Mapex Armory 'Producer Session' with Charlie Kenny

[@DanTheDrummer13]

I've watched this video probably 50 times. I love the drums, the cymbals, and the music.

[@77fonzo77]

+TheDrummer1322 Exactly how I feel as well, this video encompasses how drums should sound with or without music to me

[@willyloops]

Mr Sean Kenny and Mr Charly Kenny....they know what they are doing.....very nice recorded and processed sound, very nice playing as well....world class sound/drummer.

[@mdloser1]

Take them out of the box, tune them up and start playing. Those were stock Mapex drumheads. This is THE best drumset for the money. From beginner to pro. I used to think Mapex was garbage back in the day until I sat down and played a set. I ended up buying it after having 1 set of Gretsch and 2 sets of Pearl. Mapex make exceptional drums for an unbelievable price.

[@rossilavery]

I know we are supposed to be listening to the drums and they do sound incredible (loving the new bearing edge tech) but those hi-hats are perfection.

[@spacejazz6272]

Totally agree paiste are the absolute BOMB!

[@spacejazz6272]

Guido Heidmann the hi hats are but I think his ride is signature dark energy

[@DrumRoody]

15" Medium

[@slashrex13]

What kind of paiste are they?

[@pablo_honey]

rex slashrex Formula 602 Modern Essentials

[@rubyreddrums]

I love that natural, warm, wooden finish on the drums! And the sound, too, obviously.

[@leroyjennings2033]

That my friends is what A drum set is supposed to sound like. And that snare was tight. Love it. THe drummer played them perfectly.

[@DeanWuksta]

great drum sound, love that kick, really defined without being clicky but fat too, and really in the pocket Charlie.

[@cobyutterback]

I'm floored.. this kit sounds killer!

[@nickgelis5109]

Thanks Charlie! Keep your videos coming Love from Greece!!!!!

[@metallicpearl]

Great sound and brilliant, groovy playing. This is a how a kit demo should be. Mapex seem to be setting the standard in mid-range kits.

[@pideuhweuh8459]

Mapex knew what they did, the producer knew what he did, this drummer knew what he did. It makes a great kit greatly recorded and greatly played and sound fantstic ! Loved the tunning info in the end, as it sounded great it's always good to get this tip !

[@stevenlayton1262]

Well done, mapex. Well done. You should congratulate your marketing team, because I'm sold.

[@moritzmark3418]

I am in love with those hats! 😍

[@rhythmista7707]

Playing a festival this week end for Canada Day, and this kit might be one of the rental kits i'll be using. I've used these before and was pleasantly surprised, especially by the 8 lug bass drum. Great demo video !

[@noahmclain2380]

Hey Charlie! Love your drumming mate, youre my favorite drummer!

[@Slipstream0001]

Fantastic playing, nice music too.

[@jimrose896]

I am looking so forward to getting this drum kit . in two weeks . its sounds sweeeet

[@BackLooking]

The value for the money here is just ridiculous. The drums are beautiful, sound amazing and they are actually affordable. I´m gonna find a place for them and get them. I think I´ll go for the deeper shells version. Love it, absolutely.

[@tdog9419]

+BackLooking I bought a 5 piece with the deeper toms and the exterminator snare. Absolutely love them! I still can't believe they are under $1,000!

[@robosdrumworld]

I have an Mapex Armory Series and it's a great kit!

[@byronpalmer7490]

I do too it's a very solid kit I love mine

[@matthewearls905]

Hey Charlie great sounding mix on the kit! I had already purchased mine when I saw ur video. I love Mapex drums and this is an incredible kit for the cost. I have been using it live for months and they sound incredible. Great and tasteful playing as well!

[@CHARLESKENNY]

Cheers Matthew! :D

[@matthewearls905]

+charlie kenny Cheers to you as well. I love Mapex Kick drums man. They always track well and sound great live too. I wasnt sure about the tomahawk snare as I usually prefer a wood snare. I was afraid it would become a ringing mess live but on the contrary it tunes up nicely and is quite controllable. I have actually got quite a few compliments on it live. I love the natural tones that ur getting on ur recordings. Keep it up!

[@TCMagnificent]

Great chops! I have this exact kit,bought it for a practice kit. Used Tama Starclassic b/b for gigs. Now I use this one also. It mics and EQ great! Tuning is easy and the low end is great!

[@EPGTR]

Ultra-mega cool. Now that was a great post.

[@MaxBrilhart]

That 14" tom blows me away. It has just the right amount of low end and the perfect tone.

[@CHARLESKENNY]

thankyou max! all the tunings are at the end of the video :D also check out the tunebot! recently purchased one and they are surprisingly accurate!

[@MaxBrilhart]

charlie kenny Thanks, that's a huge help! I'm getting this kit soon, so I'll use those notes for reference. I might check out the Tunebot. I've seen a few drummers endorse them.

[@Everlongfive]

Wow!!! What a player! The kit sounds fantastic too. I currently play a Mapex Orion and I love it to bits! Mapex are making some incredible drums.

[@drummerdave26]

Nice! I have a 2010 saturn kit and i believe i just found its replacement! Seriously loving the 15" 602 hats blending with that kit, awesome sound

[@CHARLESKENNY]

so glad this is video is online :D really pleased with it!

[@georgeb6300]

Ik this was 5 years ago but your playing in this was insane man

[@mistersqueezeaaron2406]

Sounds awesome!Just ordered a magma armory can't wait!

[@isekaibuff6544]

how is it? planning to get magma red as well

[@No_Transitory]

I love Mapex, just restored the old V series... 4 rack toms, 1 floor tom, bass drum, and a new 14x8 mapex MPX. All toms and bass use EC2/EC batter reso combo. Bass has EMAD2 with original remo reso. Snare has remo's reversed controlled dot batter and Ambassador hazy snare. From buying hoops, some new tension rods, putting Tung Oil in the drums and rewrapping them i must say they are my favorite. The bass drums tom mount holes have all been filled and with new wrap it looks like a virgin bass drums. Sounds amazing for basswood, but i had a lot of wood working to do. Filling dents and dings. Also fixing major damage to one of the drum hoops (over 2 inches of material was missing from the side... i had to sand, cut away some loose wood and put wood putty and reshape the hoop. It was a mess and took me 4 months to complete my 8inch tom, 10 in, 12in, 13in, 16x16 inch floor tom, and my 22x16 bass drum. Mapex is easy to work with, they sound great, and I love the black hardware.

[@IBMvlogStudios]

Hey man! Thanks for the awesome video! I listened to it and I am going to purchase one of these kits!

[@CHARLESKENNY]

glad you like it! you won't regret the purchase :D

[@tommylight1312]

charlie kenny Do you have to buy the shell pack as well as the hardware pack to be able to mount the toms that way?

[@CHARLESKENNY]

Thomas Bowen Hi Thomas. Apologies for the delayed reply. i don't believe so. the kit comes with the tom arms in the shell pack so you could use your own hardware with it. hope this helps. cheers, c

[@HairyToeKnuckles]

I have this exact set; finish and everything. They sound amazing, easy to tune, and the finish is awe-inducing in person. I bought Gibraltar hardware and have the toms setup in an offset configuration. Great price, great drums!

[@MaxBrilhart]

Were you using the stock heads?

[@CHARLESKENNY]

***** yes max, they come with remo coated emperor UT's. it was all the stock heads used int he video :D

[@anthonys5146]

Thanks for the vids. Great playing and a great sound! I would like to see a vid with the new Mars line. Thanks!

[@samprice884]

This is awesome guys! Keep watching this video

[@rs762]

Great sounding kit. Mapex is one great drum company and prices are very affordable.

[@mjm5081]

Nice playing...Nice music...Nice drums 🌟 🌟 🌟

[@HenryPerez_royal_hp]

holy shmite! FANTASTIC playing Charlie, you have gained yourself a new fan. keep on hitting stuff =]

[@localboy4584]

Thanks Charlie for doing a great demo of the Mapex Armory. Solid in the pocket drumming and very nice tuning of your drums. BTW: I just added this set to my arsenal in clear black. Darryl Siguenza

[@donrafa_]

10 años después, viendo nuevamente el video me da nostalgia :')

[@markusaxt]

love the air in the toms

[@jorgemanoel6081]

Mapex sempre surprendendo, excelente.

[@Soda_F1]

amazing sound!!great playing too

[@tonzokinawa]

Would you say these are a better value than the saturns? I listen to the Saturns and then to these and think they both sound great. Mapex sure makes it hard to pick a kit! Plus the fact that it comes with a snare that you can swap out for any other one is a very attractive feature

[@CHARLESKENNY]

Hello Tyler, I know this answer won't help but they're not really comparable kits. the armory has a rounder bearing edge giving a very warm more 'old school' sound (thats not to say its not a versatile kit though) as opposed to the saturns big meaty punch! then there is obviously the price difference between the two. At the end of the day the saturn is a Pro kit but the armory is still fantastic and represents exceptional value. I'm buying one to go alongside my two saturns! definitely won't hesitate to gig it! great little kits! Cheers mate, Charlie

[@oferbis]

I also bought exactly the same kit you're playing here - same finish too -also largely as a result of how it sounds on this video :)

[@CHARLESKENNY]

are you enjoying the kit mate?

[@oferbis]

+charlie kenny hey man, thanks so much for asking. I haven't gotten it yet. Looking forward to it. I will update when i get it :)

[@sojake3712]

Would have been nice to have included a cymbal description.

[@mayradelgado778]

I also have an armory in purple haze, I love this kit!!

[@AnniLloyd]

Excellent Charlie!

[@ambervalleydrumschool]

Nice playing! great drums for the money

[@CHARLESKENNY]

agreed!

[@martin41285]

Hola muy hermoso sonido!!Por cierto ,de quien es la musica

[@mizmor149]

I love that Wood sound.

[@nickgelis5109]

Hi there! I play a horizon birch transparent cherry limited edition kit and I am quite pleased with it -- black dots on top and clear ambassadors on bottom. What would be the benefits, sonically, if I switched to Armory? Thumbs up for the video. Cheers!

[@CHARLESKENNY]

Hi Paris, Am I right in think the horizon is a poplar shell? Either way there will be a huge difference between the two. the Mid price drum market is so competitive at the moment with all the big names having good representation at this price point. this means that mapex have thrown a ton of money and innovation into the production of the armory. it really does do everything a pro kit does just with out the price tag. so much so I have elected to take one on tour for 100+ dates a year over a saturn. the difference in sound is minimal and unlike the saturn I can afford to have it knocked about by a tired crew who just want to get to the hotel after a long days work! Armories represent outstanding value for money. cheers, Charlie

[@FeathersT21]

I've got one of these and was considering selling as I can't get a decent sound. Clearly my tuning techniques are way off lately, these sounds glorious

[@terryandrews9956]

tom feathers learn to tune to specific notes. These drums sound like one of a kind when you get the tuning down

[@Skyedrummer145]

Hi Charlie - fabulous video. I've just sold my old Premier APK 8 piece and bought exactly the same kit you're playing here - same finish too - largely as a result of how it sounds on this video and am intrigued as to your tuning notes at the end. The sound is absolutely magnificent and I am just wondering how you achieved specific 'notes' for each drum head. I'm presuming you used an electronic tuning instrument? Can you let me know the make/model etc. as it certainly seems to have made a massive difference and I'd like to get the same finished result. Cheers for your help.

[@CHARLESKENNY]

hey mate we tend to do it by ear and reference on a keyboard or guitar. there is a device called tunebot that i actually own and is pretty good. the thing is it doesnt account fir lug pairings to you have to be careful. hope this helps! cheers, charlie

[@Skyedrummer145]

Thanks for getting back to me Charlie. I did consider getting a Tunebot but, to be fair, after a bit of tweaking I'm quite happy with the sound - delighted in fact. I'm a bit annoyed with myself that I've had to resort to a few dabs of Moongel to damp a little excessive ringing but, if Anika uses it on her Mapex kit, I can live with it.Thanks again for your advice, much appreciated. Richard.

[@samjohnson2385]

Awesome video! Thank you for sharing your playing (and your specs). The 15 inch hats absolutely rock and I use the same ones; 14's are OUT! With your 2 note interval on the "pitch bend".......are the batter heads tuned higher? Thank you! Eric (Victoria, BC).

[@samjohnson2385]

I'm "guessing" that the bottom heads are cranked up 2 notes higher, for only a "slight" pitch-bend. (?)........and not a more noticeable pitch-bend where the top heads are cranked up higher. Thank you. Eric

[@rexs1852]

Awsome drums n love the music to

[@kalinpuls3784]

awesome stuff man. have you tried any of the other armory snares? the daisy cutter is a personal favorite.❤happy jamming!

[@elierhernandez5471]

Excelente sonido!! Alguien sabe como se llaman las canciones que esta tocando????

[@chrisallandrums]

Can you explain the tom tuning? Why those pitches and how'd you do it?

[@dahliaday17]

A little Aaron Spears influence on that second song :). I have the Saturn and love them to death. I wouldn't say these are mid range in all the all around kit but the price is. Mapex is a great company that way.

[@stevemondello139]

Ottimo sound!! Complimenti per la tecnica, grande batterista!!

[@cheezdoodles1961]

Hey Charlie, I'll keep comin' back to this extraordinary recording of you playing the Mapex Armory and the geourgeos sounding Paiste cymbals time after time...and I'm wondering if you can say something about the differences between Armory and Saturn V...by the way...you're a great drummer...

[@CHARLESKENNY]

cheezdoodles1961 Hi mate, Thanks for the kind words. The kits are close in standard. Let's put it this way I own a velvetone and a Saturn V for recording and I tour an armoury. If you have the money then get the Saturn as it is a killer kit. But if on a budget I'd have an armoury with a half decent set of cymbals and a snare. Also the tomahawk that ships with the kit is pretty remarkable for the money! You can't go wrong with any of them. The other thing to note with the armoury is the finish! They are so hardy. They will stand up to the rigours of the road no problem. Hope this helps, C

[@joshuaguzman8605]

Awesome drums

[@loganjames3525]

This kit sounds absolutely amazing! I love those cymbals too, anybody know what they are (paiste is as much as I could tell)

[@solominded247]

I am so getting this kit. it sounds amazing

[@CHARLESKENNY]

good choice Angel :)

[@Deadleg]

Superb playing.

[@lazyjesus6573]

Mapex & Paiste a match made in heaven.

[@dysfunction1]

I don't suppose you know the fundamental note for each individual drum do ya? :/. Great vid, helped me make my mind up about whether to get this kit, and I'd like mine to sound like this one! Ty

[@CHARLESKENNY]

dysfunction1 Hey mate tuning like this using REMO heads will give you a not matching the bottom head. for some reason Evans are different though. not to say they're bad :D

[@johnnynava6304]

Como hacen graban la batería arriba de la bateria de la canción?

[@jonathanbormann5077]

Looking to get a new kit soon. Having a hell of a time deciding between these, DW Design 3 piece, or Pearl wood fiberglass 3 piece (on sale rn at GC)

[@matthewdrumz9340]

I know im late but what did you end up grabbing

[@jonathanbormann5077]

@@matthewdrumz9340 I ended up getting a Crush Sublime E3 on closeout. I didn't like the thinner hoops on the Mapex Armory kits.

[@matthewdrumz9340]

I was actually looking at the crush sumblime does it sound nice

[@jonathanbormann5077]

@@matthewdrumz9340 it's decent. It's my first maple kit so I don't have anything to compare it to. Snare throw off is really cheap and I had to tighten all the hardware when I got it. I wouldn't have been happy paying full price but at $650 it's not bad. Definitely want to swap out the stock Taiwanese made Remo's though. They suck. I put Evans G2s on batter, G1 on reso (all coated), Evans 300 snare side and Uv1 on snare batter. Coated Emad on BD as well as an Evans ported BD reso (can't remember which one right now). Had a few compliments. I'm jonsen for that Pearl wood/ fiberglass kit though. Hoping to het one before they aren't around anymore

[@matthewdrumz9340]

Theres one for sale on ebay near me in good condition for 450 i might pick it up thanks for the info.

[@jacobsamdal9611]

whats the name of the first song? and who sings it?

[@joeychenault9248]

how do stock heads sound so good?

[@claudialins5461]

I just love this company i have a mapex qr series and sounds very nice in my house

[@Manickblaze]

Beautiful ..

[@MatteoTorrisiOfficinaDelPilota]

Veramente bravo

[@hamadbernes1980]

great sound,,,,mapex sound...

[@johnspagnoli7427]

Excellent sound..this video does a great job showing off the Armory kits...what cymbal are you using? I know the hats are the formula 602 but what about the crash and ride?

[@CHARLESKENNY]

Hi John. the hats are 15' 602 essentials, crash 1 is an 18" dark energy, the ride is a dark energy mark 1 ride and the second crash is a masters series dark crash ride

[@bearfacedrummer]

What a great drummer!

[@sbhrule]

I got this kit and love it so much. How did you tune the Tomohawk to sound like that though?? Thats phenomenal

[@isekaibuff6544]

tunings at the end of the vid mate

[@CHARLESKENNY]

obviously the tuning of the top head is noted at the end of the video. something people dont seem to place much importance in is the tension of the bottom head. once the snare wires are touching the bottom head the 'note' is all but lost. its more to do with the effect tensioning of the bottom head has on the sound. the tighter it goes the drier the snare will sound. when tightening the bottom head make sure you do it as evenly as possible!

[@Hew_Reese]

What is the ride cymbal? Really digging it

[@CHARLESKENNY]

+Matt Reese Hi Mate, its the dark energy 20" ride cymbal. Both the mk1 and mk2 versions of this ride are lovely! Cheers, Charlie

[@progrocks4110]

thats a groovy drummer too

[@CHARLESKENNY]

thankyou! :D

[@raydrysdale2726]

I really dig your playing style! I'm almost sold on the Armory - I feel the Peacemaker snare if for me - have you tried all 5 armory snare options, thoughts?

[@mikeylc0598]

Hey Charlie! What is this song called???? It sounds so awesome to play along too

[@rebeccasamkurian762]

what's the 1st song

[@CHARLESKENNY]

Rebecca Sam Kurian Relentless by Mike Dignam

[@runningbull6178]

im buying these with zildijan A custom series cymbals any thoughts wanted the saturn but they dont ship to Guam

[@ColdayNurnberg]

Please people help... i can't decide between a Tama Silverstar or a Mapex Armory. I also have in sight a Mapex Meridian Birch. I'm into pop punk, metal. Stuff like that.

[@tombaxter4717]

Great video! would love to know what heads you're using? Thanks!

[@mikedulin1325]

Tom Baxter they are the stock chinese REMO heads that come with the kit. Not bad for stock but throw some quality heads on there and you really got something. Cheers.

[@stjepangatti6487]

Can somebody tell me what cymbals is he using?

[@CHARLESKENNY]

Drummer CRO HH: 15" modern essentials CR1: 18" paiste dark energy Ride: 20" paiste dark energy CR2: paiste 20" masters dark crash ride

[@stjepangatti6487]

yo thanks man

[@natanaelorlenko7241]

Hi charly How can I get the tracks you play in this video. greetings from Argentina .

[@lozriley]

How do you play your toms that high

[@morgandeveney]

What are the songs called?

[@CHARLESKENNY]

Hello Morgan, the tracks are by Mike Dignam. there are from his 'paint' EP

[@Sigfried83]

I've been always looking for those earphone. What are their name? thanks man

[@BielFontOfficial]

which model are this cymbal pack?

[@77fonzo77]

What crash are you using on your right hand side? Sounds nice, a little like a china cymbal

[@CHARLESKENNY]

the crash on the right hand side is actualy a paiste masters dark crash ride. its paper thin so has that great dark trashy tone. it's also proven very hardy as ive been beating the hell out of it for over three years now (this was a concern when i got it)

[@77fonzo77]

ahh okay thanks! great playing by the way

[@AENSDRUMS]

Are those the sizes for the fast toms???

[@lucasbobechko5185]

Hey can anyone tell me what cymbals he's using??

[@DanMarcelino]

does anyone know what kind of drum clips they're using on the tom mics? thanks!

[@masbren1231]

Did you put anything inside your bass for this video? Like a blanket or a pillow?

[@G7In]

Hello! What do you say about the new Mapex Mars kit? Because I don't know wich sounds better: TAMA SILVERSTAR or MAPEX MARS?

[@retro_mando]

GIn Raul I would go with the Mapex, in my opinion Mapex makes the best Mid-Range kits in the industry, hands down. But, in the end my best advice is go with what you imagine yourself playing in the future. That way, you never look back and regret not getting the set that you fantasized about. Close your eyes, and imagine yourself playing one of these sets, whichever one it is, buy it. Somehow you deep down know that is the kit you really want :-)

[@Cring0r]

incredible playing, also how do you get a steel snare that isn't muffled to have so little ring ? so nice

[@CHARLESKENNY]

Cring0r thanks for the kind comments :D to be honest i think it has a lot to do with the skins the armory ships with. they are the chinese remo's. they seem to be more naturally dead than a standard emperor/ambassador. not to say thats a bad thing. I had the tom heads on my white armory for a good few months before changing them. cheers, Charlie

[@CHARLESKENNY]

Cring0r The tomahawk is fantastic though :D

[@chrisbarbz9238]

What headphones are those? Anyone?

[@FlamingFrts]

What are the songs?

[@cgondrums]

What cymbals are being used?

[@CHARLESKENNY]

+Chris “CG” Gadson Hi Mate HH: 15" 602 modern essentials CR1: 18" dark energy crash RD: 20" dark energy ride CR2: 20" masters dark crash ride hope that helps, charlie

[@isekaibuff6544]

+charlie kenny thank you

[@kalebeollier1682]

qual nome da Música do inicio?

[@b.f.m.1906]

Yamaha, ludwig, dw who?