How I Made My Drums Sound Like Mike Mangini's

Drums Only: • this drum set tuning t...
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One of the coolest experiences from ‪@sweetwater‬ #gearfest was playing on Mike Mangini's drum set with ‪@COOP3RDRUMM3R‬ ‪@ZackGrooves‬ ‪@AdamTuminaro‬ ‪@DavidColaDrums‬The moment I heard that kit I KNEW I had to take notes on how it was tuned and try tuning my kit the same way!
Music used (background & playalongs)
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Gear used in this video:
- Drums -
Pearl Masters Maple Gum:
imp.i114863.ne...
Pearl Session Studio Select:
imp.i114863.ne...
Pearl Matt Matt McGuire Snare: (used on the Sweetwater kit)
imp.i114863.ne...
Pearl Ergo Drum Key:
imp.i114863.ne...
- Mics/Headphones -
Pair of Slate ML-1 (as overheads):
imp.i114863.ne...
Austrian Audio CC8 (as rooms):
imp.i114863.ne...
Earthworks DK7 Drum Mic Kit:
imp.i114863.ne...
Lewitt DTP 640 REX Bass Drum Mic:
imp.i114863.ne...
Shure SM57 (snare bottom):
imp.i114863.ne...
Austrian Audio Hi-X60 Headphones:
imp.i114863.ne...
- Cymbals -
15" Zildjian K Sweet Hats: (just the top, the bottom is a Vintage A)
imp.i114863.ne...
19" Zildjian Ultra-Hammered China:
imp.i114863.ne...
21” Zildjian K Sweet Ride:
imp.i114863.ne...
17” Zildjian K Sweet Crash:
imp.i114863.ne...
20” Zildjian K Cluster Crash:
imp.i114863.ne...
- Sticks/Hardware -
Vic Firth Freestyle 5b Drum Sticks:
imp.i114863.ne...
Vic Firth VKB5 Beater:
imp.i114863.ne...
Roc n’ Soc Drum Throne:
imp.i114863.ne...
Tama Road Pro/ Iron Cobra Hardware:
imp.i114863.ne...
- Heads -
Remo Emperor Clears:
imp.i114863.ne...
Remo Ambassador Clears:
imp.i114863.ne...
Remo Powerstroke 3 Bass Drum Head:
imp.i114863.ne...
All above links are affiliate links
Drum set tuning is something I've really dove into over the past couple years. I wouldn't consider myself a pro by any means, but I know how to tune a kit to fit my sound. The moment I heard this Pearl Masters Maple/Gum drum set I was taken back by how good it sounded. I'm always up for a challenge so I took a video of how the kit was tuned and tried to tune my kit the same way. The kit I used is a Pearl Session Studio Select which has 4 plies of birch and 2 inner plies of mahogany. The kit I was referencing has 4 plies of maple and 2 inner plies of gum, plus slightly different hardware. Thankfully the 2 kits are the same thickness shells (5.4mm) and both have an outer 60 degree bearing edges. I used the same drum heads, but keep in mind there a ton of other variable that come in to play. This was a fun challenge for my ears!
Tuning Mid-Level Drum Set to Sound like a PRO-LEVEL Drum Set

[@rdavidr]

Seriously, that kit sounded insane! I might need to start tuning all my kits that way now 🤔

[@powerinformation]

you may have learned to tune through this endeavour

[@jakekeller326]

I would totally have to agree. Your kits always sound good but these sound legit.

[@htimsj21]

Yeah that kit sounds awesome!

[@countrybros2109]

As a 13yo guitarist in a band what would be a good drum set under $400

[@charlzthedrummer]

Really good drums, really good heads, really good tuning

[@alanconner8514]

I really do like that tuning better than what you normally tune them to, it’s much clearer from drum to drum!

[@kevinjones4363]

Never had a problem with your tuning but you went through alot to get that sound. This is really how a guy tunes a kit. Not easy, cant describe it, Just sound searching till you find the most out of the drum. Then heads stretch with break in, tune again, then great drum kits hold that sound for a long time! Nice job

[@JoseloBatero]

I think this is the highest I could ever tune my kit. Tho I love lower tuned kits, this sounds killer. Good job man!

[@TheCommonSenseExpert]

These drums sound just as good as those expensive ones. For the most part its all about the turning. I play a peal export kit that I'll put next to any expensive kit, and for most people they wouldn't be able to tell the difference.

[@delbomb3131]

So far my favorite from the internet drums I've heard are from vadrum, but your toms in this sound fantastic

[@GuitarP0RN]

I'm getting back into drumming and this video is what I'll be using for reference when tuning my kit. Those toms sound great! - Thank you

[@hieronymus1288]

I really like that you played a tom-based groove so you can actually hear all the work !

[@julianvanmourik2123]

I love it! I have the same kid and i love this tuning! It just fits with a heavier music style!

[@sebar4123]

Best tuning I’ve heard in a while

[@peepeepo111]

Pianist here, the tuning on that kit sounds like a standard guitar tuning at a first glance E, A, D, G (Floor tom being E) Im not sure if this is correct but thats the closest thing i can compare it to anyway, either way I like it very nice playing

[@patrickwaskielis6235]

Great video thanks for sharing! You must have been psychic playing Mangini drum kit, the drums sounded great that you tuned, and your playing too!

[@garycordle5295]

Looks like you all had a great time 👍 thanks for sharing your information knowledge is power, I tune my Mapex Saturn series like you are doing but I use a drum dial, drums sound amazing and thanks for the video.

[@robinsd4]

Good job! It would have been easier for you if you would have used a Tune-Bot device to pick and match the exact frequency of each drums.

[@PsychCypher]

Your videos are so relaxing man I really enjoy your work!

[@ImreImbrium]

Very nicely done!! Sounds fantastic!!!!!

[@thaddiusthedark576]

Holy shit dude you got that kit sounding sooooo good

[@AtTheSourceStudios]

This is how I like to tune my drums more or less. Reso high or medium high for tone, batter low low for feel. This sounds nice as is but it's a little high for me. I'd adjust the resos down a semi tone. I like my 10" to sound as close to a 12" as possible lol

[@rcb_matt]

TuneBot frequencies would be nice!

[@DoppelgangerShockwave]

The only one that sounded a bit off to my ears was the batter side of the 14" floor tom. It sounded like yours needed to be tuned up a smidge. Other than that, it was pretty spot-on. As for the tuning, it's all subjective. I like yours just fine, but if you want to go the way of Mangini, that's cool too. As long as you're content with the sound when you play, that's all that really matters at the end of the day.

[@JohnMatlosz]

Great tunings, you nailed it as close as anyone could!

[@Not_Andrew_Huberman]

Why is the power stroke bass head the gold standard? I find the Evan's emad soooo much more satisfying than the dead flappy lifeless power stroke 🤷‍♂️

[@Cuteslap2]

The drum kit sounds nice in both ways. The song that you are playing sounds similar to Pnik Floyd's In the Flesh? Anyway, cool video 😉👍🤟

[@bamcoolez5896]

❤️❤️content that I love

[@318_Cg]

Bro Zack grooves is mad funny

[@ygorbarker]

No eq or compressor on the drums? Sound fucking great, keep this tunning on this kit!

[@drumrex1]

Do you have a video on your processing for recording?

[@nobodybusiness4739]

you are still tuned considerably lower but sound MUCH better!

[@shanelarue8162]

Btw, the kit sounded great because of yeah the tuning but the room he was recording in sounds great unlike the room you film ur youtube vids in

[@dagonzalez1757]

What was the song we had to guess?

[@EliPenderDrums]

tune the dw like this and it would be golden

[@benbarletta2927]

Ya know....if you used Evan's heads, you wouldn't have these tuning issues!

[@somethingelsedoesmatter]

9:38 - I totally recognize that, but can't place the name..

[@pfunnk14]

Whoa that was awesome. Your whole kit sounded great. Those cymbals were like perfectly rounded off

[@menzerroku4708]

Ikr? Thats what I call good gear😊

[@ronnieroxx13]

👍🏼

[@weschilton]

The drums you tuned sounded really good... but keep in mind the room makes a huge difference in the sound of the drums.

[@youssef_b_a__]

Bro im a beginner drummer and tuning my drum was a nightmare for the past months , i was never satisfied and always lost , finally with this video i can say all my problems are solved :D thank u

[@rdavidr]

Ayyyye thats awesome! One of the best ways to practice tuning is to replicate the sound of another drum set that you like. Its really hard at first but you learn so much along the way.

[@roelfo]

@@rdavidr this is great advice! Haven't yet gotten to tune my second hand kit myself (hell I didn't even get to switching the heads yet, since I'm mainly focused on learning how to play). But when I come to it, this will be the route I'm taking. Thanks!

[@ytscksdabig1]

Easiest way to get good sounding toms is to tune the heads to the same pitch. Took me forever to figure that out.

[@ArrozAguado]

How did you guys tune? I am having a hard time with my set 😢 I want to replicate this sound but I have no musical ear at all, how could I so this?

[@tObito687]

@@ArrozAguado the first thing to know when trying to replicate the sound of another drum set is that you cant do it perfectly. different drums sound different. even 2 of the same kit will sound different. and honestly just listen to the pitch in the video and try to get as close as possible. you dont need to have a musical ear just get it in the ball park and adjust to your liking from there. the most important things are to have all of the lugs tuned evenly, and to know how you want to tune the top and bottom heads with each other. for this tuning in specific it sounds like the resonant heads almost the same as the batter head but maybe a touch higher. keep in mind what heads youre using too. in this video hes using a 2 ply batter head and a 1 ply resonant head, so the resonant head is naturally gonna be a little higher pitch than the batter head, meaning that for them to be evenly tensioned the bottom has to be a little bit higher than the top. in general though I (and a lot of drummers) like to keep my resonant heads about a third or so higher than the batter. again its more about feel and sound than knowing what note or pitch youre tuning to. there are a lot of tuning videos on youtube that will get you started and from there its just what you want your sound to be. hope this helps.

[@mightyV444]

Am I the only one who noticed he played the 'In The Air Tonight' fill on Mangini's kit?! As opposed to his drum buddies completely going crazy on it 😄

[@Frontdesk99]

No I noticed it too. EXTREMELY lame. No self-respecting drummer plays that dumbass fill.

[@weareallbeingwatched4602]

The drums sound very similar

[@liamhannrockon]

He’s very humble great guy

[@drumrnva]

You got that pearl session kit sounding mighty, Dave. Great stuff.

[@gthelee3412]

I definitely like the new tuning. I always tune my drums up higher than most people do today. I personally don't like the sound of low flappy toms. Great video!!

[@deadshot4245]

yeah i feel if you cant distinguish your floor toms from kick drum you need to push up otherwise you put way to much low end on the mix

[@DrummerGrrrl]

Nothing like having an expensive kit that sounds like you're hitting wet newspaper! LOL. Drums too loud? Try Hot Rods or brushes or many other percussion tricks. Just don't tune the heads until they ripple...

[@MeshuggahFan-iy6tb]

Same! I’ll never understand this current trend of “every drum is the lowest drum” because if every note is the lowest note, there is no lowest note 😂 plus, like someone else mentioned, when the whole kit is tuned low, you can’t distinguish one drum from another. There is a time and place for low tuned drums. Sure they sound great in the practice space, but on stage they’ll just get killed by the guitars and bass. I’m definitely team TUNE THE DRUMS UP!!

[@JerridFoiles]

It sounds like you got it pretty close to Mangini's kit. When trying to match tones, I recommend a chromatic tuner, or a Tunebot. Makes tuning that much easier. But yea, I like the tuning on this kit.

[@griggindrums9101]

never did i think i’d be seeing david play metalcore.

[@rdavidr]

You read my mind lol. Its pretty hard to find Dream Theater-esque stock music and that track seemed to work the best for the tuning.

[@zenyhuntep3196]

Name of the track please

[@sixoh_diesel5662]

That track rocked and sounded perfect for the tuning!

[@johnnyjackson9852]

@@rdavidr What is that song you played on 9:38?Sound really similar

[@chrisfraser5088]

Woooo…sounds epic. Absolutely love the sound, Dave!

[@ryanwall6149]

David thank you! I’ve been trying to figure out how mangini tuned his drums for ages, this helps a ton

[@analogkid4557]

You should use a tunebot to check the frequency each head is tuned to. That way, if anybody wants to duplicate the sound they will have an easy way of doing it.

[@MeTuLHeD]

Agreed. Either a Tunebot or a Drumdial. Get us old duffers in the ballpark.

[@Tommmmmmmmmmi]

I recommend using a piano app and storing the notes somewhere, much easier to tune using one of those

[@weschilton]

Ear are better than any tuning gimmick.

[@MeTuLHeD]

@@weschilton Tuners aren't gimmicks. Orchestral percussionists have used tuning devices for ages. Allows for more accurate tuning.

[@Groovejourney]

@@MeTuLHeD Tension doesn't equal pitch. If you're using the same heads on the same drum, it'll probably be close. But if I'm using hydraulics on a Pearl and you're using coated G1s on a Tama with a same tensions, they're not going to sound anywhere close.

[@illpete206]

Leeway - Who’s to blame

[@rdavidr]

we have a winner!

[@thaloniaswjonn]

I’d love to hear you try this with die cast hoops, it looked like the sweetwater kit has them instead of the triple-flanged/super hoops. both kits sound insane 😮‍💨

[@NIGHTWHEEL...]

Definitely the die cast will make big difference

[@marko1970]

Absolutely, Gretsch began the obsession, and now it has spread.

[@derekwood6705]

If I where you at Sweetwater I would’ve snuck a tune bot and noted where drums where tuned at on the tune bot

[@tylerbailey9329]

I love how much shorter Mike is than everyone else in that picture.

[@normalizedaudio2481]

It's OK to copy a tuning. I never have the patience for this.

[@sleepwhenimdead9667]

Sounds enormous, I’ll be tuning the rest of the day, thanks for that

[@rdavidr]

Youre welcome 😉 😂

[@PearlDrumsUS]

👍🥁👍

[@beetlejews]

Typical Casey, he can make any drum kit sound terrible.

[@ArtGuitarLTX]

Sick tuning skills! Was that drum fill/groove "In the flesh" by Pink Floyd? I remember that from Dream Theaters "Big Medley", it just has that Portnoy Pink Floyd feel. I am probably WRONG 😅. Anyways, man the way you hear those heads and tune them... makes a lot of sense, I need to try this.

[@garyfaul8754]

I’ve said it before, but I’ll say it again. Besides all the great content, you are one hell of a drummer!!

[@ya-boy-joshy]

if you haven't seen him cover maybach music 3 then i highly recomend watching it he's only drummer i've seen play it almost note from note and that's a very hard song to cover note from note.

[@sethbaer7567]

I agree with the above comments. All of the technical work is ultimately there to serve the music. So it is nice to see music played well at the end

[@mellowtron214]

My vote for best sounding drum set is…. *Gavin Harrison’s kit.* That thing is so fucking sweet. Runner up is Benny Grebs floor tom, just his floor tom.

[@ivt8]

Mike Mangini is so far out of normal drumming, his playing actually sounds worse than beginner without sense of rhythm lol

[@kickitt24]

Great video as per usual. Hey was that you playing with Marcus King?

[@csciabar]

Just tuned up some fresh heads like this and they sing!

[@enricos7327]

What’s the difference between this tunning and your normal tunning? Can you describe the note intervals between the batter and the reso side?

[@alexhicks5889]

I'm surprised none of the people I've seen tuning drums on youtube do what I do when finding the note of each head: mute the other head. I learned that from Larry Nolly's book and several articles in Modern Drummer.

[@TheRealBKSchyster]

That's a VERYYYY 1970's dry, stale drum sound!! Every drummer, from every room in every studio sounded the same... Like A WHALE FART IN A WIND TUNNEL!!!! 😂😱🤪

[@marcosavioli940]

Seriously amazing! Love this tuning. Could you give us the frequencies for the tunebot. Just for reference. Thanks!

[@fullnelsonbodybuilding7993]

I second this!!!

[@justinreynolds3935]

One thing you have to realize is those drums sounded good due to the room. They sound great but that sweetwater studio is custom tested to make drums sound great

[@thaostrich]

This tuning is great! Every drum sounded distinct, yet blended together seamlessly. I always aim for a smooth step down on the toms, and this nailed it.

[@zenitsuagatsuma3121]

That song LIZZO made I'm crying cause I loveeeeeeeeeeeee youuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu

[@cycle_365]

Toms sounded GREAT song, Was it ‘In the name of God’ chorus ? Or maybe Hella Kitchen? Portnoy loves a 6/8 section with lots of hits !

[@viel.anthony]

Damn, that Mike guy is pretty good! Someone out there should invite him to join their band.

[@GPO_Studios]

Might have to try this out too! Although my tom diameters are 10/12/13/16 so may have to fudge it a bit on the first floor tom. (Started as a 12/13/16 kit, but I bought a 10" and then added legs to the 13" rack tom, so 2 up 2 down now)

[@gillesrichard2228]

First of all: great drumming David! Also I love the tuning. Tuning drums takes time, practice and patience.

[@diverdave4056]

come on now those K's sounded like garbage can lids and you hit them so much it was near impossible to hear how the drums sounded ! perhaps next time just play on the drums !

[@cDisturbed.]

Womp womp stay mad

[@TheCandel34]

That kit tuning is the best I’ve heard, truly amazing

[@mirkosmi1800]

You are a drumming expert Steven. Your channel is the best drumming channel on KZbin

[@sp3ci4lkpo]

Sounded amazing. I wonder if that's actually how he tunes his own drums. I started tuning my tom batters and resos to the same pitch and up a bit more than most drummers, and it sounds very open and melodic from behind the kit, but at the front of the house with good mics, it's like sweet, sweet thunder.

[@thebreakfastmenu]

That tuning sounds like Logic drums or something "perfect." I actually think I prefer your normal tuning because they suit your style perfectly.

[@therealjamesmccrary]

Tuning was excellent. Love tuning the reso higher than the batter. I tend to tune redo first and tune it to itself with the sound and feel of a bouncing basketball. Flip it and tune batter til it feels good and the sound usually falls in line. I say keep this tuning!

[@yoonsangdoo]

did anyone guess leeway yet? pretty cool that you like them. pokey is an all timer drummer.

[@rdavidr]

Only 2 other people have guessed correctly. You’re the 3rd

[@ppauljefferson]

First

[@bobj1234]

Asked?

[@Feercholain]

@@bobj1234 can't believe people still does this and think they are cool

[@drummerdan95]

2rd

[@bobj1234]

@@Feercholain yeah

[@marcus.thoren]

But your snare sound realistic. Have you heard the snare on the "Dream Theater" or "The Astonishing" album? 🤢

[@ericg9092]

Holy cow that tune sounds incredible!!!

[@zenitsuagatsuma3121]

Zack Grooves Casey Cooper OMG

[@RustyKnorr]

This video is my personal nightmare. 🤦‍♂️ You have the opportunity to get PITCHES and actually TUNE these the same as that other kit! Instead, you just sort of try to get it to sort of sound sort of the same. Watch Kenny Sherretts if you want to learn how to actually tune a drum, rather than just guessing and messing around hoping you get it “pretty close”.

[@mr.d7429]

Wow it sounds hella good! It’s very close to the tuning I like on my Starclassic maple same sizes as yours but shallower shells and I have a dog of a time making it sound clear and make it resonate for days! I’m close to what I like but still there are some unwanted overtones, now on the 14” I hate tuning it cause it sounds very papery! So I have to compromise when it sounds good enough

[@frankdodd762]

Absolutely LOVED the sound of your tuning on this kit and snare.......question is, in playback, how much processing was used? Room, mixing, micing, processing is a huge part of the sound. Details?

[@knowhandedbob]

There’s something about that maple gum combo too. I heard back in the day damn near everyone recorded on old gretsch maple / gum jasper shells.

[@StreetTwinRider]

Like you, I always tune my drums way lower than those toms. It sounds great, don't get me wrong... but it also now sounds really similar to every other tom hungry youtube drummer out there. I prefer your tunings... personal preference, but this is music so what else should it be?

[@goggie47]

That snare tone!!!!!!! 🤯🤯👌 Diggit! But sorry about that hahahaa😂😂 the drum tuning was super nice, I loved those tones and tuning methods, they're suppppper pretty!! 👌

[@charleydennis1285]

20 years of playing and I’m 100% convinced that everyone else has no idea what actually sounds good. NEVER TRUST ANYONE ELSE TO TUNE YOUR SHIT.

[@patrickellerin111]

What’s sad about this is Sweetwater is sucking up to social media drummers that real musicians do not care about… nothing but hey look at me play chops but no real career other than social media. Yeah. I. Know. That’s. How. It. Is. Today. I refuse to give any of these chumps respect, especially Cola, because they have no real soul. How many tours do these guys all have? They’re all “teachers” or hey look at my chops I am blasting out in 17/16!! Big deal! Do yourself a favor kids, look up the real guys… do your homework…. These cats are just leading you down the wrong path! Also get off my damn lawn!!

[@Dave_Dejack]

I’m 50/50 with the tuning. I’ve always liked your sound but I like the fact that you tried something different.

[@DeadKoby]

It's a nice big ROUND sound....... works for me.

[@rongriffin5980]

I like that tuning, and yes I like this tuning better than your usual one. I personally love toms to sing and this is more my style. Thanks for vid!!!!!!

[@kitsapdrummer]

Ok @rdavidr I got two things for ya: #1. I just skipped a Farmers Insurance ad right when they said, "We Are-" and then you said, "We are back," in the same cadence. Super trippy. #2. I also had a dream last night that I met you in real life and when I tried to tell you about my 1972 Rogers drumkit you turned out to be really mean! D: Good thing it was just a dream 'cause you seem authentically and genuinely nice and fun in all your videos. I really do look up to you and that shows in how much your dream-self hurt dream-me.

[@the_natrix9959]

They sound sweet, for sure. Probably not appropriate for ALL musical endeavors. Magic Mike has also tuned VERY fatback like for different sessions.

[@andresmalo254]

@rdavidr I tune boted the video while you were sampling, here are the tune bot settings the tv is reading 10" 148hz 12" 125hz 14" 90hz 16" 78hz

[@samuliauno8163]

The Session Studio toms sounded very good (I'm drooling over that kit but can't buy a 5-piece in EU...), but in my opinion without changing the way you tune your snare and bass drum, they sounded a bit out of place. Your normal tuning is somewhat dry and short, while these toms were low, boomy and very wet. They sounded good, but not in the context of your tuning style.

[@agdrummer2610]

Shure is very smart they know how influential you upper echelon KZbin Drummers are. I think it's awesome that they are noticing you guys for the forces that you individually are. Thumbs up Shure, thumbs up RDavidR, Zack Grooves, David Cola, and Adam T!!

[@RalphWLundvall]

Hearing overtones while tuning kept me from getting tuning well. Then I got a Drumdial. Also when tweaking/adjusting at one rod, I'll tap opposite the rod I'm adjusting. A change in the sound there is easier to hear, change meaning you went too far.

[@ivefistedyourpet]

Those Tom tunings sound filthy! Definitely prefer it to your other tunings. As someone who has always kept the reso tuning on my floor toms quite low this has got me thinking I need to try cranking them a bit more like this!

[@AcDcDrummerJake1215]

I’ve always thought it was the way to go. I love that “dewwwgg” sound toms do when tuned like that

[@wolfwarren6376]

What we tend to do in jazz is have our reso heads tuned pretty high compared to the batter. Batter is high, of course, but reso is usually higher. That’s how we get those really dry, short sustain tom sounds with no muffling. It’s kinda cool to see it translated in the rock world.

[@Drumfather]

0:45; You should have replied; '' Yeah, SHURE! '' Padumm-Tsss

[@DrMurdercock]

I live about 90 min from Sweetwater. I could just move into the place if they'd let me.

[@connqraymond963]

Wsg David