get. Keep it up!

Simon:

To answer the question about "Dave's Gone Skiing" - the melody meter is 9/8 - the bass, guitar and keys playing the same figure with the kit accentuating in and out of the melody. The next section is in 7/8 - back to 9/8 and so on until the 4/4 section. I haven't listened to that song for years so I actually can't remember the arrangement but that should give you enough to go on.
As for the question about time - that must the hardest one to give an answer to, and the hardest to accomplish. I suppose the first issue is to recognize when the time is not steady. You should always play as relaxed as you can - the groove and even the sound of your drums will be far better. But also try to hear the whole song - not just your part. Keep those ears big!!!

Question:

Hi, i'm my band in the small rehearsal room. I've got 3 mikes for myself and I play a 4 ply Pearl MMX. How can I setup the mikes the best way for my shells. and also how can I prevent guitar-sound leaking through my mikes, and drum sound throuch the rest of the mikes?? Thanx alot, keep up the amazing playing!
-- Victor

Simon:

You shouldn't have too much problem with the drums leaking onto the other mics apart from the vocal mic. Place the guitar mic right up to one of the speakers in the speaker cab, try to use a DI box for the bass - it will sound better anyway. I am assuming your band is made up of the usual instrumentation and does not incorporate a grand piano or violin!!! As for the kit - well with only 3 mics I would place one on the kick, one on the snare and lose the 3rd - if you are just monitoring live. For recording then still keep one on the kick, then use the other 2 as a stereo pair a la Glyn Johns mode - one between the rack tom and hi hat facing the snare and one above the floor tom also facing the snare and both equidistant from the snare. Pan the channels left and right. You will need to experiment with the positioning depending upon the set-up of your kit but you could get some great results.

=========== End of last update August 21st, 2002 ==============

Question:

You did mention earlier on these fantastic FAQ pages while answering a question of mine, that you sometimes have recorded your kit using only 4 mic's. Do you perhaps remember which tracks where you have used this recording technique? How do you go about mic placement in this situation, and what type of mic's, i.e. condensers or dynamics, do you prefer? And what do you think of this approach as opposed to close-miking each drum? And, have you also used 4 mic's in a live setting, perhaps in a small club?

Simon:

I stole that miking technique from Glyn Johns (producer of The Who, Faces, Stones etc in the early 70s) and Cy Langston (from Ramport studios owned by Pete Townshend in the 70s). It comes from a time when close multi-miking was in it's infancy. On a regular single kit there would be a Bass Drum mic, a Snare Drum mic and a pair of Overhead mics. However it is the placement of these overhead mics that is very important. Basically you have to pick the whole kit up from these - even the snare drum. The Snare drum mic is really just to fill the sound out a bit and so you can EQ some hi end into it without making the rest of the kit too bright sounding. You really have to experiment. The only recording I know of that I have recorded that way was an album by Phd - recorded in 1980! The ARMS tour video was recorded that way too - maybe 5 mics!

Question:

You mentioned that Pork Pie did some work to your Tamas.
What exactly? Just wondering.

Simon:

A couple of years ago I changed the depth size of my tom toms, reducing them by 1" (for example 12" x 10" to 12" x 9"). I am very fond of my Antique Brown StarClassic I have at home so instead of ordering new toms, which would take a while and would be costly, I had Bill Detamore cut 1" off all the toms. It meant that he had to plug the holes left by the lugs and cut a new bearing edge. Probably wasn't much fun for him but he did a great job.

Question:

I love your drum sound. I want to know more about your toms. On the second cut of "Tambu" the toms are incredible. You say you tune your toms tight but you get so much bottom end, what's up with this? And do you tune the same for live verses studio? If you used a Drum Dial how much tension would it read on your toms, snare and kick?

Simon:

It was during these sessions that I changed the tom mics from Electra-Voice 48s to Shure 98s. Elliot Scheiner was not too happy with the sound of the 48s and I have to agree with him - we were recording to a Sony 3348 digital machine and the sound is way different to analog - the 48s sounded fine in the analog domain, probably due to the tape compression you can get. So we tried different mics and it seemed that the Shures were the best. Also Elliot is one of the finest guys around to get a drum sound and he tends to cut a lot of lo-mids and boost a lot of lo end when he records. I think together with my tuning, and playing, the result is what you hear!

Question:

I really admire your miking technique, and I am aware of how particular you are about your sound, especially your bass drum (s). If you can spare the time and info, I'd appreciate some basic EQ suggestions I can give sound crew folks when they inevitably look at me strangely when I present them a bass drum resonant head without a hole. It seems to work fairly well about 6-10 inches from the head, dead centre, but I am wondering about compression and EQ. I understand you try to use as little EQ as possible? Most amateur sound men are perplexed by this. Especially in the studio!

Simon:

Well - before anybody reaches for the EQ section of a console the incoming signal needs to be good to start with. In my experience I would never put a mic dead center in a kick drum. Too much transience and too much dynamic and sound changes. I place the mic to the edge of the shell - about 2" or 3" in - and about 13" back from the batter head. I have found the best position is actually just inside the shell (which would be 15" back) but I can't do that with a head on. You will find a smoother, rounder signal in this position. Also the way of tuning, damping and choice of mic plays a huge part - notwithstanding the type of beater and technique you use as a player. So many variables. take it from me it will take years to get to the stage where the engineer brings up a fader and the sound is good - flat!! Typically a kick drum should only need a dip at around 380hz and maybe a boost at 80hz or lower.

Question:	My question is, how do you tune and dampen your bass drum? On Mindfields and Another Lifetime, I notice you are able to get a nice high-end snap, very defined, along with great bottom-end.
Simon:	The batter head is fairly loose and is damped with a rolled up towel taped to the head and the shell. The front head has no hole and is tighter than the batter head. Sometimes this head is damped, sometimes not. The microphone is mounted inside the drum - near the front and to the side of drum facing the batter head. I use Ambassador clear heads and a felt beater. It is also a 24" drum.

Question:	Are your bassdrum frontheads Ambassador ones for the moment (I know you've been using the "Staclassic logo" front heads at the beginning of the Starclassic production,wich were thinner ones). In both cases, can you tell me if you tune them to the same pitch as the batter heads, as you do on the toms, or to a specific pitch interval?
Simon:	I use regular Ambassador clear heads on the front with a Tama Logo transfer. They used to come with thinner heads but I change them. They are tuned quite high actually - better for coping with feedback when using a PA system.

Question:	What drum heads do you use on your snare??
Simon:	Remo Ambassador coated.

Question:	What is in your opinion the main difference in sound characteristics between a metal (steel/brass) snare and a wooden snare?
Simon:	The wooden drums are dryer and more compact whereas the metal shell spreads more. I would say the metal also has more high end - more sizzle than the wood but the wood has more body. It really depends on what style you are playing and what kind of sound you want. I find these days I use only my Signature drum as it seems to work for everything. Very occassionally I will use a wooden drum.

Question:	Which snare did you use on "The High Price of Hate"? What about "Mad about you"?
Simon:	"High Price" was a Tama Prototype solid maple 6-1/2" - black finish, and "Mad About You" was the first Signature "Gladiator" drum.

Question:	Hi Simon, I have a question about your Gong Tom. What kind of shell do you use? Is it the mapleshell from Starclassic or is it from the Artstar series. Can you tell me about the different sounds of both, I am asking because I like get me one.
Simon:	I use a Star Classic Gong drum. Actually my ones are 5mm shells with a re-inforcing hoop. The standard is 7mm. The thinner the shell the more low end you will get. Artstars were thicker shells.

Question:

I think you have the most consistent bass drum sound on cd today. Through a high quality system, there is always a deep fundamental note you can feel. Listening to other recordings, especially older ones, this is usually absent. For example, John Bonham had a huge sound, but it is mostly due to harmonics as far as I can tell. The low end impact is just not there. How do you explain this? I have a feeling it has more to do with recording technology and equalization than equipment and tuning.

Simon:

Your wrong. The big difference is that I use a closed, undamped front head most of the time. The microphone is mounted inside the drum and sometimes I use an external mic too. Coming into a mic pre or console flat (no eq) sounds good - and then once you use some eq and compression when mixing you have the sound you are referring to. I also don't use much damping inside the drum. Also I use a Remo Ambassador head and felt beaters - most people I know use Power Stroke or Emperor heads which are double play.

Question:

I am curious how you pick your cymbals, I understand when you say that must match together as a group, but Zildjian makes sooooo many cymbals, how do you know there is no cymbal that sounds greater for a song or something. And when you pick your cymbals, is there anyone from Zildjian who helps you to choose one? And do you have a lot of spare cymbals? Do you change them often? If you choose to change something to your present set-up..what would be the first thing? And what would you never change?

Simon:

Wow - well - cymbal choosing takes years of experience, and depends on what style you are looking for at certain years. I used to go to the Zildjian factory to select cymbals but it is very difficult as there are so many to choose from and your ear only lasts a certain time before you are totally lost. It is best to start with an idea of what you want in your head - then go choose. I would start with Ride cymbal and Hihats first. Choose quickly - first impressions are the best. Then some Crash cymbals - then see how the set works together. Nowadays the guys at Zildjian know what I like so I just ask them to choose and send them to me. 9 times out of 10 they are great. I mainly use A Custom but I also use a mixture of Constantinople, La Cie and Ks for my Jazz set up and regular Avedis Zildjian for my Doves Of Fire set.

=========== End of last update March 31st, 2002 ==============

Question:	I am about to get a Starclassic Maple set and I was wondering how you go about miking your kick. I see that you have both heads on and no mic hole in the front head. How do you get the mic cord in your kick? And how do you mount your mic in it.
Simon:	The cable goes through the air hole of the drum. The mic is suspended using an AKG SA40 mic clip which is attached to a custom piece that I make. I have been making this bracket, or forms of this bracket, for years now so it has been through many changes in the search for perfection. It almost is perfect now I have to say - ha ha ha!

Question:	How do you deal with your tension rods on your hi-hat? I've noticed that the rod barely peeks above your actual cymbals, giving your left hand access to the ride with out having to work around the tension rod sticking up in the air. Does Tama make shorter rods for open handed players or do you just cut it down yourself?
Simon:	No - they don't. I have to cut them down myself.

Question:

Good day! I recently enjoyed seeing you perform at a clinic at Lemmon Percussion. Since then, I had played a show that was outdoors and I was not miked at all. My drums could not be heard beyond 15 feet from the stage. I want to invest in a great set of microphones for my kit. I know you play Shure microphones and instead of going the route of asking sales reps at music stores why Shure is better than "seller B", I wanted to actually hear what you like about them.

I also am planning on getting a mixer as you do and use the same process of getting a good EQ'd sound and only dealing with the volume in the end for each show. This brings up two questions. 1) Will the EQ levels pretty much stay the same whether it's an indoor show or an outdoor show? 2) Do you use the mixer when recording in the studio or do you run it through the main sound board?

Simon:

Firstly - Shure mics. There are a few very good makes of microphones. Some models are good for some things - some for others. However I have found Shure to very robust as well as sounding great. I can only judge on what I use. For recording I might use some other condenser mics for hi-hats or overheads - just depends - but I still use 52s for the kicks, 57 for the snare and 98s for the toms. I actually use KSM44 for overheads in the studio. I think there is some confusion over the purpose that my Mackie console serves. It is not for the drums. It is for my monitor system. The drum kit returns through 1 channel - the rest of the channels are for the band. The kit would always go through the main console. However in a club situation where there are lots of other bands, maybe you could submix your own kit. As for gain structure - it should not be affected by whether you are indoors or out. That is to do with the power and quality of the PA system. Your console should remain unaffected.

Question:	Did you ever sample your kit for using the sounds on a Ddrum4. If not, could you imagine to do that and to spread the sounds on the www.clavia.com site? I would really appreciate that.
Simon:	Not yet - but wait until next year and keep a look out - something new in the pipeline.

============== End of update October 14th 2001 ===============

Question:

I have an issue when tuning my Starclassics where the frequency of the 10" tom when properly tuned causes the snares of the snare drum to vibrate to an unacceptable level. If I reduce the pitch of the 10" tom, the snare rattling problem is eliminated... but then the 10" tom itself will not be in an optimum state of tune. Or, I can change the tension of the snare heads also to avoid the common frequency clash, but then the snare will not be in optimum tune with itself. Just wondering if you have encountered this type problem, and if so, what is your approach to correcting it. I am ready to change the sizes of my toms just to get rid of this problem. When recording, I never gate the snare track or use snare triggers, so it is important to me to not have excessive snare rattle caused by toms, etc.
Thank you. -Dave

Simon:

This seems to be the main subject of todays questions. Have a look at some of my other answers. Really you have to "rob Peter to pay Paul". Keep the Tom as it is but maybe tune it a little higher - try tuning the Snare up a bit too. You have to try things - experiment. You will never get rid of buzz - but you can make it more workable.

Question:	Is the Splash Cymbal that you had set up over your hi-hat and to the left of your ride cymbal on the 1989 WHO tour, the same one that you use now, only moved? If yes, why did you move it?
Simon:	Yes it is - 12" Splash. You know I had forgotten that I used to have it above the Hi-Hat. Just more economic in terms of being able to physically hit the damn thing!

Question:	What are Octobans made of? It isn't wood, right? I saw in the picture gallery that you hade 8 octobans in the older days. Why are using just 4 now?
Simon:	I am not sure what the material is. I think it is some sort of compressed paper and fibreglass mixture. 8 Octos were just too many to mic up and physically fit into the set-up.

Question:

I'm a drummer too and own a homestudio. I'm pretty satisfied with my sound but am always fighting unwanted snare rattle. I can get rid of it by tensioning the snares fairly tight, but the overheads always pick some snare rattle when I hit the 10"tom (tom sizes are 10,12,13,14 and 15). Futhermore I always end up needing gates because of mic leakage. I generally use the overheads to mic the complete kit. How do you mix the overheads? Do you roll of a fair amount to just "hear" the cymbals? For example on "I will remember", in the intro their is absolutely no snare rattle (of course, it's a TOTO production;-) ) and the toms sound like their is a fair amount of short reverb used. How was this song mixed?

Simon:

The obvious solution would be to have a non rattling snare, but is this possible at all? My room is fairly small: 3*5m2...
With regards to "I Will Remember" I turned off the snares for the verses and quickly turned them on for the choruses. You will always get a certain amount of buzz and spill. The trick is to use this spill to your advantage. So many engineers have tried to fight the instrument in the quest of getting perfection and totally missing the point of the music at hand. It is all about mic placement and balance. To get less Snare into the overheads place them futher apart. You should always reverse the phase of any mic to see if there is any improvement. With my kit the snare mic is always out of phase with the other mics. Suddenly the bottom end of the snare appears - and I can have the overheads loud in the mix without a problem. I advise against using gates in a recording situation - use them when you mix if you really need to. I rarely use them. A small room can be problamatical as there is a lot of volume generated by the kit and nowhere for the sound to go. It just ends up bouncing around - you have to cope with it as best as you can.

Question:	Why do you have your cymbals so high up in the air?
Simon:	They don't seem so high to me - I guess I am just used to it. I do remember about 25 years ago thinking that not only would it look cool it would also be great to get the cymbals away from the Tom mics!!!

Question:

I'm playing on a Starclassic maple drum set similar as yours (same shell sizes, same heads) and I always liked your way of tuning it. I've spent a lot of time checking the pitch intervals of your differents shells. After tuning the kit, it sounded wonderful until I put on the snares. Just this 13'' tom was generating heavy snare buzz. How can I solve this problem without changing the rest of the kit's tuning? Could it come from the snare bottom head tuning? By the way,I never read or heard anything from you about this chapter.

Simon:

I have spoken about this issue in various places. It's a question of give and take. You have the right idea to get the kit tuned first but it is not an exact science and you have to be prepared to change the tuning for the whole kit to work. Think of the kit like a Piano - like one instrument where everything affects everything else. If there is only one Tom creating excessive snare buzz then first of all make sure the Snare is tuned the way you want it

Question:	On the Vantage Point pictures in the Gallery section on your web site, I see that you set your drum kit up on a wooden "drum riser" instead of a more ordinary carpet or something like that. Is that for the sound or perhaps for some other reasons?
Simon:	I always set my kit up on a wooden surface. Primarily for sound quality but also it acts as a great "spike mark" for setting the kit. I use this surface in studios when recording too.

Question:	My question regards the height of your Hi-Hat, I notice its low, is this because you play open handed.
Simon:	Absolutely!!

Question:	One drumkit of Simon is called "USS Phillips". What is the reason for this name?
Simon:	Just a fun name thought up by guy called Joe Hibbs who used to work for Tama drums in the US.

Question:

Dear Mr. Phillips,
I really enjoy your drumming, such great tone and very unique. Great website too!
Recently I used Paiste Signature Heavy hihats in the studio. Unfortunately, that's just what they were . . . too heavy. When opening, there was just too much noise or "sizzle" going on between the two cymbals. According to the equipment page, you use Zildjian A Custom top cymbal and Zildjian A Custom "Projection" bottom cymbal. Would this give me a much cleaner sound, yet still giving plenty of presence for hihat fills and accents, which I like to do a lot of, and what's the reasoning for using the two different models together ???

Simon:

I tend to like lighter cymbals - more dynamic and more musical. However there is a constant problem with attaining a good "chick" sound with a hihat. Typically the heavier the cymbals the louder the "chick" - the lighter the cymbals it seems they kind of stick together. So the goal is to attain a good balance between the two and so the result is a sound that suits your playing style/the music you are playing. I found by using a Projection bottom that this works very nicely.

Question:	I just got the CD "Toto - Absolute Live" (1993) and I wonder what drumkit you used on that tour. Was it with Star-Cast system? It looks like the tom-tom are deeper than now. What snares do you use and what hihats.
Simon:	The Starclassic range had not been invented yet so that kit was a Porsche Guards Red Artstar II. You are correct - all the toms were deeper and the sizes were 10", 11" 12", 13", 14" & 15". I used the Purecussion Rims system. I think the snared drums were 8" deep wood shell and a 3-3/4" piccolo. Hi-hats were probably Zildjian A Custom.

Question:

I was looking at your equipment list and I saw that you use a Mackie 1604 VLZ mixer. I was wondering if you plug all your mics into that, mix your own drum sound and then send the mix to the sound engineer who is doing the main mix?
If so, how do you plug all your mics into the board since it only has 16 XLR inputs and, (I'm presuming here based on the size of your kit,) that you use 19 mics? Or do you just mix some of your drums and the others go out to the engineer?

Simon:

Ha!!! The only drum mics that go directly into that console are the overheads - and that is for headphones only. That console is used to mix my monitors only - the drum kit comes in on just 1 channel. The other channels are the rest of the band. From memory this is the channel lay-out: O/H L & R, Kit, Bass, Keys L & R, Piano L & R, Acoustic Gtr & Organ mix, Samples, Guitar Direct, Guitar delay, BVs mix, Lead Vox mix, DA-38 mix L & R. All the drumkit mics go directly into the stage box and splits between F.O.H. and monitor consoles - and of course mobile truck if we are recording.

Question:	Did you use your old 24" Swish Knocker without rivets on the track "La Pera Loca" from "Inertia"??
Simon:	Wow - good ears!!! I am sitting in Heathrow airport waiting for a flight back to LA and I had to stick the headphones and have a quick listen 'cause I could not remember - but yes you are absolutely correct. I just started using it again after many years.

Question:	One more question concerning the tuning of your Kit: are there situations where u play the kit unplugged? Is the tuning the different?
Simon:	Yes - when I play in a club with an acoustic band and sometimes in clinics when I ask the engineer to pull the faders down on his PA system. Tuning does not change except for the bass drums - a little damping to the front head when amplified through a PA system.

Question:

Achieving a clear sound in recording or amplifying when using so much microphones, as on your drumset, must not be easy in terms of mike talk-over and phase problems. So I'd like to know if you are using gates to achieve the fantastic clarity and presence of each element, knowing the choice of drums,heads,microphones and of course your way of tuning?

Simon:

I never use gates - most engineers don't while recording - maybe when they mix, but not me unless I want a specific effect. As for phase that is the most important issue and you must check to make sure there are no phase problems. Generally I put the snare drum (top mic) out of phase - maybe the kick drum second mic but not usually. Otherwise all other channels are in phase. Most importantly you are dealing with the distance between the snare drum and it's mic compared to the overhead mics - that's where you get a problem. Of course there are many variables like the type of surface the kit is on and the volume of the snare drum.

=================== End of last update ====================

Question:

First of all - I like your site very much and I admire your skills as a drummer.
I know there has been a lot of questions on your site about tuning drums, but this question is specific about Tama Starclassic drums. I purchased a kit for about a half year ago and I have some difficulties getting especially the toms sound the way I like them. First of all its a Starclassic Maple kit with Sound Focus rings, and of course Evans heads. I will now go for Remo heads as I think they give a better sound. I know from the guys at Prodrums in Copenhagen that you have some difficulties yourself concerning the tuning procedure on your Starclassic kits.
Do you have some hints for tuning Starclassic drums or will I just have to follow the recommended procedures for tuning any drum?

Simon:

I am not sure where Prodrums got the idea that I had problems tuning Starclassic drums. Absolutely no problems - in fact they are probably the best drums ever to tune. The important issue are the heads. Use single ply heads - either clear Ambassador or coated. I prefer clear. I tune the top and bottom head exactly the same and much higher than people think. This translates better and sounds deeper once miked - much more tone.

Question:

On a studio session, do you always use one mic on each tom-tom? I find when I try to use that technique, the engineer very often just want to use as few mics as possible to avoid them bleeding into one another, especially when you're using six tom-toms!! Have you experienced any problems with that, and do you perhaps got some tips on achieving such a clear, natural and dynamic tom-tom sound that you always seem to get?

Simon:

Sounds to me like the engineer has run out of good mics or channels. The bleed is negligable as the volume coming into the mic from each drum is high and so the mic gain does not have to be high - therefore the mic will pick up less. The type of mic is very important and there are many to choose from which have patterns from a standard cardiod to a tight hyper-cardiod. However I too sometimes record the whole kit with just 4 mics. It is a different sound and can be wonderful - a more classic approach. Let's face it most of the early Stones, Faces and Who records were recorded like that by Glyn Johns - the master of frugal miking!
The closer you place a mic to an instrument you are going to pick up more unwanted sounds and that's why one uses EQ - to get rid of a 400hz tone (for example) that is compromising the tom sound. Every engineer has their own techniques and as long as the end result sounds great - then no problem!

Question:

My question is to do with allowing the bass drum beater to come back off the head after a beat has been played. I tune my bass drums very open with two heads and almost no damping (wonder where I got that idea from?) The sound is very good but even better if I can manage to allow the beater to come back off the head, the problem is that I find this very difficult to do. My balance seems to depend on keeping one or other foot down on a pedal with the beater against the head when it is not actually playing a note but when I do this I am damping the sound of the drum with the beater. Do you have any tips on how to develop my bass drum technique (if I have any?) to allow the beater to return from the head after each note? I know that I will get the full sound that I am after if I can suss this out.

Simon:

If you are using an open tuning with a front head you definately must develop a way of striking the drum and letting the beater come away from the head. Otherwise you will probably get a double hit because the beater will bounce. All I can say is be conscious of what you feet are doing and try to adapt a way of shifting your balance to the throne and not your feet. Have a look at how you are sitting - what height you are sitting at. You have to work slowly and patiently to get out of bad habits but it is worth it in long run. Try playing with your heels down and only use heels up when you need the volume. Hope this helps!

Question:	Lastly on the Mindfields tour you have got a remote unit for Tascam multitrack recorders with your mixer, was this to control any backing tracks (Cruel?) or for another reason?
Simon:	You are correct. I had DA-88 tapes of the Intro, Better World (Orchestra), Cruel (Brass), Melanie (Drum Loop and sequencer part) although we didn't perform that song live - maybe once!

Question:

When you toured with the Who in 1989 you have got almost one microphone on every cymbal. Whas this your approach to miking the kit or the Who's FOH engineer? Also were these overheads gated or compressed in any way?

Simon:

The reason that Clive Franks and I decided to use that many overheads was because of the high volume level of the band. If you use a stereo pair typically they would have to be set higher off the kit to pick up all the cymbals and then they would also pick up the rest of the band. This way we can close mic - get more level of the cymbal into the mic and more isolation as the mic gain does not have to be so high. There would not have been any gates on the overheads - maybe some compression - but probably more likely compression over the kit groups on the console.

Question:

You use Zildjian cymbals. When you choose for example a 17''crash, do you make your choice out of more than one of the same types? I ask this, because I know from my own experience that every cymbal sounds different.

Simon:

That is the wonderful thing about Zildjian - they are all different and therefore you can sound different to everyone else. It is down to your taste. I choose a 17" crash cymbal to work with the other crash cymbals in my set-up. They have to work as a set and it can be difficult when one cymbal breaks to get a suitable replacement. But that's the challenge and also a chance to make subtle changes.

Question:	Why do you use a Gong drum? And what is it good for, how do you play it?
Simon:	I use it because I love the sound of it. It is good for whatever I want it for. How do I play it? Sparingly - too much of good thing is not always good!

Question:

I like you, and i was wondering how you tune your snaredrum. I have a Premier snare w/sound focus rings (Maple-int)....and i can't get a good sound out of it. It has Premier heads too.

Simon:

I would say the first thing to do is change both top and bottom heads for Remo Ambassador (Batter for the top, Snare for the bottom). Make sure the snares themselves are in good condition. Tune the bottom head fairly tight but evenly. Make sure the snares are centered on the head and don't overtighten. Tune the top head evenly and also fairly tight. Don't worry about the ring - let it ring. Try that and see how it sounds. It will take years of tuning and playing to get a great sound but that's what it takes. Each drum is a little different too.

============ End of last update ==================

Question:

I've tried to record my TAMA Starclassic Kit. The bass drum and tom-toms sounded very good but it was really hard to record the snare (it's TAMA too). I was wondering how you tune the heads and the strainers of your snare drums, and how you achieved the cool sound of your snares on recordings. If you don't mind, tell me the process of micing and mixing the snare drums. Do you use any sound effects?

Simon:

This is a hard one as there are so many variables. The Snare drum is probably the hardest to record and so much depends upon the type of music and type of sound that works for a particular song, project, room etc etc. All I can say is start with no damping - try to make the drum sound as good as you can acoustically - use new heads top & bottom together with new snares and spend time on making sure the snares are tensioned correctly and the whole drum is working well. Next step is to use a Shure SM57 - by far the best snare drum mic used the world over - certainly as a good starting point and even more important a great mic pre. One that has lots of headroom - ie: Neve, Focusrite, API, Grace etc etc. No sound FX in particular - just a little EQ, maybe some compression and usually some reverb if only slight - that's it. Also one very important issue is to check the phase of the snare mic with the overhead mics. I usually put the snare drum channel out of phase. Just ask the engineer to check it and see if you get more bottom end one way or the other.

Question:

What kind of capacity was the drumroom on the "Inertia" album and how you get to place of your overheads? Do you apply your gates in toms? To mix, do you take compression on each drums individually and maybe a little EQ?

Simon:

I am not sure what you mean by "capacity" - but the room is about 12' x 16' with an 8' ceiling - basically an ordinary room - however I place Ambience mics all over the house - in the kitchen, in the hall. Sounds like a big studio! Overheads are placed about 2' above the cymbals - one over the ride and one over the 17" crash. I might vary the placement depending on the kit/room etc. No gates on anything. When I mix I EQ just about everything and I am taking out stuff more than adding. I compress the kick drums and the snare (a little) and then I run the whole kit through a limiter. Now I am talking about mixing totally in Pro Tools - some of the rules change. On an analog console I probably wouldn't be limiting the kit. Sometimes I compress the toms too.

Question:

Which kits and snares did you play on Toto's Tambu, Symbiosis and Derek Sherinians Inertia?
Is there a difference in the sound between the different coloured sets?

Simon:

The kit used on Tambu and Symbiosis was the Yellow Starclassic (with Sound Focus rings) - the kit I used on Inertia was my Antique Brown Starclassic (no Sound Focus rings except Bass drums & Gong drum) There is a slight difference in the sound of those kits but the main difference would be the room they were in, the engineer, the format they were recorded etc etc. Tambu and Symbiosis were both recorded Sony digital 48 track - 16 bit using a Neve console. Inertia was recorded direct to Pro Tools - 24 bit and using high quality mic pres with no EQ until the mixing stage.

Question:	I´ve noticed you have sound focus rings on some drums. My question is on wich drums and why?
Simon:	I use SF rings on Bass drums and Gong drum - and snare drums when I use a wooden drum. I stopped using SF rings on the toms - just prefered the sound without. The reason the bass drums have them is because I use 5mm shells. The standard Starclassic Bass drum is 7mm - but I prefer the sound of the thinner shell - more warmth and a lower tone!

Question:

First,thank you for answering my question about inside microphones.
Knowing your acoustical and technical perfectionism in always achieving the best sound of your drums for the audience, being in recordings or live, I thought an interesting question would be to know what and how you need to hear yourself through the monitoring.
As everyone knows, the drumsound when being at the drums doesn't have much to do with the produced FOH sound, do you need to hear yourself more close to that produced sound to perform the best or close to the direct acoustic sound added to the other instruments?
By the way, do you enjoy earmonitoring and what are the best one for you at the moment?

Simon:

Good point and I used to go to great lengths to have the best sound available in my monitors - I even had 2 reverb units beside me for the Mick Jagger and The Who tours - I would send the reverb returns to FOH too and I would change the reverb settings for each song!!! However these days I use very little drums in my mix - kick drums, Gong drum and Octobans are really the only parts of the kit and of course the rest of the band. Over the years I have managed to run my monitoring at a lower volume. However it really depends upon the level of the rest of the band - if you are playing with a loud band then you may need more components (toms, snare etc) but it really is best if the band can play quieter - much better for the FOH engineer - and a better overall sound for the band!

Question:	Why do you mount your 2 main crashes (the A Custom 17" and 18" ) about in the middle of your set and not in the traditional one on each side of the mounted toms.
Simon:	Well my kit has 4 toms across the front so one can't be too traditional about their placement. The positioning just developed over the years. By the way the front crashes are 19" & 17" - the 18" is behind the Gong Drum!

Question:	I have noticed that you only have a rolled up towel in your bassdrums. I'm just wondering if the bassdrums sounds very bommy acoustic? Or do they sound the same as on recordings when they are miced up?
Simon:	They probably would sound boomy to you if you heard them if you are used to putting more packing inside a bass drum - but to me they sound fine - to most engineers too. However microphones do change things slightly and depending upon where they are placed in the drum the sound can change dramtically. My approach is to start off with everything very live and go from there.

Question:

Could you advise what sort of head combination to use with extremely thin maple shells, like the 22x16 DW owned by myself? I've tried several combinations like Pinstripes, Emperors, and even Ambassadors... I understand there is no Ultimate match because every bassdrum is different, but maybe it's just the method of tuning I'm used to. You seem to get this "Oompf" with minimal damping, just a towel taped to the beater head lightly. Do you advise using a microphone hole?

Simon:

There are many issues here. The type of heads, the type of damping and how much, the type of beater and the way you play the drum!! I would first start with a clear Ambassador head - to me that is the simplest, cleanest sound source. Put the pedal on the drum and listen to what is happening without any dampening. It should sound like a thin marching drum - pretty horrible really!!! Then take a dense piece of damping (that is why I use a towel - and an expensive one. Cheap towels are thin and light. Most of the damping items available for sale are not dense enough. Then place against the batter head inside the drum and listen to what happens to the sound - you will need to hold the damping against the head - hence why I tape it. Otherwise the sound will change with every strike. make sure the beater is striking as near the center as you can get it - usually with a 22" drum the beater will be an inch or two above center - that is fine. Then put on the front head. If you are playing acoustically you do not need a hole - however if you are miking up the drum it is easier to get a sound if you let some air escape. using a full head with a mic inside is not for the squeamish!!! It also depends upon the room you are in. If it is a small room you will have better results with a hole. Also make sure you are striking the drum and lifting off the head - you will get more projection that way. Remember tightening the batter head with increase the lo end of the drum - loosening will increase the "slap". Try tuning the front head up too - that helps to tighten up the lo end. Then if you are starting to get results you can experiment with different heads. Best of luck

Question:	Knowing you are using inside mikes for your bassdrums, I was wondering if you ever tried this technique on the toms and what you had thought about it (I tried Shure SM98 with Sib inside holders)?
Simon:	Yes - I tried the MayEA system in 1983/84 for about a year. However I missed the "air" to the sound. It was great for a while (a change is always good) but it didn't take long to go back to standard miking.

Question:

Could you give us a short list of all your drumsets you have (with colour and set up)? Do you still play your old artstar drums? Which is your favourite kit of all your sets? How many snares do you have and which is your favourite?

Simon:

Oh wow!! OK - here goes - In the US I have 4 kits - well kind of. In LA I have a British Racing Green full kit and also an Antique Brown full kit. I have some extra BRG drums which make a Jazz kit (22", 12", 13", 14" Floor & 16" Floor) and also an 18" Floor and a 14" Rack so I can vary set-ups for different things I do around town. In New York I have a Yellow full kit - all of these drums are Starclassic Maple. In UK I have a BRG full kit - in Germany I have a Yellow full kit and a BRG Jazz kit (that I used on my recent "Vantage Point" tour. There is another Yellow kit in Buenos Aires and a custom color kit in Japan that was used for the front cover of last year's catalog. As for snare drums I have various vintages of Tama and a Ludwig 400 and 402 which I have had since 1973 and 74 respectively. Also a Leady 1939, a Slingerland 1949 and Zildjian drum too. I think that's it. I also still have my original Ludwig Octa-plus kit!!!

Question:

I know that everyone has his or her own way to postion themselves at the kit, but I just cannot seem to find that ONE COMFORTABLE position. I am starting to find myself adjusting a tom here or a cymbal there. Is there ANY basic rule of thumb as to finding that "right" setup for me?

Simon:

The only rule of thumb I know is something that Louis Bellson told me that Buddy Rich told him. If you use a 24" bass drum you should set your throne to a height of 24" - if use a 22" set your throne to 22". Now take into account the way you play - for example I play matched grip and therefore my snare drum is angled towards me - I wouldn't need to sit so high so I subtracted 2" from Buddy's formula. It is a good starting point. Also try setting your kit up starting with the throne and the kick drum - than add the snare - then the hi-hat - and make sure that is comfortable and everything sounds good. Then add each tom one by one slowly building up the kit. It is a cool way of doing it.

Question:

Rumor has it that your mic mount for your bass drum is one of your own design. Would you be willing to give some specifics as to its construction (i.e. mic placement from head, materials used)?

Simon:

It is certainly my own design and manufacture (that sure sounds grand doesn't it). Well the actual mount has been developed over nearly 20 years. I started to mount the mic inside the bass drum in 1980 using an AKG D12 - then switching to an Electra-Voice RE20. Then back to a D12 when Randy May came out with his system and apart from using Beyer (can't remember the model - a big gold mic) and a D112 for short period of time I stuck with the old D12 until Shure came out with the Beta 52.
I won't go into details of all the different designs I tried but I have ended up with a design that works for every show - long drives in a truck etc etc - and it survives - the mic is facing the right way when the drum comes out of it's case!
I use aluminum 1-1/2" square tubing - 3 sided piece. 1-1/2" base with two 1" sides. You can buy a length of 12' at a time. I usually mount a length of this to the spur bolts inside the bass drum although you can mount to any of the lug bolts too. The width of the spur mounting determines the length of the piece of aluminum. Typically my mount (for a Tama drum) is 4" long with a 7/32" dia hole drilled to correspond with the spur bolt holes. Then I drill a 3/8" dia hole for the mic holder bolt which is a European standard 3/8" thread which will go into a standard mic stand adapter for the large thread. The most important part of this gizmo is an AKG SA-40 mount - it is made from some sort of nylon/plastic which is very tough but flexible which gives the mic some suspension and acts as a shock absorber so the mic does not pick up conductive noise from the drum. I drill a small hole through the SA-40 and insert a split pin - this stops any change of angle. And there we are - feed some mic cable through the air hole of the drum and solder on an XLR connector at each end and voila!!!
The mic ends up at the side of the drum facing the head - each mic has it's own placement depending on what kind it is! Hard to explain this one.

Question:

I was wondering how you tune your Octobans and gong drum? Do you tune the Octoban heads the same and rely on the length of the tube to change the tone, or do you actually tune them to a scale? Do you tune the gong drum high, (like your toms,) or do you keep the head loose?

Simon:

Tuning the Octobans is interesting as there are only 4 tensions rods per head and the head is so small. I would say the heads are all at similar tensions and the length of the drum is what defines the pitch. Definitely not too tight though.
The Gong drum again is hard to be specific because I use a Timpani head and that is very thin so it is hard to gauge the tension. Probably not too tight though - just enough to take the wrinkles out and stop any rattling from the claws.

Question:	I have a Starclassic performer set from Tama, do you know the main difference between birch and maple shells? Anyway, the performer set sounds really nice to me.
Simon:	The only thing I find is that the Birch shells sound a little thinner to me - especially the toms. But I play them so rarely that I quite like the change. In fact the drum kit I will play in Paris on this tour will be a Performer. Ask me again after that show and I am sure I have some things to say about it!!!

Question:	What kind of hardware do jou use? (for example your rack)
Simon:	All Tama parts just put together in a certain way. A few custom pieces but not many. Usually what I do to them is what makes them look different.

Question:	What drum heads do you use on the bottom part of toms?? I know that you use Remo Ambassador for the upper part but for the bottom part I dont know??? (Question by Goran Belosevic - January 2001)
Simon:	I use the same top and bottom - Remo Ambassador Clear. However if I am using Floor Toms I would use Diplomat Clear on the bottom - gives slightly less low end and helps the floor toms marry with the rack toms. On my "Vantage Point" kit I use Suede heads - Ambassador top and bottom on Racks, Diplomat bottom on Floors. Always Ambassador coated on Snare Drums.

Question:

Which kit are you going to play on the recent european tour of "Vantage Point"? (Question by Gordon - January 2001)

Simon:

I will be playing my "jazz" kit which has been made specially by Tama for the the tour. It is identical to the kit I played on the CD. 14" x 22" Bass Drum, 16" x 16" and 14" x 14" Floor Toms, 10" x 13" and 9" x 12" Rack Toms, either my Signature "Gladiator" Snare drum or a special 6-1/2" x 14" wood snare drum - depending on the sound of each club we play. Constantinople 22" and 24" Ride Cymbals, La Cie 16" and 18" Crashes, a combination of 14" K Ziljdian and Constantinople Hi Hats. Oh and I'll be using Will Kennedy sticks!!!

Question:

How and when do you use the 14" x 18" bass drum? (Question by Manuel Thoma - January 2001)

Simon:

I use it in a few different ways. With my big kit I use it as a 3rd bass drum played with the right foot using an extension pedal. It is really for a change in tonality. Sometimes I use it to record with as the main bass drum. Recently I put together a kit which is what I call a acoustic jazz triple bass drum kit - 2 x 18" and 1 x 22". 22" in the middle. When I would use double bass drum groove I would use the 2 x 18" so as not to overpower the acoustic bass. I used Remo Suede heads on them - it was realy cool!!!

Question:	How do you tune the heads of your tom-toms? (Question by Manuel Thoma - January 2001)
Simon:	Fairly high and the top and bottom are tuned the same. As I use 6 toms I like for each tom to hold it's note as opposed to the note dropping off - it sounds more powerful to me.