Pearl Midtown Drums REVIEW!!! Why I chose them over Breakbeats

Here I talk about the Pearl Midtown drums and why I chose them over the Ludwig Breakbeats by Questlove. I go over some of the things I wish were better. Hear about the trouble I experienced with the kit on my first gig out! If you prefer the breakbeats then please leave me a comment below and let me know why.

[@chadleefishel6074]

You are my new favorite KZbinr, great video… subscribed

[@tomvillano5824]

Great review- I have one and agree with you on the tom mounting arm being too short to position the rack tom in line with the snare. I like the kit overall and think it is a bit better quality than the Sonor Safari which I also owned. Like you- there are some rooms where I missed the bigger kick drum's presence, but enjoyed the easy pack-up and transport

[@allTimeFavorite]

Did you look at the Yamaha Stage Custom? Also, you mentioned a drummer. It sounded like Amir Uzman, but I don't think that is the correct spelling. Thanks.

[@sorelbaid]

Hey Randle, I did not look at the Yamaha, but I will say that I have at least been pleased with the sound of every Yamaha drum I have ever played (not sure which series they were). However, on both those Yamaha kits, the tom holder eventually failed. The ball type of pivot ends up stripping and the toms don't stay up. The drummer is Amir Oosman. He frequently collaborates with BYOS (Ralph Nader and Harvey Thompson) and marched with the Blue Devils. Check him out on Instagram @amiroosman. I think he also has a youtube channel.

[@jackjones3822]

Porting is good but if you do your tuning has to be on point, also in terms of heads, focus more on the reso as opposed to the batter for tonality also if recommended investing in a drum dial so you can use that you can get consistent accurate tuning on your drums. The drum dial will probably get you tuning so accurately that you won't need to put tape down to muffle. On your snare I'd recommend getting some solid tuning so then you can just use one piece of tape where the mic is, trust me it works! And I'd personally recommend Evans Hydraulics they're amazing for getting a sort of PHAT sound really sort of warm funky gospel sound!

[@sorelbaid]

That's interesting that you say tuning has to be on point for porting, as I usually think of it the other way around. If I am porting my kick, I tend to muffle the batter a bit too, and keep the head loose. If I don't port, then I tune the drum up a bit and feel like the tuning is more important. As for the reso heads of toms, I usually keep them equal to or above the tension of the batters. I don't have the cash for drum gadgets but I have heard good things about the drum dial. Most of my gigs lately are not mic'ed up, so I try to tension, tune and muffle based on the room sound as well as the vibe of the group and how loud or soft we are playing. With the Midtown kit, I feel like the snare is best not cranked too high or low, med high or med low is ok, but I don't like the sound when I go too far one way or the other. The kick works surprisingly well tuned up a bit or ported and kept low. Thank you for the comment, Jack, as well as the insight and recommendations. Sorry it took me so long to get back to you!

[@iancockingful]

port it and put on an Emad head, makes it really punchy. I've added a Roland tm2 and for larger venues just sample a decent bass drum. sounds like you should have got yourself a BB kit though. Personally i love my Midtown kit and when i gig it people are always impressed by how good this little kit sounds 👍

[@jettilagan]

May I know what stock kick pedal midtown comes with.

[@sorelbaid]

It doesn't come with a pedal.

[@jettilagan]

Sorelbaid, just want to ask. May I know the dimension of the Pearl Midtown Box? I'll be asking a friend to purchase one for me, but I have to be ceratin with the box dimension to know if it break the size rules of the airline. I will much appreciate your response!

[@gutbucket260]

I've heard a 2 inch hole is all you need on the bass head. More like an air vent. Remember that a 2 inch hole on a 16 inch head is like a 4 inch on a larger head. It's all relative. But I haven't heard one with a 2 inch port so take it as bull-shittery until you personally hear it your self. I do want one of these kits to set up in a spare room and use for rehearsals. My main kit is a 6 drum Gretsch Catalina Maple and it's a pain to truck around in a KIA.

[@sorelbaid]

I play mine both with a port and without, and I like both sounds. I haven't heard the 2 inch theory, but I know a lot of folks recommend not porting small bass drums at all. I believe it really depends on what kind of sound you want and how you tune the drum. This site has a lot of info about small drums, and for a 16x14 kick drum, they recommend a 3.6" port. compactdrums.com/porting-small-bass-drums/

[@Shadylurker85]

I literally got a notification telling me amir oosman started following me on Instagram while I was watching this video...... weird

[@Bloatrr]

The exact time he mentioned Amir oosman in the video I read Amir oosman on this comment…weird?

[@samwalton2541]

how do you spell the drummer you recommended?

[@sorelbaid]

Amir Oosman! Check out his instagram @amiroosman and I think he has a youtube as well. He is a great player who uses a 16" kick often.

[@jacobboyd7965]

I am thinking on porting the bass head too but idk either

[@sorelbaid]

Yeah, if you do it let me know what you think! Here is the article that had me thinking of porting it. compactdrums.com/porting-small-bass-drums/ I have a 16" tom head that I may try. Just need to make sure the tom head seats over the bearing edge ok and then I would be willing to sacrifice it by putting a 3.6" port in.

[@jacobboyd7965]

If you do can you do a comparison video on it so I can see how it sounds?

[@sorelbaid]

Yeah, a before port and after would be a good idea!

[@matthewd.1474]

Port the kick!… does help about 20%.

[@LeSiZmOr]

I have owned both the Breakbeats and the Midtown kits. Pearl has it with build quality..I found the Breatbeats kit to be punchier all around. Far better kick from the luds. I would buy the Ludwigs again. Nice video.

[@sorelbaid]

Thanks for the comment, man. I have gotten to play on the Breakbeats a couple times and still prefer the midtown, but I have had a few issues with the hoop cutout on the midtown getting scratched up and I feel like the regular hoop on the breakbeats is better all around. Although, compactdrums.com and others have said they had issues with the riser on the BB. Sometimes I just mount my pedal directly to the hoop, no riser, but with the midtown that is not easily possible.

[@alanduncan1980]

It's a good kit for those "intimate" gigs, when a 20 inch kick drum is simply too big to fit on the stage. 🙄

[@sorelbaid]

Or when you’re playing a sunday brunch jazz/bossa nova gig in a room with high ceilings and marble floors at whisper volumes.

[@josh-zi9vu]

who else got an ad for sumo wrestling lessons?

[@sorelbaid]

Ha! Give thanks.

[@bruceperkins2921]

Port it