Make Your Drums Sound Great with Nick D'Virgilio at Sweetwater's Gearfest 2015

[@MakeSomething]

Videos like this is what sets Sweetwater apart from other retailers. This video is fantastic!

[@davidmcaninch4714]

And Nick D’Virgilio. How many retailers say they have him working with them?

[@helpfuluser8706]

i doubt nick would remember me, but i went to the grove school of music back in 87 and nick was one of the drummers in our group......anyway, fast forward.....i didn't know nick was doing these drum seminars for sweetwater/dw, but he really does a great job explaining things in a totally understandable manner....he really understands what he's talking about which is evident in his presentation..............i haven't spoken with nick since we left school , and i imagine he probably wouldn't care what i think, but i'm really proud of him and his accomplishments in the music industry as a singer, writer, and of course fantastic drumming....nice move sweetwater, for having nick on board ....he's got all the right intangibles on a kit and great technique and very musical drummer......walk with your head held high,nick......you've done well in a very tough business....Timothy Seifert

[@Thunderstixx77]

Nick is one of the most humble musicians I have ever had the privilege of watching. He doesn't need 900 drums, 50 or so cymbals of all different sizes, this trigger, that computer program, this mic, that stand and why doesn't everybody bow down to me attitude..... He's good and he is comfortable in his own skin. That is a quality that is rare in our day and age.....

[@321mzzz123]

I don't even know what to think about this guy. He a great drummer, GREAT vocalist, played guitar at live shows with Spock's Beard, and some keyboards too! He also talks better than Steve Jobs, WTF? how can one be so great at everything?

[@michaelmanning8099]

He came round to my house and I gave him lessons in all of those things

[@Thunderstixx77]

@@michaelmanning8099 Uh huh...... After he left my house...... Oh look, that pig flew right by my window !!!

[@moejartin3258]

He's the f***ing devil, man. Seriously though the guy is just an all around great dude

[@luctoulouse]

Wow, 52 minutes was not enough.. I will listen to him for hours. I am a beginner and I learn so much. Just got a Ludwig drum and I want to sound okay for now, like starting with good bases. Thanks Mr. D'Virgilio

[@fabiodias5527]

LOVE Nick's voice and his playing... huge fan.

[@olexiykolias]

Nick is an awesome musician, demonstrator and just a cool guy. Thanks Nick for a great tips/ reviews/ demonstrations (for this one in particular). Definitely, he's one of the Sweetwater assets.

[@StephenDanielAddeo]

I love Nick, really great dude. Always enjoyed his music and his videos.

[@rhythmista7707]

I met Nick during his Cirque du Soleil Totem tour here in Montreal, Quebec, Canada and he actually lived with his family temporarily up the street from me. He introduced himself to me at the pub i was gigging at which was also just around the corner, and complimented me on my drumming and vocals (i'm the lead vocalist of my band). When he told me about his career i was floored that someone of his prowess would come up to an unknown shmoe like myself, and tell me that i was good. I was humbled, and had a blast speaking with him, if only for a brief moment. I asked if he wanted to jam a tune with us, and he politely refused, which i'll assume was because of his grueling touring schedule, and the fact that it was getting late. He left soon afterwards anyway. We were supposed to meet up for a pint the following week , but it never happened. It's ok because the little time i spent with him was truly inspiring. Great guy, a true gentleman, and of course, a beast on drums.

[@m-tron5966]

I LOVE how detailed and much effort is put into this video...and the time to explain everything....I DID NOT have this when I started Drumming 20 years ago :)

[@davidmcaninch4714]

I met him at Sweetwater this summer!!!! He was awesome!!!!! I remember watching him in the studio, playing. When he was done, he came out and I introduced myself, saying really fast, “Mr, D’Virgilio, my name is David McAninch and I’m a huge fan of yours!!!” And I shook his hand!!! And he gave me a signed vinyl record copy of Invisible!!!!! It’s clearly one of my favorite records... no, seriously. The vinyl itself is clear!!!! Must have something to do with the theme, I think. Who knows?

[@Shin_Igami666]

How to make your drum sound great: Have Nick D'Virgilio play on it.

[@davidmcaninch4714]

He could make a First Act kit sound good, and those are for kids!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[@dylanjeffers9257]

Great video, bass player here learned alot. Specially when he put that splash cymbal on the snare for almost a 808 type snare or something, really cool.

[@krusher74]

If you are going to show the sound difference of 3 different heads, then having 3 snares the same would make more sense.

[@johnnyjohns3863]

I always watch his videos when I'm in the middle of picking drum kits to see which one sounds the best. The only problem is this guy makes every damn kit sound great.. rather it's high end or not. Lol

[@Jamminn555]

Absolutely fantastic video and info!! Thanks so much, Nick!!!

[@mihirgodbole5338]

Experience tells a lot! Amazing presentation sir,great performance!A lot to learn,Thank you!

[@davemieze9021]

Nick is the Paul Gilbert of drum teachers. Fluent, knowledgeable, informative, awesome player.

[@richboshart1201]

Terrific presentation Nick. I’ll respectfully disagree, however, on the frequency of changing a reso head. A snare reso head is under great tension (usually), and vibrates each time the drum is struck. That mylar will eventually stretch and lose its elasticity over time. Obviously it doesn’t need to be changed as often as the batter, but freshen up with a new reso head on a well used drum after a year or two and note the difference.

[@gretschludwigdrummer209]

Amazing drummer !

[@hairyd61]

Great video, great presentation and a great drummer. long time since I've seen Nick.Miss him not being in Spocks Beard.

[@mikep8182]

Nick is a fantastic teacher and described in detail bravo!

[@MannyPedregon]

Such an awesome drummer !

[@CarHound]

would love to see more of these kinda videos

[@drummercook60]

Real nice Nick, love your ideas, knowledge is awesome, and your down to earth attitude. Love to meet you sometime. A great drummer as well! Thanks!

[@mattvdh]

I like this Nick guy, very likeable guy, and great tips.

[@mrsayang]

I like the REMO AMBASSADORS the most, these are mostly the heads which Nick uses on the SWEETWATER drum videos and the sound is great, I love the sustain of the Ambassador heads

[@davidmcaninch4714]

I’m more of a Pinstripes guy, for the toms at least.

[@mrsayang]

@@davidmcaninch4714 Yes I also used Pinstripes a while ago, now I use the Controlled Sound Black dot on all my toms. Searching for the own favorite drum heads takes a while. For sure I will try others aswell later.

[@MickH74]

Great guy and drummer

[@FeathersT21]

That cotton ball trick is a stroke of genius. Dampen a little without affecting the feel and stick response on a drumhead

[@jorgelopez9620]

NICKS THE MAN

[@davidiand7]

GREAT presentation!

[@MusicMyMedicine]

Thank you... Great presentation

[@tonyedwards7200]

Thanks dude... awesome.

[@RandyHanley]

Nick seems like the nicest guy ever.

[@eliasfigueroa3324]

Wish this came out when I was still a rookie drummer. It would have made a lot of things easier as I learned the tricks and technicalities of the trade.

[@kindnick58]

Great job!

[@DarkoP9.13]

Get your old snare head , cut the outside ring and put it on top your tuned snare drum Benny greb's tip for tuning down

[@richardalan6219]

I really enjoyed this video and also learned some things in the process. Thank You Nick and Sweetwater! Been drumming for over 20 years and never heard about the smashed cotton ball inside the drum trick. I am definitely going to try it for the exact reasons Nick pointed out. I like a bit of dampening but the Zero rings really cut out all the ring and much of the overtones and I've had varying degrees of success with Moon gel and the duct tape methods. Providing a bit of dampening to the resonant head and in effect shortening the sustain/quickening the decay makes a lot of sense. I would've liked to have heard more details and specific methods you use for tuning your drums Nick. Cheers and Happy 2016!

[@Apostrophal]

Just FYI... a "mil" is 1/1000 of an inch, not a "millimeter". 7 millimeters would be about 1/4 inch, way too thick for a drum head.

[@sjang816]

sorry if this is a dumb question, but is this the same stage where all the reviews are done?

[@RedeyePerc]

+nycjin816 - They have basically one big, nice auditorium that sounds killer. This video and the reviews look to be in that room.

[@1111Paiste]

+nycjin816 I think it is!

[@willgaines5269]

Yes, they have one stage.

[@david54780]

Great job! Quick and easy to understand.. Btw in my opinion that maple snare drum sounds so much better than DW's but Nick really makes everything sound good!

[@23x31]

I've found the best method to dampen floor toms is using a strip of felt tightly stretched and taped to the bottom of the reso head. Experiment with different size cut strips and positions. Use Gorilla Tape at each end available at Home Depot or Lowes as it won't move or loosen. When trying out different widths and lengths of felt, use masking tape to affix the felt so its easily removed. The felt can be found at craft stores such as Michael's.

[@dfinma]

To clarify a "mil" is one one-thousandth of an inch (0.001") not a millimeter (12:00). Therefore a 10 mil head is 0.010" thick and a double 7 mil is two 0.007" plys (0.014" total).

[@starttodrum5265]

Great tips! Thanks.

[@Firegardenmusic]

Very informative

[@levite978]

Nick did a great job, too bad it was not a bit longer. Lots of great information. Probably watch this one again.

[@ryandrums2112]

Guy must be able to fit a ton of stuff in those massive pockets

[@klistarf]

Decent bloke, great, great drummer, good presentation! Loving the stuff you've done with Cosmograf! Keep up the good work, Nick... \m/ (:o)

[@MrStingraybernard]

thanks for sharing your wealth of knowledge !!

[@pangzter]

Excellent presentation but may have been way smoother if Nick has got an assistant to help him with some of the tech bits. Seems like he has to do everything himself and got distracted at a few parts.

[@beitzel2]

Excellent !!!!

[@McFlyGuitarsandStuff]

I like how the whole kit is 'balanced'.Guys on youtube that mic each drum many times seem to end up with the same result- Toms e.q.'d with too much bass and overpower the kick. And the hi hat is not in the mix.Here it is balanced.But I dont hear any 'ring' from the snare like Nick states.Sounds like it has a thin muffle ring on it already.I like a coated Ambassador single ply.That way you can add a muffle ring and get 2 different snare sounds.Good video.

[@Brento44]

Very nice!

[@kennethsprang8426]

hey nick how bout something on how to get a great sound outta ur hi hat thanks love ur reviews

[@gabritravassos]

The question is: Do you guys know some website that shows by simple recording audio, the difference between each drumhead?

[@bishlap]

those DW's sound nice, LIVE, IMHO, usually DW's sound far better in the studio. Maybe it's Nick or the set up or both? Bottom line; those DW's have a great sound.

[@nmikloiche]

1:08 into like 1:12 nice groove into great sounding double triplets with your kick. And it looked like you did it the right way with 1 pedal and bounced the head.

[@bobfane4365]

Kickin'cit Bonzo style!

[@NorthWriter]

As a multi-instrumentalist, I can tell you that 18:48 isn't entirely accurate. I totally get what he's trying to say, but most guitarists I know have as many guitars as pedals. Because like drums, each guitar has a different tone because of the combination of wood, pickup types, and construction. A Strat sounds different from a Les Paul, which sounds different than a Guild Starfire, which sounds different than a Jazzmaster, etc. I don't actually use pedals very often at all...I would bring different guitars to obtain different tones and sounds. But that's just nitpicking. Like I said, I get the point that Nick is trying to make.

[@mrbpies4347]

Nick is Awesome

[@Oneness100]

I'm surprised he didn't cover changing rims. Each rim will also have a big impact on the sound of the drum. Again, you want to make sure your rims are perfectly flat and round. If the rim is out of round, it won't tune well. Also, since you are storing drums for long periods of time and if the rim is out of round, it can also force the shell (wood shells) to go out of round. So, constantly check the rims and the shells for roundness, especially if you play with thick sticks and play a lot of rim shots. You would be amazed at how much out of roundness of either the shell and/or rim effects the drum, and it's ability to tune well. Also, different rims will change the sound of the drum. For stamped hoops, they have different metals and different thicknesses, and then there are die cast hoops, and wooden hoops. So, with snare drums especially, changing the rims will have an impact on the sound. Toms as well. Just like the shells, make sure you have rims that are perfectly round and perfectly flat as that will impact the ability to tune the drums. I would recommend constantly checking the rims for roundness and flatness, especially if you play hard, thick sticks, rim shots, and move them from gig to gig. All of these factors will impact the roundness/flatness of the rims. since the drum heads are under tension, if your rim goes out of round, it can eventually cause the shell (wooden) to go out of round because it's forcing it, so check the roundness/flatness once a month or at least every time you change heads.

[@frankrizzo442]

+Oneness100 Probably didn't have enough time with his presentation.

[@phileickmeyer2493]

I use evans heads. On my floor toms i use a few cotton balls in them to take out just enough ring out of the drum

[@gatlinproduction]

Hey Nick just a thought would it be wise to Mix acoustic drum kit with my TD50K Snare for live playing? Then I can get any sound that I won’t from my snare been thinking about buying me an acoustic set but don’t know which options would be better to mix the two.

[@SmugSuspenders]

Wow, I just read that Nick played with Fates Warning, that's awesome

[@MrRemo71]

Where did you find that information, I couldn't find anything?

[@jamesnard6923]

Hey, Mr. Nick what you think about the Tru Tuner? I heard that's a great product to tune your drums faster and better.

[@n.c-ludwigdrummer5728]

SWEETWATER. What microphones is Nick using for overheads. Thanks

[@GMDCymbals]

The best heads, which has tone before it even gets put on any drum, is an Aquarian.

[@gilbertcrespin5631]

Nick could make my Tupperware containers sound awesome.

[@rydergrimes6696]

I think Nick can make any kit sound good lol

[@TheAlexanderEdwards]

Ingredient number 1 for getting your drums sounding great: play great.

[@Hoze666]

Nice video, can You list mics used in this presentation? I see no tom mic's on the kit for example.

[@Theseventhknight]

Arkadiusz Gołąb looks like no tom mics, so they're probably just coming through the overheads, which look like... actually, i'm not sure, i was gonna say AKG 414s but they seem a little big. the other mics are neumanns so maybe they're black neumanns? not sure.

[@azariahfelton7204]

+Arkadiusz Gołąb They're all Neumann U87's for overheads on the kit and snares, as far as I can tell. Probably a Shure SM57 on the snare. Can't tell with the kick mic because fairly deep inside the kick drum.

[@DontWorryImAPilot]

+Azariah Felton That kick mic looks a lot like the Telefunken M82. He pulls it out about 43 minutes in.

[@morgunstyles7253]

858. I wish the stores would do this

[@blanko8463]

I clapped at your funk playing with the rings! Funny ...

[@theguitarprodotcomdotau]

Great info as always but "mils" (1000th of an inch) shouldn't be confused with "millimeters" (1000th of a meter). For example, a 10mil head is only 0.010" (approximately 0.25mm) thick - about the same as the thinnest string on an electric guitar. A 10mm head would be 3/8" (plus two 10mil heads) thick!

[@stephenmantua1]

What about pinstripe pants? You haven’t talked about them I have a oil in the middle between 210 layers of trim hedge.

[@michaelgilbert7869]

What Is Sweetwater and Is there's 2 Ways I can learn more about?

[@chriswebb383]

Michael Gilbert go on Google and type Sweetwater music ..bam

[@Jellybeantiger]

Expensive being a drummer,new heads,sticks,even cymbals.

[@nmikloiche]

Jellybeantiger For a new drummer you need 3 things. A practice pad (hunk of wood with a rubber pad), a pair of average sized mid weight sticks, 3 years to practice your rudiments and become internally rhythmic. Don’t even sit down at a drum set until you can play the rudiments in your sleep slow and fast.

[@Customwinder1]

@@nmikloiche good advice 👍

[@everythingcountries2174]

@@nmikloiche You can be disciplined enough to practice your rudiemtns and at the same time get started with learning stuff already on the drumkit. That wiould save a lot of time

[@nmikloiche]

@@everythingcountries2174 I think it’s unwise to sink hundreds and hundreds of dollars on a drum kit when you haven’t even made headway on the basics. There will alwaY be the protege who is exceptionally gifted and can somehow “play by ear”. So my advice is mine for the average kid with no prior music training.

[@TazzSmk]

I've been using moongels for fairly long time and they kinda start to "melt", any idea what could be wrong? :)

[@1111Paiste]

+TzzSmk Warm/hot stage lights?

[@TazzSmk]

+JR Alliso I'd blame the warm water I used to clean them :Đ

[@malachi_fgc4659]

I want this kit so bad But me working a pretty basic job and still being in highschool isn't looking too good for me 😭

[@DG-sf9ei]

Quit making excuses and build your own kit. A drum kit is not some mysterious technology exclusive to Drum companies who play a money tiered system of marketing schemes. You can find any shell online with bearing edges, add the hardware you prefer to the shells, and finish the shells to any color or wrap that a drum manufacturer has access to. And in the end, you'll be able to afford your custom kit, and use the saved money for other things.

[@canturgan]

Genesis? When?

[@Eagles.Fan.Since.Super.Bowl.52]

He played drums as well as Nir Z on their final album "calling all stations". Wikipedia is amazing.

[@qlqnen]

FYI, mils are not millimeters. 10 mil head at 10 millimeters would be about 0,4 inches thick, or 1 cm. No drumhead is this thick. 1 mil is a 1/1000th of an inch.

[@scottlowell493]

The problem with the DW note/Tambor/pitch matching: those massive, heavy and huge turret lugs. POUNDS of metal damping the shell.

[@robbiegrier]

0:04 woah from me too bud!

[@Alexander-lt6es]

So let's see if I've got this right. Use a new high end drum kit with brand new heads, to show us how to make our old set, with most likely old heads sound great? Anybody got a link to any vids to show me how to make and old set of Mapex drums from a friends garage sound good?

[@islandvibe1014]

There's a video on drumeo that says "how to make your cheap drum set sound amazing"

[@ZachKyew]

Old drum heads will never sound good. No amount of tuning can "fix" a crusty, shitty, head. Everything he says in this video applies to any drum made from any material.

[@paulbolin7513]

A Powerstroke 4 is a 14 mil two ply head.

[@timbaker5360]

When using mics on drums what r the mics plug into?

[@chriswebb383]

Tim Baker a PA system .....

[@ofadetergentsud]

Nick says the same crap 5 times in a row before moving on. I can't finish watching this.

[@mpk6664]

HatedHero He was nervous, his first presentation

[@himanshumusicboy7134]

nice

[@colinbooth8918]

Would have loved to hear the questions asked

[@TheOnlyGuitarFather]

Awww nick was sooo shy

[@jerrelmontgomery3176]

He forgot Aquarian

[@jimflys2]

Seriously, the cotton balls are a cool trick, but Rick Nan Horn wrote an article back in like 1980/81 for MD where he used Maxi Pads inside a metal snare drum to give it a less metallic sound and make it more "wood" like sounding. As I recall he started with 5 pads and eventually went down to just 1 or 2. The cool thing is they have an adhesive strip, so they can be put on the shell and easily removed with no taping. I am serious about this. I still have the magazine. 39:00 I have to disagree with idea of the same tension on both heads giving the drum the longest sustain. It sounds logical, but is simply not factual. I learned this 30 plus years ago. I can get the drum to hum for a very long time with the bottom head tighter than the playing side. It may not acoustically project in a live setting as well, but if it is tuned this way for mics or for the player it will sustain on the playing side for a long time. Neither way is "right" in terms of sound, but for sustain, the bottom head tighter is fact.

[@vxla]

Emperor Vintage is actually 7.5-mil.

[@toddderfiny8844]

Dryer sheets work great too...

[@HadEnough745]

I didn't know people from Indiana say "How ya doin'?" That's a NY thing...

[@larrytate1657]

That kick sounds hard. Like a baseball bat hitting a piece of ply wood.

[@signalahead8865]

The snares are tunes differently when he does the comparison. I bet if he cranked the snare on teh left (his right) up they would sound about the same.

[@bradleywebb3902]

I have a clown suit in my kick drum

[@theprinceoffreshair]

Bradley Webb that kick drum must be really CRAZY ............. no? okay ill go home....

[@bradleywebb3902]

+the prince of fresh air I mean you tried, that's all that matters

[@theprinceoffreshair]

Bradley Webb lol

[@LogicShouldRule]

Do U pull it out & wear it when u play?

[@jazzie634]

You know what that's actually funny.

[@Svoboda119]

@50:14 I thought someone was coming into my room...

[@a.m.creativ]

I think Nick is a fantastic educator, but I am concerned about how he explained tuning. Equal tension rarely equals equal pitch. You do not tune to equal tension on the rods, you tune to equal pitch so the head is in tune with itself, giving you the best possible tone.

[@1111Paiste]

+Adam Correia I get what you're stating. I think he meant tension as in head tension. I think you interpreted what he was explaining as torque, which is a very different concept. JMHO

[@MrFredthefurious]

For most newer snares it amounts to the same thing, lots of older snaredrums get a bit moody with age and thus become harder to tune

[@davemieze9021]

I wanted to comment, then realized I commented a year ago. Lol. I like Nick. Seems nervous at first.